GBP Chapter 111 Kirihara Has Become a Demon
Chapter 111 Kirihara Has Become a Demon
Everyone was astonished by Kabaji's upgraded mimicry ability.
After watching the entire game, Liu held her notebook, her pen moving quickly across the paper as she recorded data and gave a soft, precise analysis.
"The imitation of Kabaji's moves is 89% similar, the ball speed is increased by 22%, the power is increased by 35%, and the accuracy of the landing point is exactly the same as the original Kirihara's level."
"Truly worthy of being called Hyotei's genius of imitation."
After listening to Liu's precise data analysis, everyone else couldn't help but marvel and sigh in admiration.
"Wow, that's amazing! Such impressive data, and the imitation is perfect."
"In the past, Kabaji would only blindly imitate, but I never expected that they could now make subtle adjustments and upgrades."
……
Xiang Ri held the cake box, her eyes shining, then shook her head, her face full of disbelief.
"Wow, Kabaji's mimicry ability has evolved!"
"Yushi, did you hear what Yanagi said? Kabaji now not only copies the moves, but also learns to incorporate his own strengths."
Shinobu pushed up his glasses, his gaze falling on Kabaji, who was calmly returning the ball to the net, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
"I heard that. Over the past month, Kabaji's talent has improved considerably. His natural ability to imitate, combined with special training, has truly transformed him."
Jiro clung to the net, his red curly hair disheveled, his eyes sparkling as he stared intently at the court. Suddenly, he reached out and tugged at Marui's sleeve, letting out a soft gasp.
"Bunta, Bunta, Kabaji's interception just now looked exactly like your move!"
Marui spat out the chewing gum in his mouth, took a small cake from Mukahi's hand, and slowly took a bite.
Looking at the court, watching Kabaji replicate his net play, he showed no anger, but rather found it quite interesting.
"I saw it a long time ago. Kabaji is actually quite good at learning this genius's special skill."
He glanced again at Kirihara, who was making frequent mistakes and whose mindset was becoming increasingly chaotic, and sighed with a hint of helplessness.
"Akaya is still the same as ever, too impatient and unable to calm down at all. This makes it easy for him to fall into a protracted battle. Sigh!"
Kuwabara stood beside Marui, nodded earnestly, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"There's nothing we can do about it."
"Akaya is easily affected by the replication of techniques. His signature serve was broken and then returned by his opponent in the same way. It's normal that he couldn't keep his composure."
"If it were me, I'd probably do the same thing as Akaya."
Yagyu pushed up his glasses and looked down at Kabaji's ball trajectory.
They quickly noticed something amiss.
His eyes narrowed slightly behind his glasses as he turned to look at Niou, who was playing with his braids beside him, his voice carrying a hint of sarcasm.
"Masaharu, Kabaji's current rhythm control and positioning are all thanks to your teaching this week, right?"
Upon hearing this, Renwang smiled smugly, slightly raised his chin, and slowly swayed his braid.
He watched as Kabaji subtly used feints to confuse Kirihara on the field, then whistled softly, his tone lazy and smug.
"Puri~ As expected of my little apprentice, she understands things immediately. Her comprehension is much higher than yours."
Ever since Mochizuki Ryo introduced Kabaji to Niou, allowing Niou to instruct him on imitation techniques and mental tactics on the court.
The birch field is like a quiet little tail.
He always followed behind Niou, silently observing and learning.
The two got along quite well this week.
Of course, most importantly, Niou learned that Kabaji was exceptionally good at handicrafts.
Ryo Mochizuki even created a group for craft enthusiasts, inviting Niou and Kabaji. In their spare time, the three of them would get together to study handmade ornaments and prank props.
They got along even better.
Niou was always easygoing and unconventional, and his teaching methods were never fixed, depending entirely on his mood. When he was in the mood, he would give more pointers, and when he was too lazy to explain, he would deliberately go easy on the students.
Typical free-range teaching.
Wang Yueling leaned against the fence, taking in all of this. She silently reviewed the growth and changes in Huadi in her heart, and couldn't help but sigh softly.
Kabaji accepted Niou's crude teaching methods, and the results were surprisingly good.
In just a few days, Kabaji shed his rigid and inflexible replication style and learned a lot of new things.
He learned to feign emotions, pretending to be foolish to mislead Kirihara, and using a silent and blank demeanor to hide his true shot. He also mastered Niou's signature net-grabbing and sideline-hitting techniques, and learned some clumsy little tricks.
Knowing how to imitate simple pranks adds a touch of cunning to his playing style.
It also unlocked the ultimate, upgraded version of imitation.
Instead of blindly copying the opponent's entire set of movements, only extracting the core spin and power logic of the moves, and combining it with one's own super strength to reshape the ball speed and landing point.
The same move can produce a far greater deterrent effect than the original.
Did they really learn all this from that fox, Niou?!
Ryo Mochizuki had to admit that Niou was indeed quite skilled at modifying humans.
Especially when he used those two brushes to brush away the innocent, childlike hearts of young boys like Kabaji, who were as pure as blank sheets of paper.
It's incredibly efficient.
Ryo Mochizuki's gaze shifted to the other side, to Kirihara, who was catching the ball with small, quick steps on one foot, his brow furrowed with anxiety.
A deep meaning flashed in his eyes.
This match was never arranged randomly.
It was a game he had meticulously planned.
The battle between Atobe and Sanada is a test of the strategic vision and mental fortitude of top-tier fighters; similarly, the battle between Kirihara and Kabaji is a meticulously designed trial.
The two got to know each other's personalities over the course of the week.
Their playing styles are completely opposite.
One is quick and impatient, the other is calm and patient; one has fixed moves, the other is good at imitation and integration.
Having them compete against each other is not only a test of the results of the week-long training camp, but also a dual honing of their mentality, weaknesses, and ability to adapt to changing situations.
He was eager to see the two men forced into a corner where their weaknesses were fully exposed and they were in a desperate situation.
How far can it break through?!
That's something to look forward to.
……
The game on the field continued, the sunset gradually sank, and the shadows on the field slowly lengthened.
Unlike the exaggerated back-and-forth battle of Atobe and Sanada, each round was exceptionally dense, with a tight pace and no room for relaxation.
Kirihara was used to dealing with his usual shots, but now Kabaji's shots are all returned with different placement and power.
All the old methods of countering attacks are no longer applicable.
They can only focus on defense.
Every aggressive attack he launched was steadily blocked by Kabaji; every attempt to end the round quickly was deliberately dragged into a protracted tug-of-war by his opponent.
Kabaji observed and learned from the playing styles of many people this week.
He sometimes imitated Kirihara's powerful shots, sometimes copied Marui's net volleys, sometimes borrowed Mukahi's special shots, and occasionally even incorporated Yanagi's data-driven predictions and positioning.
The ball's trajectory is a blend of various patterns, seamlessly connected without any flaws.
Every return shot carried the advantage of his own power, with gravity balls frequently landing in tricky spots, firmly suppressing Kirihara's offensive rhythm.
His own physical energy is also inexhaustible.
He showed no signs of fatigue.
Kechi Yuan's mentality became increasingly agitated, his physical strength was greatly depleted, and he made one mistake after another, and the score was inevitably widened.
In just twenty minutes.
The score then became 4-0.
The Rikkai members on the sidelines looked at each other in bewilderment.
"Is Kirihara going to have his head shaved?"
"Not yet, but soon."
"Kabaji's fighting style is such a counter to Kirihara, isn't it? He doesn't try to outrun him, but instead wears him down with his stamina. This is probably what Kirihara fears the most."
"That's right, and Kabaji's ability to imitate is too strong. He just imitated so many of his seniors, constantly changing his shot trajectory, it was absolutely infuriating."
"Yes, yes, it's already difficult to deal with one regular-level opponent, and Kirihara has to face so many at once."
"Losing points is normal."
……
Kirihara failed to score a single point and was suppressed throughout the game, causing his frustration to gradually build up.
It was so oppressive that I could hardly breathe.
He stood at the baseline, gripping his racket tightly, his brow furrowed, veins bulging on his forehead, breathing heavily.
Sweat slid down his cheeks and dripped onto the grass, leaving small watermarks.
Her cheeks flushed hot and red, her breathing became completely erratic, and her chest heaved violently.
They were suppressed in the same way for four consecutive games.
Anger completely overwhelmed the limits of self-control.
Wang Yueling immediately noticed the change in his aura and expression.
His previously relaxed demeanor vanished instantly. He stood up abruptly, grabbed the wire of the fence tightly, and his expression turned serious. He immediately spoke up to stop them.
"Aka, stay calm and don't let your emotions control you!"
But at this moment, Kirihara could no longer listen to any advice from the outside world; the anger and competitive spirit in his heart completely overwhelmed his reason.
In addition to the high-intensity exercise, blood pressure spiked instantly, and the body completely triggered the "power mode".
In the blink of an eye.
His black curly hair turned white from the roots.
It felt like something was churning outwards from within; the ends of her hair turned from black to gray, then from gray to pure white. Her skin began to flush red, spreading from her cheeks to her neck and then to her arms.
His eyes changed from black to crimson, and the whites of his eyes became bloodshot and reddish.
His expression changed too.
The boy's once clean and lively expression vanished, replaced by a strange, faint smile. His eyes sharpened, and a chilling aura of pressure emanated from him.
He slightly hunched his body, staring intently at Kabaji across the table, like a wild beast poised to pounce. The force with which he gripped his racket was frightening, and his bones cracked.
"I'm Rikkai's ace."
His voice had changed; it was half a tone lower than usual, with a sticky, uncomfortable quality.
"Now... I'm going to dye you red."
The area around the court fell silent instantly, and the relaxed atmosphere suddenly plummeted to freezing point.
Everyone at Rikkai's ranks immediately became serious, their expressions turning grave. This was the first time in nearly three weeks that Kirihara had been swayed by his emotions and completely entered a demonic state.
Most of the ordinary members of Hyotei were seeing Kirihara's demonic form for the first time. Suddenly feeling that chilling aura, they instinctively took a few steps back.
Many people's faces stiffened slightly, and a strange fear arose in their hearts. The more timid ones even felt their legs go weak, unable to look directly at the boys on the field.
"Is this what demonization is? The aura is terrifying."
"This is completely unlike the lively Kirihara I usually am."
"His aura is so cold, it's inexplicably a little intimidating."
"Fortunately, we usually get along normally. If we faced each other in a competition, it would be too much pressure."
"Is this really a tennis match?"
A third-grader swallowed hard, wanting to say something, but opened his mouth without uttering a single word.
The regulars of Hyotei also showed slight changes in expression.
Although I had already heard from Mochizuki Ryo that Kirihara's demonization was caused by physiological loss of control due to high blood pressure from his family, rather than a change in his mind.
Seeing such a dramatic change in atmosphere firsthand is still quite shocking.
Mukahi almost dropped the cake in his hand, but Kuwabara caught it with lightning speed.
"Kirihara is so intimidating right now."
He lowered his voice, but you could still hear the tension in it. "Why does this feel different from the demonized versions I've seen before?"
Shinobu pushed up his glasses, his fingers paused on the frame for a moment, then he put his hand down, his voice a few decibels deeper than usual.
"This aura is indeed stronger than any we've seen before."
Will Kirihara's demonization also evolve?
Jiro peeked out from behind Marui, abandoning his usual laziness and staring intently at the field, his eyes filled with tension.
"Bunta, Akaya, he..."
"It's alright." Marui chewed on the cake in his mouth, but much slower than usual. "Akaya can still control himself. He should..."
Atobe and Sanada, who were resting next to the referee's table, noticed something was wrong on the court and immediately got up and walked quickly to the net.
Atobe frowned, his finger pointing to the beauty mark at the corner of his eye, his icy blue eyes fixed on Kirihara on the field, his breathing a little heavier than usual.
Sanada frowned deeply, staring at Kirihara who had gone berserk, and spoke in a deep voice with a stern tone.
"Kirihara! Calm your mind and control your emotions!"
Kirihara on the field neither turned around nor responded.
He stared at Kabaji across from him, his crimson eyes filled with no hesitation, only the thrill of battle. He gripped the tennis ball tightly in his hand, his knuckles pressing down hard on the surface, slightly deforming the ball.
Toss the ball. Swing the racket.
Knuckle serve.
But it's different from the previous knuckle serve.
This time, the ball was tossed at a lower height, the hitting point was further forward, and the explosive twist of the wrist was more than twice as fast as usual.
The tennis ball shot through the air like a bullet.
With speed and power far exceeding his usual level, he precisely aimed at the side of Kabaji's chest.
Birch's expression remained calm, unaffected by the demonic aura.
He nimbly sidestepped the ball's impact, steadily raising his hand to catch it. The moment the racket touched the tennis ball, a tremendous force traveled up his arm, causing his arm muscles to tense and bulge instantly, as he forcefully withstood the force.
Unfortunately, the force was too great, and it went out of bounds.
"15-0".
The second ball is served from the knuckles, and then it follows.
This time, the target was the flank of the birch.
Birch stepped aside to make way.
The ball flew past him, creating a gust of wind. It landed inside the boundary, bounced twice, and rolled to the edge of the net.
"30-0".
Kaba looked down at his arm. When the ball flew by, the airflow grazed his forearm, leaving a faint red mark on his skin.
He looked up at Kirihara across from him.
Kirihara stood at the baseline, his body slightly hunched, his white hair standing on end, his crimson eyes locked on him, and a chilling smile playing on his lips.
The third shot was aimed at the shoulder.
Kabaji didn't completely give way this time; he turned slightly to the side, held his racket horizontally, and prepared to take the shot head-on.
The moment the ball hit the racket face, the powerful spin caused his arm muscles to bulge. This time he was prepared; he held the racket with both hands and smashed the ball back.
However, the angle of the return shot wasn't right, and it landed in the midfield.
Kirihara rushed forward and unleashed a powerful forehand smash.
The ball was so fast it was almost invisible, and it hit the baseline behind Kabaji.
"40-0".
Liu, standing on the sidelines, opened his half-closed eyes, his brown pupils reflecting the scene on the field, and put the speed measuring device back into his pocket.
"In his current demonic form, Akaya's speed has increased by about 55%, with significant increases in both movement speed and swing speed. His knuckle serve speed is approaching 200 km/h, far exceeding his normal level."
His pen flew across the paper, the handwriting much more messy than usual, and his voice less steady than before: "Strength increase approximately double. Short-term burst endurance is nearly limitless, and it's possible to enter a state of pain immunity..."
"They'll probably keep fighting until they're completely exhausted before they stop."
Marui wiped his mouth and hands with a tissue, his voice muffled, "So, Akaya's demonization this time is much more severe than before. Why is that?"
Kuwabara stared at the intense clash of power on the field, subconsciously touching his smooth head. "Could it be because I haven't been in this state for too long, and all the accumulated power is being unleashed at once?"
"That's very possible."
Niou stared intently at the two fighters on the field and then said something.
Jiro glanced at Kabaji on the field, then at Kirihara, a hint of worry in his eyes, and whispered, "Won't they both get seriously injured while catching the ball?"
"Won't."
Everyone turned to look at Wang Yueling, following the sound.
Wang Yueling's azure eyes were full of seriousness as he gently tapped the net. "If you observe Akagi carefully on the court, you'll see that he hasn't lost himself. Every serve and return he makes is still within his usual level."
"Don't be misled by temporary data appearances."
"Akaya is still the same Akaya. He just used his demon form to unleash his full potential. He has only one goal... to win."
He paused here, his gaze sweeping over everyone around him.
"Don't fall into a misconception."
"This isn't some kind of 'last-minute power spike' by Akaya. Everyone from Rikkai should know that Demonization is one of Akaya's signature moves; it's just that it was previously restricted in its use."
"The ultimate move is used by the person. Akane is also the master of the demonization. He can completely control himself. It's just that his desire to win is too strong right now."
"Seriously injuring him is impossible, and I believe Akane wouldn't do that either. But... minor injuries are definitely unavoidable."
Wang Yueling's gaze swept over the various scratches on the two of them. Without daring to delay, she immediately turned to the manor servants behind her and spoke in a calm tone.
"Quickly call the on-site medical team over again and have them bring emergency medical kits and blood pressure monitoring equipment, so they can be ready to deal with any emergencies."
The servant nodded and quickly walked towards the manor's medical room.
The match on the court became increasingly intense, with the crisp sound of rackets hitting the ball echoing continuously, and even the evening breeze seemed to be stirred by this fierce atmosphere.
Kirihara's serve in his demonized state is completely unstoppable.
The knuckle serve has too many variations: twist serve, topspin serve, flat serve, switching randomly, with no rhythm whatsoever.
Moreover, in his demonized state, 70% of Che Yuan's serves are aimed at the side of his body, while the remaining 30% are aimed at the corners of the sidelines.
Furthermore, the interval between each serve is shortened to the extreme.
They didn't give him any time to catch his breath or adjust, which prevented Kabaji from establishing a rhythm for receiving and adjusting his hair.
With his dominant presence and tricky shots, Kirihara quickly won his service game.
"Game, Kirihara, 4-2."
In the next two games.
Kirihara completely controlled the rhythm of the game.
His "Rampage Shot" is twice as powerful in Demonized state; the ball doesn't bounce at all after landing and slides outwards along the grass.
Huadi tried three times, but failed to receive the call all three times.
They lost their serve.
After that, Kirihara hit a new serve in his service game.
Riot serves.
Similar to the riotous volley, both involve irregular spin. After tossing the ball, the wrist exerts force at a very strange angle, causing the ball to fly in a completely unpredictable trajectory, making two turns in the air before landing.
Kabaji stood at the receiving position, his eyes following the trajectory of the ball twice, but his body didn't move.
It's not that I don't want to move, it's that I simply can't predict where the ball will land.
"Ace, 15-0."
"Ace, 30-0."
"Ace, 40-0."
Kirihara served three consecutive aces to win his service game.
The score was tied at 4-4.
The spectators on the sidelines were speechless.
"That's way too strong..."
"That new serve, the ball curves in the air?"
"How are we supposed to catch this? No one could!"
"This is completely beyond the level of a middle school student..."
Niou stood by the net, his fox-like eyes narrowed, staring intently at Kirihara on the field. His hand, which was twirling his braid, stopped, and a serious glint flashed in his eyes.
"Puri~ This kid always manages to surprise us."
Liu Sheng stood next to him and adjusted his glasses.
"The riot serve is tough enough to deal with, but now there's another riot serve to contend with."
Marui patted Kuwabara beside him, a complex light flashing in his purple eyes.
"How much does Akaya usually hide during club training?"
Kuwabara shook his head and sighed, "I probably figured it out this week."
Mukahi stood next to Shinobu, took a bite of the cake in his hand, and asked indistinctly.
"Yuushi, how many points do you think I could score if I fought against the demonized Kirihara?"
Shinobu glanced at him and remained silent for two seconds.
Are you sure you want to hear the truth?
"Forget it, I'm not listening anymore."
Atobe stood in front of the net, his icy blue eyes fixed on Kirihara on the field, his finger pointing to the beauty mark at the corner of his eye.
"No matter how good Kabaji's ability to imitate is, he can only imitate moves he has seen before. He has seen Kirihara's new serve and the riotous smash, but he can't replicate the spin."
He paused for a moment.
"Furthermore, Kirihara in his demonized state possesses strength and speed far exceeding normal levels. Even if Kabaji catches the ball, he won't be able to withstand that spinning impact."
He glanced at Sanada beside him.
Sanada stood in front of the net, his dark eyes under the brim of his hat fixed on the court. His expression was calm, but his clenched fist tightened slightly.
Both players on the court were standing at the baseline, panting heavily.
They engaged in numerous intense exchanges.
They had several abrasions on their faces and arms, all from rubbing against the grass while saving the ball, and their clothes were also covered in grass stains and mud.
The jerseys were soaked with sweat and covered in grass clippings and dust, looking particularly miserable.
Wang Yueling stared at the condition of the two players on the field, carefully observing the location of their abrasions, and quietly signaled to the medical staff who had arrived.
"It should just be a minor abrasion on the skin, without any damage to the bones or muscles. We'll be on standby and treat it when the game is paused."
A new service game is about to begin.
Kabaji's expression remained unchanged, calm and unmoved.
Kirihara had a smile on his lips, but that smile was devoid of warmth.
He tossed the ball up.
Just as he was about to unleash another furious serve, a gentle, clear voice came from behind the crowd, penetrating the noise of the court.
"Akaya, have you forgotten what you promised me?"
Everyone instinctively turned their heads to look at the source of the sound.