Akashi didn't even glance at the ball behind him. Instead, he looked up at the dark clouds overhead. When Zeus's Thunder Serve struck, his final suspicion was confirmed. His eyes grew subtly sharper.
"Is that… really a serve a human can hit?" Ryōma's voice trembled in disbelief as he stared at the screen in the U.S. team's rest area. The flash of lightning had nearly blinded him—and that was through a broadcast.
"Zeus, huh? Looks like he's got quite the special ability," Ryōga said casually, his eyes glinting as he watched Zeus on the monitor, expression unreadable.
"Intel team, raise Zeus Iliopoulos's threat level by two ranks," Kiko said into the phone, contacting the U.S. team's logistics unit. Beside him, Maxwell was speechless, frozen in place.
Meanwhile, in the Japan team's player hall, everyone was stunned. None of them had imagined Zeus would possess such a terrifying serve. Anxiety crept into their faces as they worried for Akashi.
"Sanada, how does Zeus's serve compare to your Lightning Flash?" Atobe's sharp eyes were locked on the screen as he asked, though he already knew the answer.
"The power of that serve far surpasses even my Thunder Strike! Not to mention Lightning Flash… Maybe this is what true thunder really means," Sanada said after a long pause, his tone low and solemn.
"I recall Zeus is only in his first year of high school, right? Then next World Cup, he might become our biggest rival. We'll need to keep an eye on Greece," Kurobe said calmly, his voice steady despite the tension.
On the court, Zeus tossed the ball again. Lightning flared within the storm clouds above, brewing a terrifying force. Another thunderclap split the sky as the ball, now pure lightning, streaked toward Akashi's half.
This time, Akashi instantly flashed to the landing spot. The moment the ball bounced, a massive bolt of lightning descended from the sky. Under the blinding white glare, Akashi's figure stood clear and composed.
Before him, a golden ripple shimmered in the air, absorbing the lightning's power. The ball returned to its original form, and from the ripple emerged a strange golden cone that transformed into a thunderbolt of its own, roaring straight toward Zeus.
"Gate of Babylon—Indra's Thunder!"
"So you're going to counter me with lightning too?" Zeus chuckled lightly as he watched the massive bolt rush toward him. The Rainbow Light around his body pulsed violently, and a gust of wind surged through the court.
Zeus charged straight into the incoming thunderbolt. His right arm swung fast—so fast the lightning vanished in an instant. The ball reappeared and slammed down at Akashi's feet, followed by a fierce gust that blew dust across his court, obscuring his vision.
"30-0!"
"So it's true… You actually have the power to control the weather," Akashi said quietly from the baseline, his deep eyes fixed on Zeus.
"Who knows~ But now's not the time to be worrying about that, boy," Zeus replied with a soft smile—neither confirming nor denying it.
As his words faded, more clouds rolled in, completely blotting out the sunlight. The court darkened, and thunder rumbled above. Many spectators felt a crushing weight pressing down on them, their hearts pounding under the tension.
"That last Thunder Serve was just a warm-up. Now comes the real one. Here's some advice—don't try to take it head-on, Akashi Seijurō," Zeus said, his smile fading, his tone deadly serious for the first time.
Under the roaring thunder and flashing lightning, Zeus tossed the ball high. When the next bolt split the heavens, the ball turned into a massive beam of lightning, shooting straight toward Akashi's half.
"Thunder Judgment!"
Akashi's gaze sharpened. He ignored Zeus's warning and swung his racket with full force. At the same time, dozens of lightning bolts crashed down in rapid succession, leaving countless blackened scorch marks all around him—but not one struck him directly.
When the ball collided with his racket, a violent jolt of numbness shot through Akashi's arm, spreading to his wrist. As he prepared to activate the Gate of Babylon, a split-second distraction caused by the blinding lightning threw off his focus. His racket slipped from his grip, and the ball rocketed out of bounds.
"ACE! 40-0!"
Akashi frowned slightly. He had never faced an opponent like Zeus before. He once thought that with the system and template, he was already breaking the rules of common sense—but now he realized Zeus was the real definition of "overpowered." The ability to manipulate the weather felt even more absurd than Ryōga's power of Devour.
After picking up his racket, Zeus tossed up the fourth ball. Amid thunder and lightning, the ball transformed into a massive streak of light and blasted forward again. But this time, the faint red lightning in Akashi's eyes turned into a dazzling gold.
"ZONE—Flow State!"
A golden ripple shimmered behind him, and within it slowly emerged a magnificent, massive shield. A stream of light flowed down from the shield, coating Akashi's racket in golden brilliance. At that moment, he stepped forward to intercept the bouncing ball.
"Gate of Babylon—Shield of the Gods!"
Countless bolts of lightning struck against the shield, filling the court with flashes of electricity. The ball continued to hammer against Akashi's racket. From the sidelines, Niō's eyes widened—he looked like he had just witnessed something unreal. For a split second, he could feel that both the lightning and the shield truly existed.
But in the end, cracks spread across the golden shield. The next instant, it shattered under the thunder's impact. The ball pierced through Akashi's racket, smashing hard into the back wall with a loud thud.
"GAME! Greece! 3-2!"
'Figures... trying to use Zeus's own shield to block his thunder might've been pushing it too far,' Akashi thought to himself, glancing at the damaged racket in his hand.
"I… I feel like I don't understand this world anymore…" Jackal swallowed hard in the stands, his voice trembling.
"This… really seems to have gone way beyond what a tennis match should be," Marui muttered in agreement, eyes wide in disbelief.
On the Greek bench, Hermes, Vulcan, and Hercules all stared blankly at Zeus. The three Greek middle schoolers sitting beside them had completely lost their ability to think.
"This is the first time I've ever seen Lord Zeus use his full-powered Thunder Serve," Hermes said gravely.
"Then maybe those rumors about the Zeus family are true after all…" Hercules whispered under his breath.
On the court, Akashi switched to a new racket and returned to the baseline. He exhaled slowly, golden lightning bursting forth from his eyes. Behind him, the phantom of Enkidu grew denser, taking on a tangible form.
At that same moment, Zeus suddenly saw a pair of enormous golden eyes appear in his mind. An overwhelming pressure crashed down on him, shaking his spirit. The phantom chains that had been blasted apart earlier reappeared, binding him tightly once again.
"Mental Pressure!"
"Chains of Heaven!"
Akashi tossed the ball high. His right arm swung swiftly, striking down with force. In the blink of an eye, Zeus's vision blurred—and then came the sound of a ball hitting the ground behind him.
"ACE! 15-0!"
"Wh—what?!" Zeus turned in disbelief. A ball sat motionless just past his baseline.
"Lord Zeus's Rainbow Light… it's gone!!" Hermes's voice rang out in shock from the sideline.
Zeus looked down. Sure enough, the Rainbow Light that had always surrounded him had completely vanished. No wonder he suddenly felt a massive drop across all his attributes. But he couldn't understand how it had happened—or what Akashi had done.
"No matter whether you truly have a connection to the King of Gods, Zeus—if you possess divinity, then in front of me, victory will never be yours," Akashi said coldly, golden lightning flashing in his eyes as he stared across the court.