Chapter 6: A full moon shatters the homeward nest, a flying swallow

"Since we're only playing one point, you can serve." Bu Er always spoke with his unique gentleness.

"Then I won't hold back."

Jiecheng Wu didn't shirk either; facing the genius Bu Er Zhou Zhu, with his current strength, he still hadn't reached the point of yielding.

Moreover, his blood was practically boiling all over, and he just wanted to start the match quickly.

"Match start, one point decides the winner!"

Ju Wan jumped out, waved his hand, and this match where one point decides victory or defeat officially began.

Pa! Pa!

Jiecheng Wu lightly tapped the tennis ball twice, and a faint light flickered in his lowered eyes.

Swish!

"The ball's coming!"

Jiecheng Wu tossed the tennis ball high, slightly bent his knees, leapt up, and his whole body's muscles were like a compressed spring.

"Bang!"

With a crisp sound, the tennis ball instantly appeared in the lower corner of Bu Er's right service area.

Its speed was so great that even the few spectators off the court were startled.

"At least over 170 kilometers per hour." Gan Zhen Zhi's tone was flat, without fluctuation, but a hint of astonishment quietly appeared beneath his glasses.

Even at the Kanto Tournament, such a serve isn't easy to see.

Tap tap tap!

A clean, crisp footstep sound rang out, and Bu Er's long legs quickly crossed.

Whoosh~~

The breeze brushing past his ears stirred his hair tips; Bu Er's movements were light and agile, and in the blink of an eye he appeared at the ball's landing spot.

"Bang!"

The blue-green racket swung back swiftly, and the tennis ball shot straight toward the left half of Jiecheng Wu's court, where he found it hard to defend.

"Although the flat hit's ball speed is fast, it lacks variation; one can see through its trajectory at a glance."

After striking the ball, Bu Er immediately used basic shuffle steps to adjust his position.

Because it's a one-point-decides match, losing a point ends the game.

So, to witness Jiecheng Wu's full strength, Bu Er had to leave enough room for his probing returns.

"As expected of Bu Er, he returned it very easily!"

To be honest, seeing Jiecheng Wu's fast serve, Ju Wan was indeed startled, but Bu Er likewise didn't disappoint him, immediately launching a counterattack.

Seeing his serve returned, Jiecheng Wu wasn't surprised; Bu Er Zhou Zhu's strength ought to be like that.

Long before the challenge, he had made his mental preparations, and now he certainly wouldn't be the slightest bit careless.

At the moment Bu Er struck the ball, Jiecheng Wu had already begun to move in sync with Bu Er's motion.

"Bang!"

Facing this beautiful cross-court baseline shot, Jiecheng Wu calmly swung his backhand, likewise aiming for Bu Er's baseline corner.

"Nice reaction."

Bu Er revealed a gentle smile, stepped forward with his foot, shifted his weight forward, and as he turned his hips, he drew the racket from his side.

"Bang!"

The whole motion flowed like clouds and water, completed in one breath; the cleverly arcing topspin ball drew a stream of light across the court, firmly pressing into the backcourt.

"Want to test?"

Jiecheng Wu also instantly understood his intention in his heart.

Before the tennis ball landed, his figure darted forward, the silver-white racket placed at his side, and at the instant the ball bounced up from the ground, he lifted it from below.

Swish!

Using the incoming ball's strong spin, he employed a half-stroke hitting technique to launch a high lob at a wide angle.

And as the tennis ball slowly descended, Jiecheng Wu rushed toward the net at breakneck speed.

Jiecheng Wu's suddenly assumed stance made Da Shi's heart skip a beat.

He was about to launch an attack!

While the tennis ball in the air hadn't yet fallen, Bu Er took a small step back two or three paces, exerted slight force with his calves, leapt up, and swung down fiercely at the ball still aloft.

Midair Heavy Press!

"Bang!"

The tennis ball instantly, with swift speed, turned into an afterimage and flew back.

"If you want to intercept at the net, then let your reaction be too slow."

Bu Er had ample match experience; facing Jiecheng Wu's move, he could immediately devise a countermeasure.

"Can't get up there!"

This Midair Heavy Press came crashing down, directly dispelling Jiecheng Wu's thought of going to the net.

Jiecheng Wu immediately changed his play style.

His body stalled, his right foot lifted off the ground, his left toe touched the floor, his waist and abdomen suddenly exerted force, and he made a beautiful change of direction.

Although he couldn't go to the net, his cat-like reflexes allowed him to catch the ball's trajectory.

Using the shoulder joint as an axis, he swung his upper arm to drive the lower arm, straightly smashing this ball outward!

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

"That guy is amazing, he can stay so composed while sparring with Bu Er for so long."

Ju Wan's eyes widened; Jiecheng Wu's strength truly exceeded their expectations.

"Whether it's a big‑arc topspin ball, a flat hit pull ball, or a low‑angle slice ball, the opponent's handling is extremely skillful."

Facing Bu Er's attacks, his defensive measures likewise demonstrate a high level of tennis skill.

Gan Zhen Zhi swish swish swish recorded Jiecheng Wu's every move in his dark‑green notebook.

"But no matter what, his opponent is Bu Er, and Bu Er cannot lose," Da Shi said with absolute certainty, after all Bu Er is second only to Shouzu in Seigaku.

"Damn! Bu Er hit a chance ball!" Ju Wan shouted.

The situation on the court suddenly changed; Bu Er was the first to end the long rally, hitting a very low‑quality high ball.

Facing this sudden opening, Jiecheng Wu restrained the impulse to jump up for a smash.

"Chance ball?!"

"I think it's a bait; he's trying to lure me into a smash, then counter with a brown bear net drop!"

Such thoughts flashed quickly through his mind.

Planting his feet, his arms slightly extended, Jiecheng Wu watched the slowly descending tennis ball and, with a calm demeanor, returned it with a forehand stroke.

Hmm?

His half‑closed eyes suddenly snapped open, revealing azure irises; Bu Er's face showed surprise for the first time.

"No smash? But it won't work."

Bu Er's expression hardened; his racket rotated, his elbow dropped a few centimeters, and he sliced diagonally at the bouncing tennis ball.

"Then I'll cut off your retreat!"

Swish!

A sharp golden‑yellow crescent flew back toward Jiecheng Wu's half‑court.

Ssssh—

The moment it hit the ground, the tennis ball scraped violently against the surface.

After complex forces from various angles acted on it, the ball oddly maintained balance, skimming tightly along the ground as it flew.

Flying Swallow Returns to Nest!

"It's over! This move is unsolvable," Da Shi shouted from off‑court.

Jiecheng Wu's eyes narrowed sharply; he knew all of Bu Er's signature moves, yet when he actually saw the ball skimming the ground, he could not stay completely calm.

Such a technique is truly over the top!

Is this the world of the Tennis Prince?!

Jiecheng Wu suddenly felt an unprecedented pressure; the Tennis Prince's world, through Bu Er's Flying Swallow Returns to Nest, laid bare a fragment before him.

"Indeed, it's a fantastical world."

"But

I can hit it back!!!"

Facing this desperate move, Jiecheng Wu's focus became unprecedentedly intense; his eyes locked onto the ball skimming the ground, his spirit taut.

A power from deep within his body suddenly erupted from his heart; his mind went blank, and his limbs seemed to gain their own consciousness.

Before his brain could decide, his body acted one step ahead on its own.

Whoosh!

Jiecheng Wu moved like an arrow released from a bow; his sprint resembled a mountain cat charging through a moonlit forest, exuding murderous aura yet also bearing a hint of night‑messenger elegance.

Zila— Zila—

His right hand hung low, the racket's tip dragging continuously across the ground as he ran.

With each breath, a long trail of dust rose behind Jiecheng Wu, the harsh sound reaching the sidelines.

Seeing this stance, Ju Wan turned his head in shock: "What is this?!"

Bang!

The racket's tip, pressed to the ground, struck the low‑flying tennis ball heavily, producing a dull thud.

Without pausing, he swung upward as if whipping a long lash, launching the ball into the sky, tracing a massive arcing trail like a full moon in the Mid‑Autumn night.

This is—

Moon Slash!!!

Da Shi instantly straightened, his eyes filled with shock.

After crossing the half‑court, the ball fell straight down; bathed in sunlight, it seemed surrounded by flames, like a meteor burning through the atmosphere.

The new book sets sail; thank you all for your support!

(End of chapter)