Thump!
Thump!!
On the court, the two players traded shots back and forth. The ball kept getting faster, yet Akutsu, who had looked rather awkward just moments ago, was now keeping up with Kamikawa's movements.
His eyes, sharp enough to see through everything, stayed fixed on Kamikawa and the tennis ball hurtling toward him.
Almost as soon as the racket touched the ball, his body reacted a step ahead.
That was Akutsu's extraordinary, inhuman reflexes.
With reflexes that terrifying, an ordinary player would surely become an outstanding tennis player.
But Akutsu was different from everyone else. Besides his reflexes, he also had...
Whoosh!
The instant Akutsu sprinted, he planted one foot on the ground and forced his body to stop.
Smack!
He quickly picked up the bouncing ball and returned it with a swift sideways swing.
"Does that guy even know how to play tennis?"
Oshitari, who always played textbook tennis, had just seen such a bizarre shot.
He couldn't help wondering: did this guy really know how to play tennis?
"His movements have no rhyme or reason. He's relying purely on strength and speed to get through this match."
This was the first time Atobe had seen anyone like him.
And this was someone who, at the start, had struggled even to return the ball.
In just a few rallies, he'd managed to trade shots with Kamikawa.
That kind of ability to adapt defied human description.
This guy was a monster.
"His coordination, muscle flexibility, extraordinary explosive power, and wild reflexes... I've never heard of anyone like him before."
Shishido couldn't help feeling puzzled, too.
He'd never seen anyone like this on a public court anywhere in Tokyo Metropolis.
Just like Kamikawa back then, he seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"Can a human being really play like that?"
Mukahi swallowed. He was skilled at trick shots and had an almost pathological obsession with jumping. He'd always been absolutely confident in his jumping, but now even he felt a trace of fear.
That's right!
Fear!
Complete and utter fear. That guy was playing the match entirely on instinct.
Smack!!
Just then, the crisp sound of a hit rang out.
The ball landed on Akutsu's side of the court, right on the corner of the baseline.
"Game, Kamikawa, 3–0!"
In the blink of an eye, Kamikawa had taken three games from Akutsu.
"This guy..."
Akutsu raised his head and stared ahead. Starting with his own service game in the second round, the guy hadn't used that dazzling serve again. Instead, he kept sending the ball from side to side, steadily wearing down Akutsu's stamina.
Even during his own service game just now, Kamikawa hadn't used Dancing Golden Snake.
Even so, Akutsu could feel the pressure of Kamikawa's shots. Almost every ball landed in one of the corners. The slightest lapse in concentration, and Kamikawa scored cleanly.
At this rate, he'd lose!
"Again, again... Again!!"
Akutsu growled, his eyes filled with frustration.
Old Man Ban, seated in the umpire's chair, was utterly astonished. He'd recognized Kamikawa, but he hadn't expected him to be this freakish.
With his almost supernatural ball control and his ability to read the match, plus that serve earlier, the two combined would make him a match for even the singles player who had led Yamabuki to the national tournament last year.
At least, probably not...
And Kamikawa was only in his first year of middle school. His body was still growing.
He would only get stronger from here.
Perhaps Hyotei really was on the rise.
At that thought, a sharp glint passed through Old Man Ban's cloudy eyes. He looked toward the sidelines; he'd noticed the people standing there some time ago.
"Those two..."
Old Man Ban had a keen eye. He quickly picked Atobe and Tezuka out of the crowd.
They were wearing Hyotei uniforms, and from the looks of it, they were members of the tennis club, too.
"Hyotei Academy... or perhaps the entire middle-school tennis world... is about to change."
Old Man Ban knew that once a team had three players with national-level ability, it had the makings of a national champion. Major tournaments were built around two doubles matches and three singles matches.
Even if their doubles teams fell short, their singles players could still carry them into the top ranks nationwide.
Besides, Hyotei was a prestigious tennis school with a long history. When it came to developing players, that coach's eye was nearly as good as his own.
Akutsu raced around the court with all his might, sweat soaking through his shirt. He'd fallen several times, and now dirt smeared his face.
Even so,
Kamikawa kept running him from side to side.
Every shot Akutsu sent in what he thought was a lethal attack aimed at a weakness was returned by Kamikawa.
And,
Every one of Kamikawa's shots landed precisely in a corner of Akutsu's court. Even with his incredible reflexes and abundant stamina, Akutsu was being worn down by the constant back-and-forth, forced to run from one side to the other.
After running nonstop, Akutsu's legs suddenly gave way, and he pitched forward. He caught himself with his left hand and sprang back to his feet with a roll.
"Damn it..."
Akutsu growled in frustration.
His legs were still weak. All he could do was watch the ball land in front of him.
Even though he'd risked everything and thrown himself into the match,
his body could no longer keep him moving.
"Game, Kamikawa, 5–0."
"Change ends!"
"Huff... Huff..."
Akutsu sat on the bench, panting heavily, trying to ease the suffocating feeling in his lungs.
Sweat kept dripping from his forehead.
He lowered his head and stared at the ground, watching the sweat drip down. In its reflection, he seemed to see how he looked right now. What a sorry sight!
A wave of exhaustion washed over him. He could feel every part of his body telling him what condition he was in. He was truly exhausted, so tired he could no longer stand.
With the reckless way Akutsu hit the ball, no matter how much stamina he had, he couldn't keep it up. He'd relied on nothing but his body's raw capabilities to play this match.
Kamikawa glanced at Akutsu, then walked over and smiled faintly. "What's wrong? Out of strength?"
"..."
Akutsu kept his head lowered. No one could see his expression.
"Fine, then."
Kamikawa stretched a little and said, "You're pretty good, actually. You just don't really know how to play."
Akutsu stayed silent. For once, he didn't argue.
"If you can't accept this, then work hard and get stronger."
"I'll be waiting for you at the Metropolitan Tournament. I hope you won't be as weak as you are now the next time we meet."
Kamikawa smiled, put away his racket, and turned around. That was when he saw Tezuka and the others standing by the court.
They must have arrived quite a while ago.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Kamikawa looked at them, pretending not to know.
Those guys had followed him even after school, especially Tezuka. He always seemed so honest, but it turned out he'd secretly followed Kamikawa just like the rest of them.
It wasn't as if Kamikawa had refused to walk home with him today. Was there really any need?
"Ahem..."
Oshitari cleared his throat and pretended they'd just arrived. "We were just about to head back, but then we remembered we'd played a friendly match against Yamabuki's tennis club yesterday, so we decided to come watch."
Kamikawa looked at them doubtfully. Shishido and Mukahi nodded first. Atobe nodded reluctantly. Only Tezuka still stood there with his usual cool expression.
After hesitating for a moment, Tezuka nodded along.
"Fine, then."
Kamikawa knew they'd followed him. They definitely hadn't come to watch Yamabuki's tennis club.
Atobe and Tezuka especially. Those two were terrible liars.
Kamikawa didn't call them out. There was no need.
He'd come to play tennis with Akutsu. It wasn't as if he had anything to hide.
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