"The next set will be tough. Are you ready for it?" Akashi looked at Fuji and Niō as they returned to the coach's bench, his tone calm.
"Ah~ I know very well the senpai weren't going all out. Especially Tanegashima-senpai. As No. 2 of the Japan Team, there's no way his true strength is only what we've seen so far!" Fuji replied seriously.
Niō didn't say anything, just nodded firmly, showing he understood too. The first set was likely the senpai holding back for the juniors' sake, like giving them a warning. The real battle was only starting now.
"As long as you're mentally prepared, that's enough. I won't say more. Just don't get injured." Akashi nodded, signaling for them to recover quickly before the storm ahead.
Rest ended fast, and the four returned to the court. But Fuji and Niō could clearly feel Tanegashima's aura had changed. That playful, carefree attitude was gone.
The first game was Tanegashima's serve. He walked to the baseline, tossed the ball up, and slammed it hard with his racket. Two almost simultaneous impact sounds echoed as dust burst up from the court.
"Ace! 15-0!"
Fuji and Niō turned in shock. A yellow tennis ball now lay silently under the fence, as if mocking their frozen reaction.
"Arara~ Guess no one told you. In terms of serve speed, Tanegashima is second only to Ochi in the First String," Omagari said to Fuji and Niō.
"Oh? That's interesting~ I've always wanted to experience Ochi-senpai's Mach Serve. Looks like dealing with Tanegashima-senpai's serve first isn't a bad option either!" Fuji's eyes opened, sharp as he stared at Tanegashima.
"It's my honor then~ Here comes more!" Tanegashima smiled faintly and tossed the ball again, swinging down with incredible speed.
"In the last set, Niō-kun worked hard. I can't just stand and watch. It's time I pushed my own limits!" Fuji muttered as Tanegashima served, then heightened all his senses. The world slowed.
"Wind Attack Technique—Radiance of Light Wind, Limit State!"
Though Tanegashima's serve was fast, the ball froze midair with space itself as it crossed the net. Fuji rushed forward and swung hard.
The ball turned into a flash of light streaking across the court. Time resumed. Unlike normal Light Wind, Fuji could now freely enter the super-high-speed dimension. Speed no longer meant anything to him.
But just as Fuji thought Omagari would intercept, Tanegashima suddenly appeared at the net. With an awkward behind-the-back move, he easily blocked the shot and sent back a sharp return.
Fuji instantly entered the high-speed dimension. To the spectators, he seemed to teleport, intercepting the ball midair and returning it before it could bounce.
Shockingly, Tanegashima matched Fuji's rhythm perfectly. The two clashed furiously at the net, trading rapid blows like it was a singles duel. Smoke began rising from the court, proof of their heavy shots.
After several fierce exchanges, Fuji suddenly felt a breeze. He backhanded immediately, unleashing White Dragon. The ball rose after the net in front of Tanegashima—but a thunderous strike came from above. The ball split into two shadows and slammed onto both sidelines before bouncing out.
"30-0!"
Fuji froze, realizing his focus had been entirely on Tanegashima. He whipped his head around. Omagari's figure slowly appeared behind him—it was he who had just used Abare Jishi to score.
"Light Wind is a fine ability," Tanegashima said with a smile, "but only if you can see the ball or the opponent hitting it. My Reciprocal Void completely nullifies your Light Wind."
Fuji looked deeply at Tanegashima but said nothing. His brows furrowed instead. Even though most of his focus had been on Tanegashima, that didn't mean he ignored Omagari. Yet at the very last moment, he hadn't sensed Omagari's presence at all.
"Fuji-kun! Just now, Omagari-senpai suddenly vanished from my sight, just like Tanegashima-senpai earlier!" Niō walked over, his tone heavy as he spoke.
"I see. So this is Tanegashima-senpai's Reciprocal Void… We really underestimated this match," Fuji said seriously, his face equally grave.
Niō and Fuji switched front and back positions. Once they were set, Tanegashima showed no mercy, serving again at lightning speed. Niō couldn't even react.
"Ace! 40-0!"
"So it's still no good…" Niō glanced back at the ball outside the court, sighed softly, and muttered.
But Tanegashima was already serving another blistering ball. This time, though, Niō's Illusion was complete. Lightning flashed around 'Sanada' as his figure appeared in front of the bounce, both hands gripping the racket and slamming down.
"Swift as thunder!"
The lightning-wrapped ball barely crossed the net before Tanegashima appeared at the front, cutting it off with a single swing. The immense force vanished instantly, his return a sharp lob soaring high into the air.
The 'Sanada' illusion didn't fade. He sprinted forward, body twisting as he leapt high, flames wrapping his racket as he aimed for a crushing smash.
But in the next second, his racket swept under the ball instead. His eyes went wide—he had missed the smash. The ball hadn't dropped where he predicted.
As 'Sanada' landed, the ball that had hung in midair suddenly plummeted straight down, bouncing lightly a few times before rolling still.
"Void Before Birth!"
"Game! Japan Team! 1-0!"
"Relying too much on your own judgment will get you burned~" Tanegashima stuck out his tongue playfully after scoring.
"That last shot from Tanegashima-senpai… was the ball floating in the air the whole time? That's pure genius!" Marui said in disbelief from the stands.
"That hang time was way too unnatural…" Jackal swallowed nervously, his tone cautious.
"This is totally cheating~" Kikumaru ruffled his hair in frustration. He couldn't begin to understand how Tanegashima hit that.
"This is Tanegashima's new ultimate move, developed from his Void—the Void Before Birth! At the instant of impact, with his special wrist structure and reflexes, he gives the ball terrifying reverse spin. It lets the ball break free of gravity for a brief moment and hover in the air!" commentator Mitsuya explained again.
"You've gotta be kidding me. Is this really something a human can do?" Momoshiro said, a bead of sweat sliding down his forehead after hearing the explanation.
'Hah~ Void Before Birth? More like Newton's tears! Well, what else can I expect… this is the world of Prince of Tennis after all!' Akashi twitched his lips at the coach's bench, silently ranting in his head at the chatter behind him.
On court, 'Sanada' didn't respond right away to Tanegashima's taunt. Instead, his figure blurred again until a new one appeared before Tanegashima, one that gave him a headache to face.
"Looks like your strength has improved quite a bit, Shu-kun. Perfect, let's have a long-awaited match then!" 'Irie' smiled slyly at Tanegashima, his tone teasing.