Collecting Some Interest
As the referee's voice faded, a brief silence seemed to fall over the spectators around the field.
Then, anger surged among the crowd, and even more agitated voices rang out.
"You're the captain of England, and you're acting like this?!"
"Just surrender, you trash!"
"England tennis is beyond saving!"
"Damn it, we got broken in the first game! Are we really going to lose to Japan? Isn't East Asia supposed to be a tennis wasteland?"
"England is ranked seventh in the world, yet it's not even as good as Japan is ranked twenty-third?"
Pleasant sounds echoed around the stadium, and eventually, as more and more people began to "praise" the players, it became impossible to hear what was being said.
All that remained around the stadium was a frenzied roar of cheers.
At the start of the second game, in the service court, Muneyoshi smiled as he watched his opponent's momentum grow stronger and he looked well-prepared.
"Looks like you'll have to show your true skills this time?"
Although he broke serve in the first game, Muneyoshi was not careless at all.
After all, their opponent is the number one England Team, ranked seventh in the world, and their strength was only the tip of the iceberg just now.
"Then let me see your path!"
Muneyoshi tossed the tennis ball high into the air, then leaned back and swung it.
Bang!
He didn't use his most powerful serve; he just used a simple slicing serve.
With a thud, the tennis ball transformed into a streak of yellow light, hurtling towards the opposite half of the court.
Although it was just a simple slicing serve, with Muneyoshi's current strength, this serve was of extremely high quality in terms of speed, power, and power.
With his eyes fixed on the tennis ball, Rod Laver instantly predicted its landing point.
He then sprinted forward, and upon reaching the landing point of the tennis ball, he was already in a swinging stance.
"Since you say the glory of England is rotten, then I'll show you!"
Bang!
His entire body blazed like torches, and Laver once again transformed into a warrior wielding a giant sword. The tennis ball he hit transformed into a crimson blade, slicing everything in its path.
Thump!
The powerful penetrating and cutting force left a huge gash in Muneyoshi's racket.
The tennis ball pierced his racket without stopping, leaving a deep scratch on the ground before disappearing through the protective wire mesh.
This powerful and destructive tactic immediately ignited the emotions of the spectators outside the arena.
Everyone applauded him.
Muneyoshi glanced at the cracked net on his racket, his eyes narrowing slightly. "This is the Super Sweet Spot... This is getting more and more interesting..."
After changing his racket, Muneyoshi returned to the court.
Bang!
Rod Laver leaps onto one leg at the net, his racket sweeping across his waist and abdomen.
The tennis ball, which vanished in an instant like a phantom, exploded in the corner on the other side of Muneyoshi a moment later.
"Game, England Team, 3-4."
"Both sides change sides!"
"So, Saeki Muneyoshi, do I deserve the title of a near-professional player?!"
As the two players switched sides, Laver roared in English.
All of this can be attributed to Muneyoshi's previous match against him. After winning two consecutive games, Muneyoshi said that he was nothing special and did not deserve the title of professional.
These words directly angered Rod Laver, and it was precisely because of this that he fought desperately against Muneyoshi in the following rounds, all for this moment.
However, Saeki Muneyoshi smiled but remained silent, showing no intention of answering.
This infuriated Rod Laver, who, as a prospective pro, considered this his most valuable asset, and now Saeki Muneyoshi was belittling him so blatantly.
Even the continuous scoring did not calm Rod Laver down; on the contrary, his anger grew stronger.
Seeing that Muneyoshi refused to answer, a glint of fire flashed in his eyes.
It's important to know that within the England Team, he's a force to Fuji, and no one has ever dared to ignore him like this.
"Very well! I'll make you regret this!"
Rod Laver's aura contracted continuously, and his not-so-strong mental energy began to stir, creating a unique Different Dimension field behind him.
Rod Laver then bent his knees and pushed off the ground, unleashing an even more intense burst of England's Light. His muscles tensed to the limit as he brought his racket down.
Boom!
A blinding flash of flame appeared.
Upon seeing this, Muneyoshi's eyes lit up at first, but then quickly dimmed again, as if waiting for so long had made him feel like he had wasted his time.
He curled his lip in disdain and said:
"Aspiring professional player, is this your complete path? You've made me wait so long for nothing; it really doesn't offer any redeeming qualities!"
Muneyoshi held his breath and focused his attention on the crimson flame flying towards him, using his mental power.
Aside from vaguely discerning some patterns of spiritual energy imprints within it, he saw nothing else.
However, Muneyoshi also knew that Europe was relatively weak in the use of mental power, and that the fact that the opponent could break through using mental power was already a remarkable achievement for England.
However, it is indeed inferior to Echizen Ryoga, and even more so to Byōdōin Hōō.
Thinking of Byōdōin, Muneyoshi recalled what he had told Muneyoshi when he returned to Japan: that he had already collected some interest on Amadeus for him.
At this moment, Byōdōin is seriously injured and hospitalized, and the prime suspect is England are on the other side.
Since that's the case, it's only polite to reciprocate. Byōdōin can do for him, he can do for Byōdōin once more.
Muneyoshi had made up his mind, and once he took action, he did so without hesitation.
"To make amends for your mistakes, let me charge you a little interest!"
Bang!
Muneyoshi gently smashed the tennis ball that bounced in front of him with his racket.
Hiss hiss hiss...
The tennis ball kept tearing at the net. Although the opponent was not good at using the Different Dimension, he was actually more balanced than Muneyoshi in terms of power, speed, technique and body.
The combined power of the four items seemed poised to break through his defenses at any moment.
But.
Sizzle~
A dazzling golden bolt of lightning rose from his hand, followed by a loud explosion.
Boom!
Golden light flashed, and the tennis ball whistled through the air.
Rod Laver's pupils contracted, and he roared again, "You underestimate me! Shining Shot won't work on me!"
With a cold snort, the crimson flames behind Laver surged instantly, as if he were wearing armor of fire.
The racket swung, Flame Light flickered.
The racket in his hand transformed into a giant sword once more. With each swing, the giant sword swung, and upon contact with the Shining Shot, the two collided violently.
In the collision, all the phantom flames merged into his racket.
Boom!
The violent force pierced through the racket, leaving a deep dent in the protective net behind him.
However, he blocked that shot steadily.
Although the strings on his racket were still groaning, Rod Laver's eyes shone even brighter.
"Since light alone isn't enough, then... the Ghostly Fluorescent Dance!"
Bang!
With a dull thud, golden light vanished into the dense darkness, and a barrage of tennis balls instantly appeared in Rod Laver's line of sight.
"What!"
Rod Laver was shaken to his core, a feeling of unease washing over him.
Where?!
Where is the real tennis?!
Before Rod Laver could react, the sound of a tennis ball hitting the ground rang in his ears, followed by a whistling sound that grew ever closer.
A golden tennis ball broke free of the darkness and appeared right in front of him, striking him squarely in the chin.
Thump!
Rod Laver collapsed to the ground.
"Hiss!"
"Oh my god!"
Upon witnessing this scene, the surrounding audience members instinctively gasped.
They had witnessed the power of Saeki Muneyoshi's shot; being hit head-on in the chin by such a shot would cause a tremendous impact on the brain.
That could cause a concussion, right?!
P. S.: "Requesting monthly votes"