My Prince of Tennis has a high proficiency level.

However, he remained composed in his second match against a second-year opponent. He ultimately defeated his opponent 6-4, securing his first victory in the qualifying tournament.

"This kid is pretty good."

Outside the court, Uesugi looked at Shibukawa beside him and said, "As expected of you, you managed to discover two talented players in just a practice match."

"Let's leave aside Mizuki. As for Fuji Yuta, he can be developed into an offensive or counter-attacking type."

Yuta is agile and observant, making him very suitable for playing an offensive style of tennis. However, his beautiful half-volley, as well as his ability to launch a surprise attack after a defensive play, is also a strength.

"It's still early, I don't plan to make his playing style a thing of the past."

Shibukawa shook his head and said, "Compared to that, I would prefer that he and Muromachi form a bond. The motivation to become stronger by training alone is not as strong as the motivation for two people to compete with each other."

His idea was simple: it would be best to have Yuta and Muromachi form a competitive relationship like that of Momoshiro and Kaidou in the original work, a relationship of 'love-hate'.

Both players are quite talented, and Shibukawa could definitely develop them into Kanto-level players before the end of next season.

However, if Yuta and Muromachi can compete with each other and stimulate each other's growth, their future strength may not be inferior to the goofy duo from Seigaku.

"You think highly of him?"

Uesugi was somewhat surprised.

"of course."

Shibukawa chuckled, "He's the younger brother of that Seigaku genius..."

"Qing Xue Genius?"

Uesugi raised an eyebrow, then, as if realizing something, exclaimed in surprise, "That Fuji Syusuke?"

"Shh, keep your voice down."

Shibukawa lowered his voice and said with a smile, "That guy Yuta doesn't like hearing that name."

"Uh?"

Uesugi looked completely bewildered.

If he remembered correctly, Fuji Seigaku was a very famous tennis player in Tokyo. His tennis style was flamboyant, and his strength was unfathomable. From this spring until now, he hadn't heard of him losing to anyone in the main draw.

Uesugi shook his head and said, "You don't want to talk about having a brother like that? If it were me, I'd love for everyone to know that I have such an amazing brother."

"People have different personalities."

Shibukawa shook his head, looking at Yuta who, instead of resting after leaving the court, went to a secluded corner to practice swinging his racket. He said, "Young people often have a rebellious streak. They may not agree with something in their hearts, but if others say it too much, they will feel uncomfortable."

"but."

He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "For me, this might not be a bad opportunity."

"What opportunity?"

Uesugi looked over with some curiosity.

For some reason, he had a strange feeling. The boy in front of him was clearly younger than him, but he gave him an inexplicable sense of maturity, just like the first coach he had when he was learning tennis at the club.

"Simple stimulation is not enough for a person to become stronger."

Shechuan didn't keep them in suspense and immediately smiled and said, "But if there's a goal that's always hanging over your head as a symbol, constantly motivating you, the effect will be completely different."

"I understand."

A strange light flashed in Uesugi's eyes.

He had to admit that the other party's idea was ingenious. If they turned the tables and used Fuji Yuuta's rebellious nature, using Fuji Syusuke as a symbol to provoke him, then the kid would never slack off.

Thinking of this, he looked at Shibukawa with a newfound respect. As the club president, Shibukawa's understanding of people far surpassed his own; among all the people Uesugi knew, perhaps only Coach Banta could compare.

With the tennis club in the hands of someone like him, Uesugi was completely at ease.

In fact, Shibukawa had very high expectations for Yuta.

He was thinking further ahead. Eventually, after this group of players left Yamabuki, there would be a handover. He wanted to develop their potential as much as possible, and with Muromachi's assistance, ensure that Yamabuki wouldn't be left behind by other teams next year.

"The next match in Group A."

"Nobu Shibukawa versus Ryuichi Honda."

At this time.

Inside a stadium, the referee, seated on a high chair, spoke in a loud voice.

Swish!

The words fell.

Everyone's eyes immediately focused on a certain spot on the court, on a boy whose expression was clearly stiff.

It was Honda Ryuichi, the opponent he encountered during his first practice match with Shibukawa.

"It was bound to happen eventually."

Honda chuckled and walked onto the court with a rather nonchalant air. Now, he feels no shame whatsoever about the game he lost to Shibukawa; on the contrary, he often talks about it, making it a topic of conversation.

After all, the other party is currently the strongest being who controls the entire Yamabuki region.

Shibukawa was somewhat surprised to encounter Honda again. The roster was compiled by Mizuki based on the team members' performance over the past two days; although he had seen it, he hadn't taken Honda seriously.

"In that case..."

Thinking about meeting this destined person, Shechuan's recent thoughts came to mind.

"Why don't we use you to verify my idea?"

The match began quickly.

Honda acted cautiously, but surprisingly, Shibukawa did not launch an attack, but instead began to bounce up and down on the spot.

It wasn't until Honda served that Shibukawa started moving, taking a step forward half a beat early.

at the same time.

A message suddenly appeared before Shechuan's eyes.

[Complete one basic step]

[Stepping Experience +2]

[Current Shuffle Step Level: lv0 (2/10)]

Chapter 66 Skill Upgrade, Explosive Increase in Trait Quantity

"What's going on with Minister Shechuan?"

Many people were surprised to see Shechuan moving back and forth on the court, not deliberately attacking but focusing on defense.

Previously, most of them would have thought that Shibukawa had become arrogant after becoming a regular player. But now, all the team members unanimously believe that Shibukawa's actions must have a deeper meaning.

Shechuan didn't care about the reactions of the crowd. He knew very well that if he was weak, even if he was right, he would be wrong. But if he was strong enough, even if he made some basic mistakes, there would be great scholars to defend him.

"This is... the Shuffling Step?"

Unlike the ordinary team members, those with sharp eyes immediately recognized the footwork that Shechuan was using.

"After mastering physical foundations and ball skills, is he now starting to strengthen his footwork?"

Nan, Dongfang, and the others were filled with deep admiration.

It's clear that Shechuan wasn't getting carried away; rather, he was using the opportunity of the school's selection competition to strengthen his footwork practice.

Moreover, he wasn't just practicing; during the match, he also used his mastery of tennis to gradually put pressure on his opponent, Honda.

Excessive pressure would break Honda, given the vast difference in strength between the two sides. However, just the right amount of pressure can make the opponent feel the urgency and unconsciously unleash their potential.

therefore.

Some observant people also noticed that as the competition progressed, some of Honda's minor problems visibly disappeared, and its performance improved.

"Small, quick steps?"

Off the court, Uesugi couldn't help but remark, "As expected of him, every step he takes is so steady. Once he fully masters this footwork, he'll basically have no weaknesses."

"Ah."

Guan Yue chimed in, "The effect of shuffling steps is to adjust the distance between the player and the ball. Essentially, it's about using subtle footwork adjustments to achieve the best possible position."

Watching Shibukawa jump around, he paused for a moment, then continued, "The state of a person who uses the shuffling steps is that they are always in motion and always take the initiative. And if you practice the shuffling steps to a high level, you can even improve your balance."

Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts stirred slightly.

In the match a few days ago, when Shibukawa faced Akutsu, the latter's fierce offensive was essentially based on his superior balance.

It is precisely because of his exceptional balance that Akutsu maintains such high mobility. In particular, the scene of him sliding to meet an attack is simply breathtaking.

If Shibukawa also possessed a similar ability, combined with his already formidable strength, he would likely have a chance to defeat even a national-level expert.

Bang!

boom!

Bang!

boom!

on the field.

Despite Shibukawa's best efforts to hold back, Honda's offensive was still too much for him to handle. In less than 15 minutes, the latter was panting heavily and collapsed to the ground, completely disregarding his image.

"The match is over."

"Shibukawa Shinichi wins, score 6-0!"

"Huff...huff huff..."

Honda was breathing heavily.

Although the game only lasted 15 minutes and he didn't score a single point, he was exhausted both physically and mentally, and all he wanted to do was lie down and sleep, not care about anything else.

Despite the exhaustion, the game was very beneficial for him. Even without a direct test, Honda could feel that he had become stronger.

"pity......"

Honda sighed, lamenting that he was born at the wrong time.

If he had been born a year later, he believed that under Shibukawa's guidance, his skills would have improved dramatically. He could have even competed for a starting position.

Now, we can only place our hopes on these younger players. Hopefully, they can make Yamabuki a household name in next season.

"Senior, you did a good job."

When shaking hands with Honda at the net, Shibukawa smiled at Honda and then pointed out a few obvious problems: "You haven't trained your physical fitness enough, and your stance is not stable enough. Your left foot is obviously stronger than your right foot. With proper adjustments, your overall strength can be improved."

"I see."

Honda smiled and nodded, his face full of respect for Shibukawa: "Thank you for your guidance, Minister."

Shechuan smiled and nodded in response.

As the team's captain, his job is to treat everyone equally and provide a fair platform for all. In this situation, he will not discriminate between Honda, whose potential has been exhausted, and Yuta and Muromachi, who are rising stars.

Of course, the reason why the other party was also his practice partner in the match was also because of this.

In the previous match, under Honda's all-out attack, Shibukawa leveled up his [Short Step] skill by a full 3 levels. The skill upgrade increased his speed stat by 0.3 across the five dimensions.

Even according to the five-dimensional evaluation of post-U17 players, Shiche is now truly among the Kanto-level players.

In addition, his other abilities are also nearing the point of being upgraded. He only needs to fight one more match to significantly enhance his abilities once again.

Shechuan is not in a hurry.

After the match, he sat outside the field to rest and recover his strength. About half an hour later, the referee's voice rang out again.

"Next match in Group A."

"Shibukawa Shin to Uesugi Kenichi, please both sides be prepared."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene fell silent.

Everyone vividly remembered that the two had just fought last week. That match officially cemented Shibukawa's status within Yamabuki. Now, with their rematch, everyone remained very interested.

Putting aside the previous match, Honda couldn't even gauge Shibukawa's strength. They were also eager to know if the former captain, who had been undergoing rigorous training after his crushing defeat, could redeem himself and win even a single game.

Perhaps they were thinking the same thing. Uesugi's aura was quite strong when he appeared, even more so than when he was the captain.

Meanwhile, Shibukawa also planned to use the pressure from the other party to improve his new skills and upgrade his other abilities, to see what powerful new traits he could awaken.