"Huh?"
The blond pompadour-haired teenager, Sasabe, sneered as he saw Shinjo not only stand his ground but also raise his racket in defiance. "Well, well, a mere middle schooler dares to disrespect me, Sasabe-sama!"
With that, he pulled out his racket and said with a cold laugh, "Let's go. I'll show you what happens when you talk back to Sasabe-sama!"
Immediately, the two headed to an empty court nearby. Other high schoolers who noticed the commotion followed them.
"Reiji?"
At that moment, Coach Hanamura from Seigaku arrived, just in time to see Shinjo and Sasabe entering the court.
"Oh no!"
She immediately realized the gravity of the situation. This area was part of the high school tournament grounds, not the middle school section. Shinjo had been dragged into a high schooler's match.
Unfortunately, Shinjo had completely lost his cool. Provoked by Sasabe's taunts, he had already stepped onto the court.
"Hey, kid," Sasabe sneered from across the net. "Don't say I didn't give you a chance. Serve already, so I can finish you off quickly!"
"Hmph."
Shinjo's eyes flashed coldly as he saw Sasabe's impatient expression. Without hesitation, he crossed his arms in front of him, preparing his signature move.
"Tch, what's with the fancy pose?" Sasabe scoffed. "You think that's going to scare me?"
*Whoosh!*
Shinjo tossed the ball into the air. Then, with a burst of power, he unleashed his *Tear Shot*, channeling all his strength into the serve.
*Bang!*
The ball shot forward with incredible speed and spin.
"What?!"
Sasabe's expression changed. As a participant in the Kanto Tournament, he was no slouch. But this serve was too fast. Before he could react, the ball had already landed on the court.
*Thud!*
The ball bounced up sharply, spinning fiercely toward Sasabe's face. Panicking, he twisted his head to avoid it, but the ball still grazed his cheek, leaving a stinging pain.
"Well?" Shinjo said coldly, a hint of disdain in his voice. "Is this all a high schooler can do?"
The surrounding high schoolers gasped, their expressions shifting as they realized Shinjo wasn't an ordinary middle schooler.
"You... you brat!" Sasabe's face twisted in anger. He hadn't expected Shinjo's serve to be so ferocious. It was even more powerful than the serves of his friend, Matsudaira Chikao, who was also competing in the Kanto Tournament.
"Again!" Sasabe gritted his teeth, preparing to receive the next serve.
*Bang!*
Shinjo's second *Tear Shot* struck Sasabe again, this time leaving a mark on his right cheek.
"30-0!" Shinjo announced, his cold eyes now filled with mockery. "So this is what high schoolers are capable of? Pathetic."
"You—!" Sasabe's face turned pale. Shinjo's serves were too brutal, and the fear of being hit again was starting to take hold.
But with the crowd growing larger, Sasabe couldn't back down now. Over the next ten minutes, Shinjo dominated the match, relentlessly pummeling Sasabe with his *Tear Shot*. By the end, Sasabe was covered in bruises, his body aching from the relentless attacks.
"I... I..." Sasabe's hand trembled as he held the ball. The match was one point away from ending, but he was too terrified to continue. Shinjo's ruthless playstyle and unpredictable shots had left him battered and broken.
The only reason Sasabe hadn't quit yet was his pride. He didn't want to be seen as a coward in front of so many people.
"Well?" Shinjo sneered. "Are you going to forfeit, *senpai*?"
"You... you damn brat!" Sasabe's anger flared, but he was too scared to even serve. His hand refused to cooperate, frozen by fear.
"How boring," Shinjo said, shaking his head. "If you can't even serve, just give up. Wasting my time like this is pointless."
By now, Shinjo's confidence had returned. The humiliation he'd suffered at the hands of Ishikawa had been washed away by his dominance over Sasabe. He even began to wonder how far he could go in the high school circuit.
"Fine," Shinjo said, seeing Sasabe's hesitation. "This match is over."
"W-wait!" Sasabe protested, but Shinjo had already turned to leave.
*Bang!*
Suddenly, Sasabe, desperate and humiliated, launched a surprise serve aimed directly at Shinjo's body.
"Look out!" Coach Hanamura shouted in alarm.
"Hmph!"
Shinjo reacted instantly. Enraged, he unleashed a full-power *Tear Shot*, sending the ball straight into Sasabe's face.
*Thud!*
Sasabe collapsed, a trickle of blood staining the court.
"S-Sasabe?!" The surrounding high schoolers gasped, rushing to check on him. Thankfully, it was just a nosebleed from the impact.
"Reiji!" Coach Hanamura hurried over, her expression serious. "We need to leave. This is the high school tournament area."
"I... Coach Hanamura..." Shinjo hesitated, still struggling with his emotions. As her "finest creation," he couldn't accept being utterly crushed by a first-year like Ishikawa.
But as he glanced at the unconscious Sasabe and the murmuring crowd, Shinjo nodded. "Alright, let's go."
"Leaving?!" A cold voice interrupted. "You middle school brats come to our turf, cause trouble, and think you can just walk away? You've got some nerve."
Everyone turned to see a high schooler with an egg-shaped head and a tuft of yellow hair walking toward them.
"S-Senpai Matsudaira!" The high schoolers immediately rallied around him, relieved to see their senior.
"Hey, Sasabe, you okay?" Matsudaira asked, glancing at his fallen friend.
Next to Matsudaira, a young man wearing a green beret rushed over and vigorously shook Sasaoki awake.
"Matsudaira, you're here."
Seeing his friend, Sasaoki finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glared fiercely in Jinjou's direction, gritting his teeth as he said, "You... you have to avenge me!"
"Don't worry, leave it to me."
Matsudaira Chiyo nodded solemnly.
"Chiyo."
But at that moment, the young man with a tuft of yellow hair shook his head. "Don't act impulsively. You're no match for this guy."
Matsudaira Chihiko.
A high schooler who had just advanced from the first round of the Kanto Tournament.
His skills were formidable, and he was a strong contender for the quarterfinals, if not the semifinals. In terms of ability, he was far beyond a second-rate player like Sasaoki.
"Hmm."
Jinjou also felt a hint of pressure upon seeing him.
But now, he was in a tough spot. Surrounded by so many high schoolers, it would be difficult for him to leave unscathed.
"Reiji."
Noticing the change in her player's expression, Hanamura felt a pang of worry.
"It's fine, Coach."
Jinjou, however, was brimming with confidence. "I've seen what high schoolers can do. If they want a fight, I'll give them one!"
"Good spirit."
Matsudaira Chihiko nodded approvingly. "Even though you're just a middle schooler, I admire your guts. I'll give you three points to start."
With that, he tucked his racket under his arm and stepped onto the court with a smile.
"One game to decide it."
Matsudaira grinned. "I'll give you three points. If you can win a game from me, I'll let you leave freely. And from then on, you can come and go from this court as you please."
"Deal!"
Jinjou nodded firmly. "But I don't need you to give me three points. Let's start."
*Thwack!*
He served the ball.
*Whoosh!*
But Matsudaira didn't even budge, standing perfectly still as if he hadn't seen the ball.
"This guy!!"
Jinjou frowned at his opponent's arrogance. "If you're going to be this cocky, let's see how you handle this one."
*Thwack!*
This time, he added a topspin to his Tornado Strike, causing the ball to shoot straight toward Matsudaira's head after bouncing.
*Swish!*
Matsudaira tilted his head back slightly, effortlessly dodging the ball.
"Second point."
He spoke, still smiling.
"This..."
Outside the court, Hanamura's expression shifted.
She could sense that Jinjou's opponent was on a completely different level. This guy was strong—his reflexes and speed were exceptional.
*Thwack!*
Jinjou accelerated his serve.
This time, the ball was significantly faster, but Matsudaira dodged it just as easily.
"Alright, three points done."
Matsudaira picked up his racket and said seriously, "From now on, if you can score even one more point against me, I'll walk away."
"Hmph!"
Jinjou snorted and unleashed his Tornado Strike again, this time with full power.
*Thwack!*
The ball bounced sharply after landing.
As expected, Matsudaira didn't move. Just as the ball was about to hit him in the face, he swung his racket.
*Crack!*
With a crisp sound, Jinjou's signature move was effortlessly countered.
"H-how?!"
Hanamura's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected Matsudaira to react so quickly. Jinjou narrowed his eyes, realizing he hadn't even been able to follow his opponent's movements.
*Thud! Thud!*
Immediately, he dashed forward, chasing the ball and slamming it back with all his might.
*Tap!*
But Matsudaira gently pushed the ball with his racket, executing a perfect drop shot. As Jinjou rushed to the net, Matsudaira didn't hesitate to smash the ball past him.
"40-15!"
"Ugh..."
Jinjou's expression darkened as he stared at the mark left by the smash.
It was too fast. Despite giving it his all, he couldn't keep up with Matsudaira's speed. The pressure was overwhelming.
"Is this all you've got?"
Matsudaira shook his head inwardly.
From there, he launched a series of rapid attacks, using his superior reflexes and technique to keep Jinjou pinned to the baseline.
Point after point.
Game after game.
The match was clearly tilting in Matsudaira's favor.
In the blink of an eye, Matsudaira not only caught up but also secured the decisive point. As he forced Jinjou to scramble from side to side, he set up another drop shot to lure him to the net.
*Swish!*
Suddenly, Matsudaira leaped into the air, his cold gaze fixed on Jinjou. "Listen up, middle school brat. Remember this: a place like this isn't for someone like you."
*Bang!*
With that, he unleashed a powerful smash aimed straight at Jinjou's head.
"Ugh..."
Jinjou's heart raced as he saw the ball hurtling toward him. The confidence he'd built after defeating Sasaoki had completely evaporated.
He was too strong!
The high schooler's strength loomed like an insurmountable mountain.
Jinjou closed his eyes, bracing for the impact.
*Crack!*
But just as the smash was about to hit him, a loud explosion sounded right in front of him.
"Huh?"
Jinjou instinctively opened his eyes and saw that Matsudaira's smash had been deflected to the side.
At his feet, another tennis ball rolled gently.
"Who's there?!"
Matsudaira, having landed, immediately turned to look in the direction the ball had come from.
"What... what just happened?"
Hanamura, who had been on edge moments ago, looked around in confusion. She had no idea what had just occurred.
For a moment, she had been certain Jinjou was about to be hit in the head by that smash!
"Playing is fine, but there's no need for malicious behavior, right?"
A calm, youthful voice rang out.
*Swish!*
Everyone turned to see a black-haired boy in a grayish-white jacket, carrying a tennis bag, walking toward the court with a smile. His eyes locked onto Matsudaira. "Besides, who said middle schoolers aren't allowed here?"
It's him?!
When Jinjou and Hanamura saw Ishikawa, their faces filled with disbelief.
(End of Chapter)