"That explains it—the bounce angle was insane!"
Hyotei crew finally wrapped their heads around Keigo's breakdown. Eyes on Kawamura? Pure awe and "no way."
Dude took a basic slice, evolved it into a smash spin. The idea alone bodies most players. Executing it mid-slam? God-tier.
"He's gotta unleash that serve now, right?"
Rikkai side—Renji dissected the smash mechanics, matching Yukimura's own read. As Yukimura stepped up, Renji dropped:
"You mean that jaw-dropping serve from the Mouri match."
Ishihara's face: mind blown. "He's whipping that out now?!"
Fushimi frowned. "Serve like that's got limits. Even against Mouri, Kawamura eased off Golden Snake Rampage in the second half."
Still crushed a broken Mouri.
"The real killer ain't raw power," Mouri finally spoke, voice low. "It's the cycle. Score, pressure stacks. Can't return? Mental crush. Even a flat serve feels impossible."
Yukimura's duty? Heavier than Mouri's. That serve's gonna drown him by mid-game.
"Yukimura. Game on."
Kawamura gripped the ball, locked eyes across the net.
Toss. Bend. Explode.
ZZZZZZ!!
Ear-piercing screech.
Yukimura froze. Neon streak flashed—ball hit, spun wild, snaked left-right, slipped under his arm.
"15-0!"
"Damn it—even Yukimura can't react?!"
Sanada gritted teeth. Sidelines? Clear view, no pressure. But seeing ≠ returning. Golden Snake's bounce? Random. Only Kawamura knows. Everyone else? Guess.
"Eishirou—that serve's worse than before!"
Kikumaru's voice shook, clutching Oishi like he saw a ghost. His dynamic vision caught it. Trajectory? Demonic. Unreturnable.
"First ace of the match. Hyotei's Kamikawa Muzuki—nationwide elite." Qian shut his notebook. Data? Pointless. Kawamura's evolution? Beyond stats.
Practice match vs. now? Different beasts. Talent? Obscene.
BOOM!
Another Golden Snake.
"30-0!"
!!
"40-0!"
!!
"Game—Hyotei Kamikawa, 2-0!"
Under two minutes—four aces.
Yukimura chased shadows, swung at air the last two. Snake danced.
"No return = no Sensory Deprivation. And with his mental now? Even burning mine out, I'd only strip touch."
Yukimura panted. He'd tried erasing Kawamura's senses before. Result? Dude adapted with raw ball feel—blasted power, speed, spin. Even maple leaf slices? Flawless without touch.
HA!
Yukimura ripped a lightning serve, charged net. Only shot at control—baseline play hands Kawamura the wheel.
White cyclone flared—Realm of Self kicked in. Brain crystal. Kawamura returned—he stopped, low racket, backhand drop slice.
"That's—"
Shinji blinked. "Seen it…"
"Tezuka's Zero-Shiki?!"
Keigo nailed it.
Next beat—slice hit, spun vicious, rolled back, smacked the net.
"15-0!"
Realm lets him control returns. Fought Tezuka—nailed Zero-Shiki perfect.
Kawamura unfazed. Self's just a tool. Real power? Player. Yukimura's stats near Tezuka's. Zero-Shiki's spin timing—Self boosted control. Minor form flaws, but lethal.
"Yukimura… all for Rikkai."
Sanada watched Yukimura unleash, white aura blazing. "He hates Self unless desperate. Same as me. But Kawamura's pressure forced it."
No perfect copies? Still winning. For Rikkai!
!!
"15-15!"
Kawamura read, attacked—stole point.
!!
"30-15!"
Yukimura countered with Renji's Cicada—snuck it back.
!!
"30-30!"
!!
"40-30!"
!!
"Game—Rikkai Yukimura, 1-2!"
Third game—Yukimura clawed his serve.
!!
Wild swing—Yukimura lunged, white cyclone, touched—racket blown open. Ball wobbled mid-air, spun out.
"Game—Hyotei Kamikawa, 3-1!"
Fifth game—Self, wild style shifts? Kawamura adapted, returned everything. Even Yukimura's forced Golden Snake copy? Smashed back.
Snake needs control, power, speed. Yukimura's control? Check. Rest? Sub-par.
Plus—Kawamura invented it. Knows the counter.
BOOM!!
Yukimura topspin lob—Kawamura sliced with spin.
Muffled slash—wind blade carved court. Hit wall, spun, left a gouge. Ground? Clean black scar.
"Game—Hyotei Kamikawa, 4-1!"
"Side change!"
"Fuji—that's like your Swallow Return."
Qian stared at the ghost ball.
"Nah. Reverse slice, huge arc. Irregular bounce on landing? Spin's brutal."
Fuji pictured returning it—touch it, still screwed. Lob or bust.
Break. Yukimura iced eyes with coins, cooling the storm inside.
"Yukimura—you can't lose to this guy?!"
Sanada behind him, gut punched. If I'd held longer, forced Thunder Self, won that match… he wouldn't be here.
My fault. Not ruthless enough.
"Yukimura, drop the weight. Play your heart."
Fushimi hated the defeat vibe. Lose? Fine. Faith? Never. Rikkai's gunning for nationals—first ever. Kanto loss? Whatever.
No past middle-schooler could touch this Hyotei.
"This year's Hyotei? Monsters." Rokkaku's captain Ishiguro sighed. "Keigo, Kamikawa, Tezuka—same school, same era."
Rokkaku crew nodded. New kings rising.