The Prince of Tennis, Talent Replication

Aiming at Natsume Tsukiya!!!

The thought surged into Akutsu's mind, unrelated to anger: since the edge could not be broken through, then the best way to break the cosmic gravity was to attack the center of the universe.

Attack where they must defend!

This third-grade rebel with exceptional athletic talent seemed to have his thoughts become clear after his body's cells gradually awakened. His mind was so sharp that he could figure out the problem in just a moment.

"Get moving!!"

Akutsu's already enormous eyes suddenly snapped open, widening like a bull's, and he let out a strange laugh that contained a chilling excitement.

"call!"

The racket in his hand whistled through the air.

With exaggerated gestures, a loud "thump" echoed as Akutsu seemingly channeled all his strength into the ball, his extreme madness radiating from his hair.

"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~"

Like a tennis ball breaking free from its airtight grip, it hurtled towards Natsume Tsukiya.

Who is Natsume Tsukiya?

How could he be a submissive person?

Hehehe, that's impossible.

Seeing Akutsu's excitement, he could no longer remain lukewarm; his very being wouldn't allow it. So, mimicking Akutsu's tone, he shouted:

"Don't order me around!!!"

The sound was drawn out for a very long time.

This caught Akutsu off guard after her fall.

Shiba Saori was startled by this roar and didn't understand why or how things had turned out this way.

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh!"

Natsume Tsukiya's lineup was no less impressive than Akutsu's, his arms swinging like oars, as if he had been forced into a life-or-death battle by the Yamabuki monster.

"That monster from Yamabuki is really something!"

"Yeah, when Natsume Tsuki fought against others before, he always dominated."

"Akuzu, as expected."

.....

Akutsu's smile was as wide as a man-eating flower, just waiting for Natsume Tsukiya to suddenly retaliate. Compared to Natsume Tsukiya, who had dismissed him without moving, Akutsu felt that even if he lost this point, he had gained a lot. At least he had made Natsume Tsukiya take it seriously.

Shiba Saori was initially very anxious, but seeing Natsume Tsuki also so serious, and based on her understanding of his abilities, she felt much more at ease.

"ah!!"

Natsume Tsukiyaki shouted loudly, then suddenly gripped the racket with both hands, stopped spinning, and held it upright in front of his eyes. A soft thud was heard, and his clear face emerged from behind the racket, sticking out his tongue playfully and cleverly:

"Stop joking, hehehe!"

"Tap tap tap~"

The tennis ball bounced on the court in Akutsu.

The mountain-blowing monster seemed to have been struck in the brain by frost, and was momentarily stunned.

The joy in my heart came quickly like a tide, and receded even faster, leaving no trace.

Just now, what was that expression and what was that guy from Hyotei doing?

Just mechanically hold the racket up in front of you like that?

That's it?

That's it?

Is that all it took to deal with the ball that you poured all your energy into?

Akutsu remained silent, but a wave of frustration surged within him.

However, that wretched thing even playfully stuck out its tongue, taunting us!

"Click click click~"

Gripping his racket tighter and tighter, Akutsu suddenly turned and walked towards the backcourt.

"call out!"

Silence fell.

Akutsu's strange laughter and odd excitement vanished from his face, leaving only a deathly stillness that was extremely unsettling to look at.

"Akuzu, what's with that expression on his face?"

"I don't know, that's terrifying."

.....

"Bang!"

Akutsu's gaze was fixed on Natsume Tsukiya's hand movements, trying to see through everything.

"Bang!"

Natsume Tsukiya also patted him, his movements far more exaggerated than anyone could have imagined, a smug look on his face.

"Kid, don't get too cocky."

Akutsu couldn't help but shout angrily.

"Enjoy life while you can!"

As Akutsu sang a poem he couldn't understand at all, his body became unsteady, his steps faltering, and he swayed as if about to fall.

Fukawa: "What is Natsume Tsukiya doing?"

Izumi looked towards Shiba Saori's direction:

"Could it be that he drank it?"

The group all looked at Shiba Saori.

Shiba Saori turned her head and immediately made eye contact with the others.

She blinked, glanced down at the drink beside her, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed, and walked over with a puzzled look. She picked it up and, without hesitation, took a sip of Natsume Tsukiya's drink.

"No alcohol?"

Looking further into the arena, Natsume Tsuki is indeed in the state of a drunkard!

Oh dear, what on earth is this jerk doing?

Shizusa had a whole host of questions on her mind.

"Let not the golden goblet stand empty before the moon!"

"Bang!"

Natsume Tsuki also casually swung his hand, his mind hazy with intoxication.

Akutsu saw a crescent moon flying towards him and narrowed his eyes. As expected of someone with exceptional athletic talent, he instantly recognized it as the afterimage left by a tennis ball.

Suddenly, the faint moon shadow split into three.

There were three paths?

Which one is the real one?

Akutsu had no time to think about anything else; he was only focused on how to distinguish them.

"This move is called 'Three People in One Shadow'!"

A voice came from the other side.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Akutsu roared and charged forward, his figure flashing left and right, swinging his racket with a whoosh, and after two more swings, the figure disappeared.

Akutsu was overjoyed; that was all that remained.

With renewed vigor, he charged forward, wielding his full strength in sweeping, powerful strokes towards the shadow.

"call!"

Instead of a solid, reassuring impact, my arm felt a hollow, desolate sensation.

He was suddenly filled with doubt.

"This move is also called 'scooping the moon from the seabed'!"

Natsume Tsuki also calmly said over there:

"How can you try to catch the moon's reflection in the water with a net?"

"Tap tap tap!"

A yellow tennis ball rolled provocatively to Akutsu's feet.

"You brat..." Akutsu was furious.

"how?"

Akutsu tapped his back with his racket and asked.

"....."

Akutsu was speechless...

I can't beat them in a fight! I can't beat them in a fight!

I was going crazy.

.....

"Did you hear that? Another new amazing technique! Creating three people with your own shadow?"

"Trying to catch the moon's reflection in the sea?"

"Natsume Tsuki is really scary."

"But why isn't Akutsu hitting anyone anymore?"

"Akuzu can't beat him, can he?"

.....

They're discussing tennis over there.

Shisaori stared blankly at the two drinks in her hands, perplexed. "Ugh, which one is his?"

After taking a sip of both cups, I was so engrossed in the game that when I came to my senses I couldn't tell which cup was Natsume Tsukiya's.

She didn't even think about it; she'd already drunk them all, so why would she care which one had the purest genetics?

but,

The woman's attention was drawn away again.

Natsume Tsukiya is no longer drunk?

Doubt, doubt, truly a dizzying doubt.

"Akuzu, there's no shame in admitting defeat!!"

"..."

He should have kept quiet, but now that he's emphasized it, hey, this monster Yamabuki, how can he lose face?

This face of mine, I'd rather be beaten until it's swollen and mangled, or just give up on myself, than have my abdomen cut open in a minute!

The monster's body was full of power, as if it had inexhaustible strength.

"call out!"

Snapped!

Now, Akutsu knew perfectly well that with his current skills, it was impossible to teach that god-like opponent a good lesson. He could only hope that the match wouldn't end too badly.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

.....

The bullet trains whizzed by like bullets, their yellow streaks of light creating a chaotic jumble of lines.

The onlookers had forgotten why they had been hiding, and they all stood up, staring in astonishment at the exciting game.

"That's amazing!"

"Both of them are amazing."

"I never expected that Akutsu of Yamabuki would have such resilience."

"Yeah, I heard from the people at Yamabuki that Akutsu only has a three-minute attention span when it comes to things. Today..."

. . . . .

Akutsu's forehead gradually became sweaty, and his attention was no longer on his surroundings. His feet and arms had an increasingly strong urge to stop, but like holding in his urine on a long-distance bus, he just couldn't stop.

Meanwhile, the guy on the other side was still using the same ball-drawing technique, which made Akutsu extremely frustrated.

The plan is to exhaust that brat on the other side!

Akutsu was quite proud of his physical strength.

Since we can't break through head-on, let's exhaust them.

Even if he just stands still and swings the racket, does his arm still hurt? Does it get tired? Does he have trouble lifting it?

As long as you have enough of a wall to stand firm, the one that falls will be the other side!

Can,

As the number of balls hit in a rally increases,

Monster A felt as if his arm was made of heavy wood, completely unlike the lightness of bones and muscles. He looked up and couldn't help but hope:

"That guy, he's probably like me, right?!"

Akutsu continued, forcibly injecting himself with power.

The light of the setting sun, from wisps and strands, became a hazy blur, then slowly retreated with the shadows, turning the sky into a clear, bright reddish-orange!

"How long are these two going to fight?"

"No way, is Akutsu that strong?"

"In my opinion, it would have been over long ago if Natsume had used all his special moves. But why is he dragging things out with Akutsu?"

"I just don't understand, it's getting dark."

......

The extras looked up at the increasingly dark sky, torn between wanting to leave and eagerly wanting to know the outcome of the battle.

Shisagi kept checking the time and then answered the phone:

"Hey, Inoue-senpai?"

"Ah-Zhi, have you interviewed Natsume Tsukiya yet?"

"what?"

Inoue Mamoru's reminder made Shiba Saori suddenly realize that she had come to interview Natsume Tsukiya, and now she had completely forgotten about it.

Forced to answer with a guilty conscience:

"Inoue-senpai, not yet!"

"What?"

Inoue Mamoru's tone was very excited:

"Not...not yet? What were you doing all afternoon?"

"I'm sorry, Inoue-senpai."

"I'm asking what you're doing?" Inoue Mamoru said.

"I watched Natsume Tsukiya play tennis with Yamabuki Akutsu at a street tennis court."

"Street... tennis court?"

The key to capturing Inoue Mamoru is:

"Wait, you mean, Akutsu and Natsume Tsuki also play ball, you mean Akutsu from Yamabuki?"

"..."

Shisagi, without a trace of unease, answered the microphone, word by word:

"It's Akutsu, the guy from Yamabuki who played with Echizen Ryoma and then left the team, Inoue-senpai!"

"Which tennis court?" Inoue Mamoru asked eagerly.

"yes......"

"Which street tennis court is it?"

Inoue Mamoru relentlessly pursued her, and Shiba Saori hesitated for a moment before reluctantly answering:

"Inoue-senpai at the Nimachi Street Tennis Court!"

After saying that, she pouted.

She was extremely reluctant for Inoue to come over.

Although I wouldn't quite admit it was a date, deep down I had that expectation, especially after witnessing that battle; the feeling was indescribable...

-

Akutsu already felt as if his legs were swimming against the current, with the resistance gradually increasing.

My arm gradually lost sensation.

But who is he?

He's Akutsu, after all.

How can we let people look down on us so easily?

That's not possible.

The only way is to persevere, to shout to rouse myself, to shout to fight off burnout...

Inoue Mamoru rushed over in a hurry, but before he could climb to the top of the platform, he heard a strange roar. His heart skipped a beat, and he quickened his pace.

The setting sun hung like blood on the horizon.

A cool breeze was blowing smoothly.

The source of the roar could be seen from afar.

He was stunned for a moment.

Is that still Akutsu?

Is that still the Akutsu I know?

The tenacity displayed in that struggle is not the same as Akutsu's casual disdain for tennis.

Inoue Mamoru had a million disbeliefs.

"Bang!"

"Tap tap tap~"

I could no longer hold the racket in my hand. For the first time, I felt that what I couldn't hold was not the racket, but the disdain for everything in my heart.

He's always a pro at every sport, and what kind of bullshit Taekwondo has third, fourth, fifth, and sixth dan ranks? One sentence from him is "Don't order me around," and anyone who pisses him off is in danger!

Akutsu,

Talent that comes too easily is not worth cherishing.

Persisting until now,

Isn't it all for that sense of pride?

But this racket is like sand in your hand; no matter how hard you try, you can't hold onto it.

My eyes widened as I watched the racket fall to the ground, feeling no sensation beneath my feet.

"That guy..."

But his mouth still betrayed his unwillingness. His eyes were fixed on the other side, where the guy was even yawning contentedly. How unwilling he was!

Why, why am I so unwilling to accept this?

Akutsu had absolutely no clue.

All I know is that he lost this battle, which he fought so hard to the bitter end.

This kind of loss,

It's different from losing to Ryoma Echizen.

In that match, we only lost the game.

This match felt like he had lost his facade, his tough exterior, and even his life itself; he was so unwilling to accept it.

How could I reveal my vulnerability to outsiders? Even a hermit crab, if it wants to cry, can only return to the sea!

That guy—Natsume Tsukiya, who exactly is he?!

"Apologize!"

Akutsu stood motionless, while Natsume Tsuki walked over, slung his racket over his shoulder, and gently tapped his back.

"Um?"

Akutsu was taken aback.

"You lost, so you're going to be a deadbeat?" Natsume Tsuki also glanced at him sideways.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Shizusa walked over, and a pink heart hidden under her clothes seemed to be about to burst out, jumping uncontrollably.

"Tch~"

Akutsu turned his head away disdainfully.

"If you don't want to, then forget it."

Natsume Tsukiya was quite nonchalant, placing his hands on either side of his racket and looking indifferent.

But something was already secretly growing.

Akutsu was filled with such bitterness and anguish!

Apologize; it's not like me.

If he doesn't apologize, this despicable guy in front of him will look down on him. Akutsu doesn't care what others think, such as Shiba Saori, Inoue Mamoru, and those guys on the sidelines. He can just walk away and who can say anything?

But he couldn't leave.

This guy, Natsume Tsukiya, is like another version of myself; once he leaves, he starts to despise himself.

This feeling is so strong right now.

"You're very young!"

Akutsu finally said those words.

finished,

His steps seemed to have gained some strength. Although they were incredibly soft and heavy, like cast iron, he gritted his teeth and walked out. He put his hands in his pockets and looked like nothing was wrong, but in reality, he had already reached his limit.

"Hmph~"

Natsume Tsukiya watched the tall figure gradually disappear into the shadows and couldn't help but chuckle. This guy, even his apologies have to be roundabout...

"Did you hear that?" Natsume Tsuki also turned his head and asked.

"What?"

Shiba Saori's heart was pounding. She pulled her hands into her sleeves, her long legs and hands trembling uncontrollably.

He said you're alright!