That afternoon.
In the singles 2 match, Rikkai Dai easily defeated Fudomine with a 3-1 score, securing their spot in the Kanto finals.
Evening.
As the crowd dispersed.
The two teams crossed paths at the exit.
On one side was Hyotei, a massive team of over 200 members, riding high on their triumphant victory over Seigaku.
On the other side was last year's reigning champion, Rikkai Dai, who had even achieved back-to-back national titles.
When the two powerhouses met, the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
As the leader of Rikkai, Sanada nodded respectfully toward Hyotei's coach, Mr. Sakaki.
"Atobe," Sanada then turned his attention to the boy behind him. "As expected, it's our two schools in the Kanto finals again this year. I'll be waiting for you in singles 1. You won't back out, will you?"
"Hmph."
Atobe's eyebrows shot up at Sanada's provocation. The frustration of not being able to face Tezuka earlier in the day bubbled to the surface.
However, as the heir to a prestigious family, trained in noble etiquette from a young age, he refrained from any vulgar remarks. Instead, he calmly replied, "Send my regards to Yukimura. It's a shame I won't get to face him in the finals. But if it's you, Sanada, I'll gladly take you on!"
*Whoosh!*
Their eyes locked, and the tension between them was palpable.
"Good," Sanada said with a smirk, cutting through the brewing hostility. "Then I'll see you in singles 1."
With that, he led the rest of the Rikkai team away.
"Who's that?"
Just then, Mukahi, with his sharp eyes, noticed a boy with dark skin being carried by the bald Jackal. The boy was covered in injuries, sparking Mukahi's curiosity.
"Chitose Akaya," Hiyoshi answered. "He's Rikkai's strongest second-year. But judging by his condition, it looks like he had a rough match."
Hiyoshi remembered Chitose well from their intense battle during the junior selection tournament.
Ishikawa chuckled. "No doubt, he probably got a beating from Tachibana."
In the original timeline, during the Kanto semifinals, Rikkai had faced Fudomine.
In the first two matches, Fudomine's surprise doubles pairs, who had previously challenged Hyotei, suffered crushing defeats.
In singles 3, Tachibana faced Chitose.
Chitose was quickly overwhelmed, losing the first game in a flash. After a fall, his pent-up emotions triggered his "Red Eye" state, and he resorted to violent tactics, injuring Tachibana.
Tachibana, haunted by guilt over past actions, chose not to retaliate, allowing Chitose to steal the win.
In this timeline, the two had still clashed.
However, Tachibana, having rediscovered his ferocity thanks to Ishikawa's earlier influence, completely dominated Chitose. Judging by Chitose's condition, it seemed he had been thoroughly humbled, proving once again that national-level players were not to be underestimated.
"But…"
Ishikawa's gaze deepened as he watched the retreating figures of the Rikkai team, his eyes settling on Sanada.
In the original timeline, Sanada had been incredibly arrogant.
Even with Yukimura hospitalized and Rikkai's overall strength significantly weakened, Sanada had acted as if no one else mattered.
That "I am the king" mentality, akin to a true tennis emperor, made it unlikely that Sanada would openly provoke Atobe in front of so many people before a match.
"Interesting," Ishikawa mused, sensing that there was more to the situation than met the eye.
Later, the Hyotei team boarded the bus arranged by Atobe, and all 200 members returned to school together.
After some celebrations, the group dispersed. Ishikawa made his way to the tennis club, sitting in the rest area to review the rewards he had earned from that afternoon's match.
Defeating Tezuka had netted him 3,600 experience points.
Additionally, Tezuka had dropped an advanced technique: the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot.
For Ishikawa, replicating the Zero-Shiki effect wouldn't be difficult, given his solid foundation. After all, even Ryoma had managed to mimic it in the original timeline.
Moreover, Ishikawa had the added advantage of his [Chess Mastery] skill.
However, the original Zero-Shiki Drop Shot was a product of Tezuka's relentless refinement of his craft. After studying it, Ishikawa realized that his own version, while effective, only achieved about 80% of the original's potency.
"Truly the strongest middle schooler in the original timeline," Ishikawa thought with admiration.
If not for the injury to his wrist, Tezuka's talent would have made him untouchable throughout his three years of middle school.
After all, in the later stages of the original story, once Tezuka had shed the burden of being Seigaku's "pillar," his elevated mindset had indeed made him the world's top middle schooler.
"Time to train," Ishikawa thought, shaking off his reverie. He stood up, retrieved the weighted lead plates from his tennis bag, strapped them on, and began his running drills.
It was no wonder that Coach Sakaki and Atobe couldn't understand why Ishikawa never slacked off or took breaks. He knew all too well that his current strength, while formidable among middle schoolers, was far from enough to compete at the high school level, let alone against the likes of the German team's captain, who had once defeated the world's top-ranked professional player.
The road ahead was long, and Ishikawa was determined to grow stronger step by step.
The next day.
With the second round of the Kanto tournament behind them, the team's atmosphere had noticeably relaxed.
After all, even without Atobe playing and with Ootori sidelined due to a hand injury, Hyotei had still decisively defeated the strongest Seigaku team in history.
On the other hand, Rikkai's captain, Yukimura, was hospitalized, significantly weakening the defending champions. To many, it seemed like Hyotei had already secured this year's Kanto championship.
However, overconfidence could lead to defeat. Recognizing this, Coach Sakaki, Atobe, and Ishikawa decided to implement a week of intensive training.
Naturally, no one dared to complain.
Especially not Mukahi and Hiyoshi, who had become liabilities in their doubles matches. Hiyoshi, in particular, had been a burden to Shishido in the latter half of their match.
If not for their struggles, Hyotei could have swept Seigaku in the first three matches.
Additionally, perhaps sensing that this year was Hyotei's best chance at the Kanto title, the regulars, as well as second-string players like Hiyoshi, Akutagawa, and Taki, all trained hard to earn a spot in the lineup.
However, amidst the group's fervent training, one figure stood out, clearly out of sync with the others.
"Strange," Mukahi muttered during their swing practice, glancing at Atobe, who was relentlessly hitting balls against a wall. "Doesn't it seem like Atobe's in a bad mood?"
"Yeah," Shishido agreed.
In fact, he had noticed it first thing that morning. Though Atobe hadn't said a word, his aura was unmistakably forbidding.
After a pause, Shishido added in a low voice, "Did you notice? Even Kabaji's keeping his distance from Atobe."
"It's obvious," Hiyoshi chimed in, also speaking softly. "It's not that Kabaji doesn't want to be near Atobe-senpai. It's more like Atobe-senpai is deliberately keeping him away."
"But why?" Ootori asked, puzzled. "Why is Atobe-senpai acting like this all of a sudden?"
"All of a sudden?"
Shishido, Mukahi, and the others shook their heads.
Hiyoshi also sighed. "Ootori, you're too naive. Look over there."
He gestured subtly toward a figure who had just finished running and was now walking straight toward Atobe.
"You mean… Ishikawa-kun?"
"But that can't be, right? Didn't Atobe-senpai personally bring him in as Hyotei's future successor?"
Ootori was utterly confused.
Shishido and Mukahi, however, shook their heads.
To some extent, Ootori was right. Ishikawa's smooth rise to becoming a regular and then a core player at Hyotei was largely due to Atobe's support.
However, Ishikawa's growth had been alarmingly rapid.
The once-promising rookie had transformed into a full-fledged beast in the blink of an eye. This change had been so swift that even regulars like Ootori hadn't fully grasped it.
But as the saying goes, "One mountain cannot accommodate two tigers."
As Hyotei's sole king, ruling over 200 members and reigning supreme, Atobe, no matter how much he admired Ishikawa, couldn't allow a clear challenger to emerge during his reign.
In the past, Atobe would have immediately confronted any threat to his position, asserting his dominance through sheer strength.
But Ishikawa was no ordinary challenger.
During the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, Ishikawa had already proven himself by defeating Kyushu's top player, Tachibana. Since then, he had racked up victory after victory, defeating the aces of various schools and reaching the pinnacle of prestige within Hyotei.
In yesterday's match, Ishikawa's awe-inspiring battle with Tezuka had further cemented his status as a player surpassing the typical national level.
And so, Atobe wavered.
He chose to bury the issue, throwing himself into endless training instead.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Ball after ball.
Atobe's shots, powerful and spinning fiercely, struck the wall repeatedly, each one landing in the exact same spot.
Gradually, a visible dent formed in the wall.
*Tap.*
A soft footstep sounded behind Atobe. His brow furrowed, and his grip on the racket tightened. With a sharp *crack*, the ball shot forward like a bullet.
*Sizzle…*
The ball embedded itself in the dent, spinning fiercely and emitting faint wisps of smoke from the friction.
Setting down his racket, Atobe reached for the towel handed to him by "Kabaji." After wiping his sweat, he suddenly realized something and turned around.
Standing behind him wasn't Kabaji, but a black-haired boy with a gentle smile.
"Captain," Ishikawa said lightly, his eyes flicking to the still-spinning ball embedded in the wall. "I'd like to have a match with you before the Kanto finals."
*Whoosh!*
Atobe's eyes widened, and he turned to face Ishikawa, his gaze sharp and intense.
The two locked eyes, and the atmosphere around them grew heavy.
(End of Chapter)
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