"There it is—Tezuka Domain!" The Rikkaidai players watched in fascination despite having studied footage of the technique extensively. "No matter what kind of shot you attempt, everything gets pulled directly to Tezuka's racket!"
"Yukimura, have you figured out how to crack his Domain yet?" Sanada's expression remained grim as he studied their captain's position on court. Both he and Yukimura had spent countless hours analyzing potential countermeasures, but the tournament had arrived without a definitive solution.
"Sei!"
"Sei!"
Tezuka stood motionless at center court while his Domain's invisible forces dragged Yukimura back and forth across the baseline. Each return attempt was yanked inexorably toward the same spot, allowing Tezuka to respond with mechanical precision while his opponent exhausted himself chasing impossible angles.
Despite the overwhelming disadvantage, Yukimura continued fighting back with characteristic determination, though the physical toll was mounting rapidly.
The opening game fell to Tezuka thanks to his Domain's overwhelming control.
"Your strength is truly terrifying, Tezuka," Yukimura thought as he studied his impassive opponent during the changeover.
Tezuka's service game began with an immediate Zero-Shiki serve, but Yukimura was prepared this time. The moment the ball touched court surface, he dropped his racket to ground level and scraped the non-bouncing sphere back over the net through sheer determination.
However, Tezuka's response proved even more devastating. The Domain activated again while a familiar ethereal glow surrounded his form—the Limit of Tempered Understanding working in perfect harmony with his territorial control. The dual-technique combination created an almost unbreachable defensive system.
Tezuka maintained peak efficiency throughout every exchange while Yukimura's form deteriorated under the relentless pressure. The second game appeared destined for another swift conclusion.
"Tezuka, I spent considerable time before this match developing a counter specifically for your Domain," Yukimura announced suddenly. "I call it—Mirage Mirror!"
Without warning, he switched his racket from right hand to left, striking his return with the unexpected grip change. While the ball still flew toward Tezuka, its flight path carried a subtle but crucial difference that disrupted the Domain's perfect control.
"I'm still adjusting to the sudden stance switch," Yukimura muttered to himself. "I'll have to refine the technique during actual play."
The Mirage Mirror represented a brilliant tactical innovation. By alternating between dominant and non-dominant hands with perfect accuracy, Yukimura could create ball rotations that were impossible to predict. Since Domain, Phantom, and even the Supreme Domain all relied on reading and manipulating spin patterns, unpredictable rotation rendered all three techniques useless.
One move to counter Tezuka's entire arsenal—the strategy was theoretically sound. Unfortunately, the technique had been conceived mere days before the match, leaving insufficient time for the bilateral coordination training necessary for consistent execution.
Despite the breakthrough, Tezuka still claimed the second game, extending his lead to 2-0.
"Damn it! Is that guy really so strong that even our captain can't take two games in a row?" Kirihara's voice carried disbelief and mounting anxiety.
"Tezuka's left wrist appears to have healed completely," Yanagi observed while adjusting his glasses. "Moreover, he's clearly received specialized training to strengthen what was once a vulnerability."
"Shit! Doesn't that mean the minister has no advantages left?"
"Trust in Yukimura," Sanada said firmly, placing a steadying hand on Kirihara's shoulder. Despite his own concerns about Yanagi's analysis, his faith in their captain remained absolute. "He'll find a way to defeat Tezuka."
The third game showcased Yukimura's rapid adaptation as he gradually balanced his ambidextrous technique. The Mirage Mirror became increasingly fluid with each exchange, forcing Tezuka to abandon simple Domain tactics.
Recognizing the growing threat, Tezuka escalated to his Supreme Domain—a technique that combined territorial control with enhanced physical capabilities. If he couldn't eliminate Yukimura quickly and prevent the Mirage Mirror's perfection, subsequent games would become exponentially more difficult.
The combination of Supreme Domain and Tempered Understanding's limit allowed Tezuka to secure the third game decisively, building a commanding 3-0 advantage.
Spectators who had anticipated an epic clash began murmuring in disappointment. The defending champion's ace appeared completely overmatched against Yamabuki's mysterious transfer student. Rikkaidai supporters grew increasingly agitated as their hero struggled against seemingly insurmountable opposition.
"Yukimura Seiichi's counterattack begins now," Conan stated with matter-of-fact confidence.
"What makes you say that, little brother?" Jun asked with genuine curiosity. His limited interaction with the young detective had suggested above-average intelligence, but this level of tactical analysis from an elementary student was remarkable.
"Look at his expression," Conan instructed, pointing toward the Rikkaidai captain. "Despite trailing 0-3, Yukimura shows no panic whatsoever. He's actually smiling slightly, which indicates he's identified a viable strategy to neutralize Tezuka."
"You're absolutely right," Jun said with growing amazement. "I completely missed those details. You're remarkably perceptive for someone so young."
"Brother Jun, Conan isn't actually an elementary student," Gustave whispered conspiratorially, unable to resist deflating the detective's moment of glory. "He's really a seventeen-year-old high school student trapped in a child's body due to experimental drugs."
"What?!" Jun stared at Conan in shock, his understanding of the situation completely reframed.
The revelation sparked an interesting thought. If Conan existed in the Nexus world instead of his current reality, Jun's photography career might take a very different direction. Rather than venturing into war zones for dramatic shots, he could simply follow the teenage detective around Tokyo—the daily murder cases would provide more than enough material for compelling journalism without the life-threatening alien beast encounters.
As predicted, Yukimura's perfected Mirage Mirror technique immediately neutralized Tezuka's Domain at the start of the fourth game. The unpredictable rotations rendered all three of Tezuka's signature moves completely ineffective, stripping away his primary tactical advantages.
However, Tezuka had anticipated this possibility. While he'd never faced Yukimura directly before, the "Child of God" reputation was well-earned throughout Japan's middle school tennis community.
Even with his three specialty techniques sealed, Tezuka remained formidable. His Zero-Shiki variations and fundamental technical mastery alone placed him among the elite. Moreover, abandoning the Tempered Understanding and refusing to activate the Limit of Brilliance represented strategic choices rather than weaknesses.
Without Domain's energy-efficient control, maintaining selfless state techniques became prohibitively expensive. Tezuka's tactical flexibility allowed him to adapt to changing circumstances rather than rely on single-strategy dominance.
"Tezuka, now it's my turn to take control!" Yukimura's confident smile reflected his return to familiar tactical territory.
The fourth game evolved into a grueling baseline battle between two complete players. Unlike the previous games' decisive conclusions, this contest required maximum effort from both competitors. Tezuka's superior technical foundation ultimately secured victory, but the energy expenditure was dramatically higher than his earlier dominance.
"Come on, Tezuka! You can definitely take down that guy!" Eiji and Sengoku cheered enthusiastically from the sideline, their optimism based on the commanding 4-0 scoreline. Even if Yukimura managed to steal a game or two, Tezuka's victory seemed assured.
What they failed to notice was the subtle imbalance in their captain's movement as he left the court after the fourth game. The real battle was just beginning, and Tezuka's body was already showing signs of the tremendous strain required to match the "Child of God" at his peak level.
The crowd sensed the shift in momentum even if they couldn't identify its source. Yukimura's counterattack was about to commence in earnest.
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