Author's Note:
Hey, sorry for being inactive as I was busy with school.
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy!
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"Game and 1st set, Hinata!" The umpire said.
The score was now 6-2 with Sora leading the way and Victor couldn't help but be frustrated.
'How does he hits so hard for a high schooler?! Not only that, he's damn smart as well!' Victor thought.
Initially, Victor hadn't taken Sora seriously, attributing his status as a high school athlete to an easy match-up.
However, Sora's dominance in the first set, achieved through a series of unreturnable serves, quickly altered Victor's perspective. Although the speed of Sora's serves seemed standard to Victor, it was Sora's ability to skillfully mask his serve directions that left Victor struggling to anticipate the next move.
Moreover, Sora's groundstrokes, both his forehand and backhand, were executed with such precision and speed that Victor found them almost impossible to counter. Not merely relying on raw power, Sora's strategic placement kept Victor on his toes, with shots consistently landing just within the sidelines.
Adding to Victor's challenges, Sora displayed a remarkable range of techniques, from slicing to executing drop shots, making his play style incredibly versatile and unpredictable.
'He's truly exceptional. No wonder my coach arranged this match,' Victor conceded internally as he prepared to continue.
Facing Sora, he admitted, felt more demanding than competing against the top 20 players in the world rankings.
Contemplating his next move, Victor pondered, 'Is now the time to unveil my secret weapon? Sora's skill is undeniable, but how will he handle an unexpected twist?'
"Time!"
As the umpire signaled the continuation of the match, both players returned to the court, ready to resume their match.
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"Wow! Aniki won the first set!" I heard Natsu's voice, filled with excitement.
"Yeah," I responded, my voice barely hiding my mix of feelings.
Aniki had just triumphed over the world number four in tennis, a feat so astonishing it felt like a dream. His talent seemed boundless, illuminating the gap between us.
A tinge of jealousy crept into my heart. Aniki's genius cast a long shadow, under which my own abilities felt diminished. The thought of stepping into the world of tennis, where comparisons with him were inevitable, led me to stay away from the tennis club, despite my genuine interest in the sport.
Then came my moment of inspiration - the tiny giant, defying the odds in volleyball with his incredible spikes, despite his short stature. It was a revelation, a spark that ignited my desire to pursue volleyball, to carve out a niche where I could shine on my own terms.
But my heart sank when I discovered that Yukigaoka lacked a middle school volleyball club. Undeterred, I turned to Aniki for support. True to his nature, he didn't hesitate to help me scout for team members, embodying the very essence of brotherhood.
Yet, life had more surprises in store. Aniki, it turned out, was not only proficient in tennis but also had a knack for volleyball.
Watching him execute advanced techniques like jump serves with ease was both awe-inspiring and disheartening. I had hoped to find a sport where I could stand apart, yet here he was, excelling in my chosen sports as well.
The duality of my emotions was confusing. Joy at Aniki's assistance and despair at my perceived inadequacies coexisted, leaving me feeling suffocated. It was a struggle, finding my place in a world where Aniki's talents seemed boundless.
"Time!"
I heard the umpire said.
Despite the feelings I have, I decided to just set them aside for now and support Aniki.
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Dominating the first set took me by surprise. Despite my history as a former world number one in my previous life, I hadn't expected to overpower my opponent so decisively. Yet, here I was, leading the game, a testament to skills honed over a lifetime yet begun anew.
As we prepared for the next game, I saw Victor position himself behind the baseline, his eyes fixed and body tense, ready to serve. I steadied my stance, mentally preparing to return whatever he had in store.
Victor tossed the ball into the air, and as his racket made contact...
"OOH!"
He let out a loud grunt echoed across the court, a primal sound that seemed to slice through the quiet concentration
Caught off guard by the unexpected noise, my reaction faltered, and my return shot found the net instead of clearing it.
"15-0," announced the umpire.
So, Victor had resorted to grunting. It was an interesting strategy, to say the least. Grunting can slightly decrease the returner's reaction time. While the difference might seem negligible, in a fast-paced game like tennis, every millisecond counts.
But there was something uniquely distracting about Victor's grunt-it sounded like a dying goat, it's irritating.
It was clear that this match wasn't just a test of physical skill but mental resilience as well. I refocused, determined not to let Victor's auditory tactics throw me off my game again.
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"Game, Azarenko!" announced the umpire, marking another point in favor of Victor.
The scoreboard updated to reflect a 3-5 lead with Victor in the lead.
Despite anticipating his loud grunts, I was taken aback by the sheer variety of sounds he could produce. With each serve came a new animalistic imitation-dying cats, roaring lions, tigers, trumpeting elephants, grunting pigs, mooing cows, and more. To say these sounds were irritating would be an understatement.
It seemed Victor possessed a greater range in his vocal performances than in his tennis repertoire. Never in my life as Sora had I found myself so irritated by something as seemingly trivial as a grunt.
It was perplexing; after all, in my previous life, I had encountered numerous players who used grunting as a tactic. Yet, for some reason, Victor's variety of sounds was testing my composure like never before.
"Time!"
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"Oh no, Aniki looks mad," Natsu's concerned voice reached my ears.
"Yeah," I found myself responding, equally taken aback.
Seeing Sora display any sign of irritation during a tennis match was unexpected.
Known for his unshakeable composure, Sora had always maintained a cool demeanor on the court, earning him the nickname "Ice King." His ability to remain unfazed, regardless of the pressure, was one of his defining strengths.
But now, witnessing a rare crack in his icy exterior, I couldn't help but feel concerned.
Seeing a visible shift in his demeanor could potentially alter the course of the match, giving his opponent an advantage. The tension was palpable, and I found myself hoping that Sora would quickly regain his usual calm and turn the game around.
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Victor positioned himself at the baseline, bouncing the tennis ball lightly on the court as he eyed his opponent. Sora, standing ready on the other side, narrowed his focus, preparing to return the serve with his usual precision.
With a swift motion, Victor tossed the ball into the air, his eyes tracking its ascent before swinging his racket with full force.
"AHH!" he grunted, the sound echoing across the court like a dying gorilla.
Sora, became irritated and quickly recalibrated his stance.
Yet, as the ball hurtled towards him, something extraordinary happened.
In the blink of an eye, a familiar red aura enveloped the ball, transforming it into a blazing comet. Sora's eyes widened in shock, a mix of recognition and disbelief flashing through his mind. But there was no time to react; the ball was already rocketing towards him.
BOOM!
The moment Sora's racket made contact, the ball shot upwards with incredible velocity, soaring toward the ceiling as if propelled by some unseen force.
The entire area watched in stunned silence as it collided with the ceiling, leaving behind a sizeable crater as evidence of the sheer power behind the hit.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stand still, the aftermath of the shot leaving players, spectators, and officials alike in a state of disbelief.
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"Ahh!" Natsu's startled cry filled the air as she instinctively closed her eyes and covered her ears.
Reacting immediately, I pulled her into a reassuring hug, whispering, "It's fine, Natsu," in an attempt to calm her nerves.
As the initial shock began to subside, I cautiously turned my gaze back to the court, only to be met with the astonishing sight of a huge crater in the ceiling, a silent testament to the unbelievable event we had just witnessed.
What just happened?
Memories of a similar occurrence during a practice match against Nekoma flooded back to me. It was Sora, then as well, who had somehow caused the ball to behave in such an extraordinary manner.
Wait, don't tell me...
My eyes searched for Sora, finding him standing motionless on the court, his expression one of surprise, mirroring the disbelief that gripped my own heart.
Could it be? Does Sora possess powers?
The very thought seemed ludicrous, a concept straight out of a fantastical tale, not something that belonged in our reality.
I shook my head, trying to dispel the absurd notion. Such things couldn't possibly exist in our world, right? Yet, the evidence was hard to ignore, a glaring challenge to the bounds of what I believed possible.