The Prince of Tennis, Talent Replication

"No, no, how can I react like this just because my opponent is weaker?"

Kiyosumi Sengoku was pleased with himself, then shook his head, dismissing his thoughts, and then thought:

"The opponent shouldn't be weak either, otherwise how could they play one-on-one? That should be right. But I heard that the opponent came from the bench. Does that mean Hyotei is sure to win the first three games, so they gave me the chance to practice on to a second-year student?"

Sengoku Kiyosumi, with a rich inner world, mostly concerned with that girl, stood there lost in thought, pondering to himself:

"No matter what, it's best if the other person isn't too weak, otherwise how can I perform in front of someone I like? Hehehehe."

"Hey, hey."

Natsume Tsuki also waved his hand in front of his eyes, asking in confusion:

"Lucky Sengoku, it's time to choose sides."

"oh."

His voice suddenly rose eight octaves. Sengoku Kiyosumi scratched his head, grinning, but his eyes darted towards the sidelines as he chuckled:

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

Natsume Tsuki followed his gaze and thought to himself, "Sengoku, you've already found a way to die!"

"You choose that side; my luck today is heads!"

Sengoku Kiyosumi asked, pressing his racket.

"Then I'll reluctantly play the villain," Natsume Tsuki said, shrugging.

"The villain?" Sengoku Kiyosumi paused for a moment, then twirled her racket, muttering, "Lucky, lucky!"

The racket spun rapidly, and Sengoku Kiyosumi's eyes followed it with excitement. Seeing the racket fall to the ground with a thud, he leaned over to take a closer look and immediately became delighted:

"Today is definitely my lucky day! I got the first goal!"

The two took their places.

"Hyotei Academy vs. Yamabuki Middle School, singles match, one set to decide the winner, Yamabuki Sengoku serves."

The referee looked at both sides and made an impartial announcement.

"Lucky, lucky."

Kiyosumi Sengoku muttered to himself, looking towards the sidelines with a smile, before reaching out and catching the bouncing ball without even glancing at it.

"call out!"

He tossed the ball high into the air.

Time seemed to stand still, and he even took a moment to glance outside.

The ball slowly rose into the air. Sengoku Kiyosumi, with his super dynamic vision, fixed his gaze on the ball, leaped up, and the ball and he soared into the sky together.

A loud gasp immediately erupted from Yamabuki's side. Those who were unaware of what was happening listened closely and focused their attention on the situation on the field:

"Look, it's a Tiger Cannon! It's a Tiger Cannon!"

"As expected of Sengoku, who has incredible luck, he used his signature move, Tiger Cannon, as soon as he entered the arena."

"It seems that the guys from Hyotei have really angered him."

"He started with the Tiger Cannon. Sengoku really cared about the honor of our Yamabuki. I'm so touched."

"If we use the Tiger Cannon from the start, we'll score."

.....

The opening move, Tiger Cannon, with its distinctive characteristics, was bound to surprise everyone, inevitably evoking a range of emotions.

With Yamabuki's defeat so humiliating, everyone placed their final glory upon Sengoku Kiyosumi.

Most people thought he did it to highlight Yamabuki's glory.

In fact,

Sengoku Kiyosumi just wanted to make a good impression on the girl he liked.

The Tiger Cannon move is best executed like this: a sudden, large leap, the tennis ball soaring into the sky, and then powerfully smashing it into the opponent's midcourt at the perfect moment, like an eagle shading the blazing sun—its coolness is undeniable.

His leap was different from others, instantly attracting countless eyes.

His leaps, like a whale leaping across the sea, his incredibly long and slender body, and his orange hair flowing in the wind, all perfectly reflected his inner vision.

Suddenly, a loud, short, and powerful bang was heard.

The yellow tennis ball in the air transformed into a streak of light, hurtling into Natsume Tsukiya's court at a peculiar angle.

Natsume Tsukiya also tried his best, running quickly to catch up, but to outsiders he appeared somewhat hurried and flustered.

"Bang!"

He extended his racket and caught the ball, but it seemed so forced. Compared to Sengoku Kiyosumi's sharp and handsome style, it even looked defeated.

Sengoku Kiyosumi was slightly surprised to see that he had actually caught his Tiger Cannon, but the fact that Natsume Tsuki had also struggled only highlighted his own handsome strength, which made him even more proud. He thought to himself:

"Alright, alright, that's settled then. I'm sorry, but defeating you is unavoidable now!"

Thinking about it, the second shot was already poised to launch.

"Bang!"

The air swirls around the racket, casting a white shadow.

Anyone with eyes could see that Kiyosumi Sengoku had gone all out this time, and the impact of his strikes could be felt even from the sidelines.

Hasty!

Hasty!

A chaotic mess!

This newcomer from Hyotei, facing Kiyosumi Sengoku's fierce attacks, always seemed somewhat flustered. Yet, amidst this unprofessional chaos, he somehow managed to return almost every single ball...

This greatly shocked the onlookers.

"What's going on with that guy from Hyotei?"

"That's too much of a stretch."

"No way, at this rate, we can't hold out much longer."

"That's right, Sengoku's attack is so fierce, he can only hold on for two or three more goals at most before he loses."

......

Sengoku Kiyosumi listened intently to the numerous comments, his attacks becoming increasingly fierce. Every shot his opponent made was a struggle, and he could feel it firsthand. The feeling of those returns landing on the racket was unmistakable.

Whether a ball lands on a racket with a weak, limp feel or with a heavy, weighty impact, only the person holding the racket truly knows.

As a seasoned veteran, Kiyosumi Sengoku knew very well that if he just increased his strength, his opponent's arm would soon give out.

Sengoku Kiyosumi looked around and saw that Natsume Tsuki across from him was also panting heavily, his breath ragged. He was overjoyed, and a feeling of good luck welled up inside him.

With the goddess watching over him, he ran with all his might, his arms swinging with increasing force with each ball.

Banta Mikiya's face remained completely still, without a single muscle twitch, his usual smile fixed on the two figures in the arena. Sengoku Kiyosumi, on the other hand, was acting as if she were on steroids—a rare sight indeed, but...

"As the saying goes, 'a leaf can block the view of a thousand stones.' What appears to be exhaustion and panting is merely a superficial display of weakness, like a grimacing face. On the other hand, have you noticed how long you've been running without realizing it?"

Sengoku Kiyosumi didn't care about any of that; he just felt great playing ball after ball, as if every ball landed in his favorite spot.

With each shot, the anticipation for the next one immediately fills the mind; this exhilarating feeling is captivating, utterly captivating.

He showcased his cool moves to the fullest with every shot.

......

"What's wrong with the minister?"

"Yes, why does Natsume look like he's struggling so much?"

"Is this still the Natsume we know?"

"It seems that Sengoku from Yamabuki is really strong."

"If they keep playing like this, Hyotei will lose."

Why is this happening?

...

The Hyotei camp gradually grew confused, their eyes revealing worry and bewilderment, their expressions complex and hard to describe.

"Hmph, that guy is using that trick again."

Keigo Atobe crossed his legs, propped himself up on his chair with one hand, and watched the incredibly realistic performance in the arena without a trace of worry on his face.

but,

That kind of performance might fool others, but it can't fool Atobe Keigo's eyes.

He began:

"That Sengoku from Yamabuki is being completely played, and he doesn't even realize it."

Everyone was suddenly reminded of the school's ranking competition.

Suddenly realizing it:

"Yes, the minister just likes these kinds of tricks."

"Is this alright?"

"No problem, no problem, what's the problem?"

"Yeah, it's fine to play ball the way you like."

"The other person is happy too."

"That Sengoku, he's so happy now, but he'll be in so much pain later."

......

Many people are still puzzled, among whom Tachibana An is the most confused.

The members of St. Rudolf, including Michiaki, Fuji Yuuta, and Inoue Mamoru, had witnessed Natsume Tsukiya's abilities, so although they were puzzled, they were not very concerned.

Kippei's younger sister, Anzu, had never seen Natsume Tsukiya act silly. She had only seen him spar with Momoshiro Taketoku at the basketball court, but the scene back then was not as rushed as it is now.

"Just how strong is he?"

Tachibana An stared blankly at Natsume Tsukiya in the arena, her pupils and the corners of her lips filled with disbelief. Could this be the Street Fighter?

Or was what I saw a lie?

Perhaps it's all just a figment of my imagination, and street courts simply can't exist?

Ju Xing shook her head vigorously, the more she thought about it, the more outrageous it seemed, but what exactly was going on?

While it's true that Yamabuki is very strong, as you can see from her fight against Fudomine, Sengoku Kiyosumi was indeed defeated by Momoshiro of Seigaku.

Natsume Tsuki, who also called Momoshiro, couldn't even get a single point, so how could he possibly be overwhelmed by someone Momoshiro defeated?

Could it be that Sengoku has been undergoing secret training during this period?

Anzu's thoughts surged, and all sorts of strange ideas emerged to explain Natsume Tsukiya's current contrasting behavior.

Anyway,

My mind is a complete mess.

"That guy is much stronger than that."

Fuji Yuta was indignant.

He watched his older brother Fuji Syusuke's match at Seigaku before rushing over. Seeing Natsume Tsukiya's strained appearance on the field, he recalled the scene from that day.

Guan Yuechu chimed in with a hum:

"If Sengoku of Yamabuki underestimates Natsume Tsukiya, he'll suffer the consequences."

At that very moment, Sengoku Kiyosumi shouted:

"Alright, let's go!"

He took large strides, but felt a slight weakness in his ankles, which flashed through his nerves and then vanished just as quickly, making him think it was just his imagination.

He leaped high, stretched his torso, and smashed the tennis ball, which briefly deformed in the net and unexpectedly flew into Natsume Tsukiya's court.

Seeing Natsume Tsuki's flustered state, Sengoku Kiyosumi immediately concluded, "What a pity, what a pity, they've scored!"

Natsume Tsukiya, like a fish that had slipped through the net, ran towards the back of the field, like a tiny human being desperately trying to catch the crashing meteorite.

"Can't receive it, can't receive it~"

Sengoku Kiyosumi landed slowly.

"puff!"

A soft sound.

Sengoku Kiyosumi glanced up at the girl off the court, then looked again and saw the yellow tennis ball hit the edge of the racket of the second-year Hyotei player, flying over his head like an airplane and landing in the backcourt.

With her exceptional dynamic vision and the almost schizophrenic judgment of the grid office, Sengoku Kiyosumi revealed a bright smile in the sunlight, thinking to herself:

"How lucky to be outside this world!"

He had already anticipated that the ball would be out of bounds, so he didn't try to catch it.

"Look!"

"It's not out of bounds."

Suddenly, someone outside the field shouted loudly.

Sengoku Kiyosumi was stunned and turned to look.

The ball did not follow Newton's laws precisely as a solid object; instead, it drifted and floated, like a leaf above the hole.

Ranran landed near the baseline, just barely grazing it, and rolled leisurely into the middle of the court.

"..."

Sengoku Kiyosumi was instantly dumbfounded, her lips twitching a few times. Could this even be possible?!

"Oh?"

Off the field, they stared at each other blankly.

No one knows what happened.

All I know is that what just happened was indeed bizarre. The ball hit the racket, and given the speed, it should have been out of bounds.

"Hey, Atobe, what happened?"

When Ryo Mido saw that scene, he was stunned and had no idea why this was happening.

Keigo Atobe possesses extraordinary penetrating eyes, enabling him to turn objects in a field into inverted photographs.

"....."

Atobe Keigo didn't answer immediately. He had seen everything. The ball, which had been flying smoothly towards the other side, suddenly began to rotate in the opposite direction at its highest point, then swayed from side to side, like a whirlpool forming at a small opening in a turbulent current. However, he couldn't explain it clearly, and could only say:

"That's that guy's trick."

"Love fifteen!"

The referee was also stunned. He didn't expect that the ball would turn out like that, and he was even more surprised that the side that was attacking fiercely didn't score, but the side that was struggling to cope scored instead.

"What happened?"

"Yeah, they actually scored."

"Sengoku has been playing for so long, and the opponent actually got the points first."

Was that just a coincidence?

"It must have been a fluke that he won."

"That's right, it's just a coincidence. Don't worry, Sengoku will definitely win."

.....

Perhaps it was too intense just now.

The impression given was that Sengoku Kiyosumi was bound to win this point, and this result can only be attributed to chance.

"Is it a coincidence?"

Sengoku Kiyosumi pondered seriously for a second, then made a decision:

"It must have been a coincidence."

The way Natsume Tsuki looked at his chest further confirmed his suspicions.

Thinking of this, all my dejection vanished, and I immediately felt a surge of enthusiasm again, secretly encouraging myself:

"Alright, we must win the next ball!"

"Wow, how lucky!"

Unexpectedly, a heartfelt "Xin Yue" came from the other side.

Sengoku Kiyosumi looked over and saw that the second-year student from Hyotei seemed genuinely happy because of the lucky ball.

Joy that comes from the heart and the eyes?

Shouldn't I be the lucky one?

Sengoku Kiyosumi paused slightly before stepping towards the backstage area.

"Tap tap tap~"

The tennis ball bounced back on the ground.

Unaffected, Kiyosumi Sengoku smiled again and tossed the ball high into the air.

A surge of energy welled up from all four limbs, and with a large stride, he leaped into the air, his posture indicating that he was about to unleash the impressive Tiger Cannon move.

"No, that won't work."

Fuji Yuuta frowned, his gaze sharp and intense as he stared intently at the arena, thinking to himself:

"A serve of this quality is completely incapable of scoring."

But how could the innocent Sengoku know any of this? He raised his arm high and had already passed the ball!