"Heh." Atobe simply looked at Yuudai Yamato on the court. "Tezuka, what in the world has gotten into that guy? Why's he suddenly demanding to play?"
Glancing at Tezuka, who walked onto the court with an incredibly serious expression, Kamikawa chuckled softly. "He's probably trying to draw a line in the sand with his past self, you know?"
"His past?"
"Tezuka originally wanted to go to Seigaku."
"What?!"
Now it was Atobe's turn to be surprised. He looked at Tezuka on the court—he actually wanted to go to Seigaku at first?
A school so weak that it probably wouldn't even make it to the Kantou Tournament. What could he possibly change by going there?
For a school, tennis isn't just a one-person game. It's incredibly difficult for one person to change the atmosphere of an entire club. Hyotei's transformation was ultimately due to Atobe's influence and Coach Sakaki's silent approval.
"That's why he wants to draw a line with his past self."
Kamikawa stretched, his gaze sweeping over the first-years from Seigaku, finally settling on a handsome young man: Shuusuke Fuji, the genius renowned throughout the middle school world.
"Oh, the great Atobe understands now."
Atobe suddenly realized something. "This practice match invitation to Seigaku wasn't Coach Sakaki's idea at all, was it? It was yours and Tezuka's."
"Pretty much," Kamikawa confirmed with a nod.
"Alright, then." Atobe rested his chin on his hand, nonchalantly saying, "Just do whatever you want."
"Drawing a line with his past self will only make him stronger."
"Just you wait, Tezuka! One day, the great Atobe will surpass you..."
Atobe paused, his gaze landing on Kamikawa. "...and I'll surpass you too, you scoundrel."
"Anytime, Atobe," Kamikawa replied, feeling Atobe's intense fighting spirit. That guy's dictionary truly didn't have the word 'fear' in it. Countless defeats would only make him stronger.
At the start of the U-17 World Cup, he was completely shut out by Tezuka, but as the matches progressed, he steadily evolved, pushing his potential to a higher level.
In the World Cup, Keigo Atobe was the one who underwent the most significant transformation.
Thwack!
Thwack!!
On the court, the intense sounds of tennis balls being struck echoed.
Both players were club captains, but from the very beginning of the match, Yamato was being relentlessly forced to run around.
Meanwhile, Tezuka stood steadily a little behind the center, adjusting his angles and footwork without moving a single step from his original hitting position.
"This is..."
Coach Ryuzaki's eyes widened, fixated on the young man on the court.
Nanjirou's figure involuntarily overlapped with the boy in her mind.
"N-no way!"
More than twenty years ago, she officially became the coach of the Seishun Gakuen tennis club. She coached batch after batch of tennis players, but the only one who truly made her famous was the legendary Samurai Nanjirou.
It was because of Nanjirou's presence that Seishun Gakuen quickly became the most popular tennis powerhouse of its time.
She, Ryuzaki, also became a legendary coach thanks to him.
However, as time went on, many talented students joined Seigaku, but none possessed Nanjirou's astonishing talent.
Seishun Gakuen gradually declined, clinging to its title as an old tennis powerhouse, struggling to secure a spot in the Kantou Tournament at the Prefectural Tournament.
But now...
She saw a young man so similar to Nanjirou.
And he was at Hyotei, standing on the opposite side of the net from her.
"Damn it! Did you guys notice? That kid hasn't moved an inch from his spot!"
"Seriously, what's going on? What did that kid even do?!"
Off the court, the second and third-year regulars couldn't believe their eyes. Even Yuudai Yamato, whose on-paper strength rivaled Kantou-level players, was no match for that young man.
Right now, it looked like Yamato was constantly chasing the ball around the court, while the young man simply made slight adjustments, consistently landing the ball on both the left and right sides of Yamato.
Yamato's jacket, which he had been wearing, was already thrown to the side. The white headband on his head was soaked with sweat, his steps were unsteady, and his movements had become sluggish.
"This isn't good..."
In the distance, among the first-year new recruits, Sadaharu Inui couldn't help but say, "Yamato-buchou is being completely controlled, running all over the place."
"Inui, what exactly is happening?"
Oishi's face was filled with confusion as he quietly asked.
Not just Oishi, but Kikumaru, Kawamura, and the others all looked to Sadaharu Inui, hoping for a satisfying answer from him.
"When hitting the ball, you first add a specific spin. Then, when the opponent returns the ball, it will rotate back due to the spin added previously, causing the ball to automatically return to a spot within one step of where it was originally hit with that spin."
At this, Inui paused, watching Tezuka on the court.
After a long moment, he spoke again. "This is a legendary technique from the Samurai Nanjirou's youth. I never thought a first-year would be able to control the ball to this extent."
"An exquisite technique."
The handsome young man beside him had opened his eyes at some point, his pupils wide as he gazed at the boy on the court.
The others were also captivated by Tezuka's technique. To be a first-year and this strong—it was almost inhuman.
Sadaharu Inui slowly began to speak. "Tezuka graduated from Seishun Daiichi Elementary School."
"Come to think of it, he's also a student from the Jounan district. Logically, he should have been assigned to Seigaku, just like Fuji. However, he went to Hyotei instead."
"Seishun Daiichi Elementary School," Fuji said with a slight smile. "I graduated from Dai San Elementary."
At this moment, on the court, Yamato felt like his lungs were about to explode. He was exhausted from chasing the tennis ball, and almost every time he aimed for a spot that would be difficult for Tezuka to return.
Yet, as if bewitched, the ball always flew straight towards Tezuka.
As Seigaku's captain, he had participated in numerous matches, big and small. He had even witnessed the National Tournament last year and the year before, and not even those powerful National-level players had ever used such subtle spin. This guy... he was simply ridiculously strong.
Just as Yamato was momentarily stunned...
Boom!
A loud thwack.
The tennis ball landed far from Yamato, perfectly on the sideline.
This shot was incredibly precise, with immaculate control. Even if Yamato had reacted, he might not have been able to return that ball.
"5-0, Tezuka!"
In the blink of an eye, Yamato had already lost five games in a row.
No mercy, clean and decisive points—a complete and utter rout.
"Huff... huff huff..."
Yamato sat on the chair, panting heavily.
More severe than his physical exhaustion was the mental torment.
This feeling was very similar to that time.
And back then, Yamato had also faced the Hyotei captain.
Mitsuya Ochi!!
"No! The match isn't over yet!"
Yamato suppressed the discomfort in his body, his grip on the racket involuntarily trembling. His face was pale, and his right arm throbbed with pain.
He absolutely could not fall here!
The image of the previous Seigaku captain flashed in Yamato's mind—the one who had continued until the very end, even if it meant sacrificing his tennis career.
And... and the entrustment he had spoken.
'Yamato, I need you to become Seigaku's pillar!'
Yamato gritted his teeth, the former captain's words echoing in his mind.
Even if this arm broke again, he had to keep playing this match, until the very last moment.