Defeating Shishido elevated Ishikawa's reputation to new heights.
This victory meant he had secured a regular spot in Group D.
Among the three top players, Ishikawa had only faced Oshitari. Even if he lost to Oshitari in tomorrow's match, he would still qualify as a regular.
The idea of a first-year becoming a regular at Hyotei was enough to spark everyone's imagination.
After all, in Hyotei's history, only two players had achieved this feat upon joining the tennis club.
The first was the former captain who led Hyotei to the national tournament.
The second was Atobe.
This alone spoke volumes about the prestige of such an accomplishment.
However, unlike the triumphant image everyone imagined, Ishikawa remained as calm as ever. After shaking hands with Shishido, he left the court with his usual composure.
This steadiness only made others admire him even more.
"So," Atobe turned to Oshitari with a smile, watching Ishikawa's retreating figure. "Are you confident about tomorrow's match?"
"Of course," Oshitari nodded, his tone calm and collected.
"Really?" Atobe's smile widened.
"He's strong, no doubt," Oshitari replied, unfazed by Atobe's teasing. "But I'm stronger. Tomorrow's match will show him the difference between himself and a top-tier Kanto-level player."
Oshitari remained the same as always—confident but not arrogant enough to claim he was at a national level.
After speaking, he turned and left.
Watching his retreating figure, Atobe's expression grew more playful.
While others might not notice, Atobe, familiar with Oshitari's personality, could tell that Oshitari was... nervous!
Normally, Oshitari wouldn't feel the need to emphasize his own strength, no matter how confident he was.
Clearly, Ishikawa's 6-0 victory over Shishido had shaken him. Even Oshitari himself couldn't guarantee such a decisive win against Shishido.
This made Atobe even more excited for tomorrow's match.
"If he can defeat Oshitari..." Atobe's gaze shifted to the rest area, a flicker of intensity in his otherwise calm eyes.
---
**Rest Area**
Ishikawa leaned back on the bench, a warm towel covering his face as he reflected on his match against Shishido.
This was his habit—regardless of the outcome, he always reviewed his matches to minimize mistakes in future games.
"Just as I thought, Shishido's current strength is much weaker than during the Kanto and National tournaments in the original story."
Shishido was a proud individual.
Such people rarely trained seriously until they experienced a crushing defeat.
However, after a severe blow to their pride, they often unleashed potential far beyond ordinary individuals.
In a way, by defeating Shishido and taking his regular spot, Ishikawa had inadvertently accelerated Shishido's growth.
As for whether Shishido would seek revenge in the future, that was beyond Ishikawa's concern.
To him, any player he surpassed would no longer pose a threat.
Turning his attention inward, Ishikawa checked the skill he had gained from defeating Shishido.
**[Super Half-Volley Lv1: Executes a half-volley faster than usual, enhancing net-play offense.]**
An advanced skill, but for Ishikawa, whose current speed relied more on anticipation and positioning, this skill was somewhat redundant.
Next, Ishikawa allocated the 900 experience points he had earned from defeating Shishido to his main tennis profession, raising his level to 16.
After a brief rest, he picked up his racket and headed to a quiet corner, practicing slice shots against a wall.
With the game's system interface, Ishikawa never confined his tennis to a single style.
In fact, he even planned to train his left hand once his fundamentals were solid, aiming to master a two-handed style.
---
**On the Other Side**
As the other player in Group D who had virtually secured a regular spot, Oshitari entered a state of preparation after defeating Hiyoshi 6-1 in the afternoon match.
He and Ishikawa shared an unspoken understanding.
Before their match, they avoided each other completely.
Both knew that the other's strength far surpassed that of their previous opponents.
They quietly prepared for the impending showdown scheduled for the next afternoon.
The others, sensing the unusual tension between the two, kept their distance.
---
**The Next Day**
**3:00 PM**
**Fourth Day of the Selection Matches**
The hype around the tennis club had died down, and fewer casual spectators showed up. Those who remained were die-hard fans.
"The selection matches will now begin.
Players from each group, please prepare accordingly.
Group A...
Group B...
Group C...
Group D: Oshitari Yuushi, Ishikawa Shin, Nagano Sota..."
As the announcement ended, the crowd gathered around the Group D court.
The regulars stood in the center, with Shishido, who had lost to Ishikawa, deliberately keeping his distance from the others.
Clearly, his pride was wounded, and he felt too ashamed to stand with them.
"That guy... sigh!" Mukahi shook his head, then turned his gaze to Oshitari, who was tying his shoelaces at the edge of the court. "It's been a while since I've seen Yuushi this serious."
"Can't be helped," Taki said, glancing at the black-haired boy standing calmly on the other side of the court. "Who would've thought he'd completely dominate Shishido?"
A 6-0 victory!
Even now, Taki found it hard to believe.
If it were him, he wouldn't be confident of defeating Shishido, let alone doing so as effortlessly as Ishikawa had.
In a way, even though he was a regular, Taki felt he had no right to judge Ishikawa.
In fact, after Shishido's defeat, Taki had become the most anxious among the regulars.
"Yaaawn!" Meanwhile, Kabaji, standing among the group, rubbed his tired eyes and stretched. "This first-year is ridiculously strong, huh? Even Yuushi is taking him this seriously?"
Kabaji, who spent most of his time sleeping and paid little attention to external matters, only knew the results of the recent matches. He had no idea about the details but found Ishikawa's victories over Hiyoshi and Shishido utterly baffling.
"Pay close attention, especially you, Kabaji," Atobe, standing in the center with Wakashi, glanced at Kabaji before turning his gaze to the two players entering the court. "This match will far exceed your expectations."
At the same time, Ishikawa and Oshitari approached the net.
Their eyes met, and the hidden competitive spirit between them began to surface.
Sensing the tension in the air, the noisy court fell silent.
(End of Chapter)