103. Overwhelming Victory

“The ultimate limit of relentless refinement… What exactly is that, Senpai Inoue?” Shibasaki Saori asked, intrigued yet unfamiliar with the term.

“I’ve only heard bits and pieces about this technique. If what Matsubara said is true, then Kunimitsu Tezuka is truly an extraordinary tennis player. Not just in all of Japan, but worldwide, only a handful can master the ultimate limit of relentless refinement. And those few are all much older than Tezuka,” Inoue Mamoru said gravely, tinged with admiration.

“In a tennis player’s career, they might encounter two realms: one called the state of selflessness, and the other, the path of the warrior god,” he continued.

While Inoue explained this to Saori, Matsubara Mei was recounting the origins of the ultimate limit of relentless refinement to Fuji and the others.

“I see now. The ultimate limit of relentless refinement that Tezuka employs is a technique that doubles the power, spin, trajectory, and destructive force of the opponent’s ball when returning it,” Fuji was the first to comprehend Mei’s explanation, his blue eyes wide open.

“Exactly. This technique requires channeling the entire body’s strength into a single point to achieve such an effect. This means that Kondo Ishihara’s heavy shots no longer pose any threat to Captain Tezuka,” Matsubara Mei nodded in agreement.

“This technique is incredible… Surely there must be some weakness?” Shishido Ryo asked, watching as Tezuka effortlessly claimed the final point of the second set and turned to the boy.

“Of course. But with Kondo Ishihara’s skill, it’s impossible to expose Tezuka’s weakness, because merely returning Kondo’s heavy shots with doubled force is already a challenge for him,” Mei smiled. Yet even knowing the weakness was futile, for combined with Tezuka’s domain and the ultimate limit of relentless refinement, the opponent cannot exploit it.

“2-0! Evergreen Tezuka to serve!”

“Tch… this ultimate limit technique is nothing but a bluff! I’ll just return your serve!” Kondo Ishihara gritted his teeth, watching as Tezuka’s racquet struck the ground, his entire body seemingly ablaze with white, multicolored flames, readying himself to counterattack.

“Hah!”

The moment Tezuka’s racquet hit the ball, the air seemed to tremble faintly. A burst of golden light exploded outward, then swiftly converged around the tennis ball, transforming it into a dazzling golden arc that shot across the court!

Boom!

Just as Kondo was about to swing, a fierce rumble erupted by his feet. Feeling the ground vibrate slightly, he froze like a wooden statue, bewildered. Meanwhile, Tezuka was already preparing to serve the second ball.

Even the referee was stunned. When he noticed a deep crater near Kondo’s feet, he realized that Tezuka’s serve had not gone out of bounds and quickly announced, “15… 15-0!”

“Returning the same ball with doubled power? But why does even the serve feel twice as strong?!” The faces of the Rokukaku Junior High players turned pale, and Saeki murmured in disbelief.

“Hah!”

Tezuka’s arm swept through the air, leaving behind a residual afterimage as a golden shockwave struck near Kondo’s feet again. The referee noticed Kondo standing motionless and called out anxiously, “Player Kondo, are you alright? Player Kondo?”

Snapped back to reality by the repeated calls, Kondo looked at the referee apologetically, “I’m fine…”

Boom!

Even after regaining his senses, Kondo couldn’t return Tezuka’s serves, merely watching in shock as golden streaks struck near his feet and flew toward the back fence.

“3-0! Evergreen Tezuka leads!”

Outside the court, both the Evergreen and Rokukaku teams erupted in disbelief.

“This is terrifying… Is this even tennis a human could play?”

“It feels like watching a sci-fi movie…”

“They’re not even on the same level…”

On Evergreen’s side, Fuji wiped a rare bead of sweat from his brow. Tezuka’s skill exceeded his expectations.

“Kondo Ishihara must be scared of Tezuka’s style by now. Those serves…”

Fuji said softly.

“I feel like Tezuka’s tennis could kill someone,” Shishido Ryo admitted, sweating nervously.

“He’s strong,” Akutsu said coldly.

“For Kondo Ishihara, being defeated by someone with greater power than his own must be hard to accept,” Inui Sadaharu adjusted his crooked glasses.

“But Tezuka is really formidable. He’s throwing out every trump card right from the start, it’s like one bomb after another!” Shibayama Kumakiri clicked his tongue.

“Two consecutive doubles losses, and not even close. With the captain watching from so close by, he must feel frustrated and pressured. Tezuka’s domain and the ultimate limit of relentless refinement aren’t just to win this match; more importantly, they’re meant to boost our morale,” Matsubara Mei smiled faintly.

“So powerful… Is this really the Kunimitsu Tezuka who defeated last year’s junior tournament runner-up, Sanada Genichiro?” Inoue Mamoru recalled how last year Tezuka never used such techniques, and a chill ran down his spine. How much untapped potential did this young boy with dark brown hair still hide?

“Wow!” Kondo Ishihara served again, but every time he swung and barely reached for the next ball, it exploded into golden light nearby and bounced out of bounds!

Tezuka seemed to teleport to the ball’s landing spot each time, striking back with fierce force. Every hit sent shockwaves through the air, and if such power struck a person, it could cause an accident!

“Game, Evergreen! 5-0!” the referee signaled.

“Your strength is truly unfathomable, Tezuka,” Fuji said with narrowed eyes and a smile.

“And you’re a man who can’t be predicted even by data,” Inui whispered, staring at a notebook with Tezuka’s name written on it.

“I think Tezuka has suddenly become someone I admire,” Shishido Ryo confessed, equally impressed.

“It’s terrifying, like an emperor arriving,” Shibayama Kumakiri said.

“Besides that brat, Kunimitsu Tezuka is the second person to catch my attention,” Akutsu said coldly, casting a glance at Matsubara Mei’s faint smile before shifting his gaze to Tezuka, surrounded by white, multicolored flames on the court. He thought to himself, “Joining Evergreen was truly the right choice.”

“Game, Tezuka! 6-0! Evergreen wins!” The referee’s voice seemed to steer the entire arena’s mood. The white, multicolored flames around Tezuka slowly dissipated. Looking at Kondo Ishihara kneeling on the ground opposite him, Tezuka said nothing and turned to leave.

“That’s great! With Tezuka winning this match, we only need two more wins to advance!” Shishido Ryo was energized, then looked at Matsubara Mei. “It’s finally your turn, Matsubara.”

“Yeah, if we don’t play soon, I might fall asleep,” Mei yawned, leisurely pulling her racquet from her tennis bag.

“Good job,” Fuji said warmly, handing Tezuka a towel and water.

“Thanks, Fuji,” Tezuka nodded lightly as he accepted them.

“Hm?!” Just as Fuji reached to take the towel and cup from Tezuka, he noticed a subtle tremor in Tezuka’s extended hand and his eyes suddenly widened.

“What’s wrong, Fuji?” Tezuka asked, seeing the sudden alarm on his friend’s face.

“Ah… It’s nothing. Hey, Tezuka, are your hands alright?” Fuji stammered as the tremor ceased.

“I’m fine, just a bit tired. I’m feeling pretty relaxed right now,” Tezuka replied, flexing his left arm to prove it. As his palm fell naturally, he loosened and tightened it repeatedly. Honestly, the match against Kondo Ishihara had demanded more strength than usual. Although he won 6-0 without contest, his palms tingled from the exertion.

— End —