As the Swiss team members entered one after another, the tension in the air immediately intensified. The Japan team's players, who had been relaxed a moment ago, now wore serious expressions, each of them clearly feeling the heavy pressure radiating from their opponents.
Amid the oppressive atmosphere, one figure stood out above all—the Swiss captain, Alexander Amadeus. His gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Byoudouin, the captain of the Japan team.
With calm, confident steps, Amadeus walked straight toward them. His eyes held a quiet assurance, as though he already knew how this match would end. Stopping in front of Byoudouin, he spoke in an even tone.
"I didn't expect your Japan team to make it this far. Unfortunately, this is as far as you go."
"Hmph! Anyone can talk big. This is a fight where we stake our lives—no one gets out unscathed!" Byoudouin's voice turned cold, his sharp gaze locking onto Amadeus, unshaken and resolute.
"Is that so? Then I look forward to facing you today, Byoudouin." Amadeus replied without a change in expression, his tone calm as ever. Turning away, he walked back toward his team, leaving Byoudouin standing alone in thought.
"What a shame… but even so, today your Swiss team will fall before us, just like you did two years ago," Byoudouin muttered softly, eyes fixed on Amadeus's retreating back.
At the same time, Akashi's gaze never left the Swiss players. He silently analyzed their aura, trying to predict which lineup they would use today. But when he spotted both Tatsuta and Ranbiell among their ranks, an uneasy feeling stirred in his chest.
'So they're going all out from the start?' he thought. But it was too late to dwell on it now. All Akashi could do was trust his teammates—to fight with everything they had and seize victory for Japan.
He had considered joining today's match himself, but since several players had yet to compete, he ultimately decided to stand aside this time and let others take the court.
"The next match will be the U-17 World Cup quarterfinals! Switzerland versus Japan! Players, please take your positions!"
Once both teams had assembled, the umpire's voice echoed across the stadium. The players approached the net for the pre-match handshake—but as the scene unfolded, Akashi's expression hardened. The very situation he had dreaded had come true—Ranbiell stood quietly among the Swiss lineup.
'So they really sent their strongest formation… Are they not worried about facing Germany next? Or do they think defeating us will be that easy?' Akashi's sharp eyes narrowed as he watched the court. He knew this was going to be a brutal fight.
After the teams finished their greeting, they moved into final preparations. Mifune sat casually on the Japan bench, arms folded, while across from him sat Switzerland's coach—a gray-haired elder named Jean Onojieha. His eyes gleamed with wisdom, as though he had already seen through Japan's strategy.
"Now beginning the second doubles match! Representing Switzerland: Liano Campbell (3rd Year Middle School) and Gabriel Cape (2nd Year Middle School)! Representing Japan: Kimijima Ikuto (3rd Year High School) and Toono Atsukyou (3rd Year High School)! Players, please enter the court!"
Akashi frowned slightly. He had no memory of these two Swiss players—meaning they were likely the same pair who, in the original match records, had been crushed by the American team.
Judging by that, Switzerland probably planned to sacrifice this doubles match, saving their best energy for later rounds. If that was true, Akashi's earlier analysis had been correct—Japan could seize the early advantage.
At the umpire's signal, the four players stepped onto the court. Toono's face twisted with a sadistic grin as his eyes locked on the Swiss pair—this was his first World Cup match, and he'd been itching for it.
Kimijima's gaze remained calm and unflinching. He didn't bother with small talk; the Swiss players were middle schoolers—unknown and unimportant. There was no reason to waste words.
Without delay, the players began the toss to decide serve. Japan's luck seemed good—they won the right to serve first.
"This will be a best-of-three match! Japan to serve first!"
The first game began with Toono's serve. Stepping up to the baseline, he licked his lips, eyes flashing with manic excitement. Then he tossed the ball high into the air.
"Let's start with a greeting, shall we? Execution Method Number Twelve—Electric Chair!"
As Toono shouted the name of his technique, the ball crackled with electricity as it shot forward, streaking straight toward Campbell on the opposite side.
Campbell hesitated only for a moment before swinging his racket to return it—but the ball suddenly veered at the last instant after bouncing, striking him hard in the chest.
"Ahhhhhh!" Campbell screamed, collapsing to the ground as arcs of electricity danced violently across his body.
"Ace! 15–0!"
"So quick to fall? That won't do! The execution hasn't even begun!" Toono cackled wildly, his grin widening. Without giving his opponent a moment to recover, he tossed the next ball high into the air once more.
"Let's see how long you can last! The blood ritual is about to begin! Execution Method Number Thirteen—Beheading!" Toono shouted wildly as he swung his racket in a violent arc. The ball cut through the air at incredible speed, crossing the net and flying straight toward Campbell once again.
The instant the ball hit the ground, Campbell instinctively lifted his head. A blur of yellow filled his vision, growing rapidly larger. The next moment, a sharp pain exploded across his forehead, and his consciousness wavered.
"Ace! 30–0!"
"Yare yare~ I knew it would turn out like this. I just hope those two kids don't end up too badly hurt," Irie sighed helplessly from the sidelines. Though he had expected this outcome, he still couldn't bring himself to accept Toono's brand of tennis.
"Once you're standing on this stage, as long as you can crush your opponent, any method within the rules is fair game. That's the cruelty of the world!" Byoudouin said coolly, completely unfazed. In his eyes, if Toono could destroy the opposing pair outright, that was all the better.
The rest of the Japan team remained silent. The middle school players, even knowing Toono's ruthless style, couldn't hide their discomfort. But they had no choice but to accept it—it was part of competing at the world level.
The members of Fudomine, however, were completely calm. They had long grown used to this kind of scene. Especially Krauser and Akutsu—both had been playing violent tennis since their first year of middle school. Even Tachibana Kippei and Kite Eishirō weren't much different.
As for Kintarō, his mind was as carefree as ever. To him, tennis was only fun when it was a fierce back-and-forth. If someone couldn't return a shot, that was their own weakness to blame.
"So you switched the receiver, huh? In that case… Execution Method Number One—Seppuku!"
Toono grinned as he unleashed another serve with frightening power. The ball spun violently, cutting through the air at a wicked angle toward Cape's right side.
Although Cape had seen what happened to Campbell, he couldn't just stand there and do nothing. Gritting his teeth, he charged toward the landing point, determined to meet the ball.
But the moment it bounced, the ball curved in a strange, impossible arc, bypassing his racket entirely and slamming straight into his abdomen. A deep, crushing pain exploded inside him—his insides twisted as if wrung by a vice. The agony spread rapidly through his whole body, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping.
"Ace! 40–0!"
"That pose isn't bad. In that case… Execution Method Number Three—Buried Alive!" Toono's grin widened into a feral sneer as he tossed the ball high into the air and leapt upward.
Hanging in the air, he smashed the ball down with full force. It blazed across the court like a cannonball, slamming squarely into Cape's head. His eyes rolled back white, and he fell face-first to the ground, completely unconscious.
"Game! Japan! 1–0!"
"Referee! I request a timeout!" Amadeus's voice suddenly rang out from the Swiss bench.
The umpire looked between the court and Amadeus, then pressed his earpiece, communicating with the chief referee. After a brief exchange, he nodded toward Amadeus, signaling the official timeout.
"Tch… What a buzzkill," Toono muttered in irritation, clicking his tongue as he lazily twirled his racket.
"You're too reckless! What did I tell you last night?" Kimijima frowned, his voice sharp with disapproval.
"Enough already! It's rare for me to get court time—of course I'll go all out!" Toono shot back, glaring in frustration. If it had been anyone other than Kimijima, he likely would've thrown a punch.
The Swiss medical staff hurried onto the court, working quickly to check Cape's condition. After a few minutes, he groaned softly, regaining partial consciousness, though his vision was still blurry. Amadeus's brow furrowed slightly.
Though anger simmered beneath his calm exterior, Amadeus knew full well that this was the nature of the world tournament. For the honor of their countries, any method within the rules could appear on court. There was no one to blame but their own lack of strength.
Even though Cape hadn't fully recovered, the timeout period was limited. Judging by the pace of this brutal match, there was no guarantee he wouldn't be hit again. Still, with no choice left, Cape—supported by Campbell—slowly returned to his position on the court.