"That boy's Wirbel Taufe still hasn't reached Volk's level, so it isn't truly unreturnable!" Zeus, watching from the sideline, was surprised by Krauser's Wirbel Taufe, but he quickly spotted the gap compared to Volk's.
"Even so, it's still hard to deal with. But Vulcan might barely be able to crack it," Hercules said thoughtfully.
On court, Kite didn't give the Greek pair much time. He tossed the ball again, unleashing all the power in his left arm at once. A louder blast than before rang out, and the ball rocketed toward the opposite court with immense force.
Hermes immediately sensed danger, but the ball had already bounced in front of him. He had no choice but to swing. The next instant, the massive shock tore through his wrist. He instantly let go with his left hand, and both racket and ball flew backward, soaring out of the court in an instant.
"Game! Japan! 1-0!"
"The power nearly doubled… just about what I expected. Let's see another game~" Hermes muttered calmly after retrieving his racket near the baseline.
The second game was Vulcan's serve. He picked up a ball, tested its bounce against the ground, then tossed it high. Muscles bulged along his right arm as he swung full force down at the falling ball.
Flames burst out, and the ball, blazing hot, landed in the far court. Krauser rushed to hit it, but a column of fire shot up, blasting his racket away. A charred ball dropped to the ground.
"Divine Flame!"
"Ace! 15-0!"
"Reason doesn't seek pleasure, only the absence of pain. I can feel your obsession with victory—it's excellent. But sometimes, excellence isn't a virtue. It's a habit," Vulcan said calmly to Krauser and Kite after scoring.
Krauser fell silent, unsure how to reply. The words were cryptic, but he understood some of their meaning.
Ignoring their reaction, Vulcan tossed the ball again and unleashed another Divine Flame. Krauser didn't swing this time. The ball shot skyward and floated weakly out of bounds.
"Ace! 30-0!"
"So this serve forces an immediate swing. If you don't meet it head-on, you can't stop it~" Kite pushed up the edge of his glasses with one hand, eyes gleaming. 'As expected of the World Cup—even in group play, there are opponents this strong.'
On the third serve, Vulcan unleashed Divine Flame once more. This time Kite rushed in with both hands gripping his racket. The violent impact slammed against the frame, but he held tight. The blackened ball rolled slowly off his racket and onto the ground.
"Ace! 40-0!"
"Amazing technique! The timing requirement is so strict. If you can't return it instantly, it's an automatic point!" In the Japan bench, Fuji's tone was filled with awe as he watched Vulcan on the screen.
Akashi frowned at the sight of Kite and Krauser. These two Greeks hadn't appeared in the original records, so he knew little about their true strength—only rough estimates from Mitsuya's data.
With that thought, Akashi walked straight toward the exit. Fuji, Niō, Kippei Tachibana, and Chitose exchanged looks and followed. Soon, they arrived by the courtside coach's bench.
At that moment, Vulcan served a fourth Divine Flame. From the earlier rallies and his own direct feel, Kite had worked out the timing. As the flames rose from the bounce, he swung instantly, using the Super Sweet Spot to absorb the impact.
At last, the ball was returned. But Hermes suddenly appeared at the net, cutting the shot with a sharp angle. The ball deflected toward the left sideline, too far for either Kite or Krauser to reach.
"Game! Greece! 1-1!"
"Your movement speed comes from a special step technique, doesn't it? But when you go all out to hit the ball, you can't use it instantly. Meaning… your movement has a flaw." Hermes's voice was calm and cold as he fixed his gaze on Kite.
Kite's eyes narrowed, a dangerous aura slowly rising from him. For his shukuchi to be seen through in just one game—this was no small problem.
"Data tennis… such subtle perception and rapid response, paired with speed on par with Kaji..." Akashi murmured softly on the sideline, thoughtful as he watched Hermes's return.
"There really are a lot of data tennis players in the world~ Germany has QP and Bertie, and now Greece has one too!" Fuji, having clearly heard Akashi's words, spoke helplessly.
"Well, data tennis does make it easier to succeed! But it also takes a special talent, puri~" Niō replied with a grin.
Niō's words were true. Akashi, for example—though he relied on the Emperor Eye, at its core it was still a use of data. The difference was, unlike others, he didn't need to calculate. He only had to analyze.
The third game was Krauser's serve. His face was cold as he stepped to the baseline, eyes sharp as he glanced at Hermes. Tossing the ball, his right hand swung while giving it fierce spin.
The ball shot across the net at high speed, bouncing with sharp rotation before suddenly springing straight at Hermes's face. Hermes reacted quickly, jerking his head aside, but not fast enough to avoid a faint red mark left on his cheek. The next moment, he returned the ball cleanly. Krauser's sidespin serve was nasty, but not enough to stop Hermes.
As soon as Hermes hit back, he surged forward toward the net. But Kite had already used his shukuchi to flash ahead, his right hand glowing faintly as he swung hard with his left.
Darkness engulfed the Greek half of the court. Hermes's footwork faltered as Vulcan's muffled groan sounded nearby. When the darkness cleared, Vulcan was clutching his right wrist with a grimace, his racket lying on the ground a short distance away.
"Dark Side!"
"15-0!"
Since the second point was also Hermes's return, Krauser ignored whether Vulcan had retrieved his racket and served again, launching another vicious sidespin. The ball skidded fast across the net and smashed into the right backcourt.
Hermes rushed to the bounce point and, prepared this time, avoided the sudden rebound, returning the ball smoothly.
As Hermes returned, Vulcan had already picked up his racket, guarding the back so Hermes could attack the net freely. Kite again flashed forward, striking fiercely at the incoming ball.
But this time, the darkness never came. Instead, after sailing past Hermes, the ball suddenly swerved in midair, curving all the way around Vulcan before dropping onto the baseline and bouncing out.
"Great Habu!"
"30-0!"
"Oh? So it even has a stronger version. Interesting~" Hermes muttered in mild surprise at seeing Great Habu's effect.
After Kite's point, Krauser retreated to the baseline. Without hesitation, he tossed the ball again. As his racket swung, there was a subtle stretch, sending the ball spinning violently toward the Greek half.
Vulcan reached the bounce point, leaning back slightly. This time, the ball didn't rebound toward his face. He quickly swung.
The instant his racket met the ball, fierce vertical spin wrenched at his wrist. Vulcan immediately recognized it—Wirbel Taufe. Veins bulged across his hand as he gripped the racket tight, his left hand snapping onto the handle as his left foot twisted his body like an axis. He forced the ball back with sheer power.
Krauser's pupils shrank sharply, but Kite was already at the net, his hand glowing again. Endless darkness fell.
Hermes wasn't surprised this time. From Kite's swing motion, he'd already read the path. Shifting his body left, he narrowly avoided the Dark Side.
Behind him, Vulcan still gripped his racket with both hands, swinging like a massive hammer. Brilliant firelight split the darkness. The ball blazed like molten flame, shooting between Kite and Krauser before searing a black mark into the baseline.
"Heaven Fire Hammer!"
"30-15!"
"Everyone has the right to grow and learn. But only those who understand the warning of cause and effect can be guided onto the right path!" Vulcan's words came unbidden, stirred by Kite and Krauser's playing style, which reminded him of the Stephanopoulos brothers on their team.