Jack-Knife!

BANG!!

Yukimura lowered his racket, turned sideways, and the tennis ball slid along the strings, an unexpected slice shot.

A slice shot, usually executed with a backhand, lands close to the net, with low bounce, forcing the opponent to quickly move towards the center or the net. A good slice shot can even prevent the opponent from returning the ball over the net.

Similarly, a slice shot can also be used as a return of serve.

Tezuka's slice shot is particularly exceptional, with the Zero-style Slice (also known as the Zero-style Drop Shot, translation error) being its most representative form.

Actually, "Zero-style Drop Shot" isn't accurate. That kind of return isn't a drop shot; it's a typical slice shot. There's quite a difference between a drop shot and a slice shot. A slice shot is a ball with backspin, while a drop shot is simply a ball hit softly towards the opponent's front court, with basically no spin.

"In this situation, hit a slice shot!"

Shishido's pupils contracted.

Yukimura timed it perfectly, an unexpected slice shot with a steep drop. As soon as it cleared the net, it plummeted downwards.

Kamikawa moved forward quickly, and the moment the ball hit the ground and bounced up, he lofted it upwards.

Such a masterful slice shot.

It would be impossible to return it with a direct shot. The only way to counter it was with a lob.

"Tap... tap tap..."

Yukimura stepped forward, reached the net, leaped up, and as the ball spun in the air, he brought his racket down.

WHIZZ!

The yellow tennis ball skimmed over the center net and headed straight for the baseline in Yukimura's right half.

Yukimura leaped up, pushing off his left foot, holding the racket with both hands, and simultaneously exerting force with his arm.

SMACK!

Jack-Knife (a jump backhand), using the left foot as a pivot to jump and generate power, followed by a rapid two-handed swing, which increases the force of the shot. It's a high-difficulty backhand technique.

Both players were at the net, and the effect of the Jack-Knife was evident.

"It's a Jack-Knife!"

Shishido's pupils contracted. This wasn't a backhand technique that an ordinary tennis player could execute.

To think that Yukimura, only in the sixth grade, with such a slender frame, could perform such a superb technique.

"He returned it!"

Just as Shishido was momentarily distracted.

Kamikawa landed, stepped forward again, leaped into the air, and adopted the same stance as Yukimura.

SMACK!

The tennis ball hadn't even landed yet, and it was returned as soon as it crossed the center line.

"This..."

Yukimura's pupils constricted slightly. Such a short distance, and adopting that stance... could his power also surpass mine?

He returned a Jack-Knife with a Jack-Knife!

BOOM!!

With a loud bang, the tennis ball grazed the ground, leaving a shallow imprint.

Yukimura landed and turned to stare at the imprint on the ground.

In an instant.

The area outside the court fell eerily silent. Even the referee seemed momentarily stunned.

"0-15!"

As the referee's call rang out, everyone finally snapped back to reality.

"To be able to adopt the Jack-Knife stance in that state."

"Yeah, and to return a Jack-Knife with a Jack-Knife. Both at the net, the difficulty is just too high."

"Am I really watching a junior high school match?!"

An invisible sense of defeat swept through the hearts of many tennis enthusiasts off the court. They considered themselves to have decent skill levels, but seeing boys of this age perform with such prowess...

Fear, astonishment, and pressure washed over them, leaving them unable to recover for a long time.

"It seems like April will bring a wave of change to junior high."

Inoue continuously filmed the figures of the two battling on the court with his camera.

Vaguely, he saw the dawn of a new era.

He had originally thought that the JR Tournament three years ago and the National Tournament for junior high had been the peak events of the past decade. Now, it seemed that the golden age had only just begun...

Thinking of this, Inoue couldn't help but recall the elementary school student who had gained fame in Europe.

The young master of the Atobe Group - Keigo Atobe.

He had received news that this young master would be returning from Europe in April this year and enrolling at Hyotei!

"Ryo~! Are they really elementary schoolers?"

Mukahi's voice trembled, his eyes glued to the court.

"I... I don't know."

Shishido's pride had long been shattered.

At this moment, he just wanted to see how far these two could take their match.

"So... so amazing!"

At some point, Akutagawa, who had been dozing by the side, also stood beside Shishido and Mukahi, his voice trembling, his eyes filled with longing for such skill.

He had always been lazy and disliked training. The root cause was that Akutagawa had never encountered a truly powerful opponent. Even when he was crushed by Sanada's absolute strength in the quarterfinals, it hadn't shaken the deep-seated desire to win within him.

Until he saw the figures of the two battling on the court, their exhilarating tennis skills far beyond his comprehension. They were truly strong.

In a way, Akutagawa was very much like Fuji. Both were tennis players whose desire to win wasn't very strong. They didn't train much on a daily basis and spent most of their time playing.

Such behavior was undoubtedly a waste of their talent and ability!

"Point!"

Shishido shouted.

At this moment, a crisp ball drop echoed from the court. Kamikawa turned and walked towards the other half of the court.

"15-15!"

"Still probing, Your Highness Child of God!"

Kamikawa chuckled lightly. Standing on the service line, he turned to look at Yukimura on the other side of the court, who was setting up for his serve.

Tennis matches weren't just about speed, power, and technique. Sometimes, it was more about identifying the opponent's weaknesses and launching attacks to turn the tide in one's favor.

However, the technique, speed, and power Yukimura was currently displaying were far below Kamikawa's expectations. This little fox was definitely hiding something; his "aura" hadn't been unleashed yet.

Bang!!

"30-15!"

Bang!!

"40-15, Yukimura!"

Bang!!

"Game, Yukimura, 2-1, change ends."

The referee's voice boomed.

Yukimura had held his serve this round, and both sides got a brief rest. As they switched sides, Kamikawa suddenly stopped and said softly:

"It's time to begin, isn't it, Your Highness Child of God."

Yukimura paused. The nickname "Child of God" hadn't spread yet. It was a nickname given to him by many tennis enthusiasts after he remained undefeated in Kanagawa Prefecture, not even dropping a single game.

He hadn't expected Kamikawa to know this nickname.

Yukimura smiled faintly. "The match has only just begun, hasn't it?"

With that, Yukimura strode towards his resting spot.

"This Child of God..."

Kamikawa murmured, his eyes flickering slightly. "I wonder if he has mastered that path..."

"Tsk~ Muga no Kyochi."

Yukimura and Sanada had both touched upon Muga no Kyochi. However, unlike Tezuka and Chitose, they hadn't explored it deeply. Instead, they had found their own paths.

At this stage, Yukimura might not have truly broken free from the shackles of Muga no Kyochi.

But then again... he was only just turning 11 years old. He had gone to Rikkai Dai in April and, as a first-year student, had been promoted to regular player in the tennis club.

However, Kamikawa remained cautious. This little fox had held back some strength even after playing so many matches against Sanada. No one knew exactly how strong he was.

Even Yukimura's coach, Sakata, had no idea.