Time flew by, and another month passed in the blink of an eye.
After day after day of relentless physical training, finally—on the 30th day—Ryohei Rin's stamina rose from 2 points to 3 points!
And that wasn't all. Because of the broad range of physical exercises, both his strength and speed increased by 0.5 each.
That morning, as the sky began to pale with the first light of dawn, Ryohei Rin walked onto the main court of the Hyotei tennis club and stood there quietly.
He had been preparing for this moment.
It was time to fight for a place among the regulars.
While steadying his mind, Ryohei Rin casually opened his personal panel.
[Host: Ryohei Rin | Age: 12]
[Speed: 2.5 | Strength: 2.5 | Stamina: 3 | Technique: 3 | Precision: 5 | Total: 16]
[Character Template: Kuroko Tetsuya – 58%]
[Misdirection: Sight Guidance]
By lowering his presence on the court, both opponents and spectators focus entirely on the ball, as if he vanishes from sight.
Weakness: Ineffective if used for extended periods. Typically fades after 40 minutes.
[Accelerated Return]
By striking with a flat motion, the returned ball is faster and heavier than normal.
[Accelerated Return – Spiral]
Using the twisting of the entire body to transfer power, the ball gains spiral rotation, stabilizing its trajectory while greatly increasing speed and penetration.
Under normal circumstances, it can easily overwhelm an opponent's racket and even cause a numbing shock on impact.
Its speed and power are about double that of a standard Accelerated Return.
[Cheering Points: 0]
[Comprehensive Assessment: Quasi-National Level]
The total of 16 points across his five dimensions, combined with the unique skills from Kuroko Tetsuya's template, allowed the System to evaluate Ryohei Rin as a quasi-national level player.
Of course, this classification wasn't part of the official Prince of Tennis world—it was purely the System's internal ranking.
Still, the meaning was clear: he was just one step away from the true national level. In other words, he already had the qualifications to compete with them.
And perhaps… if he faced certain weaker national-level players, there was even a chance of victory.
That was the confidence born from balanced growth and the many cards hidden up his sleeve.
Clank—
The iron gate of the main court creaked open. A tall boy with glasses and light blue hair entered.
Oshitari Yuushi.
But Ryohei Rin wasn't here for him today. He only gave Oshitari a passing glance, then stayed silent.
And with his naturally low presence, unless he spoke, he was almost impossible to notice.
"Morning, Oshitari."
A moment later, another voice called out. The second Hyotei regular to arrive was Hiyoshi Wakashi.
"Hiyoshi Wakashi… judging by that sweat, you must have finished your daily martial arts training before coming here," Oshitari greeted casually, always sharp with his observations.
Hiyoshi gave a small nod. His family background in martial arts and his unique style on court made such training routine.
"Working harder than usual, aren't you?" Oshitari chuckled. "Is it because Atobe is already in his third year? Afraid you won't get another chance to challenge him before he graduates?"
Hiyoshi's expression soured at the remark.
He often spoke about surpassing the strong, but Atobe? The gap between them was still far too wide. His recent efforts weren't for that reason at all.
Narrowing his eyes, he answered seriously:
"It's not because of Atobe. It's because of the new first-year—Ryohei Rin."
"Ryohei Rin?"
"Yes. Anyone who can defeat Taki Haginosuke 6–0 is no ordinary freshman. Someone that strong is clearly aiming for a regular spot."
As he spoke, the image of Rin's near-invisible figure during the match returned to Hiyoshi's mind. Born into a martial arts family, he was especially sensitive to such techniques. That eerie ability to slip out of sight and seize the initiative on court was something he couldn't ignore.
"Do you really see Rin as a threat?" Oshitari asked, pushing up his glasses with interest.
He knew Hiyoshi well. Like all of Hyotei's regular candidates, Hiyoshi was proud to the core. For him to admit someone was a threat meant he took Rin very seriously.
"The opponent isn't flawless," Oshitari continued. "He's still just a first-year. His physical strength and speed lag behind ours. If you drag the match out and force him into long service games, he'll eventually collapse. And though his playstyle looks like defensive counterattack, his defense isn't solid yet."
Oshitari's sharp analysis was on point.
Ryohei Rin, listening openly thanks to his misdirection ability, was slightly taken aback.
Just from one match, he can read me this clearly?
He couldn't help but narrow his eyes.
Compared to Taki Haginosuke, Oshitari Yuushi's grasp of tennis was on an entirely different level.
Taki had only given simple advice—raise strength, technique, and spirit to five points. But he had overlooked Rin's weaknesses in speed and strength.
Oshitari, however, had spotted the cracks in his defense at a glance.
That was the difference in understanding between the two.
In tennis, specialization mattered, but so did balance.
To truly reach the national level, one couldn't rely solely on maximizing strengths. One had to cover up weaknesses as well.
That was the essence of being invincible at the national stage.