It was worth mentioning that Mifune didn't show up at the match today. He'd only been interested in Akashi, and along the way had developed some curiosity about the rest of Fudomine. After watching the Fudomine vs. Rikkai match a week ago, he had a rough idea of this year's middle school players' strength.
Strangely, Echizen Nanjirō still appeared in the stands today, even though his son Ryōma had already been eliminated. Wearing sunglasses and a mask, he tried to be low-key but ended up drawing more attention.
"Honestly, I didn't think you'd show up today, Ochi!" Irie said teasingly in the spectator area.
"As the former captain of Hyōtei, there was a 94% chance Ochi-senpai would come to watch Hyōtei's final!" Before Ochi could reply, Mitsuya cut in.
"I just came to see what kind of shape Captain Atobe is in now," Ochi's cold voice finally answered.
"I hope Akashi loses today. Though it's unlikely," Tanegashima muttered, not hiding his displeasure.
"Come on! So what if he helped you get over your fear of flying? Still holding a grudge?" Irie laughed at Tanegashima's tone.
"Try going through it yourself sometime, and you'll see!" Tanegashima clearly wasn't in the mood to continue the topic.
As time passed, the teams from Fudomine and Hyōtei finally walked in from opposite ends of the court. The sight sparked wild cheers from the crowd—especially the Hyōtei cheering squad, whose unified chants filled the stadium.
"Victory to Hyōtei! Victory to Hyōtei!"
At the court's edge, Akashi and Sakaki Tarō met for a handshake. Seeing Akashi slightly sweating, Sakaki instantly understood—his guess was right. Akashi had clearly already warmed up.
"Let's have a good match today, Sakaki-sensei!" Akashi said with a polite smile.
"Likewise. Let's hope it's a great game," Sakaki replied right away.
Back on their benches, Akashi began checking his racket and personal items. At that moment, Atobe stepped through the tunnel into the court, his gaze sharp as he shot a look at Akashi, then strode toward Hyōtei's bench.
The umpire climbed up to his seat, feeling reassured. The organizers had already told him the court had been reinforced, so he didn't need to worry much about spectator safety.
Seeing the time was just right and the crowd fully hyped, the umpire didn't hesitate. He spoke up:
"The National Middle School Tennis Tournament final begins now! First up is Singles Three!"
"Representing Fudomine Middle School—Akashi Seijurō! Representing Hyōtei Academy—Atobe Keigo! Players, please enter the court!"
The stands erupted in cheers. No one expected the match to start with the two aces facing off. And the fact that both were heirs to major corporations made the crowd even more excited.
Akashi and Atobe, each wearing their team's jacket, slowly walked onto the court from opposite sides. Just then, a mechanical sound echoed from the ceiling above Atobe, and petals began to fall gracefully from overhead, turning the stadium into a stunning spectacle.
"Atobe! Atobe! Atobe! Atobe!"
The cheers surged. In that moment, Atobe stood at the very center of the gymnasium. He strolled slowly toward the net with the air of an emperor inspecting his domain.
Just as he reached the net and was about to extend his right hand, Akashi suddenly snapped his fingers. Instantly, the cheers for Atobe noticeably died down. A trace of surprise flickered across Atobe's face.
"You're still the same—always showing off. So, how does it feel to get your spotlight stolen, Atobe?" Akashi said with a cold smirk.
"Heh~ Didn't expect that side of you. Interesting, Akashi!" Atobe replied, pretending not to care.
Meanwhile, in the stands, Kikumaru—holding a bucket of popcorn from who-knows-where—grinned and said, "It's on! It's on! Every time Akashi and Atobe face off, it's always a riot!"
"Yeah! I think it's really interesting too. Hey, what do you think would happen if those two teamed up for doubles in a future match?" Fuji grinned, echoing Kikumaru's excitement.
"Honestly, I can't even imagine it!" Oishi shuddered, who knows what scenario he had in mind.
"What future match? Isn't this already the national finals? And there's no way Akashi-senpai and Atobe-senpai would ever be in doubles together!" Ryōma asked in confusion from the side.
"You'll find out soon enough. Unfortunately, I don't like giving spoilers in advance," Fuji said with his usual sly smile, making Ryōma visibly uncomfortable.
Momoshirō and Kaidō, though, seemed to know a little. Back in their first year, it wasn't uncommon for their regulars to disappear for a few days at a time. Even the slowest person could guess something was up.
"Too careless, Atobe!" Sanada looked annoyed on the sidelines, clearly not getting Atobe's antics.
"That's just his style, Genichirō. You'll need to get used to it. We'll be teammates soon, after all," Yukimura said gently beside him.
"Teammates? Captain, what are you talking about?" Kirihara looked lost.
"Yukimura means we might be going to the same high school as Atobe. Puri~" Niō teased with a grin.
"Huh?! Is that for real?!" Kirihara gasped, stunned.
The rest of Rikkai all turned their heads away, completely giving up on Kirihara's brainpower. Only Sanada, growing more irritated, barked at him and ordered extra training when they got back. Kirihara was left both miserable and confused.
Back on court, the coin toss was quickly done. As usual, Akashi didn't get lucky—Atobe won the serve. Sometimes, Akashi even suspected it was his system messing with him. Not that he cared who served first.
Once back on their respective sides, both Akashi and Atobe, as if pre-planned, took off their jackets and tossed them toward the benches. No one knew where their weird synchronicity came from.
"What, not gonna keep wearing your jacket?" Atobe smirked as he spotted Akashi's action.
"You should feel lucky. This is the last bit of mercy I'm showing you, Atobe," Akashi replied coldly.
"You've got some nerve, Akashi Seijūrō!" Even Atobe couldn't help but get riled up.
"Singles Three match begins. One set only! Hyōtei Academy to serve!" the umpire announced at just the right moment, stopping Atobe from going off.
Atobe moved to the baseline, shooting a sharp glare across the net at Akashi. He exhaled slowly, and suddenly his entire aura exploded. A powerful wave of mental force surged around him.
Akashi immediately sensed the shift. It piqued his curiosity—Atobe wasn't usually a mental-force player. But the pressure now surrounding him was anything but weak. Then, as if a thought struck him, a subtle smirk tugged at Akashi's lips.
"To beat you, I've forced myself to evolve. Get ready to experience defeat, Akashi!" Atobe tossed the ball high, then smashed it down with his racket.
The moment the ball made contact with the racket, a massive amount of mental energy wrapped around it. The ball carried an unnatural wave as it hurtled toward Akashi. At the same time, a strange force spread out in all directions. The stadium lights' glass covers shattered one after another. Even many spectators wearing glasses were shocked to find cracks forming in their lenses.
With the sound of breaking glass and sparkling shards falling like snow, the ball slammed down onto Akashi's left baseline and bounced out of bounds. Akashi didn't move an inch, as if he hadn't reacted at all. But in his eyes, there was a clear flash of understanding—'Just as expected.'
"Emperor of Ice!"
"Ace! 15-0!"
"Watch out for the glass rain, Akashi! Wouldn't want you getting cut!" Atobe pointed his racket at Akashi, looking smug. Hard to tell if he'd been hanging around Ryōma too much.