Cape quickly realized something was wrong with Campbell. He waved both hands repeatedly in front of Campbell's face, but there was no reaction at all. Campbell just stood there like a wooden statue, completely motionless.
At that moment, no one noticed a figure in the audience—Echizen Nanjirō, wearing monk robes and sunglasses, sitting quietly in the corner. He watched the match with interest. Nanjirō hadn't expected the doubles match between Japan and Switzerland to resemble the one between Greece and the United States so much.
Both sides had sent out players skilled in Execution Law Tennis. The difference was that Max from the U.S. had it worse—he endured two executioners alone, while here, Tōno was the lone executioner against two opponents.
"Didn't think Japan had this kind of player too… pretty interesting~" Nanjirō murmured, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
On court, Tōno ignored Cape's panic completely. He tossed the ball and struck it cleanly. The serve shot across the net at incredible speed, landing near the right baseline.
Cape had no time to think about returning it. He kept trying desperately to wake Campbell, but his efforts were useless.
"Game! Japan! 5–0!"
The match was halted immediately for a medical timeout. Switzerland's medical staff rushed in to check on Campbell. After a brief examination, they confirmed his condition—his entire body was paralyzed and he couldn't move at all.
Amadeus's face darkened instantly. It was clear that Campbell couldn't continue. That left Switzerland with only two choices: let Cape play alone, or forfeit the match.
But Amadeus wasn't the kind to surrender easily. Whether as Switzerland's captain or as a proud professional player, the thought of conceding went against everything he stood for.
"Referee! Team Switzerland forfeits this match!"
Everyone turned in surprise as Kuraraga walked to the umpire's chair and made the decision himself.
"Kuraraga! Do you even know what you're doing?" Amadeus asked, clearly stunned.
"Enough, Alexander. This was my call. The best move for us right now is to forfeit," Coach Jin said from the bench, his tone calm but firm.
"…Fine. If it's your decision, I won't object," Amadeus finally said, sighing helplessly.
"Since Switzerland's player Liano Campbell is unable to continue, Japan wins the first doubles match! Final score: 5–0!"
After confirming the decision, the umpire officially announced Japan's victory. Among Japan's players, some looked surprised, while others remained calm—it seemed they had expected this outcome.
"They actually forfeited?! Unforgivable! I haven't even finished my blood sacrifice yet!" Tōno yelled, visibly irritated.
"You already won. Don't push your luck. Be glad the referee didn't throw you out," Kimijima said, glancing at him with mild disgust.
"Shut up, all of you! Especially you, Tōno brat! Get to the back, now!" Mifune suddenly roared, his voice echoing across the court. Tōno froze for a moment, then, looking guilty, shuffled back to the bench with Kimijima.
"That's Tōno's tennis. Once he completes all his Execution Laws and finishes with the Mercy Strike, the opponent can only surrender," Tanegashima said quietly as Tōno sat down, a faint sigh in his voice.
"Anyway, we've won the first match. The rest is up to you two." Coach Mifune turned his sharp gaze toward the next players waiting at the bench. He wasn't surprised Switzerland chose to forfeit. Like Tanegashima had said—once you're hit by Tōno's Mercy Strike, surrender is the only path left.
Under Mifune's watchful eyes, two towering figures stepped toward the court. They were Japan's other two powerhouse players besides Duke and Oni—Date Danji and Ishida Gin.
"You two, be careful out there! Your opponents are a well-known power duo even on the world stage. Winning matters, but don't push yourselves too far. Getting injured isn't worth it," Duke warned as they passed him.
He already knew about Switzerland's famed "Twin Walls." As a fellow power-type player, Duke understood just how strong they were. Unfortunately, after his match with Camus yesterday, his stamina and mental energy were both drained. A single night wasn't enough to recover. Right now, he wasn't even at half his usual strength. Forcing himself to play again would be reckless—and nearly hopeless.
That was exactly what the coach and Akashi had discussed the previous night. After all, the "Twin Walls" were Switzerland's ace doubles pair. Without Duke on court, Japan had little chance of winning—unless Oni was placed in the doubles lineup, but that clearly wasn't realistic.
Originally, Byoudouin had planned to play today as well, but the coaching staff decided to save him for the semifinals, since their next opponent would most likely be Germany. As for Akashi, it was the same reasoning—both he and Byoudouin were considered Japan's trump cards against the German team.
Though Switzerland, ranked second in the world, was undeniably strong, they were still a step below Germany. The coaches believed that with Oni and Akutsu holding the line, things would be fine. It all depended on how Switzerland arranged their lineup.
"Don't worry! We'll win this one for sure! Let's go, Ishida-kun!" Date Danji flashed a confident grin at Duke, then gestured to Ishida Gin and strode toward the court.
Ishida pressed his palms together respectfully in a small Buddhist gesture before following alongside Date, racket in hand. Their broad backs radiated a quiet strength, giving the team a deep sense of reassurance.
"Now beginning the Doubles One match! Team Switzerland—Albert Federer (third year high school) and Randy Pugu (third year high school)! Team Japan—Date Danji (third year high school) and Ishida Gin (third year middle school)! Players, please enter the court!"
Four towering figures stepped onto the court at the same time. Compared to the Swiss duo, however, Date and Ishida were clearly smaller in build—Asian physiques simply didn't match the European frame.
The crowd erupted in cheers when Federer and Pugu appeared. They were clearly popular—Switzerland's top doubles pair, ranked second in the world, undefeated in doubles so far.
After shaking hands at the net, both sides remained silent. The air was thick with tension until the umpire signaled for the coin toss. Switzerland won the serve.
"The match will be best of three sets! Switzerland to serve first!"
"Those two from Japan look like power players too," Federer said as he walked to the baseline, glancing at his partner.
"All the better! When it comes to raw strength, we never lose," Pugu replied with a grin, though a faint flush crept up his cheeks.
Federer stood ready for the first serve. He tossed the ball high and struck it with brutal force. A deafening crack echoed through the court as the ball rocketed across the net like a cannon shell toward Japan's side.
"Nice shot! Man's Springtime!!" Date shouted, sliding into position. He swung his racket with explosive power, unleashing his signature move without hesitation.
The ball carried immense kinetic energy, blasting toward the open left corner of the Swiss court. But Pugu was already there. His right arm flexed, muscles bulging, and he swung hard.
The instant racket met ball, the tennis ball deformed under the sheer pressure. A burst of white air rippled outward from his strings, and the ball shot back like a beam of light.
Ishida, though not fast, reacted instantly. It was doubles—his turn to act. Sprinting toward the ball, his left arm tensed, muscles swelling as he gathered his strength. He met the ball head-on, waist and legs aligned perfectly, and prepared his signature stance.
"Hadoukyu—Style 108!"
There was no holding back on the world stage. Ishida launched his strongest normal strike.
The lightning-charged blast surged across the net in an instant. Federer smirked and met it head-on. The impact bent his racket face inward from the tremendous force.
"Impressive power! I knew you two were worth fighting! Hah!" Federer shouted, his right arm surging with strength as he sent the 108th Hadoukyu right back.
"As expected... not that easy, huh? Then take this—Reverse Style 180 Hadoukyu!!" Ishida drew a deep breath. The moment the ball crossed the net, it was pulled as if magnetized, slamming into his racket once more.
A golden shockwave, even stronger than before, roared across the court toward the Swiss side. Pugu moved in to intercept, but when he swung, his eyes widened—the sheer weight behind the shot was unreal. Before he could recover, the racket flew from his hand.
"0–15!"
"I've never stopped refining my Hadoukyu," Ishida said calmly, palms pressed together once more.