"Super Sweet Spot technique, huh? You were careless just now, Fran," Q.P. said calmly, his expression unchanged.
"Sorry! It won't happen again!" Fran picked up his racket, his tone sincere, then locked his eyes on Mitsuya across the court as the muscles in his arms began to bulge.
"When did Mitsuya-senpai learn Glowing Shot?" Kirihara asked from the bench in disbelief.
"You should have noticed during Mitsuya-senpai's match with Kintarō. If he could easily return Glowing Shot, then naturally he had already mastered the technique himself," Yukimura explained directly.
"Go for it, Rice Ball Bro!!!" Kintarō shouted loudly to cheer Mitsuya on.
Hearing Kintarō's voice, Mitsuya couldn't help but twitch an eyebrow, but he quickly calmed down. He tossed the ball high, golden light once again gathering in his left hand.
Fran tensed immediately, gripping his racket tightly. But in the next instant, a yellow blur flashed past his eyes, and then the sound of the ball landing came from behind him.
"Ace! 30–0!"
"Because you saw the light, you judged there was a 98% chance I'd hit Glowing Shot. To prepare for its power, your reaction speed dropped by 14.5%, raising the probability of scoring with super high-speed serve to 87.6%," Mitsuya explained in his usual calm voice.
"So it's Data Tennis. But you even got Fran's numbers? Looks like your Japan Team's preparations are really thorough," Q.P.'s eyes flickered slightly for the first time as he spoke.
"After all, when facing Germany, the head of the Big Four, any preparation on our part should be expected, don't you think?" Mitsuya smiled as he replied.
"Impressive intelligence gathering. Seems this match might be trickier than I thought," Q.P. said flatly, glancing at him.
Back at the baseline, Mitsuya's eyes swept over Fran. He tossed the ball again, and as he swung, he called out:
"Tezuka! Right side, 11 o'clock direction!"
The ball shot into the German half at extreme speed. Hearing Mitsuya's words, Tezuka instantly moved into position. Fran, having learned from the first two points, steadied his mindset as he reached the landing spot.
When he swung, various trajectories and angles flashed in his eyes. Calculating them, he picked the best one and hit a sharp crosscourt shot.
At the exact moment Tezuka reached the designated position, he saw the ball flying right toward him. Without hesitation, his left hand drove the racket in a backhand swing, adding a heavy reverse spin.
"Crosscourt probability: 84%. Final probability of this ball going out: 100%," Mitsuya said with a small laugh, not moving after the serve, only announcing his prediction.
Fran's precise shot was returned. Shocked, he rushed forward and aimed at another tricky angle. But just after the ball cleared the net, it veered left and flew straight out of bounds.
"Out! 40–0!"
"What! Impossible!" Fran's eyes widened. He was known as the tennis robot, his precise shot-making the foundation of his spot on Germany's U-17 team.
"That kind of spin… could it be…" Q.P. muttered thoughtfully, watching the ball roll out.
On the sidelines, Volk's sharp eyes were fixed on Tezuka. He had already noticed the unique potential in him, a trait that seemed to resonate with his own style. But unfortunately, Tezuka wasn't on the German team.
"Nice work, Tezuka. For the next ball, you'll need to…" Mitsuya stepped up beside him, whispering a few words before returning to the baseline.
Mitsuya served again with blistering speed. It seemed that first Glowing Shot had been just on a whim. Fran raced to the landing point and aimed precisely at the gap between Mitsuya and Tezuka before swinging hard.
But just as he swung, Tezuka suddenly slid one step left. His racket intercepted the ball's path as a white tornado rose around him.
"Ultimate Zone!"
The ball, spinning with a complex rotation, shot back into the German half. Fran started forward, but Q.P.'s figure appeared in front of him and struck it back.
When Q.P.'s racket touched the ball, he neutralized the reverse spin, keeping it in play. But immediately, a massive white cyclone swirled around Tezuka.
The ball was dragged back toward him. Raising his racket behind his head, Tezuka swung sharply backhand, sending the ball gently across the net. The moment it cleared, it dropped sharply.
Fran slid forward and prepared to return it, but the ball spun in place for a moment after landing, then slowly rolled back, hitting the net and stopping dead.
"Zero Shiki Drop!"
"Game! Japan! 1–0!"
"Oi, oi, oi! You've gotta be kidding me! That level of spin control already surpasses most pro players!" Bismarck muttered in shock from the bench.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu, Japan's third-year middle schooler. His specialty is all kinds of spin shots. He can even use spin control to form his own domain. And most importantly, he has also awakened the Light of Pride!" Bertie revealed Tezuka's information at this moment.
"So, the reason you rushed back early was because you gathered data on Japan Team?" Volk turned to ask Bertie.
"That's right. But it seems Japan also has their own data expert. They've probably already gathered plenty of intel on us too. Right now, the high schooler Mitsuya Akuto on court is their strongest Data Tennis player!" Bertie answered seriously.
"Even for you, getting this kind of intel shouldn't have been easy, right?" Volk frowned, sensing something unusual.
"When we were in America, I ran into an interesting Japanese player. He seemed to be an idol or something. I made a deal with him, and that's how I got all this," Bertie admitted without hiding anything.
At the same time, on the Japan bench, Akashi suddenly turned to Kimijima and calmly asked,
"Bertie returning early must mean your negotiation succeeded, right, senpai?"
"Of course. From his perspective, the deal with me was all benefit, no loss. Still, I didn't expect you'd come up with such a… well, such a forward-thinking intel warfare approach," Kimijima replied, pausing as though remembering something.
"This is a war where national honor is at stake. Any method that doesn't break sportsmanship is necessary. Victory is the only thing that matters," Akashi said coldly, unfazed by his tone.
Now it was Fran's turn to serve. He stepped to the baseline, eyes locked on Tezuka's right-side corner. Tossing the ball, his powerful right arm whipped the racket down hard.
The ball blasted forward like a cannon shot. Tezuka instantly slid into position, his body glowing with seven colors. The power of Muga no Kyōchi quickly gathered in his left hand, and he struck the ball with full force.
The ball's speed and power doubled, rocketing into the German half. Q.P. instantly judged its path, dashed to the left sideline, and swung. The weight on his racket surprised him, but he still managed to return it.
Unfortunately, because of the immense power in that instant, Q.P. failed to fully neutralize the reverse spin. After crossing the net, the ball curved sharply in the air and flew out of bounds.
"0–15!"
"Both the speed and power of that ball were doubled. And this glow looks like the Light of Pride, but it doesn't feel the same…" Q.P. frowned, eyeing Tezuka with suspicion.
His confusion was almost amusing. In Europe's tennis powerhouses, the Light of Pride was seen as a rare ability, something only awakened through a player's natural talent and potential. Like Siegfried—either it never awakens, or it does all at once.
But Japanese players were different. Thanks to Echizen Nanjirō's path, most of them started with Muga no Kyōchi. By pushing their bodies with Muga's power, they could awaken Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami.
And through long use of Muga, they discovered deeper powers. With Nanjirō's guidance, the so-called Three Gates of Muga emerged. In truth, Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami and Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami were the real essence of Muga, a tennis path unique to Japanese players.
Echizen Nanjirō was truly the peak of this world. What was only meant as the key to Ten'i Muhō, he developed into a whole new ability, then spread it widely throughout his country.
So it was no wonder Q.P. was puzzled seeing Tezuka use Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami. He had never faced this kind of move before. But he quickly grasped the principle behind it and already had countermeasures in mind.
Fran launched another powerful, angled serve. But such serves had little effect on Tezuka. He again used Hyaku Ren Jitoku no Kiwami to double the return's force.
Q.P.'s eyes sharpened. He flashed in front of the ball, both hands gripping the racket as he struck with all his might. This time, he neutralized the reverse spin while countering, sending the ball with fierce momentum into the Japan half.
A white cyclone rose again, trying to seize the ball. But in the next moment, Q.P.'s return broke through the domain's pull and landed cleanly on the baseline before bouncing out.
"15–15!"
"If you underestimate Q.P.'s strength just because of his build, you'll pay for it," Bismarck chuckled from the bench.