The Prince of Tennis, Talent Replication

"We lost, we actually lost."

"Our Yamabuki's ever-victorious duo, Nitobe Inayoshi and Kita Kazuma, actually lost to Hyotei in the first match of the Kanto Tournament."

"You know, those two have always won more than they've lost, which is why they're called the undefeated generals. Even in last year's national tournament, they had an impressive performance..."

"So that means Hyotei is really strong, right?"

......

Whispering and exclaiming in surprise, the students of Yamabuki Junior High School had been eagerly anticipating a victory for their two generals, only to be met with their first defeat. The disappointment they felt was beyond words, hence the constant ups and downs in the noise, as if this was a terrible thing, a defeat that seemed to have robbed Yamabuki of its glory.

Tan Taiichi, a first-grader, stood there stunned, muttering to himself:

"I didn't expect... that the two seniors would lose."

"whispering sound!"

Akutsu's disdain still proclaimed that he looked down on everyone equally.

This match, meant to stabilize morale, was rather unfortunate for Banta Mikiya. He was always adept at playing mind games, especially when it came to exploiting the weaknesses of opposing players, attacking their psychological vulnerabilities to achieve victory.

Seigaku has a lot of experience with this; both Echizen Nanjiro and Oishi Shuichiro have fallen into the hands of this old man.

He could always see through the opponent's weaknesses with a smile, and then guide the team to attack. Yamabuki's many victories were inseparable from the guidance of this old man.

Nitobe Inakichi and Kita Kazuma, as the doubles pair for Yamabuki, actually played a key role internally—stabilizing morale.

The confidence that the word "constant victory" can bring to team members is beyond what outsiders can imagine.

Banta Mikiya looked across at the other side and calmly thought:

"To be honest, we never expected them to change their regular partner..."

Hyotei.

"Well done, Yue Ren."

The Hyotei members' eyes widened, their expressions radiant, and they all burst into laughter.

"Birch Field".

"yes!"

"From now on, you should follow my instructions and train with Mukahi."

"yes!"

Kabaji Takahiro only obeyed Atobe Keigo's orders.

Keigo Atobe was visibly pleased; he thoroughly enjoyed the act of ordering others around.

"The following match will be the first doubles game between Hyotei Academy and Yamabuki Middle School. Please prepare yourselves."

The Yamabuki pairing consists of Masami Higashikata and Kentaro Minami, both of whom are undefeated doubles players with national tournament experience. They use secret codes to coordinate perfectly and defeated Shuichiro Oishi of Seigaku last year.

The two stood in front of Banta Mikiya, listening to his tactical instructions.

Hyotei,

The doubles pair, Chotaro Ootori and Ryo Mido, stepped forward.

Shintaro only uttered one word: "Go!"

"yes!"

The two nodded in unison, then looked towards the sidelines.

How should this match be played?

If we follow the previous style of play, it would be playing haphazardly, relying solely on our strength.

Shintaro, the instructor, only informed the other party of their strength and did not provide much guidance.

On the contrary, it was Minister Natsume Tsukiya,

"Work together!"

These three words were the ultimate guidance given by the newly appointed department head, Natsume Tsukiya.

"To cooperate?"

At that moment, the two, who were so in sync, looked at each other blankly.

"Minister, what does that mean?" Chotaro Ootori asked immediately.

According to the two, teamwork is the most basic skill in all doubles combinations, and there is nothing special about it when it is taken out alone.

Natsume Tsuki also told the two of them:

"If we remove your special skills, what do you have left?"

"What does that mean?"

Ryo Mido was also bewildered, aside from the two's skills?

Natsume Tsukiya smiled calmly and said:

"Someone possesses a skill that allows them to deprive others of theirs."

"Take away someone else's ball skills?" The two were astonished.

"In other words, if you encounter someone who can counter your skills, wouldn't your skills, such as your powerful serve, become useless?" Natsume Tsuki asked rhetorically.

"The one who can counter a powerful serve."

After a moment's thought, Ootori Chotaro said:

"Someone like the minister wouldn't appear in doubles, would they?"

"Nothing is impossible," Natsume Tsuki also said. "If someone with such a natural counter appears, what's the only way to win the match?"

"Cooperate?"

Ootori Chotaro chimed in:

"Does the minister mean we need to practice our teamwork?"

"But Chotaro and I are already working together very well."

Ryo Mido believed that his partnership with Chotaro was no less effective than any doubles team, and therefore had doubts about what Tsukiya Natsume said.

"I want you to achieve synchronized resonance."

Natsume Tsukiya was silent for a moment before speaking.

According to his plan, if Hyotei really wants to defeat Rikkai and advance to the national championships, it will be essential to improve the overall strength of the team.

He can score a point against anyone, and Atobe Keigo has a high chance of winning the game.

So, if Hyotei wants to win, assuming all five games go the distance, they need two more points besides their own.

Doubles matches require a high degree of teamwork.

In this anime, the main characters are exceptionally talented. Almost every member of Seigaku possesses their own unique skill, a variety of random and unpredictable techniques, and not just one, but several.

It seems that each member of the main characters has a list of innate skills. For example, Ryoma Echizen can automatically trigger one of his skills whenever someone comes who is slightly stronger than him.

What makes this group of people so special?

Natsume Tsukiya couldn't understand it no matter how hard he thought about it. He could develop an amazing skill every few days, while others who trained as hard as them couldn't develop one, or they only had a pitiful single skill, like Ootori Chotaro.

A powerful serve sounds impressive, but in reality, Inui Sadaharu quickly followed up with a torrent of air, which Rikkai's guys, such as Sanada Genichiro and Yukimura Seiichi, could easily receive.

Even Ryoma Echizen could handle it.

Relying solely on a powerful serve is not enough to win a match, even if you overcome mistakes.

Synchronized resonance, that's something Natsume Tsuki happens to be able to do.

His ability is to replicate the skills of others, including things like synchronized resonance. He knows this, and when he combines with others, he can bring that person into that state.

Natsume Tsuki also arranged the pairing of Kabaji Takahiro and Mukahi Gakuto for this purpose.

Kabaji Takahiro's talent is also replication, and he has used this skill to achieve victory many times throughout the anime.

The most classic example is his match against Seigaku captain Kunimitsu Tezuka. He managed to draw 6-7 with Tezuka, which shows he was quite strong.

Kabaji Takahiro has always imitated his opponents' skills, so what if he were to imitate his teammates' skills and form?

While making adjustments to the team, Natsume Tsuki also had this idea pop into his head.

He immediately found Atobe Keigo.

And then he revealed the whole idea.

The noble young master of Hyotei immediately revealed an excited smile.

By binding Kabaji Takahiro and Mukahi Gakuto together, it will not be difficult to achieve the so-called synchronous resonance, and the chances of winning will increase.

This can be considered an extra layer of insurance for Hyotei.

As for Chotaro Ootori and Ryo Mido, the fact that they can use skills like Overlay and Shadow proves that their teamwork is perfectly fine.

What the two currently lack is conscious training in this kind of coordination. They need to specifically train this ability until their bodies can automatically synchronize without requiring commands.

Thus,

Hyotei now has two trump cards to play.

"What is synchronized resonance?"

The Hyotei duo, whose performance was inconsistent, were both surprised and puzzled by the concept of synchronized resonance.

"Synchronized resonance is the highest level of doubles, which needs to be achieved through cooperation. When a doubles pair achieves synchronized resonance, the two players will act like machines, automatically recognizing the opponent's serve return without pause or hesitation, and automatically making the most appropriate response..."

Natsume Tsukiya also gave Ootori Chotaro and Mido Ryo a detailed explanation of synchronized resonance, which greatly impressed the two, and their eyes sparkled with longing.

The two looked at each other, a desire to reach an agreement evident in their eyes.

"So, that's why the minister asked us to cooperate?" asked Chotaro Ootori.

"In the upcoming match against Yamabuki, the match against Fudomine, and in your daily training, you all need to consciously train your teamwork. Just like I told you, feel each other's breath and the flow of the surrounding air, and develop synchronized resonance as soon as possible."

Natsume Tsuki also said:

"The opposing team is likely a duo of Higashikata Masami and Minami Kentaro. These two are skilled at using sign language to issue attack commands. You two must deal with them without using any words or commands..."

Thinking of Natsume Tsukiya's words,

Chotaro Ootori and Ryo Mido silently walked onto the court, looked up at the two tall and imposing men on the other side, and stood silently on their own court.

"In the Hyotei vs. Yamabuki doubles match, Hyotei's Chotaro Ootori will serve."

After the sides were chosen, the referee issued the instructions.

"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei!"

The loud shouts from the sidelines were deafening, silencing the Yamabuki team.

"Go, Chotaro! Show them your powerful serve!"

"That's right, we must show Hyotei's might in this match."

"No problem!"

.....

"Everyone at Hyotei is talking about a powerful serve; is it some kind of secret weapon?"

Tan Taichi watched with concern as the Hyotei camp members gesticulated wildly and shouted.

"It's okay, it's okay."

Sengoku Kiyosumi said:

"The Dongfang team is quite skilled; they can handle it."

Tan Taichi: "Sengoku-senpai, what does 'comparable level' mean?"

"A very high level, meaning that these two have the strength of a national-level doubles team."

Sengoku Kiyosumi smiled.

"Tap tap tap~"

Ootori Chōtarō began to relax, his breath rising slightly as he inhaled deeply into the air. He could feel the wind, the presence of people, and the presence of his rivals...

After a period of deliberate training, he was able to feel the airflow carried by the tennis ball as it bounced from the ground into his palm. Following this airflow, he was able to control the rhythm of the tennis ball's rise and fall.

An urge to unleash a powerful, consistent serve surged through him, but he forcefully suppressed it. "The captain said that this match is to train my and Mido-senpai's ability to sense each other's presence and the atmosphere of the court. I can't just act on my own whims."

With a sudden glance, the tennis ball in his hand was already tossed into the air.

Hyotei's gazes were fixed on the ball, all anticipating the legendary, exhilarating power serve. Many had already begun cheering.

"Bang!"

A ball suddenly slammed into the Yamabuki Stadium.

"A normal serve?"

Dongfang Yamei's gaze sharpened; it didn't seem to be any kind of powerful serve.

Hyotei was also somewhat surprised.

"Not a powerful serve?"

Why not use a powerful serve in your service game?

"Chōtarō..."

"Is there some kind of arrangement?"

.....

A powerful serve should not be used lightly, but according to Natsume Tsukiya's instructions, one should use full power from the start, so everyone thinks that a powerful serve should be used in the service game.

Shintaro tilted his head slightly, taking in all the reactions from the sidelines. As for why Chotaro didn't use his powerful serve, he didn't really know. Perhaps Natsume had a better plan.

Dongfang Yamei's eyes were sharp enough to observe everything around her, taking in the reactions from the sidelines and leaving a mark on them to guard against her opponent using their ultimate move.

"Bang!"

After a fierce counterattack, Kentaro Minami extended his fingers from his back, confirming their exclusive code system.

The two people opposite them remained silent, their expressions solemn as they stared at them without moving.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Yellow streaks of light bridged the field, creating streaks of light and shadow. The four-person battle, though not earth-shattering, was still incredibly fierce.

The onlookers were speechless.

It's truly rare to witness such a steady and skillful match. Inoue Mamoru walked up behind Banta Mikiya on the sidelines and asked:

"Coach Banda, what are your thoughts on this match?"

"They played very steadily."

Banta Mikiya first gave his conclusion, then continued:

"The two opponents cooperated very well, but our players are best at this kind of steady and methodical style of play. Without sufficient strength, it is difficult to avoid making mistakes."

Inoue Mamoru could tell from Banta Mikiya's recognition of the students' abilities at his school.

However, it was unclear what arrangements Hyotei's coach, Shintaro, and captain, Natsume Tsuki, would make for Hyotei's doubles team. This was clearly not Hyotei's usual style... Inoue Mamoru looked at the opposite side with a puzzled expression and raised his camera.

"Mido-senpai, can you feel it?"

Ootori Chotaro watched Mido Ryo's retreating figure from the backstage, without saying a word, but silently asking himself the same question.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"hiss!"

The sounds of the wind, the tennis ball cutting through the air, hitting the ground, and the subtle rolling of the racket strings against the ball all reached my ears.

The surroundings seemed to quiet down, with only the air currents, only the subtle, imperceptible air currents, rolling on the skin's surface and flowing between the nostrils.

It was as if one's ears were covered, or as if a sound extractor had removed all the noise, leaving only air, the other person's footsteps, and breathing.

So amazing,

For a time,

Ootori Chotaro was completely absorbed in it and couldn't pull himself away.

I just want to die here!