My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level.

"Four consecutive losses..."

The St. Rudolf players hung their heads as if they had been defeated roosters.

"Please...please let us go..."

The series of crushing defeats has completely shattered the confidence these players had built up in the previous two matches.

"This year's Yamabuki is truly extraordinary."

Outside the barbed wire fence, Liu An, dressed in a white shirt, nodded to himself. St. Rudolph's strength wasn't weak; in Kanagawa Prefecture, they would be qualified to compete for a ticket to the Kanto Tournament.

But this year's Yamabuki is even stronger.

Even Liu wouldn't dare say that he had collected data on these people during the match just now. He also had a vague suspicion that these people hadn't actually used their true abilities.

"Let's go, there's nothing to see here."

"Yes, St. Rudolf has absolutely no chance of winning against Ueyama Fuki!"

"No, I want to see what that mysterious Minister Yamabuki will do next."

"Oh right, next up is singles 1, and Yamabuki should be sending out that one, right?"

This statement came out.

The audience, who had already lost interest and were about to leave, all stopped. Even Taki from Hyotei and Yanagi from Rikkai looked curiously in the direction of Yamabuki.

Swish!

But at that moment...

Akazawa, who had been sitting in the coach's seat, stood up. He raised his racket and pointed it towards Yamabuki, his gaze fixed on the handsome Shibukawa.

"Come on, sir! Although we at St. Rudolf have already lost, as a contestant, please don't hold back and give me your all!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's gaze towards Akazawa changed. They seemed surprised that this minister from St. Rudolf possessed such magnanimity.

"That's Akazawa!"

"I've heard of him. He's very strong, almost certainly at the Kanto level. His words should be enough to force out the true strength of that Yamabuki captain, right?"

"The competition hasn't started yet, so it's too early to say anything."

"By the way, I heard from others that Seigaku's genius Fuji seems to have lost to this Yamabuki captain!"

"Really? That's Fuji!"

The crowd was buzzing with discussion.

Most people's eyes became eager; they all wanted to see just how strong the mysterious Minister Yamabuki really was.

however.

Despite being watched by so many people, Shibukawa's expression remained unchanged. He didn't even glance at Akazawa, causing the latter to subconsciously frown.

tread!

At this time.

A figure stepped out from Yamabuki's side.

"It's you?"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Akazawa's pupils contracted slightly, a flash of crimson light appeared in his eyes, and deep within them, undisguised hatred was revealed.

The contestant who stepped forward from Yamabuki's side was none other than Mizuki, the intelligence chief. He smiled at Akazawa and said, "Sorry, your opponent is me."

"How could it be him?"

"The Yamabuki singles number 1 isn't the captain?"

"That's normal. The roster is a tactical arrangement. If the minister is always the one in singles, the opponent will take advantage of that to target him."

"Hey, isn't that the real problem?"

"If I'm not mistaken, most of Yamabuki's key players didn't play, right? What's going on?"

While ordinary people were still analyzing Yamabuki's tactics, some sharp-eyed observers were taken aback by his moves. Aside from the South and East duo, who were the team's mainstays, everyone else was essentially second-rate or even marginalized.

"Has Yamabuki's foundation... reached this level?"

Inoue's eyes were filled with shock.

Having witnessed the Yamabuki school's qualifying tournament, he knew very well that the lineup Yamabuki had sent was not their core strength. Their most capable players, Shibukawa, Akutsu, and Sengoku, hadn't even played.

"Just like in Rikkai University's matches, none of the three giants, led by Yukimura, played."

"This... doesn't seem so strange, does it?"

Zhi looked over with a hint of surprise.

"That's the crux of the problem."

Inoue glanced at her and shook his head helplessly, saying, "By saying that, you've already subconsciously considered Yamabuki to be a team on the same level as Rikkai!"

"Uh!"

Zhi was stunned for a moment.

It seems that's true.

Because she didn't seem to have any resistance to Inoue's words. Subconsciously, she thought that Yamabuki was comparable to Rikkai University.

"But...but weren't they the top four in last year's tournament?"

Zhi said subconsciously.

"It used to be before."

Inoue's gaze turned serious as he looked at Banta, who seemed to be in deep meditation: "This year's Yamabuki is far more complex than we imagined."

As he spoke, Inoue glanced at Shibukawa again. He had a strange feeling that this mysterious captain, Yamabuki, was even calmer than the over-seventy-year-old coach, Banta.

"Is it an illusion?"

Inoue shook his head, slowly gathering his thoughts.

at the same time.

Everyone's attention was focused on Akazawa and Mizuki.

Judging from the current situation, the relationship between the two is clearly not that simple. Akazawa, who had just appeared calm, now looked at Mizuki with a gaze that seemed to want to tear her apart.

really.

After the match began, Akazawa launched a fierce offensive. His momentum grew stronger and stronger, as if he wanted to vent all the anger he had accumulated over the past six months.

In response, Mizuki could only adopt a passive defensive stance.

He wasn't in a hurry; he simply used skillful force to deflect the opponent's attacks little by little.

"I have to say, you have indeed become much stronger."

At the end of the first game, Akazawa led 1-0, and the St. Rudolf players were ecstatic. But Mizuki just looked calmly at his old friend, then shook his head and said, "But if it's only this level, it proves that my decision back then was correct."

Swish!

immediately.

Guan Yue flicked the racket forward a few points as if twirling a sword, her gaze sharp as she looked at her opponent: "In this match, I'll show you the difference between us."

"Hmph, bring it on!"

Akazawa showed no weakness.

But in the subsequent match, he was completely contained by Mizuki. His opponent seemed to be able to predict his every move and firmly controlled the initiative in the match.

On the other hand, Akazawa became increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed.

His opponent pressed forward relentlessly, while he retreated step by step, his momentum waning. In a daze, Akazawa even had a sense of absurdity, as if an invisible pair of hands, bound with puppet strings, were constantly moving, directing the course of the match from above.

Akazawa tried to fight back, but it was all in vain.

"Is this all the power you have now... Mizuki!"

Watching Mizuki leap into the air and deliver a powerful smash, Akazawa stood frozen in place.

Bang!

next moment.

The powerful smash landed on the ground.

The referee's voice rang out from the high chair: "Match over! Yamabuki Junior High's Kanzuki wins, score 6-1!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene erupted in cheers.

Many passersby who didn't know Yamabuki also remembered the name of this team that won consecutive victories and crushed their opponents with overwhelming force.

Chapter 107 Quarterfinals, Yamabuki vs Fudomine

"I...lost..."

Akazawa lowered his head, his face full of dejection.

He had hoped to use this match to prove himself and also to show that Mizuki's choice was wrong. But reality cruelly slapped him in the face; Yamabuki won five consecutive matches, and all of them were complete routs.

Most importantly, the opponent's strongest players haven't even made a move yet. This includes the terrifying guy that Akazawa encountered outside the Yamabuki Tennis Club half a year ago.

Furthermore, according to Akazawa, the other party was only the number two person in Yamabuki.

In addition, there's Sengoku, who already had a considerable reputation, and the unfathomable Yamabuki, the department head.

The Yamabuki in front of him gave Akazawa a sense of oppression reminiscent of Hyotei or even Rikkai.

"You win, Mizuki."

Taking a deep breath, Akazawa looked up at his old friend.

Only he and Mizuki could understand the meaning of those words. Akazawa acknowledged that Mizuki had won, not just in this match, but also in the choice made six months ago.

St. Rudolph's fate has been decided: Round of 32! The same ranking as last year.

It's like a dilapidated, leaky sailboat that can barely row in calm waters. But if it encounters a storm, it will capsize in an instant.

In contrast, Yamabuki.

Not only are they full of talented people, but they also have extraordinary leaders. The energy they unleash when everyone works together far exceeds that of a typical top 4 team in a major tournament, making them comparable to first-class or even top-tier teams.

"It wasn't me who won."

Standing in front of the net, Mizuki shook his head and gestured to his opponent. Akazawa sighed, grasped his hand, and said, "A win is a win, that's just how it is."

"Perhaps."

Mizuki smiled noncommittally, then sighed softly, "Actually, I was just a little lucky."

As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the handsome, black-haired boy outside the stadium.

Without his opponent, his destiny might have been to lead St. Rudolph to victory after victory in the Metropolitan Tournament, only to face teams from Hyotei, Yamabuki, or Seigaku, and suffer a crushing defeat.

At this moment, even the extremely proud Mizuki felt a sense of relief.

...

"ended."

Outside the stadium, after hearing the referee announce that Yamabuki had advanced, Inoue remarked, "I thought St. Rudolf would at least get a win against Yamabuki. Now it seems I was too naive."

"St. Rudolph is actually not weak."

Shiba, standing next to him, shook his head and said, "It's just that Yamabuki is too strong. The two teams are not even in the same league."

"Yes."

Inoue nodded, then unconsciously clasped his hands together and rubbed them together, his eyes filled with anticipation: "This year's Metropolitan Tournament finals are sure to be very exciting!"

The strongest Seigaku in history.

Hyotei, a team with a long and rich history, has dominated the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament for many years.

And before us stands the Yamabuki, now a powerful force that has undergone reforms and whose strength is unparalleled.

In Inoue's view, these three teams were undoubtedly of national-level quality. He never expected to face them in the second stage of the league.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Inoue quickly reminded him, "Remember to bring a new roll of film after lunch. I have a feeling the afternoon's matches will be even more exciting!"