"Th-Thousand Refinements of the Limit?"
Upon hearing Oishi's words, Kikumaru, Momoshiro, and the others turned to him with puzzled expressions. Kikumaru asked, "Oishi, do you know about Tezuka's secret move?"
"Yes," Oishi nodded. "Actually, Tezuka mastered this move back when he first joined Seigaku's middle school team."
"What?!"
The Seigaku team was stunned. Even Inui, who prided himself on knowing everything about the team, had no idea Tezuka had been hiding such a powerful trump card.
"But… but…" Momoshiro pressed, "Vice Captain Oishi, you said Tezuka sealed this move? Why would he do that?"
"Yeah," the others chimed in.
There was no reason for Tezuka to hide such a strong technique. It wasn't like Tachibana's [Beastly Aura] from Fudomine, which was too aggressive and risked injuring others.
"It's because…" Oishi took a deep breath, his expression complicated. "Two years ago, Tezuka's wrist was injured by a senior in the tennis club!"
"Wait… that incident?" Inui's face suddenly changed, as if he remembered something.
Kikumaru and Kawamura also seemed to recall, exchanging shocked glances.
"Wh-What happened?" Momoshiro and Kaido looked completely lost.
"That incident…" Coach Ryuzaki, sitting in her seat, sighed heavily. "So that's what caused Tezuka such a severe injury… What a shame."
She then briefly recounted the events of that day.
When Tezuka first joined Seigaku as a freshman, he defeated a third-year senior named Takei in a practice match. At first, everyone praised Tezuka's skill, and Takei didn't seem upset. However, when Oishi accidentally mentioned that Tezuka was left-handed, it caused a stir.
Feeling humiliated, Takei lashed out at Tezuka, attacking him with his racket and injuring Tezuka's left wrist. Takei mocked Tezuka, saying he didn't have to use his left hand if he didn't want to.
Enraged, Tezuka was about to leave what he called a "trash team" when Captain Yamato returned. In the end, Yamato convinced Tezuka to stay, and Tezuka took on the responsibility of becoming Seigaku's "pillar."
As Ryuzaki finished her story, she glanced at Tezuka on the court with a complicated expression. She never realized how deeply that injury had affected him. Unfortunately, it was too late to undo the two years of setbacks Tezuka had endured.
"Is that what happened?"
The mood grew heavy. Hotheads like Momoshiro and Kaido clenched their fists, wishing they could've been there to teach that senior a lesson.
Meanwhile, on the court, Tezuka tossed the ball into the air. With the same textbook-perfect form as before, he sent the ball flying.
*Whoosh!*
Everyone could see a sharp, swirling aura around the ball as it shot forward. Clearly, with the power of the *Muga no Kyouchi* (State of Self-Actualization), Tezuka's serve had become even more formidable.
*Thud!*
The ball landed precisely on the service line, just a centimeter away from being out.
"Did the speed increase?"
Ishikawa raised an eyebrow. During the match between Akutsu and Ryoma, he had observed that while in the *Muga no Kyouchi*, Ryoma could not only mimic other players' styles but also enhance his own abilities.
Realizing that *Muga no Kyouchi* was a precursor to the *Hyakuren no Kirameki* (Aura of Limitless Radiance), Ishikawa nodded to himself. Like *Beastly Aura* or *Sword Intent*, *Muga* could also boost a player's abilities. And as one delved deeper into its mysteries, the enhancement would only grow stronger.
Sure enough, when Ishikawa looked at Tezuka, the information above his head now read: **[Tezuka Kunimitsu (Boss): Lv58]**.
Tezuka was now approaching the pinnacle of national-level strength.
*Thud!*
As Ishikawa swung his racket, he immediately felt the increased power and spin of the serve.
*Whoosh!*
Watching the ball's trajectory, Ishikawa narrowed his eyes. "Not just speed and power, but the spin has intensified too."
The ball curved sharply toward Tezuka's side of the court.
With his keen insight, even sharper than Atobe's, Ishikawa couldn't help but admire, "As expected of Tezuka. In the *Muga* state, he's already achieved a perfect form of his *Tezuka Zone*."
Now he understood why, in the original story, Yukimura had called Tezuka's *Zone* the true pinnacle of perfection. When it came to spin-based techniques, if not for Ishikawa's presence, Tezuka would undoubtedly be in a league of his own among middle schoolers.
"So…" Seeing Tezuka prepare to return the shot, Ishikawa murmured, "Next comes the double return, right?"
*Bang!*
With a loud crack, Ishikawa's return shot was sent back with double the spin, speed, and power.
"This power?!"
On the Hyotei side, Atobe and Oshitari's expressions shifted. Atobe, in particular, who had always been confident in his abilities, suddenly felt a pang of doubt.
National-level players were not all equal. In Atobe's mind, Tachibana, who had been defeated by Ishikawa, was on the weaker end of the spectrum. Atobe believed he could defeat Tachibana if they faced off.
Even Tezuka, before revealing his true strength, had been categorized as a weaker national-level player in Atobe's mind. But now, witnessing the true power of *Muga no Kyouchi*, Atobe realized that he might be the weaker one after all.
*Crack.*
Atobe clenched his fists, his blue eyes flickering with a mix of emotions.
On the court, Ishikawa dashed to intercept Tezuka's powerful return. With the precision of a swordsman, he unleashed a lightning-fast counter.
"He returned it?!"
The Seigaku team was shocked. No one expected Ishikawa to counter Tezuka's *Thousand Refinements of the Limit*. The ball was so fast that even Kikumaru, with his sharp reflexes, could only catch a glimpse of its afterimage.
"No, it's not over yet," Inui said, noticing the ball's trajectory change.
*Whoosh!*
Sure enough, a swirling vortex formed around Tezuka, pulling Ishikawa's shot toward him like a gravitational force.
"This match… we can win!" Oishi's eyes lit up with hope. "*Thousand Refinements of the Limit* allows Tezuka to return any shot with double the spin, speed, and power."
*Bang!*
Tezuka swung his racket, sending the ball back with twice the force.
"It's true?!"
Hyotei's team stared in disbelief. The ball was now a blur, moving at an incredible speed.
"This is terrifying!"
Seigaku's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu, had been hiding such a powerful trump card all along?
At that moment, even Oshitari felt a sense of urgency.
*Buzz!*
But then, a silver-white light flashed, and Ishikawa appeared at the ball's landing point in an instant.
*Swish!*
Ishikawa raised his racket. With his enhanced vision, he could see every fiber on the ball's surface. The ball, which had seemed impossibly fast, now appeared to slow down.
Then, with the speed of a master swordsman, Ishikawa struck.
*Bang!*
The collision between racket and ball released a sharp burst of energy, shattering the spin Tezuka had imparted. The sheer force of the impact sent the ball rocketing back.
*Whoosh!*
The ball split the air like a blade, leaving a trail of silver light. Even players with exceptional reflexes, like Kikumaru and Sengoku, could only catch a glimpse of its afterimage.
*Thud!*
The ball hit the ground, cracking the surface, before slamming into the wall behind Tezuka.
*Crash!*
The concrete wall shattered, leaving a hole the size of two fists. The ball, still spinning, was embedded in the wall, smoke rising from it.
"0-15!"
Even the umpire's voice trembled slightly.
The spectators stared in awe, their throats dry. The sheer power of that shot was beyond anything they had ever seen.
"Th-That's insane…"
Outside the court, Inoue's jaw dropped. His face muscles twitched from the sheer intensity of the shot.
This was the power of a middle schooler?
"That Ishikawa…"
Inoue's gaze shifted to Ishikawa, who radiated an aura of sharpness. "He's been holding back all along."
During his match with Tachibana, Ishikawa had entered a similar state. But compared to this shot, that performance paled in comparison.
Clearly, Tachibana's strength hadn't been enough to push Ishikawa to his limits. But now, with Tezuka unleashing the full power of *Thousand Refinements of the Limit*, it seemed Ishikawa had finally found a worthy opponent.
But could Tezuka really win against such a monstrous player?
Inoue had his doubts. He could already picture Seigaku's defeat, with Tezuka being completely shut out by Ishikawa.
On the court, Tezuka exhaled deeply. The pressure was mounting, and even his strongest technique couldn't secure a single point against Ishikawa.
For the first time, Tezuka felt a flicker of doubt.
*Tap… tap… tap…*
Tezuka bounced the ball slowly, his rhythm noticeably slower than before.
"Tezuka (Captain)…"
The Seigaku team watched with concern. This was the first time they had seen Tezuka show signs of fatigue. Even their seemingly invincible captain was human, after all.
*Tap!*
Suddenly, Tezuka gripped the ball tightly and looked straight at Ishikawa, his eyes blazing with determination.
"Ishikawa Shin."
"You are the strongest opponent I have ever faced."
"As you said, I have no room to retreat. So, without hesitation… let's go!"
*Whoosh!*
To everyone's surprise, Tezuka reined in his *Muga* aura and served again. The ball flew with incredible speed and spin, landing precisely on the service line.
"It's useless," a Hyotei player sneered. "No matter how fast the serve, Ishikawa can see through it. This is just delaying the inevitable."
But Ishikawa's expression grew serious. This serve wasn't just fast—it carried a familiar, intense spin.
*Thud!*
The ball landed, and the Seigaku team held their breath.
But Ishikawa didn't move.
*Sizzle…*
The ball spun fiercely, rolling back toward the net.
"Zero-Shiki Serve?!"
The crowd fell silent, staring at Tezuka in awe.
Ishikawa looked up, meeting Tezuka's gaze. In those eyes, he saw an unshakable resolve, as solid as a rock.
Even Ishikawa, usually calm and composed, felt a ripple of emotion.
"So this is the resolve of Seigaku's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu…"