The stadium roared long before the match began. For the first time, Ren would face a Top 25 ranked player. His sudden leap into the National League spotlight had made him the darling of the media, but many still whispered that his rise was nothing more than hype.
"Seventy-four ranks apart," the commentator reminded. "Today we'll see if Messiah 99 is a miracle... or a passing fire."
In the broadcast booth, Ayaka adjusted her headset, her voice calm but heavy with anticipation.
"Ren Tachibana's story has been nothing short of extraordinary. But against Rank 25? This is where fairy tales usually end."
Maria crossed her arms in the stands, her lips pressed thin. Shizuka sat nearby, posture stiff, her eyes never leaving the court.
Ren's opponent entered with little fanfare. He didn't need it.
Name: Takuya Hoshino
Rank: 25
Alias: The Iron Wall
He was tall, broad-shouldered, and utterly expressionless. His racquet, plain wood-toned with the kanji for "Shugyō" etched into the frame, had none of the flashy colors that other pros carried.
The aura he exuded was simple: unyielding endurance.
Hoshino bowed once to the crowd, then gripped his handle tightly, the cord wrapped carefully around his wrist. His eyes never moved from the net.
Set 1 – Cracks in the Wall
The first rally lasted forty-five shots. Ren attacked high, low, angled. Every ball came back.
Smash. Block. Counter. Reset.
The crowd gasped each time Ren unleashed a strike, only to watch Hoshino return it as if swatting away a fly.
Ren's lungs burned. His shirt clung with sweat after just three games.
"Like hitting a stone wall," Shizuka muttered under her breath.
Six games later, the scoreline was merciless: 6–2, Hoshino.
Ren clenched his fist. This was no ordinary opponent.
Set 2 – Borrowed Endurance
Between sets, Shizuka grabbed Ren's shoulder.
"Don't play his game. If you rally on his terms, you'll die out there."
Ren exhaled. "Then I'll... take his game for myself."
The HUD flickered.
[Copy Technique – Level 2 Unlocked.]
Storage Slot: 1. Duration: +15 sec. Cost: Double.
For the first time, Ren felt a surge of borrowed rhythm. He matched Hoshino's patience, mirroring his tempo. The endless defense that had suffocated Ren now flowed through his own arms.
The crowd began to shift. Each rally stretched into minutes, then into epics. And slowly, Ren edged forward.
At 6–5, Ren leapt for a desperate overhead smash. The ball clipped the corner, impossible to return.
Set 2: Ren 7–5.
The stadium erupted.
Set 3 – Tie-Break Hell
Neither player gave ground in the third. Every point was fought through grueling rallies that pushed the match beyond an hour.
By the time the scoreboard reached 6–6, the crowd was on its feet. The commentator's voice cracked with excitement.
"We are heading to a tie-break!"
Ayaka took over, explaining for new viewers:
"In padel, tie-break points are counted as 0, 1, 2... instead of 15, 30. The first server delivers one ball from the right, then each side serves two points. At every six points, the players must switch ends. To win, you need two points of difference—7–5, 9–7, even longer if necessary."
The audience, many of them casual fans, listened with rapt attention as Ren and Hoshino traded blows like warriors in a battlefield.
At 7–7, Ren activated his "stored charge." His movements sharpened, his breath steadied—he carried Hoshino's own rhythm inside him.
A drop volley slipped past the Iron Wall.
8–7. Match point.
The final rally stretched past sixty balls. Ren's body screamed for release, but he refused to falter. When the ball kissed the back corner and Hoshino's return clipped the net, silence fell—then thunderous applause shook the arena.
Final Score: 2–6, 7–5, 7–6 (9–7).
Ren collapsed to one knee, gasping for air. His vision blurred, but the Oracle HUD blazed across his eyes:
[Copy Technique – Level 2 Confirmed.]
Duration: +15 sec. Storage Slot: 1. Cost: x2.
Shizuka rushed to his side, holding his shoulder.
"You won... but your body can't keep this up. Don't destroy yourself for this."
Ren forced a weak smile.
"If I stop here... then everyone who believes in me—wouldn't it all be wasted?"
The crowd chanted his name.
"Messiah! Messiah! Messiah!"
And for the first time, the Iron Wall bowed his head to an opponent.