'Tezuka' forced himself to steady his emotions. Both sides were now in Synchronization. Even though his was forced Synchronization, its effect wasn't much different from the real thing. In the end, everything still came down to strength.
When 'Tezuka' served with Ultimate Zone rotation, Omagari's eyes sharpened. At the moment of contact, his right wrist twisted hard, wiping away the reverse spin from the ball.
The return was pulled back toward 'Tezuka' by the zone's rotation. But as 'Tezuka' swung, a violent shock ran through his wrist, knocking the racket straight out of his hand. The ball carried it out of bounds.
"0-15!"
"No matter what kind of spin it is, just knock the racket away. That's the simplest way," Omagari said seriously after scoring.
"Hmph, Omagari finally stopped holding back. That No.6 ranking doesn't reflect his true strength," Byoudouin sneered from the stands.
When Omagari returned the next serve, 'Tezuka' braced with both hands on his racket. This time, the ball didn't knock it loose, but Omagari's shots were heavier than before, completely unlike earlier rallies.
With Tanegashima slipping in Nothingness and Reciprocal Void from time to time, Fuji and 'Tezuka' still had no clear counter. Even their teamwork was no longer an advantage once Tanegashima and Omagari fully synchronized.
"Game! 6-2! Second set over! Winner: Japan Team! Total score 1-1! The match goes to a final set!"
Tanegashima and Omagari's full-force assault overwhelmed Fuji and Niō, and they couldn't save the eighth game. They dropped the second set. Yet both players' eyes still burned with fighting spirit, showing no sign of giving up.
Back on the bench, Fuji and Niō gulped water and tried to recover. The others stayed quiet, not disturbing them. But Akashi suddenly spoke to Niō.
"How's it feel? Think you can pull it off?"
"Not sure yet. Feels like something's still missing, but it's not time to quit," Niō answered seriously between sips.
"So, you saw through it too, Akashi-kun," Fuji added with a small smile.
Akashi studied them with his deep gaze, but said no more. Still, the weight of his stare pressed on Fuji and Niō until he finally looked away.
When the break ended, the deciding set began. Tanegashima and Omagari activated Synchronization right away. Niō didn't hesitate either, transforming into 'Tezuka' once more and forcing Synchronization with Fuji.
Spectators noticed something strange. Niō could copy anyone, yet since the second set he'd stuck with 'Tezuka'. Tanegashima saw it too, but didn't care. As things stood, their side had the upper hand anyway. Smiling faintly, he vanished and fired off a blistering serve.
Fuji instantly activated Light Wind, trusting his sense of the ball to locate the vanishing serve. In frozen time, he raced left to the corner and swung.
A faint tremor ran through his racket, and time returned. The ball had gone out, but Fuji was smiling.
"Ace! 15-0!"
When Tanegashima served again, Fuji in Light Wind managed to intercept. That success deepened his grasp of the ability. But Omagari had anticipated it and cut in at the net for a sharp counter.
Fuji had caught the serve, but the overall situation didn't change. Neither he nor Niō could maintain full focus every second. Against Tanegashima and Omagari's sudden disappearances, they still had no answer.
"Game! Japan Team! 1-0!"
"Game! Japan Team! 2-0!"
"Game! Japan Team! 3-0!"
"Game! Japan Team! 4-0!"
As Fuji and Niō were swept, the middle schoolers grew restless. Only Tezuka, Yukimura, and Akashi remained calm. Yukimura had already guessed what Niō was trying.
In the fifth game, Tanegashima looked at his determined opponents and smiled. These middle schoolers weren't just strong; their resolve was unyielding. Maybe this year, Japan really could challenge the world's top spot.
Still, there would be no mercy. Using both forms of Nothingness, Tanegashima unleashed another blazing serve. Fuji countered with Light Wind and returned it. Everyone expected the same stalemate—until something shifted in Fuji and 'Tezuka'.
After Fuji's return, Omagari dashed to the net and blasted a heavy forehand. The ball rocketed back across the court. But in the next moment, Fuji and 'Tezuka' stood together before it.
Their rackets overlapped, striking as one. A strange wave pulsed outward from them. Omagari instinctively sensed danger, but still blocked and sent the ball back.
As it crossed the net, its speed spiked, shooting toward the center line. Fuji and 'Tezuka' didn't move. At the middle of the court, the ball suddenly twisted upward in a wild spiral. It shot sky-high, almost out of sight—then as if struck by an unseen force, veered sideways and slammed out of bounds.
"Ability Synchronization—Typhoon!"
"Out! 0-15!"
"Ability Synchronization!? But that's Niō's illusion of Tezuka! How could it synchronize with Fuji?" Kikumaru shouted from the stands, eyes wide in shock.
"The essence of Ability Synchronization is the ability itself. Who it synchronizes with doesn't matter! Even if Tezuka on court is Niō's illusion, it doesn't stop him from resonating with Fuji," Inui answered, pushing up his glasses, his tone excited.
Tanegashima stared at 'Tezuka' and Fuji resonating, his feelings mixed. He too wanted to achieve Ability Synchronization with Omagari, but so far he had never succeeded. Maybe his Nothingness ability was too special.
Still, Tanegashima's mental composure was exceptional. He calmed himself instantly and fired another blazing serve. Unfortunately, Fuji had already cracked it. As Fuji returned the ball, Tanegashima charged forward toward the net.
Omagari met Fuji's shot, his face heavy. Just as he predicted, the two joined forces again to send the ball back with combined strength.
As Omagari readied to return, he suddenly paused and stepped aside. Tanegashima appeared behind him, intercepting with a swift swing. The moment his racket touched the ball, an invisible ripple erased all of its spin.
"As long as there's no spin, your Ability Synchronization will fail too, right?" Tanegashima smiled as he neutralized the shot.
But once his return crossed the net, it accelerated toward the middle, then shot upward in a spiral, soaring high before veering sideways and flying out of bounds.
"Out! 0-30!"
"Sorry, Tanegashima-senpai! Looks like your guess was off~" Fuji said with a teasing smile.
With Fuji and 'Tezuka' in Ability Synchronization, the match turned completely. Even Tanegashima and Omagari, veterans of countless battles, looked helpless against the bizarre force.
"Game! Second String Selection! 4-1!"
"Game! Second String Selection! 4-2!"
Fuji and Niō rode their momentum and took two straight games. But in those rallies, Tanegashima began to unravel the true secret of Typhoon—it was, at its core, powered by the court's wind. Tezuka's spin allowed Fuji to harness the wind more fully.
But luck wasn't on Fuji and 'Tezuka's' side. The breeze across the court began to fade. They could barely sustain their resonance through Tezuka's spin, but Tanegashima's Nothingness completely countered spin-based techniques.
As the fierce rallies wore on, Fuji and 'Tezuka' couldn't avoid Tanegashima's bug-like Nothingness. Even the occasional gust of wind wasn't enough to change things.
"Game! Japan Team! 5-2!"
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-3!"
"40-15!"
It was match point. If Fuji and Niō lost this rally, the match was over. Niō stared at Tanegashima preparing to serve, and as if deciding something, he released Tezuka's illusion.
Everyone froze in confusion. What was Niō planning? His form blurred again, and then—appearing before all eyes—was the man at the pinnacle of middle school tennis, draped in his jacket: Akashi Seijurō!
Somehow, Niō's illusion carried the jacket, though he himself wore none. Even Tanegashima's heart trembled at the sight. The one thing he had feared most had come true. But how much of Akashi's strength could Niō reproduce?
The real Akashi, sitting on the bench, didn't react at all, though his curiosity stirred. Just how much of his own power could Niō mirror?
Suppressing his unease, Tanegashima served. As Fuji activated Light Wind to intercept, a faint silver glow rose from 'Akashi.' Fuji successfully returned the ball.
Omagari, aware of Akashi's true power, still didn't believe Niō could reproduce it. He lunged forward and smashed a strong return straight at 'Akashi.'
The ball sped across the net, but 'Akashi' stepped in, swinging swiftly. The ball vanished on contact.
Behind him, the air split open with a crack, and a crimson spear emerged from the rift, shooting toward Omagari. His legs locked under its influence, and he was pierced through without moving an inch.
"40-30!"
"Gate of Babylon—Gáe Bolg!"
"What the hell was that!?" Omagari exclaimed. He had never faced Akashi and didn't know his Gate of Babylon.
"I don't know either. I've never seen Akashi-chan use it before, but no doubt it's an Alternate Dimension technique," Tanegashima muttered, his expression hardening.
"Oh? You even copied Gate of Babylon? But… you were too hasty, Niō," Akashi whispered from the bench, almost sighing.
Tanegashima shook away the distractions and launched another blazing serve. Guided by Fuji's Synchronization, 'Akashi' reached the spot early and swung at empty air.
The rift opened again. The crimson spear returned, appearing for the second time. But as it launched, it dissolved into nothingness, and the ball struck the net.
Everyone looked toward 'Akashi.' But there was no Akashi—only Niō, kneeling on one knee, clutching his racket with both hands to keep from collapsing. His face was deathly pale.
"Game! 6-3! Match over! Total score 2-1! Winner: Japan Team!"