While QP was still lost in thought, Tezuka had already tossed up another ball. The sharp crack of impact echoed, and the ball once again shot forward with terrifying speed toward Germany's front court. QP frowned slightly—this Zero Shiki Serve was nothing like the one he had predicted before the match.
Right now, there was nothing he could do but react. He lunged forward, stepping hard toward the ball's landing spot, aiming to scoop it up the moment it touched the ground. But when his racket met the ball, it didn't lift as he'd expected—instead, it ricocheted violently backward, slamming straight into the net.
"Ace! 30–0!"
"Tezuka's original Zero Shiki Serve had slower speed, giving the opponent time to move to the drop point and prepare to counter. But now, with that higher velocity, the difficulty of returning it has skyrocketed," Yukimura said calmly from the Japan bench, his tone analytical.
"Don't underestimate Germany's QP~ He's already experienced Tezuka's Zero Shiki Serve in the exhibition match. He must've prepared a countermeasure. Once he adapts to the new speed, the outcome might change," Inui stated, offering a more cautious view.
Back on court, Tezuka unleashed his third Zero Shiki Serve. This time, QP began moving even before Tezuka's swing. The instant the ball crossed the net, he was already in position.
A scraping sound followed—QP's racket dragging lightly against the ground as he tried again to lift the ball. But the outcome didn't change. Just as it seemed he had managed to get under it, the ball shot straight back toward the net once more.
"Ace! 40–0!"
QP still couldn't return the fourth serve. The Zero Shiki Serve was already a near-unreturnable technique that exploited the rules themselves. And since Tezuka had refined it further, QP's preplanned tactics were useless—he could only watch himself lose point after point.
"Game! Japan! 1–1!"
Even after losing the second game completely, QP's expression didn't waver. His composure was perfect, as if the loss hadn't affected him in the slightest.
He walked calmly back to the baseline, tossed up another ball, and this time delivered a sharp diagonal serve instead of his usual central line target.
Seeing it, Tezuka dashed toward the left baseline corner. As he moved, his entire body began to glow with a dazzling azure light, his hair lifting slightly in the air's motion.
"Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami!"
A huge white whirlwind erupted around him, wrapping his figure in spiraling light. The next instant, the ball carried dual-layered rotation and sped into Germany's half with destructive precision. Against QP, Tezuka had chosen to go all out.
"Ultimate Zone!"
"So it's just the Light of Pride…" QP murmured quietly, eyes narrowing. He quickly chased after the incoming ball.
The instant his racket struck, the reverse spin coating the ball was neutralized. But the zone's forward rotation still pulled the ball back toward Tezuka's side. Around Tezuka, another pale vortex began to form.
Using his right foot as the pivot, he slid his left forward in a clean half-circle motion, swinging a backhand as the ball approached. A blue flash burst midair—then the ball vanished completely from sight.
A sharp thud followed an instant later, and QP felt a gust of wind sweep past him. He realized immediately—the brilliance of Ten'i had begun eroding his defenses.
"0–15!"
But QP didn't activate the Light of Pride in return. He had prepared long before this match, planning exactly how to deal with Tezuka's Light of Pride and Radiance of Love. After losing the point, he didn't hesitate—he simply tossed up another ball and served again.
It was another high-speed serve. Tezuka intercepted easily, adding the twin rotations of Ultimate Zone to the ball once more. Blue light radiated from his body, the white whirlwind swirling around him like a storm god descending to the court.
Unfortunately for him, QP had already seen this technique during the exhibition match. The ball's reverse spin was dissolved almost instantly, before it could take effect. Yet due to the unique properties of the Zone, even though QP returned a sharp crosscourt lob, the ball was still pulled straight toward Tezuka.
Tezuka stood firm, swung his left hand, and met the ball head-on. At the instant of impact, his blue aura pulsed brightly.
The ball vanished midair, wrapped in glowing blue particles, then instantly reappeared in Germany's backcourt. Just as it was about to bounce out, QP's racket intercepted it in time.
QP followed through with his swing, blasting a powerful drive. The spin on the ball shattered instantly, most of it erased, and the ball shot toward Japan's half of the court with tremendous kinetic force.
Just as it cleared the net, a white cyclone burst up around Tezuka, fiercely pulling the ball back toward him. Although the ball's trajectory distorted slightly, it still couldn't break free from the field's pull and was dragged straight in front of Tezuka.
Tezuka's left foot slid a little farther than usual, but his expression remained blank as he whipped a backhand. The azure light around him grew even brighter as the ball rocketed back toward Germany's court, spinning at incredible speed.
QP intercepted it once again, completely unaffected by the brilliance of Ten'i no Kiwami. Yet he couldn't fully neutralize the spin of the Ultimate Zone, just as Tezuka couldn't instantly win using Ten'i's light. The two of them locked into a relentless rally.
They exchanged over a dozen fierce volleys before Tezuka finally seized an opening, striking an ultra-fast baseline passing shot to claim the point. Still, his eyes showed a flicker of tension.
"0–30!"
The third rally played out the same way. After QP's serve, the two traded back and forth in a prolonged standoff. They looked evenly matched, but the Japan team knew the truth—Tezuka had the power of Ten'i no Kiwami activated, while QP was fighting him on equal ground using nothing but his natural abilities.
"Strange… QP clearly knows Ten'i no Kiwami too, so why hasn't he used it yet? And how is he resisting the Light of Pride without activating it himself?" Omagari scratched his head, puzzled.
"Yeah, it's weird. It doesn't seem like he's using a short burst or focusing all his energy either… Even I couldn't resist Ten'i's light without doing something," Tanegashima said, frowning as he studied QP, his mind spinning with possibilities.
On the other side, Yukimura stared at QP's calm expression and suddenly felt an odd sense of familiarity, though he couldn't place why.
"0–40!"
After more than twenty back-and-forth exchanges, Tezuka finally took another point—but the seriousness in his eyes deepened. He didn't know what QP was planning, but the fact that his opponent could match Ten'i no Kiwami with pure, fundamental tennis meant his strength was far beyond ordinary.
"Elmer Siegfried!"
As QP served his fourth ball, Volk suddenly called out from the German bench.
"Yes, sir!" Siegfried stiffened, instantly responding.
"Have you noticed anything about this match?" Volk asked seriously.
"Uh… the Japanese middle schooler's control of the Light of Pride is impressive, but our strategist's responses are even better!" Siegfried replied quickly, offering a safe answer.
"I see. Then tell me—how do you think QP is resisting the Light of Pride's influence?" Volk pressed further, his expression unreadable.
"Uh… I'm sorry, Captain! I can't tell!" Siegfried admitted honestly, shaking his head.
"A heart as clear as a mirror and as calm as still water," Volk said evenly. "When you keep your emotions perfectly calm, like the still surface of a mirror, the Light of Pride loses its hold. You need to remember that—you've awakened it too, haven't you?"
"I–I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Captain!" Siegfried quickly bowed his head, his tone sincere.
As the two spoke, the battle on court dragged on endlessly. Even the audience began to grow weary watching the seemingly endless rallies. Both players appeared trapped in a deadlock, neither able to score easily.
Finally, QP made a rare mistake. While returning Tezuka's shot, he misjudged slightly—the ball flew toward the sideline and went straight out of bounds.
"Game! Japan leads! 1–2!"
QP had lost his service game, yet his expression remained completely unchanged. He glanced briefly at Tezuka before turning calmly toward the German bench, as if everything was unfolding exactly as he had planned.
Tezuka, though he had secured the third game, frowned deeply. Something felt off—he couldn't quite say what, but his instincts screamed caution. As he walked back toward the Japan bench, his thoughts were sharp and wary.