BANG! BANG!
After several intense exchanges, Date Danji seized an opening and unleashed a crushing topspin shot.
The trajectory was ordinary—but the power wasn't.
Kaidō wanted to test its weight.
He sprinted to the landing point, ignoring Banriya's taunt:
"Danji no Haru is a super-heavy return! Even your backline teammate wouldn't dare take it. You, a frontcourt player? You'll break your arm!"
Danji no Haru.
Date Danji's signature move.
In the original U-17 arc, this shot had sent Kikumaru and Kabaji flying. Its destructive force was legendary.
Kaidō ignored the jeers.
Planting his feet, he swung—with both hands, distributing the impact.
CRACK!
The moment the ball struck his racket, a monstrous force surged through his arms.
Heavy—!
But…
Manageable.
Still, Kaidō let go, allowing the racket to fly out of bounds to avoid injury.
"30–0, Shūtei!"
The crowd erupted.
"That shot sent his racket flying?!"
"Date Danji's a beast! Look at those muscles!"
"Even a two-handed grip couldn't stop it? Insane!"
The spectacle left everyone buzzing.
Banriya smirked. "Told you not to overestimate yourself."
Pride swelled in his chest. Though he couldn't master Danji no Haru himself, seeing Date execute it flawlessly was its own victory.
From the sidelines, Oni Jūjirō narrowed his eyes. "Interesting technique. The weight transfer is innovative… but the user's raw strength is lacking."
Yoru resisted the urge to roll his eyes. (Only a freak like you would call Date "weak.")
Aloud, he shrugged. "Relax. Kaidō and Imishi won't let us down."
Among Seigaku's roster, the two boasted the highest win rates after the "Big Three." Their reliability was unquestionable.
---
On the Court
"You okay?" Imishi hurried forward.
Kaidō shook his head. "I can handle it. But we'll need Synchro to counter. Ready?"
"Let's go."
Their fists met—and in that instant, light erupted.
Twin streams of milky-white aura linked them, their synergy amplifying their stats from 0.7 to 1.7—a full 7-star combat rating.
"What the—?!"
Date and Banriya stiffened, but quickly steadied themselves. They'd known about the Synchro in advance.
Danji no Haru grew stronger with each strike. They wouldn't back down.
---
Counterattack
BANG!
Imishi's serve, now turbocharged by Synchro, blitzed past Date before he could react.
"15–30!"
Shūtei's players paled.
An ACE?! Just from activating Synchro?!
"DATE!" Banriya glared.
"Sorry! Won't happen again!"
But the next serve was just as fierce. Date barely returned it—weakly.
Seizing the chance, Kaidō whipped out his Boomerang Snake Shot, the ball curving sharply to land on the sideline.
"30–all!"
The Atsushi brothers (Rokkaku's elite doubles pair) gaped.
"Their Synchro patched the Boomerang's speed flaw?!"
"They improved this fast?!"
---
Momentum Shift
"40–30!"
Kaidō nailed a slick volley, exploiting Banriya's overcommitment to the sideline.
"Game! Seigaku leads, 1–0!"
Date grimaced.
Speed wasn't their forte. Against Synchro-boosted reflexes, setting up Danji no Haru was nearly impossible.
---
Second Game: Shūtei's Serve
Date exhaled, then launched a missile.
His serve wasn't just fast—it carried the weight of a sledgehammer.
Imishi scrambled, waiting for the ball to peak before swinging. Even with Synchro, the impact rattled his bones.
His return was shaky.
Banriya pounced, smashing a brutal volley straight at Kaidō.
At close range, blocking it was a nightmare. Kaidō barely deflected it—
—only for Banriya to fire a crosscourt winner on the next touch.
"15–0!"
Inoue chuckled from the benches. "Looks like a stalemate~"
---