The next day.
7:00 AM.
Led by Ishikawa, a group of eight from the school boarded the bus heading to Akizuki Sports Park, located about 5 kilometers away from Hyotei Academy.
7:10 AM.
The group got off the bus and, following Ishikawa's lead, made their way to the tennis court area designated for the tournament, guided by the signs along the way.
"Hello."
Just as the registration staff had finished setting up their station but hadn't yet taken their seats, they suddenly heard a voice.
*Whoosh!*
The staff instinctively looked up.
They saw a tall, black-haired boy with deep eyes, wearing a gray-and-white jacket, handing them a registration form.
"Eight members from Hyotei Academy, here to check in."
"Hyotei?"
The staff's hearts skipped a beat.
This was the top-seeded school in the regional qualifiers and even the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament in recent years.
But...
The boy in front of them looked unfamiliar. He definitely wasn't Hyotei's captain, Atobe Keigo!
"I remember now," one of the staff members whispered. "Hyotei sends their second team to the regional tournament every year."
"Oh, right."
The others quickly caught on.
They accepted the registration form and were about to place it on the table when...
"Wait a minute."
After the Hyotei team left, one of the staff members exclaimed in surprise, "Look at Hyotei's match lineup!"
"What's wrong?"
The others gathered around, their eyes immediately locking onto the name listed for Singles 1.
"Ishikawa Shin?"
"Singles 1?!"
"Is this some kind of mistake?!"
Soon after, news spread throughout the regional tournament grounds that Hyotei's team leader was a first-year student.
Some didn't believe it.
But then they saw Shishido and Hiyoshi, which made them even more convinced that this was either false information or a deliberate smokescreen by Hyotei.
However, when they noticed that Shishido, a former regular, was actually standing obediently behind an unfamiliar boy, they were shocked.
"Who is that guy?"
"This is insane. Even Shishido is following him. Could the rumors be true?"
"They are! My cousin who goes to Hyotei told me about a super-talented newcomer in their tennis club this year!"
As the word spread, Ishikawa's reputation as Hyotei's superstar rookie quickly circulated throughout the tournament grounds.
Many people came to catch a glimpse of this so-called "strongest newcomer" in action.
However, aside from Hyotei's first match in the second round (top-seeded teams got a bye in the first round), where they had to play all five matches, Ishikawa didn't make another appearance.
He had considered positioning himself in Singles 3, but the level of competition in the regional qualifiers was too low, and the experience gained from facing such third-rate players wasn't worth it.
In fact, the experience from the regional tournament paled in comparison to what he could gain from leveling up at the street tennis courts.
After all, there, he had a 50% experience boost!
---
About 20 kilometers away from Akizuki Sports Park, closer to Seigaku and Fudomine, another regional qualifier was taking place at Shigino Mori Sports Park.
At that moment, the second-round match between Seigaku and Gyokurin was underway, specifically the Doubles 2 match.
However, unlike in the original storyline where they won using the "Hmph" and "Ha" tactic, this time, Ryoma and Momoshiro found themselves in an unprecedented crisis.
The score was 3-5, with Seigaku trailing Gyokurin.
It was Gyokurin's serve, and the score was 40-0 in their favor.
"How... how is this possible?"
Outside the court, a short-haired boy with a unibrow, wearing an orange-and-green striped shirt, looked on in shock. "Momoshiro-senpai and Ryoma are about to lose?"
"Ryoma-kun..."
Beside him, two first-year Seigaku students in their team shirts clenched their fists nervously.
In this match, aside from scoring during Ryoma's two service games using his twist serve, their only other win came from a surprise attack using the "Hmph" and "Ha" tactic in the third game.
But unexpectedly, Gyokurin's pair quickly regained their composure and, with their默契配合, turned the tide once again.
"Go, Izumi! Furukawa!"
"Haha, as expected of Mr. X's students! They're even压制ing the top-seeded Seigaku players!"
"That's right, just like last time, defeat these guys!"
Outside the court, a group of boys dressed in colorful outfits—clearly not part of any competing team—cheered loudly for Gyokurin's Izumi and Furukawa.
"Last time?"
Hearing this, a boy with an egg-shaped head and two small strands of hair hanging in front of his forehead frowned. "So Momoshiro and Ryoma... lost to these two before?"
Oishi Syuichirou.
14 years old.
Vice-captain of Seigaku's tennis club.
"I see," said a handsome, medium-built boy with brown hair standing beside him. "No wonder they insisted on pairing up for doubles."
Fuji Syusuke.
13 years old. (Fuji is a year younger than the others.)
Regular member of Seigaku's tennis club.
"Hmm," said a tall, spiky-haired boy in a white shirt standing nearby. "What I'm more curious about is... who is this Mr. X?"
"Gyokurin's coach?"
Sitting on the coach's chair, Ryuzaki glanced at a middle-aged man not far away. "He doesn't seem like the type."
*Thud!*
On the court, Izumi and Furukawa seized the opportunity and sent the ball straight into the gap between Ryoma and Momoshiro.
The two, desperate to catch up, forgot their "Hmph" and "Ha" tactic and rushed for the ball simultaneously, colliding and letting it slip past them.
"Game over."
"Izumi and Furukawa of Gyokurin win, 6-3!"
"Woohoo!!!"
Winning their first match against the top-seeded team boosted Gyokurin's morale significantly.
As for Ryoma and Momoshiro, they hung their heads in shame, looking like defeated roosters.
"Sorry, Coach, Captain, everyone..."
"Enough."
Ryuzaki suppressed her anger. She knew these two weren't skilled in doubles, so their loss was understandable.
However, she could use this opportunity to teach these two troublemakers a lesson.
"From now until the finals, you two won't be playing."
"Huh?"
Their faces fell, and they inwardly groaned.
"Also," Ryuzaki added sternly, "have you heard of someone called Mr. X?"
"Mr. X?"
At this, Ryoma and Momoshiro immediately looked up, exchanging a glance before Momoshiro spoke. "Yeah, he's a legendary figure at the street tennis courts. Rumor has it that almost all the players there were trained by him."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, Ryuzaki, Tezuka, and the others looked surprised.
"Street tennis courts, huh?"
Inui nodded slightly, a hint of curiosity sparking in his mind.
(End of Chapter)