0p0 Chapter 87 The Illusion of Niou, Two Shishido Ryos
Chapter 87 The Illusion of Niou, Two Shishido Ryos
Sanada stood to the side with his arms crossed, remaining silent ever since Mochizuki Ryo began speaking. He had heard everything she said; every single word.
The phrase "Who says temporary partners can't work?" made him pull his hat brim even lower.
On the court, Renou happened to turn his head and meet Mochizuki Ryo's gaze, giving him a sly wink.
His gaze fell back on Yagyu, who was preparing to serve in the opposite backcourt, and then shifted to Shishido Ryo in the frontcourt.
A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes.
He quietly put his hands behind his back, made a circle with his thumb and forefinger, and waved it at Feng.
That was the secret code agreed upon by the two before the match.
This means he's about to start causing trouble.
When Feng saw the gesture, she paused slightly, gripped her racket tighter, and subconsciously adjusted her breathing.
He recalled what Renou had whispered in his ear before the match: "When I give you this signal, no matter what happens on the field, just play at your own pace."
Feng nodded gently, a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
Yagyu happened to see this, and his serve paused for half a second. He knew his partner too well; the look in Niou's eyes was definitely not a good sign.
He instantly became extremely alert, and his elegant aura became more wary.
Shishido, standing in the front area, also saw the gesture. He frowned and glanced back at Yagyu.
Yagyu shook his head slightly at him, meaning "Don't get distracted."
Shishido withdrew his gaze and stared intently at the person opposite him.
Although he had heard of Niou's deceptive tactics, this was the first time he had actually faced the man in person.
Mochizuki Ryou found it amusing, and coughed lightly, pressing her fingertip to her lips: "Je vais voir un bon spectacle. (I'm going to watch the show.)"
Yagyu tossed the ball up into the air.
A laser beam was fired.
The ball was extremely fast and traveled a straight line, heading straight for the gap between Feng and Renwang. Feng moved back half a step, preparing to receive the ball.
Just then, Niou lowered his center of gravity, his body silhouette blurring for a moment in the sunlight.
Then two "Ryo Shishido"s appeared on the court.
With the same long black hair, the same strong eyebrows, and the same stance, they all held their rackets horizontally in front of them, even the angle of their grip was exactly the same.
The laser beam fired by Yagyu was steadily blocked by Shishido.
The trajectory of the return shot, the way the force is applied, and even the slight adjustment of the wrist's arc when the racket contacts the ball are exactly the same as the real Shishido.
The illusion was so perfect that even the arc of the flowing hair was exactly the same.
The stadium fell silent for two seconds.
Inside the arena, Chotaro's pupils contracted slightly, and he blinked subconsciously, wondering if he was hallucinating.
Ryo Shishido, sitting opposite him, froze completely.
His dark eyes were filled with astonishment as he stared at the person in front of him who looked exactly like him, and even his breath hitched.
The Hyotei fans on the sidelines gasped in shock, but due to spectator etiquette, they dared not make a sound and could only let out soft gasps in hushed tones.
"Th-those are two Shishido-senpai?!"
"How did they do that...? Is it magic? It's incredible!?"
"Will Rikkai's Niou-senpai really make a living person out of thin air?!"
A second-year member of the Hyotei team, mouth agape, nudged the person next to him with his elbow: "I'd heard about it before, but seeing it with my own eyes is even more outrageous... even the grip on the racket is exactly the same!"
Jiro, who had been squatting on the sidelines watching the game, suddenly sprang to his feet, grabbing the net with both hands, his reddish-brown curly hair trembling with excitement: "Wow! Bunta Bunta! Rikkai really knows magic! Niou is amazing!"
Marui quickly reached out and pulled him down from the fence, whispering, "Keep your voice down, or you'll get yelled at by Ling."
This was the first time the regulars at Hyotei had seen this move up close.
Shinobu's movement of pushing up his glasses froze in mid-air. His eyes behind the lenses squinted, and he exhaled softly after several seconds.
"This is the illusion of Niou. I had only seen it in intelligence reports before, but the impact of seeing it in person is far greater than any written description."
Atobe crossed his arms, a glint of light flashing in his icy blue eyes.
"Hmm, interesting. This level of information reproduction goes beyond simple imitation."
Mukahi covered her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. Kabaji stood behind Atobe, his tall frame leaning slightly forward, his innocent eyes filled with shock.
This was also the first time that Wang Yueling had seen this move in person, and his bright blue eyes were fixed on the court.
Then he rubbed his eyes and blinked hard.
A frantic roar erupted from within.
"No way?! Are there really two Shishido Ryos?! Is there something wrong with my retina?"
"This is completely illogical!"
He put down his hand that had been rubbing his eyes, and a helpless smile appeared on his lips.
Well, as expected of a fantasy world, The Prince of Tennis is inherently abnormal.
……
On the field, Yagyu and Shishido's tactics were completely disrupted by this phantom shot.
Liu Sheng's brows furrowed tightly, and his previously clear prediction instantly failed.
He was familiar with Shishido's hitting rhythm and running routes, but the "Shishido" in front of him was Niou in disguise. Although their hitting habits seemed the same, they were actually deceiving each other.
He briefly fell into a tactical blind spot and even began to doubt his own judgment.
Ryo Shishido's feelings were even more complicated.
Looking at Niou, who was imitating him, he felt both bewildered by being imitated and somewhat annoyed by something inexplicable. Yet, he had to admit that the imitation was incredibly accurate.
Niou, disguised as "Ryo Shishido," curled his lips into a cold smile, perfectly mimicking the original's expression.
He raised his hand and swung his racket, unleashing Shishido's signature backhand slice, perfectly replicating the original's technique in terms of trajectory, power, and spin.
Except for Shishido's new special move, which was not shown, all the other moves were copied exactly.
Ootori Chotaro stood in the backstage, partnering with "Shishido-senpai," and actually became more adept at it.
He was familiar with Shishido's playing style and could accurately predict his opponent's movements. Combined with his own powerful shots, the connection between the two was smoother than before.
The combination of skillful control and overwhelming power, along with a style that blends feints and real attacks, left Yagyu and Shishido completely unable to adapt.
The rhythm was completely disrupted, and even an effective counterattack was difficult to organize.
"This phantom... is exactly the same." Marui muttered to himself, forgetting to chew his gum.
Kuwabara nodded, his face full of admiration: "Just how long did Niou research to achieve this level?"
Liu opened his notebook, his pen flying across the paper as he jotted down data. His tone was steady: "Phantom replica accuracy 98%, hitting habits 97%, dynamic imitation flawless, and maximum on-court deception effect."
Sanada stood not far from Mochizuki Ryo, and frowned the moment he saw Niou use the illusion.
It's that same trick again.
An inexplicable sense of disapproval rose within him.
Tennis should be a fair and square head-to-head match. This kind of imitative and deceptive style of play is ultimately opportunistic and not honorable.
Ryo Mochizuki took in Sanada's subtle reaction. He sighed softly and waved to Kabaji behind Atobe.
"Chonghong, come here for a second."
Kabaji's tall figure paused for a moment, then he took a step forward and obediently walked to Mochizuki Ryo's side, looking down at him respectfully: "Coach."
Wang Yueling looked up at the boy who was half a head taller than her, lowered her voice, and spoke gently, but deliberately made sure that everyone around could hear her.
"Chonghong, this is the climax of the whole match, watch it closely."
His gaze fell back on Niou in the arena, his tone gentle yet meaningful, "You and Niou are both imitators. There are many things you can learn from him. Learn and observe more during this training camp."
Kabaji looked intently at the court, nodded, and suddenly spoke, his voice low and slow: "Niou-senpai... is very impressive."
More and more people gathered around.
Kirihara, holding Momoko, had his ears practically perked up like a rabbit's. Niou, who had just come down from the other side of the field and was resting next to the coaching bench, heard his name called and moved closer.
Mochizuki Ryo continued speaking, her tone still gentle, her gaze fixed on Kabaji, but every word she spoke struck Sanada's heart.
"When everyone first learns tennis, they are imitating. They imitate the movements of their seniors, the hitting postures in the textbooks, and the playing style of their favorite players."
Then, through the process of imitation, they gradually discover their own strengths and, relying on their own fundamentals, power, and perseverance, hone their own unique style of tennis.
"This is certainly commendable."
Kaba listened quietly, her eyes twitching slightly.
Wang Yueling's voice was soft and gentle, yet every word was clear: "But gradually, many people feel that tennis can only be about being yourself, and that imitating others is taking a shortcut."
"Therefore, imitation tennis players always have a worse reputation and evaluation."
"But this idea is too one-sided."
He paused, his gaze sweeping lightly over the silent Sanada beside him, before continuing to speak.
"No matter what style of play you use, it's still tennis, and it's all fair and square. There's nothing to criticize or belittle; it's just a tennis technique."
Mochizuki Ryo raised his hand and pointed towards Niou on the court.
"Like the phantom of Nioh."
"It's an original tactic born from imitation. He uses this to restrain the opponent and create opportunities for the team, which is what makes him so powerful."
He turned back and smiled at Huadi.
"I look forward to the tennis you create."
Kabaji stared at Niou in the arena, his dark eyes flashing with admiration. He nodded emphatically, his voice steady and powerful: "Yes, senpai!"
"Nioh's illusion is different from ordinary imitation; it belongs to the extension of mental tennis. It involves both psychological games and mental misdirection, and is not a confrontation of traditional forces."
Wang Yueling looked back at the court and continued her explanation, her tone revealing her profound understanding of tennis.
"He's usually carefree and loves to play pranks, never making an effort to show off his hard work. But think about it, today's opponent was drawn at the last minute, yet he still perfectly replicated Shishido's playing style. What does that say?"
Silence reigned around them; everyone was deep in thought.
"This shows that he had thoroughly studied the playing styles, habits, and details of all the players at Hyotei before the match."
Ryo Mochizuki's gaze swept over Sanada again, his tone carrying a hint of subtle advice, "I doubt many of you here could do this level of private data analysis."
"It's not just about burying yourself in hard work and never smiling that counts as hard work. Everyone works hard in a different way. Niou's nonchalant facade is just him getting stronger in his own way and contributing to the team in his own way."
He glanced at the boys from Hyotei and Rikkai, his tone serious.
"When dealing with teammates, we can't just look at the surface. Some quiet contributions should also be seen and recognized. Don't use a single standard to define everyone."
Kirihara seemed to understand, but he nodded emphatically and said loudly, "I understand, Mochizuki-senpai!"
Upon hearing these words, the regulars from Rikkai University all showed a subtle expression.
They clearly understood the implication in Mochizuki Ryo's words and all turned their gazes to Sanada, whose eyes were lowered. Sanada's hat brim was pulled low, completely obscuring his face, so they couldn't see his expression.
Sanada stood there, but his heart was in turmoil.
Is imitation a form of strength?
He always felt that Niou's attitude was not proper, but Niou had indeed done a lot for the team...
These questions collided silently in his mind.
He recalled how Renou seemed lazy during training, but in reality, he never dragged down the team in any doubles match; he recalled the expression on Renou's face when he scolded him, when Renou never argued back.
He always interpreted that expression as "feeling guilty".
Looking back now, maybe it was just that I was "too lazy to explain to him".
Sanada pulled his hat brim down even lower. He didn't speak, he just stood there, like a silent tree.
On the field, the game has reached a fever pitch.
Shishido looked at the "himself" opposite him, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
It did annoy him a bit that someone was imitating him, but he also knew that this was part of the competition. His mentality had long been honed by rigorous training, and he remained calm.
He was confident that his signature move, the "supersonic smash," was something that Nioh could not easily replicate.
Liu Sheng's brows furrowed slightly.
He knew perfectly well that Niou's Phantom was extremely taxing on stamina, and after many close rounds, his stamina would drop rapidly, causing the accuracy of the Phantom to plummet.
The question is whether they can hold out before the phantom collapses.
The tennis ball flew back and forth across the grass at a dazzling speed.
The low bounce of the grass made every return shot unpredictable. Sweat streamed down the boys' faces, dripping onto the blades of grass and breaking into glistening droplets.
Wang Yueling was very satisfied with the progress of this doubles match.
Just as he was about to write a few more lines on the notepad, the butler walked up to him, bowed slightly, and lowered his voice.
"Young master, we need your confirmation of the lunch menu. Also, it's 11:10 now."