The fifth game was Kirihara's service game. Even though Shiraishi had just told him to leave everything to him, Kirihara still felt incredibly frustrated. Without realizing it, he had already become a burden to Shiraishi-san.
"Power from the fusion, huh…" Kirihara muttered under his breath as he tossed the ball into the air.
As Kirihara served, Taira quickly closed the distance to a spot slightly ahead of the landing point. Once he confirmed the ball's bounce, he swung at it, but didn't fire a Bakyuun right away.
That's when faint starlight began radiating from Shiraishi's body. The shadow of Oni Juujirou flashed across him, and suddenly his movements turned wild. He charged straight to the ball, gripping the racket with both hands to intercept it midair, then spun once in place and used the centrifugal force to hurl the ball forward.
"Black Jack Knife!"
The ball, wrapped in black light, blasted toward Taira and Hara, startling them both. Hara rushed forward, gripping his racket with both hands to meet it head-on, but in the next instant his racket flew high into the air and the ball shot out of bounds.
"15–0!"
"Mm~ that felt amazing!" Shiraishi said happily, pushing his hair back after scoring.
"That move just now from that brat… did you teach him, Oni?" Byoudouin asked sharply, his eyes narrowing.
"No. It's my technique, but the way Shiraishi used it felt… different," Oni replied, ignoring Byoudouin's tone and looking thoughtful.
"Shiraishi's imitating Oni-senpai?" Fuji asked from the sidelines, a little unsure.
"No, this isn't simple imitation—it's something even greater! Puri~" Niō's eyes gleamed as he stared at Shiraishi.
"Star Bible? And an enhanced version at that. You've outdone yourself, Shiraishi," Akashi murmured quietly from the coach's bench.
Indeed, Shiraishi was now using the Star Bible—a new technique he had originally awakened in the match against the French team. It could instantly draw from the other five attributes and concentrate them into one, letting all attributes hit a terrifying 7.
Akashi remembered how, in the original, Shiraishi had only mimicked Shitenhouji's players to boost his stats. Now, he was directly mimicking Oni's power, which made Akashi curious—who would Shiraishi copy for the other four attributes?
"Shiraishi-san is so strong! I can't just stand here doing nothing!" Kirihara thought, his fighting spirit igniting at the sight of Shiraishi's performance.
"Shiraishi~ when did you learn Oni's move? Don't tell me you've become his disciple?" Hara rotated his wrist, teasing.
"Senpai-tachi, sorry—but we have to win this match," Shiraishi said seriously, not answering Hara's question.
"Oh~ you've grown up, Shiraishi-kun! If you can do it, then try!" Taira said in his thick Kansai accent.
Kirihara was already at the baseline. Without another word, he sent the serve flying. This time, Taira's eyes sharpened and he unleashed a powerful stroke, shouting loudly:
"Let's see what you can really do, Shiraishi! Bakyuun!"
Covered in starlight, Shiraishi lunged forward. The shadow of Tanegashima Shūji flashed across him, and his racket intercepted the spinning ball cleanly. The ball spun wildly, trying to pierce the strings, but Shiraishi steadily neutralized most of its force.
"Halt Destruction Nothingness?! No… that's not right!" Hara was startled, then quickly realized—Tanegashima's Halt Destruction Nothingness wasn't something that could be copied.
While Shiraishi couldn't actually use Halt Destruction Nothingness, his return's form and presence perfectly mirrored Tanegashima's, carrying a trace of its essence. The ball was sent high into the air.
"Oh? Interesting~" Tanegashima said from the stands, amused.
Hara leapt high, pulling his racket back until his body arched like a bow, then smashed down on the ball, still finding time to tease midair:
"You gave me a real scare! But Shiraishi, my specialty is smashes!"
"It's here! Hara's Fierce Tiger Rice!" Taira called from the backcourt.
"Shut up! Stop giving my moves stupid names! Because of you, my smash suddenly has a ridiculous name, damn it!" Hara barked at Taira midair.
While they bickered over the smash's name, the shadow of Kaji Kazena flickered across Shiraishi. In an instant, he was at the baseline, his arm blurring in motion—and the ball vanished.
The sound of the ball hitting the ground came from behind Taira and Hara. Only then did they feel the breeze brush past them. They stopped arguing immediately and turned to see the ball resting quietly outside the court.
"30–0!"
'Tanegashima for technique, Kaji Kazena for speed? Perfect,' Akashi thought with satisfaction, glancing at Shiraishi.
"Kaji Kazena…" Oni murmured quietly, his gaze never leaving Shiraishi on the court.
With Kirihara's next serve, Taira was now completely baffled. Shiraishi on the other side had become impossible to read. In just two rallies, he had used three different hitting styles, each perfectly resembling a top-ten First Court member.
While that thought lingered, Kirihara's serve reached its bounce point. Distracted, Taira rushed to intercept but had no time to unleash a Bakyuun, sending the ball straight back toward Shiraishi and Kirihara's side.
Then, an unexpected shadow flickered over Shiraishi—Tōyama Kintarō. Shiraishi leapt high, spinning several times in the air before unleashing a fierce, inertia-powered shot.
Caught off guard, Taira and Hara couldn't intercept. They could only watch the ball slam into the far corner and bounce out of bounds. Meeting each other's eyes, both saw the same shock reflected back.
"40–0!"
"Look! Look! Amazing! Bandage guy's moves are just like mine!!!" Kintarō yelled excitedly from the sideline.
'Kintarō for stamina? I thought it'd be Ōmaki,' Akashi mused with a hint of amusement. But just like the original, only mental strength remained.
As Kirihara served for the fourth time, Shiraishi's starlight flared brightly. The shadow of Akashi Seijūrō flashed over him, and suddenly Taira felt an overwhelming pressure. His movements faltered for an instant.
"Game! Second Court Selection! 4–1!"
After the umpire's call, a tennis ball rolled slowly down from the net. Taira's return hadn't even cleared it, leaving him in disbelief.
'So mental strength is me? Interesting,' Akashi thought, momentarily stunned before realizing that no one fit the role better.
"I'll pluck every star!" Shiraishi declared loudly, raising his clenched left fist after winning the game.
"So that's it—the Bible evolved into the Star Bible?" Taira said with a strange grin, unfazed by losing the point.
"There you go again, making up random names, Taira!" Hara barked from behind him.
"Star Bible? I like that name. Thanks, Taira-senpai," Shiraishi replied with no objection at all, even thanking him.
From then on, Shiraishi's Star Bible went into full bloom. He and Kirihara launched a furious counterattack. Even though Taira and Hara fought with everything they had, they inevitably began to fall behind.
"Game! Second Court Selection! 5–4!"
In no time, Shiraishi and Kirihara not only caught up but took the lead. Taira and Hara now stood at the edge of defeat, though they kept their upbeat, joking attitude, unfazed by the score.
Standing on the baseline, Taira looked at Shiraishi with heartfelt pride. Shitennōji had finally produced a player beyond the national level—maybe one day, Shiraishi would shine on the world stage.
Meanwhile, Kirihara's condition grew stranger. He looked spaced out, lost in his own world. Shiraishi had noticed this for a while, which was why he'd been singlehandedly battling Taira and Hara for the past few games.
In Kirihara's mental world, two massive statues floated in the air—one with a hideous, menacing face, the other gentle and kind. They represented the devil and the angel, now locked in a fierce battle inside his consciousness.
"0–40!"
Match point had arrived. With his ability to switch between powerful five-attribute boosts at will, Shiraishi had completely seized control. Everyone could see that Taira and Hara no longer had any chance of winning.
Just as Shiraishi moved to return Hara's smash, a bluish-green light flared from behind him. The glow contracted rapidly, and Kirihara opened his eyes—his pupils shone with a brilliant, mesmerizing light.
Before Shiraishi could react, a blur shot past him. Kirihara was suddenly in front of the bouncing ball. With one swing, the ball turned into a streak of afterimages, pierced through the court, and landed at the baseline.
"Game! 6–4! Match over! Total score 2–0! Winner: Second Court Selection!"