"Kaji-senpai, I think you'd better stop using your god-speed state so casually!" 'Camus' walked up beside Kaji and tried to warn him.
"Relax. I can still handle it. We're about to win this match anyway!" Kaji didn't take 'Camus's' words to heart. All he cared about now was securing the second victory for the Japan Team.
Seeing that, 'Camus' could only sigh inwardly and return to his position. All he could do now was cooperate with Kaji and finish the match as fast as possible. With that thought, the glow around his body shone even brighter.
"This one's going to your left again!" Jonathan called out before serving, continuing to provoke Kaji.
Before Kaji could respond, Jonathan had already tossed the ball. The serve was almost identical to the previous one—once again flying toward Kaji's left baseline corner. Kaji didn't hesitate for a second; his body flickered and he instantly returned it.
But what shocked Kaji was that Edgard and Jonathan could still barely return his shots even when he was in his god-speed state. Even more puzzling was how their coordination and anticipation of 'Camus's' movements seemed perfectly aligned—as if they already knew where he would move next.
Fortunately, Kaji's explosive speed was still far beyond their reach. Even if Jonathan could predict the ball's path, he couldn't catch up every time. In that situation, the French team couldn't avoid losing points.
"0–30!"
"0–40!"
After scoring two straight points, Niō—still disguised as 'Camus'—confirmed his suspicion. Their opponents were deliberately trying to drain Kaji's stamina. If Kaji couldn't finish the match before running out of energy, he'd end up stuck in a one-against-two situation.
But even though Niō understood their plan, there was nothing he could do now. Kaji was dead set on winning before collapsing, and Niō had no idea how to stop him.
When Jonathan hit the ball toward Kaji again, 'Camus' suddenly stepped forward, intercepting it. With a graceful, fluid motion, he struck the ball at an unbelievable angle.
However, Edgard immediately read the trajectory. With a burst of power under his feet, he appeared right in the ball's path. As his racket swung, the figure of a nimble cheetah seemed to flash beside 'Camus,' pouncing straight toward the baseline.
Kaji's form vanished again—but the next instant, he reappeared, staggering as if he'd nearly fallen. The ball, however, hit the baseline and bounced out of the court.
"15–40!"
Kaji barely managed to steady himself, but his heavy breathing made it clear he was nearing his limit. Realizing this, Niō quickly dispelled the 'Camus' illusion.
Just as Niō was about to ask about Kaji's condition, Jonathan mercilessly tossed the ball up and unleashed a sharp, high-speed serve aimed at the corner. Kaji tried to move, but after taking only one step, his legs gave out and he dropped to his knees, helplessly watching the ball fly past.
"30–40!"
"Damn it! How could I lose strength at a time like this?! When did my stamina get this bad?" Kaji growled through clenched teeth, clearly frustrated with himself.
"As expected… Kaji-senpai fell right into their trap," Mitsuya said from the bench, his brows furrowed and voice low.
"You noticed it too, Mitsuya?" Kimijima asked, his face grim.
"That middle schooler has been setting this up since the very start of the match. Their target was Kaji-senpai's stamina from the beginning. Even though Niō threw off their rhythm a bit, they still managed to pull it off in the end," Mitsuya explained. He'd sensed something off early in the match, but hadn't been able to confirm it. Niō's illusion had disrupted the French team's tempo, but once Kaji entered his god-speed state, everything became clear. By the time Mitsuya was sure of their plan, it was already too late to warn him.
"So their aim from the start was us—specifically the high schoolers, huh?" Tanegashima said quietly, his usual smile fading as he looked intently toward Kaji.
On the court, Jonathan had already delivered his sixth high-speed serve. This time, Kaji barely managed to return it, but his footing was clearly unsteady. Forget the god-speed state—at this point, he probably couldn't even enter the super-speed dimension.
As Edgard's return came flying in, Niō didn't have time to think. While running, his form blurred and transformed into 'Chitose.' When the ball struck 'Chitose's' racket, it was as if it hit cotton—its speed vanished completely, and both the glowing eagle-shaped ball and the tennis itself faded from sight.
"Kamikakushi!"
"It's just a high-spin shot. That kind of trick won't fool my judgment!" Jonathan shouted as he dashed to the backcourt. With a quick backhand to the left, the ball instantly appeared on his racket.
The shot tore past 'Chitose' at incredible speed. Just as 'Chitose' turned to chase, Kaji—panting heavily—blocked the ball, but his exhaustion made him misjudge the angle.
The ball soared high into the air. Edgard jumped with perfect timing, swinging his racket down hard. The tennis ball exploded forward like a massive Magnum bullet, piercing through 'Chitose' and Kaji's half of the court.
"40–40! Deuce!"
From then on, Jonathan and Edgard targeted every shot at Kaji. 'Chitose' struggled to keep up, trying to ease the pressure on Kaji while still aiming to win the game quickly.
"40–40! France leads!"
"Game, France! 4–2!"
In the end, 'Chitose' couldn't withstand the relentless attacks from the French pair, and Kaji's stamina finally gave out completely. He bent forward, both hands on his knees, gasping for air.
"Kaji-senpai, please focus on recovering your stamina. I'll hold them off for now," Niō said, releasing his illusion and walking over.
Kaji didn't respond. He didn't even have the strength to speak, which told Niō just how dire his condition was. For the first time, Niō's expression grew tense, and his aura began to rise steadily.
The seventh game was Niō's service game. He slowly walked to the baseline, and his figure blurred again. Seeing that, Edgard and Jonathan immediately heightened their focus—they knew he might transform into an entirely new opponent.
The next second, a young man with glasses, tea-brown hair, and a calm but stern expression appeared before them. There was no mistaking it—Niō had turned into 'Tezuka Kunimitsu.' It was, without a doubt, the best possible choice right now.
While Jonathan hurriedly ran through everything he remembered about Tezuka, the 'Tezuka' before him had already tossed the ball. The serve flew toward the front right court at moderate speed, not particularly fast, which left Jonathan puzzled for a moment.
But then realization hit him, and his face instantly stiffened. By the time he reached the landing spot, the ball had already bounced once—and just as Jonathan feared, it spun rapidly on the ground before rolling backward, finally stopping after hitting the net.
"Zero Shiki Serve!"
"Ace! 15–0!"
"So he was hiding this move until now? Looks like we really underestimated the Japan Team, Edgard-senpai," Jonathan said, his voice strained as he stared at the ball resting near the net.
"Don't panic. The Japan Team's basically down to one player now," Edgard replied, keeping his composure even though he knew how troublesome Tezuka's serve was.
'Tezuka' served again—another Zero Shiki Serve. This time, Jonathan tried to intercept it the instant it bounced, but the ball instantly rebounded, slamming into the net.
"Ace! 30–0!"
When it was Edgard's turn to receive, he had no real answer for it either. Unless he broke the rules, it was impossible to counter a serve like that normally. In the end, 'Tezuka' won the entire game with four flawless Zero Shiki Serves.
"Game, Japan! 5–2!"