Child's Heart
"Ishida Tetsu, 15-0."
"What? Kabaji's racket was knocked out of his hand?"
Is that guy on the other side really that strong?
"Damn it, where did this group of monsters from Fudomine come from...?"
The chatter of the crowd brought Atobe, who had been lost in his own world, back to his senses.
He removed the towel from his head, his sharp eyes fixed on the field.
On the field.
Kabaji's expression didn't change at all after Ishida Tetsu knocked his racket away.
He remained silent, rubbed his wrist, then picked up his racket and returned to the receiving area.
The tennis ball was served again by Ishida Tetsu, and it was another powerful strike.
However, ordinary attacks had no effect on Kabaji.
The two then began a baseline tug-of-war.
Until Ishida Tetsu couldn't hold back any longer, the muscles in his arm twitched once more, and an astonishing aura instantly rose up.
Boom!
The tennis ball once again landed in Kabaji's half of the court with an astonishing force.
Having prepared, Kabaji managed to steady his racket this time, but the sheer power still made it difficult for him.
"Ahhh..."
Kabaji unleashed all his power, causing the bulging veins on his neck to bulge, and took another step forward.
He switched to holding the racket with both hands, and with a sudden upward pull of his arms, he sent the tennis ball flying back.
The most primal power was unleashed in their hands; the tennis balls, carrying surging air currents, powerfully impacted their respective opponents.
Seeing that Kabaji had actually fought back, Ishida Tetsu didn't hesitate to step up.
Although his current body can't withstand continuous use of the Wave Shot, he can still unleash the concentrated burst of ordinary power that Muneyoshi taught him multiple times.
Immediately, he twisted his muscles again, concentrated his strength, and fiercely hit the ball back at Kabaji.
Under such a back-and-forth exchange, Ishida Tetsu became increasingly proficient in the technique of concentrated power bursts that Muneyoshi had taught him.
Although Muneyoshi himself did not pursue the path of pure strength, his strength was truly formidable.
In terms of sheer strength, within the entire Japan Team, he's probably only slightly weaker than Oni Jūjirō, Byōdōin Hōō, Duke Watanabe, and Date Otori.
No one else can compare to him.
Giving Ishida Tetsu pointers was easy for him, but compared to his older brother Ishida Gin, his talent in strength was indeed far inferior.
This is determined by the upper limit of one's own talent, and there's nothing Muneyoshi can do about it.
However, this is from Muneyoshi's perspective; in the eyes of others, the two's performance was already quite astonishing.
With each of their shots, the spectators on the sidelines gasped in suspense.
Kabaji and Ishida Tetsu, like tireless machines, formed a diagonal tug-of-war.
It's as if they can only have one player left in their match today; they won't stop until one of them falls.
"They're actually first graders!!!"
"What an amazing clash..."
As the tug-of-war continued, many spectators' adrenaline began to surge; the match had become so intense right from the start!
"I never expected Hyotei Academy to have a first-year student who could rival Tetsu in strength."
Kamio Akira's eyes gleamed; Ishida Tetsu's power was something he simply couldn't contend with.
"You can hold your own with just regular shots, right? Don't forget that Iron has some special moves." Shinji muttered to himself as he heard Kamio's praise.
"It seems that this alone is not enough to defeat you. Be careful!"
"Wave Shot!!"
Ishida Tetsu bent his knees, half-squatting, and pulled one hand behind his back, the veins on his arm bulging and standing out on the surface of his muscles.
As his muscles twitched, a terrifying power began to accumulate. As Ishida Tetsu began to use the Wave Shot, his expression changed, turning into a furious glare.
Once the power has accumulated to a certain point, swing the racket fiercely and hit the bouncing tennis ball hard.
Boom!
A beam of white-gold light, filled with destructive power, appeared on the court and flew towards the Hyotei Academy's half of the court in an almost straight trajectory.
Snap!
Kabaji tried to intercept, but the instant the racket and the tennis ball made contact, a terrifying force was transmitted from the racket to his arm.
This caused his racket to be knocked away again.
Bang!
"Game, Fudomine Ishida Tetsu, 1:0."
Bang!
"Fudomine, 30:15."
Bang!
"Fudomine, 40:30."
Bang!
"Game, Fudomine Ishida Tetsu, 3:0."
As Ishida Tetsu scored with another Wave Shot, Kabaji stood still, the tennis ball flying past his feet, but Kabaji face remained unchanged.
When Ishida Tetsu met Kabaji's indifferent gaze, he suddenly felt a sense of crisis.
"Tch, this guy!"
Putting aside any inappropriate emotions, Ishida Tetsu once again stood ready in the receiving area.
"I never expected to see such a suitable opponent for Kabaji!"
In the Hyotei Academy's rest area, many people sensed something was amiss, but unexpectedly, Atobe stood up.
Atobe stretched out his right hand, pointed to the sky, and snapped his fingers in the air.
"Kabaji, show him what you've got!"
"Yes!"
Kabaji been silent, suddenly responded.
Atobe's instructions brought a spark of life to Kabaji's indifferent eyes, as if a wind-up doll had been infused with new power.
Bang!
With a simple flat shot, Ishida Tetsu easily caught up with the tennis ball, unleashing another powerful swing.
However, the next second, Muneyoshi's voice came.
"Get out of the way, Ishida!!!"
Coming to his senses, Ishida looked across at Kabaji, Kabaji positioning and actions caused his expression to change drastically.
"Ahhhh..."
Kabaji let out a low growl, his muscles contorting like Ishida Tetsu's, his racket slamming down on the tennis ball like a giant hammer.
Sizzle!
The net seemed to be squeezed to its limit by Kabaji's swing, and the tennis ball left a deep dent in the net.
Boom!
A terrifying force was unleashed from the taut arm in an instant. The immense power and impact caused the tennis ball to glow a fiery red as it rubbed against the air.
The tennis ball, carrying a terrifying, unyielding energy, transformed into a horrifying wave of intense heat and hurtled towards Ishida Tetsu.
Thump!
The racket shattered upon contact, and even Ishida Tetsu's burly body was sent flying a short distance before crashing heavily to the ground.
Hyotei Academy scores, 15-0.
On the Fudomine side.
Ibu Shinji's mouth gaped open, his face filled with disbelief. "You're kidding, right? That guy from the Hyotei Academy just used Wave Shot too!"
How could someone learn the Wave Shot after only seeing Ishida Tetsu use it a few times?
Before the competition, he would never have believed such a thing could happen.
This is just too outrageous.
"Kabaji Munehiro has a naturally Child's Heart; he can copy an opponent's skills with just a glance."
Muneyoshi sighed slightly; the world of Prince of Tennis was truly full of wonders.
Kabaji Munehiro's Child's Heart is something that only exists in Xuanhuan worlds.
She has no sense of self-esteem, nor any preconceived notions that would hinder her free creativity, and she obeys Atobe, who is supposedly her childhood Atobe, without question.
His simplicity is precisely the foundation of his strength.
The only thing that can hinder him is the body and stamina that support him in achieving all this. As long as he can hold on, he can simulate almost any opponent's signature move.
"Child's Heart, it actually has this kind of power?"
Upon hearing Muneyoshi's explanation, the members of Fudomine exchanged bewildered glances, as such a technique was indeed far too difficult for them to comprehend.
Bang!
"Game, Hyotei Academy, 1:3."
Just like the previous scenario involving Ishida Tetsu, Kabaji also used his Wave Shot to win his service game.
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