"So that's it. This is why Ochi chose Mōri as his partner," Akashi said slowly from the coach's bench, his gaze fixed on Ochi and Mōri on court.
In the original match against the Greece Team, Ochi had partnered with Oishi. To keep Oishi from being affected by Full Moon, he had to keep his eyes closed and just stand in the corner. But that meant Ochi couldn't unleash his full power, and in the end Oishi was struck directly by Herakles and seriously injured.
In contrast, Mōri could cooperate even when Ochi was in Full Moon Mode. With his eyes closed, his body instincts let him respond with ease. He could even use his movement to shield Ochi.
That was why Akashi never understood why Oishi was chosen for the junior roster in the original. A player without true national-level strength served no real purpose.
The eighth game came to Sanada's serve. At the baseline, he deliberately lowered the brim of his cap, avoiding Ochi's gaze. His aura of the Asura Path flared violently higher. He tossed the ball up, his right arm leaving a trail of shadows as he smashed down hard.
"Swift as a storm!"
The instant the ball met the racket, it vanished, replaced by a raging cyclone tearing toward the opposite court. Sanada rushed the net immediately, fully aware that his serve meant little against Ochi.
As expected, Ochi took one step and arrived at the landing point. His racket swept down, scattering the cyclone and revealing the ball, then sending it back across.
But Sanada was already at the net. He leapt high, body poised like a sword-draw slash, and gripped his racket with both hands. He struck down hard, a cutting blade of energy flying at Ochi's racket.
"Radiance of Cloud, Unhindered as the Void!"
The full moon in Ochi's eyes flared with a cold glow. A force far beyond human surged around him. He swung his racket straight into the slash without hesitation.
The bladed strike twisted and tore against his strings. Ochi tried to cut down the power, but the force was too much. The racket was pierced through, and the ball slammed onto the center line before bouncing out of court.
"15-0!"
Sanada didn't dare meet Ochi's eyes after scoring. Head lowered, he gasped for breath. His new technique consumed enormous stamina. It was meant for his high school self, but now his body was clearly overloaded.
It's important to note: five-attribute stats and physical condition are related, but not identical. For example, Oni and Ishida Gin might both have 7 points in strength, but the power behind their shots is very different—that's the gap in physical build.
So even if Sanada's current stats approached his high school level and he could use the techniques, his body was still underdeveloped. He had to rely on raw stamina to bridge the gap.
Ochi walked to the bench and switched rackets. His face stayed calm, but the full moon in his eyes grew darker. Returning to the court, his gaze locked on Sanada. Even with his cap pulled low, Sanada felt a deep unease.
Atobe, standing nearby, seemed lost in thought. Along with Mōri, he was almost disconnected from the match. It had turned into a duel between Ochi and Sanada.
Sanada steadied himself and fired another Swift as a Storm, charging the net once more. This time Ochi layered a thread of mental energy onto the ball as he struck.
Sanada set up for his sword-draw slash again, eyes fixed on the incoming ball. But suddenly a crushing pressure bore down on him, warping his motion slightly. Even so, his shot became a cutting blade toward Ochi.
"Radiance of Cloud, Unhindered as the Void!"
A yellow afterimage streaked past Sanada's face, slamming onto the baseline. Atobe flashed into its path, raising his racket to return, but his body froze for a split second. Helpless, he watched the ball bounce out.
"15-15!"
"When the light of the full moon falls upon the earth, escape is no longer possible," Ochi said coldly as he looked at the two.
A closer look showed both Atobe and Sanada already drenched in sweat. For just the first set, the amount was abnormal. Their mindset had been completely shaken by Ochi.
Drained of stamina, Sanada's next serve was only a normal Swift as the Wind. Mōri easily caught up to it, striking a smooth backhand that sent the ball flying back.
The ball crossed the net and slammed near the center line, bouncing high as it looked ready to fly out. At that moment, Atobe slid back into position, leapt into the air, and a wave of mental energy burst from him as he smashed down hard.
A shockwave spread from the center of his racket, instantly shattering every piece of glass around—the light covers, some players' glasses, even the lenses of the surveillance cameras.
"Ice Emperor!"
The ball, wrapped in a powerful shockwave, shot across through the glittering rain of shards. Ochi flashed into position and swung, but the impact was far stronger than he expected. His racket was blown out of his hand, and the ball blasted out of court.
"30-15!"
"Ore-sama doesn't care about any Full Moon or not! This magnificent glass rain is my response!" Atobe declared, pointing his racket at Ochi after scoring.
In the stands, Inui Sadaharu and Oshitari both removed their shattered glasses and replaced them with spares. But Konjiki Koharu was less lucky—his eyesight was too poor, and everything looked like a blur. Thankfully, his partner quickly found him a spare pair to swap in.
Tezuka and Kite were unaffected, and on the other side, Irie was still smiling with his glasses intact. He had already known about Atobe's Ice Emperor since the national tournament.
Even though Atobe had won a point with Ice Emperor, his expression remained grim. The crushing pressure hadn't lifted. In fact, that burst only made him feel even heavier.
Sanada served again. By now, Mōri had become little more than a tool for serves and returns, but that was part of his and Ochi's usual strategy. He still conserved a great deal of stamina, while Atobe and Sanada were clearly starting to decline.
As Mōri sent the ball back, Ochi exploded once more, practically overwhelming both opponents single-handedly. Bit by bit, Atobe and Sanada slipped behind. Their movements grew stiff, giving Ochi many chances to strike.
"30-30!"
"30-40!"
"GAME! Japan Team! 5-3!"
With his Full Moon power, Ochi took the eighth game. The next was his serve. For Atobe and Sanada, the set was at its breaking point.
Ochi calmly walked to the baseline. Without hesitation, he murmured "Mach," and a moment later, the sound of the ball striking the court rang out behind Sanada. Even though Sanada fought desperately to react, his body lagged behind.
"Ace! 15-0!"
"Ace! 30-0!"
Two straight Mach Serves left Sanada helpless. He could predict the path, but his body couldn't keep up. The serve was nothing but a flat drive, simple and direct, but the incredible speed turned it into something divine.
When Ochi prepared to serve again, Atobe ignored the threat of the Full Moon and locked his eyes on Ochi. Cold glints gathered in his gaze, as if ready to freeze everything.
'Watch closely. You can do this! Insight! Insight! Insight!' Atobe screamed inwardly to himself.
But the next instant, the sound of the ball hitting the court came from behind him. Across the net, Ochi calmly lowered his serving motion. Atobe's body had still failed to move.
"Ace! 40-0!"
Now it was match point. If Ochi's Mach Serve scored again, the set would be over. So far, his serve percentage was a terrifying 100%.
As Ochi tossed the ball again, Atobe still stared him down. Suddenly, everything changed. Ochi's motion slowed to a crawl, like a film reel dragged to slow motion. Atobe could see the entire serve clearly from start to finish.
The ball flew at him. Atobe forced his legs to move, but his body felt frozen in place. Just as it was about to land, the sound of something shattering echoed in his ears. In that moment, Atobe exploded with speed far beyond anything before, rushing to the spot.
The ball bounced, shooting toward the boundary. But suddenly, a racket appeared in its path. The ball struck the strings, and Atobe, on instinct, swung. The ball shot back across court as Atobe collapsed to the ground.
The ball struck the net, pushing it forward before it snapped back. Slowly, the ball rolled down the mesh to the ground. Atobe stared at it, then closed his eyes in frustration.
"Game! 6-3! First set complete! Winner, Japan Team!"