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

boom!

The racket was swung with a special power generation method, which significantly increased the speed of the tennis ball, and the arc fell into the comfort zone of the black cap's forehand.

Kitahara Akira was in a good mood after finding the correct way to use "Oni-sou's Frenzied Tennis Racket".

Unlike before, I wasn't in a rush to end the game. Instead, I focused on familiarizing myself with the power generation techniques I had memorized, while feeding the ball to the opponent's black cap. The opponent was able to catch the ball every time, while also feeling a certain amount of pressure.

Returning a shot like this is the easiest way to improve your shot quality.

After playing for a while, the man in the black cap clearly felt Kitahara Akira's care for him. His eyes showed a hint of surprise and deep gratitude, which made him even more serious and focused on playing each shot well.

A dozen minutes later.

boom!

With a passing shot that flew straight through the black cap's forehand, the match, designed to test "Guinsoo's Rage Racket," came to an end.

The man in the black baseball cap stepped forward to thank him, but Kitahara Akira waved his hand. In his opinion, tennis should be done this way.

Help each other out if you can; mutual support is the right way forward.

Compared to other ball sports, tennis is relatively more difficult to learn.

If you play badminton seriously for ten minutes or so, you can start playing against each other across the net. Even if you've never played table tennis before, you can use the "Little Dingdong" to get right onto the table.

But tennis is different.

Without instruction and without knowing the correct hitting technique, very few beginners can actually grab a racket and go to the court to rally. The tennis ball will either go out of bounds, hit the net, or be knocked over the wall.

Even if you find a teacher and learn for a few days, and find that you can barely hit the ball, if you miss two days in between, you will lose your rhythm again.

Because of the extreme difficulty of getting started with tennis, although there are no explicit rules, most people who have already mastered the sport are willing or enjoy helping beginners adjust their movements and helping others get started.

This way, new friends will join, and we can find people to play with in the future.

In my past life on Douyin, there were indeed many netizens who liked to point fingers and criticize everything, saying things like this doesn't have 3.0 or that isn't 2.0. But there were also many long comments that seriously offered their own insights, hoping to help others.

Well... even if the person I'm "helping" is Federer.

(I laughed as I wrote this. Thinking back, I realized that most of the tennis guys I've met are like that. When I was on the school team, a few upperclassmen would give me pointers on my movements, and each of them would have their own interpretation. Haha, it was quite fun back then.)

Five o'clock in the evening.

Summer days are long, and the sun shows no sign of setting. However, Kitahara Akira had already finished the first day of practice and, together with Morimura Ya, said goodbye to the people who had played that day and left the court.

A very fruitful harvest.

Having become familiar with his new body and figured out how to use Hextech enhancements, as long as he makes good use of the characteristics of "Guinsoo's Rage Tennis Racket", his strength will undergo a qualitative transformation after this summer.

So in the days that followed...

Kitahara Akira adjusted his schedule, waking up at five o'clock every day.

Seeing that Kitahara Misae was still asleep, he made himself a simple breakfast, left home around 5:30, and started jogging three kilometers to warm up at 6:00. By the time he finished his aerobic activation, he was already at the tennis court. Then, following Yamabuki's dynamic stretching exercises, he completed all the preparations before training.

Morimura Ya only lasted two days before choosing to stay home and lie down.

On the third day, they could only ask other people on the court to help with the training, and Morimura lent the storage room key to Kitahara Akira, who could freely take the cart full of training balls.

After the independent practice section is completed.

Kitahara Akira then moved on to the next stage, randomly finding passersby on the court for practice matches.

It can be said that over the course of three days, he beat almost everyone who came to play ball, whether they were first-graders, second-graders, or third-graders.

"As expected of Yamabuki, she's truly amazing!"

"I'm not playing anymore! I give up! Are all the first-year students this strong now?!"

"I think only Murata could beat you, but it's a pity he doesn't come often."

Since learning the special swing and power generation techniques brought about by "Oni-sou's Frenzied Tennis Racket", Kitahara Akira's offensive ability has been significantly improved. Everyone who plays against him must be on high alert, and his threat level has increased dramatically.

Kitahara Akira earned the respect of most people on these courts through his skill, but a minority of them were very unhappy to see him showing off.

"So what if it's Yamabuki?"

"He's just a first-grader. He should be bowing his head and greeting us seniors properly, you bastard!"

Kitahara Akira basically chooses to ignore people whose minds are already ingrained with a senior-junior hierarchy culture. Unless the other party is so blind as to come knocking on his door, he can't be bothered to care.

Compared to irrelevant people, Kitahara Akira was more concerned about the next Hextech respawn time.

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

[3 days, 11 hours, 24 minutes, and 15 seconds remaining until the next Hextech Respawn...]

Kitahara Akira was quite satisfied with the effect of "Ghost Blade's Rampage Tennis Racket". With less than four days left, he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Without the characteristics of Guinsoo's Rageblade, he would not be able to quickly increase the speed of his swing.

While feeling the urgency, he couldn't help but look forward to the next Hextech enhancement.

Torn between these conflicting feelings, Kitahara Akira made his decision.

He wants to go a step further and maximize the effectiveness of "Ghost Rope's Frenzied Tennis Racket".

After three days of practice.

Although my power generation technique has improved, I have not been able to perfectly replicate the 10% speed increase in my swing.

On the one hand, it was because only three days had passed, which was too short a time; on the other hand, it was because "Ghost Rope's Frenzied Tennis Racket" had also brought him some negative effects.

According to the original concept.

Kitahara Akira first practiced with the "Oni-sou's Frenzied Tennis Racket" to get his body used to it and to remember the swing motion and power generation method that increases speed by 10%.

Once you've fully mastered the 110% high-speed swing, use 110% as your initial swing speed to achieve a 10% speed increase, and then continue learning the next stage of the 121% high-speed swing.

Unfortunately, the plan was beautiful, but reality was cruel.

To achieve the above goals, Kitahara Akira needs to meet a certain condition: when using the "Oni-Roku's Frenzied Tennis Racket," he must be able to stably control the initial velocity of his swing.

The purpose is to maintain consistency in the swing motion and power generation after the speed increase.

If the initial velocity of each swing is inconsistent, the final swing motion will be inconsistent after the racket brings a 10% improvement. This results in slight differences in the swing motion and power generation method that Kitahara Akira learned from the racket each time.

The movements and habits that the body remembers also vary from person to person.

Furthermore, because the difference was not significant and the difference in movement was relatively subtle, Kitahara Akira was momentarily at a loss as to which technique to use to generate power when hitting the ball with a regular racket, resulting in considerable confusion.

Sometimes, the ball speed not only doesn't increase, but actually decreases significantly.

Kitahara knew this was the side effect of taking shortcuts. If he had created and developed each technique himself, he would have been able to control every detail of the force exertion, and this situation would not have occurred.

Knowing is one thing, understanding is another.

It's absolutely impossible for him to abandon "Ghost Rope's Frenzied Tennis Racket" and start studying high-speed swing techniques again.

Compared to that minor impact, his gains in the past few days have been significantly greater.

However, considering that the next Hextech Refresh is imminent, he must hurry and avoid the racket's side effects before [Relentless Combo] disappears.

The method to avoid it is also very simple.

That is to increase your control over your body!

#

Jiumingguan Dojo.

After nine o'clock, when the sun became scorching, Kitahara Akira left the tennis court.

I arrived at a kendo dojo called "Kumyoukan Dojo". According to comments on online forums, Kumyoukan is a member of the All Japan Kendo Federation and teaches modern competitive kendo. It does not belong to any traditional ancient kendo school.

In particular, the kendo instructors at the gym have incorporated some tennis racket-swinging techniques into their swordplay, which has attracted many tennis players to come and learn.

Kitahara Akira took off his shoes at the entrance of the dojo and put on the indoor shoes provided by the dojo for guests.

"Noodles!!"... "Thud!!"...

As soon as you enter, the sharp, intimidating shouts of the kana suddenly reach your ears, followed by the crisp sound of bamboo swords striking protective gear, and the sound of footsteps sliding around.

On the open wooden training ground, people wearing protective gear and holding bamboo knives were competing against each other in pairs.

Some people were practicing basic skills on their own in the open space, sweating profusely. The bamboo swords made a low, whistling sound as they pierced the air. The kendo instructors observed from the side, offering occasional pointers, and only nodded after the students corrected their postures.

"The dojo that teaches modern competitive kendo has a very retro interior."

Kitahara Akira silently observed the dojo's layout.

The training ground for kendo has a slightly elevated platform at the edge, which seems to be called the "upper-level room". It is used to hang the dojo name, school flags or place shrines, and is considered the most prestigious position in the dojo.

The interior of the dojo is decorated in a relatively simple and rustic style. The building materials are either bamboo or wood, and the walls are decorated with many scrolls and calligraphy works symbolizing different schools of thought.

After watching for a while.

Someone spotted Kitahara Akira outside the training area and walked over: "Here to learn swordsmanship?"

Kitahara Akira nodded and pulled a flyer from his right pocket, which read "Tennis and Kendo" in large characters.

These days, if you want to make money, you can't avoid getting involved with tennis.

This is common sense.

"Come with me."

Without saying much, the man led Kitahara Akira to a practice area where a kendo master, dressed in a dark blue kendo uniform, was instructing his apprentice.

"Use your wrist!"

"Not loud enough! Shout louder!"

"Nohara, stay alert! Don't let your guard down after the fight! Kazama, keep moving, charge in decisively!"

A powerful, rough voice echoed throughout the practice area.

Kitahara Akira watched the two apprentices practicing sparring. In front of this middle-aged man whose skirt hem was precisely folded to his ankles, he didn't dare to object at all and obediently did as he was told.

"A person who is very strict with himself and others."

As Kitahara Akira was thinking, he suddenly sensed a gaze upon him.

He turned his head and looked over there.

hiss!

Kitahara Akira gasped involuntarily, a chill ran down his spine, and the hairs on his arms stood on end, as if a cold knife were held to his neck.

"Hasegawa, it's practice time now."

The middle-aged man frowned, shifted his gaze to the person who brought Kitahara Akira over, and said in a somewhat stiff voice.

"This student wants to learn Kendo."

Hasegawa immediately explained in a low voice, adding, "Master Kubo, you are the only one at the dojo today."

"My name is Kitahara Akira. I saw on the flyer of Hisumikan that your dojo is very good at combining tennis and kendo techniques, so I would like to learn Hisumi-style kendo from you."

Kitahara Akira stepped forward, introduced himself, and explained his purpose.

This Kubo-doji looked small and rather thin, as if Morimura could knock him down with a single punch.

However, Kitahara Akira felt an extremely strong sense of oppression from the other party.

The gym owner, Akira Kubo, asked, "You play tennis?"

"Yes, I'm currently a first-year junior high school student and I want to participate in the fall rookie tournament in the second half of the year. I hope to improve my tennis skills by using Kyume-ryu Kendo."

Upon hearing this, Kubo Akira nodded and spoke to Hasegawa.

"Take him to change into his kendo uniform first, and then you can teach him the basic movements. Since the goal is to improve his tennis skills, there's no need to go into too much detail about the rules of kendo."

"yes!"

......

A few minutes later.

Kitahara Akira changed into a brand-new kendo uniform and stood in front of senior student Hasegawa, holding the bamboo sword that Hasegawa had given him.

Gently touch the surface of the bamboo knife.

It is smooth and cool to the touch, and you can feel the longitudinal texture of the bamboo strip. When you tap it on the ground, the blade has a certain elasticity and is not as hard as you might imagine.

"Senior, does practicing kendo help me better control my body?"

Upon hearing Kitahara Akira's question, Hasegawa, who was about to begin teaching, blinked and then changed his opening.

"certainly!"

"What Kendo seeks is to achieve the greatest effect with the fewest movements."

"To achieve this goal, a swordsman needs to coordinate his hands, feet, eyes, and breath in a split second. Only with a high degree of control over the body can one achieve something in swordsmanship."

"Many of the exercises in the Kyūmei-ryū style can improve body control."

"For example, the basic 'foot extension' does not rely on brute force, but uses the core muscles to stabilize the torso and smoothly shift the center of gravity between the two feet. Mastering the 'foot extension' will enhance your control over your torso and feet."

Having gotten the answer he wanted, Kitahara Akira smiled with satisfaction.

This is exactly what he wanted!

After a brief introduction and experience, Kitahara Akira purchased a course at Hisumeikan and officially became a student of Hisumei-ryu.

The money I had saved up for tickets to next year's All Japan Open has been completely wiped out.

What's the point of watching a game? You'll only get the real excitement if you play yourself!

Kitahara Akira didn't feel the pinch at all when spending other people's money. He filled in his information on the registration form and then handed over a wad of change to Hasegawa.

Hasegawa looked at the various denominations of banknotes and coins with a strange expression.

"He's brought out all his hidden treasures; Junior Brother Kitahara Akira's pursuit of the Dao is truly unwavering."

At this time.

A light blue transparent panel appeared in front of Kitahara Akira, visible only to him.

Name: Kitahara Akira

Current Occupation: Amateur Tennis Player

[Hextech Selected: Relentless Barrage]

[The Hextech options refresh weekly, displaying three enhancement runes of the same tier. The rune effects vary depending on the class.]

......

A new class has been detected: Kendo Apprentice.

[Convert or not?]

......

Without hesitation, Kitahara Akira clicked "OK" as soon as the thought crossed his mind.

Name: Kitahara Akira

Current Occupation: Kendo Apprentice

[Hextech Selected: Relentless Barrage]

[The Hextech options refresh weekly, displaying three enhancement runes of the same tier. The rune effects vary depending on the class.]

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

Kitahara Akira picked up the bamboo knife.

next second.

A burst of orange-yellow flame instantly spread from the hilt to the entire blade.

【Ghost Rope's Berserk Bamboo Sword: Forged by fusing Ghost Rope's Berserk Blade with an ordinary practice bamboo sword.】

[Effect: Increases sword swing speed by 10% and sword skill by 10%, stacking by 5% with each swing. (Temporary buff from Relentless Combo: Adds additional Severing trait)]