The same move will only work on me once.

“Leave it to me, Captain Tezuka. This kid who only knows how to talk big—I can settle him in five minutes.”

Twisting his fringe with his fingers, Kanazuki glanced at Tezuka’s impassive face, then turned to the irritable man in the official team uniform. “Kamito, you’ll be the referee.”

“Yes!”

The man called Kamito responded, climbing the ladder to take his seat at the umpire’s stand.

“No objections, Tezuka?”

Fuji wasn’t concerned about Kanazuki’s abilities; he just wanted to see if Tezuka would allow things to get out of hand.

“So that’s how it is…”

Watching Tezuka cross his arms and gaze at Kanazuki and Naruki Matsubara, who stood on opposite sides of the tennis court, Fuji instantly understood his intentions.

His chestnut hair fluttered gently in the breeze, sapphire eyes narrowing with anticipation. Fuji was eager to see how Naruki Matsubara would perform: for someone who dared challenge Tezuka after knowing he had defeated Sanada, he must have immense confidence in his own strength.

Meanwhile, Tezuka’s thoughts had drifted back to a year ago, to his match with Sanada. At that time, he had been exactly like Naruki Matsubara now.

He had signed up for the junior tournament but, after getting off the train, forgot the location of the venue. Thanks to a girl who gave him wrong directions, Tezuka missed the entire tournament. Unwilling to let the trip go to waste, he directly challenged the reigning champion, Seiichi Yukimura.

Yukimura, finding Tezuka’s approach rude, refused him on the spot. It was the hot-tempered Sanada who accepted Tezuka’s challenge. The outcome was predictable: after two sets, Tezuka won 6-0 and 6-1.

This scene was witnessed by the media reporters who were following Yukimura and Sanada, resulting in Naruki Matsubara reading about Tezuka’s overwhelming victory in an old newspaper.

Sanada was the runner-up, but the junior tournament was no child’s play. Tezuka Kunimitsu, who missed the tournament due to bad directions, defeated runner-up Sanada Genichiro—such a shocking upset was headline news.

“Which side?”

Naruki Matsubara balanced his racket upside down, asking.

“Front.”

The racket hit the ground, its letters facing forward. Kanazuki smiled. “Looks like even fate is on my side. I intended to spare you from too humiliating a defeat—at least let you keep a game.”

Seeing Naruki Matsubara ignore him and walk away, Kanazuki’s face darkened. What an ill-mannered brat. Since you’re so eager to lose, I’ll make sure you’re knocked out 6-0.

“One set to decide the winner. Evergreen Academy, Kanazuki to serve!”

Kamito’s announcement rang out.

Kanazuki tossed the ball and swung. The yellow-green tennis ball flew rapidly toward Naruki Matsubara, who bit his lip and, with some effort, managed to return the shot.

Both first-years, Kanazuki stood 164cm tall, while Naruki Matsubara was only 155cm. After returning Kanazuki’s shot, Kanazuki hit a diagonal stroke, directly scoring against Naruki.

“15-0!”

Seeing Kanazuki score, the surrounding players cheered loudly—even Kamito was grinning smugly. Facing another serve from Kanazuki, Naruki Matsubara continued to struggle, and soon Kanazuki led 1-0!

“What’s wrong, kid? Where’s all your bravado now? Don’t tell me you only know how to talk tough?”

Kanazuki mocked, watching Naruki Matsubara pound the ground with his racket.

“Warm-up’s over. Let’s begin.”

Naruki Matsubara gripped the tennis ball and smiled lightly.

“You’ve got to be kidding—down 1-0 and still boasting about warming up?”

“Hmph, I bet his brain’s been rattled!”

“Kanazuki, teach this kid a lesson. Show him the strength of Evergreen!”

“I don’t need you to tell me.”

Kanazuki replied inwardly, dismissing Naruki Matsubara’s words as more empty boasting.

Ignoring the ridicule from Kanazuki and the others, Naruki Matsubara tossed the ball and murmured, “Soul Serve!”

The instant racket met ball, a yellow-green streak shot forth. Kanazuki crouched, smirking. Even after just one game, his data analysis had completely deciphered Naruki Matsubara’s playing style. His chances of catching the shot: 100%.

Yet, just as Kanazuki prepared to swing, the streak flashed by his feet, landed within the lines, and shot outward!

“Crash!”

The tennis ball slammed forcefully into the wire fence, then dropped to the ground, rolling softly.

Silence—dead silence.

Everyone, including Kanazuki, was stunned by Naruki Matsubara’s powerful serve. Was that really a shot a first-year junior high student could make?

“…15-0!”

Kamito stood frozen for a long moment before finally calling out the score.

“Tezuka…”

Fuji called softly.

“Yes. Because the ball had no spin, its speed was incredible. Kanazuki… couldn’t return that kind of shot.”

Tezuka naturally saw the uniqueness of Naruki Matsubara’s serve. Almost every tennis player can do a fast serve, but to serve at such speed without spin—a feat few first-years can achieve.

“It seems this Naruki Matsubara is extraordinary. His ball control might even surpass mine.”

Fuji opened his sapphire eyes wide, while Kanazuki was sweating coldly, his face full of disbelief. The same Naruki Matsubara he had just dominated could now serve at this level?

He must be dreaming. It was only a lapse in his data analysis. Next time, he wouldn’t miss.

Naruki Matsubara’s expression remained calm. That shot was simply him applying the gravitational force of All Creation Pull to the ball, counteracting its spin and nullifying it. Without spin, the serve’s speed exceeded most fast serves.

Drawing another tennis ball from his pocket, Naruki Matsubara served again with no spin. Even though Kanazuki moved early, he still couldn’t catch the ball. In fact, his overzealous footwork caused him to fall flat, eating dirt.

“30-0!”

With Naruki Matsubara’s spinless serves, the score changed rapidly, and soon he tied at 1-1!

“Even if you held your serve, now it’s my serve.”

Kanazuki wiped the sweat from his face and served, as two lines of data flashed in his mind:

“Naruki Matsubara’s chance of returning my serve: 90%. Chance of returning my first return: 0%!”

Naruki Matsubara still struggled to return the shot, Kanazuki’s grin widened, and he struck another diagonal shot. Now, the young man smiled deeply. “The same trick won’t work on me twice.”

“What?!”

Kanazuki’s smile froze. Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, Naruki Matsubara extended his arm and swung. The ball, headed for the diagonal, was mysteriously drawn toward Naruki Matsubara by an invisible force!

“Tezuka Zone?!”

Only Fuji understood the principle drawing the ball to Naruki Matsubara. The others were baffled—is this magic?

Tezuka’s gaze narrowed slightly; Kanazuki’s mouth gaped wide enough to fit an apple. The young man smiled tranquilly. “You know nothing of true power.”

With a soft command, a streak shot from the ground between Kanazuki’s legs and flew out of bounds.

“15-0…”

Kamito announced the score in a daze.

Kanazuki served again. This time, Naruki Matsubara stopped holding back, applying gravitational force to the ball. Yellow-green streaks shot across Kanazuki’s court and beyond. Kanazuki gritted his teeth. “Not just serves… he can return shots without spin too?”

“30-0!”

“40-0!”

“2-1!”

Naruki Matsubara broke Kanazuki’s serve without suspense, then used spinless serves to take the third point!

3-1!

Kanazuki now had no ability to fight back. No one on the court dared underestimate Naruki Matsubara, the brash young challenger. Kanazuki, frantic, abandoned data altogether—every time he finished analyzing Naruki Matsubara, his understanding was shattered anew!

Kanazuki had to defeat Naruki Matsubara before he reached five points, or he’d have to play another set. With his own strength, it would be difficult to withstand Naruki Matsubara’s relentless attacks.

“Hey.”

Carrying his racket, head slightly bowed, Naruki Matsubara called out casually.

“It’s been more than five minutes, hasn’t it?”

While Kanazuki wondered what he was up to, hearing this, he gripped his racket tightly, tossed the ball, and struck hard!

“Stop talking big, kid!”

Seeing Kanazuki’s serve change, Fuji was slightly surprised; it looked like he was about to lose.

Catching Kanazuki’s serve, Naruki Matsubara sensed the force was much stronger than before. He called softly, using both hands to return the shot. Kanazuki had somehow moved to the net, leapt, and executed a smash!

“Trying to overpower me?”

Naruki Matsubara realized Kanazuki’s plan. Facing the aggressive smash, he stood still, his eyes reflecting the speeding tennis ball.

As Kanazuki descended, he wore a victorious smile. He had already calculated that, given Naruki Matsubara’s physique, it would be impossible for him to easily return the serve. With 50% force applied, one-handed return would only send the racket flying; two-handed return would greatly decrease accuracy.

Naruki Matsubara raised his racket to his left shoulder, tilted it slightly, and cut the ball. With a dull thud, the tennis ball floated slowly across the net and dropped gently onto the opposite court.

15-0!

He scored with a drop shot. Kanazuki, fallen on the ground, stared at the ball near the net as if petrified. Naruki Matsubara’s lips curved. He could not only use All Creation Pull’s gravitational force to cancel spin and increase speed, but also use Almighty Push’s repulsive force to nullify any powerful shot.

In other words, no matter how strong the smash, power serve, or wave ball, Naruki Matsubara could rely on Almighty Push’s repulsion to eliminate all force from the ball and hit whatever return he wished.

“Match over! Naruki Matsubara wins 6-1!”

Kamito called loudly.

Tap… tap…

Watching the tennis ball fall ahead, Kanazuki, gasping for breath, collapsed to his knees. The sweat falling in thick drops soaked the green turf completely.