The Defeat

Muneyoshi watched as a milky-white aura burst from Niou's body, then reached out to connect with Yukimura's.

The hazy aura intertwined above their heads.

"Just as you'd expect from Niou~"

At that moment, all he could do was sigh in admiration to himself.

Standing beside him, Tachibana Kippei's eyes widened.

That was—

Synchronization!

How was that possible?!

But having personally experienced the endless possibilities of Keith and Lin Xiu's doubles, he couldn't fool himself.

This wasn't the fake Pseudo-Synchronization Shitenhoji had used before. It was genuine Synchronization, just like Keith and Lin Xiu's.

"Doubles Synchronization!"

Hanamura Aoi, sitting in the coaches' area outside the court, felt her heart sink. How was this possible?!

"They can really take it this far?"

Keith and Lin Xiu looked toward Niou at the back of the court. He had now taken on the appearance of Yukimura Seiichi. "Can he Synchronize because he's transformed into Yukimura?"

Lin Xiu's heart sank, but Keith felt a surge of fighting spirit rise within him.

With the match at this point, he held nothing back. A flick of his wrist sent the tennis ball at his fingertips into the air.

Thwack!

Bolstered by the milky-white aura, Keith's strength and speed broke through his limits.

The ball streaked past the net, leaving afterimages in its wake.

The instant Keith raised his hand, a brilliant blue beam shot into the corner of Rikkai Dai's side of the court.

"Don't worry, Yukimura!"

In their synchronized state, Niou immediately sensed the worry in Yukimura's heart.

Watching Keith's serve, Niou's gaze sharpened. He felt incredible.

His current state brought a host of possible ways to counter the ball to mind, but he quickly dismissed them all.

Niou moved swiftly, getting into position behind the ball.

Thwack!

With Synchronization boosting him, Keith's serve—which had seemed