"Oh? So you noticed, huh~ As expected of the Trickster of the Court. But too bad, you're still mistaken about one thing!" Tanegashima didn't care at all about Niō using the Glowing Shot to force him to reveal himself. He simply returned the ball with a clean stroke.
In that instant when Niō's eyes followed the ball, Tanegashima's figure vanished again. Even Fuji, who had been keeping his gaze fixed on Tanegashima the whole time, showed a shocked expression. He was certain he hadn't been distracted for even a second, yet Tanegashima had still disappeared from his sight.
Niō frowned slightly after hearing Tanegashima's words. Without much hesitation, his body blurred and once again transformed into 'Akutsu,' striking the incoming ball with another Glowing Shot. The ball exploded into a massive golden sphere of light, roaring toward the opposite side.
"Oi! You don't seriously think I can't deal with the Glowing Shot, do you, brat? I've already returned Byoudouin's attacks more times than I can count!" Omagari stepped in front of the light sphere with an irritated snort.
He swung his racket with both strength and precision. The glowing ball slammed against the strings, sending shockwaves surging outward. The sheer force blew Omagari's long hair wildly in the wind.
But after only a short clash, the Glowing Shot was forcefully driven back across the net. Niō's attempted solution had failed once again, leaving him with no choice but to keep observing carefully for another opening.
Still, Omagari and Tanegashima had no intention of giving Niō and Fuji more time. After only a few more rallies, Tanegashima used his invisibility to seize on a small opening and finished the game with Halt Destruction Nothingness.
"Game! Japan Team! 5-3!"
"Is Niō planning to give up on Illusion? Or maybe he just doesn't know who to mimic anymore?" Jackal muttered anxiously from the stands.
"No, he's definitely planning something. And Fuji should be making his move soon too," Sanada replied grimly.
"Actually, there is one person who can counter Tanegashima-senpai's 'Mu.' The only question is whether Niō can Illusion him now," Chitose said with a meaningful tone.
"Oh? I think I've figured it out too. But pulling that off is no easy task!" Krauser suddenly added with a nod of realization.
Hearing the discussion behind him, Akashi also understood what they meant. If Niō had really taken that final step, then they were about to see it. In fact, Niō had already given them a glimpse of it just moments ago.
The ninth game was Niō's service game. But now that Omagari had broken the Zero Shiki Serve, even something like the Tannhauser Serve probably wouldn't work against him. Omagari had no reason to be worried.
Niō walked slowly to the baseline, giving a long, steady look at Omagari and Tanegashima across the court. He firmed his resolve. At the same time, Fuji at the net suddenly opened his eyes, his expression showing a brief flash of surprise before turning into an admiring smile.
Niō's figure began to twist and blur. Moments later, the stern face of 'Tezuka' appeared once again on court. The spectators were left confused. After all, Omagari had already dismantled Tezuka's Zero Shiki Serve.
But 'Tezuka' ignored their reactions. Switching the racket to his left hand, he tossed the ball high—not for a Zero Shiki, but for a blistering high-speed serve.
Omagari blinked in surprise but still stepped forward and returned it easily. At the same time, Tanegashima's figure vanished into the air again, like he'd never existed.
Fuji didn't rush to intercept the return. Behind him, 'Tezuka' was already surrounded by a massive white whirlwind. The moment Omagari's return crossed the net, an unseen pull altered its course, dragging it toward the sideline before it spun completely out of bounds.
"Ultimate Zone!"
"Out! 15-0!"
"Oi, give me a break~ You can put that kind of spin on a ball? That's just using the Zone in reverse, isn't it?" Omagari covered his face, sounding both shocked and exasperated.
"A trick shot like that actually exists?!" From the high schoolers' section, Toono looked on in disbelief.
"You're the last person who should be saying that," Kimijima muttered, unable to resist snapping back.
"To control spin on that level—and for Niō to copy it… That means the real thing must be even more terrifying," Byoudouin said as his eyes shifted toward Tezuka, who was calmly seated in the players' area.
The middle schoolers also turned to stare at Tezuka. His expression, however, didn't change in the slightest, as though they were talking about someone else entirely. Finally, Tachibana couldn't hold back and asked:
"Tezuka! What do you think of Niō using Ultimate Zone?"
"Very good control. Not much different from mine," Tezuka replied in a steady voice.
"You might be able to fool others, but not my data. Niō's Ultimate Zone just now was within 3% of your own. That's already beyond the normal limits of his Illusion," Yanagi suddenly pointed out.
"From this we can deduce, Tezuka, the probability that you personally demonstrated it to Niō before the match is 98%!" Inui continued after Yanagi's words.
"Last night, Niō did come to me for a practice match," Tezuka answered calmly, without hiding anything.
Hearing Tezuka's words, all the middle schoolers instantly showed an expression of realization. That explained why Niō could Illusion Ultimate Zone—given Niō's talent and Tezuka's deliberate guidance, the 'Tezuka' on court now was likely only slightly weaker than the real one.
It also explained how Niō had been able to directly trigger Radiance of Strong Heart and unleash that kind of overload Zero Shiki Serve. Clearly, those were things Tezuka had personally let him experience during their practice.
While everyone was still discussing Tezuka and Niō, the 'Tezuka' on court once again used Ultimate Zone to pull Omagari's return out of bounds. But Omagari had already figured out how to counter the move.
"Out! 30-0!"
"A spin shot, huh? Too bad my Void completely cancels it out~" Tanegashima said with a smile as he swapped positions with Omagari.
"Of course I know Ultimate Zone doesn't work on you, senpai~" 'Tezuka' replied calmly from the baseline, tossing the ball high. His left hand swung down hard, and the ball, filled with fierce spin, flew across the court.
Just as it crossed the net, Tanegashima reacted. Though he wasn't afraid of spin shots, Tezuka's Zero Shiki Serve was still extremely tricky. He rushed for the drop point, but he was still a step too late. The ball landed and began rolling back.
"Ace! 40-0!"
"Ara~ Looks like I let my guard down a bit. But from here on, don't think you can keep scoring with Zero Shiki Serves~" Tanegashima said with a smile, showing no frustration over the lost point.
Though Tanegashima didn't have Omagari's San Sun Oniwa, ever since the first time he saw Tezuka's Zero Shiki Serve, he had been considering ways to counter it. Now that he'd found a solution, he wasn't worried about giving up more points to it.
But Niō's next move caught him completely off guard. 'Tezuka's' figure distorted and shifted, replaced in an instant by 'Ochi,' who then unleashed a blistering Mach Serve.
A yellow afterimage streaked past Tanegashima, smashing onto the baseline before bouncing out of court. Both Omagari and Tanegashima were too stunned to react in time.
"Game! 6-3! First set over! Winner: Second String Selection! Total score 1-0!"
"You really were careless, Tanegashima-senpai! Puri~" Niō, back to his normal self, said with a grin toward Tanegashima.
Mifune looked on with an amused expression as Omagari and Tanegashima walked off court. The reason they lost this set was simple—they'd gone into the match with a playful attitude from the very beginning.
"Hmph! Got burned, didn't you? I told you already, not one of those middle school brats is simple!" Mifune took a swig of sake and spoke to them.
"Spare me, Mifune-sensei! I really was serious just now! But… yeah, maybe I did take it a little lightly. What do you think, Tanegashima?" Omagari first gave a helpless look, then his expression turned sharp as he asked his partner.
"No choice now. Let's go all out! Think of it as a warm-up for the World Cup!" Tanegashima stuck out his tongue, then his gaze turned deep, his aura climbing higher and higher.