A Match Whose Outcome Was Destined

Seeing the ball bounce quickly after landing, Horio quickly moved a step to the left and hit a flat drive with a horizontal swing, sending the ball to Akutsu's other side.

Horio didn't use his full strength, not even half, but the ball he hit was still too fast for others to track its trajectory.

"Nice shot! Horio hit the ball into Akutsu's blind spot on the other side."

Seeing Horio so serious from the start, Katsuro and Katsuo off the court couldn't help but be happy for their good friend.

Just as the two thought this point would surely be scored, a figure suddenly appeared behind the ball in a strange way.

Akutsu bent his body and sprang up from the bottom.

Slightly tilting the angle of his racket, he hit a slice shot.

"Coach Ryuzaki, Akutsu is a very special person. His innate talent for sports allows him to return the ball in any way."

"I don't know how good your first-year player is, but Akutsu is not someone who is easily dealt with."

Watching the changes in the match on the court, Ban-rou, sitting on the coach's bench, said to Coach Ryuzaki.

"Hmph, Ban-rou, don't be so confident. Although I don't know how good the person you mentioned is, Horio is the most talented and promising person I've seen in many years. Even Echizen Nanjirou at his age couldn't compare."

"Just wait and see, he will surprise you, and it won't take long for him to surprise the world too."

Hearing Ban-rou's confident words, Coach Ryuzaki didn't react much.

To everyone at Seigaku now, Horio represented victory.

Inside the court, the slice shot hit by Akutsu began to drop after crossing the net, and Horio smiled.

Then, with an Inch Step, he instantly appeared at the net and deliberately hit a lob shot.

Seeing this, Akutsu once again used his special way of moving to appear above the ball, his fierce eyes aimed at Horio's body, and then he tensed his muscles and hit the ball with all his might.

Some of the spectators off the court felt ashamed of Akutsu's actions, while others thought he was going too far.

"Damn it, that Akutsu isn't even trying to play tennis."

"That's right, he's just using the tennis ball as a tool for assault."

"How can someone like that be tolerated by the tennis club? He should have been expelled long ago."

Hearing the others from Seigaku speaking up for Horio, Kawamura, with a slightly helpless expression on his simple face, said.

"Akutsu... he's always been like this since he was little, no matter what he does."

"Hey, Aaron, why are you still speaking up for him? He's bullying our new kid now."

Seeing the slow-to-react Kawamura, Kikumaru also said with some disappointment.

"Although Akutsu is indeed going too far, it's a shame that his opponent is someone who sees tennis as his bottom line."

Inui Sadaharu seemed to have figured something out and began to worry about Akutsu.

"Remember that time with Arai? Just a look scared Arai so much. And now with Horio, no one knows how strong he really is."

"Besides, he just told us to observe this match carefully. I think he hasn't taken that Akutsu seriously from the beginning."

"Ah, Agan, are you saying that the current kid is just acting with Akutsu?"

"Based on the current situation, you could say that."

After speaking, Inui Sadaharu pushed up his glasses and looked at the court again.

After hitting a fierce shot, watching the ball fly directly at Horio's body, Akutsu's ferocious face showed a cruel smile.

Then, before he could see Horio being sent flying by his shot, Akutsu's smile disappeared.

Off the court, those who hadn't recovered from Akutsu's shock were once again stunned by what happened next.

Even Ban-rou on the Yamabuki coach's bench, who had been smiling all along, could no longer smile.

Just as the ball hit by Akutsu was about to touch Horio's body, Horio, who had been motionless, disappeared.

Then, a faint afterimage of a purple racket appeared behind the ball, and Akutsu felt a sharp pain on his face.

Immediately, his body was sent flying backward by a powerful impact, and he landed after flying more than two meters.

"What happened! Did you guys see clearly?"

"Why did Akutsu fly out? What just happened!?"

"This is different from what I imagined... Why did it change so much in an instant."

Listening to their confused words, Echizen Nanjirou under the shade of the tree revealed an interested expression.

"Can a middle schooler do this... He's only a first-year... It seems his spirit is not only unique, but his body has also surpassed its limits."

"No wonder he said he'd play me in a year. It seems his physical condition has reached its current limit. It's terrifying. Ryoma, you have to work hard, or you won't have a place in this era."

Compared to Echizen Nanjirou, everyone from Seigaku was truly terrified.

"So... so strong. I thought he had shown all his strength when he played Fuji Senpai."

"No, when he played me, he wasn't serious at all. Perhaps he still hasn't shown his true strength."

"Maybe we really need to work harder. If we can't keep up with him as much as possible, we'll just be a burden on our way to the national championship."

"Perhaps that's why Tezuka felt confident enough to get his arm treated."

Ryoma, who remained silent, stared at the calm figure on the court, his eyes occasionally flashing with an unreadable light.

"I will definitely defeat you."

On the court

"If this is all you can do, then I don't need to give you any more chances."

After saying this to Akutsu, who had been knocked to the ground, Horio turned back to the baseline and said again as he walked.

"Three more shots. I'll give you three more shots, and then you'll face hell."

Akutsu, lying on the ground, struggled to stand up, his clenched teeth showing his unwillingness to accept defeat.

Akutsu, who had walked back to the baseline, looked at Horio on the other side, who seemed unfazed. The tennis ball in his hand was being squeezed out of shape.

Then, an enraged Akutsu hit another shot, unleashing his power without reservation.

Because he knew that if he held back any longer, there would be no hope left.

Feeling a heavier force than before coming through his racket, Horio became a little interested.

"Finally facing yourself... Heh... People like you, who don't take tennis seriously, need to be pushed to their limits before being tormented."