The Prince of Tennis, Talent Replication

"..."

The match was a feast for the eyes, but it could also be described as brutal.

Under the relentless bombardment of Keigo Atobe of Hyotei, Muromachi Juji of Yamabuki was like a helpless chick shivering in a storm, cowering in place, unsure of how to respond.

Atobe Keigo's attacks grew fiercer with each blow, showing no sign of holding back, unleashing all his powerful moves on Muromachi Juji.

So that

Even after the game ended with a score of 6-0, no one was surprised; they were just astonished by his brutal playing style.

The third-year players, including Kanzuki, who had seen Atobe Keigo's playing style before, felt that Atobe was like a completely different person.

The match is over.

Keigo Atobe stood on the court.

The sunlight passed over his head, illuminating his face and making it appear noble and beautiful.

His expression made it seem less like he was facing off against Yamabuki's third singles opponent and more like he was venting about the past, or putting on a personal performance.

"despair!"

The quiet arena was instantly brought to life by his crisp snap of the fingers.

"Atobe, Atobe, Atobe!"

The Hyotei camp, like waves frozen in time, melted into a surging tide, their cheers filled with fervent joy that resounded throughout the entire stadium.

After Atobe Keigo's complete defeat, the entire Hyotei camp changed, after all, the captain's style was different.

However, there was always a sense of unease and oppression, because Atobe Keigo hadn't appeared in the club for a long time.

Although this richest young master of Hyotei has stepped down from his position as captain, he is still wealthy, and traces of his former power remain. Moreover, his downfall was unusual; he went into hiding on his own?

Throughout, Hyotei lacked a Christmas-like celebration.

now,

With Atobe Keigo's return, everything was finally reconciled.

As this enthusiastic wave swept through,

Yamabuki felt as cold as an abandoned illegitimate child, a sense of shame and helplessness that outsiders could not comprehend, but the members of Yamabuki experienced it for the first time.

"Hello, is this your companion?"

A voice that was familiar to Banta Mikiya rang out from his side, tinged with a hint of mockery.

Banta Mikiya turned his head slightly; it turned out to be Echizen Nanjiro.

He was still wearing his long black robe, which resembled a bathrobe, his arms crossed in his sleeves, his beard stubble, his face radiating nonchalance, yet his eyes held an unyielding glint of light. He revealed a set of smug, slightly gloating white teeth, and mocked mercilessly:

"So you've finally met your match!!"

"Echizen Nanjiro."

Banta Mikiya's face wasn't looking too good. Three consecutive losses were a first for him, given his decades of coaching the Yamabuki team. However, as is often the case in war, victory and defeat are unpredictable, and he wasn't so disheartened as to cling to the idea of ​​winning. He said:

"Coming to watch your son's match again?"

"Hehe, why should I watch him? It's a young man's business."

When Echizen Nanjiro mentions his son Echizen Ryoma, a look of anticipation always appears on his face, the kind of look that suggests he has an ace up his sleeve, ready to shock the world.

Banta Kanya just smiled.

Echizen Nanjiro said:

"Those two kids on the other side played pretty well."

"Yes, to be able to reach that level and hone your skills by utilizing your well-coordinated teammates, very few people have that mindset."

As Banta Mikiya spoke, a hint of curiosity and admiration flickered in his smiling eyes as he looked at Natsume Tsukiya.

"The singles match between Hyotei Academy and Yamabuki Middle School is about to begin. Please prepare yourselves."

The broadcast announced that the match would continue.

Banta Mikiya and Echizen Nanjiro continued their casual conversation.

"Nanjiro, if Hyotei and Seigaku were to meet, who do you think would win?"

Banta Mikiya, being shrewd and calculating, could easily discern the care and pride in Echizen Nanjiro's son from his face, hence the mention of this topic.

"Oh, it's just youthful stuff, winning and losing, why bother?"

Echizen Nanjiro casually extended his little finger to pick his ear.

I don't think so.

Banda Miki also said with a smile.

"What kind of trouble are you up to now, you old man?" Echizen Nanjiro stopped what he was doing. He knew very well that this old man was never up to any good when he was in this situation.

"What kind of explosives can an old man like me pull off?"

Banta Mikiya watched his teammates and opponents battling fiercely on the field and calmly said:

"You were doing so well in your professional career, and then suddenly you stopped. You chose to come back at this time. I heard that Ryoma Echizen is doing very well on the West Coast. If you suffer a setback here, won't you be heartbroken?"

This sentence struck a chord deep within Echizen Nanjiro's heart.

Banta Mikiya continued:

"Others just think you don't care about winning or losing, but I know you're the kind of person who goes berserk after losing a match. You have a really bad temper. I still remember your angry expression when Seigaku lost to Kuwajiro."

"You old geezer, what are you trying to say?"

Echizen Nanjiro was called a genius. He didn't encounter any special difficulties in playing tennis, or rather, he had no opponents and no mental block.

His journey was exceptionally smooth, which led him to gradually grow tired of that kind of life.

Ryoma Echizen is his challenge, and judging from the current situation, this challenge is very interesting, at least he hasn't encountered any mental blocks.

Banta Mikiya said:

"I think the Hyotei team members are pretty good. It's hard to say whether Seigaku and Hyotei will actually meet."

Echizen Nanjiro looked toward the Hyotei camp, his gaze landing on Atobe Keigo and Ootori Chotaro and Mido Ryo, who had just finished a doubles match.

Then he chuckled.

From his undefeated record in his youth to his invincible dominance in the professional arena, his keen insight is unmatched by anyone else.

Whether it was Atobe Keigo or the other two, he could see at a glance that their potential was exhausted, so he acted completely unconcerned, humming and casually saying:

"Oh dear, I'm so thirsty! Where can I find some water to drink?!"

I turned around and went to look for a vending machine.

Banta Mikiya's gaze fell on Natsume Tsukiya, a smile in his eyes that made people uncomfortable.

In Akutsu's words, it was like saying, "Why are you laughing so disgustingly?"

"Bang!"

"Match over! Hyotei wins, score 6-1!"

The referee's announcement wasn't very important to Banta Mikiya, but he still gave his teammates various instructions.

To know,

After Akutsu left the team, Yamabuki's singles game became very difficult, and it was expected that he would lose now. However, as a coach, he should always give advice and make timely corrections.

"The next match will be the singles match between Hyotei Academy and Yamabuki Middle School. Please prepare yourselves."

The broadcast announced the start of the final match.

Sengoku Kiyosumi stood in front of Banta Mikiya, "Old Banta?!"

Banta Mikiya's gaze passed over Sengoku Kiyosumi and looked across at the other side, saying:

"Sengoku, the truly powerful figure on the other side is about to appear. Do your best."

"Why?"

Sengoku Kiyosumi looked completely bewildered. He had just been thinking that it wasn't Atobe Keigo who was lucky enough to win, but now that Banta Mikiya had said that, he was completely confused.

His naturally amused eyes swept over the Hyotei camp, and when he faced Banta Mikiya again, his expression still held a hint of doubt:

"Isn't Atobe the truly formidable figure at Hyotei? Hehe, I'm so lucky today!! Lucky lucky!"

"Sengoku-senpai, we can't participate in the national tournament anymore?"

Tan Taiichi, with a mournful face, angrily raised his fist.

"I'm so sorry."

Sengoku Kiyosumi didn't seem to care much about the matter, since his greatest interest was dating young girls, so he scratched his head and apologized repeatedly.

"Sengoku, you may go."

Banta Mikiya hesitated, as he had heard that the other party was an extraordinary person, but he had never met him in person and did not know just how powerful he was.

"Lucky Sengoku, Yamabuki got your face saved."

"Yeah, Sengoku. I heard the opposing player is a second-year student who was brought on from the bench. You'll definitely be fine."

The Yamabuki team cheered for Sengoku Kiyosumi. As the runner-up team in this tournament, Yamabuki had performed exceptionally well. However, they were now facing Hyotei and were suffering a crushing defeat. In any case, if they didn't win a single point, they would have to leave with their heads down.

Sengoku Kiyosumi's biggest hobby is flirting with girls, and his skills are not to be underestimated. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he is the number one singles player in Yamabuki.

Having heard that Hyotei was fielding a second-year substitute, the Yamabuki club members felt even more confident in their chances of winning, especially since Yamabuki had the lucky Sengoku on their side.

"Alright, alright, I'll win."

Sengoku Kiyosumi waved with a smile, then looked up and saw a stunningly beautiful girl standing outside the fence on the other side. Her long, fair legs shone brightly in the sunlight, her miniskirt was occasionally lifted by the wind, and her high ponytail hung down to her waist. Her oval face had a rosy glow, and Sengoku Kiyosumi blushed instantly.

for him,

He enjoys flirting with girls the most. If it's just to be friends, he won't refuse anyone who comes along. On average, he flirts with at least seven girls every day. However, despite being lucky enough to be surrounded by women, he has high standards for his ideal type. He will never take the initiative to open up to someone unless they are exceptionally good.

now,

Upon seeing the slender girl with the high ponytail, he not only blushed but also felt his heart pounding for the first time. He even lost focus on the match, wanting only to finish the game quickly so he could strike up a conversation with her, thinking to himself, "Please don't leave!"

Seeing that the girl had a headscarf tied around her head and training wristbands on her wrists, I guessed that she must also play tennis, and I had to do my best.

Thinking of this, a feeling of inexhaustible power surged through my body.

"..."

Hiyoshi Waka handed the racket to Natsume Tsukiya, who took the racket, which was secured with tape, and glanced at the court.

Atobe Keigo, however, said:

"Hey, Natsume, stop with those old tricks and show some real skill!"

"Atobe, do you want to see my true strength?"

Natsume Tsuki also slung his racket over his shoulder, shaking his body nonchalantly as he said:

"Let's talk about it when you can take a point from me."

"Heh~"

Atobe Keigo was indignant; this guy was still as sharp-tongued as ever.

However, he felt much more relaxed.

Since becoming the undisputed king of Hyotei, he has always maintained his noble status, carrying a sense of mission and having only one goal in mind: to defeat Rikkai and Tezuka. As the spiritual symbol of Hyotei, he does not allow himself to be defeated in any way.

I've never felt this way before. Hyotei finally has someone better than me, which is a good thing in some ways.

Natsume Tsuki also walked towards the net gate.

Arriving in front of Shintaro, although this coach wasn't very good at training others, as the instructor of Hyotei, Natsume Tsuki's behavior was a bit indulgent, and he still didn't know the most basic things.

Go!

Shintaro glanced at Sengoku Kiyosumi across from him and said:

"Although the opposing team consists of players who have participated in youth selection trials, I believe you can achieve excellent results. This battle is just the beginning of your journey to the national competition."

"yes!"

Natsume Tsukiya said casually.

As he walked, he waved to the girl with the high ponytail outside the fence in the distance.

"o?"

This scene was witnessed by many people.

Sengoku Kiyosumi, who was secretly delighted, immediately felt very upset when she saw this scene. She knew that it was not easy to meet someone you really liked, so how could she let someone else take him away?

He really likes Fuji Syusuke's older sister, Fuji Yumiko, and is a huge fan of hers, but she's a bit older.

Besides, in terms of how much she admires someone, Fuji Yumiko is nowhere near as attractive as this pretty girl outside the net.

Sengoku Kiyosumi suddenly looked at Natsume Tsukiya, and a firm reason arose in his heart to defeat this second-year student in front of him!

When Guan Yue looked at the girl, his eyes also lit up with desire, just like when he saw Fuji Syusuke's older sister, Fuji Yumiko.

When he saw Natsume Tsukiya waving, he chuckled, tugging at his bangs, "Oh, you've gathered some good information."

Fudomine's Tachibana An frowned slightly at Natsume Tsukiya's smiling face.

"What's wrong with that guy? He was so determined to go on a date with her a moment ago, and now... He's really strange... But is it really okay to put him in singles number one, facing Sengoku Yamabuki?"

She was completely focused on the competition, only occasionally glancing at the seemingly solitary girl on the sidelines. She thought she was so beautiful, just like the girl from the Ginza posters, and couldn't help but regret rejecting Jian back then...

However, such thoughts only passed by in an instant. One of her tasks was to ascertain the strength of Hyotei, and the other was to get a general idea of ​​Natsume Tsukiya's situation.

"Click click click!"

Inoue Mamoru was overjoyed.

Finally, it was time for Natsume Tsukiya's match.

He raised his camera and started snapping away, his leisurely posture, his casual gait, his composed elegance, his state of enjoyment...

What he, a middle-aged man, envied even more was that she had such a natural ability to control herself.

"What will happen between Yamabuki's ace and Hyotei's ace?"

Inoue Mamoru muttered to himself.

"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei!"

"Natsume is the winner."

"Natsume Natsume!"

The overwhelming cheers from Hyotei instantly filled the entire stadium.

Natsume Tsukiya turned sideways to face Kiyosumi Sengoku, swung his racket powerfully, pointed it at him, and said:

"Are you ready, lucky Sengoku?!"

Sengoku Kiyosuke paused for a moment. Did the other party know his name?

The scene fell silent.

Sengoku Kiyosumi was eagerly anticipating his impressive performance when he saw Natsume Tsuki also relax with a grin, approaching, scratching his head, and showing off his white teeth with an air of naiveté:

"Nice to meet you!"

A huge weight lifted from Sengoku Kiyosumi's heart, and she instantly felt calmer. So the other person was a newcomer, truly a newcomer. She chuckled to herself, thinking:

"I'm so lucky!!"