Tachibana Kippei and Fuji Shusuke

Back at the rest area of Fudomine, the first-year students, who already respected him greatly, now idolized Muneyoshi to an even greater degree.

Muneyoshi's performance on the court completely exceeded their expectations.

Originally, they only regarded the National Tournament as a slogan, but now, the first-year students are very confident that Saeki Muneyoshi can lead them to achieve it.

Seeing the flame and confidence burning in the eyes of this first-grader, Muneyoshi smiled slightly.

Sometimes, appropriately showcasing one's abilities can boost the confidence of one's teammates.

"Ju, it's all up to you in the next game!"

Muneyoshi looked at Tachibana, who was already warming up, and reached out to pat him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry, Muneyoshi!"

The two exchanged a smile, both seeing the confidence in each other's eyes.

"Keith, how are you feeling?"

Seeing that Keith had also changed his indifferent expression and was looking at him, Muneyoshi asked jokingly.

"His strength is quite impressive; I want to fight him!"

Muneyoshi was taken aback. He hadn't expected that Keith, whom he and Tachibana had always treated differently from the coach, would have such a high opinion of Akutsu.

However, considering their current strength, Akutsu after his breakthrough is indeed not much weaker than Keith, so it's understandable that he would feel the urge to fight.

Don't worry, there will be opportunities!

Then Muneyoshi sat down next to Keith.

At that moment, he recalled Akutsu's final dash towards the Darkness Shot.

Although he hadn't unlocked the sixth level of his power at the time, he unleashed his true sixth level of strength.

That final, Darkness Shot was a real attack.

Moreover, it wasn't just darkness, but a fusion of darkness and the path of Qi that he was constantly exploring.

Although its power certainly cannot compare to Muneyoshi's full strength, at this time in the junior high school world, there are almost no people who can forcibly withstand it.

But Akutsu caught it!

That's right, Akutsu caught it.

Although he couldn't return the ball, in that knocked-back state, the tennis ball stopped and flew several centimeters further in Muneyoshi's direction.

He caught it instinctively.

"It seems that the special changes that happened to Akutsu earlier allowed him to access his subconscious ahead of time?"

Muneyoshi pondered this, truly amazed by Akutsu's talent.

If his idea is true, then once Akutsu fully digests his gains, his strength will likely increase even further.

"Hey, as expected of Byodoin, who only played tennis for a year in the original work, just look at Byōdōin skills! He's one of only two middle school students who can hit Shining Shot and perfectly execute a ten-ball play all by himself!"

"Even more abnormal, capable of entering a state of complete unconsciousness!"

"Wait, it seems that the path of the Asura Path, which involves triggering the subconscious, is the one without consciousness..."

"The Josai Preliminary Round, Singles Match 2 is about to begin, featuring Seigaku Fuji Shusuke vs. Fudomine's Tachibana Kippei!"

"I never expected my opponent would be you, Fuji!"

Tachibana Kippei's serious expression now carried a hint of a smile; he had considered potential candidates for Seigaku's second singles player.

Tachibana Kippei had considered Tezuka, but it seems he missed his chance.

However, he did not underestimate his opponent; he was aware of Fuji Shusuke's reputation as a genius.

"Tachibana! I never expected you to come to Tokyo, let Fudomine."

Fuji smiled slightly.

It was just a coincidence!

Tachibana Kippei laughed loudly and said, "Fuji, I wanted to play against you guys in last year's National Tournament, and I didn't expect that my wish would come true so easily in Tokyo."

Fuji was well aware of Tachibana Kippei's strength and knew that there was probably a gap between them at this point, but Fuji would not give up.

He was not fighting alone at this moment; he carried the will of everyone in Seigaku.

"So this is the responsibility of standing on the edge of a cliff? Tezuka, have you been carrying this kind of pressure all along?"

Tachibana Kippei was unaware of Fuji's inner thoughts at that moment, but his style dictated his actions.

From Kyushu to Tokyo, from Shishigaku to Fudomine today.

Tachibana Kippei has always instilled a spirit of perseverance in everyone around him, and now it's time for him to set an example in his words and deeds.

"Guess first?"

"Positive OR Negative!"

"Just!"

"Let's have a good fight, Tachibana!"

Fuji tossed a tennis ball toward Tachibana Kippei, then turned and returned to the baseline under the latter's watchful gaze.

Tachibana Kippei accepted the tennis ball, squeezed it to feel its texture, and then they each went to their positions.

"The match begins, a decisive set, with Fudomine Tachibana Kippei serving."

Tachibana Kippei put his tennis ball back in his pocket, clutching the ball Fuji had tossed to Fuji tightly in his hand, and gently tapped it from the service line.

His head was bowed so that no one could see his eyes.

Suddenly raising his head, the Lion King of Kyushu regained his true nature at this moment.

The wild and domineering aura instilled fear in many, and the black and red aura solidified and echoed behind Tachibana Kippei.

The outpouring of spiritual energy instantly transported the onlookers back to the scene of their Akutsu Tachibana Kippei.

While everyone was still in a daze...

Bang!

A crisp clapping sound brought people back to reality.

The Lion's Roar!

A strike infused with all of Tachibana Kippei's power opened the curtain on this match.

Tap tap!

Fuji Shusuke moved, took a step forward, and used the momentum of his forward thrust to hold the racket with both hands.

With a powerful swing of his racket aimed at the trajectory of the tennis ball, Fuji unleashed a backhand smash, propelled by the momentum of his forward thrust, Fuji the ferocious attack crashing into Tachibana Kippei's court.

A dark red aura emanated continuously, Tachibana Kippei's burly body charged across the field like a lion, his intense pressure sweeping across the field with each movement.

Super Half Volley!

Tachibana Kippei glared angrily, a black mole standing out prominently on his tightly furrowed forehead.

With a flick of his wrist, all parts of his body exerted force simultaneously, unleashing another powerful blast as he used his full strength against Fuji Tachibana Kippei.

No matter who he faces, Tachibana Kippei will maintain his powerful offensive on the field; this is his personality and his playing style.

Like Akutsu, he has an unstoppable Hyper-Offensive playing style.

This style was very familiar to Fuji, and he adapted to it perfectly.

However, out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at the rest area of Fudomine and saw that familiar figure.

The opponent's increased strength and the overwhelming sense of pressure caused Fuji's face to lose its usual smile.

Facing Tachibana Kippei's unrestrained, lion-like style, he felt immense pressure.

This suffocating sense of oppression wasn't something only Tezuka could give him...

Feeling the blood surging through his body, Fuji realized that he had unknowingly become somewhat excited.

This feeling...

Scenes from all the previous matches flashed through his mind, Fuji's azure eyes sharpened.

"Topspin!"

After noticing the spin of the ball that Tachibana Kippei was returning, he began to act.

Facing the ball returned by Tachibana Kippei, Fuji took a step forward, his hands outstretched like birds in flight, then he stood sideways, his right knee bent, and his left hand held out in front of his body.

Behind the outstretched five fingers were icy blue eyes that shone like the starry sky, radiating a soft glow.

With a twist of his body, he forcefully snapped his right knee.

The racket, raised high, slashed down fiercely at the incoming tennis ball.

Sizzle~

In the final, clean-up stroke.

A golden crescent moon already shines in the sky.

Call out!

"The first of Triple Counter: Returning Swallow!"

With his hair swaying slightly at the ends, Fuji held his racket in front of him, revealing Fuji his right eye, which seemed to hold the brilliance of a starry sky.

Whoosh!

Amidst the startling whistling sound of the tennis ball cutting through the air.

The tennis ball, spinning wildly, skimmed over the net and landed on the ground.

The tennis ball didn't bounce; instead, it flew at high speed, skimming the ground past Tachibana Kippei's feet, who was already in a receiving position.

"Fuji Shusuke scores, 15-0."

The referee's voice rang in Ju's ears just in time.

"That ball didn't bounce at all!"

On the sidelines Ibu Shinji was utterly shocked. Although he would later be known as the "Field Magician," his creativity was far less impressive than that of a wind magician.

This non-bounceable counterattack was enough to leave him speechless.

Anyone seeing Fuji Shusuke tennis for the first time can feel the overflowing talent he possesses.

"That's a really good technique, Fuji!"

Tachibana Kippei took a deep breath. Even though he had witnessed Muneyoshi's many amazing skills, he was still Fuji Shusuke's flash of inspiration.

"Let's keep going! I'm starting too, Fuji!"

Ju didn't panic at losing a point; he went to the other side of the service area and began to prepare.

At this moment, Fuji smiled slightly and moved to the left side of the serve line.

P. S.: Only two chapters today. I should be able to go back on Saturday. Things will be busier in the next few days, and I want to go back as soon as possible. Still, please vote with your monthly tickets!

I wrote this on my phone today, my first time trying it. Typing is so slow! And then there were edits to do, and my phone died twice...