At Oshitari's low shout, he angled his racket at seventy degrees. It looked like a mandala flower, wrapping itself around the powerful tennis
He stretched his arm back as far as it would go. The ball spun around once on his racket, and most of its force dissipated.
"Here it comes..."
Thwack...
Oshitari swung his racket hard. The ball shot like a streak of light and exploded at Atobe's feet.
Thump...
The ball hit the ground.
The shot was so fast it flew right past Atobe before he could react.
"40–15, point to Oshitari."
Watching the shot, Akutagawa Jirou excitedly called the score. Then, sitting in the umpire's chair, he shouted, "That's amazing! They're both amazing..."
The spectators around the court erupted, and the regulars began chattering among themselves.
"Atobe hit such a powerful shot, and Oshitari returned it so easily..."
"Oshitari's return was so fast. I could barely see it..."
"That shot was not only incredibly fast, it was powerful, too." Kannagi Shinichi looked at Oshitari, who had just scored, and smiled. "Oshitari used spin to cancel out most of the ball's force. Then he stretched his arm to the limit and used a slicing technique to transfer the remaining force into his arm. Finally, he returned the shot with that force. That move is called Borrowing Strength to "
Oshitari really was a genius no less talented than Fuji. Once he found his path, he could create his own style of tennis.
"Ha ha ha... Yushi, not bad! I haven't been this excited in ages..."
Atobe had lost a point on his serve, but he showed no disappointment. If anything, he seemed even more restless, his body trembling slightly.
He wasn't afraid. Just as Atobe had said, he was excited.
Atobe served again, and this time the ball was even faster than before.
Thwack...
In the blink of an eye, the ball reached Oshitari's side. Oshitari barely managed to return it, and then Atobe's low shout rang out:
"Jack knife..."
The shot was clearly more powerful than his previous ones.
But Oshitari was already in position. As the ball bounced up, he used his new special move again.
"Atobe, that shot doesn't work on me anymore."
Thwack...
The ball met his racket, and Oshitari shouted again:
"Special move, Fleeting Mandala..."
Thump...
"40–30, point to Oshitari..."
For the next few points, Oshitari kept using the same move, while Atobe stubbornly returned every shot with a Jack knife, as if he were determined to match Oshitari blow for
Though his shots kept coming back, Atobe didn't change his technique. He simply put more power into each hit.
Thump...
"Special move, Fleeting Mandala..."
"Game, 1–1. The score is tied..."
With Fleeting Mandala, Oshitari broke Atobe's serve and came from behind to take the game.
A breeze swept across the court, making their clothes flutter. Their auras had reached their peak, and neither player was about to back down.
It was Oshitari's turn to serve. He tossed the ball high and said coldly to Atobe, "Atobe, you're strong, but I'm going to beat you today."
Thwack...
As he spoke, Oshitari struck the ball. With a dull crack, a beautiful curving serve flew toward Atobe's side.
Tap... tap...
The ball bounced, and Atobe was already there. As it sprang up, he swung his racket with both hands.
"Don't talk big, Yushi. No one can beat me—"
Atobe had meant to say that no one had ever appeared who could beat him. But when he glanced toward Kannagi Shinichi at the edge of the court, he changed his words. "Not you, anyway..."
Atobe's return shot thundered toward Oshitari's side like a cannonball.
It was both powerful and incredibly fast. Oshitari didn't have time to get into position and use Fleeting Mandala. He could only lift his racket to weaken the shot.
That turned it into a lob.
Atobe sprinted forward from the back of the court, leaped high with the force of his momentum, and smashed the ball down like a streak of light.
Oshitari didn't panic at the smash.
He spun around at top speed and moved to where the ball was about to land. Using the centrifugal force of his body, he bent his knees and crouched. His right hand gripped the racket, which flashed in front of him before angling upward with exquisite precision.
Thwack...
The racket gave a sharp crack. The ball kept spinning against its strings, but once the spin had stripped away much of its force, Oshitari flicked his racket back.
Whoosh...
The ball sailed over Atobe, who had just landed, and dropped precisely on the edge of the baseline. It was only a hair's breadth from going out.
"Brown Bear Drop Shot."
Oshitari gave a low shout. With superb technique, he had effortlessly neutralized Atobe's powerful smash.
The Hyotei regulars had seen Oshitari and Fuji use that move before, but seeing it again still left them stunned.
As the ball landed, Kannagi Shinichi looked toward Atobe and murmured, "Oshitari's become much more skilled at using his techniques. Against an Oshitari like this, Atobe, how will you respond?"
"15–0, point to Oshitari."
Akutagawa Jirou was wide awake in the umpire's chair now. Watching the fierce rally, he was trembling with excitement.
On the court, Oshitari alternated between Brown Bear Drop Shot and Fleeting Mandala, and he was beginning to put Atobe under pressure.
"30–0, point to Oshitari."
"40–0, point to Oshitari..."
"Game, 2–1. Oshitari leads."
Oshitari held serve, putting Atobe in a difficult position.
Yet Atobe remained calm, not showing the slightest reaction.
He held his racket horizontally behind his back with his right hand. With the long fingers of his left hand, he covered half of his handsome face. His dark eyes beside the beauty mark fixed on Oshitari, gleaming with a dangerous light.
A moment later, Atobe's aura shifted. Compared to before, he seemed almost transformed.
Looking at Oshitari's still-cold expression, Atobe smiled meaningfully. "Yushi, you're a formidable opponent. But my evolution is advancing by the day. I can see your weakness perfectly clearly now."
Atobe's words startled Oshitari on the court. Even the Hyotei regulars watching from the sidelines gazed at their confident captain, eager to see what he would do next.
"He's seen through Oshitari's weakness?" Kannagi Shinichi murmured as he watched Atobe. "Atobe, have your eyes evolved again?"
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