The Embryonic Form of the Ice World Born of Rage

"Mental power, is it the key to breaking through to nationals?"

Listening to the unclear words coming from Muneyoshi across the net, Atobe's brow furrowed deeper:

"Hmph, you're saying all this, are you just here to praise how brilliant my tennis skills are?"

Muneyoshi didn't pay attention to Atobe's slightly mocking attitude. He paused and said calmly:

"Atobe, you've already grasped the key to moving forward. This match should end now, and I can reveal some of my strength with peace of mind."

"At least now, your mindset won't be so easily crushed..."

Atobe's expression changed upon hearing this, followed by a wave of shame and anger.

"What are you talking about? I'll be crushed by you? Don't you forget whose rhythm it is right now!"

"All your blind spots have been seen by me, you damn guy, show me more of them!"

A surge of anger, carrying a colder chill than before, swept over him, beginning to condense into illusory ice shards, wanting to recreate the scene from earlier on Muneyoshi's side of the court.

"Angry..."

Sensing the immense cold air pervading the surroundings, Muneyoshi also focused slightly.

The mental power he was condensing sparked a flame in his heart.

Spirit Fire blazed, and dark shadows began to appear behind him, until his entire being was enveloped in a thin layer of shadow.

Darkness crawled into his eye sockets, making his gaze deep and unfathomable, and his look towards Atobe gradually became indifferent.

"Since you don't believe me, let's continue!"

Without regard for whether Atobe was ready, Muneyoshi lightly tapped his racket, preparing to serve.

Bang!

An illusion that hadn't appeared for several games reappeared.

A streak of fire cut through the darkness, and the tennis ball shot forward after leaving the racket. The pale yellow ball carried a strange shadow within it, flashing like a meteor.

The silver screen shattered, and in an instant, firelight scattered!

The serve used in the first game reappeared on the court.

"Ace, 15-0."

Even as Atobe expanded his vision to its limit, his body remained as immobile as at the beginning.

Bang!

Another ball. Muneyoshi was showing some of his strength, true to his word, and was not holding back.

"Ace, 30-0."

Bang!

"Ace, Saeki Muneyoshi wins this game, score is 5-5."

"Change ends!"

In the blink of an eye, Muneyoshi had won his service game with four serves.

And just like in the first game, Atobe hadn't even touched the ball the entire game.

Muneyoshi's sudden change in tactics not only made it difficult for Atobe to cope but also left the few people secretly watching from the sidelines bewildered.

"How... how is this possible!"

"Atobe... weren't they just trading shots evenly before, and now he's lost a game so quickly?!"

Mukahi Gakuto found this unbelievable.

"Atobe's match is probably going to be tough..." Oshitari said in a low voice, his eyes holding a subtle gleam.

As one of the only two people from Hyotei who had faced Muneyoshi, he understood the opponent's strength far better than Anahira Ryo and Mukahi Gakuto.

It was a darkness that couldn't be fathomed.

The opponent stood there like an endless abyss, making it impossible to gauge the bottom.

"Atobe, can you sense his bottom line..."

On the court, Atobe now understood his opponent's previous actions. Had he been letting him win earlier?

"Damn it! No one has dared to underestimate me like this!!!"

It was Atobe's turn to serve, but his serve was now completely useless against Muneyoshi.

Muneyoshi had revealed his strength and wasn't planning to hold back. He continued to break through Atobe's service game with overwhelming force, leaving Atobe no room to fight back.

However, Atobe didn't give up. He kept a close watch on Muneyoshi's every move, trying to find his weaknesses and blind spots again!

Bang!

"Game, Saeki Muneyoshi scores, the score is 6-5."

Muneyoshi hit another ball, casually returning Atobe's serve. The encroaching darkness and scattered sparks of light became increasingly shocking in Atobe's eyes.

"Atobe, is this your current limit?"

"If it's only this much, then there are plenty of middle schoolers with your current strength."

Muneyoshi's questioning left Atobe speechless, and the truth he revealed was even harder for him to accept.

BANG!

"If your strength is only this much, then you'll probably only be able to be the king of a monkey mountain within your so-called Hyotei Academy."

"After all, how far can a mere king of a monkey mountain lead Hyotei?"

Muneyoshi's cold and ruthless words made Atobe tremble, but he still didn't answer...

Perhaps out of powerlessness?

Perhaps the harsh reality was too cruel?

In any case, whatever the weak said sounded like incessant barking. Atobe's pride and nobility were ruthlessly trampled by Muneyoshi at this moment.

BANG!

"30-0."

"Last two shots, Atobe, do you still have the ability to lead Hyotei? Hyotei upholds the principle of the strong being respected. At your current peak in Hyotei, you'll probably be replaced before long..."

Originally, Muneyoshi thought Atobe wouldn't react to this statement, as he had been silent for a long time.

But he didn't expect that for Atobe, who stood at the pinnacle of Hyotei, this was his reverse scale.

"You damn guy, what kind of joke are you playing!!"

"No one! No one can take this position from me!"

"You've been shouting for so long, is all your strength just talk? Let me see through you!"

Atobe's roar interrupted Muneyoshi's incessant chatter.

Pop!

It was as if his emotions had condensed to an extreme, or perhaps they had accumulated continuously, causing his mental power to undergo a transformation. A sound like a bubble bursting echoed in Atobe's mind.

His eyes seemed to have opened a certain boundary. The world in his eyes had completely changed. What was originally a fleeting flash of inspiration, or only a few ice shards, had now completely transformed. Endless cold swept across the entire court. In his eyes, the court was now filled with ice shards.

Thump, thump...

As ice shards appeared all over the court, Atobe, who had been restricted to the baseline by Muneyoshi, began to move.

BANG!

The endless rage dissipated, replaced by a biting cold that continued to rise.

Atobe swung forcefully, his racket seeming to be coated in a thin layer of frost as he met the tennis ball on the ground.

Splat!

The tennis ball crossed the net, shattering an ice shard near Muneyoshi.

"15-30."

"Saeki, I should thank you. If it weren't for you, I probably wouldn't have known how much longer it would take me to reach this level..."

"As thanks, I will double the humiliation you've inflicted upon me and return it to you."

Muneyoshi chuckled at this: "Oh, really? I'm looking forward to it!"

"Hmph, Saeki, welcome to Atobe's world, the Ice World. I can see all your blind spots again!" Atobe covered his eyes with his left hand, his tone filled with chilling cold.

As his voice fell, a great chill enveloped the entire court...

The appearance of the Ice World seemed to instantly reverse the momentum of the match.

Atobe had never felt so exhilarated. With the emergence of the Ice World, it felt as if everything on the court had returned to his control.

He was full of confidence, once again seeing and hearing the cheers of victory.

ps: "Routine request for monthly votes... Esteemed readers, please crush me with your votes!!!"