"Hey, Ryo, are you alright?"
Mukahi, still a bit down from his own match, had just arrived at Court B2 when he spotted Shishido sprawled out on a chair, his face pale.
Could it be? Did Shishido lose too?!
No way! How could some unknown player beat Shishido?
But when Mukahi's gaze fell upon the scoreboard, his face filled with dread.
6 - 0.
Such a glaring score. Shishido had lost so terribly.
"I lost, Mukahi. That guy... he's a monster."
Shishido slowly recovered, sitting up from the chair, his eyes filled with lingering fear. That guy could have ended the match even quicker, but he deliberately dragged it out until the last moment, endlessly draining and tormenting him. Each shot was placed just barely within his reach.
"How did you lose?"
Mukahi still couldn't accept it, wanting to hear the match details.
Shishido was silent for a moment, then recounted the match specifics. Mukahi listened, utterly shocked. Shishido, whose skill was on par with his own at Hyotei Elementary, had been completely toyed with. He hadn't scored a single point; it was a total shutout.
Just like him.
And looking at Shishido's condition, he seemed even worse off. In Mukahi's match against Tezuka, Tezuka had also scored a 6-0. Tezuka hadn't held back, every shot was clean and decisive, service aces, return aces; Mukahi barely touched the ball a few times.
As expected, guys who came up together like that won't have too much of a difference in skill.
"It's okay, Ryo. Next, he'll have to face that monster."
Mukahi seemed to think of something, a hint of schadenfreude in his voice. "That monster from Kanagawa Prefecture."
"Are you talking about him?" Shishido's mind conjured an image of the player.
"That's right! Seiichi Yukimura, who hasn't lost a single match since the group stage, with opponents not even scoring a single point!" Mukahi chuckled, patting Shishido's shoulder.
"Yeah," Shishido nodded. "In Group A, Tezuka's next opponent is also that monster from Kanagawa, right?"
Even before reaching the quarterfinals, Shishido and Mukahi had noticed those two players from Kanagawa. Their skill was off the charts; almost every match ended in a 6-0. Thinking of this, a slight smile appeared on Shishido's face. He couldn't beat Kamikawa, but someone else surely could. He was curious to see how many points that guy would manage to take from Yukimura.
What if that guy named Yukimura loses?!
The thought sent a ripple of conflict through Shishido. If Yukimura won, it would mean he couldn't even beat an opponent Yukimura had already defeated. But if Kamikawa won, he wouldn't feel great either, though it would be better than the former. At least, he and Yukimura would have lost to the same opponent.
The semifinals.
It was definitely going to be the match of the tournament, and neither Shishido nor Mukahi wanted to miss it.
There was still some time until the semifinals. After the matches concluded, the crowd briefly dispersed, discussing the exciting battles they had just witnessed on various courts.
"Tezuka, you're out so quickly?"
After his match, Kamikawa noticed Tezuka sitting on a chair, wearing his gold-rimmed glasses, holding a soda in both hands, and with his racket casually laid across his lap, looking quite cool and collected. Even before becoming captain, Tezuka already had a similar demeanor to a certain someone. His tone and way of handling things weren't as composed as they would later become.
"You're just too slow."
Tezuka reached out and handed a soda can to Kamikawa. "Was your opponent very strong this time?"
"Hmm, so-so," Kamikawa replied, taking the soda, opening it, and taking a small sip. To be honest, this match felt a bit dragged out. Kamikawa had his own reasons; he wanted to give Shishido more practice, especially since he'd be joining the Hyotei tennis club in the future. If he only had his current beginner skills, he might not even make it as a regular.
Hearing this, Tezuka didn't respond, opening his own soda can and taking a small drink. The atmosphere became a bit awkward.
"Aren't you worried I won't make it to the finals?" Kamikawa joked.
This Junior Tournament was more competitive than the previous two years, with a new wave of fresh talent emerging. This generation's talent wasn't inferior to the Byodoin era; they could truly be called the Golden Generation.
"Not at all." Tezuka shook his head. "Even though you always hide your true strength, I can feel it – your skill is incredibly strong."
"You have so much faith in me?" Kamikawa smiled.
They had been playing tennis together since they were kids, enduring countless practice matches, with wins and losses on both sides, but never truly revealing their full potential. This Junior Tournament might be the chance to truly see each other's abilities.
At this, a spark of fighting spirit lit up Tezuka's face. "This isn't a practice match; it's the main competition. I hope you'll show your current full strength without holding back. You mentioned the three doors of Muga no Kyōchi before. Have you perhaps mastered one of them?"
Tezuka's first encounter with Muga was when Kamikawa guided him into it. That guy knew so many things others didn't, even explaining the effects of the three Muga doors with perfect clarity.
"Which path do you think suits me?" Kamikawa chuckled, his gaze falling on Tezuka.
He was different from others. He couldn't immerse himself completely in the joy of tennis like Tezuka, activating the "Light of Love" from Perfect Harmony. Nor could he grasp the "Original Point of Strength" and activate the "Light of Solitude." Similarly, Kamikawa didn't believe himself noble enough for the "Light of Steadfastness," which meant becoming stronger for someone else. The ultimate chapter of Muga no Kyōchi was the "Limit of Perfect Harmony." If he couldn't do those things, then why bother going down that path? There were many paths in tennis; surely one suited him now.
"I'm not sure..." Tezuka shook his head. "There's still some time until the semifinals. Want to find a court to warm up?"
Kamikawa waved a hand. "Spending energy early? Aren't you afraid of losing in the semifinals?"
"It's fine," Tezuka said calmly. "The Junior Tournament, while it's the highest honor for elementary schoolers in the Kanto region, isn't important to me. I only care about..."
Hearing Tezuka speak like that, Kamikawa felt a strange sensation. "Alright, I'll go warm up with you."
"Good!" Tezuka nodded, following Kamikawa towards the open courts at Laosen Tennis Center.
Outside the main courts designated for matches at Laosen Tennis Center, there were many spare courts available for everyone to enjoy. Many participants also chose these courts for their warm-ups. Some players from tennis clubs would warm up by hitting with their coaches, but surprisingly, none of the players who reached the semifinals in this Junior Tournament had coach support; they had all reached the final four purely on their own merit.
As Tezuka and Kamikawa arrived at an empty court, they noticed two other boys with an impressive demeanor. They were about the same age, and one wearing a cap was rallying with a boy in a light blue jacket and dark blue hair. From their footwork, movements, shot placements, and landing points, it was clear that these two were skilled. At that moment, the two on the court also noticed the two uninvited guests standing outside.