Akutsu glanced at the ball behind him, spat lightly on the court, then turned with a feral grin at Amadeus. For the first time in the match, excitement flickered in his eyes.
Amadeus ignored the gesture. He tossed up the ball again and fired another ultra-fast serve straight toward the right baseline of Japan's court. The trajectory was low and sharp—clearly aimed at exploiting Akutsu's lower-body defense.
But instead of irritation, a playful smile spread across Akutsu's face. He didn't like low balls, true—but that didn't mean they were his weakness. As the ball came down, he twisted his body into an extremely strange posture to meet it.
The stance was so unnatural that even a master of yoga would've struggled to replicate it in an instant. Yet Akutsu managed it effortlessly. Because of his peculiar angle, the return shot came off low and fast, skimming just above the net toward Switzerland's half.
Amadeus took a quick step forward, black aura rising around him. Using a half-volley motion, he executed Whale, sending the spinning ball soaring high into the air.
This time, Akutsu didn't leap. He knew he wouldn't reach the front in time, so instead he pushed off the ground with his left hand like a wild predator, darting laterally with explosive speed.
By the time he reached center baseline, the ball was already falling fast. He raised his racket and blocked cleanly, sending the ball shooting high into Switzerland's sky once more.
Amadeus had already moved to the net. Although he excelled at baseline play, such a perfect smash opportunity couldn't be ignored. He jumped high and brought his left hand down hard, spiking the ball straight into Japan's midcourt.
The ball struck the ground with tremendous force and was about to bounce out of bounds when a surge of black-red aura flared around Akutsu. His body blurred, leaving a shadowy afterimage as he sprinted forward. Just as the ball began to rise again, he met it head-on with a powerful counter shot.
Unfortunately, Amadeus had anticipated it. After landing from his smash, he didn't retreat—instead, he stayed at the net. With a calm flick of his racket, he gently blocked the returning ball, letting it roll softly back over the net to drop perfectly on Akutsu's side.
"30–0!"
"This drop shot is a little gift for that stunt you pulled earlier," Amadeus said coldly, his tone steady as his eyes locked on Akutsu.
Without waiting for a reaction, he turned and walked calmly back to the baseline. Veins bulged on Akutsu's forehead, but before he could vent his anger, Amadeus was already tossing the ball for his next serve.
Akutsu gritted his teeth and forced down his temper, focusing his attention fully. Another blazing serve came at him. He dashed forward and again returned it with that bizarre, twisted posture.
The audience began to murmur. The pace of the match had shifted drastically. In the previous game, both players had unleashed a terrifying barrage of power—now the play looked deceptively normal, aside from Akutsu's strange movements.
Neither player used Glowing Shot nor Dark Side anymore. Instead, they exchanged blistering baseline rallies, like two warriors testing raw fundamentals.
"Akutsu seems to have fallen into his opponent's rhythm," Tanegashima said gravely from the Japan bench. "This is what pros are best at—high-speed rallies."
"Yeah," Irie nodded, his expression serious. "In this kind of rally, professionals can study their opponents and find weaknesses mid-play—then strike with a fatal shot. It's the core of modern European pro tennis."
"Akutsu never cared about the pro circuit," Chitose added, frowning. "He doesn't even know the big names. He can't see through Amadeus's plan at all."
"Those two lost points earlier… he's trying to beat Amadeus at his own game. That's just his nature," Tezuka said quietly, giving his rare opinion.
On court, the sound of rackets echoed in rapid rhythm. Akutsu used his wild power and lightning reflexes to chase down nearly every shot aimed at his weak zones, while Amadeus countered with professional precision, intercepting Akutsu's deceptive returns one after another.
Neither side yielded an inch. The rally stretched on and on, and the crowd was on the edge of their seats—this kind of fierce exchange was exactly what they loved. And best of all—it wasn't life-threatening.
"40–0!"
In the end, Amadeus narrowly took the point. Akutsu didn't seem too bothered, though. The long rally they had just fought wasn't only for Amadeus to analyze Akutsu's weaknesses—Akutsu had also learned much about his opponent's patterns and habits.
Simply put, Amadeus's playstyle was like a hybrid between Atobe and Kite. Not in form, but in essence—a sharp sense of perception combined with mastery over darkness. Against any other player, that combination would've been more than enough to crush them completely.
"40–15!"
The next rally began in a burst of speed. This time, Akutsu caught Amadeus's brief moment of imbalance. Using his flexibility, he struck a sharp reverse-angle shot, taking the point cleanly.
Amadeus only cast a brief glance at the ball as it rolled off the court before returning to the baseline, quickly serving again. He had no intention of wasting time—and neither did Akutsu, who met the serve head-on.
"Game! Switzerland! 1–1!"
In the end, Amadeus still claimed the second game. When it came to major tournament experience, Akutsu simply couldn't compare. No matter how exceptional his raw talent was, experience was something that couldn't be made up for overnight.
"I knew that kid had insane potential… but this is way beyond what I expected," Echizen Nanjirō muttered from the stands, rubbing his chin as his sharp eyes followed Akutsu's every move.
——————————
Within the realm of the mind, the spectral samurai wielding twin blades unleashed a fierce slash, splitting apart the thunder Zeus had summoned. Even the divine radiance of Olympus surrounding Zeus began to flicker.
Back in reality, the tennis ball scraped violently across the net before splitting into two, flying past Zeus on either side and slamming into the backcourt, bouncing high out of bounds.
"Samurai Drive!"
"Game! U.S.A.! 5–4! Change sides!"
Ryōma was drenched in sweat, his cap soaked through, while Zeus across the court still looked composed and calm. Though sweat beaded his forehead, his breathing remained steady—clearly, his condition was far better than Ryōma's.
"Even though he took that game, Ryōma's still standing on the edge of a cliff!" Dodo said nervously from the American bench.
"Zeus hasn't even used his full strength yet… what the hell is he planning?" Kiko growled, his tone irritated. To him, Zeus's calm was nothing but mockery.
"Don't say that, Balentien," Reinhardt said, eyes still fixed on the court. "I think Zeus is guiding him—trying to draw out the greater power hidden inside Echizen."
"You guys didn't notice?" Hopkins suddenly cut in, voice steady. "Since the start of the match, the Light of Pride around Echizen hasn't faded at all. That shouldn't even be possible."
"Huh?! You're right!" Kiko leaned forward in surprise. "Then what's going on? You're saying he's been maintaining the Light of Pride's state this whole time?"
"I doubt that's it," Dodo replied, shaking his head. "I don't have Light of Pride, but I know what kind of mindset it takes to activate it. It's not something you can keep up continuously."
While the American team debated, Ryōma had returned to the bench. Breathing heavily, he gulped down water in large amounts—his stamina clearly pushed to the limit. Yet even as he rested, the two radiant auras surrounding him didn't fade. They remained strong, glowing faintly as if alive.
Curiosity filled everyone watching, but since this was the critical point in the match, no one dared interrupt Ryōma's rest. Reinhardt, however, wasn't watching Ryōma anymore. His sharp gaze was locked on Zeus instead, as if piecing together something unseen.
Zeus noticed. Meeting Reinhardt's eyes, he smiled and nodded slightly—a silent exchange of understanding passing between them.
The short break ended. Both players returned to the court. As play resumed, Zeus continued to hold back, guiding Ryōma with deliberate precision, his golden eyes gleaming brighter with each rally.
Ryōma, oblivious to the god's intent, focused only on victory. He struck relentlessly, determined to overcome Zeus at any cost.
If Nanjirō had been present, he would've immediately noticed something strange. Beneath Ryōma's dazzling blue aura, a faint golden light had begun to spread across his body, slowly enveloping him.
As that golden radiance expanded, the samurai spirit behind him grew sharper, its movements faster and more decisive—as though strengthened by divine force. Ryōma, however, remained unaware of the transformation.
"40–30!"
Another point fell to Ryōma after a swift COOL Drive. The two lights surrounding him began to merge faintly. Seeing this, Zeus's smile deepened.
"Game! U.S.A.! 5–5!"
The referee's call rang out—and in that instant, Ryōma's body flared with blinding golden light. His entire figure turned radiant gold, though faint blue particles still shimmered around him.
"It seems I wasn't mistaken," Zeus said, voice resonating across the stadium. "You really do have hidden power within you, Echizen Ryōma. Now… I can finally fight you without restraint!"
Golden brilliance erupted from Zeus as his aura soared skyward. In the next moment, dark clouds gathered above, lightning flashing violently across the heavens—an omen of divine thunder about to descend.