BOOM—!
Second serve.
QP managed a single step—but couldn't intercept.
"Oni Juujirou scores! 30-0!"
...
Third serve.
QP swung—but whiffed completely.
"Oni Juujirou scores! 40-0!"
...
Fourth serve.
QP finally made contact—but the monstrous force wrenched the racket from his grip, sending it flying out of bounds.
"Oni Juujirou takes the game! 3-4!"
...
Four serves. Four points.
QP was adapting—he'd even landed a return.
But the raw power behind Oni's strikes now dwarfed anything before.
Even his Vertical Jump Smash paled in comparison.
This wasn't just the "Light of Love" amplifying Oni's strength—it was suppressing QP's performance.
Rumors of the aura's dampening effect were true.
"Now I'm curious about the 'Light of Fortitude'..." Yoru mused.
Each Pinnacle of Perfect Harmony variant had unique properties.
In the original series, Oni had unlocked the "Light of Fortitude" at the last moment—but time ran out before its effects were fully shown.
Knowing the author's habits, that plot thread would likely remain unresolved.
---
Game 8: QP's Serve.
The moment the ball left his hand—
Oni blasted it back.
No technique. No finesse.
Just pure, unfiltered force—fast, heavy, and utterly joyous.
Like a child rediscovering tennis, swinging with abandon, every shot a full-bodied celebration.
That unbridled happiness radiated outward, eroding QP's win-focused mentality—
And crippling his execution.
BOOM—!
"Oni Juujirou scores! 4-4!"
...
BOOM—!
"Oni Juujirou leads! 5-4!"
...
Resistance was futile.
QP could muster fleeting counters, but sustaining them was impossible.
The sheer speed left him no time to brace with both hands.
Single-handed returns?
His racket kept flying.
The frame was visibly dented—forcing him to switch to a heavier model, which only handicapped him further.
---
"So this is the 'Light of Love'..."
QP gasped, sweat-drenched, fingers white-knuckling his racket.
He'd understood the "Light of Solitude"—its fleeting brilliance, its mastery of the critical instant where all elements aligned for a transcendent return.
By internalizing that battle's lessons, he'd learned to seize those moments himself.
Now, he glimpsed the essence of the "Light of Love."
It wasn't just power—it was joy.
A state where the player's euphoria tricked the brain into unlocking untapped physical potential—while draining the opponent's resolve through sheer emotional osmosis.
"Overwhelming."
QP's return was a desperate lunge, memories flashing like a strobe light.
His first encounter with the Pinnacle of Perfect Harmony had revealed the core truth:
"The ultimate evolution hinges on heart."
Back then, his opponent—another "Light of Solitude" user—hadn't been this formidable.
He'd lost the first set but clawed back in a best-of-three match.
This was different.
Single set. No room for error.
Oni wouldn't give him time. He had to steal it—prolong the match, absorb the "Light of Love" through sheer force of will.
SWISH—!
With a roar, QP hurled himself at the incoming ball—
Both hands on the racket, every muscle straining—
Only for Oni's "Vertical Jump Smash" (now supercharged by the aura) to obliterate his stance.
The impact launched him airborne, sending him crashing beyond the baseline.
"Oni Juujirou scores! 15-0!"
Three points left.
Even if QP didn't unlock the "Light of Love" in time, the match would end.
Watching QP struggle to rise, Yoru grimaced.
"Damn. Should've made this best-of-three."
He'd assumed their post-cleaning fatigue and the late hour called for shorter sets.
A quick match. System rewards. QP's epiphany. A clean triple-win.
Perfect, right?
Now? QP was on the brink—with no guarantee he'd break through in time.
"Goddammit, QP—hurry up and ascend already!"
Yoru's fists clenched, his nerves fraying.
He wasn't even playing, yet this was torture.
BANG—!
QP's serve—a vicious topspin to keep the ball low, denying Oni's smash setup.
Against the "Light of Love", that technique was unreturnable.
Especially with Oni's natural brawn—and the physical gap between them.
---
"Hey, QP... you're one hell of an opponent."
Oni's voice was almost reverent.
Even now, QP's play was flawless—no panic, no deviation.
Just cold, relentless precision.
It'd been years since Oni faced someone this unshakable.
This match was electric.
BOOM—!
A casual return—yet the power behind it was obscene.
QP barely parried it, leveraging every "Light of Solitude" insight to redirect the force.
But the return was weak—no threat.
Oni knew QP was chasing something.
So he kept his shots straight, no tricky angles.
The rest was up to QP.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
The court trembled with each impact, dust pluming from the cracks.
QP's hands failed again—his racket spun into the fence.
BOOM—!
"Oni Juujirou scores! 30-0!"
BOOM—!
"Oni Juujirou at match point! 40-0!"
...
One. More. Point.
The children hushed, the match's intensity beyond their comprehension.
"Is there even a chance left...?"
Yoru's sigh was heavy.
Then—his head snapped toward QP.
"Oh? OH—!"
A grin split his face.
Because of course.
This was Prince of Tennis—where the deeper the despair, the bigger the plot armor.
On the court, QP's eyes closed.
His expression stillened—like a monk entering zen.
Anyone who'd ever watched shounen anime knew:
The cheat code was fucking HERE.
[DING!...]
---