After a half-hour warm-up, both teams were ready to kick off today's practice match.
"The Vice-Captain of Rikkaidai, what's-his-name Sanada! Get your butt over here!" Atobe rose, tossing his jacket, which landed perfectly in Kabaji's hands. He then leisurely strolled towards the court, pointing his racket at Sanada in the Rikkaidai team.
"Atobe, if you're so intent on getting crushed, then I won't hold back," Sanada thought, sitting in the stands. Since he picked up a tennis racket at age four, he'd never lost to anyone his age except for Yukimura. That was until he met Tezuka from Tokyo at the Junior Ranking tournament. Tezuka had more match experience and greater strength than him. Sanada had lost, completely and utterly!
But Sanada didn't get disheartened. In fact, after that match, he stepped into a deeper realm. The revenge plot he'd meticulously planned was suddenly interrupted by someone else, a name he'd never heard before: Keigo Atobe.
"Sanada of Rikkaidai, I heard you lost to Tezuka at the Junior Ranking tournament. This time, I, the great Atobe, will personally take care of you, so you won't be such an eyesore in front of me!"
As they exchanged thoughts, the two stood at the net. Atobe looked down on Sanada with an air of superiority. He was now certain that the guy who called yesterday to set up this practice match was none other than the Rikkaidai Vice-Captain standing before him. Atobe found that arrogant attitude quite distasteful.
"I told you, you don't even have half of Tezuka's strength!" Sanada calmly tossed out those words. After confirming who would serve first, he turned and walked away without delay. However, judging by his movements, Sanada's mindset had clearly been affected.
"Oh my, our Vice-Captain seems a little miffed," Mori said with a mischievous grin, watching Sanada on the court. This was the first time he'd seen such a gloomy expression on Sanada's face; the guy was definitely angry.
"Mori-senpai, don't provoke Sanada," Yukimura's gentle voice interjected. "I'm afraid Sanada might come after you for revenge after the match."
Mori raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling on Atobe. "Sanada... he might actually lose this match."
"No, he won't," Yukimura shook his head. He had also noticed the aura emanating from Atobe. It was a sign of entering the National level, and Sanada had also reached that same level. After his defeat in that match, Sanada had locked himself in his room, constantly honing his kendo, eventually mastering four different tennis techniques within the realm of kendo. In Yukimura's opinion, even the top singles players across the nation wouldn't be able to defeat Sanada right now. Perhaps at this moment, only he could personally defeat Sanada.
With that thought, Yukimura couldn't help but look towards Hyotei, his gaze settling on Kamikawa. After half a year of refining, his strength had likely increased significantly. And then there was him, Yukimura's final gaze fell on Tezuka. To have defeated his childhood friend with a score of 6-0 showed such talent. In half a year, there must have been considerable changes. Perhaps this year's Hyotei would be Rikkaidai's biggest obstacle to winning the National Tournament!
"Now, the first singles match will begin!"
"Between Sanada of Rikkaidai Junior High and Atobe of Hyotei Academy!"
"One set, no-advantage scoring."
Seeing both sides ready, the third-year senior acting as a temporary referee raised his hand and announced, "Match start! Hyotei's Atobe to serve!"
Thwack! Thwack!
As the words fell, everyone from Rikkaidai focused their attention on the first-year Vice-Captain of Hyotei. To be a regular at Hyotei Academy, and even hold the position of Vice-Captain, he was definitely no ordinary player.
"Let me see your skill, then, you pauper!" Atobe bounced the tennis ball a few times on the ground. He then grabbed the ball, tossed it high into the air, bent his knees, leaped up, and powerfully swung his racket at the ball.
Thwack!
A shimmering yellow streak instantly landed on Sanada's side of the court.
"Interesting!" Sanada's eyes flickered slightly. He reacted quickly, getting into position early. Subconsciously, he swung his racket. The moment the tennis ball landed, it bounced slightly, then skimmed the ground, swiftly passing by Sanada's feet, before spinning sharply and powerfully hitting the back wall, bouncing high into the air.
"Fifteen-love!" the third-year student acting as referee regained his composure and called out.
"Was that an irregular bounce just now?"
"As expected, anyone who can be a regular at Hyotei isn't some weakling!"
"To hit such a high-quality serve right from the start, and even score against Vice-Captain Sanada!"
"That ball..." Listening to the chatter around him, Yanagi's eyes narrowed slightly. That serve was an irregular bounce, and the quality of the serve was incredibly high.
"Irregular bounce..." Sanada also noticed the peculiar nature of that serve. Not only was the serve fast, but it also used an extremely high spin to create an irregular bounce the moment the ball landed, causing it to almost skim the ground.
Thwack!
Atobe served again. This serve was similar to the previous one, with astonishingly high quality, skimming tightly along the ground. Sanada narrowed his eyes, observing it again, with no intention of returning it.
"Thirty-love!"
Thwack!
Atobe served again, still using the Tarzan Serve.
Boom!
This time, Sanada stepped forward. The moment the tennis ball landed, he used a half-volley to quickly return it.
Step... step-step...
In the short time it took to return the ball, Sanada stepped forward, making a move to approach the net.
Bang!
Atobe held his racket with both hands, powerfully slamming the ball, hitting a beautiful net-cord shot. The tennis ball's direction was forcibly changed. Sanada realized this and stepped towards the ball. The moment it landed, he lowered his racket face and hit a powerful slice.
"Swift as the Forest!"
The powerful spin instantly vanished, and the return angle was perfect, barely skimming over the center net before dropping forward.
"Did he score?!" the Rikkaidai players on the side couldn't help but exclaim.
"No! Not yet..." Yanagi Renji's brow furrowed as he watched the front.
The next second, Atobe's figure appeared at the net. The tennis ball hadn't even begun to drop, and it was directly slammed by Atobe's forehand. Sanada instinctively took a step towards the ball but quickly restrained himself.
Bang!
After the tennis ball landed, it carried a powerful topspin, bouncing in the opposite direction of Sanada. Even if Sanada had caught up to that ball, he would have barely managed to return it.
"Forty-love!"
"This isn't good, Sanada is being suppressed," Miura, a third-year regular from Rikkaidai, couldn't help but show a worried expression. Just from the performance of the player named Atobe, he definitely had National-level skill. He was only a first-year. How did so many exceptionally talented first-years suddenly appear this year? First Yukimura, then Sanada, Yanagi, and now this guy whose name he'd never heard before, Keigo Atobe!
"Left-side topspin, Atobe sure is full of spirit," Oshitari quickly recognized the nature of that ball.
"Indeed," Kamikawa nodded slightly beside him. "But the current situation is disadvantageous for Atobe."
"In just two rallies, the Tarzan Serve was returned."
"And so far, Sanada has only used that one brilliant slice shot."
Hearing this, Oshitari chuckled, "Atobe isn't the type to give up so easily."
"True!" Kamikawa didn't refute that. However, judging from the techniques he possessed, Sanada was definitely the opponent Atobe would least want to play against.
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