"Seriously." Oshitari flung his hand out, a displeased look on his face. "Why do I have to play against someone I just met?"
He then glanced at Atobe on the adjacent court. Compared to Kamikawa in front of him, he much preferred to play against Atobe; that guy's tennis was quite flamboyant, wasn't it?
"Well then... let's finish this quickly!"
Wham!
As he spoke, a surprisingly fast serve landed instantly at Kamikawa's feet.
"Hmm~ In the end, he's just another show-off peer." Oshitari closed his eyes and raised his hand, about to walk to the other half of the court.
Suddenly, he heard a "wham," and the tennis ball appeared on his court. Before he could react much, the ball zipped past his feet.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!!
The ball hit the wall, continuously making a sizzling sound.
"0-15!"
Just now, that ball...
Oshitari reined in his temper and gravely looked at the landing spot, then turned his head to Kamikawa on the opposite court. His eyes narrowed slightly, and his expression grew serious.
"This guy is strong." Just by watching one shot, Oshitari could estimate his opponent's skill. At least for him, opponents like this were rarely encountered; this was the standard for a top tennis school aiming to dominate Tokyo.
"Can't be careless." Oshitari took a deep breath and hit another high-quality serve. This serve was a few points faster than the previous one, and its accuracy was also higher.
Step... step-step...
Kamikawa stepped forward, lowered his center of gravity, approached the ball, and hit a high-quality cross-court backhand drive.
Watching the ball's landing spot, Oshitari dashed out first, quickly approaching the ball, then suddenly lowered his racket face and hit a slice shot.
Kamikawa seemed to have seen through Oshitari's movements, suddenly appearing at the net, leaping into the air, swinging his racket forcefully, and smashing it down hard.
Wham!!
The ball plunged into the service box and bounced up sharply.
Oshitari chased it desperately but stopped as soon as he reached the service line. He knew well that even if he caught up to that smash, he might not be able to return it.
"0-30!"
Wham!
Wham!!
Neither of them spoke again. Only the sound of the tennis ball going back and forth could be heard on the court.
The match gradually started to tilt towards one side, but Oshitari was doing his best to bring the trend back to balance, even looking for opportunities to launch a new offensive.
Clap~
A crisp sound.
The ball was suddenly lobbed high. Everyone's eyes widened, and they exclaimed, "What a chance, a perfect chance ball!"
Facing the high lob hanging in the air, Kamikawa didn't hesitate, leaping up and smashing it forward with force.
Thud!
Kamikawa's smash soared over the net. Oshitari had already anticipated the landing spot, his body suddenly shifting backward, extending his single arm, and striking a unique pose.
"Is that... the Bear Return?!" Shishido's heart pounded. That guy from Kansai can use this too?! Shishido had only seen this move from Kamikawa before, and it had even broken his proud fast-break.
When the smash fell onto Oshitari's racket face, a tremendous force instantly struck, numbing Oshitari's arm. His racket was directly flung away by the force, and the tennis ball heavily hit the ground.
"Game, Kamikawa, 3-0!"
"Change sides!"
"In an instant, Kamikawa took three straight points. Even that unique return smash was broken?!" Mukahi clearly saw that the guy named Oshitari was strong. Yet, he was completely suppressed by Kamikawa. Even the magnificent Bear Return couldn't withstand that powerful smash.
"The Kansai Wolf from Osaka..." As they changed sides, Kamikawa murmured into Oshitari's ear, "I heard you're known as a genius in Osaka. Now it seems that title is a bit more flash than substance."
"Hmph~" Hearing this, Oshitari snorted lightly and said, "Whether I'm a genius or not, you'll find out if you try."
"True, let's finish this quickly."
"After all, I have a practice match scheduled later." Kamikawa nodded, saying no more as he took a tennis ball from the ball boy.
On the other side:
"What's wrong with this guy...?" Atobe's heart trembled as he stared at his own shot. It was a tennis ball aimed at the opponent's blind spot, yet the moment it crossed the net, it deviated from its trajectory and, in a bizarre way, slowly approached Tezuka.
From the start of the match until now, Tezuka hadn't moved an inch from his spot. He applied subtle spin to the ball, stood slightly behind the center of the court, and, using his left foot as an axis, returned the ball with either his forehand or backhand by shifting his right foot.
Atobe had never seen such an astonishing sight. From the beginning of the match until now, his opponent hadn't moved from his spot, while Atobe was constantly pulled back and forth, running left and right, by the cross-court shots hit by Tezuka.
"Is this... something a human can do?!" When such an unscientific scene appeared, it couldn't help but make Atobe question the tennis path he had been pursuing.
An inexplicable pressure weighed heavily on his heart. This guy was strong. Stronger than anyone he had ever encountered.
Wham!
Wham!!
The match continued, and the score kept climbing.
Tezuka also vaguely felt a hint of pressure. Although he was the one expending more stamina, Atobe still showed no weaknesses. One had to remember, Atobe had already played seven or eight matches before this one. His stamina should have been mostly depleted.
"Lob~" Tezuka furrowed his brow, taking a step and dashing towards the lob shot that landed near the left baseline. His Tezuka Zone wasn't perfect yet; against slice shots and lobs, he needed to actively move forward and couldn't simply absorb them from his spot. (This was also mentioned; otherwise, in the first round of the Kanto Tournament against Hyotei, Tezuka would have dominated with his Tezuka Zone. It was only after Tezuka refined it later that this weakness was completely eliminated.)
On the other side, Atobe also relied on his astonishing insight to find a loophole in Tezuka Zone, letting out a sigh of relief. That last move had put immense pressure on him, so much so that he almost began to doubt his life's purpose.
Wham.
Wham!!
Both players continued, and their offense grew more intense. During this process, Atobe actually played with more spirit.
However, the second and third-year students on the sidelines saw it clearly, and Shishido and Mukahi could also feel it. In this moment, Atobe was completely suppressed.
Wham!!
Tezuka hit a brilliant smash into Atobe's blind spot. Atobe stopped, breathing heavily, unable to adjust his condition for a moment.
"Match over, Tezuka wins."
"Score: 6-3."
"So... so strong!"
"Is that guy really a freshman too?"
Gulp~ "He actually pushed Atobe to that extent."
The second and third-year students watching were filled with disbelief. After all, Atobe had shut them out, and he had played multiple matches, yet he lost to this young man in front of them.
"Tezuka, he's still too serious." Kamikawa, who had already finished his match, said softly, holding his racket in one hand.
Watching Tezuka, who exuded an astonishing aura on the court, Kamikawa noticed that in the mid-to-late stages of the match, Tezuka had already activated Muga no Kyōchi and strengthened his control over Tezuka Zone. Those high lobs and slice shots that he previously couldn't absorb were now being pulled in. Muga no Kyōchi severely drains the user's condition, but Tezuka, relying on the advantage of Tezuka Zone, reduced his running back and forth, thereby reducing some of his stamina consumption.
He chose not to activate Pinnacle of Perfection because, compared to the slight boost in his five senses that Muga no Kyōchi gives, Pinnacle of Perfection clearly suits Tezuka Zone much better.