Defeat

Saeki Muneyoshi held serve first, which secretly alarmed many people familiar with Amadeus.

Alexander Amadeus, a renowned assassin in Europe, was known for his uncompromising nature from the very beginning of the competition.

That was indeed the tone of the match.

Every point was fiercely contested, and the first game alone showcased the intense rivalry between the two players.

But despite this, Amadeus somehow managed to let Saeki Muneyoshi score...

"It seems this kid from the Japan Team is no ordinary player."

Many people secretly thought that, given Saeki Muneyoshi's current age and the talent he has shown, his future strength would likely be even more terrifying.

With Saeki Muneyoshi present, the strength of the Japan Team is guaranteed at least for the next two U-17 World Cups.

The match then continued, and the two sides once again engaged in a back-and-forth struggle.

Bang!

Bang!

"Game, Switzerland Team scores, score 1-1."

Bang!

Bang!

"Game, Switzerland Team scores, score 2-1."

Bang!

Bang!

"Game, Switzerland Team scores, score 4-3."

After switching sides, it was Amadeus's turn to serve again.

The score between the two players has once again entered the kind of intense, ongoing contest.

Furthermore, as the match progressed, Amadeus also broke free of his restrictions and began to put pressure on Saeki Muneyoshi.

Call out!

The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, with only the sound of tennis balls piercing the air, their speed and spin too intense.

As the tennis ball passed through the net, a slightly burnt smell wafted through the air.

Bang!

Another ball landed on Muneyoshi's corner.

The referee, after reviewing the decision through the machine, quickly announced:

Switzerland Team scores! Score 40-15!

The match went straight to game point in the eighth inning.

As the battle between the two players intensified, their match began to become increasingly unfriendly to the general public.

The spectators had no idea what was happening on the field; even the replays on the big screen above the stadium only showed many blurry afterimages.

"That middle school kid on the other side... he actually managed to fight Amadeus to this extent?!"

Peter Lambert could no longer hide his surprise, while Marco, who had recovered beside him, was experiencing a turmoil in his heart.

He knew Amadeus's strength much better than Lambert did.

But the middle school student opposite them...

"Don't worry, Amadeus is merely testing the opponent's path, but the final battle is fast approaching..."

Seeing his teammates' surprise at the performance of the Japan kids, team captain Eddie Yusoff had to offer an explanation.

Even he had to admit that although Amadeus hadn't used his full strength, this kid, who was only in the First Day of the New Year, truly had a limitless future.

A world-class player in the first year of junior high school—this is even more monstrous than Zeus from the Greece Team.

On the court, seeing Amadeus trying to score again, Saeki Muneyoshi endured the mental anguish, as well as the swelling in his arms and the soreness in his legs.

The match was only a single set long, but the strain on him was immense, far more tiring than playing three-set tiebreakers at other times.

In particular, it consumes mental energy and puts a strain on the body.

However, he cannot give up yet; he must at least ascertain Amadeus's true strength.

Otherwise, how could he possibly be satisfied with being beaten like this?

"What's wrong, Saeki Muneyoshi? You're not up to it anymore?"

The perceptive Amadeus also noticed Muneyoshi's state and began to speak coldly.

Bang!

But as he spoke, another muffled thud was heard.

Amadeus hit the tennis ball again.

Suddenly, the spreading Darkness Domain sensed a deadly danger, causing Muneyoshi to perk up once more.

Amadeus's return shot seemed utterly ordinary, but as it flew over the middle net and reached its highest point, it suddenly transformed into more than a dozen streaks of light.

Black light rained down, the ball's shadow followed.

"We can't let you score so easily!"

Muneyoshi held his breath, his gaze quickly sweeping over the trajectories of all the balls.

A swift black light flashed beneath his feet, and with a sudden stomp, the Darkness Domain beneath his feet rose once more, like a giant net enveloping Amadeus's attack.

Bang bang bang...

The rapid sounds of the ball hitting the shuttlecock made everyone's heart tighten.

The ball's shadows, bouncing from different angles, were all returned by Saeki Muneyoshi almost simultaneously.

The dust kicked up by the high-speed swings spread to both sides of the court with each powerful shot.

Amadeus didn't back down either. In dealing with Multi-ball Play, you can't wait for the ball to land. He also stepped forward and blocked the net.

Bang bang bang bang...

For a moment, swathes of spheres flashed by on both sides.

This back-and-forth continued for more than a dozen rounds, Saeki Muneyoshi began to feel the strain, and he seemed to be struggling to continue.

"Darkness Domain - Ghosts and Goblins! Tear and Bite!"

Phew!

The Darkness Domain that had been surrounding Muneyoshi changed again, and the scattered light once more coalesced into ghostly spirits, emitting sharp shrieks.

The sudden shriek shot towards the opposite side of the field.

Amadeus was the first to be hit; before his eyes, he seemed to see once again a horde of ghosts lunging at him and tearing at him.

"Is this the new world-class skill you flashed through in your first game? Is it a transformation from the Darkness Domain? Let me experience it again!"

Amadeus's face remained impassive.

However, Muneyoshi discovered that at this moment, a pure black light suddenly surged from his body, and an aura of extreme darkness began to spread, completely hiding half of his body in shadow.

At the same time, Amadeus' racket also drew a deep black line.

The light, as dark as ink, eventually transformed into a massive, almost solidified whale-like figure, which swam out from beneath his feet and enveloped the tennis ball and the ghost.

"Whale!"

Bang!

The sound of Muneyoshi's return shot colliding with Amadeus's racket was incredibly loud, and many spectators who were nearby instinctively covered their ears.

A cloud of smoke rose from Amadeus' stadium, enveloping the entire stadium along with the black light.

The enormous whale-like figure, like a prehistoric beast, destroyed everything in its path with overwhelming force.

Even the purplish-black Glowing Flame that had just flickered on Muneyoshi's racket was instantly swallowed up by the shadow of the whale.

The Ghosts and Goblins, and even the Darkness Domain, were completely obliterated.

Thump!

As the tennis ball landed, Saeki Muneyoshi felt his body stiffen slightly, and his mind went blank for a moment before the court shook.

It took him a long time to come to his senses.

The feeling of being exposed in a blind spot, the fear of a deadly threat, returned to his body.

On the sidelines of the court.

The members of the Japan Team were also utterly shocked.

The feeling of being swallowed by endless darkness they had just experienced sent chills down their spines.

The enormous, black whale-like beast filled them with fear.

"Amadeus has actually entered the Stage Two, and it's the Stage Two of Darkness Shot!"

Even the most serious ghosts changed their expressions at this moment.

Such strength is something he simply cannot contend with, even in his current state.

The opponent hadn't used his true strength at all; he was just hunting his prey!

And that prey was none other than Saeki Muneyoshi!

At that moment, everyone in Japan felt a chill run down their spine.

"No, it's not as simple as the Stage Two; it's been going on for a long time. That guy has been fighting with Muneyoshi for so long, probably to absorb and learn from Muneyoshi's dark side, so that he can have a chance to advance further and reach the Stage Three..."

Byōdōin's expression was extremely grim, and at the same time, a fighting spirit rose within him towards Amadeus.

"It's over, Saeki Muneyoshi!"

Amadeus glanced intently at Saeki Muneyoshi, who was looking bewildered and panicked on the other side of the court, his tone completely unwavering.

"As a fellow traveler on the Path of Darkness, you should know the dangers of darkness. That was my tennis ball, my own darkness!"

Amadeus's approach differs from Muneyoshi's; each of his attacks targets the opponent's deepest, most difficult-to-detect weaknesses.

This "weakness" can be a physical blind spot, a deficiency in mental strength, an inner fear, an experience, an obsession, or even a direct attack on the person.

In that instant, Muneyoshi was directly attacked by the Darkness Shot Stage Two Domain, which is also the Stage Two of the Different Dimension Ball Technique.

It attacks Muneyoshi's inner weakness, Saeki Muneyoshi obsession.

A pursuit of tennis, an expectation of reaching the top of the world.

It was directly "erased" by Amadeus.

It seems that the driving force that had kept Saeki Muneyoshi moving forward has disappeared.

As Amadeus's attack landed, it triggered a series of chain reactions. His Darkness Domain, his tennis skills, and even his love for tennis all seemed to have faded away.

Snap~

With his racket falling, Muneyoshi collapsed heavily onto the court.

P. S.: "The protagonist lost, please give me some monthly votes as consolation."

When I typed this chapter, Danyang was actually quite hesitant because the protagonist lost. This is really frustrating. In other Prince of Tennis books, the protagonist probably just beats through the game and then just randomly kills everyone. But Danyang just can't get over that mental hurdle because he really can't win. It's a qualitative difference that can't be solved by cheating. And I'm still controlling the protagonist's cheating.

But after hesitating, I still wrote it this way because, rather than mindlessly pushing the enemy to their knees, I wanted the protagonist's spirit to withstand this defeat and rise again.

Failure is not scary. There are many people who are stronger and more capable than you. But take them as your role models, keep striving to break through your own limits, and then come back as an avenger in the future.

That's it. The World Tournament ended in defeat, but it's for better growth in the future. Please support me with monthly votes, thank you everyone!