Genius (Happy Mid-Autumn Festival)
"Is this the strength of the reigning champion Rikkai Dai...?"
Looking at the racket that missed its target and the tennis ball rolling on the ground, Shinji's gaze became even more profound.
Even at the very beginning, Shinji felt immense pressure from Mori Juzaburo.
"Mouri- senpai, you actually got serious on the very first ball?"
Mouri's attitude surprised all the Rikkai Dai members who knew him.
Yanagi Renji looked at Mori Juzaburo in the arena and expressed his doubts in surprise.
The Rikkai Dai Regular were very familiar with Mori Juzaburo's temperament.
He possessed exceptional talent; in fact, in Yanagi Renji's opinion, his talent was in no way inferior to that of Yukimura and Sanada.
However, it was precisely because of his inherent talent that he never truly took tennis seriously, always playing it with a playful attitude.
Furthermore, he absolutely hates training and will rather lie down than stand up.
He would try to avoid the Tennis Club's daily training sessions whenever possible.
It was precisely because of this that Mori Juzaburo's terrifying talent was not fully unleashed until high school.
Even so, Mouri was able to secure First String formal spot in the first team from Byōdōin and his group when he was in his first year of high school.
Even in the top ten!
If Yanagi Renji knew the original course of events, he would be surprised to find that Mori Juzaburo and Akutsu Jin had a high degree of similarity.
They both had a playful attitude, possessed exceptional talent, and initially weren't particularly interested in tennis.
However, now, with human intervention, Akutsu Jin has his own goals and a desire to pursue victory.
Mouri's change of heart did not escape the notice of the Rikkai Dai. While the others were still wondering about the reason why Mouri had suddenly become serious,
Yukimura's words were a wake-up call for the group, "Mouri- senpai only has a playful attitude when victory is assured. Now that we're on the edge of a cliff, Mouri- senpai's competitive spirit has been ignited."
Upon hearing Yukimura's explanation, everyone realized that they were indeed at a disadvantage.
Although the feeling of falling behind was unpleasant, they were still very happy about the changes in Mouri.
On the field.
After scoring with his serve, Mouri's lips curled into a smile again, seemingly reverting to his usual nonchalant attitude.
However, this attitude was short-lived; Mouri is now very serious.
Swish!
The tennis ball is tossed up, a quick step is taken, and as the ball reaches its highest point, Mouri swings his arm and swung his racket, smashing the ball down with tremendous force, just like a smash!
Boom!
A loud bang echoed once again in Ibu Shinji's half of the court.
The powerful tennis ball struck right at Shinji's feet.
Having prepared, Shinji reacted even faster than on the first ball, the instant the tennis ball bounced back.
Shinji lowered his arm slightly, pressing the racket head very low, and then forcefully chopped the rebounding tennis ball from below.
The slice shot generated strong backspin, allowing the ball to be returned directly.
Bang!
Shinji's exceptional ball control was on full display at this moment.
The high-speed spinning tennis ball landed precisely on the left sideline of the Mouri!
"Oh, so you saw right through the second shot and returned it perfectly?"
Seeing Shinji's retort, Mouri seemed somewhat surprised, chuckled, and shook his head, saying, "These newcomers these days are really getting more and more impressive!"
However, such a counterattack is not difficult for Mouri to handle.
His well-rounded physical attributes made his explosive power astonishing, and Mouri moved with lightning speed.
Tap tap tap!
A gentle breeze made Mouri's jersey flutter as he sprinted across the field, a testament to his incredible speed.
In just a few steps, Mouri moved directly from the bottom left corner to the right sideline.
Just as Mouri reached the point where the tennis ball would land, the ball bounced up, and he was now blocking its path.
Without any hesitation, Mouri swung his racket and smashed the tennis ball hard, sending it flying back.
They once again launched a counterattack towards Ibu Shinji's half of the court.
"They're going straight online? Do the people of Fudomine all like to play net-front interception?"
While retaliating, Mouri kept his eyes fixed on Ibu Shinji's movements. He could clearly see Ibu Shinji's figure had quietly appeared in front of the net.
Ibu Shinji, standing before the net, remained expressionless, as if wearing a ceramic mask.
Just as the tennis ball flew over the net, Shinji leaped into the air, raising his racket high and smashing it down heavily!
Bang!
A sharp gust of wind created a gust of air, and the tennis ball flew off Shinji's racket, heading once again towards Mouri's left corner.
The tennis ball landed, kicking up specks of dust!
"Calm, composed, and unwavering in the face of external influences, his offensive strategies are also very well-planned. For a first-year student to achieve this level, Fudomine has indeed produced a promising talent!"
In just a few short plays, Ibu Shinji's skill and talent were on full display in everyone's eyes, and a hint of envy flashed in their eyes as they looked at this small first-year student on the field.
Mouri, of course, also noticed Shinji's strengths, and as he continued walking, he spoke.
"Kid, not bad, but if that's all you're capable of, you're still a long way from scoring against me."
With a few strides, Mouri reached the left corner and caught up with the tennis ball. He judged the landing point of the tennis ball almost at the same time that Shinji smashed it!
Ibu Shinji's smash was once again countered by Mouri.
And that wasn't the end of it. After Mouri neutralized the force of the smash, he forcefully backhanded the tennis ball, sending it flying back into the net!
Boom!
The tennis ball shot through the air in a straight beam, quickly passing through Shinji's defense and landing firmly on the baseline in the backcourt.
"Mori Juzaburo scores, score 30:0."
"This seemingly lazy guy on the other side is actually this strong?!"
Kamio Akira stared intently at Mori Juzaburo in the arena.
Not only him, but Lin Xiu, Keith, and the pale-faced Ju beside him also had their brows furrowed.
Shinji's actions just now were all perfectly timed, even to those of them who knew Shinji.
Shinji's performance can be described as absolutely perfect.
But even with this perfect performance, Shinji didn't gain any advantage.
Moreover, his opponent, Mori Juzaburo, did not display any impressive tennis skills; he simply responded with the most Basic Tennis techniques.
It was as if he was just there for a practice match.
But the more this was the case, the more terrifying the strength displayed by Mori Juzaburo became in the eyes of Keith and Tachibana Kippei, who were at a deeper level of tennis expertise!
This was not an illusion; it was an invisible pressure emanating from Mouri that Keith and Tachibana Kippei genuinely felt.
At this moment, they truly understood the profound foundation of the school that had dominated the Kanto region for fourteen consecutive championships.
P. S.: "Please vote with monthly tickets!"
Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I'm sure everyone has other things to do or is going out, so I'm posting this early so you can see it sooner and then go about your other business. Happy Mid-Autumn Festival to everyone, and best wishes to all my fellow book lovers still on their journeys!