Prince of Tennis: A new Hextech Crafting System is refreshed every week.

Tap...tap...tap...!

Yukihiro Murata's steps are short and high-frequency. He doesn't take a step together, but directly steps out with his outside foot in an open stance. With extremely fast reaction speed, he extends his racket to block.

A confident smile curved his lips.

To deal with this kind of high-speed, flat shot without spin, you just need to predict the landing point in advance, make a small backswing, and knock the ball back.

The most difficult part is not receiving the ball, but anticipating the trajectory of the serve.

"The arm's inward rotation and wrist snapping motion is too obvious!"

With a sharp shout, Yukihiro Murata slammed the tennis ball back with his racket without any hesitation. Moreover, he controlled the angle of the racket face very well, and his use of force was perfect. The speed of the return ball reached an astonishing 60% of the serve speed!

"Murata caught it!"

The gasps from the sidelines had barely begun when Kitahara Akira appeared at the net, calmly chuckling, "Sorry, I'm not the kind of player who only plays one shot!"

The racket suddenly extended from the net, but Kitahara Akira did not immediately exert force, instead gently blocking it with his wrist.

Snapped!

A short cross-court volley cleared the entire court.

"Good lad!"

Watching the yellow beam of light fly towards a distant corner, Yukihiro Murata laughed and exclaimed in praise as he sprinted at breakneck speed, his feet crossing rapidly. Just as the tennis ball was about to hit the ground a second time, he successfully returned the shot with the most extreme swing.

And at this time.

Kitahara Akira's gaze was sharp as a knife. His left hand was loosely clenched, as if he were tightly grasping a certain space in front of him. His right racket was raised, ready to strike.

The instant my gaze passed through the space of my loosely clenched hand and I saw the orange-yellow sphere!

110% burst!

Without the slightest hesitation, Kitahara Akira's entire body moved as if wound up, pushing off the ground, rotating his hips, swinging his arms, and snapping his wrists, sending the racket flying with unparalleled smoothness.

After breaking through the air with the most brutal slapping motion.

The ball is struck straight down to the center of the surface, compressed and stretched, instantly transforming into an exaggerated line that leaves a yellow afterimage.

Bang——! !

Yukihiro Murata remained motionless in the crouched position he had just used to save the ball, as the tennis ball shot out from beside his feet.

The entire process showcases the aesthetics of violence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed and gaped, as if an invisible hand had gripped their necks, and the entire room fell silent.

"Game, Kitahara Akira, 2-3!"

On the field, Yukihiro Murata's rough and loud voice helped the stunned referee announce the current score.

"Great! Really great!"

Yukihiro Murata slowly straightened up, looked up at the tall and imposing Akira Kitahara, and his eyes shone with a bright light that was different from Hirado's. The hem of his sports jacket fluttered in the sudden gust of wind.

"I acknowledge your flat-hitting smash. Among all the first-year players I've faced, none are better than you in terms of high-speed shots. I, Yukihiro Murata, used to call you the strongest!"

Change of scenery.

Yukihiro Murata's serve.

Bang!

The sound of the ball being struck was so loud it made one feel suffocated and breathless.

"Jumped that high?!"

Kitahara Akira was about to take a step forward when he saw the height of the tennis ball after it hit the ground. He immediately stopped his forward rush and raised his racket high, forcing him to place the hitting point at shoulder height.

But the moment the racket hits the tennis ball, the impact of the violent spin is transmitted from the racket face to the palm, then spreads to the entire arm, and even the body is knocked back a step.

"Get over here!"

Kitahara Akira gritted his teeth, his eyes hardened, and he forcefully pushed forward with his feet, twisting his waist and turning his body to forcefully pull the tennis ball back.

Bang!

The topspin tennis ball was forcefully pulled into a wide angle and returned.

Draw a diagonal line to buy yourself some reaction time.

In the rush, this was the best solution he could think of.

This was the first time Kitahara Akira had encountered a tennis ball with such a high bounce and such strong spin. Compared to this level of shot, Morimura Ya's topspin was simply child's play.

"It's not over yet!"

Yukihiro Murata charged like a wild beast, sprinting wildly along the baseline and catching up with the tennis ball in the blink of an eye.

First, turn to the side, pull your racket back, and aim at the tennis ball...

Swing the racket!

Bang! !

Kitahara Akira's heart sank again.

Then I looked up.

The tennis ball, which had come flying at him, suddenly bounced in front of him. He could only raise his hitting position again and barely managed to hit the ball back.

Thud! ...Thud! ...Thud! ...

Murata Yukihiro's offensive was like a violent storm, while Kitahara Akira was like a small boat in the turbulent waves, having to be on his guard against the ever-growing waves. If he was not careful, the boat would be destroyed and everyone would perish.

Bang!

"Yukihiro Murata scores, 15-0!"

......

Bang!

"Game, Yukihiro Murata, 4-2!"

......

Bang!

"Game, Yukihiro Murata, 5-2!"

......

Bang!

"Game, Yukihiro Murata, 6-2!"

Like a devastating blow!

Kitahara Akira was drenched in sweat. He leaned on his racket and barely managed to stand up. His chest heaved like a broken bellows. He greedily inhaled air, but it brought waves of burning pain, making him feel like he was about to die.

"Is this what true 'professional' level is? Is this what it means to be a top-level player in major competitions?"

In my past life, when I was watching a tennis match.

You can always see professional players making some unnecessary mistakes in the game. In Kitahara Akira's opinion, even an amateur player like him shouldn't make such mistakes.

Is someone with this skill level good enough to play professionally?

Later, when he met a true master, he finally realized the truth.

It wasn't that the professional player wanted to make a mistake, or that he was simply less skilled than the amateur player—it was just that the pressure from his opponent was too great, and he simply couldn't avoid making mistakes.

Just like Kitahara Akira just now.

Even if he fully masters the technique of hitting the ball at 110% full power, when that exaggeratedly bouncing topspin ball reaches shoulder height, does he have a chance to explode?

Let alone organizing a counterattack.

Kitahara Akira didn't even have the conditions to hit his signature smash. He tried his best, but could only barely defend the ball back. He couldn't hit a high-quality, well-placed return.

This is nothing short of a short-sighted solution!

For three whole innings, he was constantly pinned to the baseline by Yukihiro Murata, unable to move forward even a step. Murata, like an old man toying with a child, kept him running back and forth between the two ends of the baseline.

Until all physical strength is completely exhausted.

"How is it?"

Yukihiro Murata walked up to Kitahara Akira and helped him up with his broad hands. With his other hand, he placed his hand on Kitahara's shoulder and slowly walked him around the court. "Don't fall down. You just finished playing, so walk around slowly and let your body remember this feeling."

"Next time I'll be able to hold on for even longer."

"You lasted even longer? What, trying to torture me again?"

Upon hearing this, Kitahara Akira looked up and saw Murata Yukihiro's ambiguous smile, a smile he was trying not to laugh.

"With those thick eyebrows and big eyes, who would have thought he'd be such a shameless and ruthless person?"

"They could have won the match quickly, but they pushed me so hard I couldn't even stand up before ending the game."

"Hehehe, if you've got the guts, wait for my Hextech Refresh, wait until I've got my three legendary items, reached max level, and led the Yamabuki Middle School team to Katsura Autumn Terrace for a friendly exchange. Don't chicken out then, okay?"

Kitahara Akira couldn't help but roll his eyes, but he was too exhausted to complain. He could only silently give the other person the middle finger in his mind and think viciously.

"You'll be in for a world of hurt then! Like to hit topspin? I'll dry all the racket strings off!"

......

Kitahara Akira lost to Murata Yukihiro.

......

[Relentless Strikes: Provides a 'Guinsoo's Rageblade'. Units wielding 'Guinsoo's Rageblade' deal additional magic damage with each attack.]

[1 hour, 35 minutes, and 18 seconds remaining until the next Hextech spawn...]

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