"That's your Japanese-style technique, right, Boss? Can't believe Akutsu can use it so smoothly," Duke said, his eyes locked on the court. The image of Akutsu's previous serve replayed in his mind as he tilted his head toward Byoudouin, speaking in a tone of half-curious doubt.
"Hmph, he learns fast enough," Byoudouin replied, chin raised slightly. Though his expression stayed cold, there was a faint glimmer of approval in his eyes.
On court, Amadeus watched the ball fly out from the edge of the baseline, his anger igniting like wildfire. For a professional player like him, losing a point to a middle schooler was an unbearable humiliation.
He gripped his racket tightly, his gaze icy as he glared at Akutsu. His low voice carried unwavering determination.
"From this moment on, you won't score another point. This is the pride of a professional—and the dignity I must defend."
"Heh~ That's the funniest thing I've heard all day!" Akutsu sneered, clearly dismissive of Amadeus's words, though the throbbing veins on his forehead betrayed his true agitation.
Without hesitation, Akutsu tossed the ball again. The next instant, the echoing howl of a wolf and the illusion of a glowing full moon filled the court, the serve rocketing toward Switzerland's side like a meteor.
But this time, Amadeus didn't lose focus. He moved sharply to the landing point, eyes burning with resolve. The moment the ball bounced, he swung with precision, returning it with explosive force. The ball traced a long, curving arc through the air, cutting straight toward Akutsu.
Akutsu was already in motion. Like a ninja, he sprinted forward at blinding speed. Golden light began to gather on his left hand, glowing brighter and brighter until it illuminated the court. His right hand gripped the racket tightly as he swung forward with full power.
For that single moment, time itself seemed to freeze. Every spectator's eyes were locked on the instant of impact between the two players.
Amadeus stared at the massive glowing ball flying toward him. For a flash, he saw Byoudouin's image overlapping with Akutsu's, and his fury erupted. Without hesitation, he swung his racket hard to meet it head-on.
A harsh screech filled the air—the sound of the ball scraping violently against the strings, like metal grinding against metal. The impact was deafening. The ball hit his racket like a cannon shell, its destructive force shaking the entire court.
When the ball struck, a violent gust exploded outward, kicking up every grain of dust from the ground and swallowing half the court in a cloud of smoke. The Swiss side was completely shrouded; nothing could be seen through the thick haze.
Then, amid the dust, a flash of yellow caught Akutsu's eye. He turned quickly and saw a warped tennis ball bouncing repeatedly outside the court boundary.
The ball was so deformed it had nearly lost its original shape. Yet it still bounced, stubbornly, as if declaring its defiance—a testament to the immense force behind that last exchange. Akutsu froze, disbelief filling his eyes.
"15–15!"
"So, you know that technique too, huh? Unfortunately, not even Byoudouin could defeat me as I am now. What chance do you have?" Amadeus said coolly once the smoke cleared. His grip tightened around the racket, eyes deep and sharp enough to pierce through steel.
Akutsu's fury boiled over, his wild aura surging like a beast unleashed. He glared at Amadeus, his eyes blazing with murderous fire. But Amadeus only gave him a single cold glance before turning calmly back to the baseline, as if Akutsu's rage wasn't even worth noticing.
That only enraged Akutsu further—but strangely, the fury vanished as suddenly as it had come. His breathing steadied, and an unnatural calm replaced the chaos, as if a violent storm had passed in seconds.
"Yare yare~ looks like Switzerland just pissed off a wild beast," Tachibana Kippei sighed from Japan's bench, shaking his head helplessly. His eyes carried a hint of pity as he glanced at Amadeus, already envisioning what was about to come.
"True enough. If it's an angry Akutsu, the opponent still has a chance to survive… but if it's a calm Akutsu…" Kite Eishirō gave a short, cold laugh. He didn't finish the sentence—he didn't have to. Everyone on the Japan bench already knew how terrifying Akutsu was when he went quiet.
"Lost in his so-called professional pride, huh? I can't tell if that's funny or just pathetic," Akashi said softly, watching Amadeus on court. His tone was calm, but his words dripped with sarcasm.
On the court, Akutsu exhaled deeply and tossed the ball again. This time, he didn't use Howling Moon. Instead, he unleashed a Glowing Shot, imbued with Japanese-style technique. The moment it struck, the light burst outward, covering nearly the entire court. The shot fell like a meteor crashing to earth, shaking the air with its force.
"Oh ya~ doesn't Akutsu's playstyle look more and more like Byoudouin's?" Irie Kanata said from the bench, his voice tinged with both surprise and amusement as he watched the dazzling scene unfold.
Everyone was completely focused on the intense match, so no one answered Irie's earlier comment. On court, Amadeus watched the blazing light ball flying toward him, his face expressionless but his eyes calm and unshakable.
As the glowing ball neared the ground, Amadeus swiftly moved into position. He swung his racket without hesitation, striking hard at the incoming light. But the instant he made contact, his expression suddenly changed.
The composure he had maintained vanished in a flash, replaced by shock and confusion. A strange tearing force surged through his racket—this was not the same power as Byoudouin's Glowing Shot!
The moment the tennis ball struck his strings, a violent spin ripped through the racket face. In just an instant, the strings loosened, followed by a series of sharp snapping sounds. The ball tore a hole straight through the racket before continuing to fly out of bounds.
"Glowing Shot—Claw Rend!"
"30–15!"
Amid a massive cloud of dust, the ball slammed hard into the wall behind the court, and cracks spread outward like a spiderweb from the point of impact. The spectators seated behind the barrier screamed and scattered, terrified of being caught in the shockwave.
"Didn't you say I wouldn't score another point? Guess the strength of a so-called professional isn't much after all!" Akutsu said coldly, his mocking voice cutting through the haze as he stared straight at Amadeus.
At his words, Amadeus's left hand clenched tightly around his broken racket. But seeing the damage, he fell silent, his expression darkening. He turned and walked toward the bench to replace it, an oppressive, sinister aura emanating from him as he did.
Once Amadeus returned to the court with a new racket, Akutsu immediately tossed up another ball. Once again, he unleashed a Glowing Shot infused with Japanese-style technique. Ever since seeing Byoudouin use it, Akutsu had clearly taken a liking to the move.
Amadeus's eyes flickered as he glanced at the incoming ball. He shifted to the left, and in the next moment, an ominous aura erupted from his body. When his racket met the light ball, the entire court was instantly swallowed by darkness.
Akutsu paused for a moment, glancing around the pitch-black court before a strange smile tugged at his lips. He knew this kind of scene all too well—after all, during his training days at Fudomine, he had faced off against Kite's Dark Side plenty of times.
Sure enough, the next instant, a massive, shadowy sphere glowing with faint, eerie light appeared before his eyes. Normally, no one could actually see the body of a Dark Side—but Akutsu was far too familiar with it to be fooled.
To confirm his suspicion, Akutsu sidestepped instead of countering. The ball slammed violently into the backcourt, bouncing off and flying straight out of bounds.
"30–30!"
"This is my tennis—Dark! Don't think you can conquer the world just because you've copied Byoudouin's Glowing Shot!" Amadeus said coldly, his voice dripping with venom. His tone carried both obsession with victory and barely contained fury toward Byoudouin himself.
Akutsu didn't bother responding. He crouched slightly, glancing at the ground where the ball had struck and noticing several fine cracks etched into the surface. Then he turned his gaze toward the back wall, a playful smirk forming on his face.
"That shot just now… was a Dark Side, wasn't it, Kite?" Chitose said from the Japan bench, blinking as he turned to his teammate.
"Heh~ didn't expect Switzerland's captain to know that technique. Interesting," Kite said with a quiet chuckle, adjusting his glasses with his left hand, his expression unreadable.
"Akutsu's already seen plenty of Dark Sides. If Amadeus thinks he can win with that alone, he's dreaming," Krauser said with a grin, his tone carrying amusement and confidence.
"Ahh~ looks like something fun just happened. So, what do you think, Mitsuya? How much chance does Amadeus have now?" Irie asked with a smile, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Although the match's still early and he hasn't shown his full strength yet, judging from the data I've gathered and what we've seen so far, Amadeus's chance of victory is 39.61%," Mitsuya replied evenly, pushing up his glasses.
"Oh? Still around forty percent, huh… Well, makes sense—he is a professional, after all," Tanegashima said with a light smile. Clearly, everyone on the Japan bench had full faith in Akutsu's power.
Akashi listened quietly to their discussion, a strange feeling rising in his chest. Technically, Amadeus should've been the original creator of the Dark Side… but thanks to my earlier meddling, everyone now thinks Kite's the one who invented it. He sighed inwardly. Guess this is what they call fate turning upside down.