"So strong! Can anyone really return that serve?"
"Is he really a middle schooler?"
"Fudomine Junior High? I've never heard of that school before. Is it a new tennis powerhouse?"
Unsurprisingly, the Tamarin duo, who had just defeated the Seigaku pair, was completely overwhelmed by Seiya. Honestly, Seiya and An's doubles skills weren't much better than Ryoma and Momoshiro's. An might have a bit of doubles experience, but this was Seiya's first time playing doubles, so their teamwork was full of holes.
But it didn't matter. Even with only Seiya returning the balls, Izumi and Fukawa from Tamarin had no chance. The "doubles" match was really just Seiya playing a singles match against both of them. An's role was just to serve the ball at the beginning of each point, and nothing would have changed if any other random person had been his partner.
"You're very strong, we're no match for you. But you only won because we were too weak. We will never acknowledge that what you played was doubles tennis."
Seiya paid no mind to their bitter words; he knew he wasn't a doubles player. As the new reigning champion, he looked around and asked, "Does anyone else want to challenge?"
The answer was an obvious no. The strongest team here had just been effortlessly defeated by Seiya. Why would anyone else want to suffer the same fate?
"According to the rules, if there are no new challengers, the teams that have already lost can challenge again, right?" Seiya asked, and Izumi and Fukawa nodded in confirmation.
Meanwhile, Ryoma and Momoshiro were already taking off their jackets and holding their rackets, eager to get back on the court. It was clear that Seiya's skill had ignited their competitive spirit. Before, they were just responding to a provocation, but now they genuinely wanted to play him. As typical middle school boys, how could they sleep tonight if they didn't get to play against such a worthy opponent?
"Since no one wants to challenge, can we change the rules? I don't want to play doubles; it just hinders my performance to have to play with Momoshiro-senpai."
As soon as Ryoma said this, Momoshiro was annoyed and grabbed him by the neck. "You've got some nerve saying that! You're the one who's in my way!"
It was clear that both Ryoma and Momoshiro wanted to play singles against Seiya. They could also see that Seiya was a singles player, as An was just a mindless serving machine.
"Izumi, Fukawa, and everyone here, please make an exception and let them play singles. I don't want to be a mascot anymore. Besides, this is a rare opportunity, isn't it? Don't you all want to see a match between two strong players?"
The rules of the street court were set by the people who played there, and as a regular, An pleaded with everyone to change them for a match between the two teams.
"Your boyfriend is so strong, I don't think anyone else will challenge him tonight. In that case, let them play singles."
After getting permission, Ryoma and Momoshiro were excited and played a quick round of rock-paper-scissors to see who would play first. Momoshiro won and enthusiastically stretched his arms.
"The rules will be a standard match. The first to win six games wins the match, and I will be the referee. Are there any objections?"
After both players agreed, An tossed the ball to the challenger, Momoshiro. He was relieved to hear the standard match rules. If it was still a one-game match, he didn't think he stood a chance, as he still hadn't gotten used to Seiya's movements and speed.
Momoshiro held the tennis ball high and leaned forward to serve. As soon as he hit the ball, he sprinted to the net.
"It's Momoshiro-senpai's Bullet Serve! He's trying to get to the net so he can better see his opponent's movements!" Ryoma, who was watching, understood his intention and had to admit that Momoshiro had made a very good call.
"Why does getting to the net give you a better view?"
Just as Ryoma was talking to himself, a girl's voice from beside him made him jump. He turned to see Saori Shiba, a reporter from Monthly Tennis, and a middle-aged man, Mamoru Inoue.
"The serve-and-volley is a technique where you serve the ball and immediately run to the net. Momoshiro's Bullet Serve is very fast, so it's even harder for him to get to the net. But the advantage is clear: from a closer position, you can pressure your opponent with your height, observe them from a better angle, and stop them from hitting a baseline shot. It also puts psychological pressure on the opponent."
Inoue, who was the one who had answered Saori, had come to the court after hearing that some strong middle schoolers were playing. As a reporter for Monthly Tennis, his job was to find talented tennis players. He didn't expect to see Ryoma and Momoshiro, whom he had just met, playing. He knew the strength of the Seigaku regulars. They were a force to be reckoned with in the regional and metropolitan tournaments, not to mention the Kanto and national tournaments. But he had never heard of Wenren Seiya, who was playing against Momoshiro.
Just after Momoshiro served and confidently ran to the net, a yellow streak shot past him.
"What?! My Bullet Serve was returned so easily?!"
"15-0!"
When An announced the score, not only was Momoshiro shocked, but Inoue and Saori, who hadn't seen Seiya play yet, were also completely dumbfounded.
"Bullet Serve? Well, it's faster than a normal serve, but if that's all you've got, you won't be getting any points from me."