"Game, set, and match—6-0. Winner: Yoru."
A deathly silence fell over the court.
Not a single voice could be heard in the entire stadium. Even Retter, who had announced the score, took a deep, shuddering breath.
On the court, QP knelt on the ground, gasping for air, his pupils trembling violently.
No one except Yoru knew what he had just experienced.
In the sixth game, the moment Yoru served, QP's entire world flipped upside down—no, it was more than that. His very perception had been inverted.
He couldn't tell whether he was the one hanging in midair or if Yoru, the court, and even the audience had been the ones to float upward.
The sheer sensory distortion made it impossible for him to stand. He spent the entire sixth game on his knees until the match ended.
Snap.
With a sharp click of fingers, QP's senses returned to normal.
As the adrenaline faded, cold sweat drenched his body, as if he had just crawled out of water.
"...I lost."
QP panted heavily, staring at the now-stable world before him. Strangely, he felt a sense of relief.
"Next time, let's have a proper match," Yoru said, walking over with a smile and offering his hand.
QP took it and let Yoru pull him up. "No need. A match only counts when both players give it their all. A player's duty is to fight for victory with everything they have."
Recalling the absurdity of the match, bitterness welled up in QP's heart.
He had faced opponents who specialized in mental techniques before—but never someone as monstrous as Yoru.
"...What was that just now?" QP asked.
"I call it Ten Senses Manipulation," Yoru replied, spreading his hands. "Though I can't actually control all ten yet. Still working on it."
"...So it's incomplete?"
QP shot Yoru a wary glance.
Even if he perfected his Ultimate Quality, would he be able to resist something like Ten Senses Deprivation?
---
With the match over, Yoru helped QP to the sidelines to rest. Retter motioned for the others to return to training.
Turning around, he caught sight of the cowering middle schoolers and felt a surge of irritation.
"Ten laps! Now!" he barked.
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The middle schoolers scrambled away in panic.
Honestly, they didn't want to stay around Yoru either—but this was their training ground. Where else could they go?
Once they were gone, Retter turned to QP with concern.
"How are you feeling?"
QP shook his head. "I'm fine, Coach. Just need a little rest."
His face was pale, his body drenched in sweat—clear signs of mental exhaustion. But he'd recover.
Retter sighed in relief, then looked at Yoru.
"Yoru... your mother. Who is she?"
"My... mother?"
Yoru blinked.
That was not the question he'd expected.
He thought Retter would ask about Ten Senses Manipulation.
"I don't know," Yoru admitted. "I have no memory of her. Even Oyaji—Echizen Nanjiro—never talks about her."
Since arriving in this world, he had asked about his mother.
But Nanjiro refused to speak a word about her, even reacting with clear distaste whenever the topic came up.
His past self's memories of her were hazy at best.
And after transmigrating, Yoru had heard nothing about her. To this day, he had no idea who the woman behind his birth was.
The only thing he knew?
She was still alive.
Even someone as kind as Echizen Rinko had told him, "Just pretend she's dead."
So Yoru had long stopped caring.
"...I see."
Retter didn't press further.
He had his suspicions, but if Nanjiro refused to speak of it, he wouldn't either.
---
After lunch, QP took Yoru to visit the elite training club.
Unfortunately, Yoru didn't run into any other canon characters.
Borg and Schneider were currently undergoing professional evaluations, training with the national team.
Bismarck, the German U-17 vice-captain in the original series, was out scouting with an assistant coach—doing the same thing Schneider had been.
As for players like Siegfried, Frankensteiner, and Borg's younger brother, Bertie—they were still too young, honing their skills at other tennis centers.
After touring the facility, Yoru found most players were around 6-star level, with only one or two 7-star middle schoolers.
With Borg away at the pro team, QP was the undisputed top dog here.
Yoru played a few casual matches with some of the members, but quickly lost interest.
---
In the lounge, Yoru stood by the window, watching the players train below.
The elite club's training methods were cutting-edge, backed by world-class facilities. It was a true holy ground for tennis development.
"So? Have you thought about it?"
QP walked over, handing him a sports drink.
Yoru took a sip. "Thought about what?"
"Joining the elite club."
QP glanced at the training players below. "With your skill and talent, you'd have access to the best resources here."
He genuinely hoped Yoru would stay.
Right now, he had no rivals in the club who could push him.
Compared to dull, one-sided matches, a crushing defeat like today's had exposed his weaknesses—giving him room to grow.
Though his Ultimate Quality was designed to evolve by absorbing experience from matches involving the Three Radiant Lights, the more he refined his foundation now, the stronger it would become once he did assimilate them.
"I'll think about it later," Yoru said, leaving the door open.
Truthfully, he was more inclined to return to China and compete in the World Cup as a representative of his homeland.
But the logistics were complicated.
Knowing the Prince of Tennis universe, if a country wasn't featured in the series, its players were likely extremely weak.
That meant if he wanted to compete for China, he'd probably have to assemble a full 20-man squad from scratch—way too much work.
Teams like the U.S., Japan, or Britain were out of the question—personal reasons.
That left Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and France as viable options.
Of course, if possible, he wanted to see China's state in this world before deciding.
Even if he didn't end up representing them, he was curious about their strength.
His final choice would depend on what runes he unlocked in future matches.
After all, most competitions in this world were team-based, and runes would dictate his World Cup ambitions.
---
"Oh, right."
Yoru suddenly turned to QP. "Coach Retter mentioned you're searching for the Light of Love and Light of Fortitude, right?"
QP nodded. "Yes."
"I know a guy who has the potential for both," Yoru said. "But he's in Japan."
QP's head snapped toward him, eyes burning with intensity.
"Can you take me to him?"
Seeing that fiery gaze, Yoru's inner devil smirked.
"I could... but you'd have to stay in Japan with me for three months."
---
Meanwhile, at the German Tennis Training Center...
Retter dialed Nanjiro's number.
The call connected, and a lazy voice answered:
"Wow, what's the occasion? Kid finally arrived?"
Retter cut straight to the point.
"Nanjiro... is Yoru's birth mother Jesusa Nalan?"