*Ice Tennis Club.*
As the news of the match between Ishikawa and Akutsu spread, the other members of the tennis club, who were in the middle of their training, quickly gathered around to watch.
"Everyone, don't forget your training tasks," Ishikawa said with a smile as the crowd grew. "If you don't complete your training plan, you'll have to drink my newly developed special herbal tea!"
*Gulp.*
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone's faces turned pale.
"Uh, it's fine, right?" Suzuki Ryota forced a nervous laugh from the crowd. "As long as we finish the tasks by the end of the day, it's okay, right?"
The others nodded in agreement. In their minds, even though Akutsu was strong, the match between him and Ishikawa wouldn't take too long. More importantly, they had overheard Ishikawa's conversation with Hiyoshi earlier. It seemed like Ishikawa was really going to use the Enbu-style tennis against Akutsu. This was a rare opportunity they couldn't miss!
Soon, even Atobe and Coach Sakaki, along with the regulars and representatives from the second team, gathered around. Even after fainting from drinking Ishikawa's special concoction earlier, Shishido and Ootori, now pale-faced, stood outside the court.
"Akutsu-senpai," Ishikawa looked up at Akutsu with a smile. "Just so we're clear, the loser of this practice match has to drink 300 milliliters of my newly brewed herbal tea."
"Uh, sure," Akutsu's face twitched slightly, but he ultimately agreed. Despite his aversion to the uniquely flavored drink, he was more eager to face Ishikawa in a match. Besides, at this point, there was no backing out.
"Alright," Ishikawa nodded. "Then, let's get ready to serve."
Since this was a practice match, there weren't many formalities. As the vice-captain, Ishikawa showed proper sportsmanship.
"Mm," Akutsu didn't hold back.
"Match begins, one set decides the winner," the referee on the high chair confirmed both players' readiness and announced, "Akutsu to serve, first game!"
*Thwack!*
The moment the announcement was made, Akutsu slammed the ball with a powerful serve. The speed of the ball was incredible, even sharper than during his match against Kirihara the day before. Clearly, Akutsu wasn't holding back from the start.
"Nice serve," Ishikawa thought to himself, feeling the intensity of Akutsu's aggressive play.
Without hesitation, Ishikawa stepped to the side and, using the front of his racket, quickly returned the ball the moment it bounced off the ground.
*Thwack!*
Because he made contact early and with the front of the racket, the return was incredibly fast.
"Huh?" Outside the court, Oshitari, who was watching, was surprised. "Isn't that... Hiyoshi's Enbu-style tennis?"
"Exactly," Atobe nodded. "The stance and movements are very similar to Enbu-style. That half-volley was clever. It seems like he borrowed Akutsu's power!"
"Borrowed power?" The others were stunned. If Atobe hadn't pointed it out, they wouldn't have noticed that detail.
"That's right," Shishido, who was most skilled in volleys and half-volleys, added. "Ishikawa's half-volley is definitely faster than before."
The same technique, but with a completely different effect. Of course, this could also be attributed to Ishikawa's overall improvement. Even his basic techniques were now more effective than before.
*Thwack!*
Meanwhile, Akutsu, chasing after the ball, didn't hesitate to slam it back with full force. The ball shot toward the far baseline of Ishikawa's side.
*Tap tap!*
Ishikawa moved quickly, his feet shifting in a perfectly balanced rhythm. Each step was precise, with the force concentrated on the balls of his feet, ensuring no energy was wasted.
In this state, Ishikawa's movement was more efficient, requiring less energy and time to cover the same distance.
"Is that... ancient martial arts footwork?" Hiyoshi, standing at the side of the court, was stunned. Ishikawa's movements were all too familiar. Every morning at his family's dojo, his father would stand on fixed stumps, practicing rapid movements. Hiyoshi had been training hard to master this technique himself, but he never expected someone else on the team to grasp it before him.
*Swish swish swish!*
Ishikawa dashed forward, leaving behind a series of afterimages, a testament to his incredible speed.
*Thwack!*
Catching up to the ball, Ishikawa once again used the front of his racket to make early contact, reducing Akutsu's reaction time.
"Hmph!"
But Akutsu, with his beast-like physique, crouched low and sprinted along the baseline like a cheetah.
*Tap tap!*
His footwork was also incredibly fast, but unlike Ishikawa's balanced rhythm, Akutsu relied purely on his speed and explosive power to keep up with the ball.
*Thwack!*
Without a second thought, Akutsu slammed the ball back with full force.
"Is this the intensity of his attacks? Is Akutsu planning to give Ishikawa no breathing room?" Shishido thought, his heart racing.
Akutsu's playstyle was overwhelmingly aggressive. He chased the ball at top speed and returned it just as quickly. This kind of play was fast-paced and extremely taxing on stamina, especially for the attacker, leaving little room for error.
But it wasn't without its advantages. At least in the eyes of the Ice Tennis regulars, Ishikawa's defense was terrifying. To score against such an impenetrable defense, one had to rely on relentless, aggressive attacks like Akutsu's. Only then could they hope to find a crack in Ishikawa's defenses.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
The two players' exchanges grew faster and faster. Even the spectators outside the court could barely keep up.
*Thwack!*
Finally, Akutsu was a step too slow. Ishikawa, using the Enbu-style technique of early contact and borrowed power, delivered a stunning passing shot.
"0-15!"
"Phew..."
After the intense rally, Akutsu let out a soft breath to steady himself.
"No way..." The other Ice Tennis members were shocked. They knew Ishikawa was strong, but Akutsu's earlier onslaught was beyond just "fierce." Even with his incredible stamina, Akutsu needed a moment to recover after such an aggressive attack. Meanwhile, Ishikawa remained perfectly composed in his defense.
Shishido, Mukahi, and the others couldn't believe it. "Does he really have no weaknesses?"
As time went on, they could no longer see Ishikawa's back clearly. Their perception of his strength had become increasingly blurred. It was only when Ishikawa defeated top players like Tezuka and Sanada that they realized how far the once-newcomer had surpassed them.
Now, watching Akutsu challenge Ishikawa, they couldn't help but hope that Akutsu would somehow break through Ishikawa's defenses.
Unfortunately, as the match continued, despite Akutsu's relentless attacks and increasingly terrifying pace, he still couldn't score. Instead, Ishikawa secured two more points in quick succession.
*Thwack!*
Another half-volley from Ishikawa earned him another point.
"0-40!"
"Ugh..."
Losing three points in a row made Akutsu visibly frustrated. On the court, where he had previously crushed geniuses from Seigaku and Rikkai, he now felt like he was slamming into an iron wall.
"Hmph!"
But then, Akutsu's narrowed eyes suddenly snapped open, his sharp gaze locking onto Ishikawa. "Even if it's a steel wall, I'll smash it to pieces!"
*Whoosh!*
With that thought, Akutsu's aura exploded. A grayish-white energy seemed to flow along his body, and the surrounding Ice Tennis members felt an intense, dangerous pressure.
*Beast Mode!*
This was Akutsu's state of breaking through his limits, where his concentration, strength, and speed were significantly enhanced. He felt like a true beast, terrifying and unstoppable.
*Thwack!*
Akutsu served again. A grayish-white streak shot across the court, slamming into the ground in front of Ishikawa.
*Boom!*
The ground erupted in dust as the ball, carrying destructive force, shot toward Ishikawa.
*Swish!*
Everyone's eyes were glued to the scene, especially Hiyoshi's. He was curious to see how Ishikawa would use the Enbu-style to return such a ferocious serve.
Of course, he also knew that Ishikawa's personal skill was more than enough to counter Akutsu's serve. But doing so would reveal the limits of the Enbu-style.
*Thwack!*
At that moment, Ishikawa swiftly swung his racket. As the racket made contact, he gently flicked his wrist, tilting the racket to create friction with the ball. At the same time, his right hand holding the racket moved backward, as if the racket and ball were in a state of relative stillness.
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, Ishikawa swung the racket, and the ball spun back.
"What?!" Everyone was shocked to see Akutsu's serve being countered so effortlessly. Ishikawa seemed to have expended almost no energy in the process.
*Swish!*
The return shot was incredibly fast, leaving everyone even more baffled. How had Ishikawa done it?
"This guy..." Atobe, who had been observing with his fingers resting on the bridge of his nose, narrowed his eyes. "He barely used any strength at all?"
Hearing this, Oshitari and the others were stunned. No strength? Then how did he manage such a fast return?
If it weren't Atobe saying this, even Oshitari would have been met with skepticism.
"So..." Coach Sakaki mused. "Ishikawa borrowed Akutsu's power?"
"Borrowed power?" The others were shocked.
Hiyoshi's body trembled slightly. "Is this the ancient martial arts technique of borrowing force?"
He seemed to realize something and focused on Ishikawa's right hand holding the racket.
*Thwack!*
Ishikawa caught the ball and pulled the racket back, adjusting the angle and direction to guide the ball along the desired trajectory. This time, as if to make it clear to everyone, Ishikawa spun 360 degrees, using the momentum to increase the friction between the racket and the ball.
Finally, as he completed the spin, the racket released the ball, sending it flying toward Akutsu's side.
"This..."
All the Ice Tennis members were stunned. Even Akutsu, who was about to chase the ball, widened his eyes in surprise.
Did Ishikawa just draw a circle and return Akutsu's powerful shot? So, in the end, Akutsu was essentially playing against himself?
"This guy!" Akutsu's eyes flashed with anger as his aura surged again. He dashed forward, catching the ball and slamming it back with even more force.
*Swish!*
The ball shot out, a grayish-white streak now tinged with a red glow. The power of the shot had undoubtedly increased.
"This ball..." Atobe's expression changed slightly. From his perspective, Akutsu's furious shot now rivaled Sanada's *Rai* (Thunder) in power. As the nominal second-strongest player in Ice Tennis, Atobe felt a strong pressure.
"Heh."
Facing Akutsu's brutal shot, Ishikawa simply chuckled.
*Tap!*
Once again, he brought his racket up, using the same technique as before. He spun 360 degrees, his feet leaving a circular mark on the ground. As he completed the spin, his aura seemed to undergo a transformation, bursting forth with newfound intensity.
*Whoosh!*
A dark glow emanated from Ishikawa as the ball, guided by the circular motion, flew back toward Akutsu's side.
*Thud!*
The incredibly fast return landed precisely on the baseline beside Akutsu.
"Game!"
"Ishikawa, 1-0!"
The referee's announcement left the Ice Tennis members speechless.
"W-what was that just now?" Hiyoshi muttered to himself. He thought he saw a faint shadow behind Ishikawa, but he wasn't sure if it was his imagination.
"Did you see that, Hiyoshi-senpai?" Ishikawa turned to Hiyoshi with a smile. "The potential of Enbu-style tennis is far greater than you think."
"T-that was Enbu-style?" The other Ice Tennis members were shocked.
Coach Sakaki, Atobe, Oshitari, and the others were equally stunned.
"So..." Akutsu glared at Ishikawa, his expression cold. "You were just teaching him Enbu-style tennis?"
He couldn't accept this reality.
"Not entirely," Ishikawa shook his head with a light laugh. "Enbu-style is one of the techniques I'm proficient in. Of course, I also have to thank you, senpai, for helping me deepen my understanding of this style."
"You..." Akutsu clenched his fists in frustration.
"Vice-captain," Hiyoshi asked curiously. "So, what was that move you just used?"
"This move?" Ishikawa thought for a moment, then smiled. "Let's call it... *Four Gods Enbu: Genbu* (Black Tortoise)."
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(End of Chapter)