"He hit it in the opposite direction from Tezuka!"
"An attack like that won't work on Tezuka. After all, Tezuka has the Tezuka Zone!"
The junior high school players gathered together to discuss how the match might unfold, since they knew the players on the court well.
But when they saw Tezuka forgo the Tezuka Zone and instead hurry straight toward the corner, many of them frowned.
"What's going on? Tezuka didn't use the Zone?"
Marui blew a bubble, puzzled by Tezuka's choice.
"Is he holding something back?"
Sengoku shared his own theory, since they all thought Tezuka's usual approach would be to use the Tezuka Zone to create an opening for a counterattack.
"Hmph. You should be watching Akutsu's movements more closely. Looks like he's been planning to use his full strength from the start!"
Bang!
Gold and blood-red light tore across the court once more. Facing Tezuka, an opponent he knew inside out, Akutsu didn't bother testing the waters. He went all out from the very first shot.
The spectators heard only the explosive crack of the ball. It shot forward like lightning and landed precisely on the sideline.
The force and destructive power behind it shattered the spin Tezuka had put on the ball with his Tezuka Zone.
Akutsu's burst of power had made the shot incredibly fast, but it wasn't beyond Tezuka's reach.
Tap, tap, tap...
Air currents gathered around Tezuka. After judging the shot calmly, he sprang into motion. His speed was far beyond what he'd shown before, and he quickly caught up with Akutsu's return.
His stern, composed expression gave nothing away. Only the faint currents swirling around him stirred, gathering at his left hand.
He glanced casually across the court. After taking in Akutsu's position and movements, he swung his racket with a