Not only were the members of Fudomine stunned—even Banda, who had already returned to his seat, looked surprised. It seemed the young man on court had even more talent than he'd expected.
Truthfully, Akashi hadn't predicted Akutsu would take this route either. It was probably triggered by Tachibana Kippei's Beast Aura. It looked similar on the surface, but with the Emperor Eye, Akashi immediately noticed the difference—it reminded him of Aomine Daiki's wild instinct from the Kuroko no Basuke.
"Wild instinct? Then why does it look so much like Tachibana's Beast Aura?" Chitose asked, echoing what everyone else was thinking.
"That's normal. Wild instinct and Beast Aura are fundamentally similar abilities. If Tachibana's Beast Aura boosts focus and explosive power, then Akutsu's wild instinct enhances intuition and explosive power," Akashi explained calmly.
"Intuition is basically biological instinct—it doesn't rely on sensory input. It's similar to the subconscious part of Muga, but unlike Muga, intuition doesn't require tons of match experience and consumes very little stamina."
"Yeah, sounds just like something that guy would use," Tachibana muttered thoughtfully.
"But just wild instinct alone won't be enough to deal with Mitsuya. So, what will you do next, Akutsu?" Akashi said softly as he watched Akutsu on the court.
Now standing at the baseline, Akutsu was shrouded in a black-red aura, like a wild beast filled with raw aggression. He tossed the ball high and leaned forward as he swung. The moment he served, his body launched forward like a leopard, charging the net.
Mitsuya saw the serve and smiled faintly, murmuring, "Ball speed: 187 kilometers. That's a 7.6% increase."
He quickly moved to the bounce point and returned the ball. Akutsu was already up at the net, ready to launch a fierce attack.
"Probability of net attack: 89%. Reaction timing: 0.73 seconds early. Interesting... I'll need to update my data." While hitting the return, Mitsuya sprinted toward the right side of the court.
As predicted, Akutsu delivered a vicious forehand smash at the net. Compared to before, both the speed and power had increased noticeably.
Mitsuya was already in position and returned the shot cleanly, saying, "Left corner probability: 76%. Power increased by 13.4%."
Just as Mitsuya turned to dash left, Akutsu suddenly jumped sideways. He twisted in midair several times, using centrifugal force and momentum to smash the ball hard. It landed right on the left sideline and flew out of bounds.
"15-0!"
"No way! Mitsuya-senpai's data was wrong?! That shouldn't happen! Who even is this Akutsu?!" Inui Sadaharu was shocked to see a shot outside the prediction range.
"Akutsu-kun's moves… they feel different from before," Fuji Shūsuke added, puzzled.
On the other side, Atobe Keigo frowned and muttered, "Putting a singles player into doubles—real smooth, Akashi!"
Meanwhile, Mitsuya stared at the ball outside the line and furrowed his brows for the first time. A moment later, he relaxed and looked at Akutsu with genuine admiration. "That's some incredible talent. So you weren't reading the shot with your senses—it was intuition, huh? Fascinating."
Akutsu didn't respond. His aura just surged again. He turned and walked back to the baseline to serve.
"Intuition really is the natural enemy of data. But it's a shame, Akutsu-kun. Right now, you're still not beyond the reach of data. I wonder how far you'll evolve—though I probably won't get to see it just yet," Mitsuya said with meaning in his voice, watching Akutsu's back.
Akutsu got into position again and fired off another brutally fast serve. The speed had jumped slightly—almost reaching the level of Fūtarō's cannon serves in the original story.
"191 kilometers... another increase?" Mitsuya muttered, not surprised. This was still within his data model.
He moved quickly to intercept the serve near the baseline, returning a topspin shot while shifting toward the right sideline.
"Net approach probability: 98%. Crosscourt smash: 67%. Net kill: 33%. But based on personality analysis, net kill probability increases to 42%."
As expected, Akutsu charged forward and launched a savage smash. This time, Mitsuya's prediction was spot-on—he was already waiting.
He swung and defused most of the power, returning a sharp diagonal shot aimed at Akutsu's feet. Akutsu had just landed and couldn't react in time. The ball bounced by his foot and shot out of bounds.
"15-15!"
Even though Akutsu's power and intuition had increased dramatically, the gap was still there. As long as he couldn't outpace Mitsuya's data, he couldn't win.
"15-30!"
"15-40!"
"Game! Yamabuki Middle School! 5-0!"
Akutsu still couldn't take the game. But even that final point had cost Mitsuya real effort. Akutsu's growth was clearly visible to anyone watching.
Now came the final game. Mitsuya to serve. Standing at the baseline, he looked at Akutsu, who still radiated beast-like energy, and murmured:
"Insane talent. Unmatched growth speed. A monster with overwhelming adaptability and learning ability. Let's see how far you evolve in this match."
After speaking, Mitsuya served the ball and began predicting Akutsu's movements using the data model in his mind. Though it was getting harder than before, he still managed to keep Akutsu under pressure.
"15-0!"
"30-0!"
"40-0!"
Unknowingly, the match had reached match point. Even Mitsuya was starting to feel the strain. Though he had correctly predicted all three previous shots, Akutsu's strength and speed continued to increase without pause.
This was partly due to the nature of Mitsuya's data tennis—it was too similar to Akashi's style. One was science-based, the other fantasy-based, but in terms of result, the difference was minimal. That similarity had further awakened Akutsu's hidden potential.
To Akashi, standing at the sideline, Akutsu was already on the verge of breaking through the national-level barrier. As long as he reached that level, the purpose of this match would be fulfilled. Even if they lost Singles Three, it would be worth it.
As Mitsuya served again, Akutsu charged for the return without hesitation and rushed the net after the hit. The word "defense" didn't exist in his dictionary.
Mitsuya continued analyzing Akutsu's movements with data. While he could no longer score as effortlessly as before, he still held control over the pace of the match.
As the two traded powerful shots, Akashi's Emperor Eye picked up a critical change—Akutsu's movements had suddenly become more fluid, his explosiveness had jumped. It was likely that his strength had finally reached a breakthrough.
But Akutsu himself didn't realize it. His only thought was to beat the glasses-wearing guy across the net. As he ran toward the incoming shot and swung, the strength from his breakthrough made him instinctively use a move he'd been training for.
The moment the racket struck the ball, a faint golden glow surrounded it. With a loud explosion, the ball rocketed toward Mitsuya's court, carrying immense force.
"Light Strike!"
Mitsuya, already in position to return, saw the golden-glowing ball and his pupils contracted sharply. Even Banda at the sideline leapt up with a speed that didn't match his age.
On the other side, Akashi gripped his racket tightly and stood up, eyes locked on the golden ball, ready to step in. Although he was sure Mitsuya could handle it, there was no harm in being cautious.
Mitsuya didn't hesitate. He swung to intercept the Light Strike, but the moment the ball made contact, a tremendous force blasted through the frame, cracking the court's surface. The ball spun violently, sinking into the racket's face, warping it inward.
Because Mitsuya hadn't expected Akutsu to use Light Strike, he failed to fully block it. After a brief struggle, the racket was knocked from his hands and sent flying. Fortunately, most of the ball's power had already been absorbed, and it ended up stuck in the wire fence without causing serious damage.
"40-15!"
Even so, the spectators gasped. Especially those behind Mitsuya—staring at the ball embedded in the fence, gulping nervously.
"Fuji, what was that just now? That's beyond what any data can predict!" Inui Sadaharu said, clearly shaken.
"I don't know, but one thing's clear—with my current strength, I couldn't return that at all. And I'd end up in worse shape than Mitsuya-senpai," Fuji replied, a rare hint of fear on his face.
"You've gotta be kidding me! Akutsu Jin can hit a shot like that?! Fine, this just proves I need to evolve—right now!" Atobe muttered, the pressure from Akutsu's power weighing just as heavily as the pressure he felt from Akashi.
On court, Mitsuya massaged his wrist as he walked to retrieve his racket. Looking at the slightly deformed frame, a certain legendary former captain flashed through his mind.
In the original story, Akutsu was the only junior high student recognized by Byoudouin as his successor—and the only one in whom Byoudouin saw his younger self. Even if the man himself was only 17.
After hitting Light Strike, Akutsu glanced at his right hand, replaying the moment in his mind. A twisted grin spread across his face—excited and ruthless. He was going to use Light Strike to crush Mitsuya completely.
But what Akutsu didn't know was that this wasn't Mitsuya's first time facing a Light Strike. Nor would it be his first time countering one. So Akutsu's plan was bound to fail.
After requesting a racket change, Mitsuya walked over to the bench and pulled out a backup. Banda, standing beside him, asked:
"You alright, Mitsuya-kun?"
"Don't worry, Banda-san. I'm fine. I thought after Byoudouin graduated, I'd never have to see that kind of shot again. Didn't expect to face it again so soon, and from a first-year no less. Life sure is unpredictable," Mitsuya replied with a smile, completely unfazed by the dropped racket.
"That's good to hear. I'm guessing with your skills, this level of Light Strike isn't enough to trouble you," Banda replied, smiling as well.
"Of course. It's time to end this match. Otherwise, something unexpected might happen," Mitsuya said thoughtfully, picking up his backup racket and walking back onto the court with a serious expression.