Treading Fire Chasing Sun

Bang!

"Tezuka Kunimitsu, score: 4–3."

Bang!

"Tezuka Kunimitsu, score: 5–3."

Even with the match nearing its end, Tezuka showed no hesitation or relaxation. He flicked his arm, and the State of Selflessness shone once more as he tossed the ball into the air.

The next instant.

Bang!

Once again, it was a perfect serve that combined technique and power.

"15–0."

"Huff... Hah, your tennis style and system are truly a perfect match for you, Tezuka."

Saeki Muneyoshi shook his head. At this point, beating Tezuka was no ordinary challenge.

But Tezuka had already put him under enough pressure!

Besides, Muneyoshi hadn't come here simply to win. He wouldn't give up until the very last moment.

Tap, tap...

His feet left a succession of afterimages. A cold glint flickered in Muneyoshi's eyes as his mind raced through the possibilities.

For now, and even as he continued to improve, Tezuka's tennis system would always revolve around the Tezuka Zone.

Tempered a Hundred Times, with its double-powered returns, and all the Zero series he'd developed afterward—

They were all meant to let him take control of the pace with the Tezuka Zone, then ultimately claim the points.

So...

To beat Tezuka, he had to break through the Tezuka Zone, that tortoise-shell-like defense.

Now that he'd found a way, not giving it a try just wasn't Muneyoshi's style.

The corner of his mouth curled slightly. All his mental energy surged out, crackling.

The sound of flames blazing seemed to come from his side of the court.

"It's time. Any later, and it'll be too late. Set it off!"

Screech...

His feet slid across the court as Muneyoshi twisted his body to the side. Boundless flames seemed to dance in his eyes.

His immense mental energy seemed to ignite in an instant, as if the entire court had fallen into a furnace.

The fiercely burning mental energy made Tezuka's expression turn grave.

He'd also noticed Muneyoshi's movements and knew he was about to use some kind of move!

"Treading Fire Chasing Sun!"

Muneyoshi's feet moved like lightning. He reached the ball that Tezuka had thought was certain to score.

The muscles in his sturdy, powerful arm tightened, forming sharply defined lines. Then he swung with all his strength at the rising ball.

Bang!

With a thunderous crack, he struck a backhand. The ball shot toward Tezuka's side like a beam of light, heading straight for the corner.

But it was still within the range of the Tezuka Zone's pull.

Bang!

The ball flew back and slammed into Muneyoshi's side of the court once more.

Just as Tezuka thought he'd scored, Muneyoshi appeared at the ball's landing point again.

"Treading Fire Chasing Sun!"

"Explode!"

Crackle!

Tezuka's eyes, focused intently on the match, blurred for a moment. He saw a flash of yellow-orange flame flicker across Muneyoshi's side of the court.

Thump!

A sharp crack rang in his ears, and the net at the center of the court swayed slightly.

To his surprise, the ball had partially escaped the Tezuka Zone's pull. It bounced just thirty centimeters beyond Tezuka's reach.

Watching the net still trembling, Tezuka was momentarily stunned too.

This was the first time he'd faced an opponent who could break the Tezuka Zone's pull head-on.

He glanced at the still-swaying net.

Based on his experience playing against Muneyoshi for eight games, Tezuka needed only a moment to work out how Muneyoshi had done it.

Mental energy, a spin in the opposite direction, and Muneyoshi deliberately clipping the net—all combined in a single burst.

Tezuka was familiar with the reverse spin. Muneyoshi had shown it in several games already.

Saeki Muneyoshi was also skilled at manipulating spin.

There was nothing strange about him pulling that off.

Using the net to cancel out some of the spin was a reasonable play, too.

But how had his mental energy suddenly surged again?

Tezuka felt deeply confused, yet relieved.

"15–15."

"I really can't let my guard down at all!"

Tezuka was glad he'd gotten to play against Saeki Muneyoshi just before entering middle school.

His opponent had not only shown him a tennis system completely different from his own, but had also pointed out a flaw in his game.

And the pressure he'd felt in that brief moment had put him in danger. That sensation, as if his whole body were trembling, was wonderful.

For the first time in years, Tezuka's unchanging poker face showed a hint of emotion.

Was it respect for his opponent?

Meanwhile, Muneyoshi wasn't feeling good either.

Treading Fire Chasing Sun was the only defensive technique he'd developed. It was also a move that worked best against a powerful opponent.

Only an opponent with overwhelming strength could put Muneyoshi under such intense pressure.

At that point, ordinary methods were no longer enough to return the ball. He had to sacrifice one of his five stats and transfer it to the one he needed.

That was the only cheat his golden finger could give him, though the amount he could sacrifice and transfer was very small.

Take that last return, for example. Tezuka's powerful doubled return, with its added spin, force, and speed—

And the spin designed to work with the Tezuka Zone—were all too much for Muneyoshi, who had already reached his limit, to return with ease.

So, to return that ball, he sacrificed 0.5 in power and 0.5 in stamina, adding them to technique and mental strength until his mental strength reached 5.

His technique also reached 4. That gave him a substantial, if momentary, boost in ability.

His technique had never been bad to begin with.

A month ago, when he played against Fuji, who was naturally skilled at returning spin shots, Muneyoshi had sealed away Returning Swallow after Fuji showed it once.

Fuji hadn't been able to hit another return shot for the rest of the match.

Muneyoshi had always been good at using spin. With his technique now breaking through, he couldn't completely dispel the spin Tezuka had added to the ball.

But he could disrupt it enough to make the ball land early, instead of being drawn right in front of him by the Tezuka Zone.

And with his mental strength breaking through to 5, he could finally combine the effects of Scorching Sun Tinder and Treading Fire Chasing Sun.

He ignited the tinder, unleashing all the strength he'd built up over the past few games.

Then he used the racket's spin to forcibly cancel out or grind away whatever technique his opponent used, returning the ball.

In that moment, Saeki Muneyoshi became incredibly dangerous.

The illusion that had lain dormant for several games could appear again.

With the immense pressure Tezuka had put on him, Muneyoshi's skill had finally broken through to the national level, at least for a short time.

On the court.

The match grew intensely close. Tezuka had been just two points away from ending it in the final game.

But now Muneyoshi had hit rock bottom and burst back to life, dashing that possibility.

Bang!

He broke through the Tezuka Zone's pull once more, and the ball flew out of bounds.

"5–4."

Tezuka quickly adapted to Muneyoshi's sudden surge, and he showed no sign of yielding.

There was no more testing the waters. This was a contest of sheer will and spirit. Neither wanted to lose to the other.

"Here it comes—the last point."

Muneyoshi raced along the baseline. His feet slid, and with a swing of his racket, he sent the ball screaming back.

Hiss...

A whirlpool of air appeared on the court once again, and the Tezuka Zone took effect. Even Tezuka's temples were now beaded with sweat.

Swish!

Tezuka drew an arc in front of himself with his left foot and sliced the ball clinging to his side diagonally back across the court.

"The ball's getting heavier!"

Feeling the force of Tezuka's returns growing stronger, Muneyoshi's sense of foreboding deepened.

The drawbacks of using Treading Fire Chasing Sun repeatedly and igniting the tinder were already starting to show.

Using this method meant Muneyoshi had completely laid bare everything he had.

He had to finish his opponent as soon as possible. He absolutely couldn't let the match drag on.

If it turned into a long match, he'd become weak.

The stats he'd sacrificed would truly be lost, and the ones he'd added temporarily would drop back down.

It was like breaking through a bottleneck. He could train them back up over time, and the breakthrough in his stats would even let him improve further when he did.

But the period of weakness would be a long one.

Feeling his body grow heavier and his spirit flag, Muneyoshi sensed victory slipping further and further away.

I guess a new book really does need bookmarks and recommendations, huh?

I don't really understand, but anyway, thank you all for your support.