As Tezuka returned to the bench, everyone from the Japan Team turned curious eyes toward him. But they knew this was the most crucial moment, so no one dared disturb him—except Kintarō.
"Wow~ Tezuka! You're glowing so much right now! Why can't my Ten'i Muhō look like that? After the match, can you teach me?" Kintarō burst out from behind Tezuka, tugging on his sleeve with sparkling eyes.
"I can. But only after you play ten full matches against Akashi-kun first," Tezuka replied calmly. He didn't refuse, but since Kintarō hadn't awakened the Radiance of Pain, Tezuka figured that by facing Akashi repeatedly, he might grasp that Radiance through experiencing Akashi's overwhelming strength.
In fact, if Kintarō ever managed to awaken all three Radiances, he might reach complete fusion even faster than Tezuka. After all, his pure-hearted state of mind was unmatched—only Kabaji could rival him in mental stability.
Upon hearing Tezuka's condition, Kintarō's head shook wildly like a rattle drum. He had no desire to experience the crushing force of Akashi's play again. In his eyes, facing Akashi wasn't fun at all—no matter where he aimed, Akashi somehow always predicted it in advance.
Seeing Kintarō's reaction, Tachibana and Chitose exchanged teasing glances at Akashi. Yet their faces remained perfectly composed—they had no intention of provoking him.
'Seriously… those smirks are harder to suppress than AK's forehands. Do you all really think my Emperor Eye is for decoration? You think I can't see your little tricks?' Akashi thought irritably, his expression calm but his inner voice full of complaint.
The short break ended quickly thanks to Kintarō's interruption. Tezuka, radiating brilliant blue light, stepped back onto the court. His three Radiances were still in the fusion stage, so he couldn't yet control their state freely.
Q.P. maintained his calm demeanor, but Akashi's sharp gaze caught a faint flicker of desire in his eyes. It made sense—this moment could be considered Q.P.'s chance at godhood. Even the calmest heart would ripple in anticipation.
The eighth game was Tezuka's service game. He stepped to the baseline without hesitation, picked up a ball, and tossed it high. His left arm swung fast, the racket slicing through the air as it struck down.
The ball spun sharply as it shot toward the German side. Q.P.'s eyes narrowed the instant Tezuka hit it. Without a second thought, he dashed forward and fixed his gaze on the ball as it struck the court.
Just as expected, the ball began spinning violently upon landing. Q.P. swung his racket upward to scoop it, twisting his wrist to lift the ball across the net.
But the expected rebound never came. Instead, the moment the ball struck the net cord, it seemed to lose all energy, stopped spinning entirely, and dropped weakly to the ground.
"Zero Shiki Serve!"
"Ace! 15–0!"
"The spin on that serve just now…" Q.P. muttered, his eyes on the ball that had rolled to a stop.
It was clear that under the combined power of three Radiances, Tezuka's Zero Shiki Serve had evolved. Rather than the serve itself strengthening, it was Tezuka's control over the ball that had advanced dramatically.
While Q.P. was still analyzing the spin, Tezuka had already tossed the next ball. Another Zero Shiki Serve, charged with even greater rotation, ripped across the court. Q.P. reacted quickly and tried to return it, but just like before, the ball hit the net and died midair.
"Ace! 30–0!"
"I thought Tezuka would go for an overloaded Zero Shiki Serve, but to think Ten'i Muhō would boost him that much…" Yukimura murmured from the Japan bench, his tone mixed with awe and disbelief.
"This little monster's getting more terrifying by the minute. Still, that's fine—I guess we can graduate in peace now~," Ōmagari sighed, shaking his head with a half-smile.
"You're not worried about facing him again in the pro circuit?" Irie asked curiously, glancing at Ōmagari's relaxed face.
"Spare me~ I'd rather stick to doubles than run into this freak again!" Ōmagari shot back lazily, though his words held truth—he was far more comfortable in doubles.
Byoudouin, watching quietly from the sidelines, almost snorted. He knew Ōmagari too well. That laid-back attitude was fake—if they ever met Tezuka on the pro court, he'd fight to the last rally, no matter what.
While everyone discussed Tezuka's Zero Shiki Serve, he had already hit four in a row on the court. Q.P. had no countermeasure—his earlier method of breaking it no longer worked at all.
"Game! Japan! 4–4!"
The ninth game was Q.P.'s serve, yet even now, he showed no sign of activating the Light of Pride. Apart from Akashi, Volk, and Ken, no one could understand what Q.P. was thinking.
As Q.P. served, the two sides began a new rally. Unfortunately, Tezuka's strength had already far surpassed expectations. No matter how Q.P. resisted, he couldn't stop himself from losing points one after another.
"Game! Japan leads! 4–5! Change sides!"
Q.P. glanced at the ball that had flown out of bounds, then at Tezuka, whose body was surrounded by a swirling blue tornado. A faint realization flickered in his heart. He knew that as this match continued, his own evolution had already begun.
After the break, they switched sides again. Tezuka wasted no time, serving another Zero Shiki Serve. Q.P. didn't give up and kept trying different ways to counter it, but every attempt failed.
"Ace! 15–0!"
"Ace! 30–0!"
"Ace! 40–0!"
"Game! 6–4! Second set over! Winner—Japan! Total score 1–1! The final set will now begin!"
As Q.P. walked off the court, Ken's face showed no worry—if anything, there was a hint of excitement. He already understood what Q.P. intended and fully supported it.
"For Tezuka Kunimitsu from the Japan Team to be this powerful… during the exhibition match, he must not have been serious at all. I still can't believe it—Q.P. actually ended up on the losing side!" said Dankmar from the German bench, his tone filled with surprise.
"Indeed. I was also fooled by his supposed level back then. If we don't turn things around soon, this match might really slip away. What do you think, Coach?" Bertie frowned, turning his eyes toward Ken.
"Turn things around? I don't think that's necessary at all~," Ken replied casually. His words shocked the entire German team, except for Q.P. and Volk, who remained calm as ever.
"I'd say Tezuka Kunimitsu's relentless offense has pushed you even closer to that state, hasn't it, Blue Bird~?" Ken said, turning his gaze toward Q.P. sitting quietly on the bench.
At that moment, Q.P. was gently playing with a small bird that had somehow flown down beside him, completely unconcerned about the discussion or the coach's question. Judging by his relaxed expression, he seemed utterly at ease.
Meanwhile, on the Japan Team's bench, Tezuka still radiated an intense blue aura. Just then, Akashi walked over and handed him a phone.
"Take it—it's from the old man," Akashi said calmly.
Tezuka blinked in surprise but quickly accepted the call, his expression respectful as he began speaking with the elder. Akashi didn't bother listening to the conversation and turned back toward the team bench. His attention was focused on Q.P. instead—he wanted to understand the mechanism behind his evolution.
When Tezuka hung up, the blue light around him slowly faded away. He had completely released his Ten'i Muhō state. The rest of the Japan Team watched in surprise, wondering what exactly the old man had told him over the phone.
'Looks like the old master's taking a real interest in this generation of brats~ Even calling mid-match to give advice… When I had him teach Byoudouin that Divine Path of Asura trick, it took me ages to convince him,' Mifune thought with a half-smirk as he observed Tezuka's calm state.
———————
"Game! Spain leads! 4–0!"
'Impossible… other than that old ankle injury, he has no physical damage at all. That kind of condition only comes from elite personal coaching. Who on earth is his teacher?!' Hopkins thought, his mind in turmoil as he stared at the smiling Mares across the court.
"Out of options already? Too bad for you—I won't hold back~ Time to finish this… Perfect Lock-On! OK~?" Mares said lightly, standing at the baseline before smashing the ball with a powerful swing.
The ball tore through the air, leaving faint afterimages of vibration as it streaked toward the American side. Hopkins felt a sudden chill but ran instinctively to intercept. As the ball bounced, he swung up to return it—
—but the instant the ball hit his racket, his whole body froze. He remained in mid-swing, unable to move, even though the ball had successfully flown back over the net.
"Enjoy a taste of real sniping, handsome~" Mares chuckled softly, swinging again and driving the ball cleanly past Hopkins.
"15–0!"
"Was that… total paralysis just now?! You can actually pull that off?!" Hopkins gasped after regaining movement, staring at Mares in disbelief.
"Not bad, right~? But a true sniper shot can keep you frozen for ten seconds~," Mares replied with a playful wink.