Whoosh...
Whoosh...
Whoosh...
Watching the three tennis balls fly toward him, Kannagi Shinichi had never expected that today's training would be completely different from what he'd imagined.
Only now did he understand what Advisor Sakaki had meant by three-on-one. Oshitari and the others would each hit a ball at him, and the three of them would face off against him.
On the court, the three tennis balls hit the ground and flew off in different directions.
Thwack...
Kannagi Shinichi unleashed his explosive power to the limit. He picked out the first ball and returned it swiftly. His movements didn't falter for a moment; following through from his previous stroke, he pivoted his entire body toward another direction.
Thwack.
The second ball was sent flying back.
Thwack.
The third ball didn't escape either. Before it could fly out of bounds, Kannagi Shinichi returned it.
But this was only the beginning. Since Kannagi Shinichi was holding back to control his strength, Oshitari and the others could easily return his shots.
And so the balls he hit came flying back at once. Apart from a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, Kannagi Shinichi's expression remained stern.
He returned the ball again, then waited for it to come back. On the tennis court, the rally continued in an endless loop.
Ten minutes...
Twenty minutes...
Half an hour...
The training continued without a single interruption.
Across the court, Oshitari and the other two watched Kannagi Shinichi, who hadn't stopped for even a moment. Their faces were full of admiration.
"Captain, you're a monster..."
Though the three of them praised Kannagi Shinichi, they didn't slow their swings.
Whoosh... Whoosh... Whoosh...
The tennis balls shot straight toward Kannagi Shinichi again. This time, he didn't move, waiting for all three to come to him.
He gripped his racket tightly, not the least bit anxious. His expression remained stern, his sharp eyes fixed on the three approaching balls.
"Right here."
As soon as the balls hit the ground, Kannagi Shinichi began to swing. A low growl escaped his lips. "Two... Handed... Thunder... Clap... Eight... Trigrams..."
Thwack... Thwack... Thwack...
The balls that had been flying in different directions suddenly seemed to be drawn by an air current, converging in front of Kannagi Shinichi's racket.
He swung the racket with both hands. The orange tennis balls shot off it like cannonballs, roaring like thunder as they landed in the opponents' half of the court.
After a tremendous crash, all three rackets flew into the air.
Training was over. Their match had lasted one hour and nine minutes.
"Huff... Huff..."
Breathing hard, Kannagi Shinichi realized that the training had taught him not only to control his strength, but also to improve his technique.
At the same time, it had trained his explosive power, judgment, and observation. This training had improved every aspect of Kannagi Shinichi's game.
That was why even someone as formidable as Kannagi Shinichi felt exhausted, both physically and mentally, after a three-ball match against the three of them while wearing weights.
"In the world of tennis, talent determines your ceiling, but hard training can raise your floor."
Kannagi Shinichi wiped the sweat from his forehead. He felt more satisfied with this training than he ever had before. It was the first time he'd felt this way since he started playing tennis.
Training really was addictive.
Oshitari and the other two came over to Kannagi Shinichi, their faces wreathed in wry smiles.
"Thanks for all your hard work."
Seeing how exhausted the three of them looked, Kannagi Shinichi thanked them.
"Captain, you're really incredible. Even with three balls coming at you, you can still return them."
Hearing Oshitari Yuushi's words, Kannagi Shinichi shook his head inwardly.
Returning three balls is impressive? Wait until you see someone return ten in a row. Then you'll know what truly impressive looks like.
At the same time, a one-on-one training match was underway on another court: Atobe Keigo versus Akutsu Jin.
Their training match had only just begun. Kannagi Shinichi and Oshitari's group had come to watch from outside the court.
The two players were evenly matched. Atobe Keigo had spent an hour practicing with Mukahi Gakuto and Akutagawa Jirou. Though Atobe had been returning two balls at once, his endurance and stamina were excellent, and he still had plenty of energy left.
Akutsu, meanwhile, had spent over an hour on basic training. Though it was only basic practice, Akutsu was determined to change his fate through tennis, and he trained with exceptional dedication. His stamina was now on par with Atobe's.
The two were about to begin an hour of training, but they were treating it like a real match.
"Hey, Akutsu, how about we keep score like it's a match?"
Atobe rested his racket on his shoulder and looked at Akutsu.
"I don't mind."
Akutsu's expression was as defiant as ever.
"Then I'll be the umpire."
Oshitari dashed out from beside Kannagi Shinichi and the others and headed straight for the umpire's chair.
Their training had turned into a formal match, and they followed every convention, from choosing sides to serving and shaking hands before the match.
"The match begins. Atobe Keigo to serve."
Atobe walked to the baseline and looked at Akutsu across the court, a faint smile on his face. "Akutsu, even though this is just a training match, I won't go easy on you."
Akutsu wasn't about to back down from Atobe's taunt. "Bring it on."
As soon as Akutsu finished speaking, Atobe served.
The next moment.
Thwack...
A crisp impact rang out across the court as the ball flew toward Akutsu's side at tremendous speed.
"It's faster now."
Watching Atobe's serve, Kannagi Shinichi commented coolly from the sidelines.
On the court.
Patter, patter...
Almost as soon as the ball hit the ground, Akutsu was already there. His flexible arm stretched as far as it could, then he swung his racket with force.
Thwack...
His return was just as fast. In the blink of an eye, it crossed the net and landed on the opposite side of Atobe Keigo.
Atobe had quick footwork and remarkable powers of observation. The moment Akutsu swung his racket, Atobe had already judged where the ball would land.
As soon as the ball bounced, Atobe returned it.
The two began a series of drawn-out rallies, one game after another.
Thwack...
"Game, score 1–0. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, score 1–1. The score is tied."
Thwack...
"Game, score 2–1. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, score 3–1. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, score 3–2. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, score 4–2. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, score 4–3. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, score 5–3. Atobe Keigo leads."
Thwack...
"Game, match over. Final score 6–3. Atobe Keigo wins."
The first set was over. Akutsu had only recently started playing tennis and made a lot of minor mistakes, which cost him the match against Atobe Keigo.
But everyone could see just how extraordinary Akutsu's talent was.
On the court, Atobe asked Oshitari Yuushi, "How long did it take?"
Oshitari Yuushi pushed up his glasses and glanced at the time. "Forty minutes."
Atobe heard this and then turned to Akutsu. "Want another round?"
"Fine."
Akutsu's reply was as cool as ever, but Kannagi Shinichi could hear a hint of excitement in his tone.
The daily training continued, and before they knew it, nearly a month had passed. Tomorrow was the first day of May, and the regional tournament would begin.
After nearly a month of training, Kannagi Shinichi's system template had also changed considerably.
Kannagi Shinichi
Five Dimensions Value
Strength: 6
Speed: 2
Stamina: 6
Technique: 1
Mental Strength: 9
Five Dimensions Value Total: 4
Kaido Template Progress: 0.0002%
Special Moves: Dragon's Roar (self-created skill), Two-Handed Thunderclap Eight Trigrams (unlocked: 0.0007%), Complete Body Thunderclap Eight Trigrams (unlocked: 0.0003%), Kou Sanze In Naraku (unlocked: 0.0002%), Wind Blade (locked), Corrupting Wind (locked), Thunderclap (locked), Tornado (locked), Tornado Corrupting Wind (locked), Heat Breath (locked)...
Looking at the system panel and seeing how he'd improved in every area, Kannagi Shinichi felt even more excited about the upcoming regional and metropolitan tournaments.
After all, this was the beginning of Hyotei's quest for glory.
Kannagi Shinichi put away the system panel. Thinking back to the date of the metropolitan tournament final, he looked toward Yamabuki.
"Tezuka, don't be 'late' to the metropolitan tournament final this time."
Before you continue