My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level

National level?

Sengoku's heart skipped a beat.

But he quickly dismissed this unrealistic idea. No matter how strong the opponent was, they were definitely not at the national level yet.

To cross that threshold, one not only needs to hone their basic skills to a formidable level, but also master unique abilities or ball techniques.

While Sengoku's dynamic vision is quite good at capturing details, it's simply not good enough for a national-level performance.

not to mention.

The afterimage ball with multiple overlapping shadows that Shechuan just hit indicates that the ability of "dynamic vision" is a double-edged sword.

Sengoku's dynamic vision is particularly strong.

The number of tennis ball afterimages he saw was astonishing. Although he could temporarily cope with them thanks to his rich experience, facing such balls for a long time would not only affect his mentality, but also accelerate his physical exhaustion.

In this situation, dynamic vision is no longer an advantage, not only against national-level athletes, but also against opponents of the same level.

"call!"

He let out a soft breath, trying to calm himself down. As one of Yamabuki's nominally strongest singles players, he had gone through no fewer than a hundred matches, big and small, since joining the tennis club.

Most of the time, he had a smooth run, ending matches with overwhelming victories. But starting from the latter half of the Metropolitan Tournament, at the Kanto level, Sengoku began to struggle.

now.

That sense of formidable enemy returned.

It made him feel very frustrated and uncomfortable.

Sengoku knew this was a hurdle he had to overcome. If he couldn't get over it, he would fall into a slump again when faced with similar situations in the future.

"Cheer up!"

"You must pull yourself together, Senkoku!"

Under the astonished gazes of others, Sengoku comforted himself while slapping his face hard with both hands, making a crisp sound.

"That guy is ruthless!"

Hearing the loud thud of Sengoku slapping his face, and seeing the obvious red mark on the other person's face, Iru's heart pounded wildly in the high chair.

really.

There's a reason why the opponent can become a Kanto-level player.

"bring it on!"

After calming down, Sengoku looked at Shibukawa and said, "Let me see your third solution!!!"

boom!

immediately.

Sengoku smashed the tennis ball with great force.

Shibukawa reacted quickly, swinging his racket to receive the ball. The moment the ball and racket collided, he felt the force transmitted through the racket, and his eyebrows slightly rose.

"Has the power of your serve increased?"

"As expected, none of the characters who had a chance to appear in the original work were simple characters."

Sengoku's talent was already quite high.

Even in the U17 World Cup, it had a role. Its evolved super serve, "Dragon Cannon," even won three games against "Horse God," achieving an impressive record.

And now.

Under the pressure from Shibukawa, the true tennis prodigy of Yamabuki gradually unleashed his potential.

Bang!

boom!

Bang!

boom!

on the field.

The two clashed fiercely.

Although he was initially suppressed, as the fight progressed, Sengoku gradually became able to fight Shibukawa on equal terms.

"Have you gotten used to this speed yet?"

Shechuan raised his eyebrows slightly.

The opponent's talent was indeed remarkable. However, Shibukawa also knew that this was because his own strength was insufficient, and his physical foundation was not as good as that of the tennis emperor from Rikkai University.

Otherwise, with his level 2 [Rapid Draw], he could definitely crush Sengoku instantly.

even so.

The match was nearing its end, and Sengoku had no chance of turning the tide.

"Hmm!"

On one side of the court, as the two sides remained deadlocked, Sengoku frowned deeply. He glanced at his opponent's face from time to time, trying to see the changes in his expression.

"Is this guy... bluffing?"

This ninth game was a close battle lasting nearly five minutes. Shibukawa consistently used a special shot that involved hitting the tennis ball with the edge of the racket, causing it to vibrate at high speed and create multiple afterimages.

This made Sengoku feel somewhat aggrieved.

He not only had to avoid being distracted by afterimages, but also had to be wary of high-speed smashes that seemed to disappear, leaving only a shadow flying close to the ground.

More importantly, he was constantly on guard against the third method of cracking the code that the other party mentioned.

But even as he began to feel the strain, his opponent still hadn't used his full power. This made Sengoku begin to doubt whether what Shibukawa had said was true.

After all, the tennis court is a place of deception and trickery. As a player skilled in data-driven tennis, every word Shibukawa utters is likely aimed at securing victory.

In this situation.

The opponent could easily fabricate a third method to distract Sengoku. In that case, Sengoku, who might have had a chance before, would have no chance of winning.

"No!"

"This can't go on!"

Sensing that he was becoming increasingly passive, Sengoku took a deep breath and his gaze sharpened.

By now, he was not only at a disadvantage, but he also clearly felt that his physical strength was being rapidly depleted. Continuing to maintain this pace would be tantamount to slow suicide for him.

That's how it is.

Instead, we should fight back.

boom!

Determined to no longer sit idly by and wait for his fate, Sengoku unleashed a powerful smash. Then, he suddenly accelerated, making a sprinting motion toward the net.

For Sengoku at this moment, only by attacking can he have a sliver of hope of winning!

"Oh."

however.

Seeing Sengoku attempting a desperate counterattack, Shibukawa smiled. A glint of light flashed in his deep, obsidian-like eyes.

Swish!

immediately.

He stood with his feet staggered, his racket arm pulled back sharply, assuming a poised stance. His gaze was fixed on the rapidly approaching tennis ball.

Just as the tennis ball reached the optimal range for a return, a glint flashed in Shibukawa's eyes. His right hand, gripping the racket, suddenly exerted force, swinging the racket with a hissing sound.

boom!

A deafening explosion followed.

Shibukawa instantly twisted his body, and the chain of power generated by the simultaneous burst of power from his legs, waist, abdomen, and shoulders was completely concentrated within the sweet spot of the racket.

Chi!

next moment.

The tennis ball shot out like a cannonball.

"That slap?!"

Seeing the tennis ball hurtling towards him, Sengoku suddenly sensed a strong sense of danger. Without any hesitation, he immediately stopped his net movement, faced the incoming ball, assumed a fighting stance, and focused his mind to the fullest, bringing out his best form.

"Whether we win or lose depends on that one goal!"

A resolute glint flashed in Sengoku's eyes.

Faced with this desperate situation, he had no room to back down and went all out. Facing the incoming ball, he also gathered his strongest power and condensed it into a fierce smash in response.

Whoosh!!

As the racket swung out, everyone could clearly hear the whistling sound, and they were all startled by Sengoku's strike.

boom!

however.

The instant the ball and racket collide.

Sengoku's pupils contracted sharply, as if he had been hit by a lead bullet containing unimaginable explosive power.

With a soft "poof".

Under the shocked gazes of onlookers, Sengoku's racket slipped from his hand in an instant. After falling to the ground, it tumbled and slid away, while the tennis ball, undeterred, slammed into the wall with a thud, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outwards from the point of impact.

"Glug."

The people around the stadium instinctively swallowed.

"Are you kidding me?"

The person sitting on the high chair also stared wide-eyed in disbelief, wondering what kind of terrifying power could have knocked Sengoku's racket out of his hand.

"No, that's not right."

But soon, as if seeing something, a strong look of horror flashed in Rulai's eyes.

The racket, which had been thrown away, showed signs of loosening from the edges. The further towards the center, the more severe the string collapse.

Most importantly, a hole had been smashed into the middle!

"hiss!"

I couldn't help but gasp as I entered.

When he looked at Shechuan again, all that remained in his eyes was intense awe and fear!

"The game is over."

Taking a deep breath, he tried to control his voice: "Shibukawa Shin wins, score... 6-3!"

quiet!

The referee finished speaking.

The already quiet stadium felt even more oppressive, making your heart instinctively tighten. No words can adequately describe the explosive power of that final shot.

Sengoku lost.

This strongest player in Yamabuki suffered a crushing defeat on this obscure court.

"I lost..."

At this time.

Sengoku lowered his head and spoke with a somber expression.

He lost.

A crushing defeat.

The person who defeated him was not Tezuka of Seigaku, Atobe of Hyotei, or any of the Sanadas from Rikkai.

He lost to his own teammates.

Furthermore, Sengoku remembers very clearly that less than three months ago, the other party was just a nobody whose name he could barely remember and who had no presence.

In just over sixty days, his opponent had surpassed him. Moreover, he had completely defeated him through a direct confrontation.

Frustrated.

Dejected.

I have no will to live.

A host of negative emotions lingered in Sengoku's mind.

At this point, he had completely lost interest in tennis and the like. A wave of sadness washed over him; had he not been strong enough, he probably would have already broken down.

even so.

In Sengoku's mind, the path of tennis seemed bleak and hopeless.

"What?"

At this moment, Shechuan, who was on the other side, spoke up.

He glanced at Sengoku and said with a playful tone, "Do you really think losing to me is something shameful?"

Ok?

Sengoku subconsciously looked up and met the other person's sharp, piercing gaze, causing his heart to tremble.

"Your awareness should be more than this, otherwise, it would be too disappointing."

Shechuan spoke calmly.

Done.

He walked to the sidelines, put his racket down, slung his tennis bag over his shoulder, and turned to leave.

"Shibukawa... Ugh!"

Looking at the other person's back, Sengoku narrowed his eyes, his feelings complicated.

"yes."

"I lost, but if I lost to you, it's not shameful at all."

If it were the previous Shibukawa, losing to Sengoku would indeed have been a death wish. But with this new figure before him, exuding a sharp aura and an imposing presence, he felt a sense of relief.

Although the opponent's current strength is not yet up to the national level, Sengoku believes that by the time the new season starts next year, the opponent will definitely be able to stand at the same level as those top players.

Thinking of this, his previously quiet and gloomy heart couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency.

The person before me will surely bring about a different kind of change in Yamabuki. And Sengoku will be a third-year student next year; this is his last chance to compete in the national tournament.

He's already missed it twice, is he going to miss it a third time?

In that case, he would probably never forgive himself.

...

"We learned a lot from this match."

the other side.

After finishing the match and leaving the street tennis court, Shibukawa checked his gains from the game. He had improved his experience in various basic skills to varying degrees.

But most importantly, two brand-new ball skills were born.

now.

Two new messages then appeared before his eyes.

[You've mastered a technique by cleverly using the edge of your racket to hit the ball, creating a skill that's highly effective against specific players. Please name it.]

[You have created a unique skill by combining technique and swing speed. Please name it.]

The two techniques are a smash that is remarkably effective against dynamic vision, and a special shot that, through rapid swings and the application of special skills, makes the tennis ball seem to disappear, leaving only a shadow without its trajectory.

A thought struck me.

Shechuan named the two moves "Afterimage Ball" and "Shadow Kill" respectively.

The former is similar in principle to the ball technique that Akazawa used against Kikumaru in the original work, but because Shibukawa's technique and swing are stronger, the execution of this special ball technique is also higher.

The latter is similar to the fusion technique of Chitose, one of the ace players of Shitenhoji, and Sanada, the emperor of Rikkai University tennis, in the original work.

of course.

Each of these three ball skills has its own merits.

However, Shibukawa's ball skills possess two special effects, and if used by someone with the same stats, the power is obviously stronger than the other two ball skills.

"The Thousand Gou problem has been solved; now, only that position remains."

After gathering his thoughts, Shechuan's eyes became even sharper.

He has long since passed his initial developmental stage. His complete domination of Sengoku in the later stages of the previous match, culminating in a single shot that pierced Sengoku's racket, proves that he no longer needs to lie low.

therefore.

For him, the next goal is simply to remove the last obstacle and become the head of Yamabuki.

The junior high school league is ultimately a team competition. No matter how strong an individual is, there are limits to how strong they can be. For example, in the original work, Echizen Nanjiro was incredibly strong, but his Seigaku school still lost to Kuwamin Junior High School led by Banta.

Now, Banta lives in Yamabuki.

While Yamabuki's overall strength isn't weak, it's not exactly a top team either. Only by becoming captain can Shibukawa implement his will and completely transform Yamabuki.

According to his plan, in the future, Yamabuki will not be at a disadvantage even if he faces the top teams from the original story alone.

By then.

Let alone the Grand Tournament or the Kanto Tournament, he would even try to win the National Tournament championship, which is considered unattainable by everyone.

After leaving the tennis court.

Instead of going home or to the tennis club for training immediately, Shibukawa went to a nearby barbershop and got his hair styled.

In front of the mirror.

Looking at the handsome young man in front of him with short hair, only a wisp of hair sticking up, who exuded an air of unruliness and dashingness, a smile appeared on Shibukawa's lips.

now.

No one could reconcile him with his previous image.

This is also the most profound change he has experienced since his time travel. He wants to use this image to completely sever ties with his past self.

Leaving the barbershop, Shibukawa stepped out, already on the road to the future.