No More Zero

"Was there another person who was on the left half of the field the whole time!? Did he disappear just like the guy who disappeared before!?"

Looking at the empty left half of the field opposite him, Sanada's eyes were filled with terror.

Tanegashima seemed to know why he was doing this, and spoke up.

"Just as you think, I transfer my Will Not Be Zero ability to my partner; that's my fourth 'incapacitated,' even more so than before."

Bang!

"The First String scores, making the score 6-3, and the First String wins."

The U-17 team won the fifth round of the match against the junior high school students with a total score of 2-0.

To Sanada's horror, Ohmeguro Ryuji, who had disappeared, returned the ball.

Akutsu lost her fighting ability, and Sanada was also unable to react.

The tennis ball landed easily in the middle school student's half of the court, scoring a point and giving the First String another point.

"Tanegashima is really wasting his talent. Although those two middle school students were very strong, he actually used four 'nothingness' techniques."

"I think only the two people on the field truly understand the pressure exerted by those two junior high school students, especially the one with the silver-gray hair."

"If I really put you on the field to compete against both of them, I reckon your reaction would be even more intense than Tanegashima's. You guys need to speed up your evolution, or you'll easily be overtaken by the middle schoolers."

Hearing the comments from the people behind him about the match, Byodoin's tone remained unreadable.

However, First String listening intently wisely kept quiet.

"I wonder what those two proud guys are thinking about losing the game with a scoreless draw."

"Regardless of their feelings, what they gained from this match is far more valuable than simply winning."

On the other side, Horio and the Tanegashima watched as Sanada helped Akutsu talk to Akutsu face-to-face at the net, and they were quite satisfied with the result of the match.

"You guys almost beat us, that was close."

"You two are very strong. With your abilities, you are definitely qualified for the First String. I hope you can show even greater strength in the upcoming World Championships."

At the net, Tanegashima and Ohmeguro Ryuji watched Sanada supporting Akutsu, who had lost consciousness, and didn't hold back their praise for the two.

"We lost, and we accept it wholeheartedly, but we will definitely win next time."

Sanada was not pleased by the praise from the two high school students.

He knew that Akutsu wouldn't be happy if he heard this, so the match had just ended.

Before either of them had even left the arena, Sanada challenged the two opponents again.

"It's good that you think that way, but you should still channel that fighting spirit into the world championships. That's where middle school students like you can really shine."

Tanegashima did not accept Sanada's challenge, and Ohmeguro Ryuji also politely declined.

Having said that, the two didn't give Sanada a chance to continue and turned to leave the stadium.

Seeing that his challenge went unanswered, Sanada could only help Akutsu back to the sidelines to rest.

"Are you ready, Tokugawa? The next battle is your duel with Byodoin."

"No matter what, this match was inevitable."

From the sidelines, the four players on the field returned to their respective teams.

Horio turned to look at Tokugawa, who was standing to the side, but Tokugawa's gaze remained fixed on Byodoin.

"Round 6 of the U-17 team vs. junior high school team reshuffle battle, First String Representative No. 1, Byodoin Houou."

Just as Horio and Tokugawa finished their conversation, an announcement came over the loudspeaker that the sixth round was about to begin.

"Come on, you first-year middle school student."

The announcement of Byodoin's name was broadcast, Byodoin picked up his racket and stood up from his seat.

He then turned his gaze toward Horio's direction, his eyes filled with fighting spirit.

"Don't be so eager to die. Before you fight me, there are still people you need to settle personal scores with."

Horio ignored Byodoin's provocation and directly handed over the right to perform to Tokugawa, who was standing to the side.

"This is a competition between the national team and junior high school students. Tokugawa isn't a junior high school student; he's not eligible to participate..."

"Then he's qualified, right?"

Byodoin strongly opposed Horio's idea of having Tokugawa appear, but before he could finish speaking, Horio produced the Zero Badge.

Seeing this, Byodoin had no choice but to designate who would participate; this was the power of the Zero Badge in the training camp and the team.

"Go, Kazuya. This is an opportunity; seize it."

"What are you still hesitating for? Isn't this the moment you've been waiting for?"

After Horio handed over the right to participate to Tokugawa, Irie and the Oni from the First String camp both expressed their opinions.

"Go for it. Win or lose, this is something you'll have to face sooner or later, and it's not like you can't win."

"I will win."

Horio glanced at Tokugawa beside him and said something with a hint of meaning.

Although Tokugawa was still somewhat nervous, his inner desire to win made him determined.

He gripped his racket and walked onto the court.

"It's been a year. Your skill level should be better than it was back then, right?"

"You'll find out, I'll make you pay for all the humiliation you suffered a year ago."

"Really? Ha, let me see what progress you've made this past year that makes you dare to talk to me like that."

Looking at the more composed junior in front of him than a year ago, Byodoin couldn't help but feel a little curious.

"The match begins, Tokugawa serves."

"It's been a year, and the pain I've endured this past year is unimaginable."

But even though it was incredibly painful, I endured it all, all so that I could defeat you when we meet again.

The bottom line. Tokugawa looked at Byodoin across the street, the memory of his crushing defeat a year ago resurfacing in his mind.

A year ago, when Tokugawa first arrived at the training camp, he had no rivals at the time, having received professional training abroad since childhood.

When Tokugawa once again utterly defeated more than a dozen upperclassmen high school students, unable to find any opponents, he finally uttered the question, "Isn't there even one decent guy in this training camp?"

No sooner had he uttered those words than Byodoin appeared.

Similarly, Byodoin, who couldn't find any opponents in the training camp, basically slept most of the time. By chance, Tokugawa, who had just woken up, encountered Byodoin, who had just arrived.

At the time, Tokugawa looked down on Byodoin's lazy and slovenly appearance. When Byodoin, who hadn't even put on his shoes, wanted to fight him, Tokugawa refused.

But when he saw Byodoin's eyes, Tokugawa changed his mind.

Little did he know that this change by Tokugawa would lead to the first crushing defeat of his life.

In the match at Byodoin, Tokugawa was suppressed from the very beginning.

Byodoin kept attacking his body with the ball, and Tokugawa could only be hit again and again.

Before the match was even halfway over, Tokugawa was already covered in wounds.

Finally, after Tokugawa was beaten until his eyes rolled back and he even knelt on the ground, Irie and Oni stepped in and saved Tokugawa.

"What's wrong? Aren't you an elite who returned from overseas? Aren't you going to become a professional gamer?"

It's truly eye-opening. They don't even understand the real meaning of winning or losing a match, yet they still dream of becoming professional players.

"Your name is Tokugawa, right? You'll spend your whole life hiding under someone else's protection."

These were the last words Byodoin said to Tokugawa during that match. Tokugawa, who was almost unconscious, felt humiliated upon hearing these words.

He wanted to get up and continue the game, but neither his body nor his mind were under his own control anymore.

After the match, Oni and Irie took Tokugawa to the lounge.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Tokugawa wept in front of the two, and neither Oni nor Irie knew how to comfort him.

The only thing we can do is encourage Tokugawa to become stronger, so that he can return the favor when he has another chance to compete with Byodoin.

From that day on, Tokugawa began his long journey to become stronger.

He even took the advice of Oni and Irie and voluntarily conceded defeat in the subsequent elimination rounds to receive training from Mifune.

Tokugawa was already mentally devastated, was further tormented by Mifune. Under the pressure of this period of anxious training, Tokugawa made great progress.

It was at that time that the humiliation in his heart led him to embark on the Asura Divine Path.

On the field, after dispelling the resurfacing memories, Tokugawa tossed the ball into the air.

No Light Ball Shot or Rainbow Serve was used.

He hit the ball simply by using the coordination of his wrist and arm, and by utilizing his strong physical abilities.

A dull thud was heard as the ball struck the net, its powerful force emanating from it.

Bang!

Tokugawa scores, 15-0

The tennis ball bounced off the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and then struck Byodoin directly in the Byodoin, sending him flying.

"I've said it before, and I'm very certain of it, that I am strong enough now."

The smoke from the fire had not yet dissipated when Tokugawa looked at the smoke opposite him and spoke.

"Oh? You want to go out to sea in a famous little boat? Then you'll be sailing with the constant fear that the boat will sink."

As the smoke cleared, Byodoin came into view.

Hearing Tokugawa's words, Byodoin found it somewhat amusing.

Maintaining his half-kneeling posture while looking at the composed Tokugawa across from him, Byodoin wiped the corner of his mouth.

"I believe I am strong enough, and I am absolutely certain of that."

Although the ball sent Byodoin flying quite a distance, it didn't cause him any real damage.

After all, he is the number one player on the team, so his physical strength must be extremely outstanding.

Picking up his racket from the ground, Byodoin returned to the court.

"Then you keep playing and see how childish you really are."

Tokugawa frowned upon hearing Byodoin's words, then tossed the ball up again.

Bang!

Tokugawa scores, 30-0

Another powerful serve sent the tennis ball hurtling towards Byodoin once again.

However, this time Byodoin learned his lesson and moved his body away as the tennis ball bounced off the ground.

The tennis ball, originally aimed at Byodoin's body, was caught by Byodoin's racket, but Tokugawa's serve was so powerful that it knocked Byodoin's racket away.