The Fire Grew Fiercer
Tap... tap... smack!
Kim Du-hwan caught the bouncing tennis ball and looked up at the two players opposite him who were already ready to receive it.
Recalling the ghost's disdainful gaze, the anger in his heart surged like a fire.
The tennis ball in his hand cracked as he squeezed it, but fueled by his anger, he felt incredibly good.
It felt as if endless energy was surging from within his body.
"Heh heh, let your arrogance pay the price!"
A bloodlust flashed in Kim Du-hwan's eyes as he gave a cruel smile before tossing the ball away.
Boom!
With a bent knee and a powerful leap, Kim Du-hwan's arm muscles exploded, and his raised racket slammed heavily onto the tennis ball.
Sizzle!
With a single strike, a shockwave rippled through the air the moment the racket separated from the tennis ball, and the ball, carrying immense force, hurtled unflinchingly towards Oni Jūjirō.
Such force, such speed, such malice.
Kim Du-hwan was aiming his weapon at Oni Jūjirō's body.
"Ha! Good advice is hard to persuade a damned person!"
On the contestant's bench, a sneer curled at the corner of Saeki Muneyoshi's lips. If his opponent knew how to restrain himself, then given Oni's personality, there probably wouldn't be any trouble.
If he escalates his actions, he will be completely unaware that his behavior is tantamount to provoking the wrath of the Oni God.
As expected, Oni Jūjirō saw through the opponent's attack at a glance, and his expression turned even colder when he saw that the tennis ball was actually hit towards him.
In an instant, a black and red aura appeared on Oni Jūjirō's body, and as the tennis ball flew over, this aura became more turbulent.
However, Oni Jūjirō suppressed his anger and simply enveloped the rising, blackish-red aura around his racket.
Even so, that terrifying aura still enveloped the entire arena for that instant.
Kim Du-hwan and Lee Sang-hyuk's pupils contracted. In that instant, they felt as if they were being watched by something extremely dangerous.
However, this feeling came and went quickly; if it weren't for the goosebumps appearing on their skin, they probably would have thought it was just their imagination.
Looking at the incoming ball, Oni Jūjirō made no attempt to dodge. He took a step back with his left foot, stood sideways as if rooted to the ground, and raised his right hand, his arm muscles bulging.
Bang!
The uniforms of the First String were churning, and an astonishing shockwave exploded from Oni Jūjirō's right side.
The tennis ball was instantly returned as soon as it touched the racket, shooting back to the South Korea team's half of the court like a beam of yellow light.
Although Kim Du-hwan acts arrogantly, he is not simply stupid.
Judging from his appearance, Oni Jūjirō is clearly a power-type fighter, and the information gathered also describes Oni Jūjirō as having immense strength.
Therefore, knowing the opponent's trump card is what he truly wants to achieve.
However, he didn't expect the other party's reaction to be so strong.
Kim Du-hwan did not underestimate the ball. Seeing that Oni Jūjirō's shot was extraordinary, he chose the safest method of holding the racket with both hands. He placed his left hand on the end of the handle and swung the ball forward with all his might.
The racket stops the tennis ball, and at the moment of impact, an unparalleled force surges from the racket.
"Damn it! Damn it! This guy's strength is insane!"
Kim Du-hwan gritted his teeth so hard they almost broke, roaring as he used all his strength to prevent the racket from flying out of his hand.
"Aaaaaah! Go back here!"
After an angry roar, he barely managed to retaliate against Oni Jūjirō's blow with all his might.
Seeing the tennis ball flying towards him, Tokugawa Kazuya instantly judged its trajectory and stepped forward to intercept it.
With a light touch of his toes, he effortlessly extended his racket, raising it high; his slender, taut physique made his movements incredibly fluid.
But behind that graceful movement lies a powerful smash!
As South Korea's No. 2, Lee Sang-hyuk has a wealth of experience.
This experience, combined with long-term data analysis, allowed him to predict the trajectory of the ball from Tokugawa Kazuya's muscle and body movements even before he had swung his racket.
Lee Sang-hyuk started running quickly towards his intended location.
Tap tap tap!
The moment Tokugawa swung his racket, he had already noticed his opponent's movement, but he had already completed his smash and could not change his smashing motion, so he could only increase the force of his hand.
"Hmph! Naive!"
Tokugawa, who had very little experience fighting against truly world-class masters, was seen through the moment he made his first move.
Lee Sang-hyuk moved with lightning speed, reaching the ball's landing point the instant Tokugawa's smash bounced off the ground.
Tokugawa had not yet landed from the sky.
Missile interception!
A cold glint flashed in Lee Sang-hyuk's eyes. He flicked his racket upwards, sending the tennis ball flying at a 30-degree angle.
The tennis ball struck Tokugawa Kazuya in the chest.
The immense impact instantly sent Tokugawa Kazuya and with nowhere to brace itself.
With a thud, he fell heavily to the ground.
"Ha, these guys! They won't learn their lesson until they're faced with the consequences; a leopard can't change its spots!"
Upon seeing this, Muneyoshi's previously smiling face instantly turned cold, and wisps of dark aura emanated from his body.
These two guys on the South Korea team are clearly targeting Oni and Tokugawa's bodies specifically.
Their goal is to win the game by any means necessary.
Whether the process is glamorous or not is not important.
"But you should think carefully about the consequences of your actions!"
Muneyoshi's deep brown pupils had now turned completely black, with only a flame-like light emanating from the center of his pupils.
Tokugawa Kazuya slowly got up from the ground, a hint of emotion on his face.
Actually, this kind of pain is nothing. Having endured so much, he can calmly deal with anything.
However, the other party's actions reminded him of the words of Byōdōin Hōō.
"Morality alone cannot conquer the world!"
He completely disagreed with this view, but his first experience in a world-class competition directly opened a crack in his heart.
This is what truly moved him and made it difficult for him to accept.
"Tokugawa, don't feel pressured. What you firmly believe in isn't wrong. However, before you can put your beliefs into practice, you must first have the ability to withstand all of this!"
Noticing the change in Tokugawa's expression, the perceptive Oni Jūjirō quickly understood what the other was thinking.
"Thank you, Senior Ghost, I'm fine!"
With Oni Jūjirō's encouragement, Tokugawa Kazuya's resolve was strengthened once again. He picked up his racket and stood back on the court as if nothing had happened.
Tokugawa's resilience was exceptional, ranking among the best in the entire tennis world.
Although that ball was quite powerful, it was far inferior to Byōdōin's attack, so it didn't have much of an effect on him.
"Ha, let's see how many more goals you can last!"
Seeing Tokugawa stand up again, Kim Du-hwan sneered.
From that brief test, both he and Lee Sang-hyuk realized that Tokugawa's strength didn't seem to be as great as Oni Jūjirō's in the backcourt.
Therefore, it is a suitable starting point for the two of them.
Bang!
He blasted another ball, this time aiming for a spot near the service line, with the intention of getting Oni Jūjirō moving around.
If they can get Oni Jūjirō running, their plan will succeed.
However, they did not realize that their actions had thoroughly enraged Oni Jūjirō.
The anger in my heart grew stronger and stronger.
With astonishing speed, Oni Jūjirō burst forth with his feet, quickly reaching the finish line. His entire body surged with a black and red aura. Holding his racket in both hands, he used the momentum of his sprint to leap into the air.
"Black Tomahawk!!"
As the roar subsided, the tennis ball was enveloped in a black and red aura, transforming into a giant black axe that swept across the entire court.
Boom!
Like a fallen leaf, Kim Du-hwan's body was swept up by the wind and soared high into the sky.
"Aaaaaaah!"
A painful scream echoed across the stadium as Kim Du-hwan's body plummeted from the air, tumbling several times before finally coming to a stop.
Oni Jūjirō showed no mercy with this shot, unleashing Black Battle Axe with all his might.
P. S.: "Requesting monthly votes"