The Demon King Must Keep Working Hard Too

"I'll unleash the strongest light!"

Bang!

Horikita Suzune was briefly dazed.

The sudden sound of a tennis ball by her ear snapped her back to her senses. Turning around, she saw that the ball that had just been held in his hand had already slammed into the wire fence behind her, spinning like a screw as it wedged itself into the mesh.

"This is the growth brought to me by day after day of cultivation and trials!"

So that was it. His earlier clumsiness and amateurishness had all been an act... Was he trying to make her lower her guard?

Horikita Suzune turned back toward the other side of the court, and the smile on her face unconsciously froze.

She barely managed to calm herself and said, "So Bai-kun knows how to use such underhanded tactics too. How entirely unsurprising..."

"That's right!"

"Ha ha ha ha! Horikita-san, I'll stop at nothing for victory!"

The veins on Horikita Suzune's forehead faintly bulged.

She had nearly forgotten that this man's skin was thick enough to rival a city wall. Ordinary psychological tactics simply had no effect on him.

She forced out a smile. "Don't celebrate too early, Bai-kun. The score is still tied. I won't be as careless next time."

"Wah ha ha ha!"

Bai Yu let out another bizarrely theatrical laugh, then declaimed, "Come at me! The Demon King will gladly accept the hero's challenge, until the hero realizes just how insignificant his strength alone truly is!"

Drowned beneath his chaotic, mocking laughter, Horikita Suzune's lovely cheeks twitched several times. Her desire to strike back had been thoroughly ignited.

The next second, she leaped high into the air, as though the potential dormant within her ever since she had grown up had erupted in an instant—

Bang!

A deafening, explosive thud rang out.

The tennis ball tore a long trail through the air like a Railgun, crackling as it rubbed against the air and sent sparks flying. It shot straight toward the opposite court, then sprang up and flew over the wire fence in milliseconds, breaking free from gravity and charging freely into the vast blue sky. In the end, before everyone's eyes, it ascended into the first star of the evening, flashing with a momentary, dazzling starlight...

"..."

I think we just watched a tennis match between non-humans.

The crowd of onlookers could not help gasping in shock.

Their passion was ignited, their blood ran hot, and the spectacular shot made them cast aside their usual prejudices for a moment.

Rivals who could not stand each other high-fived in exhilaration. Two sides that had clashed verbally buried the hatchet amid wave after wave of excited cheers. Couples who had grown tired of one another and been clamoring for a breakup reconciled on the spot. Outsiders jealous of others' looks and talent offered their most open and sincere praise—

"Nice one, Horikita! You're the pride of us girls!"

All past conflicts and misunderstandings turned into cheers and shouts supporting both sides, rising and falling in a turbulent frenzy. Even the PE teacher's gaze sharpened.

He put down the video of a female streamer dancing on his phone and chose to record this climactic moment with his own eyes!

However, the two on the court had no time to care about anything else.

They were doing everything they could, using every trick at their disposal to end the match and crush the other completely, thereby proving themselves right!

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka and Hirata Yosuke were pushed onto the commentary stand by the crowd. Unable to resist everyone's enthusiasm, they had no choice but to become commentators.

"Horikita is really brimming with momentum right now. I don't know whether she suddenly had an epiphany or whether Bai Yu's provocation backfired, but both her desire to win and her tennis skills seem to have undergone a qualitative leap!"

Hirata Yosuke leaned toward the microphone and sighed.

"I think this may be exactly what Bai wanted to see."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka analyzed calmly. "From what I know of him, he usually doesn't play by the rules. He might have some sort of purpose for this match as well. Perhaps he deliberately did that so his opponent could grow, while he could enjoy the match himself."

"Ahaha..." Hirata Yosuke laughed awkwardly on behalf of the player's unserious attitude toward the match. "Then does Bai still have enough left in him to win this match?"

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka wore a profound expression as he answered with a riddle. "Perhaps the result of this match was decided from the very beginning."

"Please don't act mysterious on the court, commentator..." Hirata Yosuke quickly stepped in before the audience could complain. "Our duty is to convey the truest situation on the court to the viewers..."

Amid their poorly coordinated commentary, the battle on the court had already reached a fever pitch. The tennis ball bombarded back and forth across both sides like a cannonball—Horikita Suzune sent another of his serves back!

Nice!

She had finally found an opening during his service game and successfully returned the ball. That meant they were evenly matched, and she held match point. As long as she—

"Swallow Returns to Nest!"

"???"

The moment she relaxed slightly, Bai Yu used the Cloud Flow Movement Technique to dart to the net. With an inexplicable shout, he scooped up the tennis ball just before it hit the ground and smashed it back with force.

Then a whole string of vague, absurd phrases spilled from his mouth:

"Brown Bear Naked Loan!" "White Whale Counter!" "Elbow Territory!"

"????"

What naked loan? Did it make a difference whether the brown bear was naked or not?

Horikita Suzune immediately shot back, "Your words are meaningless, your manner is frivolous, and you clearly need treatment! Go see a doctor!"

The two instantly extended their contest into a verbal battle, and the intensity of the match rose another level.

"Witness my Two-Sword Style!"

"Witness my Vertical Smash!"

"Mount Tai Meteor Fall!"

"What mountain? Mount Fuji Eruption!"

"Starburst Stream!"

"Railgun!"

"Ora ora ora ora ora..."

"Are you imitating a mosquito... High-Potency Insecticide!"

...By now, this battle was no longer merely a clash to prove the path of the two people on the court. It was also a matter of personal safety for the spectators below.

At this point, the two on the court had entered a state of selflessness.

In their eyes, the tennis court had long since lost its boundaries, and tennis itself no longer had rules. All that remained was their stubborn postures and the smiles curling at the corners of their mouths.

"Ayanokoji, did you feel for a moment just now as if space itself had warped?"

At the commentary stand, Hirata Yosuke turned solemnly toward Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, lingering fear still faintly visible on his face.

"No, that wasn't an illusion."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka nodded gravely, revealing a shocking truth.

"Bai Yu drew out Horikita's potential in a short period of time. The two of them had just entered what traditional sports call the state of selflessness. Through their usual training and accumulated experience, athletes can instinctively unleash their best competitive condition under extreme concentration, briefly catching up and erasing the gap in strength between both sides..."

"So... Bai, Bai Yu is stronger than Horikita?"

Hirata Yosuke asked cautiously.

"Stronger than stronger."

Ayanokoji Kiyotaka summed it up in one simple sentence.

His gaze then returned to the two sides currently catching their breath. The winner and loser of this match might soon be decided, and he could not help feeling a little curious as well...

"...I didn't expect your tennis skills to be even better than I imagined."

After fighting to this point, Horikita Suzune could no longer maintain her earlier composure.

She bent slightly at the waist, beads of sweat continuously falling from the delicate bangs on her forehead and passing before her eyes. The face opposite her—which she had to admit was rather handsome—had also become somewhat softened and hazy.

Looking closely, he was actually quite pretty...

??

No.

The more refined and harmless someone looked, the more deceptive they were. The person before her was a living example.

Horikita Suzune sharply pulled her thoughts back. She could not let that gorgeous appearance deceive her into lowering her guard. Yet she was also struggling to find the strength to take the match now. If this dragged on, it would eventually become disadvantageous...

As she considered a strategy, Bai Yu on the other half of the court was also secretly observing his opponent's condition.

Oh? She hadn't run out of stamina yet... I was starting to feel like applying for a break myself.

But the Demon King would not be defeated so easily, and a man could not casually say he was incapable. He would just have to keep holding on for now. After all, his only weakness was his lack of endurance.

Of course, compared to ordinary people, he was still far more resilient.

As his thoughts drifted back, his attention gradually settled on the girl standing before him.

Under the sunlight, even in a relatively conservative traditional sports uniform, her figure still appeared slender and shapely. Though not as flawless as those naturally gifted players, her innate physique and long-term, measured training had developed her just right, without a trace of excess flesh... That was a little regrettable. Was her limit a D?

The exposed skin of her neck, streaked with sweat, reflected damp traces of light in the air, making him feel the urge to wipe it clean with his tongue...

?

No common mortal thoughts. I am the Demon King.

It seemed his will was not firm enough. He still needed to keep training.