Opening Scene - The Storm Before the Match
The day after Akio's miraculous first-round victory, the sky was dark and restless, storm clouds twisting like smoke above the massive arena.
It was as if the heavens themselves knew who would take the court next.
The crowd packed the stadium to bursting, voices overlapping in an electrified roar.
Everyone was here to witness one thing: Sora's debut match.
Even Akio sat in the stands with Yukiko beside him, his body tense as a bowstring.
He could barely breathe, his palms clammy despite the cool air.
Every passing second felt like a countdown to disaster.
"Why... why does it feel like this?" Akio whispered, his voice barely audible beneath the roar of the crowd.
"Why does it feel like the world itself is holding its breath?"
Yukiko glanced at him, concern etched across his face.
"You've been pale since this morning," he said quietly.
"Are you sure you're okay? You don't have to watch this if it's too much."
Akio shook his head violently, his eyes wide and unblinking.
"No. I need to see this," he said, trembling.
"If I turn away now, he'll own me before we even face each other. I have to watch. I have to understand."
Flashback - The Worm
As Akio stared at the empty court, memories bubbled up like acid.
He was eight again, standing in the courtyard of the Magic Academy.
His small hands clutched a wand that felt far too heavy for him.
All around him, children laughed, their voices sharp and cruel.
"Do some magic, Worm!"
"Come on, don't just stand there like an idiot!"
And then, through the ring of mocking faces, Sora stepped forward—younger, but already terrifyingly confident.
His golden eyes burned with contempt as he stared down at Akio.
"Pathetic," Sora sneered.
"You dare stand among us with that level of magic? You're nothing. Less than nothing. A worm crawling in the dirt, dreaming of flying."
He raised his wand.
The next instant, a blinding flash of magic shattered Akio's wand to splinters.
The crowd roared with laughter.
Sora's voice cut through it all:
"Bow, Worm. Know your place."
Akio fell to his knees, sobbing as his dreams burned to ash.
Return to the Present
The memory faded as a booming announcement jolted Akio back to the present.
Announcer:
"Now entering the court... representing Kurogane Academy... SORA HIROTSUKI!"
The stadium erupted into cheers so loud they rattled the rafters.
From the tunnel emerged Sora, tall and commanding, his silver hair gleaming under the stadium lights.
He walked with deliberate slowness, every step perfectly measured, as though the court itself belonged to him.
Akio's breath caught.
For a moment, he truly believed he was seeing a god descend.
Yukiko muttered beside him, "He's... intense. I can feel it from here."
Akio hugged himself, trembling.
"It's worse than I remembered..."
The Opponent
Across the net stood Sora's opponent, a wiry boy named Takeshi Mori from a mid-tier school.
His posture was rigid, his face pale as he watched Sora's every move.
Sora gave him a pleasant smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"You seem nervous," he said softly, his tone almost gentle.
"Don't worry. I'll make this quick."
Takeshi swallowed hard, trying to steady himself.
"I—I came here to win," he stammered.
"I won't let you intimidate me!"
Sora's smile widened, revealing just a hint of teeth.
"Oh, I'm not intimidating you," he purred.
"I'm educating you."
Match Start – Sora's Overwhelming Power
The referee's whistle blew.
In the very first rally, Sora didn't just play—he dominated.
His movements were inhumanly precise, every swing of his racket slicing through the air with the same cold efficiency as a blade.
The shuttlecock seemed to vanish mid-flight, reappearing only as it slammed into the court at impossible angles.
The crowd gasped with every strike.
Takeshi barely managed to move before another point was scored against him.
Score: 5 – 0, Sora.
From the stands, Yukiko's jaw dropped.
"I... I've never seen anything like that," he whispered.
"It's like he's reading the entire game three steps ahead."
Akio couldn't speak.
His throat was too tight, his heart hammering painfully against his ribs.
The sight of Sora moving like this dredged up every memory of magical duels lost, every humiliation suffered.
Sora glanced at Akio between points, his smirk like a blade twisting in an old wound.
Sora's Psychological Warfare
By the midpoint of the match, Takeshi was already crumbling.
Sweat poured down his face as he gasped for breath, his body pushed beyond its limits.
Sora, on the other hand, didn't even seem winded.
He walked calmly to the net, his voice low and cruel.
"You tried so hard to be brave," he murmured, loud enough for only Takeshi to hear.
"How cute. But bravery without strength? That's just stupidity."
Takeshi's hands shook.
"Sh-shut up..."
Sora leaned closer, his golden eyes glinting.
"After this match, everyone will remember you as the boy who couldn't even score a single point.
Your teammates will despise you.
Your friends will abandon you.
You'll wish you'd never stepped onto this court."
Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Sora launched a serve so vicious it was almost invisible.
The shuttlecock struck Takeshi squarely in the chest, knocking him backward.
The crowd gasped.
Flash of Akio's Pain
Akio flinched violently, clutching his chest as though he had been struck.
Images of his past humiliation flashed before his eyes: the courtyard, the broken wand, the jeering faces.
"No," Akio whispered, shaking.
"Not again. Please, not again..."
Yukiko turned to him, alarmed.
"Akio! Hey, stay with me! You're safe, it's not you out there!"
But Akio barely heard him.
To him, Sora's voice was everywhere, echoing in his skull.
"A worm will always be a worm."
The Final Rally – Sora's Message to Akio
The score was now 20 – 0.
Sora stood calm and composed, while Takeshi could barely stand.
"This last point," Sora said, raising his racket,
"isn't for you. It's for him."
He turned his head ever so slightly, his eyes locking with Akio's in the stands.
Akio froze, his blood turning to ice.
With a cruel smirk, Sora unleashed a final smash so fast it was like a gunshot.
The shuttlecock slammed into the court, ending the match instantly.
Final Score: 21 – 0, Sora.
The crowd erupted into thunderous applause—but it sounded to Akio like mocking laughter from his childhood.
Sora bowed politely to the audience, then turned his full attention to Akio.
Sora:
"Did you enjoy the show, Worm?
That's what happens to anyone who stands in my way.
And next time... it'll be you."
Takeshi's Breakdown
While Sora basked in the crowd's admiration, Takeshi collapsed to his knees, sobbing openly.
His teammates rushed to comfort him, but their expressions were a mix of pity and disgust.
Akio watched, trembling.
He saw himself in Takeshi—the same despair, the same shame.
It was like looking into a mirror of his past.
Yukiko clenched his fists, furious.
"That wasn't just a win. He destroyed that kid on purpose."
Akio's voice was barely a whisper.
"That's... what Sora does.
He doesn't just beat you.
He takes everything you are and crushes it."
Backstage – Sora's Twisted Mind
Later, in the locker room, Sora stood before a mirror, calmly adjusting his uniform.
His reflection smiled back at him.
Behind him, his coach—a gruff older man—approached hesitantly.
"You didn't need to humiliate the boy like that," the coach said quietly.
"You could've eased up."
Sora didn't turn around.
His voice was calm, almost cheerful.
"Do you know why people remember me?" he asked.
The coach frowned. "Because you're talented."
Sora finally turned, his golden eyes gleaming with manic intensity.
"No," he said softly.
"Because I make them afraid.
Fear lasts longer than admiration. Fear controls."
The coach flinched at the look on Sora's face, saying nothing more as he backed away.
Akio's Breaking Point
That night, Akio sat alone in the empty club room, his racket lying beside him.
The lights were dim, shadows stretching long and thin across the walls.
He couldn't stop shaking.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Sora's smirk.
He heard the laughter.
He felt the crushing weight of that title: Tallentless Worm.
Akio's thoughts:
"No matter how far I run... he finds me.
Even in this world, he's here.
I thought I'd escaped, but maybe... maybe I never can."
Tears streamed silently down his face.
For a terrifying moment, he wondered if Sora was right—if this world, this body, this new life were just illusions waiting to be torn apart.
The door opened suddenly.
Yukiko stood there, his face filled with concern.
"Akio," he said softly, "you don't have to face him alone."
Akio looked up, his voice breaking.
"But what if I'm not strong enough?"
Yukiko knelt beside him, gripping his shoulders.
"Then we'll be strong together.
He's just one person, Akio.
He's not a god, no matter how he acts."
For the first time that night, Akio managed a small, trembling smile.
Closing Scene – The Shadow's Promise
As the episode ended, Sora stood alone on the darkened court, his golden eyes gleaming in the shadows.
He whispered to himself, his voice low and chilling:
Sora:
"Rise as high as you want, Worm.
The higher you climb, the sweeter your fall will be.
This time, I'll make sure there's nothing left of you when you hit the ground."
The camera panned upward, showing the storm clouds swirling violently overhead as thunder rumbled in the distance.
Fade to black.
TO BE CONTINUED...