"Is mental strength the key to reaching the national level?"
As Muneyoshi spoke from across the court, saying things that were hard to make out, Atobe's brow furrowed deeper and deeper.
"Hmph. After all that, are you just here to praise how dazzling my tennis is?"
Muneyoshi ignored Atobe's mocking tone. After a brief pause, he said calmly:
"Atobe, you've already grasped the key to taking the next step. So it's time to end this match. Now I can show you some of my true strength without holding back."
"At least you won't be so easily crushed mentally now..."
Atobe's expression changed at those words, and then indignation flared across his face.
"What are you talking about? You think you can crush me? Don't forget whose rhythm we're playing to right now!"
"I've already seen every last one of your blind spots. You bastard, show me even more!"
A wave of anger swept in, carrying an even more intense chill than before. It began to gather into one phantom icicle after another, as though it wanted to recreate the scene from earlier on Muneyoshi's side of the court.
"Anger, huh..."
Feeling the immense chill spreading around him, Muneyoshi focused a little more intently.
The mental strength gathering within him sparked a glimmer of fire.
Spirit Fire blazed, and dark shadows began to appear behind him, until a thin veil of shadow covered his entire body.
Darkness crept over his eye sockets, making his gaze grow profound. As he looked at Atobe, his expression gradually turned indifferent.
"If you don't believe me, then let's keep going!"
Without bothering to check whether Atobe was ready, Muneyoshi tapped his racket against the ball, preparing to serve.
Bang!
A vision unseen for several games appeared once more.
A glimmer of fire cut through the darkness. The tennis ball shot off the racket, carrying a strange shadow within its pale yellow surface as it streaked across the court like a shooting star.
The silver screen seemed to shatter. In an instant, flames burst in every direction!
The serve Muneyoshi had used in the first game appeared on the court once more.
"Ace, 15–0."
Even though Atobe pushed his eyesight to its limits, his body remained just as immobile as before. He couldn't move a single inch.
Bang!
Another serve. Muneyoshi had brought out some of his strength, just as he'd promised, and he wasn't going to go easy on Atobe.
"Ace, 30–0."
Bang!
"Ace. Game, Saeki Muneyoshi. Score: 5–5."
"Change sides!"
In the blink of an eye, Muneyoshi had won his service game with four aces.
And just like in the first game, Atobe hadn't even touched the ball once.
Muneyoshi's sudden change in tactics had left Atobe struggling to respond. Even the few people secretly watching from the sidelines couldn't make sense of it.
"H-How is this possible?!"
"Atobe was going toe-to-toe with him earlier... How did he lose a game so quickly?!"
Mukahi Gakuto found it hard to believe.
"This match is going to be tough for Atobe..." Oshitari murmured, a complicated look in his eyes.
As one of only two people at Hyotei who had played against Muneyoshi, he understood the other boy's strength better than Anahira Ryo or Mukahi Gakuto did.
It was a darkness so deep that its bottom could not be seen.
Muneyoshi stood there like an endless abyss, impossible to fathom.
"Atobe, can you see how deep he goes...?"
On the court, Atobe finally understood what Muneyoshi had been doing all along. It had seemed as though they were evenly matched, but had Muneyoshi actually been holding back?
"You bastard! No one has ever dared to look down on me like this!!!"
It was Atobe's turn to serve, but his serve was now completely useless against Muneyoshi.
Now that Muneyoshi had shown his strength, he had no intention of holding back. Even against Atobe's serve, he advanced like a relentless force, leaving Atobe utterly unable to fight back.
But Atobe didn't give up. He kept his eyes fixed on every movement Muneyoshi made, determined to find his weaknesses and blind spots once again!
Bang!
"Game, Saeki Muneyoshi. Score: 6–5."
Muneyoshi returned Atobe's serve with an utterly casual shot. The darkness that kept spreading, and the sparks of fire scattered across the court, looked more and more astonishing in Atobe's eyes.
"Atobe, is this really your limit?"
"If so, then plenty of middle schoolers are just as strong as you are right now."
Muneyoshi's challenge left Atobe speechless, and the truth he revealed was even harder for him to accept.
Bang!
"If this is all the strength you have, then you'll probably only ever be the king of the hill at your so-called Hyotei Academy."
"After all, how far can you lead Hyotei when you're nothing but a king of the hill?"
Muneyoshi's cold, merciless words made Atobe tremble all over, yet he still didn't answer...
Perhaps he felt powerless?
Perhaps the slap of reality had been too cruel?
Whatever a weakling said sounded like nothing more than a dog yapping. In that moment, Muneyoshi mercilessly trampled Atobe's pride and nobility underfoot.
Bang!
"30–0."
"Just two more points, Atobe. Do you still have what it takes to lead Hyotei? Hyotei believes in strength above all else. You're at the top right now, but it probably won't be long before someone knocks you down from that position..."
Muneyoshi had thought Atobe still wouldn't react to that remark, since he'd been silent for so long.
But he hadn't expected that the thing Atobe, at the top of Hyotei, cared about most was precisely that.
"Damn you! What the hell are you talking about?!"
"No one! No one can take this position from me!"
"You've been running your mouth this whole time. Is your strength all talk? I'll see through you!"
Atobe roared, interrupting Muneyoshi's incessant taunts.
"Pop!"
It was as if his emotions had reached their peak, or perhaps they'd built up until his mental strength transformed. A sound like a bubble bursting rang out in Atobe's mind.
His eyes seemed to cross some invisible threshold. The world before him had changed completely. Before, the flashes of insight had appeared and vanished in an instant, and only a few short icicles had shown themselves.
Now, everything was different. Endless chill swept across the entire court. From where Atobe stood, icicles covered the playing surface.
Tap, tap...
As the icicles appeared across the court, Atobe's body finally began to move, no longer confined to the baseline by Muneyoshi.
Bang!
The boundless anger faded away, leaving only a bone-deep chill that continued to rise.
Atobe swung with all his strength. A thin layer of frost seemed to coat the racket in his hand as he struck the tennis ball on the ground with a vicious swing.
"Smack!"
The ball crossed the net and shattered an icicle beside Muneyoshi.
"15–30."
"Saeki, I should thank you. If it weren't for you, I don't know how much longer it would've taken me to reach this level..."
"To repay you, I'll return every humiliation you've inflicted on me twofold."
Muneyoshi gave a soft laugh. "Oh, is that so? 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 left eye with his hand, his voice icy.
As his words rang out, a tremendous chill enveloped the entire court...
The appearance of the Ice World seemed to reverse the match's momentum in an instant.
Atobe had never felt so exhilarated. With the Ice World's arrival, it was as though everything on the court had returned to his control.
He was certain he could once again see and hear the cheers of victory.
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