Whoosh!
On the court, the moment Akutsu prepared to strike, the tennis ball in front of him suddenly changed direction, darting straight downward.
Thud!
"40-30!"
"Again?!"
Seeing the ball change direction for the second time, the members of Hyotei couldn't help but feel their eyelids twitch uncontrollably.
"I see," murmured Yanagi from the Rikkai side, watching Sanada, who was now enveloped in an indescribable black aura. "Yesterday's match... Yukimura's goal was to push Genichirou's potential to its limits."
With that thought, Yanagi instinctively glanced at the boy sitting on the bench—their captain. After watching the match between Hyotei and Rikkai during the Kanto Tournament yesterday, Yukimura had predicted this possibility. His solution was simple: elevate Sanada's strength to ensure a victory, whether against Atobe or Akutsu.
"And if I'm not mistaken," Yanagi thought, turning his gaze back to Sanada, who was now radiating an intense black aura, "Yukimura abruptly ended the match yesterday to keep Genichirou's fighting spirit at its peak."
Yesterday, the climactic match between Rikkai's top players had been left unfinished. After Sanada broke through Yukimura's "Zero Shiki: Muga no Kyōchi" (Zero-Type: Void of the Five Senses), Yukimura suddenly called off the match. This further fueled Sanada's frustration, which was now being unleashed in full force against Akutsu.
Thud!
"Deuce, 40-40!"
Thud!
"Advantage, receiver!"
Thud!
"Game!"
"Rikkai's Sanada leads 3-4!"
"Rikkai, ever victorious!"
"Rikkai will win!"
"Finish him off, Vice Captain!"
Sanada's counterattack ignited the passion of Rikkai's team.
"What on earth is that?"
On the other hand, the Hyotei team's expressions were grim.
"It's not just a simple change in direction," Shishido muttered, his voice tense. "Sanada's doing something to the ball, making it shift twice. It's not a normal trick shot—there's something deeper going on."
"It's like... a puppeteer in a movie," Oshitari chimed in, his tone filled with awe. "Sanada's shots are being controlled as if by invisible strings. It's unbelievable."
Whoosh!
Hearing this, Kabaji suddenly turned to Oshitari. "What did you just say?"
"Uh, I—" Oshitari hesitated, caught off guard.
"Are you talking about puppetry?" Mukahi interjected, shaking his head. "That's just in movies. There's no way it's real."
"Not necessarily," Ishida suddenly spoke up, a smirk playing on his lips. "In a way, Sanada's technique is like that of a puppeteer—controlling the ball as if it were a puppet."
"I see," Oshitari said, his spirits lifting. He turned his attention back to the court, where Sanada and Akutsu were locked in a fierce battle.
Thud!
Sanada swung his racket, sending the ball flying like an arrow.
Whoosh!
But then, in a flash, Sanada raised his racket and slashed upward. A surge of black energy erupted, and the ball, which Akutsu had been preparing to return, suddenly shot upward, completely out of his reach.
"0-15!"
"I see it now," Oshitari said, his eyes narrowing. "Sanada's making a second swing immediately after his initial shot. That black energy is altering the ball's trajectory."
"No way..." The others were stunned.
"Wait," Hiyoshi suddenly interjected. "If that's the case, can't we just watch for the second swing and predict where the ball will go?"
"Exactly!" Mukahi's eyes lit up with realization.
"It's not that simple," Oshitari replied, shaking his head. "Even if someone could react that quickly, Sanada wouldn't just let us predict his moves so easily."
Thud!
At that moment, Sanada swung again. Akutsu's eyes locked onto the racket, watching as Sanada pulled it to the left after the initial swing.
"So... it'll curve to the left?" Akutsu thought, his eyes narrowing. He chased after the ball, ready to adjust his return if it shifted left.
Whoosh!
But to his surprise, the ball didn't change direction. Instead, it flew straight at him, growing larger in his vision until it whizzed past his cheek.
Thud!
The ball hit the ground, and a thin red line appeared on Akutsu's face.
"Game!"
"Rikkai's Sanada ties it at 4-4!"
The match was now even, and the tension in the air was palpable.
"Sanada's in complete control," Oshitari said, his voice low. "He can change his tactics at any moment, and Akutsu has to guess whether each move is real or a feint. This match is slipping into Sanada's rhythm."
On the court, Akutsu touched the stinging cut on his cheek, his eyes cold. He had been played. If he hadn't reacted quickly, that ball would have hit him square in the face.
The hot-tempered Akutsu wasn't about to let this slide. His aura flared as he took a defensive stance.
"Beast mode, huh?" Sanada muttered, his expression icy. "But a beast is still just a beast. Even with deep power, it can't fully utilize it."
In contrast, players like Ishida and Atobe were far more formidable opponents.
With that thought, Sanada focused his energy, ready to end the match in one decisive blow.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The two clashed fiercely, but Akutsu was losing more points than he won. Soon, he was down 4-5.
"Rikkai, ever victorious!"
"Let's go, Rikkai!"
"Finish him in one shot!"
Rikkai's cheers echoed across the court.
Meanwhile, the Hyotei team watched Akutsu with concern. His gray aura was fluctuating wildly, unstable and unpredictable.
Thud!
Akutsu slammed the ball with brutal force.
Crack!
But Sanada, with his "Rai" (Lightning) technique, was already at the ball's landing point in an instant.
Whoosh!
His black aura surged again as he swung, sending the ball shooting forward. Just as Akutsu caught up to it, the ball shifted unexpectedly.
"0-15!"
"Is he completely overwhelmed?" someone from the crowd murmured.
The representatives from other schools watched Sanada with newfound respect. Those who had mocked him earlier now looked on in fear.
"This is the Emperor's comeback," Shirasu, the captain of Rikkai, said with a sigh. "Losing to Ishida knocked Sanada off his pedestal, but this match will remind everyone why he's called the Emperor."
"True," Chitose and Tachibana nodded in agreement. Like Sanada, they had lost to Ishida and understood the depth of his strength.
But now, Sanada was proving that he wasn't someone to be trifled with—not even by a once-in-a-decade tennis prodigy.
Thud!
"0-30!"
Thud!
"0-40!"
Soon, the match reached its climax.
"Akutsu Jin," Sanada said calmly, standing at the baseline. "This match ends here."
Thud!
Akutsu served, and Sanada dashed forward, meeting the ball with a powerful swing.
Thud!
The ball shot forward, and Akutsu chased after it, his expression dark. As the ball flew toward his face, he raised his racket to strike.
Whoosh!
But then, the ball suddenly changed direction.
"It's over..." The Hyotei team's hearts sank. Akutsu had failed to break through Sanada's defenses. He hadn't even touched the ball, completely outplayed by the Emperor.
As the ball flew past him, Akutsu wanted to swing, but his body felt frozen, unable to move.
"Is this how you want it to end?" a mocking voice echoed in his mind.
"Losing to that guy is one thing, but are you really going to let Sanada beat you too?"
Let him win? Never.
Akutsu's body trembled, and the gray beastly aura around him suddenly vanished. But just as everyone thought he had given up, a violent black aura erupted from him.
Boom!
The black energy swirled like a tornado, engulfing the ball mid-flight.
Whoosh!
A black streak shot across the court, slamming into the ground on Sanada's side.
"What?!" The Rikkai team's expressions changed drastically.
Crack!
But in the next moment, Sanada's "Rai" technique activated, and he appeared at the ball's landing point.
"Rai!" Kirihara and the others shouted excitedly.
Whoosh!
Sanada swung his racket with both hands, sending the ball streaking like lightning across the court.
Thud!
But at the baseline, a black figure moved with incredible speed, catching up to the ball.
"How is he that fast?!" Kaidoh and Kamio's eyes widened in shock.
Whoosh!
But then, Sanada's lightning ball suddenly changed direction.
"What?!" Shishido exclaimed. "Even 'Rai' can change direction?!"
Whoosh!
But the black figure adjusted instantly, swinging his racket and sending the ball back through Sanada's legs.
Thud!
"15-40!"
At the baseline, Sanada looked up in disbelief at the figure shrouded in black energy. The pressure was overwhelming.
Whoosh!
The black aura dissipated slightly, revealing Akutsu. His eyes were bloodshot, veins visible across his sclera. A streak of his gray hair had turned black, and his entire body radiated a terrifying, dark energy.
"Gulp." One of the Rikkai players swallowed hard, unable to meet Akutsu's gaze. Despite the lack of killing intent, he felt an icy chill run down his spine.
"Akutsu Jin?" Yukimura murmured, his eyes narrowing. For the first time, he felt a hint of danger from the other player.
"This form... it's like a cold-blooded tyrant," Yanagi said quietly.
Akutsu had transformed. Though he showed no outward emotion, everyone around him instinctively shrank back, intimidated by his presence.
His crimson eyes and the black aura surrounding him gave him the appearance of a ruthless, tyrannical ruler.
"Has he reached the second stage of his breakthrough?" Ishida wondered, watching Akutsu with a hint of surprise.
If the previous Akutsu was a wild beast, this version was a fully evolved, more refined predator.
"Bring it on," Sanada said, taking his position. "Let's see what you've got."
Thud!
Akutsu served, the ball wrapped in black energy tearing through the air. It reached Sanada in an instant, forcing him to dodge to avoid being hit.
Thud!
The ball smashed into the wall, cracking it like a spiderweb.
"This power..." Kirihara and the others paled, fear creeping into their hearts as they looked at the tyrant-like Akutsu.
(End of Chapter)