"Bertie! Watch your center of gravity. Don't let the opponent control your rhythm so easily!" Volk spoke sharply to Bertie. Even though he was his younger brother and also a pro player, Volk—strict with himself—was just as strict with others.
"Sorry~ that was my mistake!" Bertie didn't argue. He knew he had been careless, relying too much on data-based predictions for his return.
Volk launched another powerful serve. While Akashi had been rallying with Bertie earlier, his Emperor Eye had also been gathering Volk's data. From his initial analysis, Volk's five attributes nearly surpassed everyone on Japan Team's First String, Byoudouin included.
Even Akashi couldn't claim superiority in the five attributes. Volk's physical ability was simply inhuman, almost on par with Akashi himself, whose body had been enhanced by the system.
Tanegashima still returned Volk's serve with ease. His ability was undeniably broken. Even though his five attributes were completely outclassed, he could counter Volk without pressure.
This time Bertie shifted into a defensive stance, no longer attacking rashly. His focus was on gathering data as fast as possible. Volk, meanwhile, moved up to the net and launched a fierce offensive against Akashi and Tanegashima.
As Akashi fended off Volk's attack, he quietly funneled spiritual energy around Tanegashima. The others on the sideline noticed Akashi cutting down on his own shots, letting Tanegashima duel Volk head-on.
"30-30!"
In the end, Volk exploited Tanegashima's gap and won the point. But everyone knew both sides were still probing. The intensity looked high, yet neither had revealed even half their strength.
"Yare yare~ as expected of Volk! That insane fundamental ability is impossible to match~" Tanegashima said with a helpless smile.
"Tanegashima Shūji! Your defense is rare, but defense alone won't beat Germany!" Volk admitted Tanegashima's skill, but his tone was resolute.
"Follow my rhythm on the next returns, Tanegashima-senpai," Akashi spoke calmly.
"Got it~" Tanegashima grinned. He trusted Akashi completely.
The match resumed, but this time Akashi and Tanegashima's coordination suddenly became seamless. Little by little, they began to suppress Volk's offense.
"Strange! If I'm not wrong, this is the first time Akashi and Tanegashima-senpai have partnered. How can they be this in sync?!" Tokugawa muttered on the sideline.
"Hmph! Tanegashima is just being guided. The one in control is that brat Akashi," Byoudouin scoffed, already seeing through it.
On court, Tanegashima felt something strange. Volk's and Bertie's returns seemed to fall exactly into his comfort zone. Even the feel of his swing was smoother than usual.
Suddenly, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He rushed to the net, intercepting Volk's powerful drive right as it crossed. All the ball's force vanished, and it dropped softly onto the opposite court.
"30-40!"
"All the behavioral data has shifted subtly… how did he do that?" Bertie frowned, suspicion flickering in his gaze.
"That's… ability resonance?" For the first time, uncertainty surfaced in Volk's mind as he looked at Akashi and Tanegashima.
Both players' eyes glimmered with red sparks, their spiritual waves faintly synchronized. It was Akashi's long-unused special ability—Pseudo ZONE! Guided by Akashi, Tanegashima had drawn out his peak form.
Volk quickly suppressed the disturbance in his heart. As a pro, he could keep calm throughout a match. After serving, he focused intently on observing Akashi and Tanegashima's movements.
Tanegashima darted to the landing spot and returned Volk's serve with flawless smoothness. The ball streaked toward the sideline, but Bertie had read it early. Before it landed, he cut it off with a half volley.
Akashi's eyes flashed with visions of countless possibilities. Without hesitation, he leapt high and smashed down at a locked angle. The ball appeared at Volk's feet, about to rocket out of bounds—when Volk swung instantly to counter.
Tanegashima saw Volk's return fly into his favorite zone. He flashed to the net and used his unblock to counter Volk's drive, planning to repeat the trick and erase the ball's momentum so it would drop slowly on its own.
But Bertie wasn't going to fall for the same move twice. He sprinted forward and lobbed the ball before it landed, this time sending it on a very high arc.
The ball descended toward the baseline, but Akashi was already waiting at the spot. As soon as it reached the right height, he swung without hesitation.
A yellow blur flashed past Bertie's eyes. By the time he tried to turn, it was too late. Fortunately, Volk had already covered and intercepted Akashi's drive, sending it back with force.
Akashi stood calmly in the backcourt, making no move to intercept. He had already seen the future of that shot. The next second, Tanegashima appeared right in the ball's path. With a smooth swing, his racket spread a strange ripple as it connected.
All the ball's power and spin vanished. Then the ball itself disappeared, and the sound of it landing came from behind Volk and Bertie.
"Halt Destruction Nothingness!"
"GAME! Japan! 1-0!"
The spectators couldn't believe their eyes. Against Germany's double-pro pair, Japan had actually taken the first game. This was nothing like what they had expected.
"Nice one! Keep it up, Japan Team!" After a brief silence, the crowd erupted, cheering loudly and raising the atmosphere again.
"Tanegashima's form looks really good today! He's even exceeding himself against Volk!" Omagari said, a note of delight in his voice as he watched.
"That's because his partner is Akashi-kun! Even though Akashi-kun hasn't played many doubles matches, it looks like he has the ability to draw out his partner's full potential. Tanegashima-senpai was guided by Akashi just now, so he could perform beyond his limit!" Mitsuya explained.
'That kid even has talent in doubles?' Byoudouin thought to himself after hearing Mitsuya.
"Hearing that makes me want to try pairing with Akashi-kun in doubles once!" Irie sat up, smiling.
"What? Finally not going to keep acting?" Kimijima teased as he saw Irie sit up.
"This time I'm not acting. Black Hole really does put a heavy strain on my body," Irie answered seriously, though no one around believed him.
On court, Volk and Bertie's faces didn't change. Whether it was an exhibition or an official match, losing just one game wasn't enough to shake them.
The second game was Tanegashima's serve. At the baseline, he glanced at Bertie, who was ready to receive, and a sudden idea flashed in his mind. Without hesitation, he tossed the ball and struck with a sharp swing.
The ball sped toward the opposite court—but clipped the net. A flicker of unease crossed Tanegashima's face before he quickly covered it up, though Bertie had already caught it.
"FAULT! Second serve!"
The Japan Team players looked surprised. They hadn't expected Tanegashima to miss a serve. Was the pressure getting to him? But he had just won a game moments ago.
Tanegashima took a deep breath, grabbed another ball, and tossed again. A yellow streak shot past the air and skimmed by Bertie, flying out of bounds.
"ACE! 15-0!"
"So that was… a mind game!" Bertie realized at once. Tanegashima's earlier 'fault' wasn't a mistake—it was deliberate, meant to relax his guard for even a second.
After scoring, Tanegashima's usual smile returned. He served again, this time unleashing an ultra-fast ball not inferior to Volk's.
Having been tricked once already, Bertie didn't dare lower his guard. The instant Tanegashima swung, he moved right. The ball bounced and rose, only to meet his racket.
With Bertie's return, the rally exploded into another furious exchange. Akashi and Tanegashima's coordination grew even sharper. Tanegashima almost alone pressured the two pros across the net, as cheers from the crowd surged higher.
Soon Tanegashima used Halt Destruction Nothingness again to claim another point. But Volk's eyes had never left Akashi. From the last game onward, he had noticed something strange. This middle schooler seemed to be directing the entire flow of the match.
"30-0!"
"I see now. You're using overwhelming predictive ability to control all return angles, putting your partner in the most comfortable position to strike. So you're Japan Team's true trump card, Akashi Seijurō!" Volk's voice was calm, but his eyes carried weight.
"So you've realized? But that won't change the outcome that's already set." Akashi didn't deny it. His cold reply hung in the air.
A phantom image, almost identical to Akashi, flickered behind him. On the sidelines, Tezuka and Kite frowned. Akashi's Pseudo ZONE now felt a little different from when they had experienced it before.