Blood-red hair. Cold, ruthless eyes. At this moment, Kite gave off an extremely dangerous aura.
"Demon Mode?"
The other middle schoolers quickly realized what was happening.
If they remembered correctly, this was the same special state that Ryouma Kirihara from Rikkai Dai had awakened during the Kanto Tournament.
In this state, a player's aggression surged, increasing the likelihood of malicious attacks. Of course, Kite's personality was never exactly pleasant to begin with. Among middle schoolers, Higa's playing style was already the most underhanded.
"At this rate," Fuji said with a sigh, "the match is going to get brutal."
The others tensed at his words.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
Soon, the second set began.
Kite, his hair now crimson, bounced the ball at a steady, controlled pace—unlike Kirihara's frenzied, bloodthirsty aggression in Demon Mode.
"Senior Tohno," Kite said, gripping the ball, his face still marked with scratches. He looked up with a chilling smile. "Thank you for helping me unlock this power. Now, let me return the favor."
Whoosh.
He tossed the ball into the air.
"Heh." Tohno smirked, unfazed. "Surviving seven of my Execution Techniques and still standing? Not bad. Let's see just how far you can go."
Boom!
Kite served.
The ball shot straight toward the far corner of Tohno's service box.
Fwip!
Just as everyone wondered why he hadn't used [Big Bang] or [Sidewinder], the ball suddenly accelerated.
"Oh?" Tohno's eyes flickered with surprise. "Changed your style? Too bad—still amateurish."
Boom!
The ball landed, and Tohno smoothly raised his racket to return it.
Swish!
But the moment it bounced, the ball accelerated again.
"What?!"
Tohno's expression twisted in shock. With no time to react properly, he barely managed to block with his racket.
Bang!
The impact sent him stumbling back several steps.
Whoosh!
Meanwhile, Kite closed the distance instantly with [Shukuchihou], positioning himself perfectly. As he swung, his eyes gleamed with cold intent.
"Damn brat!" Tohno scowled, still shaken but now on high alert. "Is it Big Bang or Sidewinder?!"
He braced himself, trying to predict Kite's next move.
Flick!
Kite's wrist snapped forward—faster than before.
CRACK!
A sharp sound split the air as multiple shadowy afterimages twisted through the air like venomous snakes, their trajectories impossible to track.
"Sidewinder?!" The spectators gasped.
"But—there are so many?!"
The entire court was engulfed in a storm of black streaks, making it impossible to distinguish the real ball.
"Okinawan Ancient Martial Arts: Dragon Shot." Kite's voice was icy.
Whoosh!
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
The phantom shots morphed into a barrage of unpredictable trajectories, all converging on Tohno.
"Bluffing won't save you!" Tohno snarled, focusing intently on the incoming barrage.
"There!"
After a split-second analysis, he spotted the real ball hidden among the illusions. Without hesitation, he swung—
BANG!
—and cleanly struck the real shot.
"What?!" The Higa players were stunned.
They had expected Kite's new technique to at least score against Tohno. Yet it had been countered so easily?
Swish!
But then—another sound.
"Huh?!"
Tohno's eyes widened as a second ball, lightning-fast, suddenly materialized and hurtled toward his face.
BAM!
The next moment, the brutal Executioner was sent crashing to the ground by a direct headshot.
"Okinawan Ancient Martial Arts: Twin Dragon Breaker." Kite's voice was devoid of emotion.
"This guy…" Mouri, Kanata, and the others scowled.
"He hid a second ball in his swing," Tokugawa said grimly. "Tricked Tohno completely."
"Exactly," Mitsuya nodded. "Like a martial artist's hidden strike—the real attack comes from where you least expect it."
The other high schoolers shook their heads.
Tohno, a master of brutal tennis, had just been outplayed at his own game.
That headshot had been brutal.
But—
From Byoudouin and Oni down to the lowest-ranked second-stringers—no one questioned Kite's tactics.
Under U-17 rules, multiple-ball plays were perfectly legal. Whether it was two balls or twenty, the coaches and referees wouldn't bat an eye.
As for Tohno?
If he couldn't see through the trick, that was his weakness.
"Cough… cough…"
Tohno staggered to his feet, his vision swimming.
Kite's shot had hit hard. If not for the intense training he'd undergone after taking Ishikawa's brutal serves, he might've been out cold for minutes.
"As expected of the Top 10," Kite said mockingly. "Taking a hit like that and still standing."
"You little—!" Tohno's face twisted in fury.
Boom!
But Kite didn't give him time to retort, immediately firing another serve.
From then on, the match became a fierce back-and-forth.
No flashy techniques—just ruthless, precision strikes as both players pushed their limits.
"Kite Eishirou…" Atobe narrowed his eyes from the sidelines. "When did he get this strong?"
As a Top 10 player, Tohno's skill was undeniable. Yet Kite—despite enduring seven Execution Techniques—was now matching him blow for blow.
"This isn't Demon Mode," Mukahi noted. "His rhythm is controlled, his malice calculated. He's more composed than usual."
"One question," a quiet voice cut in—Hiyoshi. "Why didn't he use this in the first set? With his pride, there's no way he'd willingly humiliate himself in front of everyone."
"…Good point." Atobe's gaze sharpened. "Unless… he wanted this."
His [Insight] picked up subtle changes in Kite's demeanor.
"He let Tohno's attacks push him to this state."
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
Tohno's brutality was no joke—one wrong move, and Kite could've been seriously injured. Was he really that reckless?
"Suppressing malice, amplifying negativity…" Ishikawa, watching from the stands, raised an eyebrow. "He merged his consciousness with his own darkness?"
Kite's method resembled how Yukimura and the others had pressured Kirihara during the Nationals.
But unlike Kirihara, Kite had done this deliberately—and with far more ruthlessness.
"What has he been doing all this time?"
Ishikawa studied Kite closely.
His growth was undeniable. In raw skill, he was now on par with Atobe and Sanada.
And this pseudo-Demon Mode? It amplified Kite's natural playstyle to terrifying levels, letting him go toe-to-toe with U-17's No. 8.
Tap!
Suddenly, Kite dropped a short shot.
Tohno lunged, deliberately lobbing it high—a clear trap.
"Kite, watch out!" Higa's players shouted, recognizing Tohno's setup for another Execution Technique.
But Kite wasn't fooled. He leapt, swinging down with a two-handed smash.
BOOM!
The ball rocketed toward Tohno like a cannonball.
"Execution Technique No. 6: Cement Shoes!"
Tohno's eyes gleamed as he aimed for Kite's left foot.
Thud!
But the moment his racket connected—
"This power—?!"
Clatter.
His racket was knocked clean out of his hand.
Thwack!
The ball plowed straight into his gut, sending him crashing down again.
"Okinawan Ancient Martial Arts: Iron Cannon."
Kite landed smoothly, his face an emotionless mask.
No triumph. No pity. Just cold efficiency.
"H-He's too strong…" The high schoolers shuddered.
Kite's presence had grown even more terrifying. And now—a dark, crimson aura flickered around him.
"Two consciousnesses fused?" Ishikawa's eyes narrowed.
If Kite had truly merged his normal self with his darker impulses, this wasn't just a simple power boost—it was exponential growth.
"What kind of training did he go through?"
"Hmm?"
Meanwhile, Duke Watanabe—usually cheerful and relaxed—suddenly stiffened, his eyes widening.
"This aura…"
"The Radiance of Corruption?!"
Elsewhere, Ryoga Echizen watched with rare interest.
"Didn't expect to see this here."
"Huh?" Ryoma frowned. "You know this state?"
Even he felt uneasy facing Kite now.
"Yeah. Met someone like this before." Ryoga nodded. "It's dangerous—it devours an opponent's light, eroding their will."
"Devours… light?" Ryoma's eyes widened. "You mean—?"
"Exactly." Ryoga smirked. "It's the dark counterpart to the Muga no Kyouchi—the Corrupted Muga."
"What?!"
Meanwhile, Tohno's rage reached its peak. He unleashed every Execution Technique in his arsenal, forcing Kite on the defensive.
But despite taking several brutal hits, Kite's monstrous endurance kept him standing.
Worse—
The dark red aura around him pulsed, subtly draining Tohno's fighting spirit.
"This is bad…" The high schoolers muttered as Kite inched closer to victory.
But just as it seemed over—Tohno made one final, desperate gamble.
Summoning every ounce of strength, he unleashed his ultimate technique:
"Execution Technique No. 12: Electric Chair!"
Boom!
But exhaustion had taken its toll.
The shot was slow.
"Is that all, senpai?" Kite sneered.
He saw the trajectory clearly.
"Game over."
He swung—
Swish!
—only for the ball to swerve at the last second, slamming into his ribs.
ZAP!
A jolt of electricity coursed through him.
"Guh—!"
Tohno collapsed, unconscious.
"That's it?" Kite scoffed.
Instead of pain, he felt… refreshed.
"Took you long enough," he muttered, stepping forward to finish the match—
—when suddenly, the world tilted.
Thud.
Kite crumpled to the ground.
"I—I can't move?!"
His mind was clear, but his body refused to respond—as if paralyzed.