"4-3? Yukimura's ahead."
Sanada, fresh from his own match, had rushed straight to the final match at Court B. As he arrived, he saw the score on the display board: 4-3, with Yukimura in the lead.
"Yukimura's sweating..."
Sanada's expression subtly shifted. Such terrifying perspiration; even he couldn't maintain that. And on Court A, after breaking through his own limits, Sanada had successfully entered the state of Muga no Kyōchi. Now, he could sense the faint aura emanating from Yukimura. So, his friend had already entered Muga no Kyōchi long ago.
"Muga no Kyōchi... sure enough, he also possesses this power."
Tezuka, arriving a moment later, stood quietly with his racket bag, watching the match. From the moment Tezuka first saw Yukimura, he felt the subtle "aura" he exuded, and it seemed to be the same "aura" he himself had mastered. From that moment, Tezuka knew that his opponent had also stepped into Muga no Kyōchi.
As for this match, even with Muga no Kyōchi activated, Tezuka still believed his friend, Kamikawa, would win. From their first meeting until now, practicing tennis together, Kamikawa had always given him a peculiar feeling. He couldn't quite fathom how strong his childhood friend truly was.
"Deprivation of senses, huh?"
Kamikawa stood at the service line, gripping his racket. His sense of touch hadn't returned yet. But it didn't matter; Kamikawa had already adapted. As long as his other senses weren't taken, it was time to end this match.
"Yukimura," Kamikawa said, holding the tennis ball in his left hand, looking up and smiling. "It's about time we finished this match."
"Huh?!"
Yukimura was startled, gazing at his opponent. His powerful mental strength also sensed it; the aura Kamikawa was emitting at this moment was off.
Whoosh...
The next moment, Kamikawa tossed the ball, raised his arm, then jumped in place, swinging his racket.
The entire sequence flowed like water; yet, just in the previous rally, Kamikawa's returns hadn't had this kind of precision.
Thwack!!
The tennis ball landed precisely in the inverse triangle of the service box. Its power, speed, and control were all perfect. It showed no signs of being affected by the deprivation of touch. Or rather, Kamikawa had already adapted to the state of deprived touch during the previous rally, able to freely utilize his own power and hit the most perfect serve.
"So fast!"
Yukimura was stunned, quickening his pace to move forward. After catching up to the ball, he immediately hit a strong cross-court shot to the left corner.
And Kamikawa, the moment the ball hit his racket, judged its landing spot. He arrived at the left baseline a step ahead, raised his arm, and returned the shot with the flow.
Thwack!!
Suddenly, Yukimura surged forward, his steps continuously quickening. The tennis ball, like a maple leaf, swept over the net. Yukimura charged, diving, but the ball that was originally bouncing towards him inexplicably bounced to the left, merely a soft bounce, then rolled to a stop by Yukimura's wrist.
"15-0!"
"What was that just now?"
"A slice? How could the bounce be so low?"
"A slice that drops like a maple leaf after crossing the center line, and the angle of its bounce is to the left? Wasn't his sense of touch deprived? How can he still hit such an amazing shot?!"
"Yeah! This... this is impossible!!"
Many tennis enthusiasts in the audience gasped.
"This is..." Tezuka's gaze sharpened. This was the first time he had seen such a slice from Kamikawa. The slice motion was very similar to a normal flat shot. If it were any other player, they might not have even reacted to this slice. Yukimura only judged it based on Kamikawa's footwork, but he still couldn't reach the ball. He couldn't even touch the tennis ball, and even if he did, at that angle, he could at most lob the ball. The position of that slice was simply too close to the net.
Tezuka was still very curious as to when Kamikawa had learned this. Lately, he had also been researching a unique type of slice, but that slice put a heavy burden on his arm. With his current physical condition, he could only hit it a few times. Kamikawa's slice, however, subtly gave him some inspiration. Tezuka had a feeling that after this Junior Tournament ended, he would step into a whole new realm.
"No good, Yukimura's stamina..."
As Yukimura's tennis coach, Sakata knew better than anyone that with such extreme perspiration, Yukimura's physical condition was already at its limit. And continuously maintaining the "Deprivation of Senses" for so long had only managed to take away Kamikawa's sense of touch. From his visible state, Kamikawa had already adapted to the deprived touch. Coupled with that high-quality slice... the situation had once again become imbalanced.
Thwack!!
Another one of those bizarre slices! This time, the bounce angle was even a few millimeters lower than before.
"30-0!"
...
Thwack!!
"40-0!"
...
Thwack!!
"Game! Kamikawa, 4-4."
In the end, even with normal flat shots, Yukimura seemed slow to react. Kamikawa's slice was incredibly clever. In that split second, it was difficult to tell whether he was hitting a cross-court flat shot or a slice.
Yukimura, exhausted from running, his stamina continuously draining, showed no signs of activating Muga no Kyōchi anymore. Even his mental strength experienced a brief depletion. Kamikawa sensed this, gripping his racket, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Just as I thought."
Kamikawa looked at Yukimura, who was panting heavily on the opposite court. "His 'Deprivation of Senses' is linked to his mental strength. Against players with strong mental fortitude, 'Deprivation of Senses' struggles to have much effect."
"This is also why he activated Muga no Kyōchi mid-match..."
"His eyes... has his sense of touch returned?!"
Yukimura secretly glanced at Kamikawa. He couldn't be wrong. Kamikawa had truly regained his sense of touch, and it only took one rally.
"So, his mental strength is even stronger than his technique, power, and speed?!"
Yukimura's greatest pride was his extraordinary mental strength. It was precisely because of this mental strength that he could master techniques like "Deprivation of Senses." But now... Kamikawa's displayed mental strength was no less than his own. This meant his "Deprivation of Senses" wouldn't have much effect on him. In that case, winning this match would undoubtedly be a fool's dream.
On the court, it was now Yukimura's service game. The match continued.
Thwack!!
"0-15!"
Thwack!!
"0-30!"
...
"Game, Kamikawa, 5-4!!"
...
Still relying on that absolutely perfect slice, the ball's bounce angle continued to lower this round.
Hmph... Hmph hmph...
Yukimura gulped down fresh air, feeling as if his lungs were about to burst. He was still unwilling to give up. The score had reached 5-4, and he was only one point away from losing this round. He knew the trajectory of that slice, but his body couldn't react in time. Stamina was, after all, Yukimura's current weakness.
Am I really going to lose?!
Yukimura's vision gradually blurred, and his mental strength began to wane. The faint, milky-white aura once again swirled around him, and his pupils were once again tinged with that brilliant blue light. At this moment, Yukimura felt incredibly light.
"He's unconsciously activated Muga no Kyōchi," Kamikawa instantly discerned Yukimura's current state. Compared to his previous Muga no Kyōchi, this time Yukimura was clearly relying on sheer willpower to continue the match.
---------------------
The match has intensified, and Yukimura is pushing his limits! Do you think he can turn the tide with this unconscious activation of Muga no Kyōchi, or will Kamikawa's tactics prevail?