Atobe's evolution to the national level had brought a glimmer of suspense back to the match.
But it was only a glimmer. Atobe was still trailing by a wide margin, and turning things around now would be nothing short of a miracle.
On the court, Atobe stared at the ice spikes surrounding Kannagi Shinichi on the other side, then swung his racket down with all his strength.
Thwack...
The ball sailed over the net and slammed straight into one of the ice spikes.
Crack...
A sharp snap rang out. Before Kannagi Shinichi could even swing his racket, the ball had already shot past him.
Thud...
The ball struck the net behind Kannagi Shinichi with a muffled sound.
"So this is Ice World?"
Watching the ball roll to a stop beside him, Kannagi Shinichi glanced at the boy across the court. "It really is impressive. Perhaps only someone with Atobe's keen insight could have come up with this move."
"15–0, point to Atobe Keigo."
After announcing the score, Oshitari stared at Atobe in astonishment and murmured, "So this is Atobe's strength after reaching the national level..."
Seeing his shot score, Atobe glimpsed hope. Even someone as formidable as Kannagi Shinichi wasn't impossible to overcome.
Thwack...
Atobe swung again, choosing the same serve as before. The ball became a shooting star, hurtling toward the ice spikes beside Kannagi Shinichi.
Watching the ball approach, Kannagi Shinichi decided to stop holding back. After all, this was the final game. It was time to bring out the complete Thunderclap Eight Trigrams.
Before the ball even hit the ground, a frightening sight began to unfold on the court...
Bzzzt~~
Black lightning gathered around Kannagi Shinichi's right hand as he gripped his racket. Light seemed to flicker across its surface, accompanied by the crackle of thunder.
An