Toono stood at the baseline, his vision already blurry, but he still refused to give up on executing punishment against the two across from him. He quickly tossed the ball and slammed out a Five Horses Dismemberment toward Chitose.
Chitose watched the five shadows flying at him. With just a sidestep, he dodged, then spun back and cut off the ball that was about to bounce out of court, sending it back with a sharp backhand.
Kimijima rushed to the ball, his eyes lingering on Toono's left knee for a moment. In the end, he did nothing—just returned it normally. But Tachibana was already at the net, his racket wrapped in blazing red aura as he ripped into the incoming ball.
Behind him, the phantom suanni roared, spewing a massive fire pillar across the court. Kimijima was still caught wondering if he had just missed his chance.
"Kimijima! Watch out!" Suddenly Tanegashima's voice shouted from the sideline.
Kimijima snapped back to reality. Looking up, he saw the fire pillar rushing straight at him. It was already too late to dodge or block. Just as he braced to take the hit head-on, a figure with long purple hair stepped in front of him.
The crushing impact landed squarely on Toono's chest, blasting him backward, blood scattering in the air. Kimijima's pupils shrank. He had never imagined Toono would shield him.
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-1!"
"Hey! What the hell were you thinking, Toono!" Kimijima rushed toward the fallen Toono.
"Tch… my body just moved on its own! Damn that brat, that one really hurt!" Toono propped himself up with his racket, grumbling through clenched teeth.
"Why did you block that for me?! It was my own fault for spacing out!" Kimijima stood before him, staring hard, his tone sharp.
"I told you, it was instinct! Besides, if you get your face wrecked and lose your job, who's gonna buy me all those new fancy desserts, huh, bastard?" Toono wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, answering like it was nothing.
That reply left Kimijima frozen. Since last night, all he'd thought about was how to put Toono out of commission, sick of being his partner.
But now he finally understood. Toono had always trusted him unconditionally—whether during matches or when he confessed he'd injured his left knee from overtraining punishment techniques.
Kimijima's ability to manipulate opponents' minds so freely had only ever been possible because Toono's overwhelming presence and skill backed him. But Kimijima had never once realized it, dismissing Toono's style as too savage.
"You… and you say it so shamelessly too~" Kimijima, true to his nature as a negotiator, recovered quickly from the flood of thoughts. His tone slipped back into casual irony, teasing Toono's ridiculous excuse.
In that instant, all thoughts of crippling Toono vanished. Kimijima even secretly resolved to contact a specialist after the match, to see if Toono's old injury could be treated.
Chitose, watching them return to the court, didn't hesitate. He picked up a ball from the side, ready to serve and end the match. But then, something unexpected flared from across the net.
A milky-white aura rose from both Kimijima and Toono, the streams connecting together. Their pupils turned pale gold—they had entered Synchronization.
And not only that. From the sideline, Akashi's sharp eyes caught it: their mental waves were starting to blend together. This was the sign of Ability Synchronization.
By Akashi's estimate, Kimijima and Toono weren't there yet, but the seed had sprouted. If they managed to complete it by the World Cup, the effect could be unpredictable.
"Synchronization, huh? A miracle of doubles born only in desperate crisis~ really fits your situation, senpai!" Chitose laughed lightly, but his tone showed little concern.
"Even if both sides are in Synchronization, what decides it is still raw strength!" Tachibana said firmly from the front court.
As soon as he finished, Chitose tossed the ball, swung down hard, and sent it streaking like a shadow toward the left baseline.
Chitose clearly intended to finish the match the same way as before, using the erosion of Ten'i Muhō and ultra-high-speed serves to seal victory. But as soon as he tossed the ball, Toono had already moved toward the left baseline in advance.
Just as the ball bounced up, Toono's racket cut it off precisely. Using his refined technique, he held the ball briefly on the strings, then traced a cross-shaped path with his right hand.
"I don't know why I could read your shot just now, but this feeling isn't bad. Execution Method No. 10—St. Andrew's Cross!" Toono's wild, excited voice rang across the court.
The spinning ball crossed the net, splitting into multiple afterimages that formed a massive X in the air, crashing straight toward Tachibana in the front.
But before it could land, a wall of fire roared up, blocking the strike. As the flames cleared, Tachibana's racket was there, solidly intercepting the ball. Behind him, the suanni phantom bellowed to the sky, unleashing a blast of fire.
"Come to think of it, this is the first time I've used this move in a match! Perfect way to finish things today—Blazing Wind Current Baptism!" As Tachibana's words fell, the fire around him surged even higher.
The ball transformed into a massive horizontal firestorm, coiling like a serpent as it ripped toward Toono and Kimijima. In Synchronization, the two pressed their rackets together, bracing against the blazing vortex.
But the instant the ball met their rackets, a sensation of being torn apart spread through their bodies. In their mental world, the suanni's claws shredded them into pieces.
In reality, both rackets spun high into the air, while the ball slammed into the back wall, burning a charred spiral deep into its surface.
"15-0!"
Kimijima's mind suddenly echoed with Coach Mifune's words: "Kimijima, I admit your negotiation skills are exceptional. But you can't rely on talk to make yourself invincible. Tennis is decided by strength on the court. If you don't realize that, you'll never become a true top player."
Back then, Kimijima dismissed it. His survival in U-17 had always come from deals and persuasion. That was why he never understood why Toono would destroy his own body—and others'—to perfect his Execution Methods.
"Strength of one's own, huh? How laughable~" Kimijima muttered to himself. Then he raised his hand to the umpire, signaling an injury. His right wrist, he claimed, was twisted. He could not continue.
Toono's face twisted with rage, but in the next moment he froze, then clicked his tongue, glaring as he turned away. Their Synchronization still lingered, and he had understood Kimijima's decision without words.
"Since Kimijima Yuto is unable to continue, I declare the match over! Score 5-1! Overall score 2-0! Winner, Second String Selection!"
As the umpire announced it, Kimijima clutched his wrist and caught up to Toono, heading toward the coach's bench. But as they passed their opponents' side, he suddenly tossed two badges toward Chitose—the insignias of No. 7 and No. 8.
Tachibana and Chitose watched them walk away, both struck by a strange feeling. Still, victory was theirs, and that brought joy. They pinned on their new badges and returned to the middle school bench.
"Hey, Toono. How about training tennis with me for a while?" Kimijima asked casually as they walked.
"Tch~ Why the hell should I help you?" Toono's face was twisted in annoyance, clearly still bitter about Kimijima's surrender.
"If you agree, I happen to have a copy of the World Execution Encyclopedia! Maybe I could let you look it over," Kimijima said smoothly, a note of temptation in his voice.
"Hmph! Whatever… I've got nothing better to do anyway. Guess it'll kill some time…" Toono muttered, his voice trailing off.