Seigaku vs. Makino Fuji

Amidst this mutual feeling that they might be able to get a bargain, the National Tournament began.

The course of the match truly defied everyone's expectations.

Because of the recognition of Makino Fuji's strength, very few people come to watch Seigaku spar with Makino Fuji.

Many people believe that Makino Fuji will advance to the second round with a perfect record.

Unexpectedly, the first doubles match dealt Makino Fuji a heavy blow.

Bang!

"Game 7-5, Seigaku's Inui Sadaharu Yamato Yūdai win."

Amidst Yamato Yūdai's tension and with Inui Sadaharu's composure, although the process was quite tortuous, Yamato Yūdai eventually managed to calm down.

As the match progressed, they realized that their opponent wasn't actually that strong.

Yamato unleashed his full power, and everything changed.

After three years of silence, the former captain of Seigaku, who had never proven himself on the national stage, unleashed his most powerful move.

Phantom Dream!

It was precisely through his strenuous efforts that favorable conditions were created for Inui Sadaharu to obtain intelligence.

With the arrival of Inui Sadaharu, it all came to an end.

Seigaku pulled off the first major upset in doubles match 2.

This result caused the sparse spectators to gasp in surprise.

Seigaku, having won, quickly adjusted their mindset.

In doubles match one, the duo of Kikumaru Eiji and Oishi fought ten rounds against their senior classmates with all their might, unleashing amazing potential.

Although Seigaku lost 6-4, they still deserve credit for their defeat.

The score is now tied at 1-1.

This gave everyone a sense that something big was about to happen.

"The first round of the National Tournament, singles match three, will now begin!"

"Tetsujin Fuwa of Makino Fuji Fuwa the Iron Man vs. Tezuka Kunimitsu Seigaku!"

"Please bring your players to the stage!"

As the referee's voice came over the loudspeaker, Tezuka Kunimitsu, who had finished warming up, got up to leave the field.

"Tezuka, the opposing captain is also very strong, you'd better be careful."

A hint of worry flashed through Fuji, but they were instantly given enough confidence by Tezuka's powerful strength.

This is Tezuka, for you. They haven't met anyone stronger than Tezuka yet.

Akutsu glanced down at Tezuka, who had a poker face, and curled his lip in disdain. "Tch!"

He was originally Seigaku's third singles player, but because of the lesson learned from the last match against the Hyotei Academy, Tezuka adjusted the match schedule this time.

However, Akutsu did not particularly object to this. With his extremely keen senses, he looked at the guy with several small braids opposite him and felt a sense of threat.

This is yet another guy who's stronger than him.

This made him very unhappy, even though his current strength was vastly different from when he first started.

However, after their last encounter, he felt that his strength hadn't closed much gap with Muneyoshi's.

As he made progress, Muneyoshi also made progress.

"Damn it, one day I'll make you pay..."

The danger signal emanating from Fuwa the Iron Man wasn't just felt by Akutsu; Tezuka certainly felt it too.

This was only the second time he had felt this way, aside from when he visited Muneyoshi at Seigaku during his previous trip.

This made him realize that his opponent in the one-on-three match was definitely a very strong guy.

What's more, he's currently the head of Makino Fuji!

Tezuka first stepped onto the national stage, his first opponent was a duel between club captains.

The three-person singles lineup surprised many spectators, as both sides had directly sent out their respective captains, and Seigaku's captain was a first-year student.

"Great! The minister is definitely going to win this time!"

Knowing their opponent, the members of Makino Fuji and his group immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hey... I just told you not to underestimate others, have you forgotten? You know, that first-year student from Shitenhoji was quite active in the Kansai Tournament."

After warming up, Fuwa the Iron Man, who was about to enter the arena, took one last look at the group of club members whose eyes were already looking up at the sky.

"Senior, please give me your guidance!"

"Seigaku is truly full of talented people, let's guess first!"

Fuwa the Iron Man glanced at the short, very young captain standing opposite him, then looked at the group of first-year students from Seigaku and sighed.

"National Tournament, Makino Fuji vs. Seigaku, Singles Match 3 begins, First game, Fuwa the Iron Man's serve."

Snap, snap, snap!

The crisp sound of the ball hitting the shuttlecock silenced everyone, and all eyes were on the Fuwa the Iron Man.

This was a player who had followed Byōdōin to establish the King 'Makino Fuji, and everyone felt a suffocating pressure emanating from him.

Suddenly, he grabbed the bouncing tennis ball, glanced at Tezuka's position, and then tossed the ball upwards.

With a slight step, his legs assume a special posture, and his right hand, holding the racket high, delivers a powerful swing to the falling tennis ball.

Bang!

A loud thud rang out, and the golden tennis ball transformed into a beam of light, swiftly flying across the midcourt towards Tezuka's baseline corner.

Seeing the powerful shot coming at him, Tezuka became serious as well.

Having come a long way in tennis, he can roughly judge his opponent's strength just by looking at their shots.

Fuwa the Iron Man Fuwa's serve is already considered top-notch among junior high school students.

At least, he has yet to encounter many opponents who are more formidable than himself.

Of course, this is no challenge for Tezuka.

In the blink of an eye, he had already captured the trajectory of the tennis ball's landing point.

Uninjured, and with Akutsu and others constantly chasing after him, Tezuka continued to strengthen himself, resulting in an astonishing increase in his strength.

He reacted quickly.

Bang!

The moment he received the ball, Tezuka's expression hardened. The opposing captain's serve was not only fast, but also incredibly powerful.

After dissipating some of the force, Tezuka steadied his racket and swung it.

The tennis ball flew in a perfect arc towards the baseline in the opposite direction of the Fuwa the Iron Man.

Tezuka's ball control was also extremely strong. Compared to Akutsu, who relied on physical attributes, brute force, and intuition to play, he possessed Perfect Quality in this aspect.

It was Fuwa the Iron Man Tezuka catch his ball, but at that moment, he reached out and pulled down the bandage tied to his forehead, covering his eyes.

At this moment, Fuwa the Iron Man remained expressionless, a hint of coldness on his lips, and quickly caught up with the ball.

With a light leap, he delivered a powerful strike in mid-air.

He easily hit the bouncing tennis ball back.

"What? The other party's minister actually covered his eyes..."

"Fuji, can you even play tennis like that?"

The Fuwa the Iron Man surprised everyone, even Tezuka's eyes flickered.

This method of retaliating without using one's eyes can indeed put intense mental pressure on the opponent.

But Tezuka is Tezuka after all, and he won't change his approach based on his opponent's actions.

He moved quickly, sprinting to the front and crouching slightly.

With a powerful Half Volley, he lifted the tennis ball high into the air.

The Fuwa the Iron Man's eyes were covered did not hinder his movements. He stomped on the ground and leaped into the air.

Using inertia, it slammed down forcefully.

Boom!

The tennis ball slammed heavily onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Game, Fuwa the Iron Man, 15:0."

P. S.: I wanted to write about the match against Fuwa the Iron Man back then, but I didn't, so I left it here.

This is the only National Tournament I'll be writing about; please vote with your monthly tickets!