In the fifth game, Atobe found himself still trapped within Tezuka's suffocating dominance, defeat looming with inevitable certainty.
"Damn it! When have I ever been humiliated like this?!" Atobe's internal roar matched his physical collapse as he dropped to one knee, gasping desperately for air.
No one on Hyōtei's bench had ever witnessed their captain in such a degraded state. The sight of their normally invincible leader reduced to this condition shattered their understanding of competitive hierarchy.
Since this was Atobe's service game, he granted himself a few precious moments to recover before struggling back to his feet. Pride demanded one final stand, regardless of the physical cost.
"Tezuka," he snarled through gritted teeth, "who do you think I am?"
Ignoring the screaming pain in his overworked wrist, Atobe unleashed another serve with desperate fury. The technique that had opened the match so dramatically now felt like a feeble gesture against Tezuka's evolved capabilities.
Tezuka approached the net with mechanical precision, sliding his racket along the court surface to scoop the non-bouncing ball back across the net. But this time, something had changed in his opponent.
Atobe closed his eyes.
"What is he doing?" Hyōtei players whispered among themselves, confusion replacing their earlier confidence.
"This is Atobe's moment of enlightenment," Oshitari Yuushi observed quietly. As Atobe's closest friend, he alone understood what tremendous pressure could sometimes achieve. "He's breaking through to a new level."
When Atobe's eyes snapped open, he immediately covered his left eye with his free hand, focusing all his perception through his right eye while gripping his racket with iron determination.
In that heightened state of awareness, Tezuka appeared surrounded by a crystalline world of ice and snow. At a specific point near Tezuka's left shoulder, a sharp icicle marked a vulnerable spot like a beacon of hope.
"Tezuka, you are incredibly strong in every aspect!" Atobe declared with renewed confidence. "Unfortunately, I have discovered your one weakness!"
Under the crushing pressure of near-defeat, Atobe had unconsciously awakened his signature ability years ahead of schedule—the Ice World. This supernatural perception allowed him to construct a frozen realm where every opponent's vulnerabilities became visible as ice formations, his enhanced dynamic vision revealing flaws that normal sight could never detect.
Targeting the lone weakness he could perceive, Atobe struck with pinpoint accuracy. Tezuka moved to counter the attack, only to find his body inexplicably frozen in place, unable to respond with his usual fluidity.
"Now it's my turn to fight back!" Atobe roared triumphantly.
With his awakened ability providing new hope, Atobe managed to claim the fifth game, bringing the score to 4-1 in Tezuka's favor.
"Looks like that arrogant Hyōtei captain is starting to mount a comeback," Conan observed, noting the dramatic shift in Atobe's demeanor and technique.
"Don't worry about it, Kudo," Ai replied calmly. "Tezuka hasn't even shown his full strength yet. Remember his match against Fuji aboard the Bamboo Staff?"
While Tezuka's current performance felt overwhelmingly powerful, it still fell short of the transcendent state he had achieved during that legendary battle with his teammate.
"True enough," Conan acknowledged with a slight chuckle.
Tezuka himself might have welcomed the opportunity for a genuine challenge, but Coach Banji's strategic imperatives took precedence. For Yamabuki's overall victory, personal satisfaction had to be sacrificed. Tezuka silently apologized to his opponent as he prepared to end the match decisively.
Atobe began the sixth game brimming with newfound confidence. Having awakened the Ice World, he believed he could stage an impossible comeback from 4-1 down. His dreams shattered the moment he tried to deploy his new ability.
"Impossible! How is this possible?!" Atobe stared in horror as his ice-enhanced vision failed to reveal any weaknesses whatsoever. "How can someone have absolutely no blind spots?!"
In his enhanced perception, even the minor flaw he had exploited moments before had vanished completely. Tezuka now presented a wall of absolute defense that no amount of insight could penetrate.
The truth was that Tezuka did possess weaknesses—but Atobe's current level simply wasn't sufficient to force them into the open. Facing an opponent who had achieved dual selfless states with both the Limit of Tempered Understanding and the Limit of Brilliance active simultaneously, Atobe might as well have been challenging a god with mortal weapons.
The final games fell with mathematical precision. When the last ball sailed beyond Atobe's desperate reach, the scoreboard read 6-1 in Tezuka's favor.
After the match concluded, Tezuka approached the net where Atobe knelt in exhausted defeat, extending his right hand in respectful acknowledgment.
"You are a very worthy opponent, Atobe."
Atobe looked up at his conqueror, struggling to his feet with the last reserves of his pride. He gripped Tezuka's hand firmly despite his trembling limbs.
"Next time, Tezuka. Next time I will defeat you."
"I welcome your challenge whenever you're ready," Tezuka replied with genuine respect.
They released their handshake and walked toward their respective benches, leaving the court to the next contestants.
Hyōtei's second singles player, Oshitari Yuushi, faced an impossible task. As the school's number two, he found himself matched against Fuji—a battle between acknowledged geniuses that should have been closely contested.
Under normal circumstances, Oshitari's analytical abilities and technical precision might have created genuine problems for Fuji. However, several factors had shifted the balance decisively in Yamabuki's favor.
First, Fuji's competitive spirit had been fully awakened during their training period, transforming him from a casual prodigy into a focused killer. Second, the month and a half of intensive preparation had widened the gap between their abilities considerably. Finally, Atobe's crushing defeat had deflated Hyōtei's entire team, leaving Oshitari unable to perform at his peak level.
If Hyōtei had deployed the pure-hearted Kabaji—whose copying abilities might have neutralized some of Fuji's techniques—the outcome could have been different. Instead, their tactical error handed Yamabuki a decisive advantage.
The match proved anticlimactic. Oshitari fell 6-1, his normally sharp game sense clouded by his team's psychological collapse.
With that victory, the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament final concluded. Yamabuki had defeated Hyōtei by a commanding 3-1 margin, claiming their first metropolitan championship in years.
"We're the champions! We're the champions!" Eiji grabbed Oishi and began dancing in circles, his joy infectious despite his partner's embarrassed protests.
"Eiji, please..." Oishi sighed, though his fond smile betrayed his genuine happiness with his irrepressible partner.
Sengoku, Higashikata, and Minami celebrated with equal enthusiasm. After last year's painful defeat to Hyōtei, this revenge victory felt especially sweet. The championship trophy would finally return to Yamabuki's display case.
"Congratulations, old friend," Coach Sakaki approached Coach Banji after the ceremony, extending his hand in gracious defeat.
"Your team performed admirably as well, Sakaki," Banji replied diplomatically. Both men understood this was merely the first of several encounters—the Kanto Tournament and Nationals would provide additional opportunities for their schools to test each other.
That evening, Yamabuki's administration celebrated their championship by awarding the team a substantial bonus. The decision of how to spend their windfall required no debate whatsoever.
"Where else would we have our victory celebration except the Bamboo Staff?" Tezuka had asked rhetorically.
And so, hours after claiming their metropolitan title, the entire Yamabuki squad found themselves stepping through the Gate of All Worlds for the most important meal of their season.
"What culinary adventure shall we embark upon this time?" Gustave asked cheerfully, genuinely pleased to see his friends returning for another feast. While money was hardly a concern for him anymore, the joy of hosting celebration dinners never grew old.
"I want that nabe hot pot again!" Eiji declared immediately, his enthusiasm undiminished by time.
"Eiji, shouldn't we try something different?" Oishi suggested diplomatically, though he knew arguing with his partner in this mood was futile.
"No! I want the nabe!" Eiji crossed his arms stubbornly, his lower lip jutting out in an exaggerated pout.
"Oh no," Oishi muttered, recognizing the signs of impending childish tantrum.
"How about copper pot hot pot instead?" Inui interjected smoothly. "It's also cooked in a traditional pot over charcoal, but the flavor profile is completely different."
"Copper pot hot pot?" Eiji's curiosity overcame his stubbornness. "Is it delicious?"
Despite his occasionally lethal juice concoctions, Inui's culinary knowledge was genuinely encyclopedic. His research into various cuisines rivaled his dedication to data tennis.
"Absolutely delicious," Inui confirmed with characteristic precision. "Copper pot shabu-shabu represents one of China's most refined dining traditions. The unique cooking method and ingredient combinations create an unforgettable flavor experience."
"Then let's do hot pot this time!" Eiji announced, his mercurial mood swinging back to excitement.
"Agreed!"
"Sounds perfect!"
The team's unanimous approval sealed their dinner choice, much to Gustave's satisfaction. Compared to elaborate multi-course preparations, hot pot was significantly easier to organize—though he would still find ways to elevate the experience with his electrical cooking techniques.
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