Murderous Tennis Was Off-Limits

"Ha!"

At Atobe Keigo's furious shout, a thunderous hit rang out, and the tennis ball shot toward Kannagi's side of the

"That guy returned the captain's shot." Shishido Ryo watched Atobe Keigo with a complicated look. The man was arrogant and conceited, but his skill far surpassed Shishido's.

Mukahi Gakuto, who had been mocking Kannagi alongside Shishido, watched that shot and exclaimed, "That guy's better than all of us."

On the second floor of the school building not far from the tennis court, Sakaki Taro held a file in his hand and observed the match with a stern expression.

When he saw Atobe Keigo return the ball, even his usually impassive face showed a hint of surprise. Sakaki murmured, "The genius who returned from Europe... Atobe Keigo?"

He glanced at the file in his hand once more, and a rare smile appeared on his stern face. "This year's National Tournament champion will definitely be Hyotei."

On the court, Atobe Keigo's return was incredibly fast. The ball traced an arc as it flew toward the baseline on the other side of Kannagi Shinichi's court.

Kannagi Shinichi's eyes lit up as he watched the return. Atobe certainly lived up to his reputation. That shot alone showed how strong he was. He was only a little short of reaching the national level.

But to Kannagi Shinichi, he was still too weak.

Tap... tap...

Footsteps rang out, and Kannagi Shinichi appeared in front of the ball. As he watched the tennis ball about to bounce, the corner of his mouth curled up. "Atobe Keigo, if that's all you've got, it's nowhere near enough!"

As soon as Kannagi Shinichi finished speaking, his right hand flashed through the air. His racket swept forward with a whistle, striking the ball precisely just before it bounced. The thunderous impact echoed across the entire

Bang...

The orange tennis ball shot off like an arrow, turning into a streak of light as it blasted toward Atobe's side of the court.

The ball carried an overwhelming force, as if it were about to tear through the air.

Boom...

The ball hit the ground.

Even Oshitari Yuushi, seated in the umpire's chair, hadn't seen that shot clearly.

But Atobe Keigo's eyes narrowed. His sharp gaze locked onto the ball, and he suddenly drove off with both legs, kicking up a cloud of dust as he raced toward it.

Thwack...

Atobe Keigo gritted his teeth, gripped his racket with both hands, and swung with all his strength at the ball.

Why is this one even heavier than the last? Atobe Keigo roared inwardly as the impact of the ball coursed through both his hands.

The instant the ball collided with the racket, the air around them began to churn. Gusts of wind ruffled a few strands of Atobe's gray hair.

"Ha..."

Atobe let out a low growl like a ferocious beast, and the orange ball flew involuntarily into the sky.

Seeing Atobe Keigo return the ball once more, Kannagi Shinichi couldn't help praising him inwardly. Even across all of Japan, his eyesight is among the best.

But...

A high ball was the perfect chance for a smash.

It was time to show off his real skills. Kannagi Shinichi's new special move had been raring to go.

Kannagi Shinichi leaped high into the air, seeming to hover there. His right hand, gripping the racket, appeared to gather thunder.

As the ball reached the space in front of his racket, Kannagi Shinichi swung his right hand with all his strength.

"Kōsanze... In'naraku..."

Boom...

A thunderous blast rang out. The ball seemed to carry countless bolts of lightning as it plunged from the sky toward Atobe Keigo's side of the court.

Rumble...

As the ball crashed down, dust filled the entire court. Countless spectators at the sidelines covered their mouths, coughing softly.

When the dust cleared, a crater had appeared on Atobe Keigo's side of the court. The tennis ball, still smoking, spun in place, and a broken racket lay nearby—the one Atobe Keigo had been holding.

Everyone on the court stared at the scene, mouths agape and eyes full of disbelief.

You could play tennis like that?

Atobe Keigo stared blankly at the ball spinning in the crater, his face utterly dejected. Bitterness and despair showed in his expression. Perhaps he would never be able to return a shot like that.

Seeing Atobe Keigo in such a state, nobody at the sidelines mocked him. After he had returned Kannagi Shinichi's first two shots, none of the tennis club members cared about his earlier boast.

Atobe Keigo was strong, and Hyotei had always respected the strong.

Shishido Ryo watched Atobe standing there in a daze and sighed. "He's already at the top among people our age. Too bad he ran into Captain Kannagi."

"Losing to the captain this time might be a chance for him to grow."

Akutagawa Jirou, who was always sleepy, had been excited before the match because he loved watching other people's impressive tennis skills. But after seeing Kannagi Shinichi's move, his excitement vanished, replaced by the same awe Shishido Ryo felt.

Behind Kannagi Shinichi, Akutsu swallowed nervously. Remembering how he had once provoked Kannagi Shinichi, he couldn't help feeling flustered.

He was truly grateful Kannagi had gone easy on him back then.

On the second floor of the school building outside the court, Sakaki Taro, who was usually so composed, couldn't help losing his cool.

But another person had lost his composure even more: Inoue Mamoru, who had appeared at the edge of the tennis court at some point.

He had forgotten to take pictures with his camera and stood rooted to the spot, staring in stunned silence.

After a long while, he finally remembered to take pictures. He raised his camera and pointed it at Kannagi Shinichi and Atobe Keigo on the court, snapping away.

Hearing the sound, Shishido Ryo looked toward Inoue Mamoru. "Mister, it's you! What are you doing at Hyotei?"

Shishido Ryo's tone was quite hostile. Hearing him, Inoue Mamoru looked down and recognized the boy from before, who had been anything but cute.

Inoue Mamoru glanced at Shishido Ryo, then at Kannagi Shinichi and Atobe Keigo still standing on the court, and said with a sigh, "I'm a reporter for Tennis Weekly. I came to Hyotei to interview Kannagi Shinichi and Atobe Keigo."

Inoue Mamoru had heard that the tennis genius Atobe Keigo, who had returned from England, had joined Hyotei. That was why he'd come to interview him. Hyotei already had Kannagi Shinichi; if they added another strong singles player, they would undoubtedly be a leading contender for the National Tournament championship.

As luck would have it, he'd arrived at Hyotei just in time to see the two of them play. During the match, he had witnessed Atobe Keigo's strength, too.

But what surprised him even more was Kannagi Shinichi. He had become stronger than before.

"You know that guy?" Mukahi Gakuto and Akutagawa Jirou came over, and when they heard that the reporter knew about Atobe Keigo, they quickly asked him.

"Yeah, he's a famous tennis genius in Europe." Then Inoue Mamoru looked toward Oshitari Yuushi in the umpire's chair. "That's Oshitari Yuushi. He's a tennis genius, too, and fairly well-known in Osaka."

After Inoue Mamoru said this, Shishido Ryo and the others were a little stunned. Were there really so many impressive first-years at Hyotei this year?

Then Inoue Mamoru looked toward Akutsu, standing behind Kannagi Shinichi. He had noticed him when he arrived at the court, so he pointed at Akutsu and asked the three of them, "Do you know who that is?"

"That's Akutsu. All I know is that the captain brought him here." Mukahi Gakuto told Inoue Mamoru what he knew.

"Kannagi Shinichi brought him here?" Inoue Mamoru glanced at Akutsu again and murmured, "Looks like that boy isn't ordinary either."

Outside the court, people were buzzing with discussion. But on the court, Atobe Keigo was still standing there dejectedly, lost in a daze.

Kannagi Shinichi was feeling just as miserable. His heart turned bitter as well. Murderous tennis really is off-limits. I only used my new special move once, and now I'm completely drained. Damn it.