Fuji

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Fuji Syusuke (不二周助)
Alias(es)	“Genius Fuji”; Seigaku’s genius
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Seigaku Academy tennis club
Occupation/Role	Seigaku regular; singles and doubles tennis player
Year	Third-year student 103

Background

Fuji was already an exceptional player in his first year. He defeated Tezuka in an early match, though Tezuka had been playing with an injured arm at the time. Their unresolved rivalry later becomes a major source of Fuji’s competitive drive. 148 149

His younger brother, Fuji Yuta, struggled under the label of “Genius Fuji’s younger brother,” transferred to St. Rudolph, and trained specifically to defeat left-handed opponents. Fuji does not resent Yuta’s departure; he is eager to see how much his brother has improved. 18

Early in the story, Fuji habitually allowed opponents to reveal their abilities before counterattacking. Guidance and practice matches with Horio lead him to reject this passive pattern and develop a more direct, aggressive style. 39 57

Personality

Fuji is usually calm, courteous, and smiling even in difficult situations. He remains composed when opponents refuse a handshake, provoke him, or initially overwhelm him on court. 18 120 201

Beneath that relaxed exterior is a strong desire to win. His match with Ryoma and Horio’s influence make him acknowledge that he is persistent about victory, prompting him to take the initiative rather than merely wait to counterattack. 57 149

He is protective of others and takes responsibility for his own conflicts. After Kirihara injures his knee, Fuji stops Horio from escalating the situation and insists on settling the match himself. 87

Abilities & Skills

Adaptive Tennis

Fuji rapidly reads opponents’ techniques, tests their weaknesses, and alters his shot selection mid-match.

• Countered Akutagawa’s deceptive net play to win 6–1. 47
• Identified the weakness in Hirakoba’s unpredictable Fan Shi Qian by recognizing that it could not be returned with an overly wide swing. 161
• Used different returns and feints to keep Shiraishi from reliably countering the Hundred-Armed Giant Goalkeeper. 203 204
• Used drop-shot timing to disrupt Niou’s predictions and illusion-based play. 235

Disappearing Serve

A highly spun slice serve that creates the illusion of the ball passing through the receiver’s racket.

• Its movement becomes increasingly deceptive as Fuji improves, with greater wobble and faster post-bounce changes. 57 200 232
• Can “disappear” twice in succession, defeating the Josei Shonan twins’ two-player coverage strategy. 57
• Was strong enough to shut out Kirihara in Fuji’s opening service game and to win games against Niou. 86 232
• Can be countered by opponents who identify its visual trick or cover its likely angles together. 160 200

Counter Returns

Fuji’s signature returns turn an opponent’s attack into difficult-to-answer shots.

• Swallow Returns to Nest — A sharply descending return. Its evolved form, Phoenix’s Return to Nest, is faster and more powerful. 56 202 232
• White Whale — A wind-dependent shot that rises high, drops, and rebounds back toward the opponent. 150
• White Dragon — An evolution of White Whale that challenges the Tezuka Zone and can exploit wind to pin an opponent in place. 151 232
• Brown Bear Drop — A counter to smashes; it later evolves into the steeper, faster Kirin Drop. 47 151
• Hundred-Armed Giant Goalkeeper — A fourth return created after observing Horio’s Weak Water. Fuji uses both sides of his racket to impart immense spin and make the ball fall before clearing the net. 145 203
  • Its spin can be reduced by an opponent who understands its racket angle and trajectory. 145 205
• Mayfly Encirclement — A defensive return that reduces an incoming ball’s power and spin. It defeats Hirakoba’s Great Fan Shi Qian and later weakens Niou’s copied Hundred Refinements Self-Acquired. 163 236

Mind’s Eye / Muga no Kyouchi

Fuji enters a heightened state by closing his eyes and relaxing his body, allowing him to sense the ball and respond without relying on ordinary visual analysis.

• Greatly improves his speed, efficiency, and offensive pressure. 202
• Blocks Niou’s Radiant Talent and prevents Absolute Prediction from reading his next move. 235
• Lets him confront Niou’s phantom of Tezuka after the imitation reawakens Fuji’s frustration over losing to Tezuka. 233 235

Stellar Fireworks

Fuji’s first explicitly offensive skill, used to finish his comeback against Niou.

• Sends the ball soaring before it descends to score. 235 236
• Secures Fuji’s 7–5 victory over Niou in the national final. 236
• Niou observes that the move can only be executed when a ball is called out, revealing a potential condition for its use. 236

Equipment

• Tennis racket — Fuji uses both the front and back of its string bed to perform the Hundred-Armed Giant Goalkeeper. 145

Relationships

• Fuji Yuta — Younger brother. Yuta transferred to St. Rudolph to escape Fuji’s shadow and sought to prove himself against left-handed opponents; Fuji remains interested in his brother’s progress. 18 22
• Horio — Training partner and trusted junior. Horio’s guidance helps Fuji refine his serve and shift toward aggressive tennis; Fuji also respects Horio’s strength while continuing to challenge him. 57 145 146
• Tezuka Kunimitsu — Long-standing rival and teammate. Fuji defeated an injured Tezuka in their first year, but later seeks to overcome the fully recovered captain and reveal his “real” self. 148 150 151
• Kawamura Takashi — Doubles partner against Higa Junior High. Their old partnership improves during the match, with Kawamura’s power allowing Fuji to conserve energy for key exchanges. 158 162 163
• Kirihara Akaya — Opponent who injures Fuji’s knee during their match. Fuji returns to court, intimidates Kirihara with a Knuckleball Serve, and wins 6–3. 86 87
• Shiraishi Kuranosuke — National Tournament opponent whose flawless fundamentals initially break Fuji’s returns. Fuji answers with Mind’s Eye and evolved counter returns. 200 202 203
• Niou Masaharu — Finals opponent. Niou’s phantom of Tezuka briefly destabilizes Fuji, but Fuji overcomes the illusion and defeats him with Stellar Fireworks. 233 235 236

Story Role / Major Arcs

St. Rudolph Match

Fuji watches Yuta’s attempt to defeat Ryoma and recognizes the damage caused by Mizuki’s specialized training. He becomes serious after learning that Yuta has been taught the risky Outer Spin Rotation Ball. 18 22

Hyotei and Josei Shonan Matches

Fuji defeats Akutagawa 6–1 by adapting to his deceptive tactics. Against Josei Shonan, he partners with Inui and overwhelms the twins with Swallow Returns to Nest and the double-disappearance version of his serve. 47 56 57

Rikkai Dai Match Against Kirihara

Fuji begins aggressively and establishes an early lead with the Disappearing Serve. Kirihara enters his Red Eye state and targets Fuji’s right knee, but Fuji refuses outside intervention, returns to court, and wins with a Knuckleball Serve. 86 87

Tezuka Practice Match

Fuji and Tezuka finally replay their first-year confrontation with both players healthy. Fuji uses his original triple counterattack, evolves White Whale into White Dragon, and unveils Kirin Drop, but Tezuka counters with the Tezuka Zone and Hundred Refinements Self-Acquired. 148 150 151

Higa Junior High Doubles

Paired with Kawamura, Fuji studies and eventually learns to return Fan Shi Qian. When Hirakoba reveals Great Fan Shi Qian, Fuji answers with Mayfly Encirclement to secure Seigaku’s victory. 160 161 163

National Tournament: Shiraishi

Shiraishi initially dismantles Fuji’s serve and classic returns, taking a 5–0 lead. Fuji closes his eyes to enter Mind’s Eye, breaks Shiraishi’s serve, and unveils evolved techniques including Phoenix’s Return to Nest, White Dragon, and the Hundred-Armed Giant Goalkeeper. 200 201 202 203

National Final: Niou

Fuji dominates Niou’s early games with his improved serve and evolved returns. Niou then assumes Tezuka’s form and uses copied Tezuka techniques, forcing Fuji to confront his lingering fixation on Tezuka. Fuji activates Mind’s Eye, neutralizes Niou’s predictive abilities, and wins 7–5 with Stellar Fireworks. 232 233 235 236

Notable Quotes

“Next, I’ll show you the real me.” 150

“You certainly have skill, but illusions are always just illusions. You can never become someone else.” 235