Bang!
Bang!
On the court, Tezuka and Akutsu traded ferocious blows.
Neither of them gave an inch. Neither was willing to fall behind.
Akutsu was wild and fierce, with exceptional stats and deadly attacks.
Tezuka, meanwhile, had superb technique and a cool head. The powerful physique he had forged in Germany allowed him to withstand every one of Akutsu's fierce attacks.
As the match grew more intense, Akutsu realized that Tezuka had overcome his old weakness—the lack of stamina for long matches—at some point.
This guy...
For some reason, seeing Tezuka's utterly impassive face made Akutsu furious.
Aside from Saeki Muneyoshi, Tezuka was the person Akutsu most wanted to beat during his middle school years. A big part of the reason was that face of his.
Tezuka was simply too good. Even though he kept Akutsu on the back foot with his relentless attacks, his superb technique and powerful defense still kept Akutsu, whose strength had advanced by leaps and bounds, from breaking through.
"What's the matter, Tezuka? Why aren't you using your Tezuka Zone anymore? And why aren't you counterattacking?"
Akutsu decided to change his strategy, hoping to unsettle Tezuka by getting under his skin.
At the same time, he began sprinting at full speed. He lowered his body, his legs gripping the ground like a leopard's as he burst forward.
"If you're not going to make a move, then I will!"
"I'll smash you to pieces!"
Compared to conventional, strategy-based play, perhaps the purely brutal Shining Shot suited Akutsu better.
Zzzzt—
Golden lightning and a blood-red aura once again filled the air.
The terrifying aura was snuffed out in an instant, but an ever-present sense of danger continued to weigh on Tezuka.
Thud!
Suddenly, Akutsu appeared at the net. He drove the ball hard toward the opposite corner