"What… just happened?" Tokugawa turned his head in disbelief. When he saw the tennis ball lying outside the court, his pupils shrank sharply. Akashi's strength was clearly beyond what he had expected.
"I see… As expected of the former No. 3. But! My goal has always been Byoudouin alone! I… will defeat him and become the new Japan No. 1! Not even you can stop me, Akashi Seijurō!" Tokugawa steadied his emotions and spoke firmly to Akashi.
"Japan No. 1? Something so easily obtained, and you dare call it a goal? Ridiculous," Akashi said with utter disdain, his gaze devoid of the slightest ripple.
"What do you know?! About the effort I've poured in, and the resolve to stake everything—how could you possibly understand!" Hatred flashed across Tokugawa's face as he tossed the ball in his hand, leaning back and focusing all his power into his left arm.
He sprang up, swinging his racket at the descending ball. The next second, the ball vanished in the air at incredible speed, trailing a rainbow glow. It flickered repeatedly, each time jumping across a distance, heading straight for the baseline of Akashi's court.
"Rainbow Serve!"
"In front of these eyes of mine, your tennis is meaningless!" A golden ring lit up in Akashi's pupils as the Emperor Eye was unleashed to its fullest.
In a blur, Akashi appeared at the left baseline. As the sound of the ball striking the ground rang out, he swung to intercept. A tennis ball suddenly materialized in the air and, with one return shot, became a streaking shadow, passing right by Tokugawa's feet and bouncing out of bounds.
"0–30!"
After returning the shot, Akashi's jacket only swayed slightly, with no sign of loosening. It was clear he hadn't used much effort at all.
On the raised platform beside the court, the three coaches were watching intently. Suddenly, a window popped up on the laptop in front of Kurobe, showing the five-attribute data the analysis team had just compiled.
"Tokugawa Kazuya, second year! Power 5, Speed 5, Technique 5, Stamina 5, Mental 5. Total: 25! Yare yare… Tokugawa-kun's numbers are still perfectly average," Saitō teased.
"Akashi Seijurō, third year! Captain of the Fudomine Tennis Club! Power 6, Speed 7, Technique… immeasurable. Stamina… immeasurable. Mental… immeasurable. Total: unknown! This… the gap is like a bad joke!" Tsuge swallowed hard, his tone uneasy.
"Right now, Akashi-kun's numbers already surpass Byoudouin's completely. Once the First String members return, the training camp will be in for a change. It's just as the head coach foresaw—good thing we prepared early," Kurobe said deeply, eyes fixed on the screen.
"Game! Akashi Seijurō! 1–0!"
While the coaches were talking, Akashi had already taken the first game with ease. Tokugawa had almost no chance to fight back. Although there was shock on his face, his heart was relatively calm—after all, he believed he hadn't shown his full strength yet.
"I'm done wasting time. As you are now… you're far too weak." Akashi's tone was cold as his pupils turned entirely red. A terrifying mental force burst from his body, transforming into a crushing mountain pressing down on Tokugawa.
"Mental Pressure!"
Tokugawa's mind was instantly filled by a pair of enormous pupils, releasing endless pressure that made his body stiffen. Even his breathing seemed to grow difficult.
"This… this kind of… pressure… what is it?!" Tokugawa gritted his teeth, his words broken and strained.
Akashi ignored his reaction, tossing the ball into the air. With one swing, the ball roared toward Tokugawa's back-right corner.
Tokugawa wanted to move the moment Akashi served, but his usually nimble footwork now felt unbearably heavy. All he could do was watch as the ball bounced out of the court before him.
"Ace! 15–0!"
Without giving Tokugawa a moment to respond, Akashi grabbed another ball from the side, tossed it up, and blasted out a second ultra-fast serve. With Tokugawa's five attributes suppressed by Akashi's mental force, there was no way he could keep up.
"Ace! 30–0!"
"Ace! 40–0!"
At that moment, Tokugawa finally grasped a glimpse of Akashi's terrifying power and the weight behind the title of former Japan No. 3. But he couldn't understand—if someone as strong as Akashi was only ranked No. 3, then just how powerful was the No. 1, Byoudouin? Could he really succeed in his revenge?
'Again… this familiar feeling of helplessness. He's not Byoudouin, so why is his strength this overwhelming? No! I haven't beaten Byoudouin yet—how can I lose here?! If that's the case, then I'll show you the belief I would stake my life to uphold, Akashi Seijurō!!!' Tokugawa roared in his heart.
A deep purple glow suddenly erupted from Tokugawa's body, enveloping him completely. At the same time, the effect of Akashi's Mental Pressure was cut by more than half, replaced by a demonic aura that spread like a god of hell.
"Ashura Divine Path!"
"In order to take revenge on Byoudouin, I've crawled back from hell itself! That's why I'm sure of it—right now, I'm stronger than ever!" Tokugawa declared firmly, his expression unshaken after entering the Ashura Path.
"Just mastering the Ashura Divine Path, and you're already this arrogant? You… are far too conceited." Akashi's figure grew colder and sharper. The flawless Emperor Eye captured Tokugawa's every reaction completely.
"In this match, you have no chance of winning—because I, who can see the future, am absolute!" The moment Akashi's words fell, his serve was already in motion—a blistering, near-impossible-to-react-to high-speed serve.
But this time, with the Ashura Path active, Tokugawa appeared directly behind the landing spot. As the ball bounced up, he intercepted cleanly and sent it flying back.
At the instant Tokugawa returned the shot, Akashi's pupils reflected every movement in Tokugawa's body, projecting every possible reaction. In that moment, all futures were laid bare before Akashi's eyes.
"Will the future you choose be the correct one? I'll let you experience it for yourself." A vast wave of mental energy poured from Akashi's gaze, crashing toward Tokugawa.
After hitting a crosscourt shot, Tokugawa suddenly felt his senses sharpen to the extreme, as if he could predict exactly how Akashi would attack next. It was his long-held sixth sense, and in this feeling, Tokugawa had absolute confidence.
Following that instinct, he sprinted straight to the left sideline. The very next moment, Akashi's return appeared in his sight. Seeing this, the corner of Tokugawa's lips curled faintly. But just as he swung to intercept, the sound of a ball hitting the ground came from behind him.
"Game! Akashi Seijurō! 2–0!"
Tokugawa stared blankly at the ball in front of him slowly fading away. He had no idea what had just happened. His sixth sense hadn't been wrong—the ball had appeared exactly where he'd predicted—so why had it ultimately landed in the far corner?
"Was that last shot… Tokugawa's misjudgment? Akashi-kun hadn't even returned the ball yet, and he moved first," Irie said, confused.
"Tokugawa's sixth sense has always been sharp. He might have sensed something just now… but why was it wrong?" Oni added with a frown.
"This is Akashi's special ability—he collects every detail of his opponent's movements, from heartbeat to muscle shifts, then deduces all possible future paths. Using those, he makes a feint that forces the opponent into what feels like the most reasonable and effortless reaction," Tezuka explained calmly.
"But that's only the future Akashi wants them to see! In the end, everything about his opponent is under his control," Chitose continued, his tone grave.
"In the intersection of future and reality, can you find the right path? Clearly… you chose wrong, Tokugawa Kazuya." On court, Akashi looked across at Tokugawa and spoke in a calm, steady voice.