"Is that so? You're right, a few of you have already grasped Ten'i Muhō, but don't get too arrogant, Yukimura-kun!" Oni snorted coldly, tossing the ball high and blasting out a heavy, high-speed serve.
With the Ten'i state boosting him, the ball shot forward at incredible speed, slamming into the back corner on Yukimura's left side. But Yukimura's figure flashed like teleportation, suddenly appearing at the corner and swinging his racquet in a swift return.
He sent the ball back, but those watching quickly noticed the focus in his pupils had gone vague. It was obvious—he had entered Zero Senses Tennis to counter Ten'i Muhō.
Oni moved in with a sudden burst, both hands gripping the racquet as he struck a violent backhand. The ball was instantly wrapped in a dark glow, crashing back with overwhelming force.
"Black Jack Knife!"
Yukimura rushed forward without hesitation, but a second later, his racquet was blasted from his grip. The ball tore past unopposed, slamming into the back wall and leaving a scorched mark.
"15-0!"
"Do you still think this is just ordinary Ten'i Muhō, Yukimura Seiichi?" Oni's eyes were sharp as he spoke after scoring.
"This isn't arrogance. It's confidence. The one who wins this match will only be me," Yukimura replied coldly, picking up his racquet.
"For some reason, I feel like Captain looks a lot like Akashi-senpai right now," Kirihara muttered nervously from the stands.
"Maybe they were always the same kind of person," Yagyū answered, a glint flashing across his glasses.
On court, Oni fired another powerful, blazing serve, but in his Zero Senses Tennis state, Yukimura returned it easily. The two immediately clashed in a fierce rally.
As they traded shots, Oni realized no matter where he placed the ball, Yukimura always arrived first and neutralized his power, giving the illusion of being unbreakable.
Seeing this, Oni wasted no time. Gripping his racquet with both hands, he unleashed another Black Jack Knife, the ball shrouded in black light as it rocketed toward Yukimura.
This time Yukimura tightened both hands on the racquet, channeled all his strength, and struck back hard. The ball rebounded cleanly—it didn't even look difficult.
"Hmph, I underestimated your strength. Then try this—Black Tomahawk!" Oni was a little surprised Yukimura had returned the Black Jack Knife so easily, but he immediately followed with an even stronger move.
Intercepting the incoming ball with both hands, Oni spun in place, using centrifugal force and momentum to pour everything into his strike. The ball transformed into a massive black beam as it blasted toward Yukimura.
Yukimura reacted instantly, planting his feet and springing forward. Both hands clenched on his racquet, he gathered every bit of his power and swung straight into the incoming shot.
The impact screamed across the strings, the racquet creaking under the pressure. Yukimura frowned, gripping tight—he knew if he relaxed even for a moment, the racquet would be torn away by the terrifying force.
At last, with a low grunt, Yukimura managed to block it. But the power was too much to control the direction. The ball shot high into the air on the opposite side.
Oni's figure suddenly leapt up at the net. Tilting his body forward, he lunged and smashed down with full force. The ball streaked past Yukimura's feet like a shadow before bouncing high out of bounds.
"Slam Dunk Smash!"
"30-0!"
"Oni-senpai's Slam Dunk Smash is way stronger than a certain someone's," Kaidō said from the stands, clearly aiming his words.
"You wanna fight, Viper?" Momoshiro growled, glaring at him, looking like he'd swing at any moment.
"Come on! Who's afraid of who!" Kaidō shot back without backing down.
"Quiet down and focus on the match!" Just as their faces were about to collide, two hands suddenly pressed between them, shoving Momoshiro and Kaidō apart to either side.
"Yes, Vice Captain!" Both Momoshiro and Kaidō froze the moment they saw Oishi, instantly behaving themselves.
Fuji watched the two troublemakers and couldn't help but smile bitterly and shake his head. 'Is it really okay to leave Seigaku to them next year?' Fuji couldn't help questioning himself in silence.
On court, the tide had shifted. Facing Oni's natural monster strength, Yukimura wasn't blown away, but he was clearly struggling. His power was several levels below Oni's.
Yukimura could use technique to cut down some of the impact, but his wrist had limits. He could handle normal heavy shots, but Oni's Black Tomahawk was far too strong, especially with Ten'i Muhō boosting it.
"40-0!"
"Game! Japan Team! 1-1!"
Oni quickly tied the score with his crushing returns. From the stands, Sanada couldn't help worrying for Yukimura, but Yukimura himself didn't seem concerned.
"Great strength can sometimes be a double-edged sword~" Yukimura muttered softly as he returned to the baseline.
His mental energy flared violently, and once more, the phantom of Morpheus rose behind him. The massive butterfly wings beat gently, and weaker-minded players around the court began to feel drowsy.
"Trying to take away my senses again? This time it won't work, Yukimura-kun!" Oni's eyes sharpened, his voice heavy.
Yukimura ignored him, tossing the ball. With the blessing of the Alternate Dimension, a special mental wave surged along with the serve straight toward Oni.
But in his Ten'i state, Oni's resistance to mental attacks was strong. He disregarded the pressure and blasted back with a fierce swing. The two fell into another high-intensity rally.
This time, every time Yukimura returned the ball, the wings behind Morpheus flapped, sending eerie waves rippling outward. Oni noticed at once and, unwilling to drag things out, prepared a Black Tomahawk.
That was Oni's tennis—overwhelming force, crushing technique head-on, suppressing the opponent with sheer might. It looked a little like Duke's style, but carried a very different essence from Duke's pure destructive power.
Just as Oni gripped the racquet for a Black Tomahawk, a numbness shot from the handle into his wrist. Though it vanished a moment later, he lost control of the ball, sending it into the net.
"15-0!"
"This is… deprivation of touch? To take away even me in Ten'i Muhō!" Oni clenched his fists, staring hard at Yukimura.
"Ten'i Muhō isn't invincible. My Five-Sense Nullification isn't so simple, Oni-senpai," Yukimura said calmly, eyes locked on Oni as he tossed up another ball and unleashed a blazing serve.
Oni braced himself fully, sprinting to the spot. With both hands, he hammered the ball back. But even so, the moment he went for a Black Tomahawk, his sense of touch vanished again. Though the ball crossed the net this time, he couldn't control the power and sent it long.
"30-0!"
"So that's it—when I go for Black Tomahawk, you erase my touch so I can't control direction or power?" Oni finally understood, though deep inside he couldn't help admiring Yukimura's cunning.
"A sharp idea. Yukimura-kun really can't be underestimated. But too bad~ Oni didn't reach No. 1 relying on strength alone," Irie said with a smile as he watched.
As Yukimura served again, Oni's blue aura suddenly surged violently. Bolts of blue, lightning-like particles wrapped around him—he had unleashed Radiance of Strong Heart.
Yukimura instantly felt Oni's returns grow stronger and faster. But his Zero Senses Tennis gave him equal reaction and burst, and they clashed fiercely again.
"So it's back again? Don't think this trick will keep working!" As Oni wound up another Black Tomahawk, the familiar numbness hit. But this time he was ready. Even without touch, he still slammed the shot perfectly.
The black beam roared toward Yukimura, who frowned. He had no time to hesitate. Gripping with both hands, he met it head-on.
But the force was greater than he expected. His racquet was blasted from his hands, spinning through the air before clattering outside the court. The ball crashed into the wall behind him.
"30-15!"
"Radiance of Strong Heart, huh? It reminds me of the Nationals," Yukimura said as he picked up his racquet, his eyes narrowing into sharp focus.
"I expected it, but I didn't think you'd use it so soon. Oni-senpai's strength really can't be underestimated," Yukimura said softly as he returned to the baseline.
The moment his words fell, his aura suddenly surged. Twin streaks of pale-blue lightning burst from Yukimura's eyes, crackling in the air—this was Akashi's Zone ability!