King of Tennis (POT)

Boom! 

Once again. 

Fuji received Akutsu's tennis ball, gave a slight flick of his wrist, and sent the ball flying back. 

"Is Akutsu's deep-level tennis ineffective now?" Inoue exclaimed in surprise. "How did Fuji manage to do that?" 

"Deep-level?" Hearing this, both Saotome and Nanjiro showed curious expressions. 

"Yes, it's a theory proposed by Ishikawa from Hyotei," Inoue nodded, explaining Ishikawa's theory of the "surface" and "depth" of tennis. 

Saotome's eyes flickered, and when he looked back at Hyotei, his gaze fell on the black-haired boy, filled with admiration. 

"To think a mere middle schooler could grasp such profound insights into tennis." 

At this age, having a deep understanding of tennis is already impressive. Players like Tezuka and Atobe are among the best. But someone like Ishikawa, who can comprehend such deep-level concepts, is truly rare. 

In Saotome's experience, even among high schoolers, there are very few players like this. 

"For example... the leader of the German team!" 

Thinking of this, Saotome felt a surge of excitement. 

"Nanjiro," Chiba, who was standing nearby, asked in confusion, "So, what exactly did Fuji do to neutralize the power of Akutsu's shots?" 

"Well, that kid is indeed a genius," Nanjiro replied with a smile, his eyebrows raised. "When he hits the ball, he adds a certain spin to it. On the next shot, he applies the opposite spin. From within, he neutralizes the power of that wild guy's shots!" 

"From within?" Inoue's eyes widened in surprise. 

In his mind, he pictured the scene: inside the tennis ball, two opposing spins interacted, generating a force that completely nullified the power of Akutsu's shot. 

Back on the court, Akutsu's shot still flew toward Fuji for a distance. Clearly, Fuji had added a spin similar to a "domain" to the ball. 

However, this spin wasn't as strong as a true domain, so it couldn't pull the ball directly to Fuji, allowing him to remain as calm and composed as Tezuka. 

But the advantage was clear. This slight spin didn't put too much strain on Fuji's arm. 

Boom! 

Another shot. 

Fuji received the ball and sent it to Akutsu's far backhand side. 

"Nice!" On the bench, Ryuzaki's face lit up with excitement. 

As long as Fuji could keep up with his opponent and gradually score points, they still had a chance. Ryuzaki had full confidence in Fuji's tennis IQ. 

Boom! Thud! Boom! Thud! 

The two continued to battle. 

"It's useless," Sanada from Rikkai shook his head. "This level of tennis won't break through Akutsu's defense." 

Only those who had faced Akutsu could truly understand the terrifying physical prowess he possessed. 

Sanada was certain that if the match continued like this, Akutsu would ultimately win. 

Whoosh! 

But at that moment, the ball Fuji hit suddenly accelerated. It flew like a gust of wind toward the corner of the court. 

"So fast, like the 'Swift as the Wind' technique!" one of Rikkai's players exclaimed. 

"No," Yanagi beside him frowned. "It's not 'Swift as the Wind.' This shot is even faster!" 

Thud! 

The ball landed. 

Akutsu couldn't catch up in time and could only watch as the ball bounced away. 

"15-30!" 

Fuji had finally scored again. 

The Seigaku team breathed a sigh of relief. 

There was still hope. They weren't completely out of the match. 

Hum... 

At that moment, a faint green aura began to swirl around Fuji. 

"What's this?!" Even Seigaku's team members were stunned by the change in Fuji's aura. 

"Has Fuji broken through too?" Inui asked in surprise. 

Whoosh... 

Now, a gentle breeze centered around Fuji, blowing outward. 

At this moment, Fuji didn't have Tezuka's calmness or Ryoma's sharpness when he awakened the "Muga no Kyouchi." Instead, he exuded a serene, almost ordinary feeling. 

"This is... the Breath of Wind!" Kikumaru exclaimed in shock, but then he felt a surge of excitement for his friend's breakthrough. 

Boom! 

Fuji served the ball. 

With the Breath of Wind enhancing his shot, both the spin and speed of his serve were stronger than before! 

"Finally, something worth watching," Akutsu smirked, a sharp glint in his eyes. 

Thud! 

He immediately swung his racket, sending the ball back with even greater force. 

Tap tap! 

On the other side, Fuji jogged toward the ball. His movements weren't fast, but he and the ball were steadily closing the distance. 

Swish! 

At the moment they met, Fuji swung his racket and made his shot: "Fifth Counter: Vector Vortex!" 

Hum! 

A flash of green light. 

Fuji applied a spin opposite to the serve, causing the two opposing spins to collide inside the ball, completely shattering the power of Akutsu's shot. 

Whoosh! 

The ball flew out at incredible speed, landing quickly on Akutsu's backhand side. 

"Hmph!" Akutsu sneered, quickly dashing toward the ball. With his terrifying speed, he caught up to it effortlessly. 

"Tch!" The Seigaku team's expressions darkened. 

They knew Akutsu's physical abilities were monstrous, but they hadn't expected him to catch up to Fuji's special move with pure speed alone. 

Thud! 

In the next moment, Akutsu unleashed his power, smashing the ball back with a force far beyond his previous shots. Fuji's improvement had piqued his interest, and he was ready to play a game of cat and mouse. 

"Bring it on!" Fuji smiled lightly, raising his racket without hesitation to meet Akutsu's fierce shot. 

Boom! 

A crisp sound echoed as a green whirlwind erupted from Fuji's racket. 

With the Breath of Wind, Fuji could more easily alter the ball's spin and increase its speed. 

"His tennis... is becoming more and more unpredictable!" On the spectator stands, Shiraishi from Shitenhouji deeply observed Fuji. Over the past three days of training camp, the two had played several matches. 

At first, Shiraishi had been able to counter Fuji's moves. 

But as the matches continued, Shiraishi's early advantages were completely erased. He realized that Fuji's rate of improvement far outpaced his ability to analyze his techniques. 

"Exactly," Chitose nodded. "Compared to other players with established styles, Fuji is full of unpredictability!" 

And now, as Fuji's own style began to take shape, he displayed a stronger desire to win and an extraordinary talent for tennis. 

Whoosh! 

In an instant, a powerful wave erupted from Fuji's racket. A green tornado roared as it shot across the court. 

"This power?!" The Hyotei team's expressions changed. 

It was hard to believe that Fuji, who didn't look particularly strong, could unleash such force. 

"Just a bluff!" Hiyoshi coldly remarked. "With his strength, he can't possibly hit a powerful shot. This tornado is just a smokescreen." 

In his view, the tornado looked intimidating, but it was merely a distraction. 

After all, a person's strength is largely determined by genetics. 

No matter how skilled Fuji was, he couldn't hit a shot as powerful as Kaidoh's explosive波动球. 

Moreover, even if he could, such a shot wouldn't faze Akutsu. 

Tap tap! 

Sure enough, a figure appeared in front of the tornado. Facing the oncoming ball, Akutsu's eyes flashed coldly as he swung his racket with full force. 

Thud! 

With a loud bang, Akutsu's expression shifted slightly, his pupils contracting as if he sensed something unusual. 

"This force..." 

Rip! 

The tornado exploded. 

A fierce storm enveloped Akutsu. 

To everyone's astonishment, Akutsu's tank top was shredded in an instant. 

Boom! 

The ball landed. 

"30-30!" the referee announced. 

"This..." Seeing Fuji score again, not only were the representatives from other schools shocked, but even Seigaku's own team couldn't believe their eyes. 

Fuji's counter... had such power?! 

Swish! 

At that moment, Fuji raised his racket and pointed it at Akutsu, his eyes gleaming with depth. "Wind Attack Technique: Vortex of the Storm!" 

"Oh?" On the stands, Saotome looked surprised. "Did he just use his opponent's power against him?" 

"Wh-what do you mean?" Chiba asked, confused. 

"It's simple," Nanjiro explained with a smile. "With that green aura enhancing his abilities, he used a technique similar to his earlier spin, leveraging his opponent's power to create that storm effect!" 

The storm, or rather the tornado, wasn't Fuji's own power. Instead, he used the green aura as a medium, combined with his genius-level creativity, to craft this move. 

In a way, this technique grew stronger when facing a powerful opponent! 

"Seigaku's genius, huh?" Nanjiro glanced at Fuji and nodded slightly. "Not bad. He lives up to the title." 

Hearing this, Saotome and Inoue both chuckled. 

After all, that title had once belonged to the man standing beside them—the legendary tennis player in the black robe. 

"What a fierce wind," Oshitari from Hyotei took a deep breath. "I never expected Fuji-senpai to have such a hidden card!" 

"Facing stronger opponents makes him stronger... Seigaku might actually turn this around," Mukahi added. 

After all, Akutsu's understanding of technique was shallow. His skills largely relied on his wrist flexibility, similar to Akabane. 

Fuji, on the other hand, was a master of technique. 

If Fuji could find the right opening, Akutsu might actually lose. 

"Turn it around?" Ishikawa couldn't help but laugh. "Even if Fuji's technique gives him an overwhelming advantage over Akutsu-senpai, there's no way we're losing this match!" 

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Akutsu. 

With his tank top shredded, Akutsu's well-defined, powerful muscles were now fully visible. 

As one of Hyotei's training maniacs, Akutsu's body, honed through intense training, was like tempered steel. 

While Fuji's tornado had shredded Akutsu's tank top, it hadn't caused any actual damage to his body. 

"So... is this your full power, Fuji?" Akutsu's eyes locked onto Fuji. 

Hum... 

In an instant, a dark aura began to spread from Akutsu, enveloping him like a finely woven cloak. The black energy intensified his already overwhelming presence, making him feel even more oppressive. 

"Is this... Tyrant Mode?" The top players from Rikkai, Shitenhouji, and Fudomine all showed signs of recognition. 

Especially the Rikkai team. 

They had witnessed Akutsu use this mode to defeat Sanada, who had mastered the Black Dragon Slash. 

Ruthless. 

Cold. 

Brutal. 

In this mode, Akutsu's aura underwent a dramatic transformation. It was as if he had become a different person—no longer the wild beast but an elegant, composed monarch. 

"A second personality?" Nanjiro narrowed his eyes. "Or has this wild kid learned to draw power from the depths of his subconscious?" 

Whatever the case, the level of strength Akutsu was now displaying was on a completely different level from Fuji's. 

"Hmm," Inui from Seigaku said gravely. "Is he the third to break through the national-level ceiling for middle schoolers?" 

Hearing this, the Seigaku team's expressions changed. 

They knew what this meant: Akutsu now possessed strength that surpassed the national level for middle schoolers. 

"All our preparations... were they in vain?" On the bench, Ryuzaki's eyes dimmed. 

Facing Hyotei's lineup of top players like Ishikawa, Atobe, and Akutsu, it seemed the outcome of this national finals had been decided before the match even began. 

Swish! 

However, feeling the immense pressure from Akutsu, Fuji spread his legs and prepared to face him head-on. 

Clearly, he wasn't planning to give up. 

Boom! Thud! Boom! Thud! 

But as the match continued, Fuji stood no chance against Akutsu in Tyrant Mode. 

The gap between them was too vast. 

Fuji's talent and technique couldn't bridge the difference. 

Thud! 

Finally, with a powerful smash from Akutsu, the ball shot across the court like a black streak, embedding itself into the wall behind Fuji. 

"Game over," the referee announced. "Hyotei Gakuen's Akutsu Gin wins, 6-1!" 

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