The next day, when Akashi's luxury sedan arrived at the stadium once again, there were only 20 minutes left before the semifinals started. Akashi stepped out of the car, tennis bag on his back, calm and composed as he walked toward the court.
When he entered the players' lounge, he noticed he was the last to arrive. Thanks to Akashi's reminder the day before, Tezuka Kunimitsu didn't repeat the mistake from the original story. He wasn't disqualified for being late. He was already doing warm-ups with a blank face, adjusting his condition.
Just then, Yukimura and Sanada noticed Akashi's arrival and walked over. Yukimura extended his hand and introduced himself:
"Nice to meet you! I'm Yukimura Seiichi. This is my teammate, Sanada Genichirō. We're from Kanagawa. We came to Tokyo just to play against strong players like you. Let's have a good match~"
Akashi also reached out and shook Yukimura's hand, greeting him briefly. He said:
"I'm looking forward to our match too. Don't let me down."
Hearing that, Sanada frowned deeply and couldn't help but say:
"That's way too careless!"
Yukimura just smiled softly and shook his head at Sanada, signaling that everything would be settled on the court. Meanwhile, Akashi walked slowly toward Tezuka Kunimitsu, who was still warming up nearby. Looking at that familiar yet distant face, he said:
"Looks like you took my advice yesterday. I hope we'll have a great match today."
Tezuka's eyes flashed slightly. With a calm tone, he replied:
"Thanks for the reminder yesterday. I'm Tezuka Kunimitsu. Let's give it our all out there."
Akashi smiled to himself. 'As expected of Tezuka, huh?' He thought they'd probably get along well if they were in the same tennis club as Sanada. That thought made him glance toward Sanada and Yukimura again. Then he said nothing more and started his own warm-up.
Soon, the stadium broadcast echoed:
"Now beginning the semifinals of the Tokyo Youth Tennis Open. Players for Match One, Sanada Genichirō and Tezuka Kunimitsu, please enter the court!"
Sanada and Tezuka stood up at the same time, grabbed their rackets, and took their places on opposite sides of the court. They waited for the umpire's instructions. The umpire raised a hand and pointed to Sanada Genichirō.
"First game, Sanada Genichirō to serve!"
Sanada stepped back to the baseline. He bounced the ball on the ground a few times, then tossed it high. As the ball dropped into the right position, he swung with full force. A loud crack rang out as the ball shot over the net toward Tezuka's side.
The serve might have been fast for most players their age. But for someone like Tezuka, it wasn't hard to handle. He quickly reached the return spot. As the ball bounced, he swung and hit it back instantly.
Then the two began a rapid rally. Neither used any techniques—just solid fundamentals and speed. They exchanged shot after shot, refusing to back down. The pace picked up fast.
To the spectators, all they could see was a yellow blur flashing back and forth across the court. In the end, Tezuka proved sharper. He caught a fleeting opening in Sanada's footwork and struck back cleanly. The ball shot past Sanada's feet and flew out of bounds.
"0-15"
Sanada took a deep breath. His expression turned even more serious. He tossed the ball high again. With another powerful swing, the ball shot toward the far left corner of Tezuka's court. After hitting the ground, it bounced sharply and flew toward the edge.
But Tezuka was already in position. His racket intercepted the ball's path. The moment of impact sent a strong force through his left arm. Tezuka narrowed his eyes, then pushed back with more power and returned the shot.
Another fast rally began. They both chased every ball with everything they had. In the end, Tezuka once again caught a slight hesitation in Sanada's movement and sent the ball to a tough angle. It flew past the court.
"0-30"
The umpire's voice rang out again. Tezuka had taken the second point of the game. At that moment, a strong wave of emotion surged in Sanada's heart. This was the first time, aside from Yukimura, that he had faced someone who could beat him in pure fundamental tennis. That thought made Sanada decide something silently within.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu, huh? I'll remember you. If you think what we just showed was our full strength, then you're dead wrong. Tezuka Kunimitsu! Let me drag you into the depths of defeat! Itsu ka kaze no gotoku!"
With a loud shout, two sharp cracks of the ball hitting the racket echoed. The tennis ball sliced through Tezuka's court in an instant and flew straight out of bounds. Even Tezuka couldn't react in time. His eyes narrowed, and he instantly became more alert toward Sanada.
"15-30"
As the score echoed, the crowd exploded. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the court in disbelief. Many of them felt like their vision had blurred for a second, and then that boy named Sanada had already scored. It felt unreal. The speed tracker beside the court lit up with the number: 189 km/h!
That was nearly 190 km/h. And Sanada was only 12 years old. To deliver a serve that fast at his age was nothing short of amazing. Calling him a natural genius wouldn't be an exaggeration.
Sanada grabbed another ball and tossed it high. He served again with Itsu ka kaze no gotoku. As he swung, his arm blurred slightly. It was impossible to read the ball's direction from his motion.
The ball flew at full speed toward Tezuka's baseline again. But this time, Tezuka was ready. He dashed to the landing point and, using a half volley, hit the ball back the moment it bounced.
Seeing Tezuka counter Itsu ka kaze no gotoku on the second try startled Sanada. But he stayed calm and quickly moved to the return point. He hit the ball back using the same technique. That's right—Itsu ka kaze no gotoku wasn't just a serve. It could be used in returns too.
However, it no longer had the effect it did the first time. Tezuka moved in even faster, raised his racket behind his head, and sliced down at the incoming shot. In that instant, the ball's power and spin weakened drastically. It floated gently over the net, dropping into Sanada's side.
Sanada rushed to the net, waiting for the bounce. But the ball didn't bounce as expected. Instead, it spun tightly, rolled slowly backward, and only stopped when it touched the net.
"15-40"
Sanada stood frozen, staring at the ball without a word. The audience went dead silent. Everyone had been stunned by Tezuka's Zero Shiki Drop Shot. Even the umpire hesitated and swallowed before calling the score.
From his view, even he was shaken by what had just happened. Not just by the skill—but by the fact that the player who executed it was only 12 years old!
Back at the baseline, Sanada had thrown away all his previous underestimation. He looked at Tezuka with heavy seriousness. In his mind, he had already placed Tezuka nearly on the same level as Yukimura.
Launching another Itsu ka kaze no gotoku, Sanada engaged Tezuka in the final rally of the game with 120% focus. But despite the technique's speed, it wasn't enough. Against Tezuka's sharp offense and defense, and the difference in base attributes, Sanada couldn't win the point.
"Game, Tezuka Kunimitsu! 1-0!"
With the umpire's call, Tezuka successfully broke serve and claimed the first round of the semifinal.