Duke gave no reply to Camus's words, but from the tense lines of his muscles, it was clear how wary he had become. He knew full well just how terrifying Camus was when he unleashed his full power.
Camus kissed the tennis ball again, then tossed it high. As his racket connected, a sharp sound rang through the air, and countless phantom petals flooded the entire court, transforming it into a vast ocean of flowers.
This time, Duke didn't rely on instinct or past experience to judge the landing point. Even before Camus served, he had already begun storing power in his legs. The moment he heard the sound of the ball hitting the ground, Duke exploded into motion, springing left and forward like a coiled spring.
The ball, hidden within the sea of petals, was suddenly revealed as Duke intercepted it. Though he managed to block the serve, his expression was grim—the instant the ball touched his racket, it rebounded before he could exert any strength, shooting high into the air.
By then, Camus had already moved to the net. He leaped gracefully, and as the ball reached him, he smashed it down without hesitation. In an instant, the ball transformed into a glowing heart-shaped arrow that pierced straight through Duke's chest.
Duke was immediately engulfed in a radiant aura of pink light. When he finally shattered it using his destructive power, the ball had already streaked past him, landing hard on the baseline and bouncing out of bounds.
"Cupid's Arrow!"
"30–15!"
Camus didn't speak again. He simply tossed another ball into the air. As the sea of petals returned, Duke once more relied on explosive power to intercept the serve. But the moment his racket touched the ball, a strange vibration erupted, annihilating all of Camus's love-infused energy around it.
The ball then transformed into a massive shockwave, surging straight toward Camus. Duke had aimed precisely for his opponent's weakness, planning to seize this point with a Homerun.
But this time, Camus didn't evade. His racket told him clearly—it could take this hit. Camus had always placed absolute faith in his beloved. He gripped his racket tightly in both hands and met the shockwave head-on.
The wave didn't hit the racket directly. Instead, it first struck a faint, heart-shaped golden light surrounding Camus. When the ball pierced through the glow and slammed into his racket, the expected damage never came. Though Camus slid a step backward from the force, his racket remained completely intact.
Duke's eyes widened in surprise. The next instant, a streak of golden light flashed past him. He turned sharply and sprinted after it, managing to intercept the ball just before it flew out of bounds.
Refusing to believe it, Duke launched another Homerun, but the outcome didn't change. Camus returned it with even greater ease than before.
"Why isn't Camus's racket breaking under Duke-senpai's Homerun?" Shiraishi asked in confusion from Japan's bench.
"Because Camus used his power of love to neutralize Duke's destructive ability," Tanegashima replied, his tone serious.
"Huh?! That's even possible?" Kirihara exclaimed, eyes wide.
"Just like Akashi-kun said earlier—love and destruction are opposing forces. It's only natural that they can cancel each other out," Yukimura said quietly, deep in thought.
On the court, Duke and Camus continued their fierce rally. But to any world-class player watching, it was obvious—Duke was at a disadvantage. A single mistake could hand Camus the point.
Then, unexpectedly, something changed. With every exchange, the golden glow surrounding Camus began to fade, dimming little by little until it completely dissolved into the air.
At that moment, Duke swung a sudden backhand from the net, his racket cutting fiercely through the air. Camus reacted instantly, but just as he reached out to block, his arm froze mid-motion. Behind Duke, a colossal phantom had flashed and vanished in an instant.
The ball whizzed past the tip of Camus's racket, slammed into the backcourt, and bounced cleanly past the baseline.
"Duke's surprise attack!"
"30–30!"
"As my love continues to purify, is my love being destroyed by you at the same time? As expected of you, Duke—the King of Destruction!" Camus straightened his posture at the net, his tone tinged with admiration and reflection.
"In these past two years, I've traveled the world with the boss. I've seen countless sights I'd never imagined and faced many different tennis players. Through that, my destructive power has evolved. Maybe today's match between us was destined from the start!" Duke said, his tone unconsciously taking on a hint of Camus's dramatic flair.
"Destiny, huh? I see now. It seems your Japan Team has chosen a different path of revolution. Even if our goals differ, that's still a future I'm happy to witness," Camus said with a gentle smile after hearing Duke's words.
From that moment on, the match turned into a clash between love and destruction. Each side countered the other's power again and again. To the audience, who couldn't perceive the hidden exchange, it seemed like a simple, high-level baseline duel. Yet, as they watched Camus's elegant movements, not a single spectator felt bored.
The score continued to rise as both sides fought evenly, neither able to break the deadlock. The crowd grew more and more animated, and even the French players began exchanging looks of disbelief.
"30–40!"
"40–40! Deuce!"
"40–40! France leads!"
"40–40! Deuce!"
"40–40! Japan leads!"
"Game! Japan! 2–1!"
In the end, Duke seized the third game with a Homerun, forcing Camus to dodge sideways. As the match entered the first timeout, both players returned to their respective benches.
"I think I owe you an apology, Duke-kun," Mifune suddenly said as Duke approached the Japan Team's bench.
"Uh… Head Coach, what do you mean by that?" Duke blinked in surprise, clearly caught off guard.
"Before the match, that brat Byoudouin came to me and said you wanted to face Camus today. I understood what was going on in your head, and I thought that with such a mindset, you had no chance of beating him. But after what you just showed out there, I realized my judgment was completely wrong," Mifune admitted without hesitation.
"No, Coach, you were right to worry earlier. I really couldn't face Camus with a calm heart. But I also know that right now, I'm representing the Japan Team. I can't let my personal feelings drag my teammates down," Duke replied seriously, his usual carefree grin replaced by firm determination.
On the French side, Camus quietly drank from his water bottle, analyzing Duke's true strength in his mind. After that intense exchange, he had realized Duke's power had grown far beyond his expectations.
Unlike the Japan Team, the French coach hadn't shown up for the match. No one knew why, but with Camus leading the team, the absence didn't seem to matter much.
"You all right, Camus?" Edgard asked as he walked up behind him, his tone heavy with concern.
"No need to worry. I've said it before—on the road of revolution, there will always be hardships. All we need to do is overcome them, nothing more," Camus answered calmly, clearly unfazed by the situation.
"Relax~ The great prince hasn't even entered the court yet! There's no way this match ends so soon!" Prince chimed in confidently from the side, his tone full of smug certainty.
Seeing both Camus and Prince so composed, Edgard said no more. He had always trusted Camus's ability, and his earlier question had been out of pure instinct. After all, the French Team couldn't afford another loss.
'Your destructive power truly surprised me, Duke… but if you still plan to keep holding back, then this match will lose all suspense soon,' Camus thought silently, his eyes calm yet unwavering.