It’s my turn to take the stage.

It was Ajutsu’s service game, and his battle with Kawamura continued relentlessly. With each return from Kawamura, Ajutsu grew more and more excited.

“Ha!”

Ajutsu leapt straight upward, his body rising with such ease that everyone was astonished by his extraordinary jumping ability and air time. His athletic wear whipped in the wind, and he followed up with a powerful smash to score.

“15-0!”

He again assumed a crouched starting position, then deliberately bent low and sprang upward. As he rose, his limbs hung loose, and for a moment, his profile revealed a fierce expression. At the same time, his arm tensed, gripping the racket tightly, and he swung!

“30-0!”

He slid forward on one foot, halted abruptly, and twisted his body into an unnatural arc, crossing his arms as he struck the ball!

“40-0!”

On the other side, Kawamura had none of Ajutsu’s bizarre and unpredictable playing stances. His approach was simple: mobilize every muscle, wring out every drop of sweat, and use two hundred percent of his strength to neutralize Ajutsu’s attacks.

“Great shot!”

“15-15!”

“Come on, baby! Bring it!”

“30-15!”

“I’m burning!”

“40-15!”

With each swing, Kawamura seemed to pour all his strength into the shot, sweat raining down as if he cared nothing for it.

“Come on! Take this! Ah!”

Shouts brimming with vigor echoed through the court, as tennis balls, seemingly engulfed in flames, flew toward Ajutsu. Each ball, like a boulder plunging into water, sent ripples across the ground, leaving faint black marks at each impact. Countless dots appeared around Ajutsu’s feet, and with Kawamura’s last forceful swing, Ajutsu failed to catch the return single-handedly and watched his racket get knocked several centimeters away!

“Score: 2-1!”

“Score: 3-2!”

“Score: 4-3! Evergreen Ajutsu leads!”

“What a fierce chase—Ajutsu seems to be in the lead, but Kawamura is always right behind him…”

Inoue wiped his brow with a handkerchief, feeling exhausted just from watching. He hadn’t expected that Kawamura, whose only advantage was his strength, could push the talented Ajutsu into such a tough fight.

“Yes, ever since Kawamura’s gaze became so resolute, he’s no longer just following Ajutsu’s lead,” Shiba Saori nodded firmly, capturing every stroke with her camera.

“Huff... huff...”

Ajutsu could clearly feel his body slowing down, his breath growing labored.

“That guy Kawamura, he’s got some skills.”

“Huff... huff...”

Kawamura, drenched in sweat, was also breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly. Beads of sweat slid down his cheeks, gathering at his chin before dropping to the ground and leaving dark stains.

“Both sides are losing stamina quickly. If Ajutsu doesn’t finish this soon, he might be in trouble,” Sadaharu said quietly.

“But it seems that since breaking Kawamura’s service game, Ajutsu has been gradually getting caught up,” Fuji added, squinting.

“Although Ajutsu has trained with us for several days, before that, he was someone who never cared for practice,” Yanagi’s words prompted Shishido to ask, “So you mean Ajutsu can’t pull ahead not because of normal fatigue or Kawamura’s overwhelming strength, but because he’s always neglected training, and that’s why he can’t finish the match quickly?”

“That’s right. Ajutsu’s natural athletic talent lets him dominate Kawamura technically, but Kawamura’s tenacious willpower lets him push into a drawn-out battle. So even if Ajutsu showcases skills beyond ordinary players, he’ll gradually lose his advantage,” Matsubara explained, looking at Shishido, while Yanagi nodded in agreement.

Now, even those unfamiliar with tennis could sense what was happening. Ajutsu had initially crushed Kawamura with pure talent, but now he couldn’t escape this prolonged struggle. Kawamura was throwing everything he had at him, his spirit burning with refusal to give up.

In other words, Kawamura was like someone injected with adrenaline, clinging to Ajutsu like sticky taffy. Ajutsu, relying only on talent and instinct due to his lack of training, couldn’t break Kawamura’s momentum in the short term. Their exchange of blows had brought the match to a deadlock.

“But we don’t need to worry about Ajutsu. Even though Kawamura has him cornered, he seems to be really enjoying the match,” Matsubara said, noticing Shishido’s concern and smiling as he tipped his chin. Everyone turned to look, and sure enough, despite Ajutsu’s fatigue, there was a faint smile on his face.

“He really does look happy,” Kuma nodded repeatedly in surprise.

“In the end, there’s an extraordinary bond between Ajutsu and Kawamura. This match isn’t just about victory or breaking a losing streak to improve their chances—it’s about pushing past their physical limits, the impact and resonance between two souls,” Fuji said softly, smiling.

“Mm.”

At that moment, Tezuka, who had been silently observing with folded arms, gave a rare, quiet affirmation. Noticing this, Fuji’s blue eyes widened in surprise, looking at Tezuka’s expressionless face as he watched the match. After a moment, Fuji’s smile grew even gentler, the softness intoxicating.

“Ajutsu, I never understood why you, being so strong, always acted arrogantly toward those around you—even toward your own mother…” Kawamura thought to himself as he ran and exchanged attacks with Ajutsu.

“But now I see—you’re like this because you want someone who can match you, someone who might one day beat you!”

Kawamura’s passionate voice echoed through the court. Seeing that he had finally overtaken Ajutsu, his right hand slackened, and he watched the silver-haired boy still chasing the ball. The umpire’s voice rang out again.

“Match over! Seigaku’s Kawamura wins! 6-4!”

Realizing he had lost, Ajutsu showed little emotion and turned to leave.

“Wait, Ajutsu!”

Kawamura ran to the net and called out.

“What?”

Ajutsu turned back, his tone indifferent.

“Well… thanks for the encouragement just now. That was a fantastic match!” Kawamura scratched his head, a bit embarrassed, and cheerfully extended his hand.

“Kawamura.”

“Hm?”

Seeing Ajutsu lower his head slightly, Kawamura looked over.

“Don’t act like you know me so well. Who do you think you are? The things you said during the match were just because I couldn’t stand your usual timid behavior—don’t flatter yourself.”

With that, Ajutsu walked straight out without looking back. Kawamura was stunned for a moment, then smiled knowingly, “Ajutsu…”

“Though I lost the match, I’ve gained something even more important,” Matsubara said with a gentle laugh, just as Shishido handed Ajutsu water and a towel.

“What do you mean?” Ajutsu didn’t understand what the boy was referring to.

“Nothing,” Matsubara replied, intertwining his fingers and stretching with a lazy yawn. The crackling sound from his back made him close his eyes in enjoyment.

He exhaled deeply, and as he watched Otaki from Seigaku prepare to take the court, a meaningful smile curved his lips. “Next, it’s my turn to perform.”

“Well done, Aaron! With a singles win, we don’t have as much pressure for the remaining two matches,” Oishi said, handing Kawamura a towel. Kikumaru thoughtfully opened a water bottle and passed it over with a smile. “Here you go.”

“Thank you, that’s my job after all. Since we’d already lost two doubles matches, I was determined not to lose this singles, no matter what,” Kawamura replied shyly, wiping his sweat with the towel.

“I heard their second singles player is a little guy. With Otaki’s skills, it shouldn’t be too much trouble,” Kikumaru said confidently.

“Yes, I heard that Matsubara, who played against Ryuuya Sakaki from Housaki Middle School, was pretty ordinary. Although Sakaki lost, Otaki isn’t on his level, so it should be fine,” Oishi nodded, agreeing with Eiji. The two exchanged a fist bump in perfect sync.