Dream Full Branch: Nightfall Ballad

Snap!

Muneyoshi stepped back with his right foot, twisted his body, and the racket in his hand rippled with a layer of purplish-black waves.

With the added support of Muneyoshi's ever-spreading shadows, the ripples spread outwards, like waves, partially offsetting the intense spin of the tennis ball.

Immediately, with a light touch of the toes, black ripples spread outwards.

Muneyoshi used the momentum to leap out.

With light, quick steps, Muneyoshi traced a graceful curve on the court, his figure appearing almost ghostly as he once again appeared before the tennis ball's path.

With just one glance, Muneyoshi saw the spin on the tennis ball and then smoothly cut the racket into it from the lower left.

"Shadow Wave!"

Swish!

With a slight flick of the wrist, the tennis ball seemed to be pushed across the net by a gentle wave, slowly falling towards the front of the net.

Tap tap...

The tennis ball landed, bounced slightly twice, and then came to a standstill.

"What!"

"Saeki Muneyoshi scores, 30-15."

Katsumura Yota's confident smile vanished, replaced by a grim expression, a mixture of shock and anger.

He was well aware that his previous move, that intensely spinning curveball attack, was not something just anyone could counter.

Not only did Saeki Muneyoshi retaliate, but he was also able to completely neutralize the spin.

"Just who is this guy?"

"While this method of countering is not as sophisticated as Tanegashima Shūji's, it is still a formidable opponent for all players who like to hit spin shots."

The presence of Tanegashima Shūji in the First String was already unsettling for many, and now Saeki Muneyoshi has emerged as well.

Muneyoshi, watching Katsumura Yota's constantly changing expression and his eyes flashing with ferocity, coldly said:

"Spin shots don't work on me. If that's all you can do, then I'll accept your badge!"

"Badge?"

By the way, this is First String Shuffle Match; the opponent's target is their own number.

Katsumura Yota immediately realized what was happening, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He felt that the No. 8 spot was something he absolutely could not accept.

"I'll definitely destroy you!"

Boom!

"The fourth move: Five Snake Split Meal!"

The moment the tennis ball was thrown into the air, a loud thud was heard, and the constantly swaying ball flew towards them like a long snake.

Katsumura Yota's eyes were quite ruthless.

Bang!

Swish swish swish swish!

The powerful smash caused the tennis ball to fly out in five different arcs, all heading towards Saeki Muneyoshi's limbs and head.

Five Snake Split Meal.

It's another super change shot, and also a five-ball combo technique that's very difficult for ordinary people.

Katsumura Yota must have perfectly mastered the five-ball technique, otherwise he couldn't have created such a unique move.

As expected of number eight in the First String, his skills are not just "okay" as Muneyoshi had previously said, but have reached a very high level.

The five snake shadows are so distinct that it's impossible to tell which is real and which is fake. Without the ability to hit more than five balls, it's impossible to retaliate.

"Nice technique, but unfortunately it still doesn't work on me."

Muneyoshi raised his racket, and a surge of eerie light erupted around him, with purplish-black ripples spreading out from the racket once more.

Seeing the tennis ball flying towards him, Muneyoshi uttered a soft cry, "Shadow Wave - Falling Light!"

Muneyoshi no longer suppressed his strength; he was not yet qualified to defeat his opponent using only six-tenths of his power.

Moreover, they were facing members of the First String with a sequence number of 8.

As the Shadow Wave spread, the intense spin applied to the tennis ball was once again neutralized.

A surge of powerful spiritual energy erupted, and a torrent of dark shadows instantly swept across the entire stadium, enveloping Katsumura Yota in a terrifying aura.

Unbeknownst to Katsumura Yota, the ever-encroaching shadows rekindled the spark that Muneyoshi had planted beforehand.

He uttered a sound that only he could hear.

"Fluorescent Flame Seed, Dreams Abound..."

With a snap, the originally very weak spark, after being activated by Muneyoshi, burned fiercely and grew strong under the influence of Katsumura Yota's negative emotions.

As Muneyoshi continued to use the darkness combined with his spiritual power to invade him, the spark also began to absorb the nourishment of Katsumura Yota himself, weakening his spirit.

At the same time, the racket in Muneyoshi's hand, which was originally only wrapped in a layer of purplish-black light, also turned into a blazing black torch.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the huge sound of the smash echoed throughout the entire court. As the tennis ball flew back, the darkness began to shrink, and the entire tennis ball was enveloped in continuously burning black flames.

The sky returned to normal.

But around the burning tennis ball, a cloud of air seemed to gather, and after flying over the halfway point of the court, the cloud began to expand.

As the darkness seemed to be absorbed by the tennis ball and began to shrink, the tennis ball, enveloped by the shockwave, grew larger and larger.

Across the court, Katsumura Yota, who was preparing to receive the ball, suddenly felt a chilling sense of danger as he watched the huge dark cloud of energy flying towards him.

A deadly crisis.

"What's this!!!"

Whoosh!

The strong wind from the tennis ball stung his face, but at this moment, Katsumura Yota, overcame his fear with his will and swung his racket to meet the ball.

"No matter what it is, don't even think about scoring!"

Bang!

Katsumura Yota's strong will enabled him to overcome his inner fear, and his racket accurately gripped the tennis ball that was swirling with dark, shimmering energy, seemingly ready to strike at any moment.

However, this action seemed to completely enrage the ever-expanding shadow, and the expanding black cloud suddenly exploded the moment it touched the racket.

A loud bang echoed in Katsumura Yota's half of the field, causing the ground to tremble, followed by billowing smoke.

"Cough cough~~"

The thick smoke quickly dissipated, Katsumura Yota was knocked to the ground, looking disheveled.

He struggled to his feet, his racket now completely bare.

The entire net of the racket had snapped, and wisps of smoke were rising from it.

"Hehe... Hahahaha, you actually managed to do this, cough cough~"

Katsumura Yota wiped away the unidentified liquid that had spilled from the corner of his mouth, his eyes turning icy cold.

"So close, so very close..."

Upon seeing Muneyoshi across from him, Katsumura Yota's eyes flashed with a complex light, a mixture of envy, greed, and fear.

However, as Muneyoshi's aura began to decline, everything turned into sinister poison.

"If I hadn't let go of my racket and given up at the last moment, I probably would never have been able to stand up again... What a pity, you were just a little short."

A sinister smile crept across his lips, "Even you probably couldn't land a move like that more than a few times!"

"They actually used it at the very beginning of the match, were they trying to decide the outcome with one strike?"

"Unfortunately, you're still too inexperienced. In a real match, when unreasonable tactics fail and you can't force a point, you have to give up."

"You're welcome. This is advice from a seasoned veteran who has been through the world stage... Of course, if you still want to play tennis in the future!"

Seeing that Saeki Muneyoshi had become increasingly quiet, Katsumura Yota proudly pulled out a new racket.

"30-30, the game continues."

On the field, Katsumura Yota wore a strange smile, feeling as if all his bottlenecks had been broken after Muneyoshi's attack that destroyed Ming.

I felt much more relaxed. Not only did my strength increase, but my speed also became faster, and my various curveball techniques unleashed even greater power.

At this moment, Katsumura Yota felt that everything was so easy and carefree. He simply swung his racket casually at the tennis ball that Muneyoshi had hit back with great effort.

The tennis ball would then follow his will, attacking any part of Muneyoshi's body.

The blood had stained Saeki Muneyoshi's entire body.

The score has changed from 1-0 at the beginning to 5-0 now.

Bang!

"30-0. Kid, are you still going to keep going? Hahahaha..."

"As a sign of respect, let me deliver the final blow... a long, winding serpent..."

The tennis ball flew from Katsumura Yota's hand and struck Muneyoshi directly on the head...

Thump~

Muneyoshi's body fell heavily backward.

"Hahaha, kid, it's all over..."

"... Nightfall Ballad... It's all over..."

Thump~

Despite the pain all over his body Katsumura Yota managed to stand up, but he collapsed again after less than five seconds.

This time, his fall signifies that Muneyoshi's methods against the combination of darkness and spiritual power are beginning to take effect...

After clearing the net, Muneyoshi flipped Katsumura Yota over, then removed the badge from Katsumura Yota's collar from behind. At the same time, the dark seed that had absorbed Katsumura Yota's nourishment was retracted by Muneyoshi.

From now on, the No. 8 badge belongs to him.

Standing up, Muneyoshi glanced down at Katsumura Yota, whose smile was growing increasingly arrogant, and said calmly:

"I hope you'll still have a love for tennis when you wake up..."

He then strode towards the other end of the dense forest.

P. S.: "This isn't the only hunt I'll be doing; it'll continue. Please vote with your monthly tickets!"