"What do you mean?! What do you mean the first five games were just a welcome gift for me?!" Hakamada's face flashed with anger. From the way that middle schooler spoke, did it mean he had been holding back just now?
"That trick of yours, hiding the ball in the smoke and dust—it's basically just violent tennis, isn't it?" Krauser didn't explain anything. Instead, he asked directly about Hakamada's technique.
"Heh~ You still haven't seen the cruel blossoms of the world. As long as you can win a match, whether it's violent or not means nothing!" Hakamada glared coldly at Krauser.
"Mhm~ You're right. In that case, I suppose you won't have any complaints later!" Krauser nodded, then, without continuing the conversation, tossed the ball high into the air.
Seeing that, Hakamada swallowed down the urge to argue further. But his thoughts were still distracted, wondering what exactly Krauser meant just now. At that moment, a yellow blur streaked past his eyes. A split second later, the sharp sound of the ball striking the ground came from behind him.
"Ace! 15-0!"
"W-what?!" Hakamada's eyes widened. He hadn't reacted at all to that serve. The speed was clearly far beyond the earlier games. That middle schooler really had been hiding his strength!
"What's wrong? Can't even return something like that? How did you even make it into the First Unit lineup?" Krauser let out a cold laugh, his tone openly mocking.
"Damn it! To think I actually lost focus in a match! This foreign kid's strength is definitely not simple!" Hakamada didn't argue back—after all, he really hadn't touched that ball. Any excuse would be pointless.
Krauser didn't bother provoking further. He tossed the ball again and smashed it hard with his racket. The shot streaked over the net at incredible speed, flying straight toward Hakamada's back-right corner.
Hakamada rushed to the spot. The speed and angle were sharp, but still within his reach. He arrived at the baseline corner and swung hard. The ball spun fiercely, racing back across the net.
"Vanish!"
As the ball hit the ground, a thick cloud of dust rose again. The sound of the ball scraping the surface followed. But Krauser didn't walk casually like before—he flashed to the right side of the centerline and swung directly into the air ahead of him.
A ball suddenly burst out of the smoke and collided straight with his racket. Hakamada froze in shock. His technique had been dismantled so easily.
"A vanishing ball? I know that trick far too well. Especially something as simple as your little smokescreen!" Krauser sneered, then snapped his racket sharply. The ball flew back with heavy spin once more.
Hakamada quickly judged the bounce point and dashed forward. The ball landed, spun violently in place, then shot off to the right front corner. With wide eyes, he watched as it grazed his cheek and flew out of bounds.
"30-0!"
"This… this trajectory… it's my vanish?" Hakamada muttered, touching the faint blood mark on his cheek.
"Looks like Krauser's finally getting serious~" Kite said calmly from the bench.
"Running into Krauser just means this senpai's luck is a bit bad," Tachibana added with a light smile.
"Go, Krauser-nii! Make him taste a bit of hell too!" Kirihara shouted excitedly from the players' seats.
"Oh? Interesting. So this kid named Krauser plays that style too? Guess he hid it pretty well before. I didn't even notice back then!" Tōno licked his lips with interest.
Back on court, Krauser launched another serve. Hakamada ignored the cut on his face and rushed for the ball, hammering out another vanish. But for Krauser, who knew that style inside out, it was no trouble. He intercepted the bounce easily.
Krauser's return came at blazing speed. Even Hakamada struggled to keep up. Still, as someone used to violent tennis himself, he wasn't so easily knocked out. The two clashed fiercely, shot after shot.
"40-0!"
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-1!"
But Krauser no longer held back. With his five dimensions and overall strength already far beyond Hakamada's, he wrapped up the game quickly. By the end, Hakamada's left hand and right leg bore two fresh, shallow cuts.
"Tch~ I thought it was something impressive! That kind of tennis is way too childish!" Tōno said with irritation. He had expected Krauser to reveal some real technique, but from the looks of it, it was nothing more than an ordinary body shot.
Even though the seventh game was Hakamada's service game, he had completely lost his earlier composure. He could feel himself starting to fall behind the rhythm of that foreign kid. As for the scratches on his body, Hakamada didn't care at all. To him, that level didn't even count as an injury—just everyday stuff.
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-2!"
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-3!"
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-4!"
Once Krauser went all out, he strung together four straight games. The wounds Hakamada had brushed off earlier now covered his arms and legs. They were only shallow marks, barely breaking skin, but the stinging pain still made him uncomfortable.
The tenth game was Krauser's service game. His face stayed calm, as if those dangerous body shots earlier hadn't come from him at all. With Hakamada's full attention fixed on him, Krauser sent out the serve.
The familiar rally started again. Hakamada seemed to have adjusted somewhat to Krauser's shots, dodging them several times. But that didn't stop him from losing points.
"15-0!"
"30-0!"
"40-0!"
"This looks like two players from completely different levels! Is Krauser really this strong?" Several high school students watching showed disbelief. In their minds, middle schoolers could be strong, but every member of the First Unit was a monster.
"Hmph! It's just that Hakamada's too weak!" Oni cut in sternly after hearing their chatter.
"Hakamada's Vanish used to be a real headache for opponents. But now that he's facing someone with the same style, his weakness is exposed," Irie said with a cheerful smile.
On court, Hakamada returned Krauser's gear shot. Right then, Krauser spoke.
"Looks like ordinary moves no longer work on you, senpai. In that case, carry your cross and descend into hell—Cross Punishment!"
Krauser whipped at the incoming ball. It spun with an eerie twist, crossed the net, then after bouncing, spun wildly and transformed into a glowing yellow cross, shooting toward Hakamada.
Hakamada tried to dodge, but the ball struck him first. In an instant, his whole body felt paralyzed, unable to move. All he could do was watch himself be blasted out of the court, arms spread wide in a humiliating pose.
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-5!"
Slammed against the wall, Hakamada coughed up blood. That last shot had shaken his organs badly, something he hadn't expected at all. Its power was no weaker than Tōno's Execution.
"Hahahaha~ Now this is the kind of match that excites me!" Tōno roared with laughter at the sideline. He still hated these middle school brats, but seeing blood spilled in a match suited his philosophy perfectly.
The others stayed silent, even Mifune. This kind of knockdown tennis was common in international play, nothing to make a fuss about—especially since the First Unit already had a player like Tōno Atsukyo.
When Hakamada returned to the court, the match continued. Although he had been hurt by Krauser's Cross Punishment, there was no resentment on his face. Instead, he looked oddly thrilled, even satisfied.
"I admit I underestimated you earlier, foreign kid! But your ruthlessness pleases me. Against enemies, no matter who they are, you should find a way to take them out. Don't let yourself be shackled by useless rules!" Hakamada grinned at Krauser, though the blood at the corner of his mouth made him look grim and savage.
Whether it was because of that last shot or not, Hakamada's condition clearly dropped afterward. He could no longer dodge Krauser's gear shots easily, and the points kept slipping away.
"Game! Second String Selection! 6-5!"
"Game! 7-5! First set, Second String Selection wins! Total score 1-0!"
Krauser walked calmly back to the bench, though a trace of disappointment showed in his eyes. Akashi noticed immediately and spoke up.
"What's wrong, Liliadent? Not what you expected? Then why not finish the next set quickly?"
"It is a little different from what I imagined. I had planned to test a new move on him, but I'll save it for the World Tournament instead," Krauser replied, nodding slightly, though his voice still carried disappointment.
On the other side, Hakamada sat on the bench, breathing heavily—not from exhaustion, but from the lingering pain of Krauser's last shot. No one disturbed him, and Mifune gave no guidance, only sipping quietly from his bottle.
Soon, the second set began. Krauser stepped onto the court silently. The cruelty in his eyes was gone, replaced by an even sharper aura. It was clear—he intended to end this quickly.