"Was that your Void just now?" Irie asked, turning to Tanegashima with a surprised look as he glanced at Akashi from the Japan team bench.
"Uh... I'm not sure. It looked kind of similar, but that's my personal ability. Akashi-chan shouldn't be able to use it," Tanegashima replied uncertainly, his brows furrowing.
In truth, Akashi couldn't use Void at all—it was a unique gift belonging solely to Tanegashima. But Kise's perfect mimicry allowed Akashi to reproduce nearly identical movements and effects. What Akashi had done just now was nothing more than dissolving the Glowing Shot through his masterful Super Sweetspot control.
Meanwhile, on the France team bench, Camus's eyes stayed fixed on the court. Watching Ludovic's battered form, he felt a heavy weight in his chest. He didn't know what to say; every emotion condensed into a long, quiet sigh.
That sigh carried sympathy for Ludovic's struggle—and resignation for France's inevitable defeat. His thoughts were a tangled storm, so complex that even he couldn't describe the feeling.
But on court, Ludovic had already lifted himself back up. Ignoring Akashi's words, he stood tall again, his gaze burning like fire. Step by step, he walked toward the baseline—the place of his pride, his battlefield.
At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind: Win this match. He knew this was more than just tennis. It was France's final chance. There could be no hesitation, no retreat.
As Ludovic's racket struck, the sharp crack of impact echoed through the stadium. Behind him, the phantom of a knight in full armor came alive, charging toward Akashi with unstoppable momentum—yet to Akashi, the mental pressure felt like nothing more than a passing breeze.
This time, Akashi didn't return with a Glowing Shot. A green-haired silhouette flickered behind him instead, and he swung his racket upward in a clean, ascending motion. The ball shot high into the sky, like a meteor tearing through the heavens, vanishing from sight.
Ludovic's expression hardened instantly. He recognized that move—it was the same one he had seen in a recording of the exhibition match between Japan and Germany. Realizing what was coming, he sprinted toward the baseline with everything he had.
But the ball was already falling. Like a meteorite, it dropped right before him, too fast to react. It slammed precisely on the baseline and spun violently in place, kicking up a small storm of dust.
When the rotation finally ceased, the ball lay motionless—resting perfectly on the line, mocking Ludovic's late reaction.
"Game! Japan! 2–0!"
"Your French team is strong," Akashi said coldly, his golden eyes burning. "But you'll still lose. Do you know who's led Japan this far? Even the world's No. 3 team cannot defy me. The era of the BIG4 is over. From now on, you'll never touch the ball again—except when serving."
"ZONE! (Second Stage)"
Akashi turned back to the baseline, tossing the ball into the air. The moment racket met string, the sharp sound echoed like a war drum.
At the same time, the court beneath Ludovic cracked open. Chains burst from the ground like living serpents, wrapping tightly around him and the armored knight behind him. No matter how he struggled, the chains only tightened, coiling around him with crushing force.
The ball streaked past him like lightning, its trail leaving only an afterimage before slamming into the baseline and bouncing clean out of the court.
"Ace! 15–0!"
The umpire's voice echoed, but Ludovic couldn't hear it. He was too busy struggling against the chains that bound him, unable to move even an inch. As Akashi prepared his next serve, dread crept through Ludovic's chest.
"Ace! 30–0!"
Once again, the serve tore past him, hitting the line before he could react. His composure finally shattered—his pride and confidence crushed completely.
But Akashi didn't intend to stop. A surge of overwhelming mental energy exploded from him, enveloping not only Ludovic but the entire court itself.
"Mental Pressure!"
A pair of godlike eyes—the Emperor's Eyes—flashed within Ludovic's mind. His chest tightened painfully, as though his heart were about to stop. The chains binding him grew heavier, pulling him down until it felt like he would be torn apart.
Akashi's eyes now glowed with a deep, scarlet hue. Around him, an unseen force rippled through the air, suffocating in its intensity. Even the spectators had fallen silent, as if the entire arena had been muted.
Akashi Seijurō—his spiritual power fully unleashed.
Even with the power of the Alternate Dimension strengthening him, Ludovic could feel his strength slipping away. The phantom chains binding him only grew tighter. For the first time, a feeling he had never known—despair—rose deep within his heart.
Under Akashi's overwhelming Mental Pressure, Ludovic realized he could no longer resist. All he could do was stand helplessly as the ball flashed past him again and again.
"Ace! 40–0!"
"Game! Japan! 3–0!"
Although the match entered a short break, Ludovic showed no sign of recovery. Even as he sat on the bench, whispering words of encouragement to himself, his spirit refused to rise. Not even Auguir's Five Chariots Art could help this time—it wasn't omnipotent after all.
Yes—Ludovic's earlier recovery had come from the Joy Chariot and Pleasure Chariot, which boosted his morale and energy. But even that, combined with his Alternate Dimension, had reached its limit. His mental strength could no longer climb.
On the Japan bench, no one dared to speak to Akashi. The sheer pressure radiating from him was suffocating. Even Byoudouin and Oni exchanged tense glances, both secretly uneasy at the intensity of his aura.
The break ended quickly. When Akashi and Ludovic stepped back onto the court, Camus closed his eyes, his expression heavy. He knew—it was over. Ludovic had no chance left.
Sure enough, in the fourth game, Ludovic's serves lost their sharpness. The armored knight behind him flickered faintly, its form weakening under the constricting chains.
Meanwhile, Akashi completely dominated with his flawless five-dimensional stats. Just as he had declared earlier, Ludovic couldn't return a single shot except for his serves.
"Game! Japan! 4–0!"
As the fifth game began, the knight's image finally shattered, scattering into countless specks of starlight before vanishing into the air. With its disappearance, Ludovic's five-dimensional attributes fell even further under Akashi's oppressive will.
Even then, Akashi showed no mercy. Enkidu's phantom floated above the court, and the Chains of Heaven continued to bind Ludovic tightly in place.
"Game! Japan! 5–0! Change sides!"
"It's over…" Byoudouin murmured from the bench, watching the inevitable unfold.
"This victory over France should make up for your regret from two years ago, Byoudouin-kun," Mifune said quietly, his tone mixed with nostalgia and relief.
"Hmph! That doesn't matter. As long as we win the World Cup, I don't care if I have to stake my life on it!" Byoudouin replied, his resolve firm. Still, even he hadn't expected Akashi's presence to transform the Japan team this completely.
"0–15!"
"0–30!"
"0–40!"
The match had reached match point. Ludovic hadn't given up, but the sweat streaming down his face and the trembling of his arms revealed the truth—he was merely enduring his final struggle.
With great effort, Ludovic served one last high-speed ball. Akashi's eyes stayed calm. In a single flash, he moved to intercept.
"France's World Cup journey ends here. No one can stop us from taking the championship."
As Akashi's voice echoed, his racket swung down. The tennis ball vanished in a streak of light, cutting through the court with impossible speed.
Ludovic ran with all his might, his eyes locked on the rolling ball. His steps were fast, desperate, every stride an attempt to close the distance—but no matter how hard he pushed, the ball stayed just beyond reach, mocking him silently.
Bit by bit, his frustration turned to anguish. Memories of past victories, pride, and confidence flickered before his eyes, now reduced to illusions. He tried to steady his breath, to focus—but that ball seemed like a cruel taunt, flying just out of reach.
Despair grew stronger, consuming him from within. His vision dimmed; the light in his eyes faded away. Every ounce of strength drained from his body until he could no longer fight back.
"Game! 6–0! Match over! Winner: Japan! Total score, 2–0!"