"Honestly."
Oshitari shook his hand with an unhappy look. "Why do I have to play a match against someone I just met?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Atobe on the next court. He'd rather play against Atobe than Kamikawa. That guy's tennis was so flashy~
"Then... let's finish this quickly!"
Thwack!
As the words left his mouth, an exceptionally fast serve landed by Kamikawa's feet.
"Hmm~ When all's said and done, he's just another attention-seeking guy my age."
Oshitari closed his eyes and raised a hand, about to walk toward the other half of the court.
Then he heard a thwack beside him. The tennis ball had landed on his side of the court instead. Before he could react, it skidded past his feet.
Screee!
The ball struck the wall, making a sharp, scraping sound.
"0–15!"
That ball just now...
Oshitari snapped out of it. His expression grew serious as he studied where the ball had landed, then turned to look across the court at Kamikawa.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and his face became solemn.
"This guy's really strong."
Just from seeing one shot, Oshitari had gauged his opponent's ability. At least in his experience, it was rare to run into someone like this. This was the level a prestigious tennis school that ruled Tokyo Metropolis ought to have.
"I can't let my guard down."
Oshitari took a deep breath, raised his racket, and served another high-quality ball.
This serve was a little faster than the last one, and even more accurate.
"Tap... tap-tap..."
Kamikawa moved, lowered his center of gravity, and closed in on the ball. He swung a high-quality crosscourt shot.
Watching where the ball was headed, Oshitari darted forward first, quickly closing the distance. Then he abruptly lowered his racket face and hit a slice.
It was as if Kamikawa had seen through Oshitari's move. He suddenly appeared at the net, leaped into the air, and swung hard, smashing the ball down.
Thwack!
The ball dropped into the service box and shot back up.
Oshitari chased after it, but stopped at the service line. He knew full well that even if he reached that smash, he might not be able to return it.
"0–30!"
Thwack!
Thwack!!
Neither of them spoke again.
The only sound on the court was the tennis ball flying back and forth.
The match began to tilt in one direction, and Oshitari did everything he could to even things out, searching for an opening to launch another attack.
Pop!
A sharp crack rang out.
The ball suddenly sailed high. Everyone's eyes widened, and they called out, "What a chance! That's a perfect opportunity!"
Facing the high lob hanging in the air, Kamikawa didn't hesitate. He leaped and smashed it down.
Bang!
Kamikawa's smash skimmed over the net. Oshitari had already picked out where it would land. He suddenly shifted backward, swept out one arm, and struck a distinctive pose.
"That's... Giant Bear Return?!"
Shishido was stunned. That guy from Kansai could use this move, too?!
Shishido had only ever seen Kamikawa use it—and it had broken through the quick attack he'd been so proud of.
When the smash struck Oshitari's racket face, a tremendous force hit at once, numbing his arm.
The racket was knocked right out of his hand, and the ball landed heavily on the court.
"Game, Kamikawa, 3–0!"
"Change sides!"
"Kamikawa took three points in a row just like that—and even broke through that unique counter-smash?!" Mukahi had seen it clearly. Oshitari was no weak opponent.
And yet Kamikawa had completely suppressed him. Even his dazzling Giant Bear Return couldn't withstand that powerful smash.
"The Kansai Wolf from Osaka..."
As they changed sides, Kamikawa murmured in Oshitari's ear, "I heard you're hailed as Osaka's prodigy. Now that I've seen you play, that title seems a little more show than substance."
"Hmph~"
Oshitari gave a quiet snort. "Whether I'm a prodigy or not, you'll find out if you try me."
"Fair enough. Let's end this quickly."
"I've got a practice match scheduled after this."
Kamikawa nodded and said no more. He took the ball from the ball boy.
On the other court.
"What... is going on with this guy?"
Atobe's heart jolted as he stared at the shot he'd just hit.
He had aimed the ball at his opponent's blind spot, but the instant it crossed the net, it veered off course, moving toward Tezuka in a strange, gradual curve.
Since the match began, Tezuka hadn't moved an inch.
He put a subtle spin on the ball and stood near the center of the court, slightly behind it. With his left foot as the pivot, he shifted his right foot and returned the ball with either a forehand or a backhand.
Even Atobe had never seen anything so astonishing.
Since the match began, his opponent hadn't taken a single step from his spot. Meanwhile, the diagonal shots Tezuka hit kept pulling Atobe from side to side, making him run all over the court.
"Th-this... can a person really do that?!"
Faced with such an unbelievable sight, even Atobe couldn't help questioning the path he'd chosen in tennis.
A strange pressure weighed heavily on him.
This guy was strong.
Stronger than anyone he'd ever faced.
Thwack!
Thwack!!
The match continued, and the score kept climbing.
Tezuka could sense a hint of pressure, too. Atobe was using far more energy, yet he still hadn't shown an opening.
After all, Atobe had already played seven or eight matches.
His stamina should have been nearly spent by now.
"A lob—!"
Tezuka furrowed his brow and ran toward the ball, which had landed by the left baseline.
His Tezuka Zone wasn't perfected yet. Against slices and lobs, he had to move forward himself; he couldn't stay still and draw them in.
(This has been mentioned before. Otherwise, when he faced Hyotei in the first round of the Kanto Tournament, Tezuka would've already used the Tezuka Zone to dominate the match. It was only after he perfected it later that he completely eliminated this weakness.)
On the other side, Atobe had also found the opening in the Tezuka Zone thanks to his astonishing powers of observation. He let out a long breath of relief.
That move had put immense pressure on him—so much that he'd nearly started questioning his whole life.
Thwack.
Thwack!!
The two kept going, their attacks growing more and more intense.
As the match went on, Atobe seemed to grow even more fired up.
But the second- and third-years watching from the sidelines could see it clearly. Shishido and Mukahi could feel it, too.
At that moment, Atobe was being completely suppressed.
Thwack!!
Tezuka raised his racket and hit a precise smash into Atobe's blind spot.
Atobe stopped, panting heavily. For a moment, he couldn't get his condition back under control.
"Match over. Tezuka wins."
"Score: 6–3."
"S-so strong!"
"Is he really a first-year, too?"
"Gulp... He actually pushed Atobe that far."
The second- and third-years watching were in disbelief. Atobe had shut them all out and played several matches, yet he'd lost to the boy standing before them.
"Tezuka... he took things too seriously."
Kamikawa, who had finished his match long ago, held his racket in one hand and spoke quietly.
Watching Tezuka's imposing presence on the court, Kamikawa knew that sometime in the middle of the match, Tezuka had activated Muga no Kyochi and strengthened his control over the Tezuka Zone. Even the lobs and slices he'd previously been unable to draw in were now being pulled toward him.
Muga no Kyochi placed a heavy strain on its user, but Tezuka had relied on the advantage of the Tezuka Zone to cut down on how much he had to run, reducing some of that strain.
Still, Tezuka had held something back. He'd only activated Muga no Kyochi.
He hadn't chosen to activate the Limit of a Hundred Refinements. Compared with the modest boost Muga gave to his five abilities, the Limit of a Hundred Refinements was clearly a better fit for the Tezuka Zone.
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