Prince of Tennis Fraudster

He no longer has the right to be spoiled.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Strongest Enemy in the Group

"Training is over!"

An hour later, the system's voice sounded, and Niou's vision went black as he returned to the real world, where he fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Niou arrived at Rikkai.

Today is the last day of the school competition. At nine o'clock in the morning, Renwang's first match began, against a third-year student.

This person's skill level was similar to Nakagawa's, and he won six consecutive games, giving Niou an easy victory. The third-year students, who had initially been unwilling to accept defeat, suddenly lost their temper.

"This guy's growth rate is just too fast, isn't it?"

"Yes, I remember he even struggled to serve at the beginning. But now..."

"So what? He didn't get his spot on the main team by luck. If any of you are not satisfied, go and fight him!"

As Renou walked off the court, he felt no joy at securing a starting spot. That afternoon, he would face the strongest player in his group.

The opponent's strength is certainly far superior to that of Nakagawa and Yoshikawa. In the original work, Sanada described the jackal as an "iron-walled guardian," which shows the opponent's defensive capabilities.

This is an opponent we cannot afford to underestimate.

Two o'clock in the afternoon.

Rikkai's final matches have begun.

The match between Niou and Jackals in Group D attracted a lot of attention.

"Saori, you go take pictures of Yukimura and Sanada, I'll go check over there!" After giving his instructions, Inoue from the tennis monthly magazine turned and headed towards the other courts.

"I wonder if that guy made it into the regular team!" The "guy" Inoue was referring to was Niou. For some reason, his intuition told him that the person he saw a week ago was no ordinary person.

As for Niou's match yesterday, he didn't pay attention to it. Because he went to Seigaku, and Seigaku's intra-school tournament had just ended yesterday. The boy he had high hopes for had defeated two regular players in a row and became the only first-year regular player.

"Hurry! The match between Niou and Jackal-senpai is about to begin!"

As he was walking, two team members ran past him, and their conversation piqued Inoue's interest.

"So it was over there."

Following the two, Inoue arrived outside the tennis court.

Rikkai has four tennis courts in total, the largest of which is the training court, consisting of eight smaller courts. The other three each consist of four smaller courts.

Group D, where Jackal and Niou are located, is one of the three smaller stadiums.

By this time, a large crowd had gathered outside the court. Besides those wearing tennis team uniforms, there were many students who had come to watch the spectacle. After all, someone who hadn't touched a racket in two years had won three matches in a row—and Rikkai's tennis club was one of the best in the country, so this naturally attracted a lot of attention.

A balding middle-aged man was mixed in with them; he was Niou's math teacher, Kurashiro Koyama. He had not given up on persuading this star student to return to the right path.

This unusual figure caught Inoue's attention.

"Hello there!"

He stepped forward and greeted Kura Ren: "I'm Inoue, a reporter from Tennis Monthly. Are you the coach in charge of the tennis club?"

“No.” Cang Lian smiled and shook his head, saying, “I teach mathematics, and my name is Cang Lian.”

"Oh?"

This piqued Inoue's curiosity. Mathematics? That's a subject that has absolutely nothing to do with tennis, isn't it?

Inoue asked, "What is this...?"

Cang Lian smiled and said, "I've come to watch my student's match."

"student?"

“That’s right, it’s the one with blue hair.” Cang Lian said, pointing to the location of Ren Wang.

"It's him?"

Inoue's eyes lit up, and a series of thoughts flashed through his mind. He asked, "I heard that this player hasn't touched a racket in two years. Is that true?"

"Yes."

Kura Ren didn't hide anything, explaining to Inoue, "When this guy was a first-year student..."

It turns out that Niou, who had just entered middle school and applied to join the tennis club, encountered a once-in-a-century meteor shower on his way home at dusk.

One of the smaller meteorites landed directly in the middle of the road, startling the driver. The car swerved, crashed into a wall with a loud bang, and falling rocks injured Niou.

Upon examination at the hospital, it was discovered that the stone had damaged his lung, and the doctor advised against strenuous exercise. Niou, his tennis dreams shattered, chose the path his father had laid out for him.

"To everyone's surprise, about a week ago, his health miraculously returned to normal."

At this point, Cang Lian's expression turned somewhat emotional.

Inoue, who was good at reading people, naturally guessed some of the thoughts in Kura Ren's mind.

He thought for a moment and said, "Teacher Cang Lian, I'm quite looking forward to this match. Just how much potential does this Renwang have?"

"Ah."

Cang Lian nodded; that was precisely the purpose of his visit. He had heard of Ren's opponent—a regular member of Rikkai. This match was Cang Lian's way of testing Ren's strength and resolve.

"Hello there!"

At the net, the two shook hands politely and nodded to each other.

Looking at Niou, who was smiling and behaving very naturally, Jackal was filled with emotion.

"How long has it been?"

He still remembered that ten days ago, Niou and Nakajo had problems even with their serves, but now they were able to compete against him in the intra-school competition.

After guessing who would have possession, Jackal glanced at Ren Wang, then turned and left.

"Niou, you are indeed very good. But in this match, I will show you the true strength of Rikkai's regular players!"

As he watched his retreating figure, Niou's expression immediately turned serious.

The opponent's aura was indeed extraordinary.

His slightly somber aura, unlike that of Nakagawa or Yoshikawa, possessed a seasoned composure born from years of experience. This guy was definitely not comparable to any of the opponents he had faced before.

Chapter Thirty: Suppression

"The match begins, Jackal serves, game over!"

As soon as the referee's voice fell silent, the surroundings went quiet. The crowd that had gathered continued to grow, but as if by unspoken agreement, no one raised their voice.

Snapped!

Snapped!

Jackal lightly tapped the tennis ball twice, his gaze sweeping briefly over Niou's side. After roughly confirming Niou's position, he slightly moved his right hand holding the racket, while simultaneously using his left hand to gently toss the tennis ball upwards.

call!

The jackal tossed the tennis ball into the air, his body shifting accordingly. His shoulders tilted naturally, his legs slightly bent, and his entire body formed a bow shape. He raised his right hand, holding the racket, and with a spring in his body, slammed the racket down on the tennis ball.

boom!

With a loud thud, the tennis ball shot out.

Seeing the jackal's toss, Inoue clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth. When the tennis ball was hit, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Great shot!"

That was a great shot!

Jackal's serve was impeccable, prompting Inoue to remark that his opponent truly lived up to his reputation as a Rikkai regular. Perhaps it's precisely because even their worst regulars possess such skill that Rikkai can dominate the nation…

A fleeting thought crossed his mind, and he immediately turned his head to see how the benevolent king would react. But as soon as he turned his head, his expression froze.

"This……"

Tap tap!

Then, Niou's body seemed to have started moving at some point, and he quickly ran towards the direction the tennis ball was flying.

Inoue exclaimed in surprise, "Such a fast reaction speed!"

lol...

Moving to where the tennis ball had landed, Niou's body paused for a moment, the momentum causing him to move a short distance, landing just before the ball's landing point. Raising his racket, Niou narrowed his eyes, and with a flick of his wrist, he sent the bouncing tennis ball flying back.

Whoosh!

The tennis ball was reversed. Although Jackal had expected his serve to be returned by his opponent, Niou's reaction still surprised him.

"So fast!"

Startled, the jackal reacted immediately.

With a swift movement of his feet, he moved like a nimble cheetah, causing the pupils of the Rikkai team members observing him to shrink instantly.

"Wow! That speed is truly worthy of a jackal!"

"Needless to say, his footwork is among the best in the starting lineup."

"That King Ren is in big trouble now!"

The jackal, charging out, paid no heed to the surrounding chatter; his eyes were only on the tennis ball.

Swish!

As he ran quickly, he raised his racket high in the air.

Aim carefully, then hit the ball with your racket.

boom!

Upon hearing the sound, Niou, who was observing from the opposite side, reacted instinctively.

"left!"

His body sprang into action instantly, and he took a half-step ahead.

"Not bad!"

Among the crowd, Inoue nodded.

Having worked in the tennis industry for many years, his eyesight, while not exceptionally sharp, is still quite good. Niou's movement seemed ordinary, merely gaining a fleeting, insignificant half-second. But that half-second allowed a player to respond with greater composure.

As expected, even after moving to the point where the tennis ball landed, Niou still had the energy to observe the jackal's movements and reactions.