My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level.

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.

The smile vanished from Shibukawa's face as 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.

"Challenge 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 could say was, "As long as you're prepared to fail," before he stepped onto the court.

"of course."

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.

"Well."

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 stared at the boy in front of him, his face revealing no emotion, and said, "I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Senior, would you like to choose heads or tails?"

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."

Shechuan bent down to pick up the racket and said with a smile, "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 just 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!"

"It's 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 subconsciously said, "This guy is actually serious?"

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 be able to succeed as the department head."

"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.

"Ok?"

This perfectly timed shot immediately halted Uesugi's advance.

Is it 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-attack!"

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.

"Ok?"

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!"