Ryōma stood at the baseline, his Radiance of Love scattering streams of blue particles. His focus sharpened, and deep inside, a strange power stirred, though Ryōma himself had yet to notice.
With the sharp sound of a strike, the ball spun rapidly across the court. Tokugawa flashed to the landing point. When the ball bounced, it shot straight toward his face—it was just an ordinary sidespin serve.
But Tokugawa, having already unleashed nearly all his strength except for his final trump card, returned it easily. On the other side, Ryōma, stubborn as ever, once again used Glowing Shot—Hope. Wrapped in golden brilliance, the ball hurtled toward Tokugawa.
In the next moment, Tokugawa swung hard, a black rift tearing open as it froze the ball in midair. At the same time, golden light gathered on his right hand—he was preparing to counter with a Glowing Shot of his own.
The tennis ball swelled into a huge sphere of light and blasted into Ryōma's court. Ryōma roared, mustering every ounce of strength, gripping his racket with both hands as he forced the power of the Glowing Shot back again. It was once more Glowing Shot—Hope.
"Still insisting on using Glowing Shot?" Tokugawa sighed as he looked at the oncoming ball. With a flick of his wrist, he set up another Black Hole to stop it. But he didn't notice that this time, the Black Hole flickered faintly, like a bad TV signal.
Seeing Ryōma's stubbornness, Tokugawa didn't hesitate further. He fired back with another Glowing Shot. The combined force now tripled, it was far beyond Ryōma's endurance. His racket was ripped from his hands, and the ball slammed into the wall behind him, leaving a deep crater.
"0-15!"
But Ryōma's unyielding nature meant he wouldn't give in so easily. Just like before, the two clashed again with Glowing Shots. With Black Hole guarding him, Tokugawa stood in an invincible position.
"0-30!"
"0-40!"
Match point arrived quickly. Ryōma had already exhausted every trick he could think of. Now he had no choice but to keep hammering with Glowing Shot, hoping to find a flaw.
"It's over! Tokugawa-senpai's Black Hole is way too strong, Echizen has no chance to break through!" Momoshiro groaned, clutching his head in despair.
"Echizen won't give in just like that. He'll find a way," Kaidō, for once not quarreling with Momoshiro, fixed his eyes on Ryōma with rare determination.
"Beat him, Echizen! Go for it!" Kintarō shouted without hesitation, cheering at the top of his lungs.
Ryōma steadied himself at the baseline, took a deep breath, and calmed his heart. His gaze hardened. He tossed the ball high and unleashed Samurai Twist Serve. Across the court, Tokugawa returned it calmly.
Ryōma instantly gathered a flood of golden light in his right hand, his left guiding the racket into a fierce strike. It was once again Glowing Shot—Hope, glowing brilliantly as it shot forward.
"Give it up, Echizen Ryōma! You'll never break Black Hole!" Tokugawa declared sternly. As his words fell, the ball was frozen midair by another Black Hole.
"Your grit and toughness, I've seen them all. But this match—you cannot win!" Golden radiance surged on Tokugawa's right hand. His left whipped through the air, slamming the suspended ball.
The massive shining orb blasted toward Ryōma. He refused to retreat, gripping his racket tightly with both hands as the spinning force tore against him. Teeth clenched, he held fast.
"Ahhh! I will… break… your Black Hole… head on!!!" Ryōma roared. Suddenly, an image of his father, Echizen Nanjirō, flashed in his mind. The strange force inside him erupted in an instant.
Behind him, a towering samurai phantom appeared. With a high ponytail, robed in kimono, barefoot, gripping a katana, it slashed downward in a fierce strike.
At the same moment, immense power surged through Ryōma. He lashed out, sending the ball screaming back. The phantom raised its blade and cut down together with him. The ball, blazing with golden light, shot toward Tokugawa's side.
"Echizen Ryōma…" Tokugawa muttered, stunned, unsure what else to say. His left hand swung furiously, summoning several Black Holes in front of him.
The ball collided into one, held for an instant. But the vortex flickered violently. A phantom slash cleaved through—the Black Hole shattered apart, unable to contain it. The ball burst forward, slamming into the wall behind Tokugawa, embedding deep into the concrete.
"Game! 6-2! Japan Team! First set over, Japan Team wins! Total score 1-0!"
Though Ryōma's last shot had broken through Black Hole, it landed out. He had lost the set. Yet the shockwaves of that strike lingered, stirring everyone present.
"Was that… Echizen's Alternate Dimension?" Chitose asked uncertainly from the bench.
"Not sure. But I swear I've seen that phantom somewhere before," Fuji murmured, hand at his chin, thoughtful.
"Echizen Nanjirō…" Tezuka muttered softly, though no one around him heard it.
"Looks like the kid's broken through again~ But he's still a little short, hasn't fully awakened his Alternate Dimension," Yukimura explained with a gentle smile.
"So that means Echizen should be able to win the next two sets!" Sanada crossed his arms, speaking in a low, firm voice.
As the others discussed, Atobe's sharp eyes were locked firmly on Tokugawa across the court, lost in thought. Even when Mukahi called to him from behind, he didn't react.
Akashi sat calmly on the coach's bench, watching Ryōma walk slowly down from the court. A wave of emotion stirred in his heart. Whether it was the so-called protagonist's aura or not, Ryōma's talent was undeniable. He had endured setbacks far greater than in the original path, and it only accelerated his evolution. His potential was steadily transforming into real strength.
"You've already lost a set. Do you still have confidence that you can win, Echizen Ryōma?" Akashi asked coldly.
"I feel better now than ever. There's no state stronger than this! I'll win this match for sure, Akashi-senpai!" Ryōma replied with a smile, though his tone was serious.
"Is that so? Don't disappoint me, then. Give it everything you have," Akashi's detached voice still carried a trace of encouragement.
On the other side, Tokugawa bowed respectfully to Mifune before pulling a water bottle from his bag. He drank steadily, while Mifune only cast him a surprised glance, as if sensing something unusual.
After drinking, Tokugawa turned toward Oni Jūjirō. Their eyes met, and Oni seemed to understand. He stepped forward, standing directly behind Tokugawa. In a sincere tone, Tokugawa spoke:
"Oni-senpai! In the next set I'll go all out. But if I do, Echizen could be in danger. So I'd like to ask you, at the critical moment, please help him. Of course, I don't mean interfering in the match! I'm just asking this as a favor!"
"Tokugawa… you… fine. I'll keep watch," Oni answered after a brief hesitation.
"Thank you, truly! Then, I'll be heading back in!" Tokugawa bowed lightly before stepping toward the court.
Soon, under the referee's announcement, the second set began. Tokugawa's service game came first. Standing at the baseline, his aura of Asura's Path surged wildly, as if it came straight from hell itself.
He tossed the ball high and blasted out a dazzling serve. Ryōma, his confidence soaring, rushed to the landing point and returned it with ease, using his old method.
This time, he didn't use Glowing Shot, instead choosing a furious rally of rapid strikes with Tokugawa. They traded blows back and forth for several exchanges until Ryōma realized he couldn't win with just basic tennis. He then struck a normal Glowing Shot.
The blazing golden orb roared toward Tokugawa, but he seemed prepared. With a swift motion, he summoned a Black Hole that froze the ball instantly, swallowing its power. Tokugawa swung casually, sending it back without returning a Glowing Shot.
Seeing this, Ryōma's lips curved into a confident smile. His Radiance of Love flared, golden light flooding into his right hand. He struck fiercely, the samurai phantom appearing once more at his back, cutting downward in sync.
The golden strike cut straight through Tokugawa's defense. Frowning, Tokugawa quickly layered several Black Holes in front of him. But the samurai's slash tore through them, shattering the defense. The ball crashed onto the baseline, cracking the court before bouncing out.
"0-15!"
"Hey, Tokugawa-senpai! I broke through your Black Hole head-on! From here on, I'll be taking this match without holding back!" Ryōma shouted confidently after scoring.
Tokugawa gave no reply, but the aura around him flared violently. He unleashed a blistering fast serve. Ryōma countered with Glowing Shot—Hope, the samurai phantom flashing behind him again.
Just as Ryōma thought he had scored, a massive spectral gate appeared behind Tokugawa. Carved with the images of countless demons, the gate suddenly opened. From within surged a monstrous figure with six arms, fierce and terrifying.
"Alternate Dimension—Asura!"
The phantom Asura's foremost two arms clapped together, shattering the samurai's slash. The other four arms stretched out and completely stopped Ryōma's Glowing Shot—Hope.
Ryōma's eyes widened in shock. In the next instant, a shadow flickered, and behind him came the deafening impact of the ball striking the wall. A violent gust tore his cap from his head.
"15-15!"
"Echizen Ryōma! This is the power of hell itself! I advise you to surrender now!" Tokugawa's eyes gleamed red as he spoke coldly across the court.