From the moment Akutsu awakened his Alternate Dimension, Amadeus's chances of winning had already vanished—though he himself hadn't realized it yet. He still fought with everything he had, clashing fiercely with Akutsu in a relentless exchange.
As the match went on, Amadeus couldn't help but recall his unfinished match against Byoudouin. Back then, he had been completely overwhelmed by the Second-Stage Pirate's relentless offense. Even during the previous World Cup, his singles match against Camus in the semifinals had ended the same way—defeated by an Alternate Dimension user.
To overcome that humiliation, Amadeus had spent an entire year honing the darkness within him to its absolute limit, determined to use it against Byoudouin's Pirates of the World. But now, that very trump card—crafted solely to counter Byoudouin—proved useless against Akutsu's Alternate Dimension—Fenrir the Demon Wolf.
"Game! Japan! 3–2! Change sides!"
With the strength of his Alternate Dimension, Akutsu had swiftly taken two consecutive games. Although Switzerland still led overall, anyone watching could tell that Amadeus was cornered with no way out.
"Heh… first he used Eighth Consciousness to wear down Amadeus's mental power, then hid his own Alternate Dimension until the right moment—to land a fatal blow when the time came. That's exactly what that kid Akashi planned," Byoudouin said with a light chuckle, eyes glinting with approval.
"Looks like you're in a good mood, leader," Duke said, smiling beside him.
"If Akutsu had revealed his Alternate Dimension in the first set, this match might have been uncertain. But now… Amadeus has no chance left," Byoudouin replied evenly, ignoring Duke's teasing tone.
"Kid! I'll say it again—control your negative emotions. Don't let Divine Path of the Asura start controlling you instead!" Mifune barked from the coach's seat as Akutsu returned for the break.
Akutsu just gave a curt nod. He didn't bother replying—he was completely immersed in the rush of dominance, finally able to crush his opponent outright. He had no intention of slowing down.
Over on the Swiss bench, Coach Qin looked at Amadeus sitting in silence, deep in thought, and sighed softly. With his experience, he had already seen through Akashi's plan—but that, too, was part of Japan's undeniable strength. Today, Amadeus's luck had simply run out.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Just enjoy the match," Tatsuta said casually as he walked up to Amadeus.
"You mean, even if I lose, you'll take care of the rest?" Amadeus lifted his head, his piercing gaze locking on Tatsuta's, voice cold and steady.
"Alexander, you always carry all the responsibility and glory by yourself. Haven't you ever thought of letting go—of fighting freely, without all that weight?" Tatsuta's expression grew serious, his usual smile fading.
Amadeus didn't answer. When the break ended, he picked up his racket and strode back onto the court in silence. Watching his back, Tatsuta suddenly smiled again, a faint, knowing smile.
"You've been wanting to tell Alexander that for a while, haven't you?" Coach Qin asked quietly.
"Maybe… though honestly, I'm not sure myself," Tatsuta replied vaguely, bowing slightly before returning to the bench.
As play resumed, Amadeus launched his Dark Side head-on against Akutsu. The court instantly resembled a battlefield, each hit sounding like an explosion. The shockwaves shattered pieces of the back wall, sending fragments flying. The crowd trembled in fear, unable to tear their eyes away.
In the mental realm, Fenrir's enormous form relentlessly attacked Amadeus. Its claws tore through the air, leaving deep, bottomless gouges across the ground. Amadeus, cloaked in his own dark aura, fought back with everything he had, struggling to resist the beast's assault.
The two clashed violently, trading blows back and forth. But Akashi could see it clearly from the bench—even if Amadeus's sudden burst of power was impressive, this was nothing more than his final desperate struggle.
"Game! Switzerland! 4–2!"
Through sheer willpower, Amadeus had managed to resist both Divine Path of the Asura and Alternate Dimension—Fenrir, taking one more game. Yet, on the Japan bench, everyone understood that this was only temporary. The tension in their hearts had already begun to ease.
Sure enough, Amadeus's energy rapidly waned. His movements slowed, his reactions dulled—the unmistakable signs of mental collapse. His spirit had taken too much damage, leaving nothing to defend against Fenrir's relentless pressure.
"Game! Japan! 4–3!"
"Game! Japan! 4–4!"
"Game! Japan! 5–4! Change sides!"
Seizing the momentum, Akutsu took three straight games, driving Amadeus to the brink of defeat. But even Akutsu wasn't unscathed—the side effects of Divine Path of the Asura had begun to appear.
A flash of savage energy flickered in his eyes. Tossing the ball high, he struck it with explosive power. Golden light burst from the racket's center as a massive glowing sphere roared across the court toward Amadeus.
The moment the Glowing Shot left his strings, Akutsu's expression changed. Gritting his teeth, he forcibly shut down Divine Path of the Asura. He didn't care if his opponent was hurt—but he refused to let that technique consume his mind.
Even though Amadeus's mental power was nearly spent, he could still manage to return the Glowing Shot. Taking a deep breath, he swung his racket with his left hand, sending the ball speeding back toward Japan's side of the court.
As Akutsu chased after it, the beast within him awakened once more. The phantom of the Demon Wolf behind him burst into crimson flames, its form growing even more ferocious and sinister.
With a heavy strike, Akutsu's return streaked across the court like a flash of light, aimed straight for Switzerland's half. In the realm of the mind, Fenrir lunged at Amadeus again, its fangs gleaming as if ready to tear him apart completely.
In the real world, Amadeus had no choice but to fight back using Dark Side. Yet, the move was now useless against Akutsu. As expected, Akutsu ignored the darkness entirely. With the strength of his Alternate Dimension, he unleashed another merciless Glowing Shot—Claw Rend.
Although Amadeus had learned from the earlier rallies and his racket strings didn't snap this time, the psychic damage caused by Fenrir left him in agony. A sudden sharp pain in his mind froze his body for an instant, and his racket slipped from his hand.
"15–0!"
On the sideline, Tatsuta exhaled softly as he watched Amadeus pick up his racket again. Turning to Ranbiell beside him, he spoke a few quiet words. After hearing him out, Ranbiell's face twisted with conflict, but after a brief pause, he finally nodded.
"30–0!"
"40–0!"
The match had reached match point. Many Japanese spectators were already chanting, "One more point!" But Amadeus still refused to surrender. His focus was absolute, his eyes locked on Akutsu, ready for whatever came next.
Akutsu had no intention of dragging things out. He tossed the ball high, striking it cleanly. The serve exploded forward, a blazing missile aimed at Switzerland's side.
'So this is the end…? Then it's up to you now, Kuraraga,' Amadeus thought silently, summoning the last of his strength as he charged forward to meet Akutsu's serve.
"Akutsu Jin! This is my final Dark Side!!!" Amadeus shouted, gripping his racket tight in his left hand.
In the next instant, the entire stadium was swallowed by total darkness. The spectators cried out in shock—no one had expected a tennis match to turn into something like this.
But Akutsu remained calm. Even though he couldn't see, he could still feel the ball's presence with perfect clarity. Trusting his instincts, he swung his racket with all his might toward the left front side.
In the mental world, Fenrir opened its jaws wide, devouring all the surrounding darkness in one breath. Then, with a thunderous roar, it unleashed a scorching red beam from its mouth, engulfing Amadeus completely in blinding light.
"Game! 6–4! Match over! Winner—Team Japan! Total score 2–0!"
As the referee's voice echoed through the court, the Japanese bench erupted in cheers. Akutsu's victory meant they had tied the overall score. Everything now rested on the final singles match.
Even Kirihara, who had just regained consciousness after fainting earlier, finally smiled again. Since waking up, he had been drowning in guilt, blaming himself for nearly putting Team Japan on the edge of elimination.
"Well done, Akutsu-kun! Go rest," Mifune said proudly as Akutsu stepped off the court. Then his gaze shifted to Oni, whose aura of power was already rising like a storm.
"Looks like you're ready. I won't say more—just go take that final victory, Oni Juujirou!"
"Don't worry, coach. The gates of hell have already opened for them," Oni said, his tone steady and resolute as he stood up.
"Now commencing the singles match! Switzerland—Kuraraga Tatsuta (3rd Year High School)! Japan—Oni Juujirou (3rd Year High School)! Both players, please enter the court!"