Fuji's Skill

The shift in Fuji's presence on the court naturally didn't escape Muneyoshi's eyes.

He was also well aware of Fuji's talent.

Back when he read the manga, he had really liked this character. Now, living in this world of Prince of Tennis, being able to talk with him warmly made him feel even more of his charm and gentleness.

He possessed unparalleled talent, yet for various reasons, that talent had been sealed and suppressed.

Or rather, Seigaku's stage and Tezuka's strength had trapped him, always making Tezuka the benchmark he chased.

Although Tezuka was indeed strong, his injuries and Seigaku's baffling regular selection system meant Fuji only gained widespread recognition in his third year.

Remember, he had carried the title of genius since elementary school.

Genius Fuji Shusuke!

A genius title that lasted three years.

For him, that wasn't something to be happy about.

A true genius should shed that label as fast as possible and become a real powerhouse.

A genius isn't a strong person; it's a title given after being acknowledged by the strong.

Only the strong leave a lasting impression.

Geniuses only earn people's expectations or regrets.

"Take a look at my tennis, Fuji!"

"The world is actually big. You shouldn't stay dormant here like in the manga."

Fuji wasn't entirely clear on what Muneyoshi was thinking, but he could feel the goodwill Muneyoshi was conveying to him.

Yet the immense, powerful aura coming from across the net still made him truly get serious.

"Is this the conviction you want to pass on to me, Saeki-kun? I feel it."

The serve Saeki Muneyoshi had just made looked basic—just a simple toss and swing—but the technique and countless hours of effort behind it were immense.

Without years of accumulation and training, without a solid foundation, it would be impossible to hit such a serve. Fuji understood this well.

It was one of the few difficult serve techniques in normal tennis, in a world without Xuanhuan.

Aerial High Volley!

Though the world of Prince of Tennis had all kinds of techniques, this one wasn't something anyone could learn.

And to serve it as effortlessly and sharply angled as Saeki Muneyoshi did—few could probably manage it.

"Muneyoshi's strength has grown again!"

Saeko Kojiro, sitting in the umpire's chair, saw it clearly and felt a huge pressure in his heart.

He knew very well how hard his cousin worked, and what was even scarier was that he had great talent and still worked this hard.

"Saeki-kun, a wonderful serve!"

Fuji gave Muneyoshi a long look, then walked back to the receiving position, crouched, focused, and stared intently at Saeki Muneyoshi's movements.

Saeki Muneyoshi smiled, didn't reply, and wasn't particularly excited. He had practiced this serve countless times.

Whether with a normal racket or a weighted lead one, he could now produce the same result.

"Thwack."

"Thwack."

Saeki Muneyoshi kept bouncing the tennis ball.

Fuji's attention was now completely drawn to him.

Bang!

Another explosive sound, the same motion, precise control—the ball was even faster than the last, landing dead on the same ball mark as before.

But this time, Fuji didn't let him have his way.

Thump!

A crisp sound of impact.

Fuji Shusuke returned it. His excellent dynamic vision and decent physical ability let him keep up with Muneyoshi's ball speed.

However.

The ball had just crossed the net before he could move again.

Saeki Muneyoshi's figure was already at the net, intercepting the return in midair.

A drive shot sent the ball flying to the opposite baseline corner.

"30-0."

At that moment, not only Fuji felt the pressure, but Kojiro's voice was also a little shaky.

The match continued.

Bam!

Another brilliant serve, but this time Saeki Muneyoshi had added some spin to the tennis ball.

Fuji Shusuke sensed it the moment he received the ball, but spin was actually a good thing for him.

Just as he was about to return it, his eyes swept over Saeki Muneyoshi's position, and he noticed that this time his opponent was calmly standing at the baseline.

"Not coming to the net?"

"Did he see through my counterattack?"

At this point, Fuji was still somewhat inexperienced. A moment's hesitation cost him the best chance to counter. He made a slight flick, dissipating some of the spin, and gently lobbed the ball to the net.

A drop shot attempt!

"Fuji, you're thinking too simply!"

"Step... step..."

Saeki Muneyoshi moved quickly, reaching the net in the blink of an eye. Another backhand drive.

"Bang!"

Return ace!

"30-0."

"Bam!"

Smash winner!

"40-0."

"Game, Saeki Muneyoshi, 1-0."

One game finished.

Saeki Muneyoshi had held serve easily, and their exciting match had begun to draw the attention of a few other people in the facility, who stopped to watch.

Murmurs of chatter reached his ears. The smile had vanished from Fuji's face.

He felt immense pressure. Sensing the blood surging through his body, Fuji realized he was unconsciously getting a little excited.

This feeling...

Scenes from all his previous matches flashed through his mind. No one had ever given him such a suffocating sense of pressure. Fuji's azure eyes sharpened.

"Muneyoshi-kun, let's play this match with everything we've got!"

Standing across the court, Fuji made his declaration.

"Of course, no problem!"

Nodding, Muneyoshi replied with a smile. After a few balls to provoke him, he could feel the fighting spirit igniting within Fuji Shusuke.

Fuji stood at the baseline, lightly tapping the yellow ball with his racket.

Pat... pat... pat...

The rhythm of the bouncing ball was clear and crisp.

Bam!

He gripped the ball, his sharp gaze shooting straight at Saeki Muneyoshi across the net.

Without tossing the ball high, Fuji held the tennis ball in front of him with three fingers of his left hand. He gave it a slight twist, letting it spin and drop naturally.

"Bang!"

His right-hand racket sliced upward from below. A curved yellow line flew toward Saeki Muneyoshi's court.

"This ball... is going to disappear!"

A hint of sharpness gleamed in Fuji's azure eyes, and his cool voice echoed across the court.

Shhhh shhhh shhhh...

The tennis ball scraped a mark across the ground. As it bounced up, it began to wobble and shoot wildly in every direction—up, down, left, right.

Saeki Muneyoshi swung hard, but felt no contact with the ball.

Watching the yellow tennis ball roll to his feet, Muneyoshi let out a light snort.

"A Cut Serve? Not bad, Fuji."

"Ace, Fuji Shusuke, 15-0."

But unfortunately, he had already seen through the trick of this shot.

"I'm coming again, Muneyoshi-kun!"

"Bang!"

Another slicing cut. The tennis ball once again shot up with the same wild, erratic movement.

"Tennis won't just disappear, Fuji!"

Saeki Muneyoshi's arm first swung his left hand in a quick motion, then he pivoted again, switching the racket to his right hand, and confidently struck back toward the right rear, where the tennis ball had last appeared.

He was mimicking the return stroke Shiraishi had used against Fuji during the National Tournament.

Thwack!

A crisp sound rang out—right at the center of the racket was that yellow tennis ball, which had seemed to vanish for an instant.

Whoosh!

Fuji only caught a flash of the ball's reddish-gold light as it was driven toward him; by the time he saw it again, it had already bounced behind him.

A fine bead of sweat unconsciously formed on his forehead, and a trace of shock crept into his eyes as he looked at Saeki Muneyoshi.

"Just one ball, and he saw through it... such pressure..."

Even though Fuji had already anticipated something like this, Saeki Muneyoshi's overwhelming strength still left him in disbelief.

His tennis technique, which had always carried him through without fail, had just suffered a crushing blow in that moment.