"Smash!!"
Shishido was a little stunned. But then he remembered Kamikawa scoring with a smash just moments ago, and Atobe wanting to return the favor in the same way. That definitely fit Atobe's style.
"Things are heating up over here too," Mukahi's voice reached Shishido's ears.
"How's it going over there?" Shishido asked, "Is Jiro still in the lead or...?"
"Oshitari's too sneaky," Mukahi waved his hand, saying helplessly, "He knew from the start that Jiro is a serve-and-volley player, so he's not giving Jiro any chances to come to the net."
"And every now and then, he lobs the ball to Jiro, and Jiro, that fool, just keeps smashing it."
Indeed. For Jiro, a serve-and-volley player, the difference in his skill at the net versus the baseline was like night and day. But to be toyed with by Oshitari like this, Jiro really had no one but himself to blame. If he smashed at the net, it would be countered by the Bear Drop. If he didn't smash at the net, he had no answer for those lobs. And when forced back to the baseline, his control wasn't as precise as Oshitari's.
"How's it going here?"
In Mukahi's opinion, Jiro was definitely going to lose. But this match here was sparking a lot of interest. Who was stronger, Atobe or Kamikawa? After this match, all of Hyotei's tennis club members would know.
Thwack!Thwack!!
On the court.
Both players' movements kept speeding up.
The court was surrounded by tennis club members. Those who had already been eliminated from the intra-school ranking matches were all engrossed in the game. Gradually, some people's minds couldn't keep up with the match. High-intensity duels naturally drain mental energy, and most club members aren't mentally strong. Only a select few could barely keep pace with these two.
"They're really incredible, Ryo!" Mukahi swallowed hard. No matter when he watched, he always felt these two were truly monstrous.
"Hmph," Shishido snorted, his voice stubborn, "One day, I'll surpass those two."
"Oh, come on," Mukahi rolled his eyes. "You should focus on standing out in the upcoming intra-school ranking matches and becoming a regular first."
"With them, we might actually make it to Nationals this year." Shishido's eyes gleamed slightly. Nationals. Over three thousand renowned tennis schools vying for those limited spots, with powerhouse schools from Kanto, Kansai, and even Kyushu, all chasing that single championship title. Although Shishido had dreamt of dominating the nation even before joining the Hyotei tennis club, he never thought that day would come so soon!
Thwack! "30-15!"
Thwack!! "30-30!"
Thwack!!! "40-30!"
Thwack!! "Game, Atobe, 1-0!"
"Change sides!"
Relying on his serve advantage, Atobe pressed hard, taking the first game from Kamikawa. Both sides were testing each other in the first round. Atobe used his keen insight to find Kamikawa's blind spots, while Kamikawa was observing Atobe's growth speed.
"Still too slow," Kamikawa took the tennis ball from the ball boy as they switched serves, his eyes glinting slightly. "I need to put some more fire under this guy."
Thwack!!
With that thought, Kamikawa immediately hit a standard topspin serve. A topspin serve, as the name suggests, primarily uses topspin with a touch of sidespin. The amount of spin is greater than a slice serve, and the more powerful the serve, the higher the rebound angle, forcing the opponent out of position to return the ball.
Before the tennis ball could rebound to its highest point, Atobe shifted his body and hit a pull shot. Kamikawa returned it. Both players engaged in another baseline rally. The player with the serve naturally has more initiative, so Atobe was often forced into defensive returns, with his shots tending to go towards the center of the court. Kamikawa, on the other hand, was pulling Atobe from side to side, keeping him pinned to the baseline, aiming almost every shot at the corners of the court. The continuous rallies showed both sides unwilling to give an inch.
Pop!
Kamikawa suddenly angled his racket face, hitting a high-quality drop shot. The ball gently grazed the top of the net, forcibly changing its trajectory and plummeting downwards. Atobe quickly moved forward, stopping slowly less than two meters from the ball.
Shhh shhh shhh.
The tennis ball landed, bounced slightly, and then rolled towards Atobe. It was a sudden net-skimming drop shot. For Atobe, standing at the baseline, to rush up and return it immediately was almost impossible.
"This guy..." Atobe's eyes flickered. This guy was truly calm.
"Fifteen-love."
"A surprisingly good net-skimming shot," Shishido couldn't help but exclaim. To be able to hit such a precise net-skimming drop shot under such high pressure. Kamikawa's focus was truly amazing.
"That net shot was definitely on purpose." Mukahi took a deep breath, his voice trembling. "To be able to hit a net shot that precisely, that guy's control is indeed monstrous."
The talent of these two was truly enviable. The spectators outside the court couldn't help but show envy in their eyes. Such talent allowed them to play tennis like this in such a situation: keen insight, solid fundamentals, terrifying control... It was hard to believe these two were their juniors. And for the freshmen watching outside, it was even more evident. They were practically just there to pick up balls. They had also participated in the intra-school ranking matches, dreaming of overnight success. But reality had harshly woken them up... Without absolute strength, don't dream of joining Hyotei's main team! Hyotei now respects strength above all else. The reform removed the restriction of first-years not being able to play, but it didn't strip the second and third-years of their right to compete.
Thwack!! "15-15!"
On the court, Atobe, relying on his keen insight, quickly scored when Kamikawa made a mistake.
Thwack!! "30-15!"
Soon, Kamikawa also relied on his serve advantage to widen the score again. Both sides exchanged points, and the score kept changing.
Thwack! "30-30!"
...
Thwack!! "40-30!"
...
Thwack!!! "Game, Kamikawa, 1-1!"
Kamikawa firmly held the second game. Both players had secured their own service games. And both sides were continuously intensifying their offense, consistently holding their service games.
Until the end of the fourth game.
Thwack!! "Game, Kamikawa, 2-2!"
Gen Kouen, sitting in the umpire's chair, couldn't help but marvel at the strength of these two. They were almost flawless, constantly scoring when they had the serve, and continuously creating problems for their opponent when it was their opponent's serve. If he hadn't seen their abilities beforehand, Gen Kouen would probably have been stunned. Truly strong!
"Atobe-kun," Kamikawa held his racket with both hands and smiled faintly. "If this is all the strength you have, then this match should be over."
Through four full games, Kamikawa had roughly figured out Atobe's current skill level. He had indeed put in a lot of effort to improve, but unfortunately, the improvement wasn't significant enough. The short time was one factor, but more importantly, the pressure on Atobe wasn't strong enough. The pressure from Tezuka alone wasn't enough for him to evolve quickly.
Atobe's brows furrowed, as if something occurred to him. That guy still had a serve he hadn't used. The serve he used when he played against that monster on the Yamabuki tennis court. It was called something like the Golden Snake Dance! But it was his service game now, and from the look of that guy, he was definitely holding something else back.
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Support my new story:
Fairy Tail: My Contract System Starts with Erza
Roger never expected to wake up in the world of Fairy Tail. But with him came a mysterious system—one that lets him forge magical contracts with others and share in their powers.
His first contract is with Erza Scarlet, unlocking both Requip and Enchantment Magic. From there, every battle, every ally, and every contract brings him closer to becoming a legend. Magical tools drop from fallen enemies, ranging from bizarre to game-changing—like a pipe that forces the truth from liars, or a crystal ball that blurts out everyone's secrets.
With each contract, his partners grow stronger—and so does he. Lucy unlocks her Star Dress early, turning into a one-woman army. Mirajane consumes endless demonic power to fight gods themselves. Natsu wields both Dragon Slayer flames and God Slayer magic. And Erza… becomes the true Sword Saint of Fairy Tail.
While the guild sees Roger as a comrade, the Magic Council knows him as something far greater—the rising All-Magic King, the hidden hand guiding Fairy Tail's destiny.
A tale of contracts, bonds, and power begins here—starting with Erza.
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