Tezuka Kunimitsu vs. Fuji Shusuke (Part Two)

“To devote oneself completely...” Shuji Fuji narrowed his eyes once more, recalling the admiration and envy he had seen in his sister and those who had played tennis with him in the past. He began to ponder the profound words of Kunimitsu Tezuka.

Returning to the present, Fuji spoke candidly, “Let’s have a match with no regrets.”

His expression grew solemn as he opened his sapphire eyes and slowly stepped past Tezuka, who, in turn, withdrew his gaze and calmly thought to himself, “Then let’s give it everything we have, Fuji!”

“Of course.”

The two figures, backs to each other, gradually moved apart. Standing at the center of the court, Fuji tapped the ground with his tennis ball. At a certain moment, as he grasped the ball, he felt its fuzzy texture and seemed deep in thought.

“What is that?!” Mei Matsubara exclaimed, noticing that Fuji didn’t toss the ball upward, but instead gripped it downward and quietly loosened his fingers, his agile hand brushing over the soft yet firm surface.

“Smack!” The tennis ball was struck with a reverse spin, cutting a fierce arc through the air before landing swiftly!

“What kind of serve is that?!”

“It’s nearly as powerful as tossing the ball up…”

“Something unbelievable is about to happen!”

Those on the sidelines also noticed Fuji’s unconventional serve, and an uproar erupted.

“Reverse spin again!” Kaede called out, and Sara’s eyes widened in shock as she looked toward Fuji on the court. Was this the same reverse spin serve as Tezuka?

“Did he master the disappearing serve in his first year?” Mei Matsubara was astonished by Fuji’s sudden display of skill. She vaguely remembered that Fuji only began to show his genius-level talent in his second year, earning the title of “Genius” from then on.

Fuji’s serve bounced and then leapt into the air, wobbling unpredictably mid-flight. Tezuka, gripping his racket with both hands, narrowed his eyes, refusing to relax even for an instant.

“No… Fuji won’t let Tezuka lose a point so easily with that serve!” Renji Yanagi suddenly remarked, sensing something amiss.

Just as he finished speaking, the ball’s erratic movement intensified, turning its previously straight trajectory into something as unpredictable as a deflated balloon!

“?”

Tezuka noticed the ball’s wild movements vanish. For a moment, his usually calm face was struck by bewilderment. Instinctively, he swung his racket based on pure feeling, but encountered no resistance.

The ball… was gone?

Everyone outside the court was stunned, and even Tezuka himself was bewildered—he hadn’t hit the ball at all!

A gentle breeze stirred Fuji’s chestnut hair, revealing eyes as blue as the ocean beneath his bangs. His lips moved softly, “That serve disappears, you know.”

As he finished speaking, the tennis ball made a faint sound, rolling slowly from beneath the wire fence onto Tezuka’s side of the court.

“Ah…”

The umpire, sitting atop the ladder, was so shocked he could barely speak, like a duck with its neck squeezed. Truthfully, he had seen countless matches as a referee, but such a surreal tennis shot was a first in his life!

“Uh… this…” Coming to his senses, the umpire was unsure whether to call the ball out. From his vantage point, Fuji’s ball vanished before Tezuka swung, and reappeared only after hitting the wall outside the court.

“Referee!” Kaede’s voice rang out, drawing many eyes toward her.

“That ball wasn’t out!”

She explained, raising her voice, and pressed forward through the crowd, pointing at her uniform. “I’m Kaede Kitagi, a member of the Girls’ Tennis Club. My dynamic vision is the best among us, and I can guarantee that Fuji’s ball was inside the lines!”

Faced with Kaede’s earnest expression, the umpire nodded in understanding, “15–0!”

Fuji tapped the ground with the ball again, then smiled, “I have your serve to thank for this, Tezuka.”

Tezuka’s expression shifted slightly. He quickly realized Fuji’s meaning: had Fuji been inspired by his own reverse spin serve to create this disappearing serve?

A flash of insight crossed Tezuka’s mind. He seemed to recall Fuji’s hand gesture—it was similar to his own, both applying reverse spin to the ball.

“Perhaps it’s fate. If I used forward spin, my hand would feel awkward,” Fuji thought warmly as he held the ball palm-down.

“Take another serve from me, Tezuka!”

With steely determination in his blue eyes, Fuji served another disappearing ball. Tezuka’s focus was razor-sharp, watching the ball skid briefly on the court before leaping upward. He tightened his grip.

“Whoosh!” The sound of the racket cutting through air echoed. Tezuka maintained his swing, but the ball vanished right before him as if it had evaporated.

“30–0!”

“40–0!”

“Fuji! 1–1!”

Using the disappearing serve, both Fuji and Tezuka held their service games. Ryo Shishido was left speechless by their extraordinary serves.

“Their battle is every bit as intense as Yukimura versus Sanada…”

Sweat trickled down Yanagi’s face. He had thought Yukimura and Sanada’s abilities were already outlandish, but Fuji and Tezuka surpassed even them. Small wonder Tezuka could so easily defeat Sanada, runner-up in the junior tournament.

“No wonder they call Fuji a genius. Using Tezuka’s reverse spin ACE serve, he found inspiration for the disappearing serve!” Mei Matsubara was getting fired up; this match was exhilarating!

Though Fuji had managed to tie the score at 1–1 with his newly developed disappearing serve, Tezuka showed no sign of yielding, unleashing another ACE serve.

This time, Fuji had clearly improved. He no longer seemed fragile against Tezuka’s serve, instead striking back with force and scoring!

“15–0!”

Knowing Fuji’s innate talent and unmatched growth, Tezuka realized ACE serves would no longer work.

As their rally intensified, everyone watching was stunned. Lightning-fast attacks and exchanges, dazzling net volleys and cross-court shots—the score shifted rapidly among them!

“4–4! Tezuka to serve!”

Tezuka’s chest rose and fell gently, sweat pooling on his chin before dropping onto the court. The dark shadow soaked into the ground, but soon faded as the court’s color returned to normal.

“Huff… huff…”

Fuji, too, was drenched in sweat and gasping for air. The high-intensity rallies with Tezuka were starting to wear him out. Yet, through the match, he had gained a thorough understanding of Tezuka’s style. As long as he didn’t tire first, he wouldn’t lose.

Now, Tezuka—having lost his lead—was even more depleted than Fuji!

Unconsciously, Fuji laughed at himself. Since when had he become so obsessed with winning and losing? Was it because of you, Tezuka?

Looking across at the bespectacled boy with chestnut hair, Fuji wondered why, of all his matches, he must settle the outcome with Tezuka.

“Tezuka hasn’t used any of his signature moves so far…” Mei Matsubara mused inwardly. Fuji’s triple counter wasn’t fully developed yet, but Tezuka was different: Tezuka’s Zone, Zero-Shiki Drop Shot… Was it because he was playing left-handed?

“This match will finally have a winner, Fuji,” Tezuka said, gripping the ball.

“Yes,” Fuji replied with a smile.

“As expected of Tezuka and Fuji—this match is truly thrilling…”

Sadaharu Inui and Akutsu arrived at Court One after finishing their own match. Although Inui hadn’t witnessed Tezuka’s full skill, just a few games were enough to glimpse his prowess.

He had to admit, gathering others’ data was important, but nothing mattered more than Tezuka’s.

“Bang!”

Facing Tezuka’s serve, Fuji returned it with ease. The two continued to volley, one stroke after another, until, at a certain moment, Tezuka eyed Fuji’s incoming shot, fixed his gaze, raised his racket single-handedly above his shoulder with his left hand, while his right palm supported the shaft.

“It’s coming!”

Mei Matsubara recognized Tezuka’s posture instantly, while Inui and the others watched in anticipation, unsure what would happen.

Tezuka sliced down from about a sixty-degree angle, striking the rear of the ball. The tennis ball zipped over the net at a brisk pace.

Realizing it was a drop shot, Fuji rushed to the net to save it, but before his racket could touch the ball, it landed—and what happened next left everyone in awe.

“Scratch, scratch!”

The tennis ball, upon landing, didn’t bounce at all. Instead, it rolled tightly along the ground toward the net!

Still poised for a rescue shot, Fuji opened his blue eyes again, gazing at the man before him who seemed to command the court like a king. His eyes flickered.

“This is the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot,” Tezuka said, turning away in the hushed silence where even a pin drop could be heard, his voice calm.