My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level

Not long after.

Sengoku fought another battle.

This time, his opponent was an ordinary third-year student. In less than 10 minutes, Sengoku defeated his opponent, adding another point to his tally.

This absolutely dominant score also proved to others that it wasn't that Sengoku wasn't strong enough, but rather that Akutsu's talent was terrifying.

Of course, Sengoku himself wouldn't bother to explain.

Having been defeated by Shibukawa and Akutsu in succession, he would rather spend that time training than explain himself to others.

However, when he returned to his original training location, there was a figure waiting there.

"Mr. Banda?"

Upon seeing the kind old man standing before him, Sengoku paused slightly. Instinctively, the old man's words of encouragement to him when he first joined the tennis club flashed through his mind.

"Sengoku, you have great talent, especially in your ability to anticipate the trajectory of tennis balls. Many national-level players aren't as good as you."

However, the greater the talent, the less one should rely on it excessively. A player's most fundamental skill lies in their basic abilities; don't be misled by appearances.

"Go train. I hope you can bring about a different change in Yamabuki."

...

The old man's earnest teachings resonated in Qian Shi's heart. Looking back now, every word he uttered was invaluable advice. If he had been able to grasp it at the time, he probably wouldn't have suffered such a series of defeats recently.

Unfortunately, Sengoku was full of youthful vigor back then. He completely ignored Banta's advice. At that time, apart from the third-year regulars, no one could suppress Yamabuki.

Among the second-year students, only Uesugi was stronger than him. Among the newcomers of the same age, Sengoku was undoubtedly the best.

In the blink of an eye, a year and a half has passed.

As time passed and he looked back on everything, when Sengoku looked at the old man in front of him again, a hint of avoidance flashed in his eyes.

Banta, who had been observing the boy's reaction, naturally noticed the change in his emotions. Instead of lecturing him, he said, "You did a very good job just now."

"But I still lost..."

Sengoku was somewhat downcast.

He would never show this expression in front of others, a man of strong character. Only in front of Banta, this gentle old man who seemed like a kind grandfather next door, could he reveal his weariness and vulnerability.

"It's okay."

Banda smiled and shook his head, saying, "It's just a match. Losing to your opponent doesn't mean you're not suited to playing tennis. Besides, in my opinion, you're not the kind of person who would be defeated by something like this."

"I......"

Sengoku opened his mouth but didn't say anything, though his heart was filled with emotion.

As Yamabuki's coach, the other party had the right to lecture him. Especially since he wasted his talent and spent his time on "other" things, even if Banta disciplined him, no one else, not even Sengoku himself, would think there was anything wrong with it.

But Banta did not do that.

The other person was the same old man who had approached him with a smile more than a year ago when he had just joined the Yamabuki Junior High Tennis Club.

When others didn't believe in him and thought he was reaping what he sowed, wasting his talent, Banta still encouraged him and trusted him.

This filled Sengoku with intense regret. If he had listened to the other person back then, the situation would be completely different now.

"Losing is not a heinous crime. On the contrary, if you can learn from your mistakes and improve, you are already better than many others."

Bantian continued to comfort him, "With your talent, as long as you focus on training, it's only a matter of time before your strength improves. The problem is, you need to find a path that suits you."

Ok?

Upon hearing this, Sengoku immediately perked up.

"Teacher, you mean...?"

"Everyone has their own tennis style. People who are meticulous and conservative are not suitable for playing offensive tennis. People who are flamboyant and self-centered are not suitable for doubles."

Banta smiled and looked at Sengoku: "You have excellent athletic talent, and you also have a keen eye for spotting your opponent's weaknesses. Therefore, what you need is not an aggressive playing style, nor a protracted battle with your opponent."

"Sengoku."

Just as Sengoku was seriously considering the meaning behind Banta's words, the other man smiled and said, "Would you be interested in trying 'boxing'?"

"Punch, boxing?"

Sengoku was stunned for a moment. Immediately, an image flashed in his mind of a ring-shaped platform, half a person's height off the ground. Two young men with buzz cuts and wearing shorts were leaping and swaying their upper bodies, launching fierce attacks on their opponent in a brutal, hand-to-hand combat.

Immediately, his adrenaline surged again, and a strong glint appeared in his eyes.

"Here, take this."

At that moment, Banta handed him a slip of paper with an address written on it.

"This is a boxing gym opened by one of my former students. You can give it a try. It won't take too long, a few weeks or a month, and I believe you'll be surprised by what you've gained."

"A boxing gym?"

As Sengoku took the note from Banta, a gleam of eager anticipation flashed in his eyes.

He had already missed one opportunity and didn't want to give up this one. Moreover, he had a strong intuition that he might actually find something uniquely his own in boxing.

He immediately bowed to Bantian Fukashi to express his gratitude. The latter smiled, waved his hand, offered a few more words of encouragement, and then left.

However, as he left, Banta's gaze swept to the corner where a black-haired boy was earnestly practicing his swing.

"I hope your suggestion is right, kid. Otherwise, this old man will be embarrassed."

As the thought crossed his mind, Bantian couldn't help but laugh.

Although he wasn't sure if Sengoku was suited to using boxing to inspire tennis, he trusted Shibukawa. As the captain of the Yamabuki team, he genuinely cared about the players.

Even if he was really wrong, Banta was willing to take the responsibility for the other party.

......

evening.

After packing his things, Sengoku left the school and, following the address given to him by Banta, arrived at a multi-story building near Yamabuki.

The first floor houses a ramen shop that stays open until late at night.

The second floor displays the name "Murata Boxing Gym" using LED lights that are about half a person's height. When Sengoku went up to the second floor, the pretty receptionist with a high ponytail saw the new customer and her eyes lit up. She immediately stood up with a smile.

"Welcome! How can I help you?"

The girl was very pretty, with a small face, a pointed chin, and slender eyebrows that resembled willow leaves. Her smile gave people a very refreshing feeling.

In the past, Sengoku would have gone to great lengths to get her phone number, even resorting to shameless tactics. But lately, he had suffered a significant setback and was determined to become stronger, and women would undoubtedly only hinder his ability to draw his sword.

"Hello there."

Suppressing his emotions, Sengoku managed to put on a relatively gentle smile: "I'm looking for Mr. Nakamura. Um, just say that Mr. Banta introduced me."

"OK."

The girl smiled sweetly, but as she turned to leave, Sengoku heard a soft murmur, "Why is it that it's that Banta-sensei who introduced her again?"

Ok?

Sengoku was puzzled, but he didn't voice it.

Soon, a young man with a buzz cut and a muscular physique, wearing a black vest, appeared with the girl.

"You must be Mr. Nakamura?"

"My name is Ryuichi Suzuki, and I am a student of Master Nakamura."

The newcomer glanced at Sengoku and said, "You must be the Sengoku student that Mr. Banta introduced. Come with me."

After saying that, he gestured for Sengoku to follow, while Suzuki walked ahead.

Sengoku followed, his expression shifting slightly as he looked at the other man's broad shoulders and the taut muscles in his calves as he walked.

He considered himself to have a good physique, but compared to the other person's body, which contained explosive power, he was not in the same league at all.

This further solidified Sengoku's belief that boxing training could transform his tennis style.

soon.

Suzuki then led Sengoku to the changing room and handed him a set of clean clothes: "These are training clothes for regular students. The instructor isn't here, so you can train with other students. You can also ask the coach or senior students for help."

Is it a free-range training method?

Sengoku paused for a moment, then nodded to indicate that he understood. After all, he had been introduced without paying, and the other party was only being so patient in explaining things, mostly because of Banda's influence.

He then went into the locker room, took the number tag that was in the bag of clothes Suzuki had given him, and found the locker where he kept his belongings.

After changing into his training clothes, Sengoku walked into the hall.

The venue is spacious enough to accommodate two standard boxing rings side by side. The rings are more than four meters apart, which is enough for coaches to lead their students around without the awkward feeling of bumping into someone when they turn around.

People are practicing in the boxing ring.

Most people were practicing basic movements with the coach, while another group gathered in the punching bag area, practicing boxing in a very professional manner.

The moment Sengoku stepped into the hall, he was greeted by a mix of the thuds of sandbags being hit and the occasional voices of the coaches.

"Kick higher!"

"Your punches must be decisive! Fast! Powerful!"

"Rhythm, breathing! Don't rush! Maintain this state!!"

...

The scene was very noisy.

But this densely packed environment, filled with the sounds of punches, shouts, and coaches yelling, gave Sengoku a sense of security.

The smell of sweat, which is unpleasant to others, fuels his enthusiasm.

However, Sengoku didn't blindly rush over to practice boxing. Instead, he wisely went to the training area, where the students looked to be no more than eleven or twelve years old, significantly younger than Sengoku.

This is basic training. The middle-aged coach in front has a small microphone attached to his body, and his voice comes through the sound system next to him.

"The most important thing in boxing is not throwing punches, but dodging and practicing body techniques."

"To defeat an opponent, you don't need to attack them as many times as possible. Instead, you need to ensure your own safety to the greatest extent possible while the opponent is attacking."

"Now I'll teach you the most basic sliding step..."

Footwork?

Sengoku immediately perked up.

Although boxing and tennis are two completely different sports, they still have many similarities. For example, footwork: tennis offers more space to move around, but you still need to handle close-range balls frequently.

This makes it highly compatible with footwork techniques that require quick maneuvering within a narrow space.

"I'll teach you the forward slide step first."

"This is footwork used to advance and strike in conjunction with punches. Once mastered, it can also be used to find the right distance to confront an opponent."

"Remember, whether you're attacking or defending, you need to adjust your distance appropriately. Only in this way can you put yourself in a favorable position."

The coach explained as he began to demonstrate.

"When using this footwork, the left foot slides forward, and the right foot follows in time, but the two feet still maintain the same position and distance as before."

As he spoke, he slightly raised his left heel while simultaneously pushing off the ground with his right foot, moving both feet forward while maintaining the original distance. His upper body remained in the same posture, with his center of gravity always positioned between his feet.

"One word... Steady!"

Sengoku expressed his feelings from the bottom of his heart.

He thought of Akutsu's fighting style, where even with vigorous lower body movements, the upper body remained stable. This required amazing balance, but if he mastered the boxing slide step in front of him, he might be able to develop his own balance.

Just do it.

Sengoku felt no shame at all for being older than the group of beginners in front of him, and instead became completely absorbed in practicing footwork.

Lift your foot, take a step, maintain your balance...

Sengoku practiced repeatedly, and because of his already good physical foundation, he quickly got the hang of it. Although he couldn't achieve the same smoothness as the coach's demonstration, he had already found the feeling.

"Um?"

Not far away, the coach who was urging the students to practice seemed to notice something, looked up and locked his gaze on Sengoku.

"A high-level student actually came here?"

He subconsciously assumed that Sengoku was an advanced student who had already mastered the sliding step and had come to the beginner's area to show off. But just as he was about to reprimand him, he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

"wrong."

"This kid's footwork... is too rough!"

"Besides, he trains very diligently, and I don't recall ever having this advanced student before. Could it be another older beginner?"

The coach thought to himself, "What a coincidence!"

Just moments before, he had spotted a boy of similar age. The boy was clearly a beginner as well, but he was learning boxing footwork very quickly.

Various practical skills can be mastered almost instantly.

If he hadn't confirmed that the man wasn't interested in professional boxing, he would have offered to recruit him.

"Hmm, this guy's got some talent too."

After observing Sengoku's gliding technique repeatedly, the middle-aged coach saw that Sengoku's mastery of the gliding step had improved visibly. Unable to contain his thoughts, he immediately walked up to him.

"Hello there."

"Hello..."

Seeing the coach suddenly appear in front of him, Sengoku greeted him somewhat nervously.

"You're a beginner, aren't you?"

The middle-aged coach cut to the chase: "Are you interested in learning real boxing with me?"

Sengoku was taken aback upon hearing this.

Seeing the other person's genuinely serious expression, he immediately realized that they wanted him to become a professional boxer.

Thinking of this, he immediately shook his head: "Sorry, I play tennis. I'm here just to gain some experience from boxing."

"tennis?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged coach instinctively frowned: "Another one? They clearly have such great boxing talent, why do they insist on learning tennis..."

Ok?

The speaker meant no harm, but Sengoku, standing nearby, subconsciously raised an eyebrow.

"Wait, have you seen any other people who play tennis like me?"

"Here you are."

The middle-aged coach casually pointed to the sandbag area not far away, where a figure was practicing in front of the sandbag: "That's the guy. In just half an hour, he has not only mastered the basic footwork, but he has also started practicing hitting the sandbag."

"That person is...?"

Sengoku subconsciously turned his head, but when he saw the figure of the boy with short, neat hair and a strong, muscular body, his pupils shrank.

"How could it be him?!"