My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level

Chapter 108 The fierce battle begins

"Next, the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament Group C final will begin, with Yamabuki Junior High School facing Fudomine Junior High School."

Inside a sports field in the park.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker. Soon, people rushed over and surrounded the barbed wire fence.

"Are we about to begin?"

Not far away, among a group of teenagers wearing blue and white coats, a handsome boy with long brown hair raised his head, his eyes showing a look of inquiry.

"Yamabuki!"

The boy wearing a white tennis cap next to him adjusted the brim of his hat slightly, a subtle glint in his eyes. Involuntarily, the image of that tall, upright figure, exuding a wild and untamed spirit, surfaced in his mind.

"Get ready, our match is about to begin."

At this moment, Ryuzaki, dressed in a pink tracksuit, said with a serious expression, "The opponent's ability to reach the quarterfinals means they are not that simple."

"Everyone."

Tezuka, standing beside him, composed himself and said in a deep voice, "Don't be careless, go up there!"

"Yes."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

On the outskirts of the crowd, a figure put a notebook into his pocket. Then he stood up and walked towards the court where Yamabuki and Fudomine were going to play.

"According to the schedule, the team that wins between Fudomine and Yamabuki will be our opponent in the semifinals."

The spiky-haired boy in the white T-shirt, who was once a regular member of Seigaku and is now in charge of intelligence and training guidance for the team, narrowed his eyes.

He knew Fudomine's strength well; they were already quite strong, so it wasn't surprising that they made it to the top eight in the Metropolitan Tournament. What really concerned Inui was the team's development timeline.

From what he knew, before Tachibana arrived, Fudomine was a completely mediocre team. In less than a year, Fudomine has grown to its current level.

This demonstrates the team's extraordinary potential for growth; they are a highly malleable team. And now, a month has passed since the regional qualifiers.

In Qian's view, given Fudomine's growth potential, its strength will definitely increase significantly.

Of course, Seigaku is not standing still either.

Inui was concerned because after the semi-finals, Seigaku would still have to face the true champion of the Metropolitan Tournament, Hyotei, a national-level team!

Hyotei has a deep foundation and is stronger on the surface. Seigaku's chances of winning against Hyotei are already low, and if they expend too much energy in the semifinals, they will have no chance at all.

"According to the schedule, the final is next weekend."

Qian frowned inwardly: "The semi-finals and finals are in the morning and afternoon respectively. If it really gets to a tough battle, it will be difficult for the team to recover its form."

"and.

'

After a pause, Qian subconsciously clenched his fist.

His current concern isn't Fudomine, but Yamabuki. Compared to the former, a dark horse that suddenly emerged this year, Yamabuki poses a significantly greater threat. More importantly, Yamabuki has undergone substantial changes since the second half of last year.

New minister, new rules. Undefeated in all external competitions, their reputation in the surrounding area even surpasses that of Seigaku, and they are on par with Hyotei.

Although Inui knew that fame did not equate to ability, the reality was right before his eyes: Fuji, the second-ranked player at Seigaku, seemed to have suffered a crushing defeat when he met with resistance at Yamabuki.

Although Fuji didn't explain after his return, and no one asked, Inui knew Fuji's data perfectly well. That so-called...

Before and after the incident, Fuji underwent a complete transformation.

The only explanation is that this genius from Seigaku encountered an event in Yamabuki that could affect his mindset and completely change his personality.

Earlier this year, Inui encountered a setback, losing to Echizen and Kaidou in succession and losing his starting position. In order to regain his starting position, Inui's training volume increased dramatically. In addition, he was responsible for team guidance and developing new products, so he simply did not have time to launch an external investigation.

But this is a good opportunity.

Fudomine is not weak, making him a suitable candidate to test Yamabuki's true strength.

Clang!

Just as Qian approached the playing field, the closed iron gates opened. Guided by staff, the two teams, one in black and one in green, entered the stadium one after the other.

Afterwards, the team leaders from both sides walked to the net and shook hands.

"Nice to meet you, I am Kippei Tachibana, the head of Fudomine Department."

The boy with a buzz cut and a red dot between his eyebrows spoke.

Shibukawa had never personally witnessed the arrogance of the long-haired, golden-haired Orange in this world. But the short-haired Orange before him had clearly shed his impetuousness, becoming more composed after experiencing changes, and exuding an aura of quiet authority.

"Shibukawa Shin, Minister Yamabuki."

Shibukawa nodded politely in acknowledgment, his hair having grown back long. Compared to his sharp and assertive demeanor in his second year, his long hair in his third year was swept up and styled with a little hair gel, making him appear not arrogant, but rather calm and dignified.

They exchanged a glance, and Ju felt as if she were looking at a calm, still surface of water. As she tried to investigate further, a faint twitch appeared between her brows, as if she were about to confront some indescribable terror.

"This person... is very strong!"

Ju was secretly alarmed.

Although he had never played against him, he was, after all, a former ace player for a top Kyushu team. In Tokyo and even the Kanto region, there were few who could compare to him.

But now, he sensed danger from Shibukawa. Although this danger was not strong, and could even be considered an illusion.

But Ju was very confident in his mental fortitude; ordinary opponents would never elicit such a reaction from him. He trusted his intuition and was even more grateful for his tactical arrangements.

"Fudomine is not weak."

"Plus the information that person provided."

"We can definitely win this game!"

Tachibana turned and left, his resolve even stronger. Watching his retreating figure, Shibukawa shook his head slightly.

"The tactical setup on Fudomine's side is probably the same as in the original story. Unfortunately, I'm not Atobe, and I won't give you any opportunity to take advantage of.

As the two players returned to their respective teams, the referee on the high chair announced loudly: "First doubles match 2, Yamabuki Junior High's Nitobe Inakichi and Dan Taichi, versus Fudomine Junior High's Ishida Tetsu and Sakurai Masaya."

"Both teams, please get ready."

The words fell.

Nitobe, with his mushroom-shaped haircut and a green headband, slowly walked to the side of the court.

Are you nervous?

"good."

Hearing his senior's question, Tan grinned.

Unlike her shy personality in the original work, Tan became more proactive under the influence of Shibukawa's Shin-Yamabuki rule. With the guidance of Shibukawa and Mizuki, and the help of other regulars and even Yuta and Muromachi, Tan found her niche early on and her skills improved rapidly.

With the intentional nurturing from Shechuan, Tan has now played many official matches. He has built confidence and is ready to face the 8th Grand Slam...

There's absolutely no pressure in a competition at the level of the top four.

"That's good."

Shinto Mi laughed and said, "I'll give you a signal later. The opponent's information may not be entirely true. During the match, I'll try to stall for time and give you time to collect data."

"Okay, then I'll thank you in advance, senior."

Tan smiled and nodded repeatedly.

the other side.

Ishida, wearing a white headscarf, and Sakurai, with a cool and aloof expression, also walked to the side of the court.

"A combination of Nitobe rice and dan?"

After confirming their opponent, Ishida frowned: "Those Yamabuki guys are really arrogant, actually using this kind of lineup against us."

"This is a good thing."

Compared to Ishida's anger, Sakurai was much calmer: "If the opponent responds calmly, it will actually become more difficult for us to win."

"That's true."

Ishida laughed too.

Their rise from obscurity to become the dark horse of the Metropolitan Tournament is due not only to their own strength but also to the underestimation of their opponents.

"rest assured."

With this in mind, Ishida raised his racket, and as he exerted force with his arm, veins bulged, exuding an explosive sense of power.

"I'll make them truly feel the power of Fudomine!"

"Um."

Sakurai nodded.

He remained calm. This was also why Tachibana arranged for him to team up with Ishida. The latter was indeed very strong, but he was prone to losing control due to impulsiveness, and needed someone as calm as him to cool him down at crucial moments.

soon.

After both players approached the net and communicated to decide who would serve, they took their respective positions.

"The match begins, one game to decide the winner."

After observing the condition of both players, the referee on the high chair announced loudly, "Yamabuki Dan serves, game over."

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

Immediately, everyone's gaze fell upon the altar.

The boy calmly bent down to hit the tennis ball, his gaze fixed on Ishida at the baseline. He patiently observed his opponent's positioning; the contrast between his serious and focused demeanor and the boy's youthful and short stature was striking.

"I never expected this kid to have gone this far."

On the other side of the mountain, Vice Minister Minami couldn't help but sigh.

"yes."

Sengoku, Dongfang, and the others nodded in agreement.

They had witnessed Tan's growth firsthand; he was serious about his work and trained diligently. As a result, everyone answered his questions seriously and proactively helped him improve.

Of course, the most crucial factor is that Sichuan dares to use [the technology/methods].

Other teams, with their already impressive roster and even top players like Yuta and Muromachi unable to make the starting lineup, would never consider using newcomers.

But Shibukawa gave the stage a chance to shine. This was clearly paving the way for next year's Yamabuki tournament, a far-sighted strategy.

And the forum's performance did not disappoint.

"It's just an opportunity."

Hearing the crowd's comments, Shibukawa smiled faintly to himself.

In the original work, Tan might have failed to rise to prominence because he insisted on imitating Akutsu's fighting style in the early stages, which didn't suit his own abilities. He missed out on various early competitions and failed to develop his skills.

Currently, his talent is only B+, and with proper training, he certainly can't keep up with the growth rate of super monster talents like Echizen and Toyama.

But Shechuan didn't care.

Because the current Yamabuki team can afford to make mistakes. In his view, a strong lineup is not about pursuing the honor of winning every battle.

Instead of focusing on winning every game, it's better to give newcomers more opportunities to develop, provided that victory is guaranteed.

Yuta and Muromachi are like that.

The same is true of the altar before us.

Snapped!

At this time.

He held the tennis ball in his hand.

Shintomi, standing in front of him, also concealed his left hand behind his back, his fingers constantly changing numbers to give a coded signal.

"They're here!"

Upon seeing this, Ishida and Sakurai's expressions changed slightly.

Cipher tactics!

This is Yamabuki Doubles' signature move.

Before the serve, they communicate using pre-prepared coded signals to devise a series of countermeasures after the serve. In a sense, it's about bringing the pre-designed script to life.

The difference is that the code-based tactic is equivalent to having many sets of scripts prepared, and which one is used at the last minute is random, and only the two people using the code know it.

Bang!

At this time.

Having deciphered the code from Niito, Dan hit the tennis ball. The ball wasn't fast, and the landing point was barely considered tricky, but for Ishida, with his solid foundation, it was completely ineffective.

Tap tap!

He strode forward, caught up with the tennis ball, and swung his racket to smash it without hesitation.

brush!

however.

Just as his return shot flew over the net, a figure suddenly appeared—it was Niito Mi, who was prepared.

"not good."

Upon seeing this, Sakurai, positioned in the front row, immediately adjusted his position and intercepted the forecourt shot hit by Niito Mi.

Tap tap!

But the next second, a short figure suddenly appeared from behind Shindome; it was Dan, who had foreseen Fudomine's reaction.

Snapped!

He didn't hit any powerful shots or tricky balls; he simply tapped the racket lightly, hitting a short ball that was out of reach of the two players.

*Pat-a-tat*...

The tennis ball lands on the ground.

Ishida and Sakurai's expressions changed instantly.

There was no fierce confrontation.

Instead, they planned ahead step by step, as if they had fallen into a spider web woven by Yamabuki, their actions completely within each other's expectations.

The ball landed very lightly, but to Ishida and Sakurai, it sounded like a thunderclap.

"Is this the code-based tactic?"

The two exchanged a glance and both saw the seriousness in each other's eyes.

Seeing something in the materials is one thing, but actually experiencing it firsthand is quite another. Faced with the immense pressure from Yamabuki, neither of them dared to be careless in the slightest.

Bang!

boom!

Bang!

boom!

Subsequently, Yamabuki once again employed the coded tactic, leaving Fudomine in a very passive position, completely being led by the nose.

Yamabuki quickly broke the deadlock, taking a 1-0 lead.

"Our opponents are very strong; we can't afford to lose even one game."

Sakurai's expression was very serious.

"Um."

Ishida nodded emphatically.

Then, the two did not dare to hold back, but directly used the weaknesses of Shinto Mitsukoshi and Dan from the information given by the mysterious person.

While their skills weren't top-tier, their intelligence was incredibly detailed, and their observations of the Yamabuki members' weaknesses were remarkably insightful.

After a fierce battle, both Shintomi and Dan were somewhat on the defensive.

Fudomine also won a game, tying the score at 1-1.

Something's not right.

As they changed serves, Tan frowned: "Fudomine's style of play is different from before. It's as if they knew our weaknesses in advance; every shot is tricky."

"Um."

Niito nodded: "Indeed, several shots landed in positions I wasn't comfortable with. So, does that mean the opponent also has a player who plays data-driven tennis?"

"uncertain."

Tan shook his head: "But no matter what, our data has definitely been leaked. We can't proceed as planned in the upcoming matches."

"Focus on defense first, I'll gather the data, and also..."

'

"What else?"

Upon hearing Niito's words, a smile involuntarily appeared on Tan's handsome face: "This kind of person knows our weaknesses perfectly well..."

"It's not easy for Chu to find a real opponent."

"You're incredibly bold, kid!"

Shindo's eyelids twitched.

He hadn't expected that the other team would use this opportunity to hone his skills. But after the initial shock, the third-year regular player laughed.

"No wonder you gained Shibukawa's trust."

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