"Hmph! Has that idiot Kaji still not realized the difference between himself and his opponent?" Byoudouin said with clear irritation as he watched Kaji on the court.
The other First String members stayed silent. They already knew the outcome of this match. According to Mitsuya, Tezuka was also a world-class player, already stepping into the level of professionals, and his strength was in no way inferior to Yukimura's earlier performance.
In truth, if Yukimura's opponent hadn't been Oni, very few in the First String would dare to claim they could beat him. So with Tezuka, whose ability rivaled Yukimura's, none of them believed Kaji had any chance of winning.
On court, Kaji had just served, pouring all his focus into another heated rally with Tezuka. But as time passed, his concentration began to slip. Facing an opponent who seemed nearly untouchable, pressure gradually grew in his heart.
In the end, Tezuka seized on a small opening Kaji left and won the game. Even so, they had traded over a dozen rallies. If Kaji's mental state hadn't faltered, it might have lasted longer.
"Game! Second String Selection! 2-1!"
Just as Kaji was still racking his brain on how to counter Tezuka's Ultimate Zone, he suddenly remembered the next game would be Tezuka's serve. His face grew darker—this match was drifting far away from what he had expected.
Tezuka, on the other hand, remained calm as ever. Very little could shake his mindset anymore. Steady, composed, and disciplined—those were Tezuka's greatest strengths.
With Kaji's helpless expression still lingering, Tezuka closed out the next game cleanly with four consecutive Zero Shiki Serves. Serves that twisted the rules themselves were on another level—bug-tier techniques.
"Game! Second String Selection! 3-1!"
By now the match situation was clear. Unless Kaji could find a way to break the Zero Shiki Serve, even if he somehow managed to hold his own service games, he would never be able to win.
As the fifth game began, Tezuka seemed unwilling to drag things out further. The moment Kaji walked to the baseline, a blue glow suddenly flared around Tezuka. Countless particles swirled around him, and his hair floated as if weightless.
"Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami!"
"So you've finally brought that out? Looks like you're planning to finish this match in one push," Kaji said, his gaze sharp, voice cautious. Yet he showed little fear toward Ten'i Muhō.
But Tezuka's change wasn't finished. Not only had he entered Ten'i Muhō, the blue particles swirling around him suddenly surged and rippled outward like waves. For the first time, Kaji felt a bad premonition.
"Radiance of Pain!"
Unaware his emotions were already starting to shift, Kaji drew a deep breath, tossed the ball high, and swung his racket hard. With a sharp crack, the ball tore forward across the court.
As soon as he served, his leg muscles contracted sharply, then exploded with power. He sprinted for the net at blinding speed. To Kaji, the scenery around him blurred into nothing—then cleared again. At that moment, everything in his vision slowed down drastically.
"Super Speed Dimension!"
Though both were called Super Speed Dimension, the difference between Kaji's version and Fuji's was fundamental. They were two completely different paths.
Kaji entered it through overwhelming physical speed, giving him the ability to strike ultra-fast returns. His ball speed could even rival Tanegashima's serves, and to some extent he could resist the erosion of Ten'i Muhō's radiance.
Fuji's Light Wind, however, was born from superhuman reflexes and unmatched feel for the ball. It leaned more toward interception—Fuji could react to any high-speed shot, even a Mach Serve, but his actual shot speed didn't increase.
That was why Fuji's Light Wind couldn't be considered part of the "wind" attack techniques at all. Aside from the name, it had nothing to do with offense—it wasn't even really an attacking skill.
On court, Kaji used his Super Speed Dimension to trade blows evenly with Tezuka, who had activated Radiance of Pain. Tezuka's shot speed had leapt dramatically, so much that weaker dynamic players on the sidelines couldn't even see the ball's path anymore. But Kaji still managed to intercept them all, firing back even faster returns.
If not for Tezuka Zone, even in Radiance of Pain Tezuka might not have been able to intercept Kaji's returns. It could only be said that for Kaji to hold the No. 5 spot on the Japan Team, he did have some strength.
But soon, even Tezuka Zone couldn't fully stop Kaji's ultra-speed returns. Tezuka's own reaction speed began to lag; often the ball was already at his body before he could swing.
"15-0!"
"15-15!"
"30-15!"
"40-15!"
"40-30!"
The score climbed back and forth, surprising many of the First String. Only Oni remained calm. He had already experienced Kaji's Super Speed Dimension. If he hadn't used his Second Dimension pressure last night, it might not have been so easy to win.
From the coach's bench, Akashi sat watching the deadlocked match without the slightest worry. Not only was Tezuka's strength far beyond Kaji's, but the faint tremors in Kaji's spirit told Akashi exactly what was about to happen.
Sure enough, before long Kaji's speed began to dip. To normal eyes, he still looked just as fast, almost unchanged. But to Akashi, the difference was clear as day.
"Game! Japan Team! 3-2!"
With one burst of ultra-speed, Kaji finally managed to take the fifth game. Yet inside, his mindset had already begun to shift. Beads of sweat streamed down his foreBoss in unnatural amounts, though Kaji himself didn't notice.
Even in Super Speed Dimension, Kaji had no way against the Zero Shiki Serve. A serve exploiting the rules couldn't be undone with speed alone. This only deepened the urgency gnawing at his heart.
'Damn it! How do I even return a serve like that? Am I going to lose this set? Am I going to lose again?' Kaji stared at the ball rolling dead at the net, his mind spiraling with doubt.
"Game! Second String Selection! 4-2!"
"It's working. If Kaji-senpai doesn't realize it, this match is already decided," Yukimura said suddenly from the stands.
"Radiance of Pain?" Fuji whispered, though most of his focus was on Kaji. The other's Super Speed Dimension was giving him inspiration to refine his own Light Wind.
"Tezuka must have noticed Kaji-senpai's unstable mindset. Instead of using Radiance of Strong Heart, he chose Radiance of Pain, which manipulates emotions. Terrifyingly calm," Krauser remarked as he watched Tezuka.
"Exposing the opponent's weakness and striking the fatal blow. Looks like with the World Cup approaching, Tezuka's mindset has changed too~" Kite adjusted his glasses with meaning.
As the discussion carried on, Kaji began to make strange, avoidable mistakes. He covered them with speed, but his rhythm was broken. Tezuka, steady as ever, seized the flow. Before anyone realized, he had taken the game.
"Game! Second String Selection! 5-2!"
Kaji bent over, hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Inside, he was filled with frustration. He had already played his trump card, yet Tezuka could handle it with ease. Just one game ago, Tezuka couldn't even react to his returns.
'Has this guy really grown to such a level? Last year I didn't even notice. Now the next game is his serve again. What should I do?' Kaji asked himself over and over.
But Tezuka gave him no time to think. He was already at the baseline, serving without hesitation. Another Zero Shiki Serve.
Kaji reacted instantly, refusing to give up, dashing to the landing point and swinging for the return. But once again, he failed.
"Game! 6-2! First set over! Winner, Second String Selection!"