Nightmare (22)
When Shinji's spiritual energy enveloped the tennis ball and spread across the court...
Yukimura Seiichi's gaze shifted involuntarily.
As the first person in the original Chinese work to Mental Power Path, Ibu Shinji had already sensed it the moment he made a move.
Compared to him, Ibu Shinji's spirit is so laughable, like an ant trying to shake a tree.
However, considering that Ibu Shinji is only a first-year student and has already achieved this much, Yukimura still gave him enough respect.
At this moment, Ibu Shinji's strength showed a clear improvement compared to his performance in the Tokyo Metropolis Tournament and the Kanto Tournament.
"He's also a genius little guy..."
A dazzling silver light appeared in Yukimura's eyes, falling on Ibu Shinji before he looked away, the silver light in his eyes spreading outwards.
This completely thwarted Shinji's methods.
"Ibu Shinji, you have a lot of talent, but unfortunately I won't play games with you in this competition!" Yukimura said coldly.
Tap tap... tap...
Yukimura moved with the grace of a dancing sprite, appearing at the landing point of the tennis ball.
Bang!
Before he swung his racket to return the tennis ball, the mental energy that Shinji had applied to it had completely dissipated!
The tennis ball spun rapidly through the air and plummeted back towards Shinji's half of the court.
"It seems Shinji started making moves on the very first ball, but it didn't have much effect?"
Apart from Muneyoshi, no one else in Fudomine had pursued the Mental Power Path independently, so he was the only one who discovered Shinji's sphere contained.
Saeki Muneyoshi clearly saw Yukimura Seiichi's actions before his retaliation.
"Yukimura Seiichi!"
"That's his tennis style, just as good as Shiraishi's!"
Tachibana Kippei only sensed a slight fluctuation in mental energy, but he didn't delve into it. Instead, he was drawn to Yukimura's actions.
In his return shot, Yukimura Seiichi's hitting motion was completely precise and efficient.
Clean! Neat!
He had only seen this style of hitting and playing in three other people: Shiraishi Kuranosuke of Shitenhoji, Saeki Muneyoshi, and Yukimura Seiichi.
Before meeting Saeki Muneyoshi, Yukimura Seiichi was known as the strongest player in the country, thanks to his powerful ball skills that went beyond simply Annihilate Five Senses.
His tennis fundamentals are also already at a perfect level.
Thump!
As the tennis ball landed, Shinji, in Fudomine's half of the court, was already prepared. After seeing Yukimura's hitting point and the trajectory of the tennis ball, Shinji quickly sprinted forward, bursting with astonishing speed.
As the tennis ball landed, he was already at its landing point, his racket raised high, aiming at the rebounding ball and hitting it with a backspin shot.
The illusory nightmare reappeared, flying towards the opposite side.
"That last ball was topspin, and this one is backspin? Your move is simple, but it has an unexpected effect. However, it's not difficult to deal with!"
Yukimura still wore a gentle smile on his face, and with a few strides, he was already a step behind where the tennis ball had landed.
He ignored the backspin, threw the racket directly to his left hand, extended his left arm, and the racket fell heavily, his mental energy dancing along with the racket.
Like Saeki Muneyoshi, Yukimura Seiichi was also Ambidexterity.
At the same time, the nightmare that had flown in disappeared once again.
Bang!
A dull thud echoed across the court as the tennis ball rubbed against the racket's surface. Facing Shinji's backspin, Yukimura's response further intensified the ball's spin!
With a flick of his wrist, the tennis ball flew back to Shinji's half of the court once again.
"So strong!"
Having already witnessed Yukimura Seiichi's actions, Ibu Shinji's expression instantly became extremely serious.
A few shots were enough to put him under immense pressure; this was no opponent on the same level as him.
Yukimura Seiichi's strength seems to have become even more terrifying than during the Kanto Tournament.
"Rikkai Dai! Fudomine!"
In the stands beside the court, in the Seigaku section, Akutsu Jin, who hadn't been seen in a long time, was now staring intently at Yukimura Seiichi in the arena with his aggressive eyes.
Akutsu felt a sense of pressure from this seemingly easy-to-bully person.
This refers to the previous matches against Fudomine and Rikkai Dai, featuring players Tachibana Kippei, Keith, Sanada Genichirou, and Mori Juzaburo...
Besides these players, he is one of the people who put the most pressure on Akutsu.
Aside from the expressionless minister beside him, he had only ever felt this way with Saeki Muneyoshi.
Akutsu's face immediately turned ugly. He knew that if he had this feeling, it meant that he was indeed still lacking in some aspects compared to his opponent!
"Tch, you bastards, one day I'll take care of you!"
The tennis ball hurtled across the net at high speed, and once again, Shinji's figure blocked its path.
Although Ibu Shinji's tennis skills cannot compare to Yukimura Seiichi's.
However, after undergoing the high-intensity training set by Saeki Muneyoshi and Hanamura Aoi, Ibu Shinji's basic tennis skills have greatly improved compared to when he first started learning.
Bang!
At the same time, Ibu Shinji is also a bit stubborn; once he has determined the tone of the match, he insists on achieving it according to his own requirements.
Therefore, he did not hesitate and hit Topspin again, while simultaneously unleashing Nightmare once more.
"Still not changing tactics? What a stubborn brat!"
Yukimura chuckled and quickly rushed towards the net.
Since the other party won't change, he will take the initiative to change.
With a step forward and a light touch of his toes, Yukimura arrived at the tennis ball.
With his arm pressed down, the racket didn't stop for a second, tracing a path through the air before slicing down at the tennis ball.
Using the same tactics and the same methods of countering, Shinji and Yukimura displayed their own unique style of confrontation.
As the game progressed, beads of sweat kept seeping from Shinji's face on the court.
This is not only because of excessive energy expenditure, but also because of the constant counterattacks, regardless of the type of attack he launches.
From any angle.
Yukimura Seiichi was able to easily retaliate, and his own nightmares seemed to have no effect on Yukimura at all.
Skill, speed, strength, spirit...
When Shinji realized that he couldn't find any flaws in Yukimura Seiichi, he felt an immense mental pressure engulf him!
"Game! Yukimura Seiichi of Rikkai Dai High School scores, score 3-0!"
After a fierce battle, Yukimura Seiichi won his service game again and broke his serve early on.
Possession of the ball changed hands again.
It's time for Shinji's serve again!
Tap tap... slap!
The mental pressure Yukimura exerted on him was growing stronger, Shinji felt like he was suffocating.
However, he did not give up. By slapping the tennis ball in his hand, Shinji slightly relieved the feeling of suffocation.
"Looks like I can't just wait for the nightmare to build up to its limit, or I don't even know if I can hold on until then. I'd better detonate it now!"
Shinji's gaze remained unchanged, but a glimmer of light appeared in his pupils.
Toss the ball! Jump! Swing the racket!
As Ibu Shinji swung his racket, the tennis ball whistled through his hand, hurtling towards Yukimura's half of the court with astonishing speed.
However, at the moment the tennis ball was released, Shinji's brow furrowed slightly; the feel of his shot this time was slightly different from before.
However, all his thoughts were focused on that tennis ball; that was his chance.
"Detonate it, let me see the nightmare in your heart!"
Thump!
As the tennis ball touched the ground, the extremely faint strands of spiritual energy that had been scattered throughout the court seemed to form chains, all rushing towards Yukimura Seiichi.
Yukimura prepared to return the ball, his brows suddenly furrowed, and various images flashed wildly before his eyes.
Finally, a frame freezes.
"Doctor, is my condition serious?"
"You're really lucky, classmate. If it had been a month or two later, it probably would have completely worsened. At that point, forget about playing tennis; even exercising would have been a luxury for you..."
"Can't play tennis?"
On his hospital bed, Yukimura had just come out of surgery when a group of people from Rikkai Dai surrounded him, but he no longer had the strength to say anything to them.
Lying alone in the hospital bed, even during the day, Yukimura felt alienated.
Fear! Darkness! Helplessness!
Of all this, what could be more devastating for him than not being able to play tennis?
Until a beam of light appeared in the darkness...
"Heh, is this your method, Shinji? You've brought back that moment I never want to relive!"
"Unfortunately, what did all of this mean to me when I almost couldn't play tennis anymore?"
"That was my real nightmare!"
"Watch out, Ibu Shinji!"
Yukimura Seiichi's eyes were cold, and the corners of his mouth were slightly upturned with a hint of mockery. He took a step back with his left foot, and using the shift in his center of gravity, he swung his racket out.
Bang!
A flash of silvery-white light!
A silvery-white light enveloped the tennis ball, creating a stunning whistling sound as it swept towards Ibu Shinji...
Bang!
The instant the tennis ball landed, Ibu Shinji quickly arrived at the landing point.
His body was filled with spiritual energy, and he wanted to swing his racket back, just like before, to return this unusual-looking ball.
However, the moment he landed and swung his racket...
Shinji's vision was like a television without a signal, suddenly becoming blurry and filled with snow-like spots, then the snow disappeared in the next second.
The TV is off.
His vision disappeared.
Darkness completely engulfed him.
Compared to Saeki Muneyoshi's dark world, Yukimura Seiichi's darkness is filled with silence, as if the whole person has been detached from the world.
Everything disappeared.
"Is this what it means to Annihilate Five Senses?"
Ibu Shinji uttered his last words before collapsing heavily onto the court.
Before the match began.
Saeki Muneyoshi had told him about Yukimura Seiichi's Annihilate Five Senses, which could deprive an opponent of their sense of touch, sight, and hearing...
Until everything disappears.
He had certainly seen such a scene before, but this was his first time experiencing it firsthand.
I thought it would be the same as what Saeki Muneyoshi experienced before.
But I never expected that this time, I would be facing him.
Yukimura seemed to have been provoked by something unpleasant, and became angry, instantly depriving him of all five senses.
This situation was completely beyond his ability to handle.
Snap!
As silence fell over the field, the referee blew his whistle.
"Game! Service time expired, Rikkai Dai High School's Yukimura Seiichi wins, score 6-0!"
"National Tournament Finals, Rikkai Dai vs. Fudomine, final score 2-1."
P. S.: "Please vote with monthly tickets!"
Let me briefly discuss the setting of Shinji's Mental Power Path. The inspiration comes from Romeo in Spain. He visualizes five opponents in Atobe's mind, who fight against Atobe at the same time.
When planning Shinji's future path, they used the description that he himself was like wearing a ceramic mask.
At the time, I was thinking, since it's a mask, could it manifest the object of the opponent's greatest fear? By harnessing the opponent's fear, the materialized figure would become even more powerful.
Therefore, initially, it is necessary to use the Nightmare ability to release the opponent's fear. At present, Shinji can only do this much to guide and deepen the opponent's fear, causing the opponent's mentality to become problematic, so that he can seize the weakness and win. He cannot directly materialize the opponent's Nightmare yet; that is for the future.
Also, could you please vote for me with monthly tickets?