My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level

Chapter 104 On the Eve of the Grand Tournament

"Hyotei...they actually lost?"

Outside the court, the street tennis players all looked bewildered.

That's Hyotei!

Dominating Tokyo and renowned throughout the country, this team is arguably second only to Rikkai University in terms of prestige. And this time, it's Atobe Keigo, the aloof and powerful Emperor of Hyotei.

Although Atobe didn't make a move, the team he personally led was definitely not to be underestimated. In fact, Kabaji's performance was also outstanding, and the oppressive aura he exuded made many people feel suffocated.

But Hyotei still lost.

This shows that Yamabuki is stronger; at least these two guys, who aren't ranked very high in Yamabuki, already have the ability to compete with Hyotei's regulars.

"You guys... are pretty good."

Atobe glanced at the two of them indifferently, nodded, and said, "The agreement stands. You can make one request of me."

"real?"

Muromachi's eyes lit up.

Yuta, standing beside him, shook his head and said, "No need, Atobe-senpai. Now that the match is over, we should leave."

After saying that, he glanced at his companion beside him. Muromachi sighed helplessly and could only nod and follow him away.

"This kid... is quite interesting."

After the two left, Atobe's gaze towards Yuta gleamed with a subtle light. He was strong, knew when to advance and retreat, and showed none of the youthful arrogance typical of his age.

"really."

"Only someone like that could be Fuji's younger brother."

Atobe was deeply impressed by Fuji.

In that match, he put Fuji under immense pressure. If Fuji hadn't been a slow starter who only unleashed his power at the end, Atobe might not have been able to secure a victory.

But Fuji is only the second best at Seigaku.

This gave Atobe, who was always arrogant, a sense of urgency. Therefore, although he maintained a haughty, emperor-like demeanor on weekdays, he was actually training extra in private.

This is one of the reasons why Atobe can still remain calm and collected.

Of course, besides that, what really lessened Atobe's sense of urgency was Rikkai's Daiyukimura's health. He had extensive connections in Japan, so finding out the medical history of an ordinary junior high school student wouldn't have been too difficult for him.

Although it was somewhat unethical, Yukimura's health problems did indeed reduce Atobe's stress considerably.

Otherwise, even Atobe would be powerless against the combination of the "Son of God" and the "Emperor".

"Let's go, Kabaji."

Atobe turned to look at the expressionless boy standing beside him, who nodded in understanding. The two then turned and left the court.

From beginning to end, Atobe never blamed the other party even once.

"Have they all left?"

"I never expected Yamabuki to win in the end!"

"Yes, if you look at it that way, this year's tournament will be very interesting."

"Are you kidding me? This year's Yamabuki is good, but it'll still be very difficult for her to challenge Hyotei, right?"

"Idiot, didn't you see the look in Atobe's eyes just now? He's already treating Muromachi and Fuji as rivals."

"Uh... what's the problem?"

"Idiot, those two aren't even regulars on Yamabuki!"

"What?"

A gasp went up from the crowd.

Unfortunately, Atobe didn't see any of this. Although he remembered Yamabuki, his deep-seated pride prevented him from lowering himself to actively study the team's true strength.

He probably won't see the real Yamabuki until the two sides actually meet.

The regional qualifiers have ended.

Aside from the region where Seigaku is located, where the dark horse Fudomine swept Kakigi to take the top spot, the situation in other areas is largely the same as in previous years. At most, the first and second place teams might swap positions, but the teams that actually make it to the top are still the familiar ones.

but.

After experiencing defeat, some teams have begun to prepare more actively.

Among them is the immovable peak.

Bang!

boom!

Bang!

boom!

Inside the poorly equipped court, a handsome young man with a buzz cut and black hair is engaged in a fierce battle with two players on the opposite side.

That's right, it was a duel between one against two.

The boy with the buzz cut is none other than the mastermind of Fudomine, a top expert from distant Kyushu, one of the two heroes who once supported Shishigaku to become a top team, Tachibana Kippei.

"not enough!"

"not enough!"

On the court, Tachibana launched a powerful attack, completely dominating the opposing teams, Shinji Ibu and Akira Kamio.

He looked at the two of them and said in a low voice, "Your weak offensive tactics aren't even good enough for the regional qualifiers. Do you really expect to defeat those strong opponents in the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament?"

Ju's words gave the two of them a jolt.

Kamio recalled his defeat to Kaidou, who wore a headscarf, while Ibu recalled how easily his moves were countered by that Seigaku newcomer, who even managed to use his own special move against him.

That's a disgrace.

Now that Ju had reopened their wounds, both of them felt a burning pain on their faces. Then, their grief and resentment transformed into strength, driving them to become even stronger.

"That's right, that's it."

Ju constantly adjusted his state to cope with the power unleashed by the two. As a top-tier expert, he...

Having experienced the true ups and downs of life.

That's why he understands even better how to ignite the team's desire to win. Only those who genuinely want to win can undergo a transformation.

As it turns out, Ibu and Kamio are indeed very talented. Under the pressure from Tachibana, their strength visibly improved.

The combined efforts of the two have already put pressure on Tachibana, who hasn't yet revealed her trump cards.

boom!

A fierce smash landed on the ground.

finally.

Tachibana, with her superior experience and strength, managed to overpower both of them head-on.

"Huff...huff huff..."

'

On the court, Ibu and Kamio were panting heavily. The match had left them both drenched in sweat, looking as if they had been pulled out of the water, their clothes completely soaked.

"Those two guys are really pushing themselves!"

Outside the court, a boy wearing a white bandana slowly lowered his arms from his chest. He swallowed hard, his face filled with shock. "I never imagined that their combined efforts could push Tachibana-senpai to this point!"

Tachibana's strength is evident to everyone at Fudomine.

More than half a year ago, Tachibana transferred to Fudomine School because of a conflict between the first and third years. Tachibana was unhappy with the actions of the third-year students and fought with them when she stood up for the first-year students.

That match completely overturned Ibu and the others' preconceived notions. Tachibana, fighting against multiple opponents, easily swept aside those older students.

Even in a fight, Tachibana held her own, chasing and beating up the third-year students all by herself. This eventually drew the attention of the coach, but the humiliated Tachibana erupted, even taking down the coach.

Because of that incident, Fudomine was suspended for three months. Tachibana, after that incident, took the initiative to step forward and opened a new tennis club within Fudomine.

These people were the first-year students who were bullied back then. Now, they are Tachibana's most loyal followers.

Now, the combination of Ibu and Kamio has actually shaken Tachibana's position. How could this not surprise everyone?

"Is that all?"

Outside the stadium, a sweet-looking girl in a purple sailor uniform sighed softly. She glanced at Ibu and Kamio, who were leaving the field, and shook her head to herself: "They tried their best, but they still couldn't force my brother to show his true strength."

The girl's name is Tachibana Anzu.

13 is old.

Second year at Fudomine Junior High School.

She is Kippei Tachibana's younger sister. The two transferred from Shishiraku to Tokyo due to their father's job change. Of everyone present, only An Tachibana knew her brother's true abilities.

It can be said that once Tachibana gets serious, even if the rest of the Fudomine members team up, they are no match for him.

"pity."

Seemingly remembering something, Tachibana An sighed inwardly: "If it weren't for that accident, my brother's tennis skills would probably be even better than they are now, right?"

The girl shook her head, no longer paying attention, and returned to her own girls' tennis club. She also played tennis, and because of Tachibana, she had a fairly high ranking on the team.

evening.

After finishing her training, Tachibana An appeared outside the men's tennis club with her tennis bag on her back.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

The stadium was completely empty.

In the corner, a figure relentlessly attacked the wall. Each powerful shot, upon hitting the wall, forced the surface outwards with its immense internal force.

Over time, the layers of walls that flipped outwards formed a depression the size of a fist.

"So strong!"

"This is my brother's true strength!"

Ju Xing clenched her fists inwardly.

Although Ju has cut her hair and dyed it back to its original blonde color, she has lost some of her wildness and gained a reassuring calmness.

If the power that Tachibana is unleashing at this moment were seen by other teams in Tokyo, it would surely cause a huge stir.

"strangeness."

At that moment, as if she had noticed something, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes: "Why do I feel like my brother's power has gotten stronger again?"

A moment later, Tachibana finished the match, and Tachibana An walked over and asked curiously, "Brother, you've gotten stronger again?"

"I've been practicing some other playing styles lately."

Orange explained calmly.

"So...you're doing extra training?"

Ju Xing blinked, a hint of amusement flashing in her eyes.

"Um."

Tachibana didn't hide anything, nodding and saying, "There are quite a few experts here in Tokyo. Besides Atobe, the experts from Seigaku and Yamabuki are all formidable."

Last year, Lion Music was among the top four.

The team is basically carried by Tachibana and Sengoku. As the two wings of Kyushu, they have a solid national-level strength.

Unfortunately, they were a bit unlucky, facing the strongest player from Kansai, Makinofuji, in the semifinals. Makinofuji was stronger in doubles, and with a strong singles player and a top-level national player, Shishiraki narrowly lost.

In the original Tachibana no Kokoro, the top players were mainly from the Kansai and Kyushu regions. From the Kanto region, only Rikkai and Hyotei were worth considering.

But after spending time with them, he realized he had been too naive. Seigaku failed to qualify for the national tournament last year, but the recent regional qualifiers showed Tachibana the team's immense potential.

The doubles is not weak, and the singles player, Haitang, is a bit inexperienced, but the newcomer who ranked 2nd in singles left a deep impression on Ju.

The opponent was very experienced; their tactical approach was unlike that of a novice, but rather like someone who had been immersed in tennis for over a decade. Yet, the opponent was only 12 years old, unless they had been playing tennis since birth.

As someone who witnessed the transformation from the Twin Stars of Kyushu to the Two Wings of Kyushu, Tachibana is well aware of just how malleable a genius of this caliber is.

If Seigaku goes far enough this year, and Echizen plays enough matches and faces enough opponents, their opponents will definitely...

They will definitely grow rapidly.

And this is one of the dangerous figures in Seigaku.

Furthermore, Fuji, the genius who was forced to give up the match in Tag Team 2 because of his partner, is also listed by Tachibana as a key person to observe.

As a top-tier expert, Tachibana could clearly sense the danger emanating from Fuji.

If he were to actually play, Fudomine would only be able to suppress the opponent by himself. But that's not the full extent of Seigaku's strength; their captain, Tezuka, the team's strongest player, has never truly made a move.

This enigmatic figure only added to Ju's sense of pressure. Therefore, he needed to hone his skills and, ideally, be in peak condition before the tournament began.

"so.

'

At this moment, seeing Tachibana's expression, Tachibana An frowned and asked, "Have you overcome that yet?"

"Hmm!"

His younger sister's problem plunged Ju into a painful memory. After a moment, he composed himself, his gaze sharpening.

"Indeed, that kind of tennis is too dangerous."

"But if Fudomine is cornered, and I'm the one who decides the team's fate, I'll use that kind of tennis without hesitation!"

At this point, Ju's gaze hardened.

"Now my tennis career no longer belongs to me alone, Kippei Tachibana. I'm going to lead them to the national tournament!"

"Yes, I believe you can do it, brother!"

Seeing her brother's emotional change, as if he had returned to the golden lion that had been looking around before, Tachibana An excitedly clenched her fist and waved it.

Other teams are also preparing for the upcoming Tokyo tournament.

For example, Hojo Middle School, which was one of the top four last year, and Ginka Middle School, which was one of the top eight.

Others include familiar faces from Yamabuki, and Sarujima Tennis Academy, which reached the top 16 in the Tokyo Metropolitan Tennis Tournament.

of course.

Among these people is Minister Akazawa Yoshiro of St. Rudolf, who also bears the responsibility of revenge and wants to trample Yamabuki under his feet day and night.

As the time draws ever closer.

Nationwide, the favorites to win the championships in various prefectures, cities, and counties are sharpening their knives and revealing the fangs they have hidden over the past year.

but.

However, there are still exceptions.

Kanagawa Prefecture.

Kamakura City.

Lihai University Affiliated High School.

As last year's national champions, Rikkai University, which has dominated the Kanto region for 15 years and has won the Kanagawa Prefecture Championship more than 20 times in a row, found the atmosphere on the team becoming more relaxed as the competition approached.

In contrast, the team was more concerned about the physical condition of their captain, Yukimura Seiichi, who is now widely recognized as the best junior high school tennis player.

"What did the doctor say?"

At the entrance of the consultation room at Kaneda General Hospital, Sanada asked as he saw Yukimura walking out.

"He's almost fully recovered."

Yukimura smiled, and upon hearing his answer, the Rikkai University regulars around him breathed a sigh of relief, their faces breaking into long-lost smiles.

"That's good."

Sanada nodded, then looked at the mushroom-headed boy beside him who had his eyes lightly closed and seemed to be deep in thought, and said, "You've made up your mind, haven't you?"

"Um."

The mushroom-headed boy, Renji Yanagi, a regular player and intelligence officer for Rikkai University, nodded: "I want to go and watch this year's Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament!"