"Let the match begin."
A moment later.
The referee looked at the representatives from both sides and nodded. "Higashikata Chinen to serve, first game!"
"Wow, he's tall."
Outside the wire fence.
Shiba stared at Higashikata's player in shock. "Compared to him, Rokkaku's Kentaro looks like a little kid."
"Yeah," Inoue agreed. "But if you judge the match based on height alone, you're underestimating Kentaro."
The captain of Rokkaku Middle School was actually quite skilled. Even though he lost to Akutsu in the second round of the Kanto tournament, that was Akutsu we're talking about—a top-three national-level player from Hyotei!
*Thud!*
Chinen served.
Aoi calmly returned the shot.
The two exchanged rallies, but as Shiba had pointed out, Chinen's height advantage quickly became apparent, putting Aoi on the defensive.
*Thud!*
A well-placed shot to Aoi's backhand earned Higashikata the first point.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Chinen continued to dominate, quickly racking up three points and securing the game point.
"He's so strong!" Shibazaki couldn't help but exclaim.
"Yeah," Inoue nodded. "Higashikata's player definitely has the upper hand against Rokkaku's captain."
"But," Inoue shook his head, "the match has just started. Rokkaku's captain still has some powerful moves up his sleeve."
As he spoke, he glanced at Aoi and then at the elderly man sitting calmly on the bench. From what he knew, this old man had trained some incredible players in the past. If he had chosen Aoi as captain, there was no way Aoi's skills were limited to what they'd seen so far.
"Ishikawa-kun," Inoue turned to the boy beside him. "What do you think?"
He was curious about Ishikawa's relationship with Higashikata. Earlier, despite the distance, Inoue had noticed the fear in the eyes of Higashikata's players when they saw Ishikawa. It seemed like they had suffered at his hands before.
"Higashikata's player is strong," Ishikawa said, glancing at the two on the court. "Aoi's tennis is good, but his opponent might still have some tricks up his sleeve."
Inoue and Shibazaki were taken aback.
*Thud!*
On the court, Chinen served again, and Aoi began to move more actively.
"It's starting," the Rokkaku players smiled. "Kentaro's building up pressure already."
Their captain had a unique playing style. He needed his opponent to apply pressure, which he then used to fuel his mental focus and execute his shots.
*Thud!*
Sure enough, Aoi chased down the ball and slammed it with all his might. The ball hit the net tape and dropped sharply.
"Wow!"
Higashikata's players looked surprised.
"Kentaro's net shot!" the Rokkaku players cheered.
Outside the court, Inoue and Shibazaki nodded in approval. The net shot was perfectly executed, putting Chinen, who was at the baseline, in a tough spot.
"Wait..." Inoue's expression suddenly changed. "How did he get to the net so fast?!"
*Bang!*
Chinen, who had been at the baseline just moments ago, appeared at the net in a flash and smashed the ball past Aoi.
"Game! Higashikata Chinen leads 1-0. Change sides!"
The Rokkaku players and Inoue were stunned.
"How... how did he do that?" Shibazaki exclaimed. "He was at the baseline just now! How did he get to the net so quickly?"
"Hmm," Inoue's expression darkened. He glanced at Ishikawa, recalling his earlier comment. "He must know something."
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
The match continued, but Aoi was clearly being overpowered by Chinen's unpredictable movements.
*Thud!*
Finally, Chinen scored with a smash, and the referee announced, "Game and match! Higashikata Chinen wins, 6-2!"
The Rokkaku team fell silent.
Inoue and Shibazaki were equally shocked.
"Is... is Higashikata's player on the same level as Akutsu?" Shibazaki asked in disbelief.
Inoue shook his head but couldn't find the words to refute her. The scoreline was too lopsided. Rokkaku's star player had been completely outclassed.
But the surprises didn't end there.
In the next three matches, Higashikata continued to dominate Rokkaku. The team from Chiba, a regular at the national tournament, lost all four matches, and the margins were staggering.
"They're so strong!" Inoue thought, his mind reeling.
"Is this the Higashikata Middle School that dominated the Kyushu tournament? The dark horse of the nationals?"
"Next up, the first singles match: Higashikata Kai Yujiro vs. Rokkaku Saeki Kojirō. Players, please step forward."
Kai and Saeki took the court.
Higashikata's side was calm, their cheerleaders chanting loudly. Rokkaku, on the other hand, looked grim.
"What's wrong?" Kai taunted as he stepped onto the court. "You didn't think you could change the fact that you're going home after the first round, did you?"
"Let's just play," Saeki replied calmly, retreating to the baseline.
"Hey, have they already finished four matches?" A cheerful voice interrupted. "Rokkaku hasn't won a single one? Higashikata's pretty strong, huh!"
Mukahi, with his signature red mushroom cut, appeared beside Inoue, Ishikawa, and the others.
"Yeah, they're strong," Hiyoshi added, standing nearby. "It's Saeki up next? Rokkaku might have underestimated them."
"Vice-captain," Hiyoshi turned to Ishikawa. "How strong is Higashikata, really?"
Hearing this, the Higashikata players glanced over.
"They're here to gather intel," Kite thought, glaring at Ishikawa. After their encounter at Rikkai, he had done some research on Ishikawa. The Hyotei rookie seemed to serve as both a scout and an advisor for his team.
"So," Kite smirked inwardly, "he's still wary of us. No matter how much intel he gathers, Hyotei can't beat us."
Ishikawa was strong, no doubt. But tennis was a team sport. Even if Ishikawa could counter their "Shukuchi" technique, that didn't mean the rest of Hyotei could. As for how Ishikawa had learned Shukuchi, Kite chalked it up to natural talent. But talent alone couldn't bridge the gap in overall team strength.
"How strong are they?" Ishikawa shook his head. "They're just average."
*Average?*
Inoue and Shibazaki were stunned.
Kite's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing behind his glasses.
"Hmph!" Kai snorted.
He glanced at the intimidating figure of Ishikawa before turning his attention to his opponent, ready to vent his frustration.
*Thud!*
Saeki served, and the match began.
At first, Saeki and Kai were evenly matched. But just like in Aoi's match, when Saeki attempted a net shot, Kai moved.
*Swish!*
In an instant, he appeared at the net and smashed the ball down.
"0-15!"
"What?!" Hiyoshi and Mukahi were shocked. "How did he get to the net so fast?!"
Such speed was unbelievable!
Kai smirked, clearly enjoying their reaction. He continued to use Shukuchi, relentlessly attacking.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Saeki quickly fell behind, losing four games in a row.
*Swish!*
Kai appeared at the net again, ready to deliver another crushing blow.
*Bang!*
"Game! Higashikata Kai leads 4-0!"
In no time, Saeki was on the verge of defeat.
Hiyoshi voiced his confusion again. "How does he move so fast?"
"Shukuchi," the old man on the bench spoke up.
*Swish!*
Kite, Hirakoba, and Kai all stiffened.
"That old man..." Kite's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the elderly figure sitting calmly on the bench.
The old man began to explain the principles of Shukuchi, a technique rooted in Okinawan martial arts.
In truth, he had figured out the technique as soon as Chinen used it. But he had chosen to wait, letting his players experience it firsthand before explaining. After all, he believed in the joy of tennis, not just winning.
But he didn't notice the growing tension in the Higashikata camp, especially from their captain.
*Swish!*
Kite looked up at Kai on the court, his glasses reflecting a cold light.
Kai nodded, understanding the unspoken command.
He pretended to focus on Saeki, but his real target was the old man still explaining Shukuchi.
"Old man, you talk too much!" Kai thought.
*Bang!*
Kai suddenly changed direction, aiming his shot not at the court but at the old man on the bench.
"Danger!!!" Saeki's face paled. He sprinted toward the bench, diving in a desperate attempt to intercept the ball. But he was too late.
"Pathetic," Kai sneered. "Weaklings like you should just go home."
The Higashikata coach and captain exchanged smirks. This was their style—win at all costs, eliminate any threat to their victory.
But just as the ball was about to hit the old man, a yellow streak shot across the court.
*Bang!*
The ball Kai had aimed at the old man was obliterated by a powerful return. The force of the shot sent Kai's hat flying and left a dent in the wire fence.
The entire court fell silent.
"Who did that?!" the Higashikata players shouted, scanning the Rokkaku side.
But the shot had come from outside the court.
They turned to see a black-haired boy in a gray jacket calmly putting his racket away.
"It's him?!" Hirakoba and Kai's faces turned pale.
Even Chinen and Tanishi, who had been so confident earlier, looked terrified.
"Hey, Hyotei!" Kite stepped forward, his voice cold. "Don't go looking for trouble."
"Oh?" Hiyoshi kicked open the court gate. "You think you can threaten us after pulling that kind of stunt?"
"You wanna fight?" Mukahi cracked his knuckles. "Don't think we're scared just because you outnumber us."
"Hyotei," Kite adjusted his glasses, a cold smile on his lips. "I'd advise against starting something. Our players have trained in Okinawan martial arts since they were kids."
The Higashikata team and cheerleaders all turned their sharp gazes toward Hyotei.
"This is bad," Inoue thought. The situation was escalating, and Hyotei was outnumbered.
But Hiyoshi and Mukahi exchanged a glance, then looked at Ishikawa with a knowing smile.
Martial arts? Please. Hiyoshi was a martial artist himself, and Ishikawa's skills were on a whole other level.
*Swish!*
Kite's eyes met Ishikawa's, and for a moment, it felt like sparks were flying.
Kite frowned. There was something different about Ishikawa compared to their last encounter at Rikkai.
*Crackle!*
Ishikawa's presence shifted, exuding an oppressive, almost terrifying aura.
"Wait... this feeling..." Kite's body stiffened, a chill running down his spine.
*A top-tier martial arts master?!*
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(Chapter end)