"Master actually lost in a power clash?" Shiraishi said in disbelief.
"No! Master will figure something out. Becoming the strongest power player in Japan has always been his dream!" Oshitari Kenya shouted from the spectator seats.
"Hang in there, Master!!!" Konjiki Koharu, Hitōji Yūji, and Zaizen Hikaru all cheered loudly for Ishida Gin.
"Kabaji! Pull yourself together!" Even Atobe called out at that moment.
"Ussu!" Kabaji nodded, then gave Ishida Gin a wooden glance—but there was a flicker of something different in his eyes.
The sixth game was Ishida Gin's service game. He walked to the baseline, rubbed his left wrist, then stared firmly across at the two senior players. Taking a deep breath, he shouted:
"Hadoukyu, Style 100!!!"
The tennis ball, bursting with explosive force, shot toward Danji Date. Unfortunately for Ishida, Danji was already in position and had taken the Summer of Danji stance. As the ball bounced up, he didn't hesitate—both hands gripped the racket, and he swung with full force.
"Finishing move! Summer of Danji!!!" Danji shouted dramatically.
Ishida Gin charged forward. As he reached the centerline, he dropped his stance slightly and focused all his strength into his left arm. The eerie blue flames around him flared wildly. Just as he was about to swing, Kabaji suddenly appeared on his left.
Kabaji placed his racket flush against Ishida's, perfectly mirroring his stance—it was the form for the Final Form: Hadoukyu. Side by side, the two of them blocked the Summer of Danji together.
"You did great, Kabaji! Let's return it—together!" Ishida Gin said with a rare, proud smile before shouting.
"Victory… will belong… to the Second Court!" Kabaji roared too.
The tennis ball pounded against both rackets again and again, but it couldn't break through. Finally, when all the energy from Summer of Danji was nullified, Ishida Gin and Kabaji unleashed their full power. For a brief instant, they moved in perfect sync and shouted in unison:
"Double Hadoukyu!!!"
A blinding golden light burst between them, and the next moment, the tennis ball transformed into a massive shockwave that roared toward the other side of the court. The blast stirred up violent gusts, whipping the net violently and almost blowing Ryōma's cap off from the sideline—luckily, he held it down in time.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!!! You two brats are just too much fun! Let's go, Rikiya!" Danji laughed heartily.
"You really leave me no choice. Alright, let's do this together, Danji!" Ban Rikiya smiled, then shifted into a serious expression.
Danji and Ban flashed forward, positioning themselves in front of the shockwave. Like their opponents, they brought their rackets together and unleashed their maximum power, facing it head-on.
The shockwave slammed brutally into their rackets. A moment later, the tennis ball reappeared at the core of the blast. The sheer force of impact made Danji and Ban grit their teeth as they were pushed back across the court, leaving four deep skid trails behind them.
Even though they fought with everything they had, Danji and Ban were ultimately blown away. Their rackets went flying high into the air, and they were both launched clear out of the court by the blast.
"15-0!"
"Ouch… damn brats!" Danji muttered with irritation as he slowly got up through the swirling dust.
"These younger guys are no joke. I nearly got torn apart!" Ban groaned as he stood, stretching his sore body.
"I really need to thank you two senpai… You helped me realize—this is doubles. I've got a reliable partner behind me!" Ishida Gin put his hands together in a respectful bow toward Danji and Ban after scoring.
"Don't think scoring a point means you've won, Ishida-kun! The match ain't over yet! Get back there and serve!" Danji returned to the court and shouted at Ishida.
Ishida didn't say another word. He gave a small bow and returned to the baseline, tossing the ball up and firing off another Style 100 Hadoukyu. But at this point, that attack was starting to fall short. Danji moved into position with determination and hit it back with another Summer of Danji.
But Ishida and Kabaji, now starting to grasp the rhythm of working together, responded with another Double Hadoukyu. Even though Danji and Ban were prepared this time, they still couldn't avoid being blown away again.
"30-0!"
"40-0!"
"Game! Second Court leads 4-2!"
"How pathetic, Danji. Ban Rikiya," Byoudouin muttered coldly from the stands.
"Well~ it can't be helped. Those two middle schoolers aren't to be underestimated," Tanegashima said with a mischievous smile.
"If they lose this match, I swear I'll execute them myself!" Toono growled with irritation.
Kimijima frowned but didn't say anything. Instead, he shifted his gaze toward Tachibana Kippei and Chitose on the other side of the court, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
The match moved back to Ban Rikiya's service game. But this time, there was hesitation in his expression. He glanced at Kabaji, then at Danji beside him, and finally let out a quiet sigh before walking silently to the baseline.
"I just can't bring myself to go all out against these kids…" Ban Rikiya muttered softly. Then he tossed the ball and launched another Collapse Mountain—but again, he avoided aiming directly at Kabaji's wrist.
Faced with the bizarre and powerful Collapse Mountain, Kabaji still reacted half a beat too slow. He couldn't return it well, but he was now able to dodge quickly, avoiding injury to his body or wrist.
"Game! Japan Team leads 4-3!"
There was no question. Ishida Gin and Kabaji lost the seventh game. But thankfully, Ban Rikiya wouldn't serve again until four games later. Right then, Danji seemed to come to a decision and said to Ban Rikiya:
"Looks like there's no other choice. Time to use that move. I'll need you to cover for me afterward, Rikiya!"
"So it's come to this? Got it. Just hope those two juniors make it out okay," Ban Rikiya replied with a shake of his head.
This was Kabaji's service game. Even though he hit the Tannhauser Serve, the earlier impact from Collapse Mountain and multiple Double Hadoukyus had worn down his wrist. The quality of the Tannhauser had clearly dropped.
Danji's technique was average, but his level was clearly beyond even national-level. He barely managed to return Kabaji's weakened serve.
After the return, Danji moved to the side of the court, inhaling deeply and expanding his lungs as much as possible. While he did that, Ban Rikiya held the line alone, blocking attack after attack from Ishida Gin and Kabaji.
Before long, the muscles in Danji's arms swelled rapidly to the limit. The sound of fabric tearing rang out as the sleeves of his team uniform ripped open, scattering scraps of cloth across the ground.
His arms now looked inflated, twisted veins crawling along his forearms like serpents—visibly terrifying. Ban Rikiya, seeing this, let out a quiet sigh of relief. He was almost at his limit.
"Thanks, Rikiya. I'll take it from here!" Danji shouted as he charged the frontcourt.
"Ishida-kun! Kabaji-kun! Watch closely—this is my ultimate finishing move! Winter of Danji!!!" Danji roared as he gripped his racket with both hands and swung at the oncoming ball.
As the racket struck, a deafening boom echoed across the court. Then, it was as if everyone could hear the sound of an avalanche. The tennis ball came crashing forward with unstoppable momentum toward Ishida Gin and Kabaji.
"That's Danji's trump card—Winter of Danji! It hits like a real avalanche! You two, get out of the way!" Mōri suddenly shouted from the stands.
"Move, Kabaji! This is way more powerful than our Double Hadoukyu! A single mistake could get you seriously hurt!" Ishida Gin also yelled, but he himself didn't back down at all. He stood tall, both hands on his racket, staring the shot down head-on.
"My dream has always been to become Japan's top power player! Now that I've seen such a monstrous move—how could I possibly retreat?! Even if it costs me my life, I'll block it!!!" Ishida Gin bellowed with unwavering resolve.
Just as Ishida faced the incoming shot head-on, a steady but powerful voice sounded at his side:
"Victory… will be… ours!!!"
Kabaji hadn't listened at all. He stepped forward to stand beside Ishida. At that moment, a strange surge of energy flowed between the two of them and linked them together. Ishida's eyes flashed wide open, as if he had just understood something. Then he roared:
"Ability Synchronization—Roar of the Lion!!!"