The Prince of Tennis, Talent Replication

In the lens,

Jackal Kuwabara ran one hand through his hair and held a razor in the other, repeatedly making shaving motions on his bald head. He looked extremely focused, which even gave Inoue Mamoru the illusion that he was not at the scene of the competition.

Side,

Marui Bunta lowered his head, leaned forward, and kept moving his mouth as he slowly devoured the pastry in his hand.

"Click-clack!"

Mamoru Inoue pressed the shutter.

"Are those guys here to compete or to have fun?"

The Fudomine members walked over, and Kamio Akira was indignant.

"They seem to completely disregard Hyotei," Anzu Tachibana said worriedly.

"Who will Rikkai and Hyotei send out?" Tachibana Kippei asked with great interest.

Inoue Mamoru began:

"Eating dessert before a match to replenish energy is a habit of Bunta Marui..."

Inoue Mamoru's investigation of Rikkai University was very detailed, and he knew the personal habits of the students like the back of his hand.

Hyotei direction—

Kippei's gaze fell on Tsukiya Natsume.

Go!

Shintaro, still making his signature gesture, pointed towards the center of the arena, and the appearance of the two immediately sparked considerable discussion:

"It turns out to be Ryo Mido, who lost 0-6 to Kippei Tachibana, and Chotaro Ootori, whose serve is inconsistent."

"Hyotei sent these two, they probably can't beat Rikkai."

"Hyotei, these two are really asking too much of us."

.......

"Just go and play normally."

Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara stood in front of Sanada Genichiro, casually turning their heads to glance at the Hyotei duo, and nodded:

"Don't worry, we've got this game in the bag."

Marui Bunta slung his racket over his shoulder, green bubbles in his mouth expanding and exploding, expanding again. The two of them moved with ease, displaying their confidence to the fullest.

As Genichiro Sanada said, Rikkai's goal has always been the same: to win the national championship and achieve a perfect three-peat.

Kanto Tournament

However, during one of their formalities, they casually took off the first crown and put it on their head!

The nonchalant attitude of the two members reveals the overall state of mind of the Rikkai team.

This inexplicable self-confidence is both enviable and desirable; without real strength, one could never be so carefree and relaxed.

"Chōtarō!"

"Mido-senpai." The two Hyotei looked at the person opposite them.

"Bring out everything the minister taught us."

"Yes, Senior Mido."

"From the regional preliminaries onwards, haven't we been working so hard for this day?"

Ryo Mido turned to look at Chotaro Ootori and extended his fist.

Two fists collide:

"Fight to the very end!!"

Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara looked surprised.

The four finally stood in the center of the court. Separated by a net, Marui Bunta blew out a bubble, pulled it back into his mouth, and laughed:

"You're the guy who got beaten 6-0 by Mido?"

Ryo Mido frowned. Was this matter going to be unresolved?

"No matter how your second-year student became the captain, and no matter how he talks to reporters, Hyotei will eventually be defeated by Rikkai."

Marui Bunta continued relentlessly:

"Of course, what kind of strength can a team have that can get knocked into the loser's bracket and relegated to the second round?"

"..."

In the past, Ryo Mido would have exploded long ago, but at this moment he was very calm. The stronger a person is, the less likely they are to be provoked when faced with setbacks.

Marui Bunta shrugged, a hint of disappointment in his expression, and said:

"I thought we'd get a stronger player to play with, but I didn't expect..."

Choose sides.

Ryo Mido ignored his comment and got straight to the point.

He knew he didn't need to say anything more; the captain of the second-year class at Hyotei had already made it very clear.

It doesn't matter what score you lost to whom; all you need to do is swing your racket at a stronger opponent, and all the rumors will eventually disappear.

"We choose the front."

Marui Bunta popped the green bubble with a "poof".

"It's the reverse!"

The racket, which had been spinning rapidly, stopped and fell to the ground under Ryo's watchful eyes. He looked up, but the two Rikkai players opposite him didn't seem to care at all.

Upon hearing the result, Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara from Rikkai University turned and walked towards the back of the field.

"Hopefully, you can hold on a little longer."

Marui Bunta suddenly turned his head and said:

"Otherwise it wouldn't be fun."

Ryo Mido and Chotaro Ootori, however, focused their gazes on the black wristbands on the wrists of Bunta Marui and Kuwabara the Jackal. They exchanged a glance, and everything was understood without a word.

Turning back to their own backcourt, Ryo Mido positioned himself in front.

The referee announced:

"Hyotei vs. Kaidai, a decisive set, Hyotei's Phoenix serve!"

The two Rikkai students stood loosely, with Marui Bunta constantly blowing bubble gum.

"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei has won!"

"Let's go, let's go, Rikkai University, Rikkai University, Rikkai University."

"..."

The cheers instantly filled the entire venue, leaving those schools that could only compete alone and had no clubs or cheerleading squads astonished and filled with envy.

"Chōtarō, teach them a lesson."

Ryo Mido stared at the person opposite him.

"Tap tap tap!"

As Chotaro dribbled the ball, he thought to himself:

"Our Hyotei team must win this match, or we'll have let our captain down!"

"One ball~~Enter the soul!!"

He tossed the tennis ball lightly over his head, and a white aura swirled around his wrist, the force flowing like water clearing a channel, continuously converging into his right arm.

"Bang!!"

The sound of the impact startled the two Rikkai University students on the other side, causing them to look at each other in surprise.

The airflow in the space suddenly became chaotic, as if a gust of wind was rushing in with the sound.

There was a loud bang, a sudden explosion that seemed to shake the ground.

Marui Bunta was startled. When he turned his head again, the ground beside him was emitting a pungent blue smoke, as if it had been scorched by the blazing sun.

"Fifteen...Fifteen to zero!!"

Marui Bunta and his companion stared at the ground, the deep imprint instantly etched into their minds.

The two looked up at each other, both surprised.

Jackal Kuwabara:

"That shot was really powerful."

Marui Bunta stared at the person opposite him, blowing bubbles one after another, but his expression had returned to calm.

"Great!!"

Cheers erupted from the Hyotei side:

"Chōtarō, well done!"

"Great, we've got the first place!"

.....

"Tap tap tap!"

Feng Changtaro felt no ripples in his heart, not even a trace of self-satisfaction. He dared not relax for a moment, for his opponent was Rikkai University, the Rikkai University that made people feel breathless.

"Bang!"

In the eyes of the jackal Kuwabara, it was like a flash of green light in the pitch-black night, just a flash before his eyes, followed by a huge roar as it crashed into the ground.

He instinctively turned his head to look, only to see the ball had already floated away, hit the wall, and bounced back.

"Thirty to zero!!"

Marui Bunta straightened up, his body slightly bent, and said calmly:

"I heard this guy misses one out of every three serves, and he's already missed two..."

Jackal Kuwabara understood his meaning.

Let's observe further.

According to Inui Sadaharu's investigation, the two had a nearly 80% chance of losing points in the first game, but a 100% chance of winning the match.

The two like to give their opponents hope in the first game, and then extinguish that hope themselves.

"Bang!"

"40 to 0!"

Another laser beam struck the spot.

Jackal Kuwabara was taken aback, a slight look of surprise appearing in his pupils. "No...no mistake?!"

Marui Bunta also frowned slightly.

Ryo Mido stared at the two of them, thinking to himself:

"If you can't learn even after being taught step-by-step by someone like that, then you might as well not play tennis anymore!"

That kind of person naturally refers to Natsume Tsukiya, but who?

Off-site,

Genichiro Sanada frowned slightly. Was the point scored without contact intentional, or...?

"Very good, keep it up. Every point you can win in your service games increases your chances of winning."

On the other hand, Shintaro was in a completely opposite state. Feng's progress was truly remarkable, which was beyond his expectations. As a result, Shintaro was very willing to entrust everything to Natsume Tsukiya.

"Bang!"

It's empty.

It gives the impression of being drawn with a single stroke.

The two students from Rikkai University slightly bent their knees, then raised them, then bent their knees again, repeating this several times, almost never leaving their positions.

"Game Hyotei, score 1-0!!!"

"What happened?"

"A score was achieved without any contact."

"What exactly are Jackal and Marui up to?"

"Our Rikkai University's ace player was actually being dominated by the other side."

"That's unlikely, that's Marui, you know..."

Within the Rikkai University camp, murmurs of surprise and doubt arose.

Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara lost the first round without even moving.

And what's more, they didn't even touch the ball once.

This has never happened in past competitions.

.....

"I never expected that Phoenix would be so powerful," Sanada Genichiro thought to himself.

"Their serve is really good."

Marui Bunta casually slung his racket over his shoulder, seemingly unconcerned, and said:

"However, you can't win a match just by serving."

"It seems we need to get serious too," said Jackal Kuwabara.

"Don't worry, when have we ever lost a service game in an Open tournament?"

Marui Bunta was confident. Although he lost this game, it was still a probing game. His opponent happened to be a player who excelled at serving, and he was certainly skilled—specifically, skilled at serving. Serving and rallies are two different things...

"It seems that Hyotei has had a good start, but it remains to be seen whether they can maintain this advantage."

Inoue Mamoru stood on the sidelines, staring at the Rikkai duo, thinking to himself:

"Rikkai University's Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara still haven't taken off their training wristbands. Their future path is still very difficult."

"Tap tap tap!"

Marui Bunta, standing at the back of the court, suddenly sucked the bubble into his mouth and swung his racket to hit the opponent.

"Mido-senpai, it's time!"

Ootori Chōtarō called out.

Ryo Mido already had his racket in his hand and moved swiftly to the left, while Chotaro Ootori moved swiftly to the right. In an instant, their figures overlapped.

"Bang!"

"Zero to fifteen!"

This scene is truly bizarre and unbelievable.

The strange behavior of the two attracted most of the attention of Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara.

After struggling, Ryo Mido sought out Tsukiya Natsume and obtained a technique called "Hades' Shadow".

This technique focuses on training a super half-volley that is short-range, powerful, and fast.

The training method was also very simple. Every day after returning home, they would train with a heavy racket infused with lead stones. After Natsume Tsukiya's Super Airflow Technique was added to their wrists, they became very powerful. Together with Ootori Chotaro, the two of them would overlap and be able to strike unexpectedly.

The two Rikkai students took a few steps and were surprised. The two opposite them seemed to have been well prepared, and they maintained a fighting spirit as soon as they entered the arena.

If Marui and Bunta could accept the previous game, this point made it impossible for them to remain calm.

Ryo Mido's serve was not as fast as Chotaro Ootori's serve, but it was still extremely fast.

Distracted by the overlapping shadows during their exercise, the two were ambushed by Ryo Mido...

"Oh?! "

The people at Rikkai were completely bewildered.

Kirihara Akaya said angrily:

"What are the senior students doing?"

.....

"Bang!"

Marui Bunta continues serving.

The two of them immediately piled on top of each other again.

This time, Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwabara were prepared and were not greatly affected.

Jackal Kuwabara, known as the "Iron Wall," is incredibly fast. In the blink of an eye, he caught up with the ball, eliciting gasps of amazement from the spectators.

Ryo Mido and Chotaro Ootori, however, remained calm and composed.

Suddenly,

The two figures were split in two.

The two rackets were stacked together.

"Bang!"

Without even looking, the two clicked and worked together.

"Bang!"

A loud bang.

The speed and power have both increased to a completely different level.

Marui Bunta, whose speed was not as good as that of the jackal Kuwabara, was just one centimeter away from being caught off guard.

"Zero to thirty!"

The referee's voice was so merciless.

Outside the venue, there was even more murmur of doubt.

"What happened?"

"Marui and Kuwabara, will they not lose their serve?"

"How is that possible?"

"We absolutely cannot afford to lose our serve."

.....

Liu Lian'er spoke:

"If Marui Kuwabara loses his serve, he will likely lose the match."

Kirihara Akaya gritted his teeth:

"Senior, how is this possible? How could Rikkai University possibly lose?"

Liu Lian Erdao:

"If the opponent's serve speed in the first game remains consistent, Marui and Kuwabara won't be able to return it."

"Is it that strong?" Niou Masaharu chuckled.

"The opponent has probably undergone special training and is trying to win all the service game points with their serve."

Liu Lian Erdao:

"In the first, third, and fifth games, there are three points. If Marui and his team lose this game, the opponent will get four points, making it a 4-1 situation. The rest of the games will be very difficult. Judging from their formations, it seems like they are training specifically to counter Rikkai."

"..." Upon hearing his words, Rikkai University was instantly filled with worry.

"However, they haven't taken off their training wristbands yet," Liu Lian'er added.

"This means they still have a chance to turn the tide," said Yagyu Hiroshi.

......

"The other side seems to have gone all out from the start."

Jackal Kuwahara said.

"That's great, that's what makes it fun."

Marui Bunta slowly removed the black wristband from his wrist.

The two threw it aside, kicking up a cloud of dust.