Wham!
Wham!!
On the court, both players were locked in a back-and-forth rally, and the ball speed kept increasing. Yet, Akutsu, who just moments ago seemed a bit rusty, was able to keep up with Kamikawa's movements.
His eyes, sharp enough to see everything, were locked onto Kamikawa and the rapidly approaching tennis ball.
The instant the racket connected with the ball, his body would react a split second faster.
This was Akutsu's superhuman reflexes, beyond normal comprehension.
Any regular player blessed with such terrifying reflexes would undoubtedly become an excellent tennis player.
But Akutsu was different from the others; besides his reflexes, he also possessed...
Whoosh!
Akutsu sprinted, then slammed one foot to the ground, forcing his body to a sudden stop.
Smack!
He quickly caught the ball after it bounced, turning sideways to send it flying back.
"Is that guy... really playing tennis?"
Oshitari, who always played with precise, by-the-book tennis, couldn't help but doubt his eyes upon seeing such bizarre hitting motions.
"His movements are completely chaotic, purely relying on strength and speed to keep him in this match."
Atobe had never seen anyone like this before either.
And this guy, who could barely return the ball at the start, was now rallying back and forth with Kamikawa after just a few exchanges.
This level of adaptability... it's just not something you'd describe as human.
This guy is like a monster.
"Coordination, muscle flexibility, explosive power beyond the ordinary, plus animalistic reflexes... I've never heard of someone like this before."
Shishido also felt puzzled.
Someone like Akutsu, he'd never seen him on any street court in Tokyo.
It was just like Kamikawa back then, popping up out of nowhere.
"Can a human really play like that?"
Mukahi gulped. He specializes in acrobatic play, with an almost insane obsession for "jumping." He always had absolute confidence in his jumping ability, but at this moment, he felt a hint of fear.
That's right!
It was pure fear!
That guy was playing the match entirely on instinct.
Smack!!
Just then, a clear hitting sound rang out.
The tennis ball landed inside Akutsu's court, firmly hugging the baseline in the deep corner.
"Game, Kamikawa, 3-0!"
In an instant, Kamikawa had already taken three games from Akutsu.
"This guy..."
Akutsu looked up, staring forward. Since the second game, his own service game, Kamikawa hadn't used that flashy serve he showed earlier. He'd been consistently pulling him left and right, slowly draining his stamina.
Even just now, during Kamikawa's service game, he didn't use that 'Golden Snake Dance.'
Even so, Akutsu could still feel the pressure from Kamikawa's shots. Almost every ball landed in the deep corners on both sides. If he relaxed even a little, Kamikawa would cleanly score.
At this rate, he's going to lose!
"Again! Again... Again!!"
Akutsu roared, his eyes burning with frustration.
Coach Ban, sitting in the umpire's chair, was utterly stunned. He had his suspicions about Kamikawa, but he never imagined Kamikawa could be this monstrous.
That uncanny ball control, combined with his ability to read the match... and adding that previous serve into the mix, all stacked together, even last year's singles player who led Yamabuki to the Nationals probably wouldn't be able to stand against him.
And remember, Kamikawa is only a first-year middle schooler right now; his body is still developing.
He's only going to get stronger in the future.
Hyotei might truly be rising.
At that thought, a sharp glint appeared in Coach Ban's cloudy eyes. He then looked out at the court, having already noticed the people standing outside.
"Those two..."
Coach Ban's eyes were sharp, and he quickly spotted Atobe and Tezuka in the crowd.
They were also wearing Hyotei uniforms, and by the looks of it, they were members of the tennis club.
"Hyotei Academy... or rather, the middle school tennis world, is about to change."
Coach Ban knew deep down that when a team has three National-level players, they have what it takes to conquer the nation. Most major tournaments are structured with two doubles matches and three singles matches as the standard.
Even if their doubles were a weakness, they could still rely on their singles strength to make it deep into the national rankings.
Besides, Hyotei is an old, prestigious tennis school, and the coach's eye for developing players is just as good as his own, if not better.
Akutsu was desperately running around the court, sweat soaking his shirt. He fell several times, and his face was streaked with dirt.
Even so,
Kamikawa kept him running back and forth.
Those tennis balls Akutsu thought were aimed at weaknesses for a fatal blow were all returned by Kamikawa.
And,
Every one of Kamikawa's shots was precisely placed in Akutsu's dead zones. Running back and forth, even with Akutsu's strong reflexes and abundant stamina, he became helpless under the constant left-right movements and pulling.
After non-stop running, Akutsu's legs suddenly went soft, and his body uncontrollably fell forward. Akutsu put his left hand on the ground, and with a flip, stood back up.
"Damn it..."
Akutsu let out a frustrated growl.
His legs were still weak, and he could only watch as the ball landed right in front of him.
Even if he put his life on the line and went all out,
At this moment, his body couldn't support him to move anymore.
"Game, Kamikawa, 5-0."
"Change sides!"
"Huff... huff..."
Akutsu sat on the chair, panting heavily, trying to alleviate the suffocating feeling in his lungs.
Sweat dripped continuously from his forehead.
He lowered his head, staring at the ground, at the dripping sweat. Through the sweat, he seemed to see his current state—how pathetic he looked!
A wave of exhaustion washed over him. He could feel every part of his body reporting his current condition. He was truly too tired, too tired to even stand up.
With Akutsu's reckless hitting style, no matter how much stamina he had, it wouldn't be enough for him to sustain. He was purely playing this tennis match by relying on his body's natural functions.
Kamikawa glanced at Akutsu's condition, then walked closer, smiling slightly. "What's wrong? Don't have the strength to keep playing?"
"..."
Akutsu lowered his head; no one could see his expression at that moment.
"Alright then."
Kamikawa stretched a bit and said, "You're actually pretty good, you just don't really know how to play."
Akutsu remained silent. Uncharacteristically, he didn't try to argue back.
"If you're still frustrated, then work hard and get stronger."
"I'll be waiting for you at the Prefectural Tournament. I hope next time I meet you, your skill won't be as bad as it is now."
Kamikawa smiled, put away his racket, and then turned to see Tezuka and the others standing outside the court.
It looked like they had been there for a while.
"What are you guys doing here?"
Kamikawa asked, though he already knew, looking at them.
These guys, still following him after school, especially Tezuka. He usually seemed so serious, but who knew he was just like the others, secretly trailing him.
It's not like I didn't walk home with you today, what's the big deal?
"Cough, cough..."
Oshitari cleared his throat, acting like he had just arrived. "We were just about to head back, but then we remembered we had a practice match with Yamabuki's tennis club yesterday, so we just decided to swing by and check things out."
Kamikawa looked at everyone with a suspicious expression. Shishido and Mukahi were the first to nod in agreement, while Atobe reluctantly nodded. Only Tezuka still stood there with a cold expression.
After a moment of hesitation, Tezuka also nodded in agreement.
"Alright, fine."
Kamikawa knew these guys had secretly followed him and definitely weren't there to watch Yamabuki's tennis club.
Especially Atobe and Tezuka; their attempts at lying were just too obvious.
Kamikawa didn't expose them, and there was no need to.
Him coming here to play tennis with Akutsu wasn't some secret business, after all.