"Back so soon?"
"How was the JR. Tournament?"
"And who's this kid?"
Yamato and Kirihara, having finished their training early, walked up to Yoru, eyeing Tezuka curiously.
"Hello, senpai. My name is Tezuka Kunimitsu."
Tezuka bowed deeply.
Yoru resisted the urge to sigh. The Japanese bowing culture really does feel excessive sometimes.
"Found a promising talent at the JR. Tournament. Might be Seigaku's next pillar," Yoru said, emphasizing the word "pillar."
Tezuka's heart skipped a beat.
First, "captain." Now, "pillar."
Two simple sentences, and yet—before even officially joining Seigaku—Tezuka already felt an invisible weight settle on his shoulders.
This was intentional.
Tezuka joining Seigaku was inevitable.
But with Yoru here, the burden on him would be lighter.
Yoru wanted to see—
How far could Tezuka go, uninjured, under the same pressure as in the original series?
The boy hailed as having talent surpassing the protagonist's.
"A pillar, huh?"
Yamato and Kirihara stared at Tezuka in surprise.
Given Yoru's notoriously high standards—
Just how exceptional was this kid?
"Kirihara, warm up. You're playing Tezuka," Yoru said calmly.
Kirihara nodded, but Yamato frowned.
"Buchou, maybe I should—"
"You're too weak."
"..."
Yamato's face fell completely.
Though both were 6-star players, Tezuka's techniques and potential far exceeded Yamato's.
Even at full strength, Yamato was capped at his current level.
Their exchange only piqued Kirihara's interest. "Even Yamato isn't qualified?"
Ignoring Yamato, Yoru turned to Tezuka. "Still got energy?"
Tezuka nodded. "I rested on the way here. Today's matches weren't taxing."
"Court 1. Ten-minute warm-up. I'll referee."
Court 1 was Yoru's exclusive domain.
Even when he wasn't around, no one dared use it.
So when people stepped onto it, the entire club noticed. Training halted as members turned their heads.
"Buchou's back?"
"Someone's having a match."
"A kid? And Kirihara's on the court too."
"Let's go watch!"
"What about training? Buchou's here—if we slack off, we'll get extra drills!"
"We'll make it up later."
"It's the weekend. Training isn't mandatory..."
Soon, a crowd gathered around Court 1, all eyes fixed on Tezuka.
Even at a glance, it was obvious—he was just an elementary schooler.
A grade-schooler versus Seigaku's second-strongest, with the captain as referee?
This was a must-watch.
"Tezuka, right? I'm Kirihara."
Kirihara rested his racket on his shoulder, grinning lazily.
His buzz cut still made him look intimidating, though it'd take time for his hair to fully grow back.
"Kirihara-senpai, heads or tails?"
Tezuka balanced his racket on the ground.
"Nah, you serve. I wanna see what kind of monster earned Buchou's praise."
Without waiting for a response, Kirihara turned and walked to the baseline.
Tezuka didn't press further. Gripping the ball, he stepped into the service box.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
The rhythmic bounce of the ball echoed as Tezuka steadied his breathing, entering peak focus.
Most players bounced the ball before serving—not because it was required, but to calibrate.
A final moment to sharpen concentration and ensure a perfect serve.
As the time limit neared, Tezuka tossed the ball high—
And swung just before it peaked.
"Solid fundamentals," Yamato murmured, impressed.
This was a fast-rhythm serve—only players with flawless basics could pull it off consistently.
"Too bad he's facing Kirihara," Yoru said flatly.
Kirihara's specialty?
Speed.
Trying to outpace him was suicide.
CRACK!
A sharp impact rang out.
Sure enough, the moment the ball bounced, Kirihara's racket was already there.
"Kid, speed doesn't work on me."
Kirihara smirked.
Fast!
Tezuka's expression didn't change, but internally, his focus sharpened.
In that split second—
Kirihara had blitzed from the baseline to the ball's landing point.
His footwork, swing speed, and the ball's rebound velocity—
Everything screamed that Kirihara was nothing like the opponents Tezuka had faced earlier.
With that in mind—
Tezuka swung.
The racket connected with a crisp thwack, sending the ball streaking toward the near corner.
Near-corner drive!
One of Tezuka's signature moves—also usable as a serve.
By pinpointing the ball to the corner, he forced opponents into awkward retrievals.
"Great control. But not enough!"
Just like before—
Kirihara was already at the landing spot, returning it effortlessly.
"..."
Tezuka's brow furrowed slightly.
"Kirihara's range is the entire court. His speed lets him cover any spot and still adjust for a clean return," Yoru commented.
"Hey, hey—no spoilers!"
Kirihara complained but didn't slow down, slicing a sharp crosscourt shot.
POM!
POM!
POM!
The ball zipped back and forth as the match settled into a rhythm.
Kirihara held back, testing Tezuka's limits.
Tezuka, meanwhile, adjusted to the high-speed pressure.
"Damn, he's good."
Kirihara was impressed.
Though he wasn't using any special techniques, few could keep up with his tempo.
His playstyle naturally forced opponents into fast exchanges.
That Tezuka could adapt so quickly spoke volumes about his talent.
"Alright then."
"Let's speed up~"
The moment Kirihara spoke—
He vanished.
"What?!"
Tezuka's eyes widened.
By the time he registered movement, Kirihara was already at the net, smashing the ball the instant it crossed.
Net interception.
His swing speed and the ball's velocity reached new heights.
The angle was brutal—Tezuka had no chance to chase it down.
All he could do was watch as the ball landed, then shot past the sidelines, slamming into the fence.
"Kirihara scores! 15–0!"
Yoru announced.
He can accelerate even further from that speed?!
Tezuka tightened his grip on the racket, reassessing Kirihara's threat level.
This match had just gotten serious.