Tezuka Zone

"A nice spin smash, far exceeding my imagination in both power and spin. As expected of Tezuka."

Muneyoshi said calmly, swinging his arms up and down at the net, gazing at Tezuka's retreating back.

"However, since Tezuka-kun has already made his move, I can't fall behind either."

Tezuka didn't reply upon hearing this, merely nodding and continuing to serve.

"Pat... pat... pat!"

The sound of dribbling disappeared. He tightened his grip on Tezuka's yellow ball, tossed it up, jumped, swung his racket, and hit the ball.

A perfect overhead smash, almost identical to Muneyoshi's serving motion, was delivered by Tezuka.

Bang!

A yellow streak of light shot towards Muneyoshi's side of the court.

Another ace, landing precisely on the baseline at the edge of the service box's inverted triangle.

Such a serve is something only those with extreme confidence in their control would dare to attempt.

Muneyoshi, knowing Tezuka's style, was well aware that Tezuka had a particular fondness for the corners.

After all, it required no ordinary skill to consistently hit balls to those two spots.

But the corners of the baseline and the inverted triangle in the service box were naturally extremely threatening.

However, this did not pose a problem for Muneyoshi.

Swish!

Muneyoshi's silver-white hair shimmered brilliantly under the sun.

His hazel eyes were cold. As the tennis ball descended, Muneyoshi had already moved to the optimal receiving position.

Wham!

With a powerful forehand swing, a crisp sound echoed as the ball was hit straight back.

Under Muneyoshi's precise control.

It was sent to the left side of Tezuka's court, near the sideline, forcing Tezuka to chase after it.

Wham!

Bang!

Wham!

Tezuka and Muneyoshi began a fierce rally and rapid exchange.

Sidelines, corners, center line, net, baseline – every part of the court saw their figures.

This intense battle, the relentless hitting and returning, and the two constantly moving players, left Akutsu Jin stunned.

He subconsciously gripped the court's protective railing tightly, causing it to creak.

The fierce back-and-forth exchange between the two made the match increasingly exciting and intense.

"Is this their strength?"

Akutsu stared at the two locked in a stalemate on the court, his expression contorted.

They had already exchanged dozens of shots in this rally, yet no one had scored.

Muneyoshi, of course, noticed this.

Suddenly, Muneyoshi changed his tactic, hitting the ball towards the left corner to lure Tezuka into chasing it, then seizing the opportunity to rush the net.

This would allow him to hit the ball into the empty right side of the court, vacated by Tezuka's chase.

But just as Muneyoshi had his strategy, Tezuka had his confidence.

Hummm...

At some point, a halo of light rose around Tezuka, and wisps of flowing air converged towards his position.

"This is... the Tezuka Zone!"

"Damn it!"

In the fleeting moment of Muneyoshi Saeki's dazed regret, a straight golden light drew a beautiful curve in mid-air.

Bang!

Tezuka returned the shot with a slice. At this moment, Saeki Muneyoshi also noticed that Tezuka's elbow had dropped 3.2 cm lower than the standard slicing motion before he hit the ball.

He had a suspicion and immediately stopped his futile chase.

Because this shot was the Zero-Shiki Slice.

As he had expected, after the ball landed, it did not bounce but slowly rolled back towards the center net.

Tezuka Zone + Zero-Shiki Slice!

Muneyoshi felt an immense pressure washing over him.

"30-0."

The tennis ball arced and flew towards Tezuka once more.

"40-0."

Bang!

Another, thicker golden light flashed across Saeki Muneyoshi's baseline with his backhand.

"Game, Tezuka Kunimitsu leads, 1-0, change ends."

"My, my, as expected of Tezuka. No matter who the opponent is, he always takes them seriously and never lets his guard down. There isn't a single opening to exploit!"

As they changed ends, the two players' bodies brushed past each other. Muneyoshi felt a slight headache.

He had already tried several methods, but unfortunately, Tezuka wasn't falling for any of them. Even shots hit at the most difficult angles were obediently returned to Tezuka's side under the Tezuka Zone.

Powerful!

Pressure!

Everything Muneyoshi wanted, Tezuka had clearly delivered.

"Saeki, let me see your tennis. Give it your all!"

Tezuka showed no emotional fluctuation in response to Muneyoshi's words. Instead, he looked at Saeki Muneyoshi with extreme calmness and unwavering determination.

"In that case, as you wish!"

A slight smile crept onto Saeki Muneyoshi's lips. This was the Tezuka he knew. A fiery glint flashed in his eyes, the smile vanished, and he prepared to serve.

"The breakthrough I've been seeking will come from you, Tezuka!"

"Give me more pressure! Scorching Sun Tinder, begin to burn!"

Muneyoshi's spirit focused. His immense mental strength, unmatched by almost anyone his age except Yukimura Seiichi, surged outward.

Although he hadn't gained any other skills to learn since arriving in Prince of Tennis, through years of constant exploration, he had still created his own unique system.

Scorching Sun Tinder was one method of utilizing his mental strength.

Compared to game characters, this move was equivalent to a passive skill.

It could only take effect when encountering a powerful opponent and could be continuously stacked during a match. When stacked to five or more points, it could exert immense mental pressure on the opponent. Simultaneously, due to the stored power of the Tinder, the penetration and spin speed of his own moves would increase.

However, this move wasn't effective against everyone. Only opponents stronger than him could provide the space for this move to be utilized.

This was the second time he had used this move. The last time was during a practice match with third-year seniors from Rokkaku Middle School when he was in fifth grade.

That time, his Five Dimensions increased by a total of over 15 after the match. Although he was weakened for over a month afterward, it was all worth it.

This time, using this move again, his goal was: Nationals!

Thump... thump...

Muneyoshi's ball bounces were slow. Then, with a "snap," he caught the pale yellow tennis ball. He held the ball tightly, concentrating, and slowly raised his right hand.

However, Muneyoshi didn't serve immediately. He paused for a second, and a cool stream of mental energy seemed to surge within his mind.

He seemed to see that cluster of flames, and his entire being felt as if it had merged with this flame.

Instantly!

Muneyoshi's brown eyes snapped open!

"This pressure... it gives me a feeling I've never had before!"

"Scorching Sun Burn!"

In Muneyoshi's eyes at this moment, everything around him seemed to be engulfed in a sea of fire.

Although the flames were weak now, as the game progressed and his strength grew, these flames would eventually engulf the entire world.

In the space, there was no breeze, no color, only boundless darkness and a single firefly illuminating the dark.

Everything on the court seemed to freeze. Tezuka was frozen, and the tennis ball stopped.

It was as if time had been suspended.

At this moment, only the burning flame and his figure could move.

Swish!

During the pause, Muneyoshi swung his racket.

In an instant!

The pale yellow tennis ball transformed into a streak of light and flashed past!

From Tezuka's perspective, although the speed of this shot wasn't particularly fast, the moment he moved, he felt a stinging sensation as if being scorched by flames.

It was precisely this hesitation and misjudgment that made his body unable to react no matter what.

He could only watch helplessly as the tennis ball flew past him.

Muneyoshi's counterattack had begun.