It was the third game.
Tezuka was up to serve.
"Hey, Tezuka," Kamikawa said, holding his racket level at the baseline, a smile on his face as he looked at Tezuka. "Don't even bother trying. I won't let you use your Zone Skill."
"Zone Skill?!"
Outside the court, everyone who heard that was completely baffled.
What kind of strange move was that?
Only Sanada's pupils contracted slightly, his face etched with disbelief.
Could it be that in their previous rallies, Tezuka had already tried to use that move?
And his opponent had just... suppressed it?
How did he even do that?!
Sanada stared at Kamikawa, utterly bewildered. He desperately wanted to know how Kamikawa had managed it.
"Come on, Tezuka!!"
Seeing that Tezuka hadn't replied, Kamikawa lowered his stance, gripped his racket with both hands, and focused ahead.
Bang!!
Tezuka lifted his arm and cleanly hit the ball.
It landed precisely in the inverted triangle of the service box.
Kamikawa didn't hesitate, quickly darting forward. As soon as the ball bounced, he unleashed a swift, straight drive.
Thwack!!
With a crisp sound, Tezuka lowered his racket face and, once again, hit a Zero-Shiki Drop.
The ball skimmed over the center line and then plunged rapidly. But Kamikawa had already rushed forward. When Tezuka hit the drop shot, there was a brief pause in his movement.
Kamikawa, who had been with Tezuka for so long, knew this little habit of Tezuka's all too well.
The shot looked sudden, but it was still within Kamikawa's control. Kamikawa rushed to the net and flicked his racket upwards. When dealing with a ball that lands so low, the only way to return it is with a lob.
The most brilliant aspect of the Zero-Shiki Drop is how the ball, upon landing, rolls backward in a bizarre manner. Even if Tezuka couldn't perfectly execute it yet, it would still bounce slightly backward.
Just as Kamikawa lobbed the ball.
In the next moment, Tezuka's figure suddenly appeared in front, leaping into the air.
A milky white aura swirled around him, an aura that seemed even deeper than what Yukimura or Sanada had reached. Then, they heard a smack.
The ball zipped past Kamikawa, slamming into the court behind him.
"15-0!"
"Muga no Kyōchi?!" (State of Self-Actualization? or Pillar of Strength?)
Shishido and Mukahi, who initially didn't understand this state, had only truly grasped it after seeing Kamikawa and Yukimura's match that morning.
It was a state that only tennis players who transcended their limits were qualified to delve into.
And now, it had appeared on this court once again.
"Come on, Kamikawa. Give it your all, concentrated!"
The aura of Muga no Kyōchi, like a swirling vortex, continuously strengthened Tezuka. He was different from Yukimura and Sanada; Tezuka had already ventured into one of Muga's profound doors.
Chū Ren Jitoku no Kiwami! (The Pinnacle of Hard Work! or Perfectionism!)
Thwack!!
"30-0!"
Thwack!!
"40-0!"
With Muga no Kyōchi activated, Tezuka was hitting almost every ball precisely on the sidelines. His control had clearly leveled up, and what's more...
Tezuka lowered his racket face and unleashed a high-quality drop shot.
Zero-Shiki!
Kamikawa quickly rushed forward, not hesitating for a second.
They watched as the ball, upon hitting the ground, violently spun and then rolled straight towards the center of the net.
For a moment, the entire court fell silent. Everyone's eyes were wide as they stared at the ball lying in Kamikawa's court.
"Game, Tezuka, 2-1!"
The referee's call broke the quiet on and off the court.
"Just now... what was that?!"
"The ball... the ball actually rolled straight back!"
"This... is this a shot a primary schooler can hit?"
After a long pause, the spectators outside collectively gasped.
"Mukahi, did... did you see that?" Shishido instinctively looked at Mukahi beside him. It was the first time he'd ever seen a shot like that.
Tezuka's previous drop shot was already astonishing enough, but compared to this one, it was completely outclassed.
"I... I was watching, Ohtori~" Mukahi was also dumbfounded.
This guy, when he played against him...
He definitely hadn't used a move like that, not even the drop shot that bounced forward.
Similarly,
Sanada, who had lost to Tezuka, also saw his expression change dramatically.
He had thought that by mastering Muga no Kyōchi, he would be closer to Tezuka. But now, it seemed he had been pulled even further away.
"That drop shot, did he finally perfect it?!"
After seeing Tezuka's drop shot, Sanada's heart clearly understood: the previous drop shot was imperfect, but the one hit just now was its truly perfect form.
To think that even among middle schoolers, the golden generation, the ones who were about to graduate...
None of them had ever been able to hit such a terrifying drop shot.
Once this drop shot landed, it was an undeniable point.
Just with this drop shot, combined with the boost from Muga no Kyōchi, Tezuka now, among the middle school division, might be at a semi-national level, or even able to face players who barely stepped into the national realm.
And remember, Tezuka was only in his sixth year of elementary school, just about to enter his first year of middle school.
Such skill, such mental fortitude, was truly rare.
"I wonder which team these two will join in the future."
Inoue couldn't help but exclaim, watching the two on the court.
He didn't know why, but he saw the shadow of Echizen Nanjirō, the legendary "Samurai," in these two.
Especially in Kunimitsu Tezuka!
This also made him instinctively think of a certain school.
He was an old acquaintance with the coach of that school, Seishun Gakuen, a long-established tennis powerhouse in Tokyo.
"As expected."
Seeing Tezuka's Muga, the smile on Kamikawa's face deepened. "With your skill, you've long been able to unleash Muga no Kyōchi, and you can also use Muga to perfect your Zero-Shiki Drop."
He truly was the young powerhouse, Kunimitsu Tezuka. Compared to Yukimura, Tezuka's skill before his injury was even more formidable. After all, his talent was rumored to be the closest to that legendary Samurai.
"Alright then."
Kamikawa tossed the ball. "Let me see your Chū Ren Jitoku no Kiwami now!"
Thwack!!
Kamikawa served.
This serve was faster, more urgent, and had even greater precision.
Tezuka quickly moved forward, caught up to the ball, and then hit a flat shot aimed at his opponent's backhand. But Kamikawa seemed to have anticipated it, stepping into position early and returning it smoothly.
Thwack!!
The ball landed in Tezuka's court. Tezuka turned sideways, lowered his racket, and struck the ball.
"Another drop shot?"
He squinted, but his movements didn't falter, rushing forward again.
After mastering the Muga ability, all his various skills had significantly improved, the most crucial being Tezuka's own control.
You see, the most vital part of the Zero-Shiki Drop is imparting that unique spin to the ball.
Previously, Tezuka was limited by his own body, unable to apply the appropriate amount of spin. But with the activation of Muga no Kyōchi, and the rise of his basic abilities, he quickly overcame his physical limitations.
Thinking this, his movements sped up. Before the ball even landed, he proactively lobbed it back.
Smack!!
The ball hung in mid-air, and the next second, a figure leaped into the air.
Thwack!!
Tezuka slammed it down.
Kamikawa turned his back and hit another Bear Reversal. After landing, Tezuka quickly turned and sprinted towards the baseline. The moment the ball bounced, he hit it back.
Great shot!