(Pop quiz: When did Ryoma and the others enter the U-17 training camp in the original story? And when did the World Cup begin?)
A blazing pillar of light shot toward Yoru's position.
"What… what is this?!"
A young Tezuka's face twisted in shock, completely unable to comprehend what he was witnessing.
The rest of Seigaku's team was no different.
They had no idea they were about to witness a match of unfathomable caliber.
Oni Juujirou's expression darkened. "It's even stronger than last time… Phoenix has improved this much?"
"Light Strike—a derivative of the Sweet Spot technique. Its power rivals that of the Otherworldly Shots," QP explained calmly.
Meanwhile, on the court—
The ball hadn't arrived yet, but the shockwave had.
Yoru's clothes flapped violently, as if caught in a hurricane.
Yet he showed no fear against the incoming beam of destruction.
"A Light Strike, huh? I can do that too."
"Guess we'll warm up with this!"
Before anyone could react—
Something unbelievable happened.
Yoru sidestepped, adjusted his stance in an instant, and swung his racket with precision.
BOOM—!
Another terrifying force erupted, kicking up a thick cloud of dust.
The shockwave surged like a tsunami, blasting through the racket's strings and slamming into the back wall with enough force to make the entire structure tremble.
The wall didn't crack—this was a pro-level national stadium, after all—but that wasn't the point.
The real shock came when—
Yoru single-handedly blocked the Light Strike…
And then unleashed an even brighter, more violent beam of his own.
"Im… impossible!"
Byoudouin Houou's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
The entire Mizuno Academy team froze, their faces pale with shock.
Even Shiraishi and Inui, watching from the stands, were left speechless.
They thought this technique was something only a handful of pros could use—yet here were two middle schoolers casually trading them like basic shots.
Had the world passed them by already?
The two exchanged glances, feeling like they'd stepped into some absurd alternate reality.
"Wow! Big brother can do the shiny ball too~!"
Kids in the audience cheered excitedly.
Meanwhile, Oni Juujirou nearly choked. "Since when could Yoru do this?!"
"He's had it for a while," QP replied, eyes narrowing. "But after training with Nanjiroh, his power's grown… ridiculous."
He'd known Yoru had mastered the Light Strike—but the sheer intensity of this version was beyond expectations.
As the crowd buzzed, Yoru calmly pushed the glowing ball forward.
"I'll return your words—try not to die."
And he wasn't joking.
Even if this wasn't "Destruction," his current Light Strike could easily kill an ordinary person.
---
[Host]: Yoru
[Age]: 12
[Techniques]:
- Personal Five Dimensions (Lv. 11)
- Tennis Fundamentals (Lv. 11)
- Twist Serve (Lv. 11)
- Three Great Domains (Lv. 11)
- Muga no Kyouchi (Lv. 10)
- Pinnacle of Hard Work (Lv. 10)
- Super High-Speed Vertical Serve (Lv. 11)
- Speed Like the Wind (Lv. 11)
- Zero-Shiki Series (Lv. 10)
- Light Strike (Lv. 11)
(4 more techniques folded)
[Combat Power]: 12 Stars
[Talents]:
- Ten Senses Control
- Perfect Copy
- Super·Perfect Quality (Glory 2/3 Unlocked)
---
Level 11 Light Strike was a quantum leap in power.
Training under Echizen Nanjiroh, Yoru had learned countless applications—all enhanced by the system's flawless feedback.
Nanjiroh's philosophy was simple:
"Light Strike is just an extension of the Sweet Spot. Fuse it with any element—topspin, sidespin, speed—and its power amplifies. No need to limit yourself to one form."
Yoru had taken that to heart.
By now, he could've named dozens of Light Strike variants—but why bother?
The system kept prompting him to christen new techniques, but he refused.
Why label what's fundamentally just "better tennis"?
More importantly—
He'd grown closer to sensing the Super Sweet Spot, but…
"Why grind for it when I can just copy Destruction from Phoenix?"
A lazy, yet brutally efficient plan.
---
KABOOM—!
The stadium shook from the impact.
"This guy…!"
Byoudouin's earlier shock turned to grim focus.
Even he could tell—Yoru's Light Strike was stronger.
But Byoudouin wasn't backing down.
As another Light Strike hurtled toward him, he shifted to a two-handed slice—the safest return against such force.
Or so he thought.
He'd misjudged one critical detail:
This wasn't a normal Light Strike.
It carried brutal topspin.
At the last millisecond—
The ball dipped violently, bouncing twice before Byoudouin's racket could touch it.
"15-0, Yoru leads!"
The crowd erupted.
What looked like pure power had hidden layers—a masterclass in deception.
If this were the future, it'd be called "Light Strike: Drive B"—Ryoma's signature move.
But Ryoma's version didn't need Sweet Spot mastery.
Yoru's did.
"Sweet Spot techniques can blend with fundamentals. Surprised?" Yoru smirked.
Byoudouin stayed silent.
His opponent's Sweet Spot prowess surpassed his own.
Easier said than done—merging basics with Light Strike required insane precision.
THWACK—!
Byoudouin fired back—this time, a heavily spun normal shot.
If Light Strikes weren't working, he'd switch tactics.
But Yoru wasn't letting him off the hook.
"Oh no, you don't."
His racket flashed—
And the court was bathed in light once more.