"So, the concept behind 'Reverse Domain' is to add at least 60% more spin than usual, while simultaneously predicting and countering your opponent's next move?"
"Mm, you could put it that way."
Ever since his match with Schneider, Tezuka had been constantly asking questions about how to use Reverse Domain.
Even though he couldn't pull it off just yet—
He understood that this technique was the future evolution of the Domain.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu!"
A calm, cool voice called out.
Everyone stopped walking and looked up to see Yukimura and Sanada walking toward them.
"Why didn't you..."
Before Sanada could speak, Yukimura grabbed Tezuka's arm and asked sternly,
"Why didn't you show up for our match?!"
Tezuka frowned slightly. "Something came up."
"Then let's play now!"
Without another word, Yukimura started dragging Tezuka toward the court.
"Seiichi..."
Sanada looked hesitant. He'd never seen his friend this out of sorts.
However—
Yukimura couldn't move Tezuka an inch.
"Why does this feel... kinda weird..." Yoru muttered, suddenly getting goosebumps.
Sanada looked between Yukimura holding onto Tezuka and Tezuka standing there like an immovable tree stump. It was, strangely... intense.
"I don't want to play a match right now," Tezuka said firmly.
He was still deep in his questions about Reverse Domain, and didn't want to waste mental energy on a match he deemed pointless.
Yukimura stood frozen.
He was still young and had never dealt with a situation like this. All he knew was that the finals hadn't been played yet—so they had to be.
"Go ahead, Tezuka. There's plenty of time in the future, but you shouldn't disregard someone's expectations so lightly."
Right when Yukimura was visibly at a loss, Yoru's calm voice rang out.
"Senpai…"
Tezuka looked uncertain.
Yoru said quietly, "You've got my number. But this match... this one, you really shouldn't skip."
"Yukimura Seiichi is a strong opponent. I think you two will give us a spectacular game."
(Yeah, no kidding. If you don't play, where's my reward supposed to come from?!)
With things said this far, Tezuka couldn't really refuse anymore. He nodded.
Right now, Tezuka respected Yoru almost like a god.
He was a genius obsessed with tennis, someone aiming for the pro circuit—and yet he'd faced off against someone on the level of a near-pro and won. That kind of strength demanded immense respect.
"Ooh, another match to watch\~" Kirigaya said with a look of excitement.
Just like Tezuka, Kirigaya and Yamato now held even deeper respect for their captain.
After all, none of them had expected Yoru to actually be able to compete with a pro.
No—scratch that.
Not just compete. He dominated!
---
There were plenty of courts at the Junior Regional venue, and the group found an empty one within a few steps.
"Yamato, you ref the match."
"Sure thing\~"
Yukimura started warming up again. Tezuka did the same on the other side of the court.
Tezuka quietly studied Yukimura.
Unlike Tezuka, who kept a low profile, Yukimura was well-known in Kanagawa. He'd been winning titles since he was a kid.
Even Tezuka, all the way in Tokyo, had heard of him.
Part of the reason Tezuka had rushed from Seigaku to join the JR Tournament was because he wanted to test himself against the so-called prodigies—and Yukimura Seiichi was one of them.
But after yesterday's boring match schedule and that lackluster game with Sanada, his excitement for a match with Yukimura had dropped to almost zero.
Ten minutes later, both players stood at the net, eyes locked across the distance.
"Heads or tails?"
"Heads."
Clack!
The racket spun and landed with the handle down—letter side up.
Yukimura won the serve.
"A match worth looking forward to," Yukimura said, taking a deep breath.
Even though things hadn't gone as planned, he was finally getting what he wanted.
He had watched the match between Sanada and Tezuka and could tell Tezuka had been holding back.
Now he was certain—Tezuka was the rival he'd been searching for all this time.
"Match start! Yukimura Seiichi to serve!" Yamato called out.
Smack—!
No unnecessary words.
Yukimura swung and served. It was a simple flat serve, but the speed, power, and angle were all excellent.
Everyone watching had already seen Yukimura play and knew how solid he was.
His fundamentals were just as good as Tezuka's, and his five core abilities were very well-balanced.
Smack—!
After a few rallies back and forth—
Tezuka made the first move. He swung his racket and aimed a sharp angled shot toward the front corner of the court.
"Near-corner shot—very dangerous and hard to pull off. It takes precise control and power," Yukimura's calm voice echoed across the court.
"But the direction is always one of two options, and the bounce zone is small. Once familiar with it, it's easy to counter."
Even as he spoke, Yukimura had already stepped into the path of the ball and swung for a return.
At the same time—
Tezuka, fully aware of the weaknesses of a near-corner shot, knew that if the opponent anticipated it, they could easily seize control of the rally.
So he didn't sit back.
He rushed forward toward the net, compressing Yukimura's available return space.
Whoosh—!
The sharp sound of spin echoed across the court.
Just as Tezuka neared the net, he executed a short drop shot with intense spin, sending the ball barely skimming over the net.
"A non-bouncing front court slice, huh... As long as I hit it before it lands, it becomes a perfect setup for me."
Before the sentence even finished—
Yukimura had already rushed in and scooped the ball upward from below.
A lob.
From Tezuka's position at the net, Yukimura only had two options—either a passing shot or a lob.
Knowing how unlikely a passing shot would succeed against Tezuka, Yukimura went with the safer lob to leave himself some backup space.
Whoosh—!
But before the ball could even cross the net, a dark shadow loomed across the court.
Yukimura looked up in disbelief.
Tezuka had predicted his move, leaping ahead of time and intercepting the lob in midair—completely cutting off its trajectory.
A front-court smash!
And with Yukimura still near the net, there was no way to return it!
BANG—!
The ball struck the racket with a loud crack, flying past Yukimura like a beam of light and slamming into the baseline before bouncing out of bounds.
"Point, Tezuka Kunimitsu! Score: 15–0!" Yamato announced, his eyes filled with admiration.
"Such decisiveness," Sanada murmured, tightening his grip.
Neither player was underestimating the other. It was clear that every move was part of a calculated plan.
He knew Yukimura had spent nearly an hour mentally simulating this match.
But Tezuka—
Tezuka's play felt like it came from sheer experience.
In a clash of prediction and counter-prediction, Tezuka had the edge. Sanada could hardly believe it.
"Both of them are monsters," Kirigaya said simply.
Back on the court—
Yukimura tapped his racket lightly on the ground.
Losing a point didn't shake him one bit. It was as if he had expected it all along.
Smack—!
The match resumed.
Yukimura served again. This time, the ball landed at a spot equidistant from the last, the difference nearly imperceptible to the naked eye.
The two engaged in another high-speed rally.
Six or seven exchanges later, Tezuka found his opportunity and went for another near-corner shot.
But Yukimura read it again and intercepted the shot with ease.
Just like that, the match tempo returned to an even back-and-forth rhythm.
---