While Akashi and Yukimura waited for their match, the crowd at the edge of the court was still buzzing about the last game. After all, this level of play at their age was almost unheard of.
"This is insane, right? Who would've thought two twelve-year-olds could play like that!"
"Seriously, especially that kid called Tezuka Kunimitsu. He's basically a mini version of the samurai, Echizen Nanjirō!"
"Am I behind the times? Are elementary schoolers playing at this level now? This feels like a pro match!"
"Now that's talent! If they grow up like this, Japanese tennis is saved for sure!"
At that moment, staff finished prepping the court for the next match. With the announcer's voice ringing through the arena, the crowd snapped out of its chatter and turned toward the court, eager for the next showdown.
"Up next, the second semifinal match of the Tokyo Youth Tennis Open! Akashi Seijurō versus Yukimura Seiichi. Will the players please take the court!"
As soon as the call ended, Yukimura stepped onto the court, holding his racket and looking calm but focused. Akashi followed behind, one hand holding his racket, the other in his pocket, coat still draped over his shoulders. While Akashi felt a little awkward inside, he knew staying in character helped increase his fusion rate. And honestly, the aura he gave off was perfect.
Yukimura looked at Akashi's posture and felt both irritated and oddly… tempted. For a second, he even wondered if he should start acting like that too. He shook the thought off and focused on the match.
"Akashi-kun, are you sure you don't want to take off your coat?"
"No need," Akashi replied flatly.
"Is that so? Then I guess I'll just have to knock it off you."
"If you can, go ahead and try."
"First game, Akashi Seijurō to serve!" called the umpire.
Akashi pulled a tennis ball from his pocket, tossed it up, and served. The form was textbook perfect. The ball shot across the net and landed hard in Yukimura's back left corner.
Yukimura's eyes sharpened. 'As expected, not bad.' That serve wasn't any slower than Sanada's Swift as the Wind. But he'd already adapted to Sanada's pace. He rushed into position and returned the serve calmly, hitting at a sharp angle.
Akashi had been watching Yukimura closely since his serve. He was confident, but there was no way he would ever underestimate Yukimura, the so-called Child of God. In the original story, if not for Tezuka's injury and Yukimura's illness, Echizen Ryōma wouldn't have stood a chance. Those two were truly the ceiling of junior tennis.
Under the observation of the Emperor Eye, Yukimura's every move was laid bare—muscle tension, footing, weight distribution. Akashi instantly predicted where the return would land and hit the ball into Yukimura's opposite corner.
The match quickly ramped up into a fast-paced exchange. Both had rock-solid fundamentals, and the ball sped up with each rally. Most of the audience couldn't even follow the ball anymore. All they saw was a yellow blur flashing back and forth.
Finally, Akashi spotted a split-second opening and scored the first point using his Emperor Eye.
"15-0"
Akashi served again. They clashed once more.
Yukimura slowly noticed something strange. No matter where he sent the ball, Akashi was already there. 'Has he already figured out all my shot patterns?'
To Akashi, Yukimura's entire movement was being processed in real-time. His Emperor Eye predicted every trajectory. In some ways, it was like Saiki Kanpatsu, but without any energy drain—and even stronger. Saiki Kanpatsu could be countered. Sanada would eventually create Mysterious as shadow, which neutralized it. But fake-outs and feints meant nothing against the Emperor Eye.
"30-0"
"40-0"
"Game, Akashi Seijurō! 1-0!"
Very quickly, Akashi secured his service game with the overwhelming power of his Emperor Eye. The white coat draped over his shoulders fluttered gently in the breeze.
Yukimura was deeply shaken inside. Before the match even started, he had already set a high estimate for Akashi's strength.
But what he hadn't expected was to be completely overwhelmed in basic tennis. No matter how he attacked or defended, the opponent always saw through him effortlessly. It was like every single move he made was under Akashi's complete control.
He took a deep breath and tried to steady his emotions. Pulling a tennis ball from his pocket, he prepared to serve. As he moved into position, a subtle wave of mental energy started to radiate from his body.
Akashi, with his immense mental strength from two lifetimes, instantly sensed that mental fluctuation. He thought to himself:
'He's already this developed at this age? As expected of the one called Child of God in the original. I wonder if he's already awakened Yips.'
Yukimura tossed the ball high. With the sharp sound of contact, the ball shot toward Akashi's court. It wasn't quite as fast as Akashi's or Sanada's Swift as the Wind, but it was still very strong. Akashi moved into position, and the moment his racket touched the ball, he felt an almost imperceptible trace of mental energy infiltrate his arm through the racket.
"Yips, huh? Interesting. Let's see just how far you've taken it already."
The rally began again, both players exchanging fierce, rapid-fire shots. But now, with every strike Yukimura made, a sliver of mental energy clung to the ball and seeped slowly into Akashi's body.
"0-15"
Akashi still took the first point, but Yukimura didn't care. He was completely focused on his mental invasion. He had only just begun to explore the path of Yips, and while he couldn't yet fully control it—he was still just a grade schooler—he was getting close.
The serve came again, and they clashed once more. Compared to before, Yukimura's mental energy was stronger. A faint pressure lingered on the court itself. He couldn't score yet, but he was almost ready.
"0-30"
"0-40"
"Fuu~ This should do. Time to fight back. Akashi Seijurō, experience the depths of despair!"
Even though it was match point for this game, Yukimura didn't panic at all. He served once again. The ball came spinning with a sharp twist and a strange wave of spiritual pressure aimed at Akashi. The moment Akashi made contact, that wave activated all the residual energy Yukimura had embedded during the earlier rallies. Akashi's arm suddenly went numb. His sense of touch vanished.
"OUT! 15-40"
"Looks like, Akashi-kun, you've lost your sense of touch~"
The moment Yukimura saw Akashi's return fly out of bounds, he knew his technique had finally worked. The breeze lifted his dark blue hair slightly, making him look even more mysterious and eerie.
And once again, the crowd outside the court was thrown into shock. The two boys from the previous match were already considered prodigies. Some had even thought Sanada would have easily made the finals if he hadn't faced Tezuka. But now, these two new players didn't seem any weaker.
"Am I dreaming? Why are there more genius grade schoolers now?!"
"I swear their rallies are faster than the last match. I can't even see the ball anymore!"
"Is that kid's coat sewn onto his shoulders or what? It doesn't even fall off in a match like this?"
"I want to complain about that too, but aren't you focusing on the wrong thing? That kid, Akashi, was totally dominating. Then suddenly, he made a rookie mistake?"
"That's normal, right? They're still kids. Even with great technique, small mistakes happen!"
"No, didn't you hear what that kid Yukimura just said? He said Akashi-kun lost his sense of touch!"
"It's just tennis! How does your sense of touch disappear? That's way too ridiculous. I'm not buying it. If he really lost it, how could he keep playing?"