"G-Gold wristbands?"
Catching a glimpse of the dazzling sheen, Shitenhouji's Yuji Hitouji, sporting a green headband, exclaimed in shock, "Is *that* what was under Shiraishi's bandages?"
"Pure gold wristbands?"
Chitose's expression shifted slightly.
"Exactly."
At that moment, Osamu Watanabe, lounging on the bench, nodded. "I had those pure gold wristbands made for him two years ago, back when Shiraishi was just a first-year."
Hearing this, Tarou Sakaki, standing nearby, glanced over in surprise.
Judging by Watanabe's casual attire, you wouldn't peg him as wealthy. Yet, those gold wristbands looked heavy—possibly a significant chunk of the young coach's assets.
He's probably not even 30 yet, right? (Actually 27.) It's hard to imagine someone with the guts to invest most of their wealth in a junior high rookie two years ago.
This made it clear just how much Shitenhouji's coach valued their team captain.
If it were Sakaki himself, he'd likely hesitate to make such a bold investment in someone like Atobe or Ishikawa.
In short, Shitenhouji's coach was a man of remarkable resolve.
And, of course, their captain hadn't let him down.
"Ashu."
Shiraishi removed the gold wristbands and handed them back to Watanabe. "Thank you for believing in me!"
With that, he bowed deeply.
"No need to thank me."
Watanabe, chewing on a blade of grass, grinned as he tucked the wristbands away. "If anything, I should thank *you*. Gold's gone up quite a bit these past two years. After this match, when we're back in Osaka, I'll treat you all to beef hotpot!"
"Uh…"
At that, the Shitenhouji team behind him shot resentful looks.
Yesterday, he'd promised beef hotpot, but they ended up with ramen. They could already guess—back in Osaka, hotpot was off the table, but plain noodles? Probably endless.
"Heh, Ashu's joking again."
Shiraishi chuckled lightly, turning back to the court.
"Sorry, Atobe-kun," he said, looking at Atobe. "I held things up a bit. Hope you don't mind."
"Hmph!"
Atobe's gaze sharpened.
Now, he finally understood why Shiraishi's upper and lower body movements seemed so out of sync.
All this time, the guy had been holding back, sealing his true strength in this match.
"Shiraishi Kuranosuke!"
Atobe's brow arched as he gripped the tennis ball, locking eyes with his opponent. "Let's see just how strong you are without those weights!"
*Wham!*
With that, Atobe launched the ball.
*Bang!*
On the other side, Shiraishi returned it with a backhand.
Freed from the gold weights, his swing speed had skyrocketed. The ball's velocity caught most spectators off guard.
*Tap tap!*
Atobe darted across the court, chasing the ball down. He glanced up, locking onto his opponent again.
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh!*
In an instant, a barrage of ice pillars rained down.
*Crackle crackle.*
But before those pillars—representing Shiraishi's blind spots—could hit the ground, Atobe's vision flickered with distortion and static, like a signal being jammed.
In the end, Shiraishi's blind spots vanished completely.
"As expected," Atobe thought, his heart sinking. "As his strength increases, those blind spots cease to exist."
This made him realize his *World of Ice* still had significant flaws.
*Wham!*
Without hesitation, Atobe swung back.
"Hm?"
But the moment he hit the ball, his brow twitched. "The power behind his shots has increased *this* much?"
He was stunned.
*Wham!*
But Shiraishi's return came blazing back, leaving Atobe no time to think.
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
On the court, the tide shifted, with Shiraishi now dominating Atobe.
"How is this possible?"
Seeing Atobe on the defensive, unable to control the match's rhythm, Hiyoshi blurted out, "Just taking off weights makes *that* big a difference?"
They trained with weights too, even played practice matches with them.
Hiyoshi admitted there was a noticeable gap when removing weights, but not to *this* extent.
"It's not surprising," Ishikawa chimed in. "Those are *pure gold* weights. Gold's density is 2.4 times that of iron and 1.7 times that of lead. And Shiraishi's been wearing them since his first year."
Day after day, year after year, training with that kind of intensity.
It's easy to imagine how much Shiraishi's strength would surge once the weights were off.
*Wham!*
"0-15!"
At that moment, Shiraishi broke through Atobe's defense, scoring with a fierce topspin shot.
Then, shifting from defense to offense, he literally pushed Atobe back step by step.
*Wham!*
Atobe returned the ball.
Shiraishi seized the chance, dropping a short ball.
As Atobe rushed forward to lob it back, Shiraishi leaped into the air, racket raised, aiming the edge at the ball for a smash.
*Wham!*
The ball hit the ground.
It spun wildly, kicking up a storm.
Under Hyotei's stunned gazes, the spinning ball split into twelve afterimages, swirling and expanding outward. Finally, it formed a spiraling halo, engulfing Atobe. It pierced his defenses and vanished like a spark.
"Game!"
"Shitenhouji's Shiraishi, 2-5!"
"It's here!"
Seeing the move, Zaizen shouted excitedly, "Shiraishi's *Round Table Draw*!"
"So… so strong."
On Hyotei's side, Shishido, Mukahi, and Hiyoshi's eyes gleamed with shock.
No one expected Shitenhouji's captain to be hiding such power.
"Shiten-hou-ji!"
"Shiten-hou-ji!"
"Shiten-hou-ji!"
Shitenhouji's team erupted, chanting their school's name.
The momentum had flipped.
In this Singles 3 match, Shitenhouji was poised to claim victory!
"Atobe (*buchou*)…"
Meanwhile, Hyotei's players looked on with worry.
They knew Atobe was strong, but *World of Ice* seemed to be the pinnacle of his insight.
In this situation, beating a weight-free Shiraishi seemed like a long shot.
Of course, losing one match wouldn't cripple Hyotei. But if their captain went down, it'd be a tough pill to swallow.
"Hahaha!"
Just then, Atobe, who should've been switching sides, burst into laughter.
"Atobe?"
Oshitari, Shishido, and the others stared at him in shock.
"That guy…"
Akutsu narrowed his eyes.
He could sense a faint, dangerous aura radiating from Atobe.
"Is he nuts?"
Shitenhouji's team exchanged confused glances at Atobe's reaction.
*Swish!*
Suddenly, Atobe raised his racket, pointing it straight at Shiraishi. "Shiraishi, you're strong. Strong enough to earn my full attention."
As he spoke, Atobe's eyes gleamed with clarity, exuding an indescribable pressure.
"Atobe!"
Shiraishi's gaze darkened.
He could feel that Atobe was still holding back an even greater power.
"This move… I was saving it for Rikkai's Sanada!"
Atobe smirked, eyeing his opponent. "I didn't expect Shitenhouji to have a player like you. So, you'll be the first to witness *this* version of me!"
*Buzz!*
As his words fell, a powerful aura erupted from Atobe. A golden flame spread outward, centered on him.
The aura was bold, domineering.
It instinctively made everyone feel a sense of oppression.
*Rustle rustle!*
Wrapped in golden flames, Atobe's eyebrows and eyes seemed to take on a golden hue.
"Atobe?"
Feeling the supreme, unrivaled aura, Coach Sakaki was visibly moved. "When did you… I get it."
It clicked.
Atobe must've been pushed to his limits after his match with Ishikawa at Sakaki's estate, awakening this ultimate technique through relentless training.
His last match against Yanagi? Yanagi's strength probably wasn't enough to make Atobe go all out.
But now, facing a weight-free Shiraishi, Atobe was finally revealing his strongest self.
"Atobe… I didn't expect you to be hiding this kind of power!"
Shiraishi's eyes narrowed as he tossed up the ball and smashed it over.
*Wham!*
Unsure of Atobe's new strength, Shiraishi held back slightly. Still, the shot's power wasn't something most could handle.
But Atobe casually swung his racket, blasting the ball back with a *wham*.
"His power's increased?"
Shiraishi's brow twitched.
But he quickly steadied himself, staying calm. After tracking the ball's path, he dashed to intercept it.
*Bang!*
Shiraishi struck the ball.
But the moment he made contact, he felt a heavy force. "No way!"
His expression changed.
He hadn't expected to misjudge Atobe's power. Even without his gold weights, Shiraishi was struggling against it.
*Bang!*
The next moment, Atobe charged the net, unleashing a vicious spinning shot. In a short sprint, it precisely struck the handle of Shiraishi's racket.
*Snap!*
Shiraishi's racket flew from his grip.
*Swish!*
Seizing the moment, Atobe leaped into the air, smashing the ball downward.
"Not on my watch!"
Shiraishi reacted swiftly. Without the weights, his stats—speed, power, balance—had all skyrocketed. He lunged, grabbing his airborne racket, and instinctively swung at Atobe's smash.
*Pop!*
But Atobe's smash tore through Shiraishi's racket strings like they were tofu.
*Thud!*
The ball hit the ground.
It bounced high, crashing into the chain-link fence behind Gin Ishida with a *clang*, leaving a noticeable dent.
"0-15!"
The referee called out, and the court fell silent.
"That kind of power…"
Gin Ishida's face paled.
He could feel the sheer force of Atobe's smash. It wasn't just raw strength—it was amplified by spin, unleashing the shot's full potential.
"Atobe Keigo!"
Chitose, Oshitari, and others looked up, their gazes fixed on the graceful boy landing confidently.
Enveloped in golden flames, Atobe's clothes fluttered.
As he raised his head, the court went quiet. The bold, domineering aura he radiated hit everyone.
One thought echoed in their minds: *Supreme dominance!*
"Hm."
From Shitenhouji's bench, Watanabe frowned, eyeing the confident, purple-gray-haired boy. "Is *this* the true form of Hyotei's Emperor, Atobe Keigo?"
(Chapter End)