"I never expected it to turn out like this."
At this moment, Amachi felt an indescribable bitterness in his heart. He had been searching tirelessly for a worthy opponent to face, but instead of finding one, he had been worn down by someone who had already been defeated by the very person he was looking for.
Just thinking about it made him realize how naive and laughable his previous mindset had been.
"Forget it."
Shaking his head, Amachi struggled to his feet, his body exhausted. He glanced toward the coach from Hyotei in the distance and gave a deep bow. "Sorry, everyone, for interrupting your training."
With that, he picked up his oversized racket and walked away.
"Huh."
Watching his retreating figure, Mukahi couldn't help but look surprised. "That guy from Rokkaku... he's actually pretty polite!"
The others also wore expressions of mild astonishment.
"Of course."
Only Coach Tōru seemed unfazed, as if he had expected this all along. He smiled and said, "After all, he's a player trained by *that* coach. When it comes to character and integrity, there's no doubt about it."
"That coach?"
Mukahi turned to him, curious. "Coach, do you know their trainer?"
"Well, not exactly."
Thinking of the mysterious, white-haired old man whose age was anyone's guess, Tōru shook his head. "It's a complicated story. I can't really explain it in a few words."
The others exchanged puzzled looks.
Still, no one at Hyotei was bold enough to question Coach Tōru's authority.
"Alright."
Tōru glanced at the team and said firmly, "Except for Shōhō, Kurokawa, and Kano, who've already played matches today, the rest of you, start training immediately."
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
But just as Tōru finished speaking, footsteps echoed from the entrance of the court once again.
"Huh?"
Someone frowned instinctively. "He just left so politely, and now he's coming back already?"
"No, wait!"
Another person looked over and realized it wasn't Amachi who had just left. Instead, it was a much more familiar figure.
"It's... it's that guy! Akutsu Jin from Yamabuki!"
*Whoosh!*
Everyone turned to look, and when they saw the newcomer's face, their expressions turned to disbelief.
It was none other than Akutsu Jin, the player from Yamabuki who had been utterly crushed by Ishikawa during the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament last week—the so-called once-in-a-decade tennis prodigy!
Akutsu was wearing a white tank top and army-green sweatpants, with a bag slung over his shoulder. As he entered the training ground, he casually flipped the bag onto his shoulder and scanned the group with a cold gaze.
"Where's Ishikawa Makoto?"
"Another one looking for Ishikawa?"
Someone couldn't help but mutter, "First, it was that guy from Rokkaku, and now someone from Yamabuki. Our vice-captain is way too popular."
"Huh?"
Hearing this, Akutsu's eyebrows twitched. He recalled the red-jacketed boy who had just left. He had assumed the kid was from Hyotei, but it turned out he was from another school—and had come specifically to challenge Ishikawa.
Judging by the boy's condition, it seemed he had been thoroughly beaten.
At this thought, Akutsu instinctively reined in his emotions and turned his attention to Coach Tōru. "That guy called me here, but now he's nowhere to be found? Is he messing with me?"
"Ishikawa isn't here at the moment."
Seeing Akutsu, Tōru felt a weight lift from his mind. However, he maintained his composure and said calmly, "If this is about *that matter*, I can handle it for you."
"That matter?"
Hearing Tōru's words, some of the sharper Hyotei players began to piece things together.
"Is this guy joining Hyotei?"
Hiyoshi narrowed his eyes.
The Hyotei lineup was already stacked with talent. During the entire Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, he hadn't even gotten a chance to play.
And now, this guy from Yamabuki was switching sides to join Hyotei? If that happened, his chances of getting any playing time would only shrink further.
The thought filled Hiyoshi with a sense of dread.
"He's not here?"
Akutsu's frown deepened. "That bastard called me here and then disappeared? Is he playing games with me?"
"Uh..."
Seeing Akutsu's reaction, Tōru suddenly felt this might be more complicated than he thought. This so-called once-in-a-decade tennis prodigy didn't seem like the easiest person to deal with.
"Hmph!"
Akutsu snorted coldly. "Tell him I came, just like he asked. If he didn't keep his word, that's on him, not me."
With that, he turned to leave.
Seeing this, Tōru realized the situation was more than just tricky. This guy clearly only acknowledged Ishikawa. If he joined Hyotei, he might end up being the most disruptive presence on the team.
For a moment, Tōru hesitated. Should he try to keep Akutsu? And if so, what excuse could he use?
Then, his eyes fell on the conflicted-looking boy with the mushroom-cut hair. Without hesitation, he said, "Hiyoshi, go test his skills."
"Me?"
Hiyoshi was taken aback, but seeing the seriousness in Tōru's eyes, he quickly nodded. "Got it."
*Thwack!*
Without another word, Hiyoshi fired off a powerful serve. The ball shot across the court, landing right at Akutsu's side.
"Huh?"
Akutsu, who had been about to leave, immediately turned around, his gaze locking onto Hiyoshi. "Kid... you looking for a fight?"
"Hmph."
Hiyoshi met his glare head-on. "You think you can just waltz in and out of Hyotei like it's nothing? This isn't a place you can come and go as you please!"
"Good, very good."
Akutsu looked at the determined Hiyoshi and couldn't help but smirk. "If you're asking for it, I won't hold back."
With that, the two of them stepped onto the court.
Akutsu pulled out his custom racket from his bag, while Hiyoshi gestured arrogantly. "Don't say I'm being unfair. Since this is Hyotei, I'll let you serve first."
"Hmph."
Akutsu sneered.
Without hesitation, he tossed the ball into the air and smashed it with full force.
*Bang!*
The ball shot across the net like a bullet.
"That's a crazy fast serve!"
Even though they'd seen Akutsu's serves before, the Hyotei players were still impressed.
"Speed's not bad."
Hiyoshi quickly moved into position and returned the shot. "But it's nothing I can't handle!"
This wasn't just bravado. Ever since losing to Ishikawa, Hiyoshi had been training relentlessly alongside Shishido and Ōshitari. His fundamentals had improved significantly.
*Bang!*
But Akutsu didn't give him a chance to show off. He fired another shot, this time aiming for Hiyoshi's far backhand side.
"Tch."
Hiyoshi's expression tightened as he scrambled to reach the ball.
*Bang!*
Just as Hiyoshi managed to return it, Akutsu struck again, sending the ball to the spot Hiyoshi had just vacated.
"15-0!"
"What?!"
Hiyoshi's expression changed.
He hadn't expected his opponent to be this fast.
"Again!" he growled, adopting a serious stance to receive the serve.
Akutsu, on the other hand, smirked and sent the tennis ball flying back.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
On the court, the two aggressive players clashed fiercely.
At first, Hiyoshi was completely overwhelmed by Akutsu. After losing two games in a row, he finally snapped and unleashed a more advanced version of his "Enbu-style" tennis.
After a fierce struggle, he managed to win two games back from Akutsu.
Just when it seemed like Hiyoshi might turn the tide, it became clear that Akutsu hadn't been going all out. Seeing Hiyoshi give it his all, Akutsu finally got serious.
With sheer physical dominance, he completely overpowered Hiyoshi.
In the end, the match was over in less than twenty minutes.
Akutsu won 6-2, easily defeating the once-confident Hiyoshi, leaving the Hyotei team in shock.
"Is this really the same Akutsu who lost to Vice-Captain Ishikawa at the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament?" one teammate muttered, staring at Akutsu's cold, arrogant face in disbelief.
"Has he gotten even stronger since last week?" Oshitari frowned.
For the first time, he began to understand what it meant to be called a "once-in-a-decade genius."
But he also knew that part of this was an illusion.
At the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, Akutsu had been utterly crushed by Ishikawa, leaving a lasting impression on the Hyotei team that Akutsu wasn't all that strong.
Now, however, with Hiyoshi as a benchmark, everyone realized just how formidable Akutsu truly was.
"Is that all?" Akutsu sneered, glancing at Hiyoshi's pale face. He shook his head, as if dismissing Hiyoshi as unworthy of his time, and turned to leave.
"Kabaji!" Coach Sakaki called out, waking the drowsy Kabaji. With a sleepy look, Kabaji was given a task.
"Play against him?" Kabaji, completely unaware of what was happening, instinctively wanted to refuse. But when Coach Sakaki pulled out two large bottles of Ishikawa's infamous "punishment tea," Kabaji immediately caved.
However, Coach Sakaki also promised that if Kabaji defeated Akutsu, his training load would be halved for the next week.
Tempted by the offer, Kabaji stepped onto the court without hesitation.
Kabaji was stronger than Hiyoshi. With his rich experience, exceptional wrist flexibility, and keen sense of the ball, he managed to pressure Akutsu for a while.
But when Akutsu suddenly unleashed his full power, Kabaji was completely overwhelmed.
Every shot from Akutsu was ferocious, sending painful vibrations through Kabaji's wrist and severely weakening his control.
Thud!
In the end, after thirty minutes, Akutsu defeated Kabaji 6-4, further shocking the Hyotei team.
"By the end, he completely overpowered Kabaji's Magic Volley with pure strength?" Oshitari muttered, his expression grave.
His wariness of Akutsu had reached its peak, and he suspected that Coach Sakaki would call on him next to stop Akutsu from leaving.
"Alright," Oshitari took a deep breath, steeling himself for a tough match, and picked up his racket.
"Enough!" Akutsu suddenly snapped coldly. "I've already played two matches with you guys, fulfilling my promise to Ishikawa Shintaro. If anyone dares to challenge me to a third match, I can't guarantee their head won't end up smashed!"
The crowd gasped, their faces paling.
Oshitari froze mid-step, seeing the icy glare in Akutsu's eyes. He knew the threat wasn't empty.
"Akutsu," Coach Sakaki sighed, shaking his head. "If you don't want to join Hyotei, I won't force you. But if you ever change your mind, you're always welcome here."
Having witnessed Akutsu's talent, Coach Sakaki naturally hoped this tennis prodigy would join Hyotei. But more than that, he shared the same sentiment as Coach Banji—he didn't want to see such a gifted player waste his potential.
So much so that he was willing to lower his standards.
"Tch," Akutsu muttered, uncomfortable under Coach Sakaki's gaze. "You're just as annoying as that old man."
With that, he turned to leave.
Sighing softly, Coach Sakaki felt a pang of regret. The tennis world was losing a phenomenal talent, while the streets would gain another reckless troublemaker.
But with Akutsu's personality, it seemed no one could change his mind.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Just then, a loud, unfamiliar whirring sound filled the air.
A powerful gust of wind swept through, sending Akutsu's hair flying in all directions.
"Huh?" He looked up.
A black helicopter was descending directly toward an empty area of the Hyotei tennis courts.
"A helicopter?" Akutsu frowned, recalling rumors about the Hyotei tennis captain's wealth. But then, his expression shifted.
"Wait—"
Before he could react, a voice called out from the distance.
"Akutsu-senpai," the voice said, as the helicopter's noise faded. "Leaving so soon? Or are you just scared?"
The Hyotei team watched in amazement as Akutsu's expression turned complicated. He hesitated, torn between staying and leaving.
But the most frustrating part was that, deep down, he knew he couldn't beat this person. Clenching his fists tightly, he eventually let them fall to his sides.
"This…"
The Hyotei team members widened their eyes in shock.
Including Oshitari, everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the black-haired figure approaching from the distance.
He stood around 170 cm tall and didn't appear particularly strong or imposing.
Yet, with just a single sentence, he had managed to subdue the tennis beast that even Hiyoshi, Kabaji, and Coach Sakaki couldn't hold back.
At that moment, the team finally understood the true extent of Ishikawa's influence. Their vice-captain was indeed worthy of his reputation!
(End of Chapter)