Tachibana tossed the tennis ball high and swung his racket hard. The ball shot straight to the far left corner of the baseline. 'Yanagi' rushed to the landing spot and said while receiving the ball, "Straight shot probability: 74%!"
As expected, Chitose sent the ball in a straight line. Sanada was already on guard the moment 'Yanagi' spoke. Although he knew this was Niō in disguise, since Niō dared to transform into Yanagi, it meant he at least understood the basics of Data Tennis.
In the stands, Marui looked puzzled and asked Yanagi, "Yanagi, why can Niō mimic your playing style?"
"Niō's data collection and calculation abilities aren't inferior to mine. He just doesn't like to use data tennis normally," Yanagi said calmly.
"Since little Niō can imitate so many people's playing styles, it means he has all their data in his head. So him using Data Tennis doesn't surprise me at all," Mōri said with a grin.
In another section of the stands, the Seigaku members were also discussing Niō. Fuji looked at Inui and asked, "Inui, what do you think of Niō's Data Tennis?"
"For now, I don't see any major flaws. It's very similar to Yanagi's, but his probabilities are off by 2%," Inui replied, pushing up his glasses.
"Is that so? I really can't tell Niō had this kind of ability. I'm curious if he'll turn into me~" Fuji said with a smile.
On the court, both sides were engaged in a fierce rally. 'Yanagi' kept directing Sanada's moves, predicting Tachibana and Chitose's shots with impressive accuracy. Eventually, Chitose couldn't hold back and used Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami, knocking the racket out of 'Yanagi's' hand.
"15-0!"
"Chitose, can you keep up your stamina?" Tachibana asked.
"For now it's fine, but the match can't drag on," Chitose answered calmly.
Although Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami doesn't burn stamina as quickly as the ordinary Muga, it still consumes energy. With such an intense match, it's easy to run out of strength if careless.
In the original, during the national tournament, Ryōma played Atobe in regular Muga until a tiebreaker with over 200 shots, actually exhausting even the stamina-strong Atobe… The side effects of Muga basically vanished. Ryōma really is the author's darling.
Hearing Chitose's answer, Tachibana didn't say more, but a ferocious aura suddenly rose from him, showing his resolve. He served again, using Abare Jishi.
Sanada used Immovable Mountain to forcefully block it, but still felt the heavy impact of the ball. He held his racket with both hands to return it, and 'Yanagi' started running left in advance after calculating the probability.
"Cross-court shot probability: 87%!" 'Yanagi' reached the left baseline as the ball flew exactly as predicted. But he sharply noticed Tachibana's movement, switched his racket to his left hand, and added a special spin when returning the ball.
Tachibana didn't hesitate, leaping on one foot and swinging hard. The ball instantly split into dozens of afterimages flying toward the opponents' court.
"Abare Dama!"
Just as Sanada prepared to block with Immovable Mountain, a white whirlwind appeared behind him, and all the ball's afterimages began to disappear midair, finally converging into a single ball flying straight toward the figure at the baseline.
Everyone was shocked to see that the 'Yanagi' at the baseline had somehow turned into 'Tezuka Kunimitsu'!
'Tezuka' frowned as he caught the ball. The ball's weight nearly knocked the racket from his hand, but he gritted his teeth and barely held on, though the quality of his return was greatly reduced.
To be honest, Niō's imitation of Tezuka was still rough. He could barely use the field control, let alone Tezuka's advanced techniques like the two great Muga moves or Zero Shiki. But to get this far showed Niō was giving his all.
Chitose instantly appeared at the net, using Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami's doubled return power to send the ball to Sanada's right, knocking it out of bounds. Sanada was too stunned to react.
"30-0!"
"Give it your all, Sanada!" 'Tezuka' said sternly.
Sanada seriously suspected Niō was here just to mess with his head. But hearing 'Tezuka's' words about giving his all, he looked at his own legs, then at the fake 'Tezuka', feeling a complicated mix of emotions.
In the stands, Tezuka watched calmly without saying a word, even as the Fudomine players glanced over at him.
"Oh? Trying to seal my Abare Dama with the field? You've got guts, Niō!" Tachibana said with surprise as he stared at 'Tezuka'.
But Tachibana soon noticed the slight trembling in 'Tezuka's' left arm, a hint of a smile appearing on his lips. It seemed Niō's mimicry wasn't flawless.
Rather than holding back, Tachibana attacked even more fiercely. The court was soon filled with countless ball afterimages, dazzling everyone watching.
Chitose wasn't polite either, looking for chances to strike with Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami's doubled shots to deliver killing blows, making things extremely difficult for Sanada and 'Tezuka'.
"40-0!"
"Game! Fudomine! 3-1!"
Tachibana and Chitose successfully took the fourth game. Just then, the racket slipped from 'Tezuka's' left hand, his figure wavered, and he reverted to Niō's appearance. Niō clutched his left hand with a pained expression.
Sanada hurried over, picked up the racket for Niō, and scolded him sternly: "Niō! Stop imitating Tezuka. His techniques put too much strain on you right now!"
"Puri~ I know. So it was still too much for me?" Niō said quietly, head lowered.
Looking at Niō, Sanada felt deeply shaken. For the first time, he realized how selfish he'd been—letting his pride put his teammate at risk. He couldn't accept that.
Sanada's gaze turned firmer than ever. He took a deep breath and stepped up to the net. Right now, his obsession with Tezuka wasn't as extreme as in the original story.
Niō stood at the baseline without transforming into anyone else. Even he needed a moment to recover. He tossed the ball up and quickly served.
Tachibana smashed the return back. Sanada fearlessly countered with Fierce as Fire, but Chitose rushed up and used Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami to return the ball.
Just when Chitose thought he'd scored, lightning flickered around Sanada's legs. He vanished, reappeared in the ball's path, raised his racket high like a sword, and slashed down hard.
"Moving Like Thunder!"
The ball, crackling with lightning, shot into the opponent's court. Chitose immediately reacted, rushing to intercept it, but the ball suddenly curved unpredictably like a bolt of lightning. All Chitose saw was a flash, and then the ball flew out of bounds.
"15-0!"
Holding his racket in both hands, Sanada glared at the shocked Tachibana and Chitose. "This move is the ultimate technique I trained specifically to counter Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami. You can't return it!"
Chitose's expression darkened. His Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami was nullified by Sanada's Moving Like Thunder, and his Saiki Kanpatsu was already restrained by Niō's illusions. They were in a tough spot.
Tachibana's face also looked grim. He hadn't been able to read the ball's trajectory at all, just like Sanada said—it was nearly impossible to return. But he wasn't ready to give up; they were still in the lead.
Unwilling to concede, Chitose activated his Saiki Kanpatsu again. Noticing this, Niō clenched his teeth and transformed once more, this time into 'Fuji Shūsuke'.
"So it's still like this? I really can't predict him at all…" Chitose muttered helplessly, then deactivated his Saiki Kanpatsu.
'Fuji' served with a disappearing serve, but Tachibana and Chitose easily returned it—having seen it many times before. Sanada smashed it back with Fierce as Fire.
Chitose kept fighting, using Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami's doubled shot for a counter smash. But Sanada's lightning flashed again, and he reappeared behind the ball, slashing down with his racket. The ball flew across the net in a dazzling arc, zipping out of bounds.
"Moving Like Thunder!"
"30-0!"
'Fuji' didn't use the disappearing serve again, instead sending a flat shot. The four began another fierce rally, but Tachibana and Chitose, too focused on Sanada, left an opening that 'Fuji' exploited with a Tsubame Gaeshi to score.
"40-0!"
On the last point, Tachibana and Chitose couldn't secure the score as Sanada once again unleashed Moving Like Thunder. Even Tezuka in the stands frowned, knowing this move was specifically developed to target him.
"Game! Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku! 3-2!"
From then on, both sides went all-out. Though Niō didn't transform into new characters, his constant shifting between personas and varied techniques kept Chitose from using Saiki Kanpatsu effectively, and he continued to support Sanada's offense.
Sanada kept firing off Moving Like Thunder, making Tachibana and Chitose extremely uncomfortable as the score swung back and forth.
"Game! Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku! 3-3! Change court!"
"Game! Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku! 4-3!"
"Game! Fudomine! 4-4!"
"Game! Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku! 5-4!"
At this point, many noticed the redness and swelling around Sanada's knees—proof that Moving Like Thunder wasn't without side effects. As a first-year, Sanada was fortunate Niō's support kept the number of uses down.
Standing at the baseline, Chitose fell silent for a moment before making up his mind. The aura of Muga around him vanished, replaced by a deep crimson beast-like aura just like Tachibana's.
Chitose, usually obsessed with the power of Muga, actually gave it up at this moment, choosing instead the beast aura that let him coordinate better with Tachibana. It showed just how desperate Chitose was to win—more than anything else.
With the beast aura boosting him, Chitose's explosiveness surged. He unleashed a high-speed Kamikakushi, but suddenly a shout of "Swift as the wind!" rang out from the back court, and the ball was instantly returned.
But the voice hadn't come from Sanada at the net—it came from the 'Sanada' standing behind him!
That's right—Niō finally revealed his trump card for this match: Phantom transformation into 'Sanada' himself. He knew the real Sanada probably couldn't use Moving Like Thunder anymore, so he disguised himself as 'Sanada' to draw Tachibana and Chitose's attention, easing the pressure on his partner.
In an instant, two Sanadas appeared on Rikkai's side, looking like twins. No one knew when Niō had prepared a hat identical to Sanada's.
Tachibana was surprised but quickly returned the ball. The real Sanada moved too, but his speed had clearly dropped, his injured legs slowing him down. The two sides resumed their fierce rally.
Because Niō was mimicking Sanada perfectly, every movement and technique matched exactly. And since he was actively syncing with Sanada's style, the two Sanadas played with almost flawless coordination.
But Tachibana and Chitose were no slouches either. Their shared beast aura took their teamwork to the next level, and they fought back without giving an inch.
"0-15!"
"15-15!"
"30-15!"
Then, a wave of spiritual energy rippled from 'Sanada'. Though Akashi had gone to warm up and wasn't watching, Yukimura noticed it sharply, his expression shifting to surprise, then worry—a complex look.
Tachibana and Chitose were stunned to see both Sanadas' eyes turn pale gold, with streams of energy linking them together.
"Oi oi oi! Are you kidding me? They've reached Synchronization?!" Tachibana shouted in disbelief.
"It's one surprise after another…" Chitose said with a bitter smile.
If Akashi had been there, he would have realized this wasn't ordinary Synchronization but Niō's unique Forced Synchronization—using his spiritual power to forcibly link minds, aligning thoughts perfectly. But it burned through energy fast and even caused slight damage to his own mind, requiring recovery time afterward.
At that moment, Sanada's mind felt unbelievably clear. All of Tachibana and Chitose's data and predictions floated into his head, and he even sensed his partner's thoughts with perfect clarity.
When play resumed, the double Sanadas' teamwork instantly soared to a new level. Their Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain techniques linked with flawless timing, leaving Tachibana and Chitose struggling to keep up.
"30-30!"
"30-40!"
The match reached Rikkai's match point. Tachibana and Chitose's beast aura grew fiercer—they weren't giving up yet. Chitose served and immediately teamed up with Tachibana for a double net rush.
The two Sanadas charged forward as well, meeting them head-on. The ball flew back and forth in a tight area, streaks of afterimages crisscrossing as powerful shots slammed into walls of defense or burst out like blazing flames, dazzling the spectators.
Unknowingly, the beast aura around Tachibana and Chitose started pulsing, then gradually connected into a single flow, just like the two Sanadas' Synchronization. But their aura was a deep red.
"Beast Synchronization!"
In that moment, Tachibana and Chitose finally reached Synchronization themselves—an intense Beast Synchronization that not only unified their minds but also massively amplified their focus and explosive power.
As the two prepared to launch a decisive counterattack, Sanada clenched his teeth. Lightning sparked across his body, his figure flashing to the ball, and with every last ounce of strength he slashed down hard. The ball, streaking with lightning, shot over the net in a zigzagging, unpredictable arc.
"Moving Like Thunder!"
Tachibana lunged first but missed by a hair, the ball slipping past his racket's edge. But Chitose, perfectly in sync, appeared behind Tachibana, swinging his racket to intercept. He barely caught the ball, but the shock and numbing force jolted him. Within a second, he lost control and his racket flew from his hand, the ball sailing out of bounds.
"Game! 6-4! Match over! Winner: Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku!"
Just as Rikkai's supporters were about to cheer, the 'Sanada' on court reverted to Niō, his Synchronization aura dissipating as he collapsed unconscious. Meanwhile, the real Sanada dropped to his knees at the net, gasping for breath, unable to move.
They'd won the second doubles, but with Sanada's legs injured and Niō fainting from mental exhaustion, it was a brutal, hard-fought victory.