Standing at the front court, Ling Xiu's mind drifted back to the past. A few months ago, after seeing a player give up tennis because of him, he decided to leave the Clack Organization—and even vowed to pull Keith out of the abyss of despair.
But in the end, he failed. During the World Youth Tennis Exchange at Wimbledon, not only did Ling Xiu fail to stop Keith and the others, he was gravely injured himself.
Without Ryōma and the others' intervention, Ling Xiu alone couldn't possibly face Keith. The entire exchange event was forced to a halt due to the Clack Organization's attack, and several players from other countries were injured.
The Clack Organization, already infamous after that incident, struck again before the World Cup—attacking members of the England team. Several players were badly hurt and couldn't participate, causing outrage within the English Tennis Federation.
Under pressure from official agencies, the local police soon located the Clack Organization's base and wiped it out. Keith and the others were arrested, charged with multiple crimes such as assault and theft, and faced long prison sentences.
However, the English Tennis Federation learned of Keith's group's skill from the injured players. In exchange for their freedom, they signed an agreement with them—if they performed well in the World Cup, not only would they regain their freedom, they would also receive special training under Federation clubs.
When Ling Xiu found out, he volunteered to join the team himself. And that was how Keith and the others ended up standing once more on the World Cup stage.
———————
Peter tossed the tennis ball up, his left hand instantly forming a glowing orb of energy that merged into his racket. With a fierce swing, he smashed down. The ball, wrapped in a layer of invisible force, shot straight toward Tokugawa.
Tokugawa stepped forward to return it—but the next instant, an unseen impact slammed into his abdomen, freezing his movement. His racket was blown from his grip, and the ball sailed past him and out of bounds.
"Twin Stars!"
"ACE! 15–0!"
"Tch~ I told you, I'm nothing like those two clowns before. Doesn't feel so good now, huh?" Peter sneered, his voice full of contempt.
"You okay, Tokugawa? What just happened?" Duke asked, walking over quickly.
"I'm not sure… felt like something hit me in the stomach," Tokugawa said, frowning and rubbing his abdomen.
Before Duke could say more, Peter was already preparing for his next serve. Duke returned to the front court just as Peter unleashed his second Twin Stars Serve.
The ball, again wrapped in energy, hurtled toward Tokugawa. This time, Tokugawa focused hard—his intuition kicked in, and he instinctively twisted his body before swinging fast. The ball was successfully returned.
"Get out of my way, traitor!!!"
Ling Xiu started forward to intercept, but Peter's shout from behind caught him off guard.
In that split-second distraction, the ball zipped past Ling Xiu. Behind him, Peter's left hand flared again with a blue energy orb that merged into his racket. He swung fiercely, connecting with the incoming ball.
As the ball crossed the net, two invisible shockwaves struck Tokugawa—one in the shoulder, one in the chest. His stance faltered, and the ball smashed into his abdomen, sending him flying backward across the court.
"30–0!"
"Let's see you dodge this one—the Triple Star Attack!" Peter snarled, glaring down at Tokugawa, his tone vicious.
Duke's eyes snapped open, the easy smile vanishing from his face. A suffocating pressure radiated from him, silencing Peter immediately.
"So that's how you people play, huh? Not the first time I've seen this kind of dirty tennis," Duke said, voice cold and steady.
"Tokugawa… was knocked down by a tennis ball? Impossible!" Irie said from the player hall, frowning at the screen.
"A moment before he fell, his body stiffened. The opponent must've done something!" Oni said gravely.
"It's the energy orb. The opponent coats the ball with it during the serve. Tokugawa-senpai was struck by the energy first, lost his balance, and then got hit full-on," Akashi explained calmly, eyes fixed on the monitor.
He had already expected something like this the moment he saw Keith's group. Compared to Ling Xiu or Peter, Keith's techniques were far more dangerous.
"What?! Energy orbs? That's even possible?" Shiraishi asked in disbelief.
"Heh~ whatever it is, looks like that idiot's pissed off Duke now. Things are about to get interesting," Toono said with a grin, watching with a glint of amusement.
"Oh? From the way you said that, sounds like you've had some experience yourself~" Kimijima said meaningfully as he glanced at Toono.
On the court, Peter no longer bothered to hide his techniques. He gathered energy into a glowing orb, infusing it into the ball before tossing it up and smashing down hard. The ball shot forward like a bullet toward Duke's position.
Duke stood firmly, his face serious. When the ball hit the ground, two invisible shockwaves slammed into his body—but to Peter's shock, Duke didn't even flinch, as if completely unaffected.
A thunderous smack echoed through the court. Before Peter could react, the tennis ball slammed straight into his face, blasting him off his feet and sending him crashing into the fence behind the baseline.
"Duke Homerun," Duke said calmly, exhaling a white breath.
"30–15!"
Peter lay sprawled on the ground, still dazed, unable to process what had happened. But then, a cold voice reached his ears.
"How long do you plan to lie there… You're pathetic."
Keith was suddenly standing before him, his eyes freezing cold.
"Ki… Keith! I… I just let my guard down! Once I get serious, I'll finish that guy off in no time!" Peter stammered, panic in his voice as he scrambled up.
"Spare me the excuses. Get back on the court—now." Keith ignored his words completely, giving him one dismissive glance before turning away and heading back to the bench.
Peter's face twisted with rage as he returned to the court. The fury boiling inside him was beyond restraint. Without hesitation, he condensed another energy orb around the ball and launched it toward Duke with everything he had.
The ball, wrapped in a deep blue aura, streaked over the net like a comet. Before it even landed, two bursts of energy shot out, aimed directly at Duke's face.
But Duke merely tilted his head aside, dodging effortlessly, and then swung his racket in one smooth motion, returning the ball with overwhelming force.
Peter's eyes widened, but Ling Xiu reacted instantly—flashing in front of the ball's path. His right hand lifted the racket for a backhand swing, while his left hand, hidden behind his right elbow, formed a transparent orb of energy.
He whipped the racket backward, striking sharply. The ball sliced through the air, flying toward the open space on the left side of the court.
Backhand Twin Stars!
Tokugawa stepped forward to intercept, not sensing any danger this time. He prepared to swing, but right before contact, something invisible stopped his racket for a split second. That tiny delay made him miss the perfect timing for his shot.
"This is… not good!" Tokugawa muttered as the ball curved strangely midair. It arced past the net and veered sharply to the right, landing just beyond the sideline.
"OUT! 40–15!"
"So… you can use that move too?" Tokugawa said calmly, glancing at Ling Xiu.
"Sorry, but I have to win this match—for the sake of my most important friend," Ling Xiu replied in an equally calm tone.
"Your most important friend, huh…" Tokugawa murmured softly, then turned back to the baseline.
Peter, though annoyed that Ling Xiu had stolen his shot, could only swallow his anger after remembering Keith's icy stare. He tossed up the next ball and served—not with the Triple Star technique this time, just a standard diagonal serve.
Tokugawa moved to the bounce point, frowning slightly. Even though he felt no sense of danger, Ling Xiu's previous shot made him cautious, so he held back a bit of power on the return.
Peter seized the opening. While sprinting, he quickly formed two energy spheres in his left hand, merging them into his racket before slamming the ball back.
Duke suddenly appeared at the net. The invisible blasts hit him again but vanished on contact, completely ineffective.
Seeing Duke about to swing, Peter instinctively took a step back. But Duke merely nudged the ball gently, sending it floating just over the net.
"Duke Drop Shot!"
Before the ball could hit the ground, Ling Xiu was already at the net. He scooped it up and whipped his racket backward in a swift counter. The ball streaked past Duke, rocketing toward the baseline.
Tokugawa slid across the court to intercept, but as he lifted his racket, several waves of force clashed against him. The ball slipped past, struck the baseline, and bounced out of bounds.
"Four-Star Strike!"
"Game! England leads 1–0!"
"You can't win this alone," Ling Xiu said as he turned toward Peter. "For Keith's sake… how about we cooperate for this match?"