Darkness Secret Technique

"This was the National Level domain he'd just mentioned..."

Freed from all restraints and distractions, Atobe could clearly feel his own strength taking a great leap forward.

Although his physical attributes hadn't yet caught up with his mental strength, so the change wasn't obvious on the outside, the leap was still there.

But the breakthrough in his mental strength had given him a tremendous boost, allowing him to catch a glimpse of the secrets within.

And with his mental strength advancing another step, he'd also sensed Muneyoshi's true level. The gap between them was still enormous.

"So it's a National Level domain too? But now this great me has caught up!"

After his breakthrough, he took another look at Muneyoshi. The other boy was still powerful, but no longer seemed flawless and impossible to beat.

Then he unleashed Ice World.

The ice pillars studding Muneyoshi's side of the court, each representing a blind spot, all spoke of his weaknesses.

Those were blind spots even Saeki Muneyoshi couldn't reach!

As he continued to appreciate the wonders of Ice World, Atobe grew more and more satisfied with this evolved ability.

He felt like he could do it all over again.

Once more, he surveyed the court with the haughty gaze of a king who looked down on the world.

"Heh. Hmph."

"Saeki, as a token of my gratitude, I'll finish you off right here! Are you ready to lose yourself in my magnificent play?"

Atobe laughed boldly and declared his overwhelming confidence to Muneyoshi across the court.

As if in response to his words,

Muneyoshi seemed to hear the Hyotei Academy supporters cheering and shrieking in his ears.

"Mm."

"Atobe, aren't you being a little too full of yourself?"

"Is that so, Saeki? Now that the tide has turned against you, you're not looking very dazzling at all. En~"

Hearing Atobe's utterly self-absorbed words now that his confidence had returned, Muneyoshi shook his head and gave him an inscrutable smile.

That personality was so very Atobe.

But because of him, Atobe had reached the National Level while still in his first year, during the regional preliminaries. Wasn't that a little too soon?

Still, if I hit him with another crushing blow when he's feeling most triumphant, his expression should be quite a sight.

A shadowy feeling rose inside Muneyoshi, warming his blood.

That's a pretty wicked thought...

But I like it!

The match continued.

Clearly, winning that crucial point had boosted Atobe's confidence.

Thwack!

Clack!

Atobe paid no mind to how Muneyoshi could still look so composed. He raised his slender left hand in front of his face and entered King's Pose.

His hand partly obscured his face, fingers pressed against the corner of his eye and the bridge of his nose.

Beneath his purple-gray hair, which drifted amid flecks of frost, his deep blue eyes were mysterious and profound, accented by the beauty mark beneath his eye.

Faint glimmers of ice seemed to flicker in them.

A mighty chill suddenly burst outward.

"Saeki!"

"Are you ready to accept defeat? Ice World!" Flecks of icy light stirred in Atobe's deep gaze.

"There it is again!"

Atobe's gaze was sharp, yet the beauty mark beneath his right eye lent it a touch of elegance. His movements, meanwhile, were incredibly swift.

Tap, tap...

After a few strides, he reached the ball's landing point and swung his racket, putting all his strength behind the shot.

The ball flew at an extremely tricky angle and shattered another ice pillar on the left side of Muneyoshi's court.

Crash!

The pillar broke apart, scattering snowflakes in a dazzling, beautiful display.

The moment Atobe used Ice World again, Muneyoshi felt his body stiffen, as if he could barely move. His movements grew incredibly sluggish.

Although Atobe had only just entered the National Level, his Ice World really could restrict him.

Muneyoshi still couldn't do what Yukimura had been able to do in his third year in the original story—not yet, not with such ease.

That was the extraordinary state of having shed all distractions and seen through everything, with nothing in one's eyes but tennis itself.

In terms of his understanding of tennis's very essence, as well as his perspective and ability, Yukimura at that point was surpassed only by Borg.

Muneyoshi hadn't reached that level yet.

Though he'd always trained scientifically, his physical abilities still weren't at the point where he could control them freely and move exactly as he pleased.

Muneyoshi felt a flicker of joy at the thought that Atobe could point out the weaknesses he had yet to notice.

That was why he'd gone to Atobe first, and why he'd kept provoking him, pushing him to evolve far beyond the original timeline.

His efforts had finally paid off. He now understood the limits of his ordinary state and had identified his current blind spots and weaknesses.

At this point, the ultimate goal of his match against Atobe had been achieved. That was a good thing.

Many of the flaws Atobe could now see in him were habits Muneyoshi had unconsciously developed through constant training.

He himself wasn't aware of them.

But now, with Atobe as a point of reference, he could keep track of them and eventually correct those blind spots.

"30–40."

Atobe was even more excited after scoring. Next, he intended to use Ice World to sound the charge of his counterattack.

"But it's time to end this, Atobe!"

"I'm grateful, but reality is often cruel!"

"To show my gratitude, I'll give it my all for the next two points, Atobe. Don't be too shocked~"

"This is a secret technique I haven't yet perfected. Darkness Falling Darkness, here I come!"

Before Atobe could answer, Muneyoshi had already taken his stance in front of the ball's landing point, ready to receive it.

Thump!

The ball looked utterly ordinary as it crossed the net. But once it reached Atobe's side of the court, seven or eight copies of it instantly appeared.

A deep black gleam flashed in Muneyoshi's eyes, hidden on the shadowy side of his face.

Like ink spreading across a page, countless shadows swept toward the ball.

"What is this?!"

"Saeki, do you think a few tricks like this can scare me?"

Atobe moved to chase the seven or eight shadows and send the ball back.

As if sensing his intentions, the shadows began to merge.

Thump!

The seven or eight shadows finally became one.

But at that moment, Atobe, on the opposite side of the court, was suddenly struck by a terrifying sense of danger.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The ball, wrapped in a dark, swirling aura, gradually disappeared into the shadows.

Just as Atobe thought it was all over,

a vast shadow, almost impossible to detect, swept toward him and swallowed him up.

"What is this..."

Atobe's gaze flickered. A shadowy aura appeared around the pale yellow ball, as if countless extreme emotions were intertwined within it, stirring unpleasant memories and feelings deep in his heart.

After the ball bounced, it streaked like a yellow beam and pulled open a vast curtain of black.

Boom!

With a loud bang, the ball struck the ground by Atobe's feet, leaving a deep crater. Then it rebounded into the wall behind him and sank into it, spinning inside the hole with a sharp hiss.

Atobe's eyes widened. His entire body froze, and he stared at Saeki Muneyoshi in disbelief.

At the side of the court,

the few people secretly watching were likewise astonished.

That feeling of being swallowed by an endless darkness had chilled them to the bone.

But Muneyoshi gave them no time to catch their breath.

Swish!

The ball in his hand shot straight into the air, and then another shadowy aura stirred within him.

A flash of black light swept over the ball and swallowed it whole.

P.S.: The protagonist's first secret technique has appeared, a Darkness Secret Technique all his own. Although he hasn't perfected it yet, it's already begun to show its edge. Darkness Falling Darkness, here I come!