The crowd was still buzzing from the impossible rally. A single ball—one block—had shifted the atmosphere.
Ren staggered back to position, his arm trembling, lungs screaming. I shouldn't have survived that. I should've broken.
On the bench, Haru was on his feet. "DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT?! That's my bro Ren—ball absorber extraordinaire!"
Shizuka crossed her arms tighter, lips pressed thin, but her eyes never left Ren. "...Hmph. Lucky frame-hit." Yet her ears glowed faint pink.
Daigo exhaled smoke slowly, muttering to himself. "Not luck. The brat finally stopped running."
Across the net, Chen Liang bounced the ball once, gaze fixed on Ren like a hawk sizing up prey. "Interesting. Most shatter on the first blow. You... bent." His Japanese was accented, but sharp.
Ren tightened his grip, sweat dripping down his temple. Bent, not broken. That's enough.
The next rally began—another brutal smash. Ren stepped forward again, bracing. The ball slammed into his strings. His knees buckled, but he absorbed it, redirecting into the back corner.
The HUD blinked:
[Skill Unlocked: Iron Block (Lv.1)]
Absorb incoming power; redirect without full collapse. High stamina cost.
Ren's vision blurred, but his chest burned. It's real. It's mine.
Chen's lips curved—just slightly. The next rally, he hammered two volleys, then uncorked another smash. Ren gritted his teeth, set his feet—bam! Another block, another redirect.
The crowd gasped again. Commentator Ayaka's voice rose over the drones:
"Unbelievable! Tachibana Ren, the Substitute Messiah, is... blocking the Chinese Wall!"
But each block drained him. His stamina bar plummeted in his HUD, limbs heavy as lead. I can't keep this up forever. My body's cracking. But if I can just... show them...
Game continued, Ren clawing points. He still lost the first set 6–2. The second—6–3. On paper, it was decisive.
But when the match ended, the hall didn't jeer. It applauded.
Chen Liang walked to the net, his expression as cold as ever, but his eyes sharp with respect. "You're weak. But... you learn mid-match. That makes you dangerous."
Ren stared, stunned, as Chen turned and walked off, black-and-gold racket glinting under the lights.
His palm throbbed, his arm shook, but inside, something new had settled. I didn't win. I barely survived. But they saw me. For once, they really saw me.
From the benches, Maria smirked, tossing her hair. "Chico, I didn't expect you to play wall. You're full of surprises."
Shizuka muttered under her breath, eyes narrowed. "...Idiot. Don't collapse here."
Daigo stubbed out his cigarette, voice gruff. "Good. You didn't disgrace me. Tomorrow, we hammer it in until it's muscle, not luck."
Ren fell to one knee, gasping, sweat pooling on the glass floor. Yet his HUD still glowed faintly.
[Iron Block (Lv.1) — Active]
Ren on the court floor, broken but smiling faintly under the arena lights, while the crowd chants his name for the first time.
I lost again. But this time... it meant something.