"That big brother is amazing! I've never seen anyone push Oni-nii this far!"
"Right?! The ground's shaking, and he's still returning everything!"
"But Oni-nii's still a step ahead."
"They're both insane!"
The kids buzzed with excitement as the match intensified.
Thanks to Oni Juujirou's influence, they had high standards—yet QP's performance was shattering them.
But for the two on the court, the real battle was just beginning.
QP fully activated his focus, entering a state of hyper-concentration. Every muscle, every reflex sharpened to its limit.
BANG—!
Oni's serve tore through the air, the ball flattening mid-flight from sheer force.
Yet before it even bounced—
Whoosh!
QP materialized at the landing point, racket raised.
"Too fast!" Oni's pupils contracted.
QP's movement speed had spiked. Unlike before, he was leaning forward preemptively, optimizing his momentum to reach the ball earlier—giving himself extra milliseconds to prepare.
The ball rebounded.
QP's body coiled like a spring—knees bent, torso twisted 160°, weight shifted forward. In one explosive motion, he channeled his entire kinetic chain into the swing.
CRACK!
The ball reversed course instantly, as if Oni's monstrous power meant nothing.
This return was smoother, faster, deadlier—landing at the farthest corner of Oni's baseline.
"...!"
Oni's expression darkened.
The moment QP's aura shifted, he'd sensed danger—but not this. His full-power serve had been neutralized effortlessly, and now QP was dictating the rally.
The ball blurred across the court.
Oni barely reached it, his return weak and off-balance.
Despite his bulky frame, Oni's vertical agility was elite—but lateral movement? A trade-off of his power-focused style.
PANG!
QP pounced like a predator.
He intercepted at the net, slicing a drop shot that died at the sidelines—untouchable.
"15–0, QP leads!" Yoru announced, eyeing Oni.
According to his stats, Oni only had Center of Gravity Jump and Aoi Hikari in his arsenal.
Black Axe and Golden Jackknife—techniques he'd later develop—were still absent.
"How will you handle QP at full throttle, Oni...?" Yoru mused.
Something else intrigued him:
Oni had unlocked "Pinnacle of Perfection" (Aoi Hikari)—yet his profile showed no trace of Muga no Kyōchi (Zone of Self-Actualization).
Can someone awaken "Pinnacle" without first mastering "Muga"?
In the series, Muga and its three gates were pioneered by Echizen Nanjirou—but Pinnacle predated them.
The answer probably lies with Nanjirou himself.
---
BANG! "30–0!"
BANG! "40–0!"
BANG! "Game, QP! 2–2!"
Seizing momentum, QP blitzed through games, his precision and speed overwhelming.
But he didn't relax.
Yoru's warning echoed: "Oni possesses Aoi Hikari. Push him further, and he might even tap into Gouki (剛毅光輝)."
"Oni-nii's losing...!"
"Come on, Oni-nii! You're the strongest!"
"Shut up! He won't lose!"
"But... the score..."
The kids' anxious voices reached Oni.
He grinned—feral, unshaken.
"Don't worry. This match is just heating up."
Turning to QP, his voice boomed: "Sorry, QP. I can't disappoint them."
SHING—!
Light erupted.
Not the misty aura of Muga—but a radiant, multicolored glow enveloping Oni. The air itself hummed with undeniable vitality.
QP flinched.
An invisible pressure suppressed his reflexes, dulled his focus.
"Aoi Hikari...!" Yoru's eyes narrowed.
Oni's combat power now read: 9.8 Stars—brushing 10-Star territory.
By contrast, QP's stats dropped by 0.3 Stars.
A net 1.1-Star swing in Oni's favor.
"Aoi Hikari—the light of earnest love for tennis," Yoru muttered. "It doesn't just empower the user... it weakens opponents by sharing that joy."
BANG!
QP served, a golden streak piercing the court.
Oni's return was a thunderclap—the ball vanishing mid-trajectory.
Whoosh—BOOM!
A tree splintered behind QP.
"Too... fast..."
QP's hands trembled—not from fear, but exhilaration.
He was feeling it now.
The true weight of Aoi Hikari.
---