The Day I Finally Found You

"Minister, why isn't Tezuka from Seigaku using that Tezuka Zone?"

Ibu Shinji had been keeping a close eye on the court, suddenly remembered that his opponent had a very powerful special move that he hadn't used yet, and couldn't help but ask curiously.

"Shinji, observe more closely. Tezuka's return did indeed contain special spin, but under Sanada's Moving like Thunder slash, all the spin on the tennis ball was disrupted."

Looking at Sanada in the arena, Muneyoshi's eyes were filled with admiration:

"Although Tezuka hasn't activated his domain yet, under Sanada's violent attacks, even if he did, its effectiveness would likely be minimal. Tezuka himself probably anticipated this, so this technique is probably sealed away now."

Moreover, Muneyoshi actually saw his shadow in Sanada's counterattack.

Sanada's approach to dealing with Tezuka Zone largely drew inspiration from Muneyoshi's method of dealing with Tezuka during the Kanto Tournament.

It must be said that, for these geniuses...

If you've seen a technique or coping method with your own eyes, and it suits you, you can learn it quickly.

"Is this Rikkai Dai's offensive? It seems even more decisive and efficient than when he fought against Tachibana-senpai." Standing next to Kamio Akira, Ishida Tetsu felt a little suffocated.

"Indeed, Sanada has become stronger. His serve and the slash he just hit have improved so much compared to when we played against each other. He really didn't give Tezuka any chance at all."

Tachibana Kippei nodded silently, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, and the black mole between his eyebrows began to turn red.

Keith shared the same feeling as Tachibana Kippei.

Although he currently plays doubles, he still has the desire to challenge such a strong opponent.

The sheer force and competitive spirit that Sanada displayed on the court put pressure on even him.

Keith suddenly recalled his duel with Niou during the Kanto Tournament. Niou had only slightly imitated Sanada's attack, yet Keith had never forgotten it.

"If only I could have a match against him myself..." Keith's heart was filled with longing.

On the court, in the second game, when it Tezuka Kunimitsu's serve, Tezuka did not use his absolutely powerful Zero Style Serve, but instead hit a very standard Aerial High Volley.

Such a serve is certainly very powerful, but it is not difficult for Sanada to deal with.

Bang!

Sanada quickly caught up with the ball, Sanada once again unleashed a sword-wielding swing.

The tennis ball bounced off the ground, and there was no sign of contact between it and Sanada's racket.

But tennis had already vanished in the howling storm.

Sanada showed no sign of smugness when returning Tezuka's serve.

His face was filled with a seriousness so intense it was frightening, and one could even sense a hint of anger within that seriousness.

"Tezuka! How far do you intend to test me? If you continue to refuse to show your true strength, then don't blame me!"

Sanada suppressed his anger and said with great displeasure.

Having witnessed Tezuka's matches against Atobe and Muneyoshi, and comparing them to his own past experiences, he could say he knew Tezuka's strength inside and out.

Seeing that Tezuka hadn't even used his full strength to fight him, Sanada was very dissatisfied.

"In that case, let's focus all our attention on it, Sanada!"

After sensing Sanada's attitude and determination, Tezuka no longer concealed his strength.

Buzz!

A powerful aura swept from Tezuka's body toward the court. The dazzling milky-white aura of selflessness was perfectly suppressed in his left hand and behind his head, and its five-colored radiance could not be obscured even by the blazing sun.

"It's finally appeared! Tezuka's Mugao-doku, and he's even opened two of them!"

On the other side of the stands, Chitose Senri was lying directly on the wire mesh, her eyes greedily taking in every glimpse of Tezuka's light.

Having unleashed his full potential, Tezuka no longer hesitated; his serves were now infinitely faster than before.

Bang!

Bang!

The two launched a rapid attack, and in the ensuing tug-of-war, Tezuka's domain gradually began to take effect again.

Sensing this change, Sanada acted decisively, unleashing another Moving like Thunder.

However, this time, Tezuka did not surrender easily.

His focused gaze swept across the area, and once he detected the tennis ball's trajectory, he shot off like an arrow.

They were just afterimages left where they had originally stood.

With the power of selflessness, Tezuka quickly arrived at the landing point of the tennis ball and got into position before he could even see the ball engulfed in lightning.

Bang!

The trajectory of the silvery-white lightning bolt was intercepted by Tezuka in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, Tezuka's entire body shone brightly, almost enveloping his entire racket. Under the Pinnacle of a Thousand Forgings, he twisted his waist and exerted force, sending the thunderbolt back with even greater power and speed.

This caused Sanada, who had been poised to Moving like Thunder, to pause.

However, Sanada is Sanada after all. Although he was shocked by Tezuka's counterattack, he reacted instantly.

"Swift as thunder!"

With a sizzling sound, Sanada's speed exploded again. His knees were red and swollen from the force of the impact, but he still managed to hold on, leaving only an afterimage in his wake.

A silvery-white lightning bolt ripped across the half of the court, and Sanada appeared behind the tennis ball just as it was about to hit the ground again.

Bang!

Without any hesitation, even with doubled speed and power, Sanada charged straight at the enemy.

It still Moving like Thunder.

It Moving like Thunder.

It can only be Moving like Thunder!

Tezuka made no comment on Sanada's stubborn use of this move, his expression remaining calm and composed, though a surge of energy flowed around him.

Tread...

He slid his left foot back and stepped his right foot across, drawing an arc with his foot. At the same time, he subtly changed the way he held the racket to return the shot.

Change from extraction to cutting.

Although he was essentially standing still, Tezuka's lower body strength was quite stable, and he could only barely withstand the force of Sanada's attack.

At the same time, this posture did not affect his dexterous hand movements in the slightest.

With a whoosh!

The radiant light of selflessness emanated from the racket face, and the air that the racket swept across seemed to freeze. The tennis ball, enveloped in electric light, had its power absorbed layer by layer.

Snap!

The collision of powerful air currents created an invisible vortex, resulting in a domain even more powerful than Tezuka Zone.

"Is this Tezuka Zone?"

"Wasn't this move sealed by Sanada? Can it be used again?"

"That's amazing!"

"No, that's not right! This isn't Tezuka Zone, this is Tezuka Phantom that only appeared during the battle against Saeki Muneyoshi!"

This appears to be in response to speculation from the audience.

Buzz!

The instant Sanada returned the ball, the vortex of air surrounding Tezuka's body changed instantly.

As the lightning was struck by the radiance of selflessness, its condensed will began to crumble, and its lightning-fast speed suddenly slowed down.

A strong outward repulsive force pushed the tennis ball, which was about to land on the court, away from the court.

Thump!!

"Out of bounds! Seigaku's Tezuka Kunimitsu scores, 15-0!"

Subsequently, Tezuka, unleashing his full power, continuously used Tezuka Phantom, and another of his ball skills, Tezuka Zone, also came to life.

Bang!

It was another outward repulsive force, which intersected with the blue and white lightning for a fleeting moment.

Sanada's return shot flew out of bounds once again, leaving only a charred ball mark on the ground.

"Game, Seigaku Tezuka Kunimitsu, the score is 1-1!"

"Is this what Renji was talking about, the reverse effect of the domain, Tezuka Phantom, that Tezuka Kunimitsu used during his match against Saeki Muneyoshi?"

On the sidelines, on the coach's bench, Yukimura Seiichi's purple eyes gleamed as he continuously rehearsed and calculated how he would respond to this ball.

However, he quickly came up with a method that, while seemingly foolish, was very effective for someone like him who was dedicated to the essence of tennis.

Therefore, although Tezuka's move was amazing, he didn't seem worried at all; a slight smile even appeared on his lips.

"I really look forward to playing against you, Tezuka!"

Meanwhile, in another section of the stands, a blond, blue-eyed middle-aged foreigner stood out among the spectators.

He was dressed in a suit and tie, looking out of place among the other athletes in sportswear, and also quite distinct from those who had come to the Japan with ulterior motives and were trying to hide it.

He did not hide his whereabouts, and instead ignored those around him who were clearly monitoring him.

He is Kan Retru, the head coach of the Germany U-17 national team.

His trip to Japan this time was entirely because of a video of the person who fought against Saeki Muneyoshi in the Kanto Tournament.

The video itself wasn't particularly outstanding, but when Polk saw it, he was overjoyed.

That familiar territory and the way the game was played were exactly the kind of boy that Polk had been searching for for two years, the boy who had disappeared in Germany.

Unexpectedly, the boy that Polk couldn't find in Germany turned out to be Japan.

After learning the whole story, Retru also developed a slight interest in Tezuka.

He used his connections in Japan and found Tezuka very easily.

However, he did not dare to disturb him, because he had already noticed that there were also Japan U-17 personnel protecting Tezuka.

Upon realizing this, Retru abandoned his idea of rushing to disturb them and instead decided to observe further.

Anyway, it's currently the time of the Japan National Tournament, and you can see a lot of other things through the competition.

However, as he continued to observe, he discovered many promising seeded players, which surprised Retru.

Surprisingly, in Japan, it's not enough for one Saeki Muneyoshi to emerge; there are actually many junior high school students who can catch up.

Upon noticing this, Retru instantly sensed danger, as he remembered the new rules that would be implemented next year.

"It seems these people are unaware of the capabilities of these Japan middle school students; otherwise, given their hypocritical nature, they certainly wouldn't have tolerated the Japan..."

But what does this have to do with Germany? You don't want to see us defend our title, do you think changing these rules will stop us? Or are you going to let the Japan cause you some trouble...?

After discovering Japan's large pool of junior high school students, Retru did not intend to share this information with other teams.

Other teams that came to Japan basically had the same idea.

As for his opinion on whether the Japan team would have an impact on Germany?

Joke!

He was the coach of the nine-time champion Germany, and he already had a clear understanding of his players' abilities, as well as the strength displayed by these middle school students from Japan.

In a real competition, the best players are always tested, and in that respect, Germany fears no one!

As kings, they certainly possess that kind of spirit.

As for the young man whom Polk admired, Tezuka Kunimitsu's displayed strength also greatly pleased Retru.

More than Tezuka's now-established tennis path and technique, what Retru is most concerned about is the mental fortitude Tezuka displayed.

This is not only the previous match against Saeki Muneyoshi, but also the current contest against another young man.

This ability to remain unshaken even after one's signature move is countered and countered by the opponent, and to continuously adapt and improve during the match.

These are the qualities that Retru admires most, and they are also one of the essential qualities for becoming an excellent tennis player.

What Tezuka Kunimitsu embodies is the result of elite Germany tennis training.

Bang!

Just as Retru was deep in thought, another violent tremor came from the stadium, drawing his attention back to the pitch.

"Game, Sanada Genichirou, 2-4!"

"This serious little guy is really good; even though he was suppressed by Kunimitsu so much, he was still able to break through again."

Kane Retru looked down at the pitch with a smile.

However, upon seeing this scene, Retru showed no worry whatsoever; in fact, his eyes held a hint of scrutiny and testing.

"Let me see how far you can go, Kunimitsu."

Seeing such a match and gaining a full understanding of his level made Retru very happy.

He subconsciously rubbed the stubble on his cheek with his palm:

"I've been in Japan for a long time now. After this National Tournament ends, I'll go find him. I just don't know what kind of answer he'll give me..."

After a short rest, Sanada stood up from the bench and went back onto the court.

He glanced at Tezuka across from him and sensed that Tezuka's breathing was still very even, which fueled his anger once again.

Having undergone such brutal training, he was originally very confident that he was no less than Tezuka.

However, after Tezuka skillfully used his domain, he was actually suppressed so badly, and Tezuka hadn't even used any of his Zero-style special techniques.

Thinking of this, Sanada's eyes narrowed, becoming sharp as swords.

If this is the limit, then I'm really terrible!

Crack!

Sanada twisted his ankle; although his knee was already red and swollen, he couldn't care less about that when facing Tezuka.

With another forceful push of his knee, the taut leg muscles unleashed an astonishing burst of power.

"Moving like... thunder!"

A wildly leaping blue-white lightning bolt was once again reflected in Tezuka's eyes.

Bang!

"Sanada Genichirou scores, 15-30."

Sanada, who fights for every point, once again snatched a small point from Tezuka's grasp.

"Damn it, the captain even used Tezuka Phantom and Tezuka Zone, how come Sanada is so difficult to deal with?"

Momoshiro clenched his teeth, hanging precariously from the railing.

Watching the tennis ball fly far out of bounds at the beginning, and now getting closer and closer to the baseline, he felt a strong sense of suffocation.

"Could it be that Sanada has completely adapted to the captain's style of play after just these few games? That's incredibly lucky!"

How could such a thing happen? Sanada's Moving like Thunder -fast, close-range attack was, in Momoshiro's eyes, purely luck.

"Momo, Sanada just now wasn't luck; he's probably very familiar with Tezuka's spin."

Fuji's eyes were already open, his deep blue gaze filled with seriousness.

"Fuji- senpai, was Sanada's success just luck? Or was he extremely familiar with the captain's spin?"

Upon hearing Fuji's words, Momoshiro, Kaidoh, Oishi, Kikumaru, and the others were all taken aback.

Is Sanada's learning and adaptability really that strong?

In just a few games, he completely adapted to Tezuka's moves.

The other Regular from Seigaku all looked at Fuji, curious Fuji how he had come to this conclusion.

"Tch, have you all forgotten that there's another guy on the other side who can imitate you?"

Akutsu, standing to the side, couldn't help but speak coldly.

"Yes, Rikkai Dai has another person who can perfectly imitate Tezuka."

The man who had been given the tip immediately realized what was going on and gently pushed up his glasses.

"Niou Masaharu!!"

This guy, who imitated Tezuka in the Kanto Tournament, probably used to phantom Tezuka and constantly spar with Sanada during school training.

This is why Sanada was so familiar with Tezuka's spin; at the beginning, he even suppressed Tezuka so much that Tezuka couldn't even use his Tezuka Zone.

It's just that Tezuka Phantom hadn't been used much before, otherwise Sanada would probably have adapted much faster.

Upon learning this, the members of Seigaku felt a chill in their hearts.

Their minister lost too much intelligence.

P. S.: "In Niou's Phantom's hands, not only can Sanada be trained, but also himself. Please vote with monthly tickets!"

I really want to just post one chapter; one chapter is equivalent to two and I still have room to spare!

However, I also have an extra chapter today as promised for those who vote with their monthly tickets.