Mercilessly, Witnessing the Abyss of Defeat

In an instant, the noisy venue fell completely silent.

The showdown between two renowned powerhouses of the junior tennis world had yet to begin, but the clash of their overwhelming auras had already filled the scene with tension.

"Atobe, you're very confident in your mental power and eyesight, aren't you?"

"Then today, I'll see for myself just how far you've come!"

Whoosh!

As Muneyoshi tightened his fingers around the tennis ball, wisps of purplish-black light wrapped around it. Without hesitation, he tossed it into the air.

He bent his knees and arched his body. The instant he pushed off and leaped, he rotated his arm inward and struck the ball.

Dark Fantasy, Nightfall Ballad.

Thud!

A muffled sound heralded the start of the match. The tennis ball vanished from everyone's sight, startling the entire crowd.

"What a fast serve!"

Oshitari Yushi stared in astonishment.

Even standing outside the court, he hadn't been able to see that shot.

Thump!

The ball hit the ground and kicked up a cloud of dust beside Atobe's feet. Then a small mustard-yellow ball appeared embedded in the wire fence behind him.

Atobe seemed to have been so startled that he'd frozen in place. He didn't move a muscle, like a statue.

The wire fence kept trembling, drawing everyone's attention. Only then did they realize that the ball had somehow ended up there.

"Camera crew! Rewind it! Rewind!"

The umpire on the high chair sucked in a sharp breath. He hadn't seen that shot either.

"Inside the line! The ball was in!"

"ACE! Saeki Muneyoshi of Fudomine, 15–0."

Only after the camera crew confirmed it did the umpire announce the score.

The umpire was something of an acquaintance of Muneyoshi's. He'd officiated many of Muneyoshi's matches since last year's Metropolitan Tournament.

But at that moment, even