The fourth game was Kabaji's service game. Even though Ban Rikiya's Crushing Mountain had knocked the racket out of his hand several times, it hadn't really done much damage to Kabaji.
Now, Kabaji stood at the baseline, expression blank as ever. He picked up a tennis ball and calmly tossed it up, speaking in a flat voice:
"Victory belongs to Atobe."
Danji and Ban Rikiya looked confused for a moment, unsure what Kabaji meant. But before they could react, Kabaji had already swung his racket, smashing the falling ball with immense spin toward their court.
Danji quickly moved to the drop point, ready to return it. But as soon as the ball hit the ground, it began spinning rapidly, then bounced up only slightly and skimmed forward just above the surface.
"Tannhauser Serve!"
"Ace! 15-0!"
"Huh? He already copied Atobe's serve?" Ishida Gin blinked in surprise, then let out a small laugh.
"This is gonna be trouble, Rikiya~" Danji frowned. He wasn't afraid of trading power shots, but returning the Tannhauser required finesse—something Danji wasn't good at.
Ban glanced at Danji, also a little helpless. Danji's technique was just barely acceptable—he could manage the basics, but he definitely couldn't handle a serve with such insane spin.
"This guy looks like a power type like us, but how the hell is he pulling off such a technical serve…" Ban was starting to struggle to make sense of Kabaji.
This was what made Kabaji so terrifying. In some ways, his ability was even scarier than Niō's. While Niō needed to train and master any techniques he copied using mental force, Kabaji was different. As long as his body could handle it, he could reproduce any technique—no matter the skill level. Even if he didn't have the fundamentals to back it up, he could still pull it off. It was ridiculous. The only downside? He'd forget it all after the match.
There was nothing "pure-hearted" about this. It was full-on idealism. But with that kind of talent, no one could deny him. That was why Akashi had chosen Kabaji to represent the middle schoolers—this ability was the core reason.
"Ace! 30-0!"
"Ace! 40-0!"
In a flash, Kabaji fired off two more Tannhauser Serves. Danji couldn't do a thing—he could only watch the points slip away. He had tried to return them, but failed every time.
"Danji! Look closely—the ball bounced a little higher just now. I think the number of times he can serve that shot is limited!" Ban had sharp eyes and pointed out the change to Danji.
"Oh? I didn't notice. Thanks, Rikiya~" Danji thanked him.
When Kabaji hit the fourth Tannhauser Serve, Danji focused all his attention. His eyes locked on the ball the moment it landed, and sure enough—it bounced noticeably higher, at least 3 centimeters off the ground.
He still couldn't return it, but now he felt relieved. Even if this were singles, much less doubles, that serve would eventually become readable and returnable with time.
"Game! Second Team Challengers lead 3-1!"
"Tch! Kabaji's wrist is starting to wear down already? Just four Tannhauser Serves and he's struggling?" Atobe frowned from the player bench.
Danji stood behind the baseline and looked at Ishida Gin and Kabaji on the other side. His voice took on a rare note of regret:
"You two kids have serious power. But power alone's not enough! You both have one fatal weakness! Autumn of Danji!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a thunderous crack echoed. The tennis ball turned into a yellow blur, blasting across the court and slamming into the back corner on Ishida's right, then bounced out of bounds.
"Ace! 15-0!"
"That move looks kinda like your Big Bang~" Krauser grinned from the bench, glancing at Kite.
"The basic principle's similar, but the emphasis is different," Kite replied coolly.
"Looks like Danji's underestimating them a bit this time," Oni suddenly said from the other side.
"What do you mean?" Ōmaki asked, puzzled.
"Maybe Kabaji does have a weakness in speed, but Ishida Gin doesn't have that flaw at all," Oni explained, his expression tense.
While Oni and Ōmaki were talking, Danji unleashed Autumn of Danji again. Unlike Spring and Summer, which emphasized power, this one focused on explosive acceleration. Through a special power technique, he used his raw strength to boost the ball's speed dramatically.
Just when Danji thought he'd score another point, Ishida Gin suddenly erupted with a burst of speed far beyond Danji's expectations. At some point, a ghostly blue aura had ignited around Ishida.
Ishida Gin flashed to the left baseline and took up his Hadoukyu stance. His aura surged several times over, and his face twisted with intensity. As he swung his racket with his left hand, he roared:
"Hadoukyu, Style 216!!!"
A massive yellow shockwave shot toward Danji and Ban Rikiya like a battering ram. Danji, excited, rushed forward first, but Ban instantly realized this shot was no joke and followed close behind.
Just as Danji's racket made contact with the ball, Ban's racket slammed in right after. The two rackets braced together to absorb the immense impact—but in the very next moment, both rackets were knocked away, and the two of them were sent tumbling back several times.
"15-15!"
"Can't believe we actually lost in a power clash… to a middle schooler!" Ban chuckled bitterly as he picked up his racket.
"Don't talk nonsense, Rikiya! I just wasn't fully prepared. Ishida-kun's Hadoukyu is definitely strong as hell—but it's not unbeatable!" Danji clearly didn't agree with Ban's assessment.
"So you've already overcome your speed weakness, huh! Guess there's no choice but to go head-to-head like real men, Ishida-kun!" After shutting down Ban's comment, Danji turned to Ishida and spoke with a grin.
This time, Danji didn't use Autumn of Danji. He served a regular power shot instead—but the moment the ball left his hand, his whole body entered a charging state. Ban, understanding exactly what Danji was planning, stayed alert and ready to assist at any moment.
Ishida's fierce expression didn't change. Without hesitation, he fired off another Style 216 Hadoukyu. Although this technique was still a strain on his body, as long as he didn't exceed a certain number of uses, he could fully handle it.
As the shockwave barreled toward them again, Danji's eyes narrowed. His arms swelled rapidly, muscles bulging so hard that the sleeves of his team uniform began to tear. Danji didn't care. He roared and rushed in.
"I won't lose in a man-to-man clash! Summer of Danji!!!"
Holding his racket with both hands, he slammed into the shockwave. Dust exploded behind him as the ball sliced forward, tearing through the court and filling the air with thick smoke. Visibility dropped instantly.
A split second later, a tennis ball blasted through the smoke like a missile, leaving a gaping hole in the cloud as it flew straight toward Ishida and Kabaji. Kabaji instinctively shifted into the Summer of Danji stance.
But before he could move, Ishida stepped in front of him. His face was twisted, but his voice was strangely calm:
"This one's still too much for you, Kabaji. Leave it to me! Final Form… Hadoukyu!!!"
The moment his racket met the ball, the strings bulged outward. The tennis ball slammed into the racket like a raging bull. Ishida clenched his teeth and tried to hold it off with everything he had.
But after just a brief struggle, the racket was blasted high into the air, and Ishida himself flew back like a kite with a cut string. Luckily, Kabaji caught him before he hit the ground.
"30-15!"
"Honestly, just in terms of power—you've already surpassed me, Ishida-kun. But your technique for channeling that power still needs work!" Danji rested his racket on his shoulder, laughing heartily after scoring.
Ishida stood up in silence. He knew his technique couldn't compare to the two older players. Still, he wasn't going to back down so easily. Kabaji was relying on him. If he collapsed, Kabaji would be in serious trouble.
What Ishida didn't notice was that something had changed in Kabaji's eyes behind him—a flicker of something new, something no one except Atobe had ever seen before.
"40-15!"
"Game! Japan Team leads 3-2!"
Thanks to Danji's full-force eruption, even Ishida's all-out effort couldn't hold the score. His racket was knocked away again and again, and his body took a heavy toll. But not once did Ishida think of retreating.