Mercilessly, Witnessing the Abyss of Defeat

In an instant, the noisy venue fell silent.

The duel between two renowned powerhouses in the junior high school world hadn't even begun, but the clash of their powerful auras immediately made the atmosphere tense.

"Atobe, you're very confident in your mental strength and eyesight, aren't you!"

"Then, today I'll see just how far you've come!"

Swish!

Muneyoshi gripped the tennis ball tightly with his fingertips, and strands of purplish-black light enveloped the ball. Then, without hesitation, he tossed the tennis ball into the air.

With knees bent and body arched, the arm rotates inward to strike the ball as the player leaps into the air.

Dark and dreamlike, a nighttime ballad.

Bang!

A muffled sound opened the curtain on the match, and the tennis ball that vanished from everyone's sight in an instant startled everyone.

"What a fast serve!"

Oshitari Yushi was utterly shocked.

Even he, standing off the field, couldn't see that ball clearly.

Thump!

The tennis ball landed, kicking up a cloud of dust at Atobe's feet, and then a small, mustard-yellow ball became embedded in the wire mesh behind him.

At this moment, Atobe seemed to be frozen in fear, motionless, like a statue.

The barbed wire was trembling incessantly, which finally drew everyone's attention, and they discovered that the tennis ball had somehow appeared on it.

"Photography class! Rewind, rewind!"

The referee on the high chair gasped; he hadn't seen that ball clearly either.

"In bounds! The ball is in bounds!"

"ACE! Fudomine Saeki Muneyoshi, 15:0."

After receiving an affirmative reply from the photography team, the referee announced the score.

This referee is someone Muneyoshi knows well; he's been the referee for many of Muneyoshi's matches since last year's Metropolitan Tournament.

But at this moment, he had begun to doubt himself and felt that he had the will but not the strength.

Is this really a competition for middle school students with such formidable strength?

"How is that possible? With Atobe's sharp eyesight, even though that ball was incredibly fast, he should have been able to catch Atobe!"

Off the court, Hyotei Academy's Mukahi Gakuto also looked on in disbelief.

Atobe, whose skills have undergone Atobe dramatic transformation, somehow managed to score a point against Muneyoshi without even touching the ball?

"No, why isn't Atobe moving? Is he too slow to react, or is he simply unable to move?"

The stronger Oshitari Yushi seemed to sense that something was wrong with Atobe, and his eyes were fixed on Atobe's Atobe on the field.

However, Muneyoshi seemed not to notice any of this. He casually strolled to the left service line and served again.

Bang!

This time, Muneyoshi's serve was noticeably weaker and faster.

At least most of the spectators could now clearly see the path of the tennis ball.

But...

Bang!

The tennis ball flew easily past Atobe's feet and out of bounds, yet Atobe remained frozen in place, completely still.

Now, even the slowest person would notice Atobe's unusual behavior.

"Look into Atobe's eyes!"

Outside the venue, Shiba Saori, who was taking pictures with her camera, exclaimed in surprise. As the lens zoomed in, she was the first to notice the anomaly.

Following Shiba Saori's directions, the others saw that Atobe's eyes were now completely enveloped in a purplish-black light.

What did Saeki Muneyoshi of Fudomine do?

Everyone was shocked, even Tachibana Kippei and Keith from Fudomine.

This was the first time they had ever seen Muneyoshi display such skill!

"It seems... somewhat like the 'Dreamy Branches, Nightfall Ballad' move that the minister rarely uses, but can this move actually be used when serving?"

Ibu Shinji, the only one present who had personally experienced Muneyoshi's various skills, murmured softly.

His words immediately attracted the attention of everyone at Fudomine, who all inquired about Muneyoshi's move.

Shinji wasn't really sure either; he had only experienced it a few times when sparring with Muneyoshi before.

With his explanation, both Tachibana Kippei and Keith understood this move.

They had always known that Saeki Muneyoshi initially pursued the Mental Power Path, but as his strength increased, especially as he went further and further down the dark path, spiritual power gradually became a supplementary force.

What they didn't know was that the reason Muneyoshi's Mental Power Path became an auxiliary path was not because the darkness was getting stronger.

Rather, it was during his first encounter with Irie Kanata that he witnessed the limitations of the Mental Power Path.

Therefore, he did not put as much effort into this path as he did into the paths of light and darkness and the Asura Path.

However, his previous expedition, after facing the Greece Team's Zeus and France Camus, restored his confidence in the Mental Power Path.

Both are masters of the Mental Power Path, but they have each developed their own unique characteristics.

Muneyoshi benefited greatly from his matches against them.

In particular, he perfected his spiritual realm and brought it together with the path of the Asura Path.

This is also why Muneyoshi was able to make further progress in the Stage Two.

At this moment, Muneyoshi could confidently say that, in terms of mental strength, even Japan in Irie Kanata was probably no match for him.

This is why he said before the match that he wanted to see how far Atobe's Mental Power Path had progressed.

Munehiko now has the confidence to do so.

As for Atobe's abnormality, it was simply that Muneyoshi used the technique of Light Shadow Fleeting to forcibly pull Atobe into his mental domain.

And with the very first ball, the Seed of Illusory Dream was planted.

Of course, besides the effects of the Seed of Illusory Dream, there is also the interference from Muneyoshi's own mental realm.

His domain was known to the Greece as the domain of the Demon King.

Although he can't muster the full strength he displayed when fighting Zeus, can Atobe break free?

Bang!

"ACE! Fudomine Saeki Muneyoshi, 30:0."

"It seems like Atobe from the Hyotei Academy is completely immobilized? Is it possible that he can't even put up a fight against Saeki Muneyoshi?"

Although they didn't know what Saeki Muneyoshi had done, many people now had a clear understanding of Saeki Muneyoshi abilities.

In particular, when they realized that it was Saeki Muneyoshi's single ball that rendered Atobe unable to resist, many people gasped in shock.

Is this the strength of Saeki Muneyoshi, the head of Fudomine and the number one student in Japan school?

The King of the Hyotei Academy Atobe Keigo, couldn't even catch a single ball!

Bang!

"ACE! Fudomine Saeki Muneyoshi, 40:0."

Amidst the turmoil of everyone's thoughts, Muneyoshi once again scored with a serve, while Atobe remained unmoved.

Since he wanted to test the other party's strength, he would definitely have to show it his power.

As for whether Atobe can hold on, that's not his concern. Since he's been challenged, he should be prepared to face the abyss.

With a calm retraction, Muneyoshi walked back to the opposite service line.

His synchronized steps, his immense aura, and his composed demeanor made even the spectators feel as if a mountain was pressing down on their shoulders.

"Muneyoshi! Minister!"

Everyone in Fudomine was deeply moved. This was their leader, Fudomine Saeki Muneyoshi!

Throughout the entire national school community, and even the whole world, there are few peers who can rival him!

Compared to the Fudomine members, the Hyotei Academy members were much more nervous.

"Is Atobe going to just stand there and let the other side humiliate him with this round?"

Mukahi Gakuto watched the scene with a solemn expression.

If the final result is exactly as he predicted, it will be a very heavy blow not only to Atobe Keigo, but also to the morale of the Hyotei Academy.

"Atobe! Get moving!"

Shishido Ryo shouted loudly towards the field from the sidelines.

This is their King of the Hyotei Academy, the number one figure in the Hyotei Academy. He absolutely cannot allow Atobe to suffer such a crushing defeat.

"Atobe! You're a world-class powerhouse! Didn't you say you were sure you'd defeat Saeki Muneyoshi? Then prove it to us! Get moving!"

As Shishido Ryo's voice faded, Oshitari Yushi joined the cheering crowd.

Then, Atobe's other Regular, even the second team, and the surrounding cheerleaders also started chanting.

They absolutely would not allow Atobe to fall into the abyss of defeat like this.

P. S.: "Requesting double monthly votes!"

The first day of 2024 was incredibly busy!

I might have to work overtime for the next few days, but I'll try my best to update everyone. Please give me double points!