The umpire announced the end of the first set, and the sound seemed to let Atobe breathe a sigh of relief.
He collapsed straight to the ground, seemingly struggling even to stand.
"You're still a long way off, Keigo. Hurry up and come here so we can settle this!"
But faced with Romeo's taunt, Atobe didn't want to say a word. He lay on the ground, gasping for breath.
Only when Kite and the others entered the court did they help him over to the bench at the side.
Atobe's mind was a muddle.
He couldn't understand why these opponents, who were just like him, were so powerful.
Romeo Fernandez was, in fact, an extremely meticulous person.
"Why?!"
Then he looked toward Akutsu, a guy whose abilities had amazed even him, with a superhuman physique and extraordinary athleticism.
"Atobe, have you ever had your future taken away from you?"
When he saw it was Saeki Muneyoshi, he smiled faintly and nodded.
Before coming here, he had already looked into the records of every player who had taken the court for the Japan Team.
Yukimura Seiichi emerged from the mist and appeared before Atobe.
"I've been waiting a long time for you, Saeki Muneyoshi!"
"Looks like their opponent's mental attack is really getting to Atobe... As expected... None of the opponents in the world are easy to deal with."
As he stepped onto the court again, Atobe's suspicions grew heavier.
As he spoke, the mental trap that had vanished once again closed around Atobe. In the darkness, a handsome boy wearing a uniform and a headband walked toward him.
Shiraishi Kuranosuke kept up his basic training year after year. His tennis was simple and efficient, and even against powerful opponents, he never faltered, facing them with confidence.
Atobe broke Romeo's serve