"That last shot, Tachibana Kippei's reaction looked strange," Oni frowned as he watched the screen in the players' hall.
"That guy must've been caught by something. That high schooler is no ordinary opponent," Byoudouin said, also noticing the anomaly. But since he wasn't on site, he couldn't judge for certain.
"Maybe it's a mental-type technique. Too bad, just watching from the screen, I can't sense it," Yukimura said gravely.
"Don't worry. Remember, Tachibana-senpai hasn't even used Alternate Dimension yet," Kirihara said optimistically.
"Quiet and just watch the match. Even if it really is a mental-type skill, that brat Saitō Itaru is there on site. It's not your concern," Mifune said, taking a swig of liquor, looking entirely unconcerned.
On court, the match was in pause. Tachibana returned to the bench, twisting his hands uneasily. He couldn't figure out what had just happened. Chitose sat beside him, watching with concern.
"Your hands okay, Tachibana-kun?" Saitō asked gently.
"Should be fine, but… something feels off," Tachibana answered, still doubtful.
"Don't rush. Rest and regain some stamina. I think I've caught a clue, but I need to watch more. For now, don't hold back. Go all out. It might help you," Saitō advised. He had noticed something unusual about Hercules' last shot.
"I understand, coach," Tachibana nodded seriously. Having coaching guidance mid-match felt fresh—normally it was always Akashi giving the orders.
Meanwhile, on the Greek bench, Hercules and Evan were rehydrating when Zeus appeared, with Vulcan and Hermes following behind.
"Once you fail to receive it the first time, you'll never be able to take it again. I didn't expect you, Thalatta, to put that boy through the Trial of Power," Zeus said with a playful smile.
"It's not only a trial for him—it's a trial for myself as well. I just hope he'll forgive me afterward," Hercules replied sadly.
"This time, it was a mistake in the coaching staff's judgment. Don't burden yourself, Thalatta," Hermes said, though his eyes lingered on the coach frozen in his thinker's pose.
"All things in the world are constantly changing. Relying only on the senses often leads to stepping into the abyss. The coaches still haven't broken free from old thinking about Japan's strength. They still value England more," Vulcan sighed, shaking his head, not even sparing a glance at the motionless coach.
"Enough. From the way you're talking, it's as if we've already lost to Japan. Even if we do lose, our chances of advancing are still high," Zeus chuckled.
The umpire signaled the end of the break. Both teams returned to the court. The fourth game was Chitose's serve. He glanced at Hercules, who was still cloaked in Silver White Light of Mount Olympus, and firmed his resolve.
This time, instead of Synchronization, both unleashed different powers. Chitose's body shone with azure radiance, countless blue particles swirling gently around him, resonating against Hercules' silver glow.
Around Tachibana, a fiery aura erupted. Behind him, a pair of beastly eyes emerged, and a giant lion-shaped beast stepped out of the flames. The whole court seemed to burn.
"Radiance of Love!" "Alternate Dimension—Huoyan Suanni!"
The heavenly radiance and Alternate Dimension aura instantly crushed down on Evan, freezing him stiff. He couldn't move. Hercules' face darkened. In this state, Evan wouldn't be able to return a ball anytime soon.
With full power unleashed, Chitose wasted no time. He tossed the ball, striking it into a yellow blur that streaked across the court. Backed by Silver White Light, Hercules reacted instantly, flashing to the spot. A trace of guilt crossed his eyes, then he swung hard toward Tachibana.
The silver shockwave roared toward him. Tachibana's eyes flared with fire. He braced, gripping his racket with both hands. In his inner vision, the Huoyan Suanni spat a torrent of flames, trying to resist the strike. But in the end, his racket was blasted away.
"0–15!"
"Even Alternate Dimension can't stop it? Just what is this strange power?" Tachibana muttered, frustrated as he retrieved his racket.
"Let me take the next one. That technique must have a restriction. Otherwise, he wouldn't only be targeting you," Chitose said thoughtfully.
"Alright. Be careful. His power is probably no less than Duke-senpai's," Tachibana replied after a moment of thought, nodding in agreement.
Chitose quickly fired his second super-speed serve. With Ten'i Muhō backing him, the ball's speed skyrocketed. Unfortunately, Hercules still managed to barely keep up, once again hammering a silver shockwave at Tachibana.
This time, Chitose flashed forward, stepping in front of Tachibana. Radiance of Love burst brilliantly from his body, and as he met the ball, he twisted his racket again and again to strip away the force behind it.
But the ball's weight wasn't something that could be erased in an instant. Under the crushing impact, Chitose was pushed back step by step, his shoes dragging two deep lines across the court. In the end, he barely forced the ball back.
The ball shot high across the net. Hercules surged forward, leaping at the net, swinging for a vicious smash. But before it could land, a streak of fire flashed. The ball exploded into a roaring tornado of flames that blasted toward the Greek side.
"Blazing Wind Current Baptism!"
The flaming whirlwind ripped past Hercules and smashed into the baseline, leaving a scorched mark before bouncing out. Only then did Hercules see Tachibana frozen mid-swing on the opposite side.
"15–15!"
"I think I've figured out your trick," Tachibana said, grinning wildly at Hercules.
"Not only strong in skill, but unyielding in spirit too? Looks like the one who failed the trial was me," Hercules muttered with a bitter smile. But his eyes quickly hardened again—he had no intention of giving up. Still, this game was beyond saving.
Evan, consumed by Radiance of Love, couldn't even see Chitose's serve anymore. He stood dazed, the ball streaking past him untouched before bouncing out.
"Ace! 30–0!"
"Ace! 40–0!"
When it was Hercules' turn to return, he didn't even try. There was no point. His focus now was on freeing Evan from the radiance's bind—otherwise, the match would be over here.
"Game! Japan! 3–1!"
"Mental branding, huh? The Greek player's ability is certainly interesting," Akashi had already pierced through the essence of Hercules' Trial of Power. It was similar to psychological suggestion.
"As expected, only on the world stage can you see all these different paths of tennis," Fuji said with a calm smile.
"With Greece showing this much strength and still only ranked tenth, how strong are the rest of the top ten? And just how much of their real power did Germany show us yesterday?" Krauser said worriedly.
"Greece's tenth-place rank is only because of their carefree attitude. Their actual strength is much higher," Akashi explained lightly.
In his eyes, with Zeus alone, Greece had the power to fight for fifth or sixth place. Maybe not against America, but certainly against France. But Zeus' laid-back nature meant he didn't care much about wins or losses.
On court, the fifth game was Hercules' serve. His Silver White Light grew even brighter, slowly resisting the invasion of Radiance of Love on Evan. At this point, it was essentially Hercules alone fighting Tachibana and Chitose. Evan was clearly out of his depth at this level.
With Chitose covering him, Tachibana avoided the Trial of Power entirely, and the rally turned fierce. Hercules fought one against two and, shockingly, held his ground. His strength was already near pro-level.
"15–0!"
"15–15!"
"30–15!"
"30–30!"
The score traded back and forth. Both Tachibana and Chitose's eyes widened in shock. Hercules' full power exceeded their expectations. But this was still doubles—no matter how strong, one man couldn't hold out forever.
Bit by bit, Evan regained himself under Hercules' silver glow and began moving again, filling gaps and supporting. It caught the Japanese pair off guard for a moment.
"Game! Greece! 3–2!"
But that was the last game Greece would take. In the following games, Tachibana shattered Hercules' mental branding with the power of Alternate Dimension. Together with Chitose's perfect sync, the two gradually smothered Hercules' counterattack.
Evan did everything he could to help, but no amount of effort could bridge the raw gap in strength. Tachibana and Chitose weren't just a world-class doubles pair—their individual ability had already reached the world-class threshold. In the end, Hercules couldn't carry it alone.
"Game! 6–2! Match over! Winner, Japan!"