My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level

Swish!

All eyes immediately turned to Shechuan.

Even Uesugi narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked at the boy before him, whose expression had clearly changed. He vaguely sensed a hint of aggression in the boy's eyes.

"What are you trying to say?"

Uesugi didn't get angry. Although he had a strict personality, he wasn't an unreasonable person. But if a team member couldn't provide a reasonable explanation, he wouldn't give them a friendly look either.

"It's very simple."

Despite the stares from Uesugi and the others, Shibukawa remained expressionless and said with a faint smile, "In my opinion, since you are the captain, Uesugi-senpai, you should be the strongest person on the team."

What is this?

Praise?

Is this guy planning to gain Uesugi's special favor in this way?!

Many people frowned.

Some of them subconsciously interpreted Shibukawa's words with the most malicious intent. After all, Uesugi had just mentioned looking for a successor, and Shibukawa was openly praising him, clearly trying to curry favor.

"Does this guy really think that Captain Uesugi is the kind of person who'd be made captain just because someone flatters him a bit? Tsk tsk!"

Someone muttered something under their breath, and many people immediately showed amusement on their faces. In their view, Shibukawa's words were clearly a case of flattery backfiring; not only would they fail to win Uesugi's favor, but they would also incur his dislike.

This is Minister Yamabuki, someone who can't tolerate any nonsense. Even someone as talented as Sengoku is no exception; he'll scold anyone without hesitation, showing absolutely no mercy.

but.

Some people don't think so.

This includes Minami and Muromachi, who had previously lost to Shibukawa.

Muromachi, in particular, was very unwilling to accept his defeat. However, after trying to train with Shibukawa and experiencing the terrifying difficulty of his training, he no longer felt any resentment.

In his view, someone like Kawakami would never and would disdain to flatter a minister.

in contrast.

In the eyes of these people, this team's starting player, whose temperament has become noticeably more sharp and imposing, is probably not as simple as he seems.

really.

Shibukawa's smile vanished, and he continued, "Since that's the case, I don't think we need to waste any more time. As long as we defeat Uesugi-senpai, we'll naturally be qualified to become the club president. Don't you agree, senpai?"

Swish!

This statement came out.

The expressions of the people around them changed instantly.

Even Minami and Muromachi, who had initially realized that Shibukawa was about to launch a major attack, were taken aback by his words.

The others stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

This isn't flattery; it's a direct challenge to Uesugi. And it's in front of all the team members—a challenge that's absolutely impossible to refuse!

That's right.

Uesugi's position as captain was appointed by the previous captain. But that was because he was the strongest in the Yamabuki faction at the time, and the previous captain had no other choice.

A year has passed.

Uesugi was already an absolute authority among the Yamabuki team members, especially among the first and second-year students. Apart from Coach Banta, he was the one whose words carried the most weight.

No one else, not even a thousand koku.

But now, faced with Shibukawa's challenge, even though Uesugi had cultivated enough prestige before, there was no possibility of him refusing.

Within a team, the strong are respected.

No matter how much you argue, no one can deny that. Unless that person has an extremely bad personality and a terrible relationship with the rest of the team.

But Shechuan clearly does not belong to this category of people.

On the contrary, his hard work and dedication during this period have been seen by everyone. Many first- and second-year team members even regard him as an idol to inspire themselves.

therefore.

After a brief moment of shock, everyone's eyes turned expectantly to Uesugi at the front of the crowd.

"A challenge to me?"

Instantly becoming the focus of everyone's attention, Uesugi couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

He had made a thorough plan, including training, practice, and team planning, all of which had different weightings.

As it turned out, Shibukawa didn't follow his script at all; instead, he flipped the table.

now.

Uesugi was being roasted over a fire.

Given his status, he couldn't possibly utter a single word of refusal. In the end, all he said was, "As long as you're prepared to fail," before entering the court.

"certainly."

Shechuan smiled faintly and followed behind him, walking into the stadium in sync.

Upon seeing this.

The crowd immediately became excited and, without being told, quickly surrounded the field.

"Hmm."

Nan, standing in the crowd, thought for a moment, then looked at the two and said, "Since we're going to have a match, I'll be the referee."

Upon hearing this, Uesugi looked at Shibukawa, who smiled and nodded: "No problem."

then.

Nan then climbed onto the high chair and sat in the referee's position.

The two then approached the net. Uesugi gazed at the boy before him, his face devoid of any emotion, and said, "I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Senior, would you like to choose the front or the back?"

Shechuan didn't answer; instead, he started spinning his racket on his own.

Uesugi's gaze sharpened slightly before he finally chose the front. He was also very lucky; the letters on the front of the racket handle landed facing the front.

"Looks like I'm having a bit of bad luck today."

Shibukawa bent down to pick up the racket, smiling as he said, "However, since I'm challenging you, senior, I can only give it my all."

After saying that, he turned and left.

As he watched Shibukawa's retreating figure, Uesugi frowned slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes.

"Can a person's facial features really influence their personality? Or is this simply their natural way of doing things?"

Frivolous and arrogant.

In Uesugi's eyes, Shibukawa no longer possessed the composure he displayed during training. His initial optimism about Shibukawa was largely extinguished; after this match, even if he chose Minami Kentaro, he wouldn't consider Shibukawa.

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

Sitting on the high chair, Nan naturally couldn't guess Uesugi's thoughts. After confirming that both of them had taken their positions, he announced loudly, "Uesugi serves, game over!"

Snapped!

Snapped!

Snapped!

The words fell.

Uesugi bent down and lightly tapped the tennis ball twice, his gaze falling on his opponent. After observing him carefully, he tossed the tennis ball up, then stood on tiptoe, raised his racket high, and smashed it down quickly.

With a thud, the tennis ball shot out like a bullet.

"It's here!"

"That was the minister's [bullet serve]!"

Many team members spoke up instinctively.

As the captain who led the Yamabuki team to the semifinals of the Tokyo tournament, Uesugi's own strength is certainly not weak. What he is particularly good at is his fast-paced attacking style.

Tap tap!

Therefore, as he hits the serve, he also steps forward and sprints towards the net.

"Serve and volley?"

Some people frowned slightly, and the third-year students who were familiar with Uesugi even subconsciously said, "This guy, is he really going to do this?"

Those nearby chuckled inwardly upon hearing this. Uesugi had already been put on such a pedestal; if he were to unleash his true abilities, the minister's authority would certainly be questioned.

"However, that guy was too reckless."

Someone shook their head quietly and said, "He's already made it to the regular position. If he follows Uesugi's plan step by step, he might very well be able to succeed as the club president."

"What a pity."

Bang!

however.

Facing Uesugi's serve, Shibukawa didn't even look at it, and instead raised his hand to deliver a fierce smash.

and.

His ball control route landed exactly on Uesugi's path, less than half a meter away from him.

"Um?"

This perfectly timed shot immediately halted Uesugi's advance.

"A coincidence?"

While this type of body shot is the most effective counter to net play, the opponent's shot was exceptionally well-executed, especially the landing point, which was Uesugi's least comfortable position.

"No, it's not a coincidence!"

next moment.

A sharp glint flashed in the eyes of the department head, Yamabuki. He suddenly remembered that his opponent was no ordinary player, but a special type who excelled at using data.

Obviously.

My serve-and-volley strategy had been figured out by my opponent during this period. Given their ability, it wasn't surprising that they hit this shot.

"In that case, I'll get right to it."

A cold glint flashed in Uesugi's eyes. Without pausing at all, he suddenly accelerated, caught up with the tennis ball, and swung his right hand, which was holding the racket, forward sharply.

Bang!

The crisp sound resonated.

The tennis ball was launched back at an even faster speed than it had come from.

"Half-volley!"

Many sharp-eyed team members immediately spoke up.

"This is no ordinary half-volley."

A third-year team member said in a deep voice, "Even among the Kanto-level players, very few can master this ability. It's clear that Uesugi's handling of the half-volley has reached a very high level."

"That's right, that's super bounce."

Outside the stadium.

Banta, who had somehow appeared behind the group, thought to himself, "Only by reaching a certain level of understanding of the half-volley and forming muscle memory can one perform such difficult moves."

Generally, a half-volley occurs when the tennis ball has just bounced up, and its internal power hasn't been fully released. Being hit at this moment minimizes the impact on the counter-attacker, allowing them to return the attack with greater speed.

Super Jump can increase the efficiency of a half-hit by more than 10%.

in other words.

Shibukawa's seemingly perfect counter to the serve-and-volley was a self-inflicted wound.

Tap tap!

however.

Surprisingly, Shibukawa did not give up and even moved visibly to the vicinity of the tennis ball's landing point.

Swish!

Catching up with the tennis ball, he looked up at his opponent's movements and a smile appeared on his lips.

"Um?"

Upon seeing this, Uesugi, who was still maintaining his super-jumping posture, couldn't help but change his expression.

He suddenly realized he had been tricked.

That shot from the opponent wasn't simply a way to block his net play. It was a deliberate tactic designed to force Uesugi to unleash his super jump.

At this moment, he seemed to have hit a brilliant shot that deserved applause, but in reality, he made himself full of mistakes.

Bang!

next moment.

The tennis ball pierced through Uesugi's defense and landed behind him.

"0-15!"

Nan Kaikou, seated on the high chair, looked at Shibukawa with a flickering gaze, his heart filled with turmoil.

"Kid...you've got some skills."

Uesugi, who had been tricked, did not get angry. His face remained expressionless, and after saying something, he turned his head left and right, making a cracking sound from his neck joints.

Even the most clueless team members could tell that their manager was serious.

boom!

really.

On his second serve, Uesugi applied significantly more force to the tennis ball. Although the accuracy decreased slightly, as long as the ball landed inside the service line, some players who weren't strong enough still struggled to return it.

However, Shechuan was clearly not among them.

With a thud, the tennis ball was returned to him. Moreover, the trajectory was quite tricky, while Uesugi rallied and smashed it again with great force, using a deep shot to confine his opponent near the baseline.

Undeterred, Shibukawa continued to use his tricky shots to keep his opponent running back and forth.

Bang!

boom!

Bang!

boom!

In a short time.

The two players clashed fiercely on the field, neither giving an inch.

This scene undoubtedly shocked the Yamabuki team members, who stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"Is this a lie? Is it a lie?"

"Shibukawa... he actually managed to go toe-to-toe with Uesugi (the department head)?"

"Has he...become that strong already?"

This isn't about exploiting data vulnerabilities to target Uesugi's weaknesses. It's a real, head-on confrontation.

"So strong!"

Cold sweat was faintly seeping from Nan's forehead as he sat on the high chair.

He also didn't expect that Shibukawa's personal abilities were already on par with Uesugi's.

"So, is this the source of your confidence in issuing this challenge?"

Looking at the spirited and imposing black-haired boy on the court, he couldn't help but smile wryly: "Yeah, with that kind of skill, I would definitely do the same."

Not far away.

A strange glint also flickered in Bantian's eyes.

Shibukawa's growth rate also exceeded his expectations. He never imagined that in less than three months, the other party would be able to compete with a club captain like Uesugi, who had reached the semi-finals of the tournament.

"This kid... he's pretty fierce!"

on the field.

Uesugi became increasingly surprised as the fight progressed.

He initially thought that with his powerful smashes and greater match experience, he would definitely be able to suppress his opponent. However, to his surprise, Shibukawa was not affected at all.

On the contrary, the opponent's ball control became more and more accurate, and the landing points became more and more tricky. That frustrating and uncomfortable feeling from before gradually began to reappear.

"Hiss, could it be that this guy was observing and collecting my data while we were competing?"

Uesugi felt a chill run down his spine.

At that moment, Shibukawa made his move. After catching up with the tennis ball, he raised his racket and swung it quickly, much to the astonishment of the onlookers.

Swish.

Everyone only saw a fleeting afterimage before their eyes and couldn't see the other person's starting shot at all.

"Wait, what is this...?"

Upon seeing the racket that had suddenly disappeared, Uesugi's pupils also contracted sharply.

fast!

too fast!

He failed to see his opponent's movements clearly, not only during the backswing but also in the position of the shot.

Bang!

next moment.

The sound of the ball being struck rang out.

Uesugi felt a rush of water sweep past his side, and before he could react, the tennis ball had already passed through his defense and slammed heavily into the inside of the baseline.

"0, 0-30!"

Nan, sitting on the high chair, spoke with a slight tremor.

The people at the scene were stunned once again.

They never expected that Uesugi would be suppressed by Shibukawa in a head-on confrontation.

"call......"

at the same time.

The captain of Yamabuki let out a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the black-haired boy opposite him: "That ball just now... there's absolutely no mistake!"

He had seen similar skills about four months ago.

That was in the first round of the Kanto Tournament, a match between Yamabuki and Rikkai. Despite losing the first three matches, Yamabuki was eliminated.

However, due to the rule that all five matches must be played in the first round, Uesugi still qualified to play.

But in the end, it ended in a crushing defeat.

The ball that Shibukawa just hit was the signature move of Uesugi's opponent at the time, the tennis emperor of Rikkai University, Sanada Genichiro, the "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain" combo... "Swift as the Wind"!

This moment.

Uesugi's gaze toward Shibukawa completely changed.