After seeing the scene before him, Edgard couldn't help but glance toward the real Camus sitting in the players' area. But Camus still wore that same faint smile, even showing a hint of admiration in his eyes. He didn't seem the least bit concerned about Niō's actions.
"What the hell is this...?" Shiraishi stared at the massive glowing heart, completely stunned. "During the shuffle matches, Niō also copied Camus, but he never used this move!"
"If you really have to define it," Akashi said calmly, his body faintly wrapped in a silver glow from the activated Omniscient Star, "you can think of it as Camus's unique Light of Pride. But this version is slightly different from the usual one."
"Then how did Niō even master that move?" Tachibana Kippei asked, puzzled.
"He probably got the intel from me," Duke replied from the side. "A few days ago, he even watched Camus's group-stage match videos specifically."
While the others discussed, Edgard had already served his Artistic Serve. The tennis ball turned into a giant arrow and shot straight down from above toward 'Camus.' But the 'Camus' on court intercepted it with elegant precision, completely unaffected by Edgard's artistic illusion.
Then, countless illusory flower petals began to fall from the sky, scattering shimmering lights through the air. Hidden among the dreamlike scene was 'Camus's' return shot. Fortunately, Edgard knew Camus well—he only froze for a split second before dashing left.
When he reached the center-left line, he swung his racket in a wide arc. A massive horizontal tornado roared forth, blowing away all the petals as it charged toward the opposite court.
"It's useless~ Your return carries no love, so it can't reach me," 'Camus' said softly, hugging his racket to his chest with a look of regret.
The moment he finished speaking, a silver lightning bolt wrapped around the tornado. In the next instant, the whole whirlwind was blasted back. Jonathan tried to move sideways to block it, but the instant his racket met the ball, he felt as if he'd been struck by a real tornado—the force sent him flying backward.
"0–40!"
"Tch! This isn't my kind of tennis, but Akashi wasn't wrong. Speed is power!" Kaji muttered irritably as his form shimmered faintly into view at the net.
Akashi's mouth twitched slightly from the sidelines. He hadn't expected Kaji to actually remember that line—a quote he'd blurted out earlier by accident, originally from Borsalino.
Jonathan slowly got up from the ground, moving his limbs to check for injuries. Seeing none, he immediately picked up his racket and returned to the court. Edgard sighed in relief when he saw he was fine.
'Looks like George has already realized it. I'll admit—being able to mimic Camus really took us by surprise. But that's also your biggest mistake today, Niō Masaharu,' Edgard thought, locking eyes with the 'Camus' across the net as he stepped to the baseline.
Without wasting another second, Edgard tossed the ball up and served. Yet with Kaji's nearly invincible speed, he quickly found an opening and secured the fourth game.
"Game, Japan! 3–1!"
"Edgard-senpai, maybe we should consider giving up the next service game strategically," Jonathan whispered as he walked over.
"I know. I've always trusted your judgment," Edgard replied without hesitation, agreeing immediately.
The fifth game began with Kaji serving. He didn't stand right on the baseline but left a small gap, his entire body surrounded by a faint, hazy glow—as if he existed in a different dimension. Though running starts weren't allowed during serve, after tossing the ball, he still made a one-legged lunge motion.
The next second, the tennis ball flashed like a silver bolt of lightning, ripping through the sky and streaking across Edgard and Jonathan's court. Edgard barely registered the blur before hearing the dull thud of the ball landing beside him.
"Ace! 15–0!"
"Just as I thought~ but how long can you keep that up?" Jonathan murmured under his breath, watching Kaji's serve with narrowed eyes.
Edgard didn't look surprised at all. Thanks to Jonathan's earlier reminder, he'd already expected that serve. He didn't even try to move—just stood quietly in place.
"Ace! 30–0!"
For the second ball, Edgard still didn't move, appearing as if he hadn't reacted in time. But that calm gaze didn't escape the notice of the 'Camus' across the net. A strange sense of unease crept into 'Camus's' heart.
When it was Jonathan's turn to receive, he acted exactly the same as Edgard—standing motionless. To the audience, it simply looked like Kaji's serve was too fast for them to react. After all, they only realized Japan had served once the umpire announced the score.
"Ace! 40–0!"
"Game, Japan! 4–1! Change sides!"
Relying on four god-speed serves, Kaji easily took the fifth game. But the amount of sweat pouring from him showed just how much energy he had burned. Even with the brief break between games, those few dozen seconds of rest were far from enough.
"I think their stamina is almost gone. We should change our style now, Edgard-senpai," Jonathan said after taking a drink beside him on the bench.
"You're the one suggesting that? That's rare. But yeah, it's time for a switch," Edgard replied with a small smile, pulling out his brush and starting another round of artistic makeup on Jonathan's face.
When the break ended, everyone was stunned to see Jonathan's new look. Not only had his makeup changed again—he'd even tied up his hair. The transformation was so dramatic it nearly rivaled Niō's illusion.
Third transformation.
'You've got to be kidding me… are you sure you're not copying those turtles living in the sewers?' Akashi groaned inwardly as he looked at Jonathan on court.
Niō, meanwhile, still maintained his 'Camus' illusion—not just because of Camus's strength, but because his form exerted a strong psychological pressure on the French players. That was the real reason Niō chose to become 'Camus.'
The sixth game began with Jonathan serving. With the new look, his personality seemed to change too. No longer silent, he calmly said after stepping to the baseline, "This serve will go to your left."
Kaji frowned but didn't reply. He wasn't one to waste energy on useless talk, though the words clearly annoyed him.
Jonathan tossed the ball right after speaking, and as soon as the sound of the racket echoed, the tennis ball flew exactly where he said—to Kaji's left baseline corner. Seeing this, 'Camus' narrowed his eyes slightly, as if something had just clicked in his mind.
"Hmph." Kaji snorted coldly and vanished on the spot. A silver flash streaked across the court, and the ball disappeared a moment later.
But Jonathan had already sprinted toward his right sideline immediately after serving, gripping his racket with both hands as he charged power into it. When he reached his mark, he swung without hesitation at the empty air before him.
The missing ball suddenly reappeared right on Jonathan's racket. He hit it again, sending it toward Kaji's open right corner. Seeing this, 'Camus' slid gracefully across the court, raising his left leg as he intercepted the ball with perfect poise.
However, Edgard had already predicted 'Camus's' return. He moved forward to the net early, cutting off the shot. The ball curved through the air like a boomerang, arcing sharply before heading toward the left baseline corner.
'Camus' tried to chase, but it was already too late. Just then, Kaji's figure flickered again—he vanished and instantly caught up to the ball. With a full-force swing, the ball turned into a blur and shot across the net in a flash.
But the moment it crossed, a racket suddenly blocked its path. The ball rebounded off it and shot toward the right sideline. It looked like it was about to bounce out of bounds when Kaji appeared once more like lightning, returning a diagonal shot. This time, Jonathan and Edgard couldn't react fast enough.
"0–15!"
"See that, Edgard-senpai? I told you before—his personality would be his biggest weakness," Jonathan said softly, his tone calm even after France lost the point.