Just as Inui had predicted...
Both pairs seemed trapped in an endless loop—each dominating their own service games but struggling to break the other's.
Idate Otoko and Ban Rikiya couldn't handle the speed of Kaidou Shu and Konishi Senzui.
Meanwhile, Kaidou and Konishi had no answer for their opponents' overwhelming power.
Even knowing it was a deadlock, the match had to go on—and so they persisted!
BANG—!
Amid this clash of speed versus power, the score raced forward relentlessly.
"Mizuno Academy scores, 1-1!"
...
"Seigaku scores, 3-2!"
...
"Mizuno Academy scores, 4-4!"
...
"Seigaku scores, 6-5!"
After a grueling hour-long battle, the score stood at 6-6—forcing a tiebreak!
Though Synchro Mode drastically improved Kaidou and Konishi's muscle efficiency, it came at a cost.
Their stamina was draining at an alarming rate. Without the Endurance Runes, they would've collapsed long ago.
Neither side could afford even a single mistake—one lost serve could mean total defeat.
Kaidou and Konishi gasped for air, sweat pouring like a flood from their brows, dripping off their chins.
Their chests heaved violently, muscles trembling uncontrollably, eyes bloodshot—classic signs of system overload.
On the other side of the court...
Idate and Ban weren't faring much better.
Their condition was similar, though slightly less severe. Yet their arms were visibly swollen—pushed to the limit from endlessly slamming power shots.
BANG—! BANG—! BANG—!
The battle raged on, the score climbing rapidly—7-7… 12-12… 18-17.
Now, it was Ban Rikiya's serve.
BANG!
Konishi gritted his teeth, forcing his exhausted body to return the heavy shot.
Both pairs were running on fumes, their performance a shadow of what it once was—only sheer will kept them standing.
The return was weak. Ban seized the chance for a net intercept—a move that had tormented Kaidou and Konishi all match.
To break this stalemate, they had to return it perfectly.
"I... I really... want to win!"
"I want to stand with Konishi... as true champion doubles!"
Kaidou roared as he swung his racket.
Even if Seigaku won the championship, how could they call themselves champions if they lost here?
They had to win—for three years of dreams, they couldn't lose now!
The racket struck the ball—
But at that moment, Synchro Mode shattered. Their condition visibly plummeted.
"This is bad!" Yamato clenched the railing, eyes locked on the court.
QP, however, smirked. "Bad? Kaidou and Konishi gave everything. People like that don't lose."
BANG—!
A deafening impact echoed across the court.
Idate and Ban's faces twisted in shock.
They thought Kaidou and Konishi would be helpless without Synchro—yet they still countered!
And the return was flawless.
"Go—carry our dream to victory!"
After the swing, Kaidou collapsed to the ground, completely spent.
A golden streak shot past Ban, dodged Idate's desperate lunge, and landed squarely on the baseline.
BEEEP—!
"Match over! Final score 19-17—Seigaku wins!"
The whistle pierced the air.
"How...?"
Ban's earlier arrogance was gone. He exchanged stunned glances with Idate, unable to believe they'd lost to "nobodies."
"Kaidou!" Konishi rushed over, pulling his partner up. Seeing Kaidou still conscious, he screamed with all his strength—
"WE WON!"
The stadium fell silent.
Every eye was locked on Kaidou and Konishi, disbelief hanging in the air—they'd pulled off a miracle return at the last moment.
"They won... Kaidou and Konishi actually WON!"
"FOUR STRAIGHT VICTORIES! Seigaku just made history—the most wins in a national finals EVER!"
"WE DID IT! WE ACTUALLY WON!"
"Unbelievable... They really beat Idate and Ban—the 'invincible' doubles pair!"
The arena erupted.
Deafening cheers surged like tidal waves, shaking the stands.
Seigaku's team, especially, was in a frenzy—eyes wide, faces flushed with exhilaration.
Before the match, most had written this doubles pair off as hopeless underdogs.
Yet here they were—victorious.
In just one week, Kaidou and Konishi had transformed.
They endured brutal training, refined their techniques, and crafted the perfect strategy—all for this moment.
But the most shocked person of all?
Yoru.
He never imagined that two nameless background characters from the original story could—
With the help of Runes and their own relentless effort—defeat a powerhouse pair like Idate and Ban.
Throughout the Nationals, these two had defied expectations at every turn.
And now, they'd done it again—proving their worth when it mattered most.
This match would be etched into history, a legend in its own right.
Kaidou and Konishi had earned their fame.
---
"USELESS!"
Byoudouin Houou slammed his fist into the railing, fury burning in his eyes.
4-0.
A scoreline never before seen in Nationals history.
Even if he won his match now, this humiliation would follow him forever—a laughingstock for years to come.
The team he'd built with such care... was now a national disgrace.
He'd rather have lost in the first round than suffer this!
"Seigaku...!"
Byoudouin stood, glaring at Seigaku's bench.
Four straight losses.
Even after the overall match was decided at 3-0, they'd forced one more defeat onto him.
His pride had been stomped into the dirt.
---
"My turn."
Yoru rose, draping his jacket over his seat.
The entire Seigaku team blinked in surprise—
Their captain... wasn't putting on his usual act?