The Prince of Tennis, Talent Replication

Chapter 158 Two Swings

Chapter 158 Two Swings

"90 centimeters!"

As soon as the referee's voice fell, Akutsu collapsed heavily onto the plastic court, his cheeks covered in a fresh layer of dust, and beads of sweat mixed with grime slid down his forehead, leaving a disheveled mark on his face.

But he did not hesitate at all. He forced himself to sit up, his knees still trembling slightly, but he still looked up at Shuji Tanegashima opposite him. There was no frustration in his eyes, only a determination to burn everything.

"80 centimeters!"

With another pronouncement, Akutsu missed again, his body tumbling across the court, his fingertips barely grazing the edge of the tennis ball, yet he still couldn't stop the ball with its tricky spin.

He suddenly sat up, dusted himself off, and stood up again without saying a word. He gripped his racket tightly and stared intently at Shuji Taneshima. His indomitable spirit moved everyone on the sidelines.

The murmurs from the sidelines were filled with worry: "Can this really go on? He's already fallen several times."

"No problem, look at him, every time he falls, he gets closer to the ball than the last time. Keep going, he'll definitely catch it!"

"But the score is already five to one!"

"Five to one?" someone exclaimed in surprise, their voice filled with regret. "There's only one game left. Can he really turn it around?"

"Is it really impossible to win?"

Across the court, Shuji Taneshima slightly lowered his eyelids and made a playful face at Akutsu, his tone carrying a hint of nonchalant teasing, as if this match was nothing more than a pastime for him.

—

Akutsu frowned sharply, a hint of anger flashing in his eyes, but he did not lash out.

He slowly turned his body and walked towards the service line at the back of the court. It was his turn to serve, as if this was his last chance.

"Tap tap tap!"

The tennis ball bounced rapidly on the racket, making a crisp, rhythmic sound.

Akutsu lowered his eyes, his fingertips gripped the racket tightly, and his breathing gradually became steady along with the aura around him.

The next second, he slowly raised his head, the confusion in his eyes completely disappearing, leaving only a sharp edge, like a beast that had finally found the weakness of its prey.

He suddenly recalled Natsume Tsukiya's two swings, those seemingly empty swings that could manipulate airflow, the image clearly appearing in his mind.

Given his ability to hit the ball with light and the rigorous training he received at Cross, mastering this skill is not impossible.

"Bang!"

The tennis ball is launched like an arrow released from a bow, piercing the air with a sharp sound.

Akutsu raised his hand and followed closely behind, his wrist twisting sharply, the racket whistling through the air as he swung it fiercely towards the direction of the return shot.

"Bang!"

Shuji Taneshima remained relaxed, raising his hand to catch the ball. But just as the tennis ball was about to touch the racket strings, it seemed to hit an invisible air wall, abruptly changing its trajectory, bouncing diagonally and flying past the edge of the racket.

"That's interesting!"

Shuji Taneshima paused slightly, his nonchalant expression faded a bit, then his smile widened, and a hint of seriousness finally ignited in his eyes.

With a flick of his wrist, he moved swiftly, his racket precisely catching up with the bouncing tennis ball and striking it back with a powerful blow.

"What a pity! Just a little bit short!"

Kikumaru Eiji clenched his fist, sighing with regret, but his tone held a hint of surprise.

Looking at the court, Kawamura Takashi exclaimed in admiration, "However, Akutsu is truly remarkable! He found a way to deal with Taneshima in such a short time!"

Takeshi Momoshiro frowned, while Hikaru stared intently at Akutsu's swing, his tone certain: "If I'm not mistaken, someone has used that move before."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Sengoku Kiyosumi suddenly popped his head out, smiling and nodding repeatedly. He winked at Momoshiro Takeshi in a lighthearted tone, "That's the same move Natsume Tsukiya used to counter Tezuka's Zero-Shiki short ball. I've seen it with my own eyes!"

""

"What exactly is the principle behind it?"

Kaoru Kaidou frowned, his tone full of doubt, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his racket.

Sadaharu Inui adjusted his glasses, his eyes wise and resolute: "As far as I know, it's done by precisely swinging the racket, acting on the air, and using the airflow to create an invisible impact force, thereby changing the trajectory of the tennis ball."

"Is this really possible?"

Kikumaru Eiji held his racket, swinging it haphazardly a few times, his face full of confusion: "The air is all slipping through the gaps in the net, how can there be any impact force?"

With a gentle smile, Fuji Syusuke explained softly, "It must be that when you swing the racket, the airflow is trapped at the moment it touches the net, creating a brief air wall that changes the trajectory of the ball."

.

Everyone present was amazed. Jiguang stared intently at Akutsu, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That once unruly junior high school student has mastered such exquisite moves in such a short time.

The atmosphere inside the monitoring room was also unusual.

Sato looked at the screen with admiration: "He really used it very well. It was like a racket that was invisible to the naked eye, acting on the tennis ball a second time. Unfortunately, he still couldn't shake Taneshima's Mugen."

""

Takuji shook his head, his tone fair: "Akuzu is indeed a good prospect, with excellent talent and tenacity, but it will probably be a bit difficult for him to beat Taneshima and Omagari."

Kurobe stared intently at Akutsu on the screen, his tone tinged with anticipation: "Perhaps there will be a surprise."

Sato and Takumi Ryuji exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

Kurobe is usually very composed, so for him to say the word "surprise" is enough to show that Akutsu's potential far exceeds their expectations.

"Bang!"

Just then, Akutsu returned the ball with his second shot.

"Whoosh!!"

The sharp sound of the wind whistled past his ears. Akutsu stretched out his body and swung his racket twice in a cross-shaped motion, his movements smooth and precise, without the slightest waste.

Shuji Taneshima remained confident, raising his hand to receive the ball. But just as his racket was about to touch the tennis ball, the ball suddenly curved in a tricky arc, narrowly avoiding his defense.

He reacted extremely quickly, immediately adjusting his posture to try and catch the ball again, but the tennis ball deflected again, flying in another direction and hitting the court with a thud before bouncing away.

"Fifteen to zero!"

As the referee's voice rang out, Shuji Taneshima turned his head in astonishment, his gaze following the ball, the ease in his eyes completely vanishing.

The two refractions happened in an instant, so fast that he was caught off guard.

"Snap snap snap!"

A deathly silence fell over the crowd. Everyone stared in disbelief, their breaths seemingly frozen in place. After a few seconds, a burst of uproar erupted.

"Even Shuji Taneshima, who's known for being able to counter all special moves, couldn't withstand these two flips?"

Kanata Irie's lips curled into a playful smile as he teased, "It seems even an undefeated legend can slip up sometimes."

Looking at the court, Oni Jujiro explained in a serious tone, "When a person uses a special move twice in a row, it consumes a lot of energy. Taneshima also needs to expend a lot of energy to counter such a move. This is probably why he cannot counter the same ball twice in a row."

Phoenix of Byodoin scoffed, her face full of disdain and her eyes filled with condescending contempt.

In his view, no reason could cover up the fact that he was weak, and Taneshima's failure was nothing more than incompetence.

Only Echizen Ryoma, with his brows furrowed and his eyes filled with a cold, fierce aura, stared intently at Akutsu.

He never expected that Akutsu, whose tennis skills he had taken away, would be able to unleash such amazing power. This was undoubtedly a slap in his face.

The murmurs among the crowd grew increasingly heated, their voices filled with shock and disbelief: "That middle schooler actually hit a shot that even Taneshima couldn't catch?"

"How come all the junior high school students recruited this time are so strong?"

"That tall guy, his name must be Akutsu Jin, right? We really shouldn't underestimate him!"

Compared to the high school students' shock and disarray, the middle school students on the sidelines were already triumphant, their faces beaming with smiles as they cheered loudly, "Well done, Akutsu!"

"Akuzu, you truly are a once-in-a-century genius!"

"It's incredible that I could learn such a special skill!"

While praising Akutsu, many junior high school students also secretly elevated Akutsu's status and strength to a higher level.

Akutsu, this unruly rival, has now become a formidable enemy they must strive to catch up with.

Genichiro Sanada stood outside the arena, his aura frighteningly low, his heart churning with undisguised horror.

Akutsu—has he now entered the ranks of the nation's strongest warriors?

A visible ferocity appeared on Sanada's face, his knuckles clenched so tightly they cracked, his heart filled with resentment:

He was dragged down by Kirihara Akaya's affairs, struggling day and night, and was exhausted. His strength improvement was far from expected. Now, he had been left far behind Akutsu, whom he had once looked down on.

Inside the stadium, Ryuji Omagari looked at Shuji Taneshima, who had a serious expression, and gently reminded him, "The opponent's moves might not be consistent yet. Don't rush, just play steadily."

"Meow!"

Shuji Taneshima stuck out his tongue at him, still sporting a playful grin, but the seriousness in his eyes was unmistakable. He clearly realized that Akutsu was no longer the middle school student he could easily manipulate.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

With two more precise swings in the air, Akutsu's movements became increasingly fluid, and his breathing became increasingly steady.

"Thirty to zero!"

Ryuji Oogari was slightly startled and subconsciously looked at Shuji Taneshima. Shuji Taneshima smiled at him, but the previous ease was gone, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.

"Bang! Bang!"

Akutsu's subsequent swings were frighteningly stable. With each swing, he could precisely control the airflow, causing the tennis ball to deflect repeatedly and evade Taneshima and Omagari's defenses.

Shuji Taneshima's smile vanished completely, and his aura became sharp. He could no longer maintain that relaxed state; Akutsu's growth far exceeded his expectations.

Daqu Longci looked at him and gently comforted him, "There are still dimensions that mortals cannot surpass. Even if he can break through your Transformation of Nothingness, he may not be able to break through that distance."

The crowd on the sidelines echoed, their voices tinged with uncertainty: "Yes, even if Akutsu can break through the Mugen, no one has ever been able to break through Tanegashima's God's Distance."

"Even if we win this game, we'll have to work harder to turn the score around."

The joy in the hearts of the junior high school students was gradually replaced by worry. They all knew that Shuji Taneshima's God Distance was an insurmountable chasm.

"Bang!"

Ogura Ryuji serves, the tennis ball flying with sharp spin towards Akutsu's half of the court.

The two exchanged blows for more than a dozen rounds, with the ball speed increasing and their breathing becoming more and more intense.

"Is it insurmountable for mortals?"

Shuji Taneshima sneered, flicked his wrist, and hit the ball he was so proud of, the one that always gave him a distance that was a divine distance that mortals could not reach.

Akutsu watched the tennis ball hurtling towards him, seemingly untouchable, a defiant sneer playing on his lips. His voice was filled with mockery and resentment: "So what if I'm just a mortal? I'll shatter your myth of invincibility and flatten your so-called divine distance!"

"Bang!"

Before he finished speaking, Akutsu's figure suddenly turned into a blurry afterimage. The force of his foot pushing off the ground almost crushed the plastic surface, and he instantly teleported in front of the tennis ball.

Akutsu gripped his racket tightly in a backhand grip, his muscles bulging, and swung it down with devastating force!

With a deafening bang, the tennis ball hurtled out like a cannonball, piercing through Taneshima and Omagari's double defense and slamming heavily onto the baseline of the opposite court. The moment it bounced up, the entire stadium fell silent once again.

"Broken—it's broken?"

The crowd outside was speechless with shock, their eyes wide and their faces filled with disbelief.

That divine barrier, which no one had ever been able to break through, was actually broken so easily by Akutsu.

Even the usually composed Kanata Irie couldn't help but frown, his eyes filled with surprise.

"It seems he's just as good at acting as you are."

Oni Jujiro glanced at Irie Kanata and teased her in a mature tone.

"A performance?"

Kanata Irie pushed up his glasses, a playful smile playing on his lips.

Performance?

These two words, like two sharp thorns, pierced precisely into the ears of Byodoin Phoenix and Echizen Ryoga.

The two men's brows furrowed suddenly, and their eyes blazed with fury. They turned and glared at Akutsu almost simultaneously.

This kid actually dared to make a fool of me!

As if sensing something, Akutsu looked up to meet their gazes, his arrogance and ruthlessness even more pronounced, his eyes clearly saying, "What can you do to me?"

This pushed their anger to its peak, and the air pressure around them was frighteningly low, as if they were about to rush into the arena and tear the middle school student who had provoked them to pieces at any moment.

Inside the stadium, Shuji Taneshima was no longer the relaxed man he used to be; his expression was terrifyingly solemn.

Everyone knew that throughout the entire training camp, Shuji Taneshima maintained a leisurely demeanor, moving between various duel venues and silently observing from an unfamiliar perspective. It wasn't until the expeditionary force returned and he joined the top ten that everyone was taken aback.

He was an opponent that even Oni Jujiro had never defeated. His strength was unfathomable. With his move "Nullification," he could turn any opponent's attack into nothingness.

But now, his transformation into nothingness has been shattered by Akutsu's two empty swings;

His divine distance was also flattened by Akutsu.

He could no longer maintain that peaceful demeanor; his aura was sharp as a knife, his gaze fixed on Akutsu, his eyes filled with seriousness and a trace of resentment.

"Bang!"

"!"

"Bang!"

The sounds of impact on the court grew more intense. Akutsu and Hiyoshi Wakako's teamwork became increasingly seamless, and their offensive became more and more fierce. Taneshima and Omagari gradually fell into a disadvantageous position, and their expressions became more and more serious.

"Great! The situation is starting to turn around!"

Eiji Kikumaru jumped up, his face full of excitement, waving his racket.

Momoshiro Takeshi clenched his fists, his voice full of anticipation: "Those two guys might actually win!"

Kawamura Takashi, his face beaming with excitement, shouted, "Akuzu, do your best! You're amazing!"

"Match over!"

The referee's voice pierced the noise of the stadium, clearly echoing in every corner: "Akuzu Jin and Hiyoshi Wakato win, score seven to five!"

The entire audience froze instantly, their eyes wide with disbelief.

A few seconds later, a deafening roar erupted as the junior high students hugged and cheered, their faces beaming with triumphant joy.

The high school students were stunned and couldn't recover for a long time. No one expected that this seemingly one-sided match would end in a perfect victory with Akutsu and Hiyoshi Wakashi's comeback.