Three minutes passed in a flash. When the umpire loudly announced the start of the second set, Duke and Camus rose almost at the same time, stepping onto the court with firm, unwavering strides.
Yet their expressions formed a striking contrast. Camus still carried his usual calm and grace, while Duke had completely shed his former easygoing image. His eyes now gleamed like sharpened blades, radiating a fierce and dangerous light. With his massive, muscular frame brimming with raw power, he exuded an aura that felt wild, primitive, and overwhelming.
It was Duke's turn to serve in the first game. Standing at the baseline, the phantom of the Destruction Demon God slowly appeared behind him. Without a word, Duke tossed up the tennis ball and struck it with the full force of a thunderbolt. A deafening boom echoed through the arena as a massive black shockwave tore through the air like a rampaging beast, roaring straight toward the opposite court.
Facing such a violent attack, Camus didn't immediately open his Alternate Dimension. He knew that if he acted too hastily, Duke would destroy it in an instant. Still, he wasn't one to simply stand still. Camus swiftly moved toward the landing point, his entire body radiating a dazzling light of love.
In the next instant, that light condensed onto his racket. As it glimmered with starlike brilliance, it became an unyielding shield that blocked the black shockwave head-on.
The ball collided violently against his racket, its power shaking the court. But as the glow faded, Camus managed to redirect the shot, sending it flying back at an unusually sharp angle.
The ball screamed through the air like a bullet, heading for Duke's far-right corner. But Duke's explosive strength allowed him to move across the baseline in an instant. His position wasn't suited for a full homerun swing, so he chose instead to counter with a powerful drive. Though not his signature smash, the force behind the shot was still tremendous.
As the ball crossed the net, Camus's side of the court was once again engulfed in a field of blooming roses. Countless phantom petals drifted through the air—the clear sign that he had reopened his Alternate Dimension.
Camus's figure flickered, and he reappeared right in the ball's path, as if teleporting. Behind him, an enormous, radiant rose phantom slowly unfolded, releasing waves of beauty and fragrance.
Just as his racket was about to strike, Duke focused all his senses to the extreme, pushing his awareness to its absolute limit. In that instant, he darted sharply to the back left corner, his instincts guiding him more than sight.
Before he could even spot the ball, Duke swung his racket through the air with all his might. A deep, solid sound rang out—it had connected.
But before he could celebrate, Camus was suddenly at the net. With a graceful flick of his wrist, his racket glowed with a soft, golden light. When the ball struck it, the destructive force instantly dissipated, and the shot bounced lightly out of bounds at a shallow angle.
"0–15!"
"I have to admit, your destructive power really is something, Duke," Camus said with a faint smile. "But as long as I can avoid your strongest strike, your power destroys nothing but empty air."
"Looks like Camus has already figured out the weak point of Duke-senpai's Destruction Demon God," Akashi said sharply from the sidelines, his eyes narrowing. "His ability can indeed destroy an opponent's Alternate Dimension—but it takes time to charge. No matter how short that charge is, he can't use that kind of attack on every single shot."
"So that means if Camus times his moves right and avoids those destruction strikes, he might lose a few points here and there, but it won't change the overall flow of the match," Mitsuya analyzed, frowning slightly. "That's going to make things tricky."
"Hmph, there's no need to worry about that," Byoudouin said with confidence. "Knowing Duke, he's already predicted how Camus would react to his Alternate Dimension. Out of all of us, he understands Camus the best."
On the court, Duke gave no reply to Camus's taunt. He simply walked back to the baseline, expression steady and unreadable. Tossing up the ball again, he unleashed another powerful serve—this time, an ordinary one.
Though the tennis ball was still overflowing with destructive power, Camus easily returned it. The two once again clashed in an intense rally. In the spiritual realm, the endless sea of flowers turned into massive vines, coiling like serpents around the Demon God, while the Demon God's colossal hands shattered the floral landscape with every strike.
As Camus successfully returned a baseline shot, a crimson gleam suddenly flashed through Duke's eyes. His body moved like lightning, instantly catching up to the ball. The muscles in his right arm tensed violently before he unleashed a fierce forehand drive, sending the ball straight down the center line with brutal precision.
Because the shot's trajectory was so direct, Camus only had to shift his feet slightly to intercept. Yet, at the moment his racket met the ball, his face froze in sheer disbelief.
The next instant, his racket was sent flying out of his hand once again! At the same time, the Alternate Dimension surrounding him collapsed completely under the Demon God's massive blow, disintegrating in the blink of an eye.
"15–15!"
"To think you could unleash your destructive power to its limit without even realizing it?!" Camus's calm expression finally broke, replaced by astonishment as he stared at Duke.
Duke, however, gave no reply. His eyes were blood-red, veins bulging across his forehead, and his face twisted into something savage and terrifying. It was as if he had lost control—consumed by an overwhelming urge to destroy everything in his path.
"Big brother!" Chloe cried from the stands, her hands clenched tightly, eyes filled with worry as she stared at Duke.
Camus also sensed that something was wrong. His gaze fixed firmly on Duke, as though he wanted to say something, but the umpire's voice cut in, calling for play to resume. With no choice, Camus stepped back to his baseline.
Duke might have looked like a raging beast, but he hadn't completely lost his mind. Once he reached the baseline, he immediately tossed up the ball and swung his racket with every ounce of strength he had.
A thunderous boom erupted like an explosion, shaking the entire court. The tennis ball transformed once more into a massive black shockwave, tearing through the air toward Camus with devastating power.
With his Alternate Dimension destroyed, Camus could only rely on his own ability of love to resist. Even so, he managed to return the serve, though the struggle was clear.
From the sidelines, it was obvious to everyone that Camus's return had been forced. Without the support of his dimension, his power was significantly weaker.
Meanwhile, Duke had no room in his mind for anything else. As the ball came back toward him, he struck again—mercilessly. In the spiritual world, the Demon God's hand came crashing down like a mountain, unleashing an earth-shattering wave of destruction that surged straight toward Camus.
The ground beneath them split apart, fissures spreading in all directions. Even magma from deep underground seemed ready to erupt. Camus, like a leaf caught in a storm, could only rely on sheer willpower to remain standing against the overwhelming onslaught.
Back in the real world, Camus tried to hold his ground using the power of love, but as the rallies continued, the glow surrounding him began to fade. His strength waned rapidly. Even though he could still hear the "voice" of the tennis ball, it wasn't enough to change the outcome.
"30–15!"
"40–15!"
"Game! Japan! 1–0!"
Duke quickly took the first game, and the Japan Team finally relaxed. Byoudouin had been right all along—no one understood Duke better than him. The two truly were perfect traveling companions.
'Wait a second... why does this scene feel familiar? Could it be...' Akashi's brows furrowed as a strange realization dawned on him. He scanned the stands quickly, searching for confirmation.
Sure enough, just as he suspected, Akashi spotted Chloe among the audience. Fortunately, she wasn't seated too close to the court. Otherwise, Duke might have accidentally blasted the ball toward his own sister in his current state—just like what had happened in the original storyline.
The second game began, with Camus serving. As he stood at the baseline, the swirling petals and massive rose phantom behind him made it clear—his Alternate Dimension had already recovered.
But Duke had grown used to Camus's serves. As the ball came flying toward him, Duke relied purely on instinct, moving in an instant to the drop point before swinging his racket into empty air.
To his shock, his racket hit nothing. The ball appeared behind him out of nowhere, bouncing once before flying cleanly out of bounds.
"Ace! 15–0!"
"On the path of revolution, every failure is a priceless lesson—it's what brings you closer to success," Camus said calmly, looking at the stunned Duke across the court.