"No..."
Yukimura's eyes narrowed, disbelief filling his voice.
Only players who had entered the Muga no Kyochi could know about its side effects.
Yet Yukimura couldn't sense even a trace of that same power from Kamikawa.
On the contrary... he had sensed something similar from Kamikawa's friend.
Was that where the problem lay?
In an instant, Yukimura understood.
After all, Tezuka had mastered that power. It made sense that he would have mentioned the side effects of the Muga no Kyochi to Kamikawa.
But the Muga no Kyochi wasn't what made Yukimura truly formidable.
Yukimura steadied himself, eyes fixed ahead. The aura of the Muga no Kyochi faded from around him. He had used up a great deal of stamina, so it was time for the effect to show.
He tossed the ball into the air, bent slightly, leaped, raised his arm, and swung.
The entire motion flowed seamlessly.
Thwack!!
The ball landed almost right on the service line.
Even after expending so much stamina, his control was still astonishing.
As expected of you, Yukimura Seiichi!
"Tap... tap-tap..."
Kamikawa stepped forward and, in an unusual move, came to the net to launch an attack.
The ball bounced up off the line, and Kamikawa returned it with a half-volley.
The instant he made contact, Kamikawa realized something was wrong.
His gaze swept over Yukimura, but the ball sailed over the center line and slammed straight into the fence behind him.
The spectators standing by the fence were startled by the sight.
"Out! 15–0!"
The referee looked puzzled, glancing at Kamikawa again.
"Out? How is that possible?!"
"Kamikawa returned that serve earlier. How could he hit it out this time—and by that much? A home run?!"
Shishido repeatedly slapped his own cheeks, his face full of amazement.
He even wondered if he had dozed off. How could that shot have gone out? Kamikawa's stance and contact point had both been flawless.
How could this happen...
"It was probably a mistake," Mukahi said uncertainly. Under that kind of pressure, one or two errors were normal. It was just that Kamikawa's mistake had been a pretty big one.
"Maybe." Shishido tilted his head and looked at Kamikawa.
He couldn't shake the feeling that something had just happened.
As everyone regretted the missed shot, Kamikawa repeatedly squeezed his racket. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. He was now certain that his sense of touch had been taken away.
When had it happened?
"You really are strong."
Yukimura seemed to have realized something too. He smiled faintly. "I had to use the Muga no Kyochi at full power just to barely take away your sense of touch."
What?!
Everyone watching widened their eyes and turned toward Yukimura.
How was that possible? Taking away someone's sense of touch?!
Could a person really do that?
"It's finally begun."
Inoue's voice trembled slightly. He had once visited Kanagawa Prefecture and witnessed the junior tournament held there at the time, the U14 DKN Kanagawa Junior Tennis Tournament. In that match, Yukimura had faced Akechi, a regular player from Rikkai Dai Junior High.
The U14 tournament was supposed to be open only to junior high school students. Yet, while trailing 0–4, Yukimura had displayed an unusual kind of tennis.
Annihilation of the Five Senses!!
He had won six games in a row. Under the setting sun, the shadow of a god had appeared behind him. From that day on, Yukimura had gained a new nickname in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The Child of God—Yukimura Seiichi!
And Yukimura had only just turned ten at the time.
Whoosh~
On the court, Yukimura tossed the ball high again, raised his arm, and swung.
Once more, he hit a precise serve right on the line.
"Are you trying to take away all my senses?"
On the court, Kamikawa tried to adjust and regain his sense of touch. But with each successive swing, he could feel his sense of the ball gradually slipping away.
Unable to tell how much force he was using, he could only rely on his perception to adjust the direction of his shots.
Thwack!
Thwack!!
The two figures raced back and forth across the court.
With his sense of touch gone, Kamikawa's returns were clearly losing power, accuracy, and speed. Even so, he managed to keep the rally going for a short while.
Yukimura didn't rush to attack. Instead, he kept hitting the ball back and forth, controlling it on the left and right diagonals.
Thwack!!
"30–0!"
Thwack!!
"40–0, Yukimura!"
Thwack!!
"Game! Yukimura, 4–3!"
Change ends!!
Though the rally had seemed close, Kamikawa hadn't scored a single point.
His upper body was soaked with sweat, and an invisible pressure was bearing down on him.
Kamikawa had expended far more stamina than Yukimura in that game. He had to focus on where each ball landed so he could judge how much force to put into his return.
His strong mental fortitude showed itself now. Even after his sense of touch had been taken away, his other senses remained untouched for a long time. Such immense mental pressure could easily push an opponent into a state of yips.
In other words, it was a movement disorder: doubting yourself, questioning yourself, and experiencing involuntary muscle contractions that made your performance falter.
"His condition can't be much better than mine."
Using the Muga no Kyochi at such high intensity for several consecutive rallies had drained a great deal of Yukimura's stamina.
Even with Yukimura's incredible stamina, he was still only so old.
Besides... Kamikawa could feel his sense of touch returning. There was no sign that his other senses had been taken away, and his mental strength was proving to be an advantage.
"So, unless he uses the Muga no Kyochi, he can't take away my other senses?"
During the previous rally, Kamikawa had realized this. Without the Muga no Kyochi, Yukimura's speed, strength, and technique were back to a normal level.
"So all I have to do now is break free of the restriction caused by losing my sense of touch, or take the initiative and attack."
With that thought, Kamikawa took the tennis ball from the ball boy and slowly walked toward the court.
Now that he understood how it worked, it shouldn't be too difficult to counter.
Besides, Kamikawa still had other moves he hadn't used.
"Hah... hah..."
Yukimura regulated his breathing. Using the Muga no Kyochi consumed a great deal of stamina, and Annihilation of the Five Senses also put a heavy burden on his mental strength. He rarely used this move.
Its side effects were simply too severe. His body hadn't finished growing yet, and using it for too long might place more strain on him than he could bear.
"Two more rallies."
Yukimura took a deep breath and steadied his breathing. Then he stood and walked back onto the court.
"Match over."
"Player No. 19, Tezuka Kunimitsu from Tokyo Metropolis, wins."
"Final score: 6–0!"
At the Group A final, the referee loudly announced the result.
The spectators' applause and cheers struck Sanada's heart like needles.
Sanada gasped for breath, both hands braced on his knees. His hat had fallen to the ground during the match, and he was drenched in sweat.
"One day, one day I'll become number one, and then I'll defeat you once and for all."
The boy named Sanada panted heavily, his gaze burning and his expression solemn. He picked up the racket from the ground, his resolve unshakable.
He stared at the glaring 6–0 on the scoreboard.
Then he turned and left the court. Ever since he had first learned tennis, he had never suffered such a crushing defeat.
"Mm."
Tezuka responded calmly. He put his racket into its case on the chair, slung the case over his shoulder, and headed toward the Group B final.
He hadn't seen Kamikawa during the match.
Besides, he could sense the aura emanating from Kamikawa's opponent. Kamikawa was up against someone very strong. Even Tezuka couldn't be sure he'd win that match.
But...
He believed Kamikawa could do it.
The childhood friend and neighbor he had grown up with—the full extent of his skill was still a mystery~
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