"Game!"
"Ishikawa from Hyotei, 1-0. Switch sides!"
As the referee announced the score, everyone's attention shifted to Fuji. However, the genius from Seigaku seemed to be in a daze, his expression blank.
"Fuji?"
The referee on the high chair called out to remind him, "It's time to switch sides."
"Oh, right. Thank you, I understand," Fuji nodded politely.
Under the worried gazes of his teammates, Fuji walked to the other side of the court.
"Sigh," Inoue sighed, watching Fuji's state. "All three of his counter shots, plus his vanishing serve, have been completely countered. Anyone would be shaken in his position, right?"
"Yeah," Tanishi agreed, nodding. Fuji was one of her favorite players. She had hoped that even if he wasn't as strong as Ishikawa, he'd at least put up a fight. But to her surprise, Fuji hadn't scored a single point in his own service game, even after pulling out all his tricks.
"His techniques are indeed flashy," Nanjiro, who was standing nearby, chimed in. "But unfortunately, they're too showy, leaving too many openings. And that kid from Hyotei happens to be the type who excels at exploiting weaknesses."
In Nanjiro's eyes, Ishikawa's style was a perfect counter to Fuji's. While Fuji's play was dazzling and eye-catching, Ishikawa's approach was deceptively simple—a flawless execution of fundamental tennis.
What's more, Nanjiro was certain that Ishikawa hadn't even shown his true strength yet.
"Second game," the referee announced after the sides were switched. "Ishikawa from Hyotei to serve. Game point!"
*Tap… tap… tap…*
Ishikawa lightly bounced the tennis ball, his gaze fixed on Fuji, who looked tense on the other side of the court.
With a smile, Ishikawa said, "I think you're capable of more than this, aren't you?"
*Whoosh!*
He tossed the ball into the air, leaped up, and swung his racket down from behind his head with lightning speed.
*Crack!*
The ball shot forward like an arrow, leaving a sharp sound in its wake.
"That's a crazy fast serve!" Momoshiro and Kaidoh exclaimed, their faces paling.
"Hmm," Tezuka and Ryoma, however, seemed to notice something more subtle, their expressions shifting slightly.
"This serve…"
Fuji's eyes narrowed as he watched the ball fly toward him, a sense of familiarity washing over him.
*Ssshh…*
The ball landed and, instead of bouncing up immediately, spun rapidly on the ground.
"Wait a second!" Horio and the others suddenly realized what was happening and blurted out, "Isn't that Ryoma's twist serve?!"
*Whoosh!*
The ball shot up sharply after spinning, but instead of flying toward Fuji's face as expected, it curved dramatically to the right, completely catching Fuji off guard.
"15-0!" the referee called.
The crowd fell silent.
"Oh?" Nanjiro, who had initially been unimpressed, now looked genuinely surprised. "This kid's twist serve… he's already mastered it to this level?"
The twist serve wasn't exclusive to any one player. In fact, any professional player could execute a decent twist serve. But what Ishikawa had just done was on a whole different level.
For Nanjiro, who bore the title of "Samurai," the true twist serve wasn't just about spinning the ball—it was about creating an arc so extreme that it became nearly impossible to return. Even Ryoma, whom Nanjiro had taught, only knew the basics. As far as Nanjiro knew, the only other person who could pull off this level of twist serve was another young player who shared his samurai lineage.
And now, here he was, witnessing a middle schooler execute it flawlessly in a regional tournament.
"This kid…" Nanjiro's eyes gleamed with appreciation. "His understanding of the serve might already be on par with some professional players."
If anyone else had heard this, they would've been stunned. But Nanjiro was confident in his judgment.
"Is that… a twist serve?"
Outside the court, the Seigaku team was in shock.
Ryoma, in particular, with his sharp eyes, could clearly see that Ishikawa's technique was fundamentally the same as his own twist serve. Yet, the effect was entirely different.
This frustrated the competitive young player. Even if he wasn't as strong as Ishikawa overall, he couldn't stand the thought of being outclassed in his own specialty.
But what worried Ryoma more was Fuji. The usually composed genius now looked even more unsettled than before.
"What's wrong, Fuji-senpai?" Ishikawa called out from across the court, a playful smile on his face. "If this serve is too much for you, I can always switch to something else."
*Crack!*
He served again, the ball spinning fiercely and shooting straight toward Fuji's face after the bounce.
Fuji, anticipating the move, sidestepped and swung his racket to return the ball.
*Thud!*
The impact was heavy, sending a shock through Fuji's arm. He managed to return the shot, but it was clear he was struggling.
Ishikawa seized the opportunity, rushing to the net and finishing the point with a sharp smash.
"30-0!"
Fuji's consecutive losses made it clear to the audience that the Seigaku genius stood little chance of winning this match.
And indeed, as the game progressed, the crisp sound of Ishikawa's decisive shots and the referee's voice announcing his points filled the court.
In just six or seven minutes, the scoreboard showed a glaring "5" next to Ishikawa's name, while Fuji remained scoreless.
"Huff… huff…"
Fuji, exhausted from the relentless pressure, bent over, gasping for air.
"Fuji…"
Inoue and Tanishi watched the panting brunette with sympathy.
"He's just unlucky," Inoue said with a sigh. "If he'd faced anyone else but Ishikawa, he wouldn't be in such a tough spot."
It pained Inoue to see one of his favorite tennis prodigies reduced to a mere stepping stone for someone else's rise.
"Maybe," Nanjiro replied nonchalantly. "But the real issue lies within Fuji himself."
"What do you mean?" Tanishi asked, puzzled.
Inoue also looked at Nanjiro, curious.
"Haven't you noticed?" Nanjiro said, his tone thoughtful. "The problem isn't just his opponent. It's his own approach to the game."
Nanjiro shook his head and said, "This kid named Fuji doesn't seem to have any real desire to win. His playing style is too casual. If the match goes beyond what his counter-shots can handle, he doesn't even bother trying to fight back."
He had seen too many so-called "geniuses" like this.
These were the kind of kids who, from a young age, possessed extraordinary tennis talent. They grew up being praised and admired, and they gradually made their way onto the court under such adoration.
But.
Flowers raised in a greenhouse are too delicate.
When faced with truly ruthless opponents, these players, who had always had it easy, would lose their shine and fade into obscurity.
As a former alumnus of Seigaku, Nanjiro didn't want to see Fuji fall into despair.
But this was something he couldn't change.
If this young man couldn't find the true meaning behind why he played tennis, then not only would this match be over, but his entire tennis career might come to an end as well.
"So... what will you do, kid?" Nanjiro watched with interest as Fuji, expressionless, switched sides with his opponent.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
On the court.
As Ishikawa served.
The match had completely entered its final, meaningless phase.
Even the Seigaku team had given up hope. They could console themselves by thinking that even the nationally-ranked Tachibana from Fudomine had lost to Ishikawa. So, if Fuji lost, it wouldn't be so hard to accept.
Fuji himself had started to think the same way.
"Do I really need to keep fighting?"
"Is there any point in continuing a match where I have no chance of winning?"
"My opponent is so strong. If I lose to him, no one would laugh at me, right?"
These thoughts kept surfacing in Fuji's mind.
"Big brother!!"
But just as he was about to convince himself to give up, he heard his younger brother Yuta's voice: "Hang in there! Don't give up!!"
"Yuta?"
Fuji's heart stirred.
He immediately pictured his brother's anxious face. But he was so exhausted that even opening his eyes felt like a struggle.
"Fuji Syusuke!"
Then, a somewhat familiar voice rang out: "The guy who completely defeated me shouldn't be this weak, right?"
"Oshitari?"
Fuji recognized the voice as belonging to Oshitari, the manager of St. Rudolph's tennis team.
Even he was cheering for me?
Fuji couldn't help but chuckle inwardly.
"Go, Fuji (senpai)!"
Then.
The cheers from the Seigaku team reached his ears.
This warmth reignited something in Fuji's heart.
"That's right."
"I'm not fighting alone."
"Everyone is standing behind me."
With that thought, his nearly extinguished fighting spirit began to burn once again.
"Fuji."
A familiar voice echoed in his heart.
"Tezuka?"
Fuji's heart trembled.
But then he realized it wasn't the real Tezuka speaking. It was a memory from two years ago, on that street court.
"I promise you, we'll play again someday."
A young Tezuka said with determination.
"Okay."
On the other side, a young brown-haired boy nodded solemnly. "Until then, I won't lose to anyone!"
Whoosh!
The promise they made back then.
In that moment, it all came flooding back to Fuji.
He remembered what he had promised Tezuka. At the same time, the faces of everyone cheering him on appeared in his mind.
"That's right."
The sense of defeat in his heart vanished completely, replaced by a fierce will to fight.
"How can I lose here?"
Step, step!!
With that thought.
Fuji, who had been unable to keep up with the ball, suddenly picked up speed. He reached the ball just before it bounced a second time and sent it back.
"He hit it back?"
The Hyotei team members were surprised.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Ishikawa began hitting the ball from side to side, forcing Fuji to run back and forth.
"Ugh!"
Seeing this, Momoshiro and Kaidoh from Seigaku looked upset. "That guy already has the upper hand, and now he's humiliating Fuji-senpai!"
To them, it seemed like Ishikawa was deliberately toying with Fuji, trying to embarrass him in front of everyone.
"No."
But then Tezuka spoke up. "It's not what you think. Ishikawa's shots are all very precise. He's not trying to humiliate Fuji."
"Right."
Dry, standing outside the fence, nodded. "Given the situation earlier, Fuji would have already lost those points."
"Then, what's going on?"
Kikumaru and the others looked confused.
"It's obvious."
Ryoma lifted his head, a glint in his emerald-green eyes. "Fuji-senpai's reflexes and speed have improved... at the very end of the match!"
"Really?"
Coach Ryuzaki, who had almost given up hope, now looked excited.
"Wait."
Suddenly, Eiji noticed something. "Fuji's eyes are closed?"
"Huh?"
Everyone looked closely.
Sure enough, Fuji's eyes were shut.
And.
As time went on.
Fuji's responses became more and more composed.
"I see."
Dry seemed to have figured it out. "By closing his eyes, Fuji has completely emptied his mind. He's relying purely on instinct to return the shots. In this state, no matter how strong Ishikawa's insight is, he can't predict Fuji's moves!"
"Emptying his mind?"
"An unpredictable playing style?"
Momoshiro and Kaidoh exchanged glances, their excitement growing.
That's right!
Ishikawa's most terrifying weapon was his incredible insight. But if Fuji emptied his mind and relied solely on instinct, Ishikawa wouldn't be able to predict his actions.
In other words.
Fuji had effectively sealed Ishikawa's greatest strength.
"Has he broken through his limits?"
Outside the court.
Seeing Fuji's completely transformed demeanor, Nanjiro looked surprised. "And he's even awakened something like a 'mind's eye' ability?"
At this moment.
Nanjiro, who had only come to the regional tournament out of curiosity, realized that the skill level of these middle schoolers was far higher than he had expected.
"I wonder how that old geeker would react if I took a few of these kids under my wing?"
The thought made him grin even wider.
(End of Chapter)