Ryōma stared at Tokugawa, who had awakened his Alternate Dimension, and his body began to tremble instinctively. The aura brought by Asura was too overwhelming, leaving his mind briefly blank. But Tokugawa didn't give him any extra time—he had already tossed up the ball.
The tennis ball streaked across the court with a colorful tail of flames, flying straight into Ryōma's side. Still stunned by Asura's pressure, Ryōma didn't move, and the ball landed by his feet before bouncing out of bounds.
"Ace! 30-15!"
"H-how is this possible! Since when did Tokugawa-senpai's strength become this overwhelming? Did he not go all out when he fought Akashi?" Shiraishi said in shock.
"No. Tokugawa-senpai definitely gave it his all back then. This must be a breakthrough after his match with Akashi-kun!" Yukimura's expression turned serious.
"Tokugawa must have let go of his lingering obsession. His willpower ascended, and that allowed him to awaken his Alternate Dimension. Honestly, his strength was already at this level." Akashi spoke calmly from the coach's bench.
"So Tokugawa finally took this step... Now he's truly qualified to challenge Byoudouin!" Mifune smiled with satisfaction as he watched Tokugawa on court. The Japan Team had gained another formidable weapon.
Byoudouin's expression was complicated. On one hand, he hadn't expected Tokugawa to grow to this degree. On the other, Tokugawa's progress meant Japan had a greater chance of victory at this year's world tournament.
"I'll be waiting for your challenge, foreign elite~" Byoudouin murmured quietly. No one else heard him.
"Yare yare~ Looks like the brat's going to lose. That said, this year's Japan Team is definitely not to be underestimated~" Ryōga muttered softly to himself.
On court, just as Ryōga had said, Ryōma was completely suppressed by Tokugawa's Alternate Dimension. Though he managed to burst out his Radiance of Love to barely shake off Asura's overwhelming pressure, he still lost the first game.
"Game! Japan Team! 1-0!"
The second game was Ryōma's serve. Standing at the baseline, he panted heavily. The sensation just now was awful—like he had fallen into endless hell, besieged by countless demons.
Forcing himself to focus, Ryōma tossed the ball high and served a Samurai Drive. But to Tokugawa in his current state, it was meaningless. His casual return, infused with Alternate Dimension power, smashed Ryōma's racket straight out of his hand.
"0-15!"
"Echizen Ryōma! Stop pushing yourself—just admit defeat while you're still unhurt!" Tokugawa's gaze was stern as he warned him.
But Tokugawa wasn't having it easy either. He had only just awakened his Alternate Dimension and couldn't fully control it yet. His mind was surging with violent impulses, a primal urge to tear Ryōma apart.
Even so, Tokugawa forced it down with sheer willpower. No matter what, he didn't want to hurt Ryōma. That was why, before the match began, he had specifically asked Oni Juujirou to intervene if things went too far.
"If you think you can, then come at me, Tokugawa-senpai!" Ryōma, of course, ignored his warning, his voice full of defiance.
"In that case... I'll just have to make you face reality as soon as possible, Echizen!" Tokugawa's eyes sharpened, his aura growing even fiercer.
The match quickly turned one-sided. With Asura active, Ryōma couldn't break through the Black Hole's defense even with the Samurai Spirit at his back. Tokugawa's returns now packed a whole new level of force.
"0-30!"
"0-40!"
"Game! Japan Team! 2-0!"
Again and again Ryōma's racket was knocked away. He lost points rapidly, and the last rally even forced him back several steps, almost sending him tumbling to the ground.
"Brat! That's enough! If you keep going, you'll get hurt!" Kikumaru shouted anxiously from the stands.
"Ryōma! Stop forcing yourself!" Oishi added with equal concern.
"No!" Ryōma shook his head stubbornly, eyes locked onto Tokugawa across the court, showing no sign of surrender.
That sight made Tokugawa's expression darken further. He wasn't sure how long he could maintain control. But if he suppressed his Alternate Dimension now, he might not even be able to beat Ryōma.
"Silence! This is Echizen's own resolve! None of us have the right to stop him!" Sanada roared, silencing Momoshiro, Kikumaru, and the others who were still trying to intervene.
"Ah... This is Ryōma's choice. What we can do is support him completely—believe in him! Don't forget, right now he's fighting as a representative of us middle schoolers!" Fuji's voice was sharp and serious, his eyes fully open and gleaming with intensity.
The match on court continued. Against Tokugawa's relentless attacks, Ryōma was struggling to hold on. But from the sidelines, Akashi keenly noticed something off about Tokugawa.
It seemed Tokugawa was deliberately aiming his shots away from Ryōma, giving him small windows to catch his breath. Even with the Radiance of Love barely keeping him in rhythm, Ryōma was still completely on the defensive.
"So this is why you asked me, Tokugawa? Looks like you can't fully control your new power yet!" Oni said gravely.
"So that's it... He's being affected by his own Alternate Dimension. My match with him let Tokugawa release his obsession and break through, but in doing so he lost that reckless willpower to stake his life on his goal. Hmph... one gain, one loss, all destined." Akashi muttered under his breath on the coach's bench, frowning.
"Hm? Looks like Tokugawa's willpower still needs more honing. Maybe we should let him face Byoudouin once before the world tournament," Mifune said as he too realized the issue, already planning countermeasures.
"Game! Japan Team! 3-0!"
Though Tokugawa avoided striking Ryōma directly, the gap in strength was undeniable. Ryōma lost the third game outright.
"Why do you keep forcing yourself, Echizen Ryōma? You should already know—you can't win this match!" Tokugawa's tone carried a hint of urgency as he stared at his stubborn opponent.
"No means no! I'll never admit defeat!" Ryōma's eyes were blazing with determination. After speaking, he turned to the baseline, ready to serve again.
Tokugawa had no choice but to suppress his violent urges with all his strength. Yet after Ryōma's serve, his shots became more aggressive, almost frantic. Even with his superior ability keeping Ryōma under pressure, both the First String and the middle schoolers watching noticed something was off.
"Game! Japan Team! 4-0!"
Still, Tokugawa claimed the fourth game. But restraining himself pushed him to his limit—veins bulged on his neck, and he looked worse off than Ryōma.
The fifth game was Tokugawa's serve. This time everyone noticed how dangerous his shots had become. His serves and returns were now targeting Ryōma's body directly.
Under the brutal assault, even Ryōma's Radiance of Love began to dim, flickering as if about to vanish. His racket was blasted out of his hand again and again.
Then Tokugawa unleashed a blazing Glowing Shot. Ryōma gripped his racket with both hands, bracing for the return, but Asura's shadow completely engulfed him. In his mind's eye, Ryōma was battered by Asura's six arms, sent flying. In reality, he too was knocked back hard, the Glowing Shot blasting him off his feet.
"Game! Japan Team! 5-0!"
"Ryōma!!!" "Ryōma!!!" cries of panic and worry rose from the sidelines.
Lying on the ground for a moment, Ryōma slowly forced himself upright with his racket. His face still bore that defiant look as he staggered back to the baseline, intent on continuing.
"Heh... so the brat does have resolve," even Byoudouin muttered, giving him a sliver of recognition.
Tokugawa's eyes, however, were bloodshot, his sanity slipping. It resembled Kirihara's Devil Mode, except Tokugawa's loss of control came from his Alternate Dimension, Asura, consuming him.
Weakened, Ryōma grabbed a ball, tossed it up, and hit a plain high-speed serve. Clearly his strength was nearly spent. Tokugawa, showing no mercy, lashed out with another furious assault.
"0-15!"
"0-30!"
"0-40!"
Ryōma was knocked down again and again, yet stood back up each time. Kikumaru's eyes brimmed with tears, Momo clenched his fists, barely restraining himself, and even Kaidō's gaze turned dangerously sharp.
It was match point. Still Ryōma refused to quit. His Radiance of Love had vanished completely, and even his vision was blurring.
He weakly served the ball. Tokugawa flashed to the spot, golden light surging in his right hand as his left swung hard. The ball became a massive shining orb, blasting straight for Ryōma's face.
Ryōma braced himself to return it, but his legs gave out and he stumbled, barely catching himself with his racket. The glowing orb was already inches away. Many of the high schoolers in the stands shut their eyes, unable to watch.
"Run, Ryōma!!!" Seigaku's teammates shouted desperately, but it seemed too late.
Just as the ball was about to smash into him, a racket suddenly appeared in front of Ryōma, intercepting the shot. The ball reversed into an equally massive glowing orb and roared toward Tokugawa. Caught off guard, he couldn't react in time. The ball grazed his face, leaving a long cut, before slamming into the wall behind him, blowing open a huge hole.
"I can't let the brat take a heavy hit. You're too dangerous... so I'll put you down here and now!" Ryōga's voice was low and cold, his aura radiating menace as he glared at Tokugawa.