At this moment.
Chitose, who stood at the pinnacle of the Kansai region, suddenly felt as though he had come face-to-face with a towering mountain.
After exhausting all his strength, he finally thought he had reached the summit. But as the mist cleared, Chitose realized that the place he had struggled so hard to climb was still merely the base of the mountain.
"This guy is too strong!"
As he looked at Ishikawa, a flicker of awe flashed in Chitose's complex gaze. He knew full well that he was no match for the person standing before him.
"I forfeit this match."
And so, under Ryoma's astonished gaze, the other half of the "Kyushu Duo" voluntarily conceded defeat.
"You're strong," Chitose said, looking at Ishikawa. Many of the doubts in his heart had been answered. "Even at Hyotei, Atobe can no longer hold you back. Wait, if I'm not mistaken, your reason for coming out here must be for Sanada, right?"
"What a pity," Ishikawa replied without directly answering. "I was looking forward to seeing your 'Absolute Prediction' evolve, just like Tachibana-senpai's breakthrough. I didn't expect it to end like this."
"Tachibana?" Chitose was surprised. "You've fought him... So, he must have lost too."
By the end of his sentence, he couldn't help but sigh.
The two who had once led the Shitenhouji team to dominate the national stage and carve out a formidable reputation had, within just a year, been defeated by a newcomer.
However, Chitose was well aware that the young man before him was no ordinary first-year prodigy. Not just him and Tachibana—more top players on the national stage would fall to this person in the future.
And now, the ongoing final between Hyotei and Rikkai was one such instance.
Thinking of this, a sense of anticipation suddenly welled up in his heart. He looked forward to the showdown between the boy before him and Sanada, the so-called "Emperor of Tennis."
"This trip to Kanto was definitely worth it," Chitose nodded, then handed his racket back to Ryoma, who had stepped down from the referee's seat. "Thanks."
"No problem," Ryoma shook his head.
As he took the racket, Ryoma couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He had thought that this expert from Kyushu might have been able to push Ishikawa to reveal some of his true strength.
But now, it seemed that no one in the entire country could make the Hyotei vice-captain take things seriously.
With a sigh, Ryoma, Chitose, and Ishikawa returned to the match venue.
On the other side, Sanada returned to the court and took his seat in the coach's position.
"Sanada," Yanagi nodded at him. "Have you communicated with Yukimura?"
"Yes," Sanada replied.
"Good," Yanagi's expression relaxed, but then he turned serious again. "Even though we've won the first two matches, we absolutely cannot let our guard down in the upcoming games!"
Indeed, with Sanada's top-tier skills, it almost seemed like Rikkai had already secured victory in the Kanto finals.
However, Yanagi couldn't shake a faint sense of unease.
"Kirihara," he turned to the curly-haired boy beside him. "Don't take the next match lightly. The opponent might field a national-level player."
"Got it, got it," Kirihara nodded with a smile, but his expression was one of indifference.
With Rikkai having won two matches in a row, victory was all but assured. Even if Hyotei were strong, they wouldn't be able to turn the tide.
Besides, from Kirihara's perspective, he was actually hoping that the opponent would send out a national-level player.
"Ishikawa or Atobe?" Kirihara looked toward the Hyotei side, then frowned. "Strange, where did that guy go? Is he warming up?"
"Ishikawa's gone?" Yanagi also noticed this. "Is he really warming up?"
He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but then something felt off. In his experience, a player capable of defeating Inui in data tennis wouldn't make such an arrangement.
"Next up, the Singles 3 match will begin."
"Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Middle School, Kirihara Akaya, versus Hyotei Gakuen, Akutsu Jin."
"Both players, please prepare."
"Akutsu?" Upon hearing the announcement, Yanagi raised an eyebrow. "So it's him after all."
After confirming Hyotei's lineup, Yanagi actually felt relieved. This matched his expectations, and things were progressing as he had planned.
"Akutsu," Coach Sakaki turned to the expressionless boy behind him. "This match... I'm counting on you."
Akutsu's face showed no reaction.
He hated being tied down by responsibilities or being told what to do.
The atmosphere at Hyotei grew tense.
The team members looked at Akutsu with uncertainty, especially Shishido and Hiyoshi. They were even afraid that Akutsu might suddenly snap, "Don't order me around," and forfeit the match.
If that happened, Hyotei would truly become the laughingstock of everyone.
"A-Akutsu-senpai..." Ootori started to say something but was pulled back by Shishido. The latter knew all too well that with Akutsu's personality, the more you tried to persuade him, the more he would do the opposite.
Besides, Ootori didn't have the ability to make Akutsu back down.
"Tsk tsk," from the Yamabuki side, Muroga, wearing sunglasses, sneered. "See, even they can't control that guy. Recruiting such a troublemaker has finally come back to bite them."
Hearing this, the expressions of Sengoku, Minami, and the others changed.
Although Muroga's words were harsh, they weren't entirely wrong. When Akutsu was at Yamabuki, even Coach Banji couldn't keep him in check.
Now, it seemed that Hyotei's decision to recruit Akutsu might not have been such a good idea after all.
"Oh?"
At that moment, a light chuckle broke the tension. "What's going on? The atmosphere here seems a bit too serious!"
Swish!
The Hyotei members turned to see Ishikawa walking down the steps with a smile. "Akutsu-senpai, it's your turn to play, right? What, are you scared you can't beat this Kirihara guy? Well, he *is* Rikkai's second-year ace, so your concern is understandable."
Hiss!
The moment these words left his mouth, many people from other schools turned pale.
Those who knew how dangerous Akutsu was stared at Ishikawa in shock, unable to believe he had the audacity to speak to Akutsu like that.
"Hmph!"
However, to everyone's surprise, Akutsu merely snorted, grabbed his racket, and walked to the edge of the court. "Don't forget what you promised me."
"Don't worry," Ishikawa smiled. "After the Kanto finals, you can challenge me anytime."
The Hyotei members were stunned.
Meanwhile, the spectators who didn't know Ishikawa but were aware of Akutsu's temper looked on in shock.
"This guy has some nerve."
"Hey, are you serious? You don't know who Ishikawa is?"
"Exactly! He's the strongest rookie in Kanto this year. A national-level player who's defeated top players like Tachibana and Tezuka!"
"What? National-level?"
Instantly, the onlookers' gazes turned to Ishikawa in awe.
"Tch," on Rikkai's side, Kirihara clicked his tongue in annoyance upon learning that his opponent wasn't Ishikawa. "What lousy luck. I didn't get to face that guy. I should've asked Yanagi-senpai to put me in Singles 2!"
Having unlocked the "Unconscious State" and awakened his "Demon Mode," Kirihara was eager to face Ishikawa again and show him how much he had improved.
"Don't get careless," Yanagi said sternly. "This Akutsu is no ordinary player. In the Kanto second round, he defeated Seigaku's super rookie, Echizen Ryoma!"
"Huh?"
Kirihara's expression instantly changed.
"He beat Echizen?"
His eyes burned with excitement.
Originally uninterested in the match, Kirihara grabbed his racket and walked to the net.
"Hey, Akutsu," Kirihara said with a grin. "I heard you used to be at Yamabuki but lost to Ishikawa and transferred to Hyotei?"
Swish!
Akutsu's eyes flashed coldly as he locked onto Kirihara. "Are you looking to die?"
"Haha," Kirihara laughed nervously, realizing he might have crossed a line. "I heard you beat Echizen, so you must be pretty strong. Don't disappoint me in this match, okay?"
"You?" Akutsu sneered, his eyes filled with disdain.
"Huh?" Sensing the shift in Akutsu's attitude, Kirihara's playful expression turned sharp. "What, you looking down on me?"
"Kid," Akutsu shook his head and turned away. "Enough talk. Show me what you've got."
With that, he walked off without looking back.
"This guy... pisses me off!" Kirihara's face twisted in anger.
He was used to being the one who toyed with others, but now, even with Rikkai holding a commanding lead, his opponent dared to act so arrogantly.
"Fine!" Kirihara smirked coldly. "I'll make you experience the strength of Rikkai, the reigning champions!"
"What's up with this Kirihara guy?" Shishido muttered from Hyotei's side. "The match hasn't even started, and he's already provoked Akutsu. Does he not know how Echizen lost?"
"Who knows," Mukahi shrugged. "Maybe this is just Rikkai's style. After all, they've won nationals twice in a row. They have the right to act like this."
"Like Mukahi-senpai said, it's probably the confidence of youth," Ishikawa chimed in with a smile. "As the ace of Rikkai, the two-time national champions, and having easily defeated Hyotei's players before, he naturally thinks we're nothing special."
Sometimes, that's just how people are.
After a string of victories and the prestige of being the two-time national champions, it's easy to lose perspective.
Of course, Kirihara's personality also played a role.
Until he truly faced hardship, he wouldn't change.
However, if it took a beating from Akutsu to teach him a lesson, the cost might be a bit too high.
As for Ishikawa, he was simply enjoying the show.
"The match will now begin. Best of one set."
Moments later, the referee announced. "Rikkai's Kirihara to serve. Game start!"
Tap! Tap! Tap!
At the baseline, Kirihara lightly bounced the ball.
Then, with a grin, he tossed it into the air and slammed it forward.
Whoosh!
The ball spun fiercely, landing and curving sharply outward. The spectators gasped at the sheer precision and speed of the serve.
It was clear that Kirihara was no ordinary player.
Thud!
But in the next instant, the ball was intercepted by Akutsu's racket. With a loud crack, it shot back across the net.
"Not bad," Kirihara nodded. "Let's see if you can keep up."
Thwack!
He sent the ball to Akutsu's other side, clearly trying to wear him down with wide shots.
Kirihara's control was impeccable, each shot landing near the baseline or sideline.
Gradually, it seemed like Akutsu was being forced to run all over the court.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Kirihara continued to dominate, dictating the pace of the match.
The crowd was in awe, further convinced of Rikkai's dominance.
But as the rally continued, Kirihara's expression grew darker.
"This guy's speed and reflexes... they're not slowing down at all?"
Normally, his opponents would start to falter under such pressure.
Yet, Akutsu remained composed, showing no signs of fatigue.
Thwack!
Perhaps due to distraction, Kirihara's next shot lacked its usual precision. The ball barely grazed the baseline before bouncing up.
"What's wrong?" Akutsu sneered as he reached the ball. "You're slowing down."
"Shut it!" Kirihara snapped. "If you're so tough, prove it!"
"Fine, I'll oblige."
With a swift motion, Akutsu swung his racket.
Crack!
A sharp, ear-piercing sound echoed as the ball exploded at Kirihara's feet.
"What?!"
Kirihara's eyes widened in shock.
As the ball rebounded, he tried to swing his racket, but his body froze.
"H-how is this possible?!"
(Chapter end)
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