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Chapter 73 - Chapter 67 - Two Fell Before You

The court lights felt hotter than the sun.

Every bounce echoed like a war drum in Ren's ears. His legs were anchors, his lungs wheezing like broken bellows, but the rally still raged.

6–6. Golden Point.

The crowd had stopped cheering like fans and now murmured like believers at a sermon. Each strike carried the weight of prophecy.

"Ren, focus!" Shizuka's voice cut through the haze. She was drenched, hair plastered to her cheek, but her eyes were steel.

The rivals pressed them hard—ranked veterans with surgical precision. Smashes rattled the glass, volleys hunted their ankles.

Ren's vision swam. His racket felt like a brick.

And then—again—

"One more ball. Crawl if you must, but don't fold."

Daigo's phantom grumble rode the back of his skull.

Ren steadied his knees, absorbing a smash that should've buried him. He flicked a desperate return—high, ugly, but alive.

Shizuka pounced, carving a volley down the middle. The rivals scrambled, but the counter was too sharp. Point won.

The stadium exploded. Chants rained down:

"Messiah! Messiah! Messiah!"

Ren bent over, gasping. His HUD blinked crimson.

[Copy Technique Lv.2 — Active]

Duration: 14 seconds. Stored Skill: Opponent's Backhand Slice.

For the first time, the stolen technique didn't fade instantly. It lingered. His palm still buzzed with the alien muscle memory.

He whispered, awed, "It... saved."

Shizuka narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't get distracted. We're not done."

Ren nodded, forcing himself upright. His HUD fractured again—static streaks crawling across the edges of reality. And then, faint letters bled into view on the glass wall beyond the court:

"Two fell before you."

The words burned in pale light, unseen by anyone else. His breath caught.

The Oracle again... what does it mean? Who were the two?

But the ref's call snapped him back.

"Game, set, match—Tachibana Ren and Amane Shizuka."

They had survived. Barely.

Shizuka slumped against the net, trying not to look relieved. Ren looked at his trembling hands, the phantom words still echoing in his skull.

Two had fallen. He remained. For now.

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