Bang!!
Yukimura lowered his racket and turned sideways. The tennis ball slid along the racket face as he unexpectedly sent back a slice.
A slice was usually hit with a backhand. Because it landed closer to the net and didn't bounce very high, it forced the opponent to rush toward the middle of the court or the net. A well-executed slice could even make it impossible for the opponent to return the ball over the net.
Slices could also be used to return serves.
Tezuka was especially good at them. His signature shot was the Zero-style Slice (also called the Zero-style Drop Shot, though that was a mistranslation).
Strictly speaking, "Zero-style Drop Shot" was inaccurate. That return wasn't a drop shot; it was a classic slice. There was a considerable difference between the two. A slice was a backspin shot, while a drop shot was simply tapped lightly into the opponent's front court and generally had no spin.
"In this situation, he hit a slice!"
Shishido's pupils shrank.
Yukimura had timed it perfectly. The unexpected slice dropped sharply, barely cleared the net, then plunged down at once.
Kamikawa hurried forward and, just as the ball hit the ground and bounced, flicked it upward.
What a brilliant slice.
It was impossible to return it with a straightforward shot. The only way to counter it was with a lob.
"Step... step-step..."
Yukimura strode forward, reached the net, and leaped into the air. As the ball spun upward, he snapped his racket down.
Whoosh!
The pale yellow ball skimmed over the net and shot toward the baseline in the right half of Yukimura's court.
Yukimura pushed off with his left foot and leaped, gripping the racket with both hands as he put his whole body into the shot.
Thwack!
A Jack-Knife—a jumping two-handed backhand—used the left foot as the pivot to leap and generate power, followed by a quick two-handed swing. It increased the force of the shot and was a highly advanced backhand technique.
Both players were at the net, and the Jack-Knife's effectiveness was clear.
"He actually hit a Jack-Knife!"
Shishido's pupils shrank. This was no ordinary tennis player's backhand.
Yukimura was only in sixth grade. Despite his small, slender frame, he could pull off such an advanced technique.
"He returned it!"
While Shishido's attention wavered for a moment, Kamikawa landed, took another step, and leaped into the air, striking the same pose as Yukimura.
Thwack!
Before the ball could hit the ground, he returned it just after it crossed the center line.
"This..."
Yukimura's pupils contracted. At such close range, he'd taken that stance. Could Kamikawa's strength really surpass his own?
He'd returned a Jack-Knife with a Jack-Knife!
Bang!!
The ball slammed against the court, leaving a shallow mark.
Yukimura landed and turned to stare at the mark on the ground.
In an instant, the courtside fell utterly silent. Even the referee was too stunned to react.
"0–15!"
The referee's call finally brought everyone back to their senses.
"He could still get into the Jack-Knife stance in that position."
"Yeah, and he returned a Jack-Knife with another Jack-Knife. They were both at the net, too. That's unbelievably difficult."
"Am I really watching a match between elementary schoolers?!"
An invisible sense of defeat swept over the tennis fans watching from the sidelines. They had always considered themselves decent players, but now they'd seen boys this young play at such a high level.
Shock, disbelief, and pressure bore down on them, leaving them unable to process what they'd witnessed.
"Looks like middle school tennis will be in for a shake-up this April."
Inoue kept snapping photos of the two players battling on the court.
He could vaguely see a new golden age on the horizon.
He'd thought the Junior High National Tournament at the JR Tournament three years ago was the greatest spectacle of the past decade. But now, it seemed that golden age was only just beginning...
At the thought, Inoue couldn't help remembering the elementary schooler who'd made a name for himself in Europe.
The young master of the Atobe Group, Keigo Atobe.
According to what he'd heard, the young master would return from Europe this April and enroll at Hyotei!
"Ryo~ Are those two really elementary schoolers?"
Mukahi's voice trembled. He hadn't taken his eyes off the court for even a moment.
"I... I don't know."
Shishido's pride had already been shattered.
At that moment, he just wanted to see how far those two could take their game.
"S-so amazing!"
At some point, Akutagawa, who had been sleeping nearby, had joined Shishido and Mukahi. His voice trembled, and his eyes were filled with longing for that kind of tennis.
He'd always been lazy and disliked training. At the root of it, Akutagawa had never encountered a truly powerful opponent. Even when Sanada had crushed him with overwhelming strength in the quarterfinals, it hadn't stirred the desire to win buried deep inside him.
But now, watching the two players on the court trade shots with such exhilarating skill, far beyond anything he'd imagined, he realized just how strong they were.
In a way, Akutagawa and Fuji were alike. Neither had much of a competitive streak; they rarely trained and spent most of their time having fun.
There was no doubt that they were wasting their talent and potential.
"He scored!"
Shishido shouted.
A crisp sound rang out from the court as Kamikawa turned and walked toward the other half.
"15–15!"
"Still testing the waters, Child of God?"
Kamikawa chuckled as he stood at the service line and looked across the court at Yukimura, who was getting into position to serve.
Tennis wasn't just about speed, strength, and technique. Sometimes, the key was to spot the opponent's weak points and attack them, turning the tide in your favor.
Yet Yukimura's technique, speed, and strength were all far below what Kamikawa had expected. That little fox was definitely holding something back. He still hadn't shown his "aura" at all.
Bang!!
"30–15!"
Bang!!
"40–15, Yukimura!"
Bang!!
"Game, Yukimura, 2–1. Change sides."
The referee called out loudly.
Yukimura had held his serve that game, and both players had a chance to rest. As they changed sides, Kamikawa suddenly stopped and spoke softly:
"It's about time you started, isn't it, Child of God?"
Yukimura paused. The nickname "Child of God" hadn't spread yet. He had earned it from the many tennis fans who'd watched him go undefeated in Kanagawa Prefecture without dropping a single point.
He hadn't expected Kamikawa to know about it.
Yukimura smiled faintly. "The match has only just begun, hasn't it?"
With that, Yukimura continued on toward his seat.
"This Child of God..."
Kamikawa murmured, his eyes flickering. "I wonder if he's found that path yet..."
"Tch. Muga no Kyochi, huh?"
Yukimura and Sanada had both entered Muga no Kyochi, but unlike Tezuka and Chitose, they hadn't explored it in depth. Instead, they'd found paths of their own.
At this stage, Yukimura might not have truly broken free of Muga no Kyochi's constraints.
But then again... he'd only just turned eleven. He wouldn't be heading to Rikkai Dai until April, where he'd become a regular on the tennis team as a first-year.
Still, Kamikawa stayed wary. That little fox had held back in every one of his many matches against Sanada. No one knew just how strong he really was.
Even Yukimura's coach, Sakata, had never figured it out.
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