Sanada looked at Tezuka across the court, still calm and steady. He exhaled slowly. Deep down, he already knew he was most likely going to lose this match. But this wasn't the time to give up. He couldn't hold anything back now. He had to go all out. No matter what, he couldn't quit!
"Itsu ka kaze no gotoku!"
He served again using Itsu ka kaze no gotoku. The tennis ball shot over the net, speeding toward Tezuka's side. But Tezuka had already adapted to this serve. He quickly reached the landing point and returned the shot with intense topspin.
Seeing the heavy spin on the returned ball, Sanada knew Tezuka was preparing to trap him in the Tezuka Zone again. But this time, Sanada was ready to break through it head-on!
"Shinryaku ka hi no gotoku!"
Sanada stepped into position for the return. He used centrifugal force to spin once on the spot, then slammed the ball downward from high above. The ball was engulfed in a red flame-like glow. Even the temperature on court seemed to rise. From the sidelines, both Akashi and Yukimura felt a wave of heat rush past.
Tezuka watched the flaming tennis ball shoot toward him. He raised his alert level. But at the moment of contact, his pupils shrank. A surge of scorching heat and explosive power hit his arm. Without proper bracing, the racket was blown from his hand. The ball flew past and left a charred black mark on the baseline.
"15-0"
At the same time, the spectators in the stands were frozen in disbelief. Many of them rubbed their eyes.
"Unbelievable! I swear I saw that ball catch fire. Am I seeing things?"
"I saw it too! I even felt like the air on court got hotter!"
"Is this seriously a shot hit by a grade schooler? Since when did our kids play tennis at this level?"
"Right? These two aren't even playing at the same level as normal kids. This is a total gap in dimensions!"
Tezuka flexed his hand, feeling a light numbness. He frowned slightly and stared coldly at Sanada. He had thought that the Tezuka Zone would wear Sanada down. Even if it didn't win outright, it would sap his stamina. But now he realized—it wouldn't be that easy.
Sanada had won the point, but his expression stayed serious. There was no joy in his eyes. He knew clearly—Tezuka could counter Shinryaku ka hi no gotoku with enough technique. But this was all Sanada had left. He had no other choice.
"Itsu ka kaze no gotoku!"
"Shinryaku ka hi no gotoku!"
"30-0"
"40-0"
In a flash, Sanada reached game point on his own serve. Using the sheer destructive force of Shinryaku ka hi no gotoku, Tezuka could only return the ball with difficulty. The shots lacked quality and carried no Tezuka Zone spin. Sanada had used raw power to break through Tezuka's Tezuka Zone.
Of course, that didn't mean the Tezuka Zone was inferior. It was just that their focuses were different. Tezuka prioritized technique and control. Sanada leaned more on brute strength and relentless attacks. Combined with the physical strength built from years of kendo training, Sanada clearly had the upper hand in power.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu! I admit you're strong. But I will never lose! I'll drag you into the depths of defeat!"
Seeing his technique finally gain the upper hand in their clash, Sanada found new confidence. All he wanted now was to push through, take this game, then go all-out to defeat Tezuka and meet Yukimura in the final!
"Itsu ka kaze no gotoku!"
"Shinryaku ka hi no gotoku!"
As the blazing ball charged toward him again, Tezuka's eyes sharpened. A white aura began to rise around his body. It quickly gathered around his left arm, then shifted into a shimmering rainbow-colored stream!
With a loud strike, the tennis ball shot across the net faster than before. It landed on Sanada's side and, at the moment of his return, knocked the racket clean out of his hand and flew out of bounds.
"40-15"
"No way… That return… That was my Shinryaku ka hi no gotoku? But the power was way beyond mine… No! That's impossible!"
Sanada stared at the scorched black mark beneath his feet, muttering in disbelief.
On the sidelines, several seasoned tennis scouts all stood up at once. Their faces were a mix of shock, confusion, and excitement.
"No doubt about it! That has to be the legendary technique!"
"The samurai! That's Echizen Nanjirō-san's signature move. One of the three great inner techniques of the Muga no Kyōchi—Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami!"
Even some spectators who had watched Nanjirō's matches recognized it. For people in Japan, Echizen Nanjirō was way too famous, especially his signature moves.
Before Nanjirō became famous, hardly anyone in Japan even knew about the Muga no Kyōchi, let alone mastered it. But when Echizen Nanjirō exploded onto the world stage and showcased the true power of those techniques, the world took notice.
"Muga no Kyōchi? No… this isn't just Muga. That's one of its deeper levels—the Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami!"
Even Yukimura, who had stayed calm all this time, finally showed a look of shock on his face. He knew Muga himself, but never used it often. It just didn't suit his style.
But now, watching a peer like Tezuka Kunimitsu unlock a deeper door of Muga no Kyōchi at their age—it was simply overwhelming.
On the other hand, Akashi remained calm. His expression didn't change.
'So you've mastered Hyakuren Jitoku already, Tezuka? I already knew this would happen from the source material. But seeing it live... it's something else. I wonder if you've also unlocked Saiki Kanpatsu too. Our match is going to be something.'
Meanwhile, Sanada finally came back to his senses. He also knew Muga, but like Yukimura, didn't feel it suited his tennis style. Plus, the stamina cost was high, so he rarely used it.
But after seeing his trump card returned with twice the power, he realized what this technique really was. Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami—the technique that concentrates all strength into a single point, returning all power, spin, angles, and force back at the opponent doubled.
Knowing was one thing. Accepting it was another. Sanada now understood he had almost no chance left. But even so, he wouldn't give up. Not until the final point.
The match continued. Even as Sanada used every ounce of strength and unleashed all four parts of Fū Rin Ka Zan, he was still overwhelmed by the doubled returns of Hyakuren Jitoku.
"40-30"
"40-40"
"GAME! Tezuka Kunimitsu! 3-0!"
"GAME! Tezuka Kunimitsu! 4-0!"
"GAME! Tezuka Kunimitsu! 5-0!"
"GAME! 6-0! Match over. Winner: Tezuka Kunimitsu!"
When the match ended, Sanada walked off the court with an unwilling expression. Honestly, he had never imagined losing this badly to anyone his age besides Yukimura. He hadn't even taken a single game.
"Sanada, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Yukimura. I lost simply because I wasn't strong enough. I'll train twice as hard. It's a shame we can't fight it out in the finals. And you better be careful with Tezuka Kunimitsu. Honestly, I think his strength might not be beneath yours. Good luck."
"I know. I'll be careful. Thanks. But now, the real problem is Akashi Seijurō. He's definitely not just any regular opponent either."
Yukimura picked up his racket and slowly walked toward the court, ready for the next match to begin.