novelnext Chapter 156 How to break that bastard's skill?
Chapter 156 How to break that bastard's skill?
Chapter 156 How to break that bastard's skill?
"Scum—!!!"
Watching that resolute figure disappear into the distance, Akutsu gritted his teeth, letting out a violent roar, the anger in his chest almost bursting out of his throat.
The veins on his hands, which were bracing against the ground, were bulging and his knuckles were white. He was using all his strength to barely support his heavy body.
But my mind felt like an old television with a poor signal, the picture torn and the noise piercing—all the techniques about tennis...
The moves were completely erased, as if wiped away by an eraser; not a single detail could be remembered.
My body felt like it was filled with lead, and every part of my body was screaming and wouldn't obey my commands.
What's wrong?
A nameless sorrow crept up his spine, mixed with resentment and absurdity, causing him to suddenly chuckle. The laughter grew louder and more manic, eventually turning into a heart-wrenching, uncontrollable roar.
Genichiro Sanada stood there, his brows furrowed, completely bewildered. He could only see Akutsu's face, a mixture of gloom and madness shifting constantly, like a trapped beast.
But the pride in his bones and his past honors made it difficult for him to lower his guard and ask this guy he once despised.
But he couldn't just turn around and leave, watching Akutsu like this, and do nothing.
After a tumultuous internal struggle, each second feeling like torture, Genichiro Sanada finally clenched his fists, took heavy steps, and walked towards Akutsu.
"What? You want to see me make a fool of myself too?"
Akutsu suddenly looked up, his eyes blazing with violent rage, his entire aura radiating aggression, as if he were about to pounce on the person in front of him and tear them to pieces at any moment.
Although he couldn't remember how to play tennis, his inherent arrogance and brute force remained. In his eyes, Sanada Genichiro was never someone worth looking at.
"That's not true."
Genichiro Sanada's face remained expressionless, his cold, serious eyes revealing a deep focus. His tone was calm yet carried an undeniable firmness: "How come you only know how to hit the ball?"
"snort."
Akutsu scoffed, not even bothering to give her a second glance, and with a cold snort, turned to leave resolutely.
Why do you only hit the ball?
Genichiro Sanada gritted his teeth, his voice heavy as if pressing down on a boulder, repeating each word slowly and deliberately, his tone filled with urgency and stubbornness.
"You brat, who are you talking to?!"
Akutsu suddenly turned his head, the anger in his eyes almost tangible, his muscles tense, his knuckles cracking, as if he would rush up and throw a punch at any moment.
Genichiro Sanada remained unmoved. He could humble himself and bow his head in front of Phoenix Byodoin, but when facing Akutsu, his past glory and pride would not allow him to show the slightest weakness.
"...
—
Genichiro Sanada's heart was in turmoil, torn between pride and reluctance, and he was in so much pain that he could hardly breathe.
Shout!
Akutsu was too lazy to argue with him anymore. He shook his head, turned around and strode away, each step carrying a venting force that seemed to make the ground tremble slightly.
Along the way, frustration overwhelmed him like a tidal wave, repeatedly screaming in his heart: Why can't I play tennis all of a sudden?
That bastard ruined everything he cared about most, and he absolutely could not tolerate this humiliation!
Looking up, one can see Natsume Tsuki leaning lazily against a stone platform not far away, basking in the sun with his eyes closed, looking carefree and detached from worldly affairs.
Akutsu's fierceness softened slightly, but his pace quickened unconsciously. He rushed over, bent down, grabbed a can of soda next to Natsume Tsukiya, and pulled hard with his fingertips. With a crisp "pop," the pull tab flew out, and icy bubbles overflowed from the bottle. He tilted his head back and gulped it down, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, as if trying to swallow all his irritability.
"500 pieces."
Natsume Tsukiya kept his head tilted back, his eyes closed, and spoke casually, yet precisely broke the silence.
Shout!
Akutsu scoffed, completely ignoring him, turning his head to the side, his mouth still bearing traces of undried soda, his face full of arrogance.
After finishing the last sip, he suddenly threw the empty can high into the air, his eyes blazing as he stared intently at the trash can not far away, as if that can were a substitute for the Phoenix of Byodoin.
"Clatter!"
The aluminum can slammed heavily against the edge of the trash can, bounced off the ground, and rolled several times before coming to a stop.
Akutsu's face instantly contorted into a grimace, his fists clenched, and the resentment in his chest surged like magma—he couldn't even throw in a soda can; was he now less than a piece of trash?
But Natsume Tsukiya beside him remained silent, his eyes closed, a faint smile playing on his lips as he contentedly enjoyed the sunshine, as if all the surrounding irritability and hostility had nothing to do with him.
"Is the weather nice today?"
After a long silence, Natsume Tsuki finally spoke slowly, his voice carrying the warmth of sunlight, casual yet exceptionally clear, breaking the oppressive silence.
Akutsu looked up disdainfully. The blazing sun was blinding, and the clear blue sky looked as if it had been washed clean, with fluffy white clouds scattered across the horizon like soft cotton wool.
A breeze blew, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, which inexplicably dissipated some of the surging anger in his heart, and a rare sense of tranquility quietly spread.
He inexplicably imitated Natsume Tsukiya, looking up at the sky, leaning back slightly against the cold stone platform.
Indeed, the weather is really nice.
But Akutsu would never say those words out loud.
His mood was still extremely bad, but looking at the clear sky, he inexplicably felt that he had never really appreciated such scenery before, when he was only focused on playing ball and being competitive.
He turned to look at his side, where Natsume Tsukihime still had his eyes closed, a gentle and serene smile on his lips, like a calm lake that could soothe all restlessness.
Akutsu was suddenly startled:
Why did I come here?
Why do I subconsciously want to get closer to this guy?
He has always been a lone wolf, used to being alone, used to using violence to disguise himself. When did he suddenly want to find someone to rely on?
Could it be because this guy is approachable, doesn't talk much, but always manages to make people feel inexplicably at ease?
Regardless, he could not deny that when he was at his most vulnerable and helpless, the first person he thought of was Natsume Tsukiya.
But he couldn't open his mouth. All his grievances, resentment, and confusion seemed to be blocked in his throat the moment he saw this person, and he couldn't utter a single word.
"How does it feel to be locked in a cage?"
Natsume Tsukiya finally opened his eyes, turned to look at Akutsu, casually removed the lemon peel from his eyes, his eyes showing a hint of mockery, yet also a subtle concern.
"Tch, I'll tear that scum to shreds with my own hands sooner or later!"
Akutsu spat dismissively, the violence in his tone resurfacing, but the vulnerability in his eyes couldn't be completely concealed.
"Sooner or later? Saying 'sooner or later' sounds more like an excuse to justify oneself."
Natsume Tsukiya murmured, his tone calm, yet it struck Akutsu's heart like a hammer blow, "However, having an excuse isn't necessarily a bad thing, after all, you're just a human, not a god."
"Stop talking nonsense!"
Akutsu finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted gruffly, but the confidence in his voice had weakened somewhat, "Tell me quickly, how do I break this?"
"That's not right, Akutsu."
Natsume Tsuki swayed slightly, twirling the lemon peel in her fingertips, a smile playing on her lips. Her tone was slightly mocking, "If you're asking for help, at least make it feel comfortable, right? Who would want to help you looking like that?"
"Tch~"
Akutsu's cheeks flushed slightly. She turned her head away awkwardly, stubbornly refusing to admit defeat, but her eagerness grew stronger.
Under the scorching sun, the two faced each other in this confrontation:
One was smiling and composed.
One of them was puffed up, awkward yet eager. The sunlight stretched their shadows long, but there was no awkwardness at all; instead, there was a strange tacit understanding between them.
"Let's go, let's have a fight."
Natsume Tsukiya suddenly stood up, swung his hand back, and smashed the empty can in his hand precisely onto the one Akutsu had thrown down. With a crisp clang, both cans rolled into the trash can together, without missing a beat.
"A fight? Are you kidding me!"
Akutsu instinctively retorted, but the words caught in his throat—he had almost forgotten that he didn't even know how to hold a racket anymore.
I can't remember how to hit the ball.
He stood there, stunned, his eyes filled with confusion and resentment, like a wolf that had lost its claws.
"What are you waiting for?"
Natsume Tsuki also turned his head and gestured towards the golf bag not far away, saying in a relaxed tone, "Take the stuff."
Akutsu stared at him blankly, then glanced at the golf bag in the corner. After a few seconds of silence, he finally snorted and walked over with heavy steps. He bent down and picked up the golf bag—it was much heavier than he had imagined. The touch from his fingertips was both familiar and strange.
The two walked one after the other, stepping through the dappled shadows of the trees, into a secluded ball court deep in the forest.
There was no noise, no onlookers, only the rustling of the wind through the leaves, and sunlight filtering through the gaps in the branches, casting dappled patterns of light that danced on the court floor.
Natsume Tsukiya was the first to walk to the side of the court, pick up his racket, and gently bounce it, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.
Akutsu frowned, took another racket out of the bag, and handed it over with a slightly awkward motion. Then he walked to the other side of the court and gripped the racket tightly.
But his hand holding the racket trembled slightly, his mind went blank, and all his memories and skills about tennis seemed to be blocked by an invisible wall, which he could not break through no matter how hard he tried.
He stood frozen in place, the bewilderment and resentment in his eyes growing stronger.
Natsume Tsukiya looked at him without saying anything, just smiled slightly and tossed the ball into the air.
Sunlight fell on the tennis ball, reflecting a dazzling light. The next second, his racket swung out like lightning: "Bang!"
With a loud bang, the tennis ball, carrying a sharp whistling sound, flew like a yellow meteor, carrying the fragrance of grass and trees, straight towards Akutsu's face.
In an instant, Akutsu felt a gust of wind rush towards him, carrying a faint lemon scent. The tennis ball was so fast that it was just a blur, rushing towards him in the blink of an eye.
His mind was still blank, but his body seemed to have its own consciousness. Just as the tennis ball was about to touch his nose, he suddenly leaped backward into the air, his body stretching out like a cheetah poised to pounce. His eyes were fixed on the yellow afterimage, and he swung his racket down with tremendous force!
"Bang—!"
A violent gust of air was instantly pulled out and poured down from the sky like a white dragon emerging from the sea, carrying a howling wind as it slammed into Natsume Tsukiya's court. The ground seemed to tremble slightly from the force of the impact.
Natsume Tsukiya's smile deepened, and he suddenly had another racket in his hand, which he spun rapidly with both rackets.
"Bang! Bang!"
Two crisp sounds almost overlapped as the tennis ball was precisely returned, even faster than before, carrying a sharp gust of wind, heading straight for Akutsu's blind spot.
"call out-!"
The tennis ball shot towards Akutsu's court like an arrow. Akutsu's eyes widened, and a long-lost excitement instantly ignited in his eyes. His blood boiled, and he raised his hand to swing his racket.
"piu"
With a crisp sound, the racket grazed the edge of the ball, and the ball, which was in his hand, instantly changed direction, flying through his armpit in a tricky arc.
Akutsu was a natural tennis prodigy, and his competitive spirit was completely ignited. He suddenly twisted his body, stretched his arm in the opposite direction, and his racket accurately caught up with the tennis ball, hitting it hard back!
"Puff puff puff puff!"
A spinning sound like a helicopter suddenly filled the air. Natsume Tsuki casually tossed another racket over, and Akutsu caught it without even looking at it. The familiar touch on his fingertips completely dispelled the confusion in his eyes, replaced by arrogance and sharpness.
"Dual-wielding!"
Natsume Tsukiya let out a low shout and swung his racket rapidly.
"Pfft pfft pfft"
The sounds continued in succession as ten tennis balls were launched simultaneously, like a dazzling array of yellow dots shooting towards Akutsu. Each ball carried a sharp force, covering all his escape routes.
Akutsu's lips curled into a defiant smile. He gripped his racket with both hands and moved nimbly across the court, blocking five balls with one hand. His movements were crisp, powerful, and without any hesitation.
"Pfft pfft pfft!"
On the court, dozens of yellow tennis balls, like a swarm of bees flying at high speed, darted back and forth between the two players with a sharp whistling sound.
Light and shadow intertwine, forces collide, and every shot is accompanied by a deafening crack, filling the air with an atmosphere of passion and exuberance.
Akutsu's eyes rekindled with the light of a tennis player, and that suppressed power finally erupted completely at this moment.
Soon, the air became quiet again.
The fight between the two came to an abrupt end.
Two tennis balls bounced on Akutsu's racket.
They bounced in overlapping motions.
"How do I counter that lousy skill?"
Akutsu finally asked the question he most wanted to know.
"It's a secret!"
Natsume Tsukiya caught the falling tennis ball and said, "However, the Echizen family's older brother must think you're useless. Why don't you hurry up and participate in a match?"
Upon hearing this, Akutsu immediately broke into an excited smile.