Prince of Tennis: The Emperor's Eye

Chapter 374: Chapter 53: King Atobe

”Was that... a dead angle just now?” Leon asked quietly, staring at the ball that had rolled out of bounds.

”Looks like your vision really has evolved, Atobe,” Eric said, his tone heavier than before.

”Heh~ of course it has! Ore-sama never stays in the same place for too long!” Atobe replied naturally, as if it were only expected of him.

The second game was Atobe’s service game. Standing at the baseline, he swept his sharp gaze across Leon and Eric, then tossed the ball high. His right hand twisted deeply as the racket swung forward.

With a sharp crack, the ball zipped over the net. Eric took several quick steps to the landing spot, waiting for the bounce—but when the ball hit the ground, it suddenly began spinning wildly, sliding forward flat against the surface before shooting out of bounds.

”ACE! 15–0!”

”Tannhauser Serve! Ore-sama’s elegance shines brighter with every passing day!” Atobe declared proudly, hands on his hips, face full of satisfaction.

”There’s even a serve like that?! I can’t believe you didn’t use it in the exhibition match!” Leon said in disbelief.

”Hah? You’re mistaken, Leon. Ore-sama uses his techniques whenever he feels like it. Against the Germany team, there was simply no need for that move,” Atobe answered casually, unconcerned.

When Atobe served the Tannhauser Serve again, Eric positioned himself early this time, swinging his racket right as the ball landed. But the result was disastrous—the ball rebounded sharply upward, soaring high into the air.

”ACE! 30–0!”

”So it’s not that easy to counter, huh?” Eric said with a wry smile under his breath.

Next was Leon’s turn to receive. He tried several approaches, but none worked. During one attempt, he even struck before the ball had fully bounced, earning a violation call from the umpire—and still, the ball failed to clear the net.

”ACE! 40–0!”

”Game! Japan leads 2–0!”

”Tch~ what a joke. Are these two supposed to be the Association’s elite players? Pathetic!” Peter scoffed from England’s bench, glaring at Leon and Eric with disdain.

”They’re nothing but pampered weaklings. Honestly, the tennis world would be better off destroyed,” Keith said coldly, voice filled with contempt.

”Keith! Don’t forget—you’re still on parole!” Ling Xiu reminded him sternly from the side.

”Shut up! You have no right to speak, traitor!!” Before Keith could reply, Peter was already shouting at Ling Xiu.

”I’m trying to save you all! If this continues, things will get much worse!” Ling Xiu shot back, refusing to back down.

”Enough! And don’t flatter yourself, Xiu. I never asked you to save me,” Keith cut in, voice sharp with irritation as his eyes turned cold.

Meanwhile, the third game had begun. Eric was serving. Standing at the baseline, he skipped any unnecessary movements, tossing the ball up and snapping his racket forward. The serve wasn’t particularly fast, but the angle was tricky.

When Tanegashima reached the landing spot to return it, something felt slightly off in his swing. Seeing the opening, Leon took a quick step forward, leaping up with both hands gripping his racket. With a powerful backhand strike, he slammed the ball down toward the far corner of the opposite baseline.

”Jack Knife!”

But just as the ball crossed the net, Tanegashima’s racket intercepted it perfectly. The impact vanished completely—along with the ball itself.

”Halt Destruction Nothingness!”

Eric’s eyes flashed as he suddenly turned and sprinted to his front left. When he reached the net, his racket sliced sharply through seemingly empty air. A faint friction sound followed—the missing tennis ball slowly reappeared midair, drifting lightly over the net before falling toward the ground.

Atobe dashed forward, intercepting it just before it touched down. But Eric had anticipated this. The moment after returning the ball, he slid a step sideways and leapt again, swinging down with his right hand in a fierce overhead smash.

Atobe and Tanegashima instinctively stepped back a few paces. Yet midair, Eric’s motion shifted abruptly. His body twisted gracefully in half a turn, and he reversed his swing with a smooth backhand slice. Both he and the ball dropped softly to the court together.

”15–0!”

”A feint, huh? But to pull it off so realistically—that’s quite the rare talent,” Tanegashima said, watching the ball fall near the net, his tone thoughtful.

”It’s not just a feint... that familiar feeling—I’m sure of it now,” Atobe muttered coldly, his eyes narrowing, sharp glints of frost flashing within them as he stared at Eric.

Eric served again, this time with a sharper angle. Tanegashima still felt that strange awkwardness in his swing whenever he tried to return the serve. It didn’t take long for him to start noticing the same odd rhythm in Eric’s play—something eerily familiar.

Leon rushed forward to intercept Tanegashima’s return, volleying the ball high into the air. The shot arced over half the court, falling steeply toward the backcourt—too high for Atobe to smash.

”Quite the nasty underspin you’ve got there~,” Tanegashima said as he appeared behind the baseline, catching the descending ball cleanly. In an instant, the heavy spin and power vanished from it. He twisted his wrist sharply, sending a blazing drive straight down the line.

The ball streaked over the net like a flash of light—but Eric appeared ahead of it. With a swift motion, he swung his racket backhanded once again. The slicing spin he added reduced the ball’s rotation by half, yet its rebound speed didn’t drop at all. It shot fast toward the left sideline.

Atobe slid into position with elegant precision, stretching his racket to intercept. But the moment the ball struck, it rebounded violently, bouncing off the net instead. Atobe frowned, surprised by the strange reaction.

”30–0!”

”He’s keeping the ball’s spin at an extremely delicate balance—so that even the slightest external force breaks its stability and triggers an irregular rebound. That’s a very refined slice,” Tanegashima said calmly, analyzing the shot as the ball rolled away.

”But that confirms it. You’re playing Data Tennis, aren’t you, Eric?” Atobe said evenly, eyes sharp.

”So you figured it out that fast? Guess you’ve faced quite a few data-style players before, Atobe,” Eric replied without denial, sounding more impressed than defensive.

”A precise attacker and a data slicer, huh? Not bad as a pair. Too bad for you, ore-sama’s warm-up is over. It’s time to end this Doubles Two match,” Atobe declared coldly, his confident smirk returning.

Eric’s guard went up immediately, though his expression stayed calm. He stepped back to the baseline, tossed the ball high, and sent his serve flying toward Atobe’s open left corner.

Atobe’s eyes sharpened as he moved swiftly to the bounce spot. Frostlight gathered in his gaze, revealing every blind angle around Leon and Eric. Without hesitation, he swung his racket.

”Another corner shot? Too bad, we’re ready this time. Your World of Ice won’t work again, Atobe,” Eric said calmly, as though he had already anticipated the move.

But the next instant, shards of ice burst across the entire court. A towering phantom of an icy castle rose behind Atobe. Eric froze mid-step—his instincts screamed a warning. If he forced movement now, he’d injure himself.

The ball streaked past him untouched and landed out of bounds.

”30–15!”

”World of Ice, huh? Heh~ Ore-sama told you—the warm-up’s over. Now, welcome... to my kingdom. The Atobe Kingdom!”

Surrounded by countless glittering ice crystals, Atobe stood proudly at the center of the court, his confident smile gleaming as bright as the frozen palace behind him.