But Tatsuta quickly pushed all those thoughts aside. He tossed up the tennis ball again and unleashed another Aurora Ray. This time, Oni moved even faster. The moment the ball hit the ground, he was already at the landing spot.
In the next second, the rebounding ball struck directly against Oni's racket. Tatsuta's pupils shrank sharply at the sight, but Oni seemed to have misjudged the angle of his racket, and the ball bounced out of bounds.
"Game! Switzerland! 3–3!"
"Oni-senpai's so strong! That serve was so fast we couldn't even see it—how did he return it...?" Kirihara said excitedly from Japan's bench.
"Heh~ During training camp, Oni defeated every high schooler except Shu-kun, including Ochi, of course," Irie explained with a light smile after hearing Kirihara's words.
"Tch~ That Ochi guy's Mach Serve—so far, only three people have managed to return it, and one of them is Oni!" Kaji suddenly interjected, his tone slightly irritated. Clearly, he had challenged that serve before and failed.
Ochi, hearing their talk, stood there expressionless as always, like everything had nothing to do with him. His emotions were perfectly calm—as expected of the 'Mental Killer.'
As the seventh game began, Oni once again took control. The Radiance of Strong Heart gave him a huge boost. Even though Tatsuta had his White Flame enhancement, he still couldn't keep up with Oni for long.
"Game! Japan leads! 4–3!"
And just like that, Oni secured the seventh game. During the short break, when Oni returned to the coaching area, Mifune looked at the faint blue light radiating from his body and frowned slightly.
However, Oni didn't notice it at all. He grabbed a water bottle, poured some water into his mouth, rinsed it, then spat it all out. After an intense match, that was the most efficient and scientific way to rehydrate.
Meanwhile, Akashi sat in the players' area, silently reviewing the earlier exchange between the two. In his mind, he had already gauged Tatsuta's overall strength. In short, he was indeed slightly stronger than Amadeus—but only about the same level as the perfected Q.P.
As for Reinhardt, Akashi found it hard to clearly assess his ability. His power was unique—he could survive a deadly battle with Amadeus and win in the end, lead Team America to their current peak, and even match the top captains from other countries. Such a player's true limits were impossible to define.
Akashi knew that in the original story, Reinhardt didn't shine much and eventually lost to Ryōga. But that was clearly more of a narrative setup than a reflection of his true strength. After all, once Ryōma and Ryōga left, Team America no longer had the conditions to fight for the championship—after losing their "final boss aura."
And the ultimate Q.P., who had absorbed three Radiances, was no longer merely strong. His level had nearly reached Volk's realm. Even Akashi had to admit how terrifying that kind of opponent was.
Yet Akashi had complete confidence in Oni, who was about to take the court. Once Oni activated both the Legendary Radiance and his Alternate Dimension Synchronization, even the ultimate Q.P. might not have a guaranteed win.
Of course, in Akashi's personal assessment, Byoudouin's strength was still slightly above Oni's—especially his Third-Stage Alternate Dimension: Undying Pirate of Flame, which placed him among the elite even at the professional level.
The break ended soon. Tatsuta returned to the baseline, his earlier relaxed expression long gone. His opponent's strength had far exceeded expectations—especially after witnessing the Radiance of Strong Heart.
Taking a deep breath, Tatsuta steadied himself, then launched another Aurora Ray. The ball seemed to vanish into thin air, reappearing only when it hit Japan's backcourt. But Oni's glowing blue figure flashed into position. The instant the ball bounced, it struck against his racket.
This time, Oni adjusted the racket's angle perfectly. The ball rebounded sharply toward Switzerland's half—but in the next moment, it hit the net and dropped straight down. Oni's return didn't clear it.
"Ace! 15–0!"
"Ball speed 289 kilometers! Not as fast as Ochi-senpai's ultimate Mach Serve, but already incredibly close!" Mitsuya said, glancing at the speed display in awe.
Although Tatsuta won the point, his expression wasn't relaxed. If Oni had tilted his racket just a bit higher, that serve might have been returned cleanly.
Realizing this, Tatsuta subconsciously tightened his grip on the racket. He tossed the ball again and fired another full-power Aurora Ray. In the blink of an eye, the ball slammed into Japan's court.
But Oni's body, glowing with blue light, was already there. His right hand raised the racket, blocking forward. The ball struck and shot high into the Swiss side's sky. Oni had finally succeeded in returning Tatsuta's Aurora Ray.
But Tatsuta seemed to have expected this outcome. Right after serving, he sprinted toward the front court. Seeing the ball soaring high, he didn't hesitate—his feet kicked off with explosive force, and his body shot up like a rocket.
When Oni noticed Tatsuta's movement, he instantly realized what was coming—a smash. He quickly moved toward the center line, since that was where a smash had the weakest rebound impact upon landing.
However, just as Oni was about to step forward, the blue glow around his body suddenly began to fade. His expression froze for an instant—and in that brief lapse, the ball slammed onto the center line, bounced up, and flew past his side, out of bounds.
"30–0!"
"Damn it! Oni's Ten'i Muhō state can't hold anymore!" Irie said sharply from the players' bench, his tone heavy.
"Huh? Ten'i Muhō is hard to maintain? I don't feel that at all," Kintarō tilted his head, a confused expression forming as a question mark seemed to pop above it.
"This isn't even the worst part. Look closely at Tatsuta's state—his White Flame hasn't faded one bit!" Kimijima suddenly said seriously.
Everyone turned their eyes to the court at once. Tatsuta's body was still wrapped in fine layers of glowing white flame-like energy. The aura rippled gently, alive and sacred, showing no signs of weakening despite the passage of time.
The sight proved that the White Flame had no time limit—and it also showed why Granny Sugi had achieved so many Grand Slam titles in the women's circuit. Among her many rivals were top players who had mastered rare and powerful techniques like the Light of Pride.
In truth, techniques equal to or even surpassing Ten'i Muhō weren't that uncommon. One of them was Greece's Olympus Holy Light, a divine brilliance that descended like the gods themselves—able to purify all obstructions and inflict unbearable pressure on opponents.
In Japan's own lineup, Kirihara's blue-eyed state vastly boosted his speed and strength, creating explosive bursts that even Switzerland's top junior, Henri, couldn't properly counter.
Tachibana Kippei was the same. His Beast Aura embodied raw power—his lion-like presence and indomitable will made every swing thunderous and commanding.
And of course, there was Akashi's Zone state. Once inside it, a player's reactions and technique reached a transcendental level, far beyond ordinary limits.
Yet among all these extraordinary abilities, Ten'i Muhō stood above the rest because of its unique property—its ability to corrode the opponent's power.
Under its influence, opponents couldn't unleash their full strength, and worse, their power gradually weakened as if being drained away, until they lost all ability to fight. That was what made Ten'i Muhō the most coveted realm among all tennis players—and the reason it was so revered.
But once Oni's Radiance of Strong Heart faded, he failed to adjust to the sudden drop in strength. Taking advantage of that, Tatsuta landed two consecutive Aurora Rays and captured the eighth game, drawing cheers and smiles from the Swiss bench.
"Game! Switzerland! 4–4!"
As the match continued, Tatsuta, fueled by the White Flame, completely suppressed Oni's counterattacks. His signature vibration shots came back into play, forcing Oni into repeated return errors.
"Game! Switzerland leads! 4–5!"
Seeing Oni showing signs of defeat, Amadeus finally relaxed a little—but when his eyes fell on Byoudouin's calm, unreadable face, an uneasy feeling crept up once more.
"Game! 6–4! First set over! Winner—Team Switzerland! Total score: 1–0!"
Byoudouin's cold gaze followed Oni as he walked off the court. He gave a disdainful snort and said with a hint of mockery, "Your warm-up's over now, right? Oni! Don't forget, this is the World Tournament—not that pathetic training camp of yours!"
"I don't need your orders, Byoudouin! The final winner today will be Japan!" Oni snapped back, irritation flashing across his face. The tension between them spiked instantly, the air thick with hostility.
"Both of you, shut the hell up!!! You know damn well what to do in the next two sets, don't you, Oni?" Coach Mifune barked, cutting them off sharply. His voice carried an authority that left no room for argument as his eyes locked sternly on Oni.
Oni didn't reply. He simply nodded firmly at Mifune, then sat down, closed his eyes, and began to rest. Seeing that, none of the other Japan team members dared to disturb him.