"Two wins, two losses."
Outside the court.
Yamato, with a slightly nervous expression, glanced toward the 5th court where a towering, fiery red-haired young man stood.
Oni Juujirou!
The captain of the 5th court!
But from what Yamato knew, Oni held an exceptionally high status within the U-17 training camp.
There were even rumors that he was the only person in the entire U-17 who could rival the top-ranked representative of the first string, Byoudouin Houou!
According to the rumors, Oni was once the strongest player in U-17. However, for some unknown reason, he left the first string and had been serving as the captain of the 5th court ever since.
Regardless, Oni's strength far surpassed that of ordinary first-string players and even the former captain of the 3rd court, Inui Jyuto.
"I have a feeling," Yamato said, narrowing his eyes, "that this match was initiated by Oni-senpai."
"You're not wrong," Nakahachi, standing beside him, adjusted his sunglasses and smiled with anticipation. "It's been a long time since I've seen Oni-senpai take things so seriously. The last time he was this serious was probably when he saved Tokugawa from Byoudouin, right?"
"Nakahachi-senpai," Yamato turned to him in surprise, "you've always called Oni-senpai 'boss.' Did you two know each other before?"
"Of course!" Nakahachi grinned. "I've been following Oni-senpai since our days at Okayama Oku Middle School. Thanks to him, I was able to come to this place."
"Okayama Oku?" Yamato raised an eyebrow.
For some reason, the name of the school sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.
"I see."
Now, Yamato understood the relationship between Oni and Nakahachi.
This further confirmed the rumors—Oni's strength was likely far beyond what most people imagined.
"Fifth match, Singles 1."
"Representing the 5th court, Oni Juujirou, versus representing the 3rd court, Ishikawa Makoto."
"Both players, please prepare!"
As the referee on the high chair announced, the gazes of the surrounding high schoolers fell on the two representatives about to take the court.
"What kind of racket is that?!"
At that moment, someone from the 3rd court side, Genjiro, exclaimed in shock as he stared at the towering figure calmly walking onto the court.
"Only two strings on the racket?"
Mouri, squinting, was also startled by the racket in Oni's hand. The racket had only two strings, one horizontal and one vertical, forming a cross.
"Can you even hit a tennis ball with that kind of racket?"
Some second-year representatives muttered in disbelief.
A cross-string racket!
From the looks of it, the player could only use the intersection of the two strings to hit the ball.
In a casual practice match, it might be manageable.
But Oni's opponent was Ishikawa, the one who had defeated Inui, shattered the wall, and displayed astonishing strength!
Wasn't Oni being a bit too overconfident?
At the net.
The two figures faced each other.
Oni looked at the young man before him and nodded. "I have to admit, you're the most talented player I've ever seen."
"Senpai, you're no ordinary player either, right?" Ishikawa smiled as he looked at Oni, whose head was marked with a bright red [Lv84]. "I heard you were once the strongest in this camp?"
"Oh?" Oni raised an eyebrow, surprised. "You've even looked into that? Inui was right—you're much more mature and shrewd than you appear."
It had been nearly a week since Inui left. Before departing, Inui had spoken with Oni, telling him that Ishikawa's strength was far beyond what he had shown and that Oni should step in to help if Byoudouin targeted Ishikawa upon his return.
As someone who had voluntarily stepped down from the No. 1 position to focus on nurturing newcomers, Oni naturally felt responsible.
However, as he observed Ishikawa, he realized that both he and Inui had underestimated the newcomer.
Many times, Oni had watched Ishikawa train from a distance. Seeing the visible improvement in Ishikawa's skills, Oni felt a growing desire to face him in a match.
Ishikawa was strong—far stronger than he had been during his match with Inui.
But Oni knew that Ishikawa's talent hadn't fully blossomed yet. That kind of explosive growth required immense pressure.
Inui wasn't enough.
Oni believed he could be the catalyst Ishikawa needed to reach his full potential. Perhaps, before Byoudouin returned from his Southeast Asia expedition, Ishikawa could give him a surprise!
"Oni Juujirou..."
Outside the court, Genjiro frowned as he stared at Oni's face. "Why does he seem so familiar?"
"Huh?" Mouri, standing beside him, looked over in surprise. "You feel that way too?"
He had thought it was just his imagination.
The first time he saw Oni, he had felt a sense of familiarity, but he couldn't recall where he had seen him before.
"Was it during our time at Rikkai Dai?" Genjiro asked.
Back then, Mouri had briefly attended Rikkai Dai before transferring to Shitenhouji due to a move.
"No," Mouri shook his head. "I remember it was after I transferred to Rikkai Dai. It was during the summer... wait!"
At that moment, both of them suddenly remembered something and exclaimed in unison, "The National Tournament!"
"I remember now," Genjiro nodded repeatedly. "Oni-senpai was the captain of the team that won the National Middle School Tennis Tournament three years ago!"
"Right," Mouri also nodded. "It was Okayama Oku Middle School, an unremarkable school that became the ultimate dark horse and won the national championship!"
Okayama Oku Middle School!
Oni Juujirou!
At that moment, all their previous doubts were resolved. As they looked at Oni again, a hint of wariness flashed in their eyes.
It was hard to imagine how strong Oni must be now, considering he had led an unknown school to defeat powerhouse teams and top players three years ago.
Then, Mouri's gaze shifted to Ishikawa.
Among all the high schoolers in U-17, only he knew that Ishikawa was a first-year middle schooler.
Ishikawa and Oni were both the strongest players of their respective generations.
But there was a six-year age gap between them.
This made Mouri worry whether Ishikawa could withstand Oni's attacks.
"The match will now begin, best of one set!"
At that moment, the referee on the high chair, after confirming both players' readiness, announced, "Oni Juujirou of the 5th court to serve, first game!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone's attention focused on Oni.
He tossed the ball into the air and, with a simple swing of his cross-string racket, sent the ball flying like a cannonball.
"He hit it?!"
"Can you even serve with that kind of racket?"
"Look at the power—it's terrifying!"
Terrifying?
Hearing this, Nakahachi, Oni's loyal follower on the 3rd court side, shook his head with a smile. "That serve isn't something just anyone can return."
Despite the simplicity of the cross-string racket, the power behind the serve was astonishing. Anyone with below-average strength or without systematic grip training would likely have their racket knocked out of their hands upon contact.
Thud!
However, just as Nakahachi had that thought, Ishikawa returned the serve.
"This guy..."
Nakahachi instinctively narrowed his eyes.
He saw clearly that Ishikawa's wrist didn't even tremble when returning the serve.
Whoosh!
The ball flew back, aiming precisely at the intersection of the cross on Oni's racket.
Thud!
The ball landed perfectly on the spot.
"Amazing control!"
Nakahachi was shocked.
It was hard to believe that someone with Ishikawa's seemingly unimpressive physique could match Oni's power.
"Not bad."
Oni chased down the ball and intercepted it, feeling the intricate spin. He nodded in approval. "You're above average in every aspect. In that case, let's skip the warm-up."
Whoosh!
With that, Oni suddenly increased his power, and a strong gust of wind accompanied his swing.
Whoosh!
The ball, now tinged with a black glow, shot straight toward Ishikawa.
"This is..."
Sensing the peculiar energy emanating from the ball, Ishikawa raised an eyebrow. "Deep-level power?"
In the original story, Momoshiro from Seigaku had been sent flying the moment he faced Oni.
And Momoshiro's strength was considered above average even among all middle schoolers.
This showed that Oni's move wasn't just an ordinary return.
"No warm-up, huh?"
Ishikawa chuckled and shook his head. To the surprise of everyone watching, he suddenly increased his swing speed.
Whoosh!
With a slight distortion in the air, Ishikawa's racket made contact with the ball.
Thud!
The ball shot back with a speed like a gust of wind.
"Fast as the wind?"
Mouri raised an eyebrow but quickly dismissed the thought. "No, this speed and power are several times stronger than Sanada's 'Wind.'"
Thud!
However, despite this, Ishikawa's return was easily blocked by Oni.
At the center of the cross-string racket, a yellow-green ball spun rapidly.
"Not bad."
Oni nodded in satisfaction once again.
These two exchanges gave him a clear understanding of Ishikawa's reflexes and basic physical abilities.
Immediately, he increased his speed and power, sending the ball flying back.
Whoosh!
This time, the black glow on the ball became more pronounced.
The dark aura exuded a chilling sensation, and the power it contained made many self-proclaimed power players among the high schoolers pale.
"Bring it on."
Ishikawa smiled and increased his swing speed once more.
Thud!
The ball, now a mix of raging flames and sharp wind, shot toward Oni.
The flames roared like a tidal wave.
The wind cut like a blade.
In an instant, the high schoolers standing closer to the court felt a wave of heat and instinctively stepped back.
However, Oni remained unfazed and swiftly returned the shot.
Thud!
The flames dissipated.
The wind vanished.
Oni, with just his cross-string racket, easily blocked Ishikawa's special move.
Thud!
But Ishikawa returned it just as easily.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
On the court, the two figures continued to exchange blows.
Both displayed a level of strength that far exceeded what ordinary high schoolers could imagine.
Oni's towering figure stood like an unshakable tree, unmoved by the continuous exchanges.
Ishikawa, on the other hand, was as steady as a rock, holding his ground against Oni without showing any signs of weakness.
Thud!
However, just as the spectators were feeling the intensity of the match, a strange sound echoed.
Oni's cross-string racket was pierced through the center by the ball.
Whoosh!
The ball flew past Oni and, to the shock of everyone, smashed into the wall behind him, creating a crater about ten centimeters deep.
Crash!
Debris scattered.
The high schoolers couldn't help but gulp.
Who could have imagined that such a seemingly simple and fast-paced match could contain such terrifying destructive power?