"Japanese players…" Elmer Siegfried stared at Tezuka on court, his heart heavy with mixed feelings. He had gone through countless struggles before awakening the Light of Pride under Bismarck's guidance. Yet now, this Japanese middle schooler had clearly mastered it fully. Siegfried found it hard to accept.
"Don't dwell on it, Elmer. Everyone walks a different path in tennis. Don't focus too much on temporary gains or losses," Bismarck noticed Siegfried's mood right away and spoke to calm him.
At this moment, Tezuka was completely surrounded by glowing cyan particles, his hair flowing as if blown by wind though the air was still. Q.P.'s face grew serious. Even he didn't dare show carelessness when facing the Light of Pride.
"Fran! Serve now, you'll get timed out!" Q.P. snapped when he saw Fran still frozen.
Hearing Q.P.'s voice jolted Fran back. He had been stunned by Tezuka's instantaneous return earlier. Forcing down the turbulence in his heart, Fran quickly tossed the ball and served.
In Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami, Tezuka's movement speed had risen. In just a flash, he was already at the landing spot, his return carrying an incredibly complex spin. A massive white cyclone rose sharply around him.
"Ultimate Zone!"
Q.P. had already predicted Tezuka's stroke. He rushed to intercept and neutralized the reverse spin without hesitation. But after the ball crossed the net, it was instantly trapped by the cyclone of the Zone and pulled back to Tezuka's side.
The next second, a yellow beam tore through both Q.P. and Fran's defense. Before either could react, the ball had landed and bounced out of bounds.
"0–30!"
"Power, speed, and spin—all strengthened by more than one level! Your mastery of the Light of Pride is flawless. That isn't something you can achieve in such a short time. Which means… you awakened it long ago," Q.P. spoke seriously, ignoring the lost point.
"So… what are you trying to say?" Tezuka replied calmly.
Q.P. didn't answer right away. He stared at Tezuka for a long moment, then said nothing. Instead, he stepped quietly back to the front court, his eyes turning sharp and aggressive.
Fran, whether by self-hypnosis or nerves, had calmed himself. Without hesitation, he tossed the ball and struck another powerful flat drive, sharp and precise as always.
But for Tezuka, it was nothing. He returned it cleanly, again layering it with the complex spin of the Ultimate Zone. Q.P. rushed forward to meet it. He had no choice. Fran still couldn't simultaneously strike and erase reverse spin.
Fran's talent lay in his innate control, but his weakness was in details. Especially when it came to situations demanding multiple fine techniques in an instant—this was where Fran struggled most.
With Tezuka in Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami, Q.P. could no longer rely on raw force alone to break through his Zone. The rally stretched into rapid-fire exchanges, the ball curving back toward Tezuka at the baseline.
Tezuka and Q.P. entered a high-speed rally. At first, Tezuka, empowered by the Ultimate Zone, kept forcing Q.P. to chase left and right. But soon, Tezuka noticed something off—Q.P.'s strength and speed were slowly rising, eerily unaffected by the radiance of Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami.
"Q.P. has already evolved by battling other Light of Pride users. He's even absorbed the power of the Radiance of Love and the Radiance of Pain. Ordinary Light of Pride no longer affects him," Volk said calmly, showing no worry that Q.P. might be suppressed.
'Not enough. Ordinary Light of Pride can't push me further. I hope you carry that unshakable quality, Tezuka Kunimitsu!' Q.P. thought as he exchanged fierce shots with Tezuka.
Meanwhile, Mitsuya's eyes flickered with a flood of data as he analyzed Q.P.'s every move. He quickly noticed that under the radiance of Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami, Q.P. wasn't being suppressed—he was slowly growing stronger.
After more than ten rallies, Q.P.'s aura peaked. Gripping his racket with both hands, he ripped a shot that blasted forward like a shockwave, finally breaking through the Zone's restraints. The impact even knocked Tezuka's racket away as he tried to intercept.
"15–30!"
As play continued, the Japan Team was stunned to see Tezuka, even in Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami, being completely suppressed by Q.P. To them, it was unbelievable. The doubles match had turned into a one-on-one duel between Tezuka and Q.P., leaving Mitsuya and Fran practically irrelevant.
"Game! Germany! 3–3!"
Quality of Perfect.
In the end, Q.P.'s sheer strength secured the sixth game. During the break, Tezuka and Mitsuya sat down and quickly hydrated. After drinking, Tezuka asked:
"Have you corrected the data yet, Mitsuya-senpai?"
"I'd like to say I have… but unfortunately, I seem to have discovered something even greater," Mitsuya admitted. From the corrections, he realized Q.P.'s power was on a whole different level—he might not be able to handle him at all.
"In any case, just play it by ear. Also, like Akashi said earlier, don't use the Radiance of Strong Heart, or even the Radiance of Pain. Otherwise, Q.P. might advance even further!" Mitsuya added seriously when he saw Tezuka's puzzled look.
"Tezuka! In this match, why not try experiencing pure tennis? Don't carry any purpose—not even winning or losing! I imagine you've struggled for some time with awakening the Radiance of Love, haven't you?" Akashi suddenly suggested.
Tezuka froze for a moment at Akashi's words. It was true. He had faced setbacks in trying to awaken the Radiance of Love. He thought he had made progress, but even with the World Cup underway, he had achieved nothing.
"Oh? That's a good proposal~ Go enjoy the game, Tezuka! Don't forget, this is doubles—you still have me, your senpai, at your side!" Mitsuya smiled, patting Tezuka's shoulder with a playful tone.
"I… understand. Thank you, Mitsuya-senpai. And Akashi…" Tezuka nodded earnestly after a pause.
"You don't need to thank me. Just enjoy this match. Remember, throw away all distractions and focus only on tennis itself," Akashi cut him off, urging him and Mitsuya to get ready—the break was nearly over.
Given Tezuka's personality, awakening the Radiance of Love was extremely difficult. Whether in the original timeline or here, it was the same. Raised under his grandfather's stern teaching, Tezuka had developed a serious, responsible nature, always carrying burdens on his shoulders.
At Fudomine, he silently bore Akashi's dream of a national three-peat. Now, as part of the Japan Team, he carried the nation's honor as well. That was the real reason he couldn't awaken the Radiance of Love.
The seventh game began. It was Tezuka's serve, and against his Zero Shiki Serve, Q.P. still had no clear answer. With Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami enhancing it, the spin and speed had grown even sharper.
"Game! Japan! 4–3!"
The eighth game brought Q.P. back to serve. He stood at the baseline, his gaze deep as he looked at Tezuka. Slowly, he said:
"Seems I overestimated you, Tezuka Kunimitsu. This match ends here. You've already done well, Japan Team!"
As his voice fell, a dazzling cyan radiance burst from his body—brighter even than Tezuka's Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami. This was Q.P.'s Light of Pride, enhanced by absorbing both the Radiance of Love and the Radiance of Pain!