My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level.

But then Muromachi gave a soft shout.

Just when everyone thought he was replicating his short-ball attack, Muromachi suddenly retreated.

"what?"

To everyone's surprise, Muromachi, while shouting that he was going to attack, was actually retreating. This stark contrast left many people stunned.

"This kid?!"

Atobe narrowed his eyes.

He knew perfectly well that someone who could fight Kabaji to this extent was definitely not the type to run away in the face of battle. Otherwise, the other party could have simply refused the duel and left; there was no need to waste time on this whole charade.

really.

As Muromachi stepped back, he simultaneously raised his racket high. The instant the ball bounced off the ground after Kabaji's return, Muromachi slammed the racket out without hesitation.

There was a loud bang.

Kabaji's powerful shot was deflected back at an even faster speed. Because he had just been charging up his shot and hadn't adjusted his posture, he could only watch helplessly as his opponent scored.

"game!"

Sure enough, Muromachi smiled slightly after scoring: "Muromachi, Fuji, 1-0, switch positions."

"They...they actually fought back?"

"how is this possible?"

"How did he do that? That strike was incredibly powerful..."

While everyone was shocked, their eyes were filled with confusion as they looked at Muromachi. They couldn't understand how he could so easily return such a powerful shot by simply taking a slight step back.

"This kid's mid-range strike... is pretty good."

Atobe looked at Muromachi with a hint of surprise. With his discerning eye, he could naturally tell that the opponent had just used a very skillful half-attack.

The essence of a half volley is to return the ball the instant it bounces off the ground, before the ball's internal power is fully released.

In this way, they can actually borrow some of the force and even launch a counter-attack that is faster than the attack.

"but."

Atobe paused, his eyes flickering slightly, and his gaze towards Muromachi held a deeper meaning. Judging from the opponent's attack, this didn't seem to be a simple half-hit.

Retreat.

Swing the racket.

fight back.

These movements are very fluid, flowing seamlessly as if they are performing the same thing.

"It doesn't look like tennis; it's more like basic footwork from Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) or boxing?"

With that thought, Atobe walked to the other side of the court. Kabaji followed behind him, remaining silent the whole time, like a taciturn man. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought he was devastated.

But as they passed each other, Yuta and Muromachi could clearly feel that the other's oppressive aura had intensified.

"Something's not right with this person."

"Ah."

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions turning serious.

Their opponents were, after all, Hyotei, the absolute champions of the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament. However, Yuta and Muromachi, members of the Yamabuki Second Team, dared not underestimate them in the slightest.

Especially after undergoing rigorous training with Shibukawa, the two, though joking around, never truly believed that Hyotei was only at this level.

boom!

soon.

After switching courts, Kabaji hit the tennis ball over.

"Good timing."

Yuta, who was in charge of receiving the serve, had a glint in his eyes. The moment the tennis ball bounced after landing, he decisively swung his racket and hit a beautiful volley.

"Ok?"

Upon seeing this, Atobe's eyes flickered slightly.

If Muromachi's half-volley was like a clever trick borrowed from boxing or Sanda, then this brown-haired boy was delivering a very standard half-volley.

The timing of the shot and the point of force application were extremely precise. It would be impossible to hit a shot like this without specifically studying the volley.

"Ok?"

At that moment, Atobe seemed to notice something, his gaze falling on Yuuta's face: "Is it just my imagination? Why do I feel like I've seen this kid somewhere before?"

boom!

At that moment, Kabaji violently returned the tennis ball.

Yuta then stepped forward and slammed his racket into the tennis ball with one hand.

boom!

As the ball and racket collided, a powerful force was transmitted through the racket to Yuta's left hand.

"strong enough!"

He gave a soft shout, his face showing no sign of panic, but rather a hint of fanaticism: "Get over here!"

Yuta spoke slowly and deliberately, and then hit the tennis ball with all his might.

"what?"

The audience outside the stadium was taken aback.

Muromachi blocked Kabaji's attack head-on, and this buzz-cut guy actually blocked it too.

"How exactly does Yamabuki train?"

Watching the two deal with such powerful shots as if they were eating and drinking, everyone couldn't help but wonder about the intensity of Yamabuki's usual training.

"He does have some skill."

Atobe nodded slightly.

Even within Hyotei Academy, there are few who can withstand Kabaji's power tennis head-on. However, he could also clearly see that the two weren't completely facing off, but rather utilizing the advantage of half-volleys. Otherwise, they would have had no chance against Kabaji at all.

But Atobe didn't care.

He knew Kabaji's abilities very well; his opponent was a slow starter. As the match progressed, Kabaji's terrifying strength would become apparent.

"but......"

His gaze shifted slightly as he looked at Yuta, who was locked in combat with Kabaji. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are these two planning to fight each other separately?"

Muromachi just now, and Yuta now, both of them have chosen to stay out of the other's match. In a way, this match has turned into a one-on-one duel.

Although Kabaji was at a disadvantage, to some extent having to deal with the two of them taking turns attacking him, this was still quite unexpected for Atobe.

He had originally envisioned that the two men should have been forced to retreat under the pressure from Kabaji.

Bang!

boom!

Bang!

boom!

At this time.

Yuta and Kabaji began their fierce battle on the court.

The former used a fast and sharp body shot to limit Kabaji's ability to hit wide, open, and multi-hit shots. The latter was forced to shorten the distance of his return shot, resulting in less power and a very frustrating experience.

However, Kabaji is introverted and doesn't easily express his thoughts.

"A very clever tactic."

Atobe nodded to himself.

Unlike Muromachi, who prefers a head-to-head, confrontational style of play, Yuta is more steady and methodical. Even so, this short-haired, brown-haired boy has very sharp hitting angles. While not exactly deadly, he manages to keep Kabaji stuck at the baseline, unable to move.

The two fought for four minutes.

Ultimately, Yuta scored another point on top of his 40-15 lead, successfully winning his opponent's serve.

"game!"

After winning the game, Yuta calmly said, "Fuji, Muromachi, 2-0."

"We won again!"

"That's amazing! As expected of the twin stars of Yamabuki, they even managed to suppress Hyotei!"

"Well done!!"

The crowd outside the stadium cheered.

Yuta and Muromachi exchanged a glance and smiled knowingly. Their teamwork wasn't exactly perfect, but this match wasn't really a doubles game in the true sense; it was more like a two-on-one tag team battle.

But if they can defeat Hyotei, especially with Atobe leading the team, the two of them will definitely be able to brag about it a lot when they get back.

"You won again?"

Atobe frowned inwardly.

In his mind, Kabaji should be able to hold his serve and tie the score.

And now, they've actually been suppressed by the other side?

However, he refrained from stopping the match to give Kaba a hint. Atobe knew very well that his opponent hadn't used his full strength.

As the competition continues, Kabaji will only become more and more formidable.

really.

When Yamabuki won another set and took a 3-0 lead, the serve went to Kabaji, and the Hyotei regular finally unleashed his power.

"I've won this point."

Muromachi confidently swung his racket to hit the ball, but to everyone's surprise, Kabaji anticipated the shot and took a step back. After creating some distance, Kabaji quickly swung his racket, much to everyone's astonishment.

boom!

A crisp sound.

The tennis ball, which had just bounced off the ground, was countered by Kabaji with even greater speed.

"15-0!"

The opening is on the atobe.

The scene suddenly fell silent.

"Half-half interception?"

After a long while, someone finally spoke, their voice trembling.

Is it a coincidence?

Muromachi frowned slightly as his opponent breached his defenses. The opponent's move was exactly the same as when he had hit a half-volley in the first round.

"It's not a coincidence."

Yuta shook his head and said, "Because the other party's movements are almost identical to yours just now, if not nearly identical."

"Forehead."

Muromachi's lips twitched slightly upon hearing the other party's 'honest words'. But he had to admit that Yuta's judgment was correct.

Thinking back carefully, Kabaji was indeed replicating the motion he used when he first threw a half-volley.

But the more this was the case, the more surprised he became.

Muromachi found it really hard to connect what had just happened with the dull-looking, tall and clumsy guy in front of him.

"It's finally starting."

Atobe, seeing Kabaji make his move, smirked slightly. Once Kabaji used this technique, it meant the match was about to end.

Sure enough, in the following match, Kabaji played Muromachi's signature style of play, completely stunning the latter.