"Is that him? Mr. X?"
The moment they saw Ishikawa, Shinji and Takeshi from Fudomine, along with Tachibana's sister, Akari, who was outside the court, and the spectators, Izumi and Fukawa, all wore expressions of shock.
"H-how is this possible?"
Shinji and Takeshi exchanged glances, both seeing the astonishment in each other's eyes.
The mysterious and powerful ruler of the street tennis courts was actually a member of Hyotei?
"Huh?"
Hearing their exclamations, Inoue asked in surprise, "Mr. X? Is he that mysterious expert from the nearby street tennis courts?"
"That's right."
Inui, standing nearby, nodded with a complicated expression. "His skills are formidable, at least on par with the top-tier players in the Kanto region!"
Top-tier in Kanto?
Hearing this, Inoue instinctively raised his eyebrows.
If someone else had said this, he might not have believed it. But coming from Inui, Seigaku's renowned data tennis expert, it carried weight. If Inui acknowledged this Hyotei player, he must be extraordinary!
Rustle, rustle!
At that moment, Inui flipped through his notebook, finding the data on Ishikawa, and continued, "Ishikawa Shin, 12 years old, first-year junior high student at Hyotei Academy, regular member of the tennis club."
"Rumor has it that before joining the tennis club, he had never played tennis before."
"Yet, in his first match, he defeated a third-year player."
"During Hyotei's internal selection matches, he consecutively defeated Hiyoshi, Shishido, and Oshitari, becoming the only undefeated player in Group D."
"In the regional qualifiers, he served as the team leader and led his team to victory."
As Inui spoke, Inoue's jaw dropped wider and wider.
"Is... is this for real?"
He had only known that Ishikawa was quite famous, a newcomer at Hyotei comparable to Seigaku's Echizen Ryoma.
But he never expected...
Ishikawa had such an impressive list of achievements.
In comparison, Echizen, who had only defeated Kaidoh and Inui to become a regular at Seigaku, seemed slightly less impressive.
However...
Thinking about Echizen being the son of the legendary Samurai, Inoue quickly regained his confidence in him.
"Moreover..."
Shifting his gaze, Inoue looked toward Fudomine, where a calm, sharp-eyed boy with a buzz cut stood. "Tachibana is no ordinary player either!"
The outcome of this match was still uncertain.
"Ishikawa?"
On the court.
Oshitari, who had been ready to showcase his skills, frowned as he looked at the boy who had just stepped onto the court. "What's going on? Wasn't I supposed to play singles 3?"
As the strongest player in the second team, and due to his former status as a regular, Atobe had specifically chosen him to play on the first day of the Metropolitan Tournament.
Because of his unique position, Oshitari had always been assigned to singles 3 in this tournament.
He had thought...
When Hyotei was in crisis, he would have the chance to prove himself and show everyone the results of his rigorous training. But instead, the name announced over the loudspeaker wasn't his!
"Sorry, senpai."
Facing Oshitari's questioning, Ishikawa smiled and explained, "Before the group finals, I approached the captain and specifically requested to play singles 3."
"Hmph!"
Hearing this, Oshitari snorted in displeasure and shot a dissatisfied glance at Atobe. The latter simply smiled faintly. From Atobe's perspective, it didn't matter who played singles 3.
In fact, Atobe had even thought that Ishikawa, unable to bear the boredom, had specifically requested to play in the final match of the first day.
But now, it seemed...
The opponent had sent out a captain-level player for singles 3, clearly targeting Hyotei's lineup. Hyotei, in turn, had switched to the stronger Ishikawa, which turned out to be a fortunate coincidence.
However...
Just as Oshitari, feeling disgruntled, was about to leave, Ishikawa, who was passing by, suddenly said, "Besides, this Kyushu Duo member, Tachibana-senpai, isn't someone you can handle."
"What?"
Hearing this, Oshitari abruptly turned around, his eyes locking onto the buzz-cut boy across the court. "The Kyushu Duo... Tachibana Kippei... It's him?!"
In an instant.
His previously displeased expression transformed into one of shock and wariness.
Meanwhile, Atobe, who had been calm, could no longer maintain his composure. His sharp gaze locked onto Tachibana.
"The ace of Kyushu's Shitenhouji Middle School?"
In Atobe's eyes, Tachibana's buzz-cut image gradually overlapped with the memory of a boy with long golden hair. The Hyotei captain couldn't help but exclaim, "Why is he appearing in the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament?"
Whoosh!!!
At the same time.
The entire court erupted into chaos as Ishikawa revealed Tachibana's identity.
"W-what's this about Kyushu and Shitenhouji?"
Izumi and Fukawa from Gyokurin Middle School looked utterly confused. "Isn't Tachibana-senpai... the captain of Fudomine?"
Even Shinji, Takeshi, and Ishida from Fudomine wore expressions of bewilderment.
"Hmm..."
At this moment, Inui, having recovered from his shock, spoke in a grave tone. "Tachibana Kippei, the ace of Kyushu's Shitenhouji Middle School. Last year, under his leadership and that of the other Kyushu Duo member, Chitose, Shitenhouji reached the national semifinals!"
"That's right."
Inoue, who had also regained his composure, nodded heavily, lamenting that he hadn't recognized Tachibana earlier. "He is truly a top-tier player, ranked among the best in the nation!"
A top-tier national player?
National level?!
In an instant.
The spectators' gazes toward Tachibana became filled with awe.
National level!
In the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, the only players who could claim that title were Hyotei's Atobe and Seigaku's Tezuka, who had been recognized by professional players!
"This is bad, Hyotei is going to lose!"
Some of Hyotei's supporters, realizing the situation, immediately grew anxious.
Yes!
Their voices quickly brought others to their senses.
Hyotei wasn't in the same state as they were at the start of the match. They had already lost two consecutive matches.
If they lost this one, they would only finish in the top eight, missing out on the Tokyo Metropolitan Championship!
"Tachibana played us well."
Atobe, unable to maintain his calm, clenched his fists tightly.
He knew he had been outmaneuvered.
In a battle of wits, Hyotei had completely fallen into Fudomine's trap.
Damn it!
If he had known Tachibana was that Tachibana, he would never have arranged the lineup like this... Wait!
Suddenly.
As if struck by a thought.
Atobe's gaze snapped to the figure calmly walking toward the net at the edge of the court.
Ishikawa!
It was he who had revealed Tachibana's identity!
This kid... had he known about Tachibana all along?!
Thinking this.
Atobe narrowed his eyes, a flicker of uncertainty passing through them. "So, that's why he volunteered to play singles 3?"
At this moment.
Atobe found himself unable to fully understand his chosen successor.
At the net.
After the handshake.
Ishikawa and Tachibana locked eyes.
In that moment.
A line of text appeared in Ishikawa's vision.
**[Tachibana Kippei (Boss): Lv47]**
Unlike the data of others, the name of Fudomine's captain was displayed in red.
A boss-level player!
"Are you the strongest rookie from Hyotei?"
Tachibana looked at his opponent and nodded with a smile. "Not bad, you've got guts. I just wonder how much skill you've got to back it up!"
Even though his opponent knew exactly who he was, he had still requested to be placed in the singles 3 position. Either he was reckless and overconfident, or he had absolute faith in his own abilities.
Tachibana was curious.
The boy standing before him was rumored to be one of Tokyo's strongest rookies, alongside Seigaku's Echizen Ryoma. Was he really as good as they said?
"It's an honor to play against you, senpai."
Facing this nationally-ranked player, Ishikawa smiled calmly and respectfully. "I look forward to your guidance during the match."
"Alright!"
Tachibana, with his bold and straightforward personality, laughed and nodded.
Soon after, the two flipped a coin to decide the serving order and took their positions on opposite sides of the court.
"Singles 3 match begins."
"Best of one set."
The referee, seated high above, checked both players' readiness before announcing, "Fudomine's Tachibana to serve. Game start!"
*Tap! Tap! Tap!*
At the baseline, Tachibana rhythmically bounced the tennis ball. He looked up at his opponent and called out, "Ready, Hyotei's rookie?"
*Whoosh!*
With that, Tachibana tossed the ball into the air, rose onto his toes, extended his body, and swung his racket down with force.
*Crack!*
A sharp, powerful serve shot across the court, landing near the outer corner of Ishikawa's service box.
"Nice serve!"
Inoue, watching from the sidelines, nodded in approval.
Next to him, Inui also gave a subtle nod.
Tachibana's serve didn't have any particularly sharp spin, but it perfectly showcased speed and precision. An average player likely wouldn't have been able to react in time.
*Crack!*
However, before anyone could even process what had happened, the ball was already being returned by another racket.
"That reaction speed!"
On Fudomine's side, Ishida and Sakurai frowned slightly.
"Looks like this Hyotei first-year really has some skill."
Hearing this, Kamio and Ibu exchanged glances, both seeing the awkwardness and helplessness in each other's eyes.
Unlike the others, they knew exactly how strong this Hyotei rookie was.
A month and a half ago, even when the two of them teamed up, they had been completely outplayed and left scrambling.
Now, seeing Ishikawa effortlessly return Tachibana's serve, they clenched their fists tightly.
"Tachibana-senpai will definitely win!"
Even though they didn't fully understand what it meant to be one of the "Two Heroes of Kyushu," deep down, they believed in Tachibana, who had led their once-unknown team all the way to the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament.
"Not bad."
Seeing Ishikawa return his serve, Tachibana nodded slightly. "Your reflexes are up to par. Now, let's see your speed."
*Crack!*
With that, Tachibana closed in on the net and executed a sharp cross-court shot, sending the ball straight to Ishikawa's backhand side.
This back-to-back targeting of opposite corners showcased Tachibana's incredible control, leaving the spectators in awe.
"Is this the level of a nationally-ranked player?"
Inoue's heart skipped a beat as he watched the ball land almost exactly on the intersection of the two lines. "Such a precise attack. There's no way Ishikawa can—huh?"
But before he could finish his thought, Ishikawa was already at the ball's landing spot.
"He's so fast?!"
The crowd was equally stunned.
"Here it comes."
Watching Ishikawa close in on the ball and prepare to strike, Inui narrowed his eyes. "Just like when he played against me, he always seems to move ahead of time."
But Inui had noticed something peculiar.
Ishikawa wasn't using any special footwork techniques like Echizen's "Split Step." Yet, despite not appearing particularly fast, his reaction time was incredibly short.
*Crack!*
Tachibana attacked the other side again, and Inui focused intently, observing Ishikawa's movements from an outsider's perspective.
"Is he predicting the shots?!"
When Inui realized Ishikawa was moving before Tachibana even hit the ball, he was shocked.
Preemptive movement!
And against a nationally-ranked player like Tachibana, no less!
This guy's confidence was off the charts!
*Crack! Crack! Crack!*
Over the next several exchanges, Ishikawa continued to move in the same way, leaving Inui completely baffled.
"Interesting."
Tachibana, who had also noticed Ishikawa's pattern, smiled with a hint of admiration. "Since you're keeping up, I'll just have to raise the tempo a bit!"
*Crack!*
With that, Tachibana increased the speed and power of his shots.
*Step! Step!*
Ishikawa reacted quickly, returning the ball with ease.
*Thud!*
Without a moment's hesitation, Tachibana struck the ball back again.
When Ishikawa returned it, Tachibana repeated the same motion.
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
On the court.
Tachibana's movements grew faster and faster, his attacks becoming more and more ferocious, leaving the spectators outside the court breathless.
"This... this level of pressure!!"
Oshitari, who had put himself in Ishikawa's shoes, felt his face pale as he witnessed Tachibana's increasingly rapid, storm-like offensive. He thought about himself.
If Ishikawa hadn't replaced him earlier, he would likely have been completely overwhelmed by such an aggressive onslaught.
As for Ishikawa...
Despite being on the defensive, his guard was impeccable. No matter how fiercely Tachibana attacked, he managed to return every shot.
"This kid's resilience is even better than I expected."
Tachibana, who had been relentlessly attacking without breaking through, remained calm and composed.
Clearly, he wasn't taking this match seriously.
For a national-level player like Tachibana, going all out against a rookie from Hyotei would be laughable. If word got out, his old friend would surely tease him about it.
"However, since you've managed to hold on this long, I might as well get a little more serious."
With that thought.
Tachibana's body suddenly sprang into action, darting forward like a cheetah. As he closed in on the ball, he raised his racket without hesitation and slammed it the moment the ball bounced off the ground.
*Bang!*
A loud crack echoed.
The ball shot out at an astonishing speed.
"That half-volley!!!"
Outside the court, Oshitari's eyes widened in shock.
Too fast!
Tachibana's timing, explosive movement, and the speed and power of his shot were flawless.
Even after over a month of intense training, Oshitari knew he couldn't pull off a shot like that.
"Is this the level of a top player from Kyushu?"
Seeing the ball's trajectory, which was so fast it left only a blur, Oshitari was deeply shaken.
He wasn't the only one. Everyone else felt the same.
Watching Tachibana's sharp half-volley, they all agreed that this shot would surely score.
That Hyotei rookie definitely couldn't defend against it!
The only possible variable was if Tachibana's rapid strike caused a loss of control, leading to a mistake.
*Thud.*
The next moment.
The ball landed.
Atobe and Inui, with their keen eyesight, saw the mark it left just inside the baseline.
In bounds.
A valid return!
Of course, a national-level player like Tachibana wouldn't make a mistake in a match like this.
"Looks like I was overthinking it..."
Inui, watching the ball bounce up rapidly, wore a bitter smile. "No matter how skilled that guy is, he stands no chance against a truly top-tier player... Huh?!"
But the next second.
Inui's expression suddenly shifted to one of astonishment.
*Swish!*
In front of the ball's landing point, a flash of silver light appeared. In an instant, the silver light closed in, enveloping the ball just as it rebounded.
*Crack!*
A crisp sound rang out.
The pale yellow light of the ball shot back across the net.
*Snap!* The ball landed in Tachibana's backhand corner, and he didn't even react in time.
Looking at the landing spot.
It was clearly in bounds.
In that moment.
The entire court fell silent.
**(End of Chapter)**