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Kitahara Akira landed his serve, his eyes filled with amazement as he looked at his powerful body.

[Health restored to 40%]

The slight tingling in my right knee disappeared, and the energy I had used up in the game was almost completely restored.

Strength increased by 40%

His entire arm, from his upper arm and shoulder all the way to the palm holding the racket, was enveloped in a rich golden light that only he could see.

He had a misconception.

It was as if he could simply reach out and grab Kirihara in the palm of his hand, toss him into the air, and then slam him heavily into the ground.

[Speed ​​increased by 40%]

Golden light spread from his arms to his waist, and then to his legs, with power flowing into his leg muscles.

[Focus ability increased by 40%]

Kitahara Akira felt his mind was exceptionally clear and his attention was incredibly focused, as if he had entered a wondrous realm, with a feeling of being in control of everything and omnipotent.

In a past life, professional athletes called this state the zone.

He had just entered the zone and sensed his instinctive abilities in Overlord state.

[Overlord State: Unleashes overwhelming power, suppressing the opponent's state.]

[Overlord's Unleashed Powerful Fist (Limited Skill): Unleashes all of his Overlord's power to deliver a powerful punch, dealing true damage to the enemy.]

Kitahara Akira gently clenched his fist.

This is a power of another realm. I experienced it once a few days ago, and now I can do it with ease.

......

dong dong...

The tennis ball rolled to the ground, Kirihara froze, the umpire was stunned, and the spectators in the front row of the stands near the court were also dumbfounded.

What was that just now...?

Kitahara Meihei, racket in hand, said, "Hey... umpire, aren't you going to make your decision yet?"

"...Huh? Ah! No, because I didn't see it..."

The referee panicked and shouted, "Camera crew, rewind!"

The off-court photography team immediately rewound the scene by thirty seconds. On the screen, Kitahara Akira's racket flashed after serving, and the tennis ball appeared off the court. They rewound the scene several times, slowing down the speed.

"The ball...is in bounds!"

Having received confirmation from the sidelines, the referee wiped the cold sweat from his brow and shouted, "...Kitahara Akira scores! 15-0!"

Inui Sadaharu looked quite surprised: "Fuji...you saw that serve just now, right?"

"Hmm, a quick flat serve."

Fuji nodded, his eyes slightly opening, a hint of seriousness appearing in his azure pupils. He calmly analyzed, "Judging from Kirihara's appearance, it seems that it wasn't just about speed; something else must have happened that we don't know about."

Sadaharu Inui added, "It's like... being suddenly startled by something."

"hateful."

Kirihara Akaya curled his lip, the whites of his eyes were once again filled with blood, and he stared intently at the person opposite him, frowning in thought.

"I shouldn't have missed that ball at that speed."

"What is that?"

"I will definitely see through you!"

Kirihara got into position, fully focused and ready to fight.

Bang! !

Another explosion.

The tennis ball exploded in the service court, and Kirihara's body froze on the spot, unable to move, while his eyes desperately looked down.

That is......

A roaring, deliberate punch was unleashed from below, making him look like a pitiful wretch about to be knocked out in one blow on the ring.

"boom!"

That domineering uppercut slammed into him, and his mind went completely blank for a moment.

"30-0!"

The tennis ball pierced fiercely through Kirihara's legs.

......

"Hoo...ha...!"

Kirihara froze for two seconds, then suddenly shuddered, realizing there was no fist in front of him, only Kitahara Akira across the net with a mocking smile on his face.

"This... guy!"

Kirihara gritted his teeth, his chest heaving violently, yet his bloodshot eyes trembled uncontrollably.

The crowd outside the court looked puzzled. Although Kitahara Akira's serve was very fast, Kirihara had received it before, so why did he suddenly stop moving?

Even when the tennis ball came right in front of him, Kirihara seemed to be stunned.

Bang! !

"Kitahara Akira scores, 40-0!"

Jackal Kuwabara's eyes widened: "Akaya couldn't even react! The ball just flew right between his legs!"

He looked at Kitahara Akira, who seemed like a completely different person.

"Could it be that he was holding back his full strength until just now?"

The thought had barely formed when it was quickly dismissed: "No, that doesn't seem to be the case."

Jackal Kuwabara frowned slightly.

Could it be that he, like Akaya, also has a similar change in his bloodshot eyes...?

"This is bad!"

Bang! !

"Game, Yamabuki Middle School Kitahara Akira, 3-5!"

......

"That's right, that's exactly what it looks like."

Kanzuki trembled all over, having experienced the same ordeal that Kirihara had suffered just four days earlier.

Strength, speed, concentration...

It's like he suddenly became a completely different person.

Not only that, but the tennis balls that guy hit also had an indescribable domineering aura.

In front of his tennis ball.

Forget about returning the ball; before the racket even touched the ball, my mind went blank from being overwhelmed by that domineering aura. By the time I came to my senses, I had already lost the point.

Snapped!

Snapped!

Kirihara gripped the bouncing tennis ball tightly, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he tossed the ball up and shouted.

"If you have the guts, come back and fight me again!"

Bang!

The racket slammed down, and the tennis ball landed fiercely in Kitahara Akira's half of the court.

Knuckle serve!

This ball has a stronger spin than before.

Kitahara Akira instantly appeared in front of the landing point, and before the tennis ball could bounce, he swung his racket.

Bang!

The tennis ball had barely left the ground when the racket lashed out, the air exploding as it was compressed, producing a deafening thud, like a bomb had been driven into the air, causing the air itself to distort.

"What!?"

Seeing his knuckle serve being returned so easily, Kirihara rushed out, but just as the tennis ball crossed the net, a terrifyingly domineering aura suddenly pressed down.

My body stiffened.

"0-15!"

......

Bang!

"0-30!"

......

Bang!

"0-40!"

Kitahara Akira scored with consecutive returns.

Kirihara gripped his racket tightly, breathing heavily and laboredly. His peripheral vision swept over Sanada on the sidelines, the immense pressure of Rikkai's absolute inability to lose weighing heavily on his mind.

How did this guy suddenly become so strong?!

The tennis ball is tossed into the air.

Thud! ...Thud—!

"Game, Yamabuki Middle School Kitahara Akira, 4-5!"

Without holding back at all, Kitahara Akira used a return ace to break serve with overwhelming force.

"Let's switch places!"

Kirihara walked out with heavy steps.

"Aka has met a formidable opponent," Niou said solemnly to the people around him.

Sanada remained silent, his gaze solemn.

Liu Lian'er's eyes hadn't closed since then; a large amount of data was being processed in his mind, and he finally concluded that the winning probability was 0.

Not only Rikkai University.

Seeing the strength that Kitahara Akira had just displayed, all the national-level players present felt a sense of threat.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, Atobe, and Tachibana Kippei.

Most people in the venue were just watching the spectacle, thinking that Kitahara Akira had suddenly become very powerful, while a few people might have vaguely sensed that something was wrong.

These national-level athletes with strong mental fortitude were able to keenly perceive Kitahara Akira's special qualities.

Tezuka saw a special power similar to being tempered through countless trials, Tachibana Kippei saw an aura of intimidation similar to the aura of a ferocious beast, and Atobe saw a profound level of concentration.

Although each of them sees something different.

What is certain is that Kitahara Akira now possesses the strength to rival them.

The coach's assistant on the bench was beaming with delight.

how many years?

He finally got a singles ace who could truly carry the Yamabuki team!

With his experience, he could naturally tell.

Kitahara Akira must have entered some kind of special state, which allowed him to break through the national level.

However, it is highly likely that he is not yet able to control the game freely and needs to use the sense of urgency of losing the game at any time to force himself to get into the zone.

However, none of this matters.

It's just about honing one's mental strength, he understands that!

......

Bang!

Kirihara was stunned, his mind blank, and the tennis ball crashed to the ground.

"Game, Yamabuki Middle School Kitahara Akira, 5-5!"

......

"Yamabuki will win!"... "Victory belongs to Kitahara Akira!"

Kitahara Akira's stunning comeback completely ignited the Yamabuki fan club, who stood up, waving their flags and cheering.

"The pillar of Yamabuki has appeared."

Hearing Kitahara Akira's name resound throughout the venue, Tezuka Kunimitsu felt a sense of urgency.

He will graduate next year.

Although Kaidou and Momoshiro have considerable potential and strong willpower, they are still somewhat lacking in the qualities he envisions for the pillars of Seigaku.

"You...bastard!"

Kirihara's cheeks were trembling.

No matter where the ball goes, Kitahara Akira can receive it, and his returns are fast and heavy, making his attack patterns completely unpredictable.

That terrifyingly domineering aura seemed to devour everything.

shame!

Bang!

The tennis ball slammed heavily onto the racket, causing Kirihara's arms to tremble. The terrifying force instantly spread throughout his body, making his teeth chatter.

Suddenly, his gaze became slightly unfocused, and scenes from his past life flashed before his eyes.

The carousel was displayed.

A year and a half ago, he joined Rikkai University with the ambition of becoming the best in the country, but before he could even get started, he was defeated by the three giants of Rikkai University.

Later, he diligently honed his skills, never stopping practicing for a single day.

All efforts.

It was all just to get back on my feet, to be able to challenge those three guys again—

But he still hadn't gotten up.

The same thing happened again, and I was in such a sorry state once more, finding it incredibly difficult even to connect with the ball.

"Damn it! What the hell—"

"What's so special about that Kitahara Akira from Yamabuki?!"

Kirihara's eyes focused again, his resolve hardened once more, and with a powerful push forward, he returned the tennis ball.

"I'm going to get back up!"

"I have no choice but to win until I completely crush those three!"

Seeing the tennis ball being returned, Kitahara Akira's expression showed a slight hint of surprise. Kirihara's playing style was despicable, but his willpower surprised him.

but......

That's enough!

Kitahara Akira appeared in front of the tennis ball with a flash.

In Overlord mode, he can use Instant Step several times in a row, appearing anywhere on the court in the shortest amount of time.

Then, the right hand draws back and pulls the racket open, while the left hand makes a grasping motion in the air with its five fingers pointing forward.

hum!

A golden aura burst forth, almost tangibly enveloping the tennis ball, as Kitahara Akira's internal energy flowed through a special pathway to the racket.

then......

An incredibly terrifying aura suddenly erupted.

Overlord's Deliberate Blowing Punch!

boom!!--

A visible shockwave exploded in the air, and the tennis ball transformed into a thick golden light, instantly crashing into Kirihara Akaya's half of the court.

Upon seeing the ball, Kirihara suddenly rushed forward to meet it.

His obsession with victory ignited his mental energy, and the bloodlust in his eyes intensified. Breaking free from the limitations of his domineering aura, he gripped the racket tightly with both hands, staring at the tennis ball, a mad thought flashing through his mind.

"If I defeat this guy, I'll climb to even greater heights!"

Whoa!

Kirihara Akaya planted his feet on the ground, twisted his waist, and swung his racket with all his might at the beam of golden light.

"—!"

Before everyone's eyes, a figure was sent flying backward in an instant.

Snap! Thud! Whoosh! Rumble!

Kirihara Akaya spun around and crashed into the ground, then bounced up, flying heavily backwards until he finally stopped against the wall behind the court.

He collapsed to the ground, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused, his gaze vacant. His arms twitched from the force of the impact.

The scene looked as if it had just been crushed by a hundred-ton truck.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

The entire stadium was deathly silent. The referee had never seen anything like it before and was stunned for a long time.

He finally shouted loudly.

"Game, Yamabuki Middle School Kitahara Akira, 7-5!"

"Match over! Kitahara Akira wins!"

As soon as the referee's voice fell, the entire arena erupted in cheers! Everyone in Yamabuki stood up and shouted wildly, their unified chants echoing throughout the hall.

"Kitahara!"..."Kitahara!"..."Kitahara!"

"Victory belongs to Yamabuki! Victory belongs to Kitahara Akira!"

Kitahara Akira stood in the center of the court, the center of attention, while Kirihara Akaya lay on the ground, unnoticed by anyone except the Rikkai fans.

He walked off the court.

Sengoku gave him a fist bump, and Minami Kentaro and Higashikata Masami gave him a high five from the left and right at the same time. Morimura Ya rushed up from behind and grabbed his neck, causing him to stumble. Everyone cheered.

After Muromachi Juji, Kita Kazuma, and Niito Yone Inakichi all offered their congratulations, the event concluded.

It's unclear who shouted first, but a group of people noisily dragged Kitahara Akira onto the court, some grabbing his arms and others his legs.

"Oh~!"

Throw it upwards with force, catch it, and then throw it up again.

"Yamabuki is the champion!!—"

......

Watching the Yamabuki members venting their joy on the field, Kirihara Akaya struggled to stand up from the bench, his face ashen, his arm twitching occasionally.

He staggered to Sanada and bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

"Vice-Captain Sanada, you...you can hit me then...!"

He hung his head, his heart filled with self-blame and guilt.

What's the point of talking about being number one in the country?

Rikkai University's rookie tournament championships for many consecutive years were taken away from him.

"The deputy minister... must be very disappointed..."

Kirihara saw Sanada slowly raise his hand from the shadow on the ground, so he straightened up, closed his eyes, and waited for Sanada's slap to fall.

Instead of the expected slap, there was none.

Sanada placed his hand on his shoulder: "You played very well in that last game."