"You just got lucky, Fuji. If that ball had hit your racket, your arm would've been broken. No, wait, that was probably on purpose. Unlike me, who only plays violent tennis, Seiya is truly unfathomable."
"Game, Wenren Seiya from Fudomine. Score is 2-0!"
The referee's whistle snapped everyone out of their shock. Aside from the Tachibana siblings, who had already witnessed the shot, everyone from both teams was stunned. They all saw it clearly: Seiya's smash wasn't just fast and powerful. The ball changed its trajectory in midair just before it was hit by the racket!
By hitting the ball with the frame, he gave it immense power. The force of the impact made the ball unstable and caused it to affect the air around it. Seiya's "Vanguard" was similar to Kippei's "Explosive Ball," but Seiya's was a smash and used a two-handed grip, making it more powerful and faster. Kippei's move created multiple illusions, but Seiya's move created a small turbulence that affected the ball's trajectory.
"Even if I tell you to give up, you wouldn't listen, right? This victory is too important for Seigaku. But we don't want to lose this match either. I don't want to ruin a talent like you. How about we make a deal? I won't use my 'Vanguard' anymore, and in return, you won't use your 'Bear Trap.'"
Seiya's offer stunned Fuji and the Seigaku team. Seiya knew that this was a big concession and probably the only way to get Fuji to agree. He was also curious about Fuji's other moves, and he didn't want the match to end so soon.
"What is Seiya doing? Why would he agree to such a deal? His smash is clearly more powerful than Ishida's Wave Ball. What can Fuji's scrawny arm do even if he hits it?"
"I know, right? Seiya knows how important this match is to us. What if he loses?"
Unlike the confused Seigaku team, the Fudomine players were upset with Seiya's rash decision. It was obvious that the deal was not in their favor.
"All of you, be quiet! Seiya has a plan. All we have to do is trust him! Besides, do you think a powerful smash like that doesn't have a drawback? Don't forget about Ishida's Wave Ball!"
Kippei's authority was high, and his sharp words silenced the Fudomine team.
In the next game, Seiya used his "Tempest Fang" to easily win his service game.
The fourth game was Fuji's serve. To Seiya's surprise, Fuji suddenly broke through and used his "Vanishing Serve," a move he hadn't used until the Kanto tournament. With his new serve, Fuji held his service game and then won another with his last signature move, the "White Whale," bringing the score to 3-2.
The Seigaku team was getting excited, thinking they were about to turn the tide. But that's when Seiya started to get serious.
The Vanishing Serve? Seiya, who had been practicing kendo for over 10 years, had senses far beyond a normal person's. He was able to figure out the ball's trajectory in just one game. As for the "White Whale," its weakness was also obvious: the ball would bounce back. It was a showy move, but it was useless against Seiya, who could get to the ball before it even bounced back.
Fuji was strong, but he was no match for Seiya at this stage. Even though he had used all three of his signature moves and his Vanishing Serve, he still lost the match 6-2, and Seigaku lost their chance at the regional championship.
"That was a great match. I hope we can play again soon," Seiya said, extending his hand to Fuji.
Fuji was stunned for a moment before shaking his hand. "Next time, I won't lose."
Fuji felt he had grown a lot from this match and realized that his three signature moves could be improved. Although Seigaku lost, both the winner and runner-up would move on to the metropolitan tournament, so he would have another chance to play Seiya. And he was confident that he would win the next time he faced Seiya with his new and improved signature moves.
"That's not for sure. After all, you're not the only one who's going to get stronger. I won't lose next time either."
Seiya was 100% confident that he would beat Fuji again. He might be a protagonist, but Seiya had a secret power-up. When his "Dream of the Heart" connects him to a true master, he would be able to beat even Rikkai, let alone Seigaku. After all, both the Swordsman and Prince of Tennis worlds were low-level. They were still within the natural realm. If his "Dream of the Heart" connected him to a true master, he wouldn't be playing "killer tennis" anymore; he would be playing "supernatural tennis." He could smash a tennis ball and blow up the entire court.
"Hey, Wenren, let's play a match!"
The Fudomine and Seigaku match was over, but Seiya and Fuji's game had ignited Ryoma's fighting spirit.
"Seigaku, the match is over. If you want to play, you can wait for the metropolitan tournament. Besides, Seiya just finished his match. Do you think it's fair to challenge him now?"
Before Seiya could say anything, Kippei stood in front of him and blocked Ryoma. Tezuka and the other upperclassmen quickly came forward to apologize for Ryoma's behavior. Ryoma eventually gave up his challenge, and after some trash talk, the two schools left the tournament, promising to face off again in the next one.