"Huh?"
Upon hearing the system's notification, a flicker of surprise flashed in Ishikawa's eyes.
He hadn't expected that a week of training would bring such an unexpected reward.
"What?"
Seeing Ishikawa's reaction, Kamio, who seemed to have misunderstood something, raised an eyebrow and pointed his racket at him. "You're not scared, are you?"
"This guy!!!"
Kamio's words didn't anger Ishikawa, but they certainly infuriated the players around the court who had benefited from Ishikawa's guidance.
To them, Ishikawa's status was of utmost importance. How dare this newcomer speak to him like that?
"Oh no."
"We're in trouble."
Izumi and Buke exchanged glances, both seeing panic in each other's eyes. If things escalated and Tachibana questioned them later, they'd be in a real bind.
"Quiet!"
At that moment, Ishikawa spoke up.
He smiled at Kamio and nodded. "I never turn down a challenge. If you want to take me on, step onto the court."
"That's more like it!"
Kamio nodded in satisfaction and casually walked down the steps onto the court.
Hearing Ishikawa's response, the others calmed down.
Right!
Mr. 'X' was incredibly strong. This newcomer was practically asking for trouble.
With that thought, they stopped being angry and instead settled in to enjoy the show.
"Something's... off."
Noticing the hostile glares from the crowd, Tachibana frowned slightly. She glanced at Izumi and Buke, only to see them quickly avert their eyes, looking guilty.
"There's definitely something going on."
Tachibana's suspicions grew.
However, as she looked at Kamio's confident demeanor on the court, her expression softened. She had faith in Kamio—her brother had spoken highly of him.
Dealing with a troublemaker from a street tennis court should be a piece of cake for him.
"Hey!"
Just then, someone outside the court spoke up. "First of all, we only play doubles here. Second, as the challenger, shouldn't you introduce yourself?"
"Doubles?"
Kamio glanced at Ishikawa and asked, "What about him? He's alone, isn't he?"
"Mr. X is different!"
Someone immediately retorted, "As for you, at least tell us your name!"
"Mr. X?"
Kamio raised an eyebrow, giving Ishikawa a curious look. "Interesting, using a code name, huh? But I'm different. At Fudomine, we do things openly and honestly!"
With confidence, Kamio declared, "Remember this: the one who's going to beat you is Kamio Akira from Fudomine's tennis club!"
"Fudomine, huh?"
Ishikawa nodded. "Let's begin. Just so you know, we only play one game here. But if you're not satisfied, you can challenge me again."
"One game is fine."
Kamio waved dismissively, then asked, "What about the serve? Do we take turns?"
"The challenger serves."
Ishikawa smiled. "But if you don't want it, you can let me have it."
As soon as he said this, the street tennis players around them looked at Kamio with mocking expressions.
They all remembered how strong Mr. X's serve was. If this newcomer was arrogant enough to give up the serve, things were about to get interesting.
"Uh... I'll keep it."
Feeling the strange gazes around him, Kamio felt a chill run down his spine and reluctantly accepted the serve.
"Let the match begin!"
A moment later, after both players entered the court, a street tennis player volunteered to act as the referee. After confirming both players were ready, he announced, "Kamio to serve. One game, winner takes all!"
*Thwack!*
As soon as the words left the referee's mouth, Kamio suddenly served, catching everyone off guard.
"This guy..."
Seeing Kamio rush to the net with an excited expression, the crowd's faces turned strange.
If they remembered correctly, hadn't he emphasized being "open and honest" during his introduction?
But as they watched Kamio's speed, any sarcastic remarks died in their throats.
He was fast!
They'd never seen anyone move to the net that quickly!
This red-haired guy was like a professional sprinter!
"Heh."
Kamio, who had rushed to the net after serving, wore a smug expression.
At that moment, he felt no guilt for his surprise attack. After all, the court was like a battlefield—deception was part of the game.
He wasn't resorting to underhanded tactics. As long as his play stayed within the rules and wasn't overly aggressive, it was still fair.
Besides, as a speed-based player, fast attacks were his specialty. He wasn't an idiot—why would he give his opponent a heads-up before striking?
"Just watch."
Kamio, who had already crossed the mid-court and was closing in on the net, flashed a sharp look in his eyes. "I'll show you what real tennis looks like!"
In his eyes, Ishikawa was just a self-proclaimed king of street tennis, someone who had no idea how strong professionally trained players like him were.
He was about to teach Ishikawa a lesson and show these amateurs what real tennis was all about.
Little did he know, Kamio's movements were full of flaws in Ishikawa's eyes.
"Another serve-and-volley, huh?"
Watching Kamio's fast attack, Ishikawa immediately thought of the players he'd faced over the past few days.
In comparison, Kamio's speed was impressive, but it lacked the sharpness of Hiyoshi, the confidence of Shishido, and the explosive power of Oshitari.
With just one glance, Ishikawa had identified all the weak points in Kamio's approach.
*Swish!*
In an instant, Ishikawa swung his racket, hitting the ball just as it bounced off the ground.
*Thwack!*
A flash of yellow light exploded right in front of Kamio, who was still charging toward the net.
"What?!"
The sudden change made Kamio freeze. He stiffly looked down at the clear mark left by the ball near his feet, feeling as if he'd been struck by lightning.
"0-15!"
"H-how is this possible?"
Kamio, now looking like a wind-up toy, mechanically turned his head to stare at Ishikawa, muttering, "Did he really just hit that ball?"
At that moment, everyone else was stunned too.
Including Izumi and Buke from Yamabuki Middle School, who stared at Ishikawa in shock. They hadn't even seen the ball during that return.
"Gulp."
The two exchanged glances, swallowing hard.
Only now did they truly realize that Ishikawa's strength far exceeded what they had imagined.
---
**End of Chapter**