Night had fallen.
Downstairs at the hotel where Shitenhoji was staying, just as the team was about to file a missing person report, Coach Watanabe got a call from Hyotei.
"Coach, what's the deal?"
As soon as he hung up, Shiraishi and the others crowded around, anxious for news.
"Kintaro's at Hyotei," Watanabe said, rubbing his temples. "He's fine. The only issue, according to Hyotei's coach, is that he's… hungry."
"Uh…"
The team froze for a moment before bursting into wry smiles.
Kenya Oshitari shook his head. "Yup, that's classic Kintaro."
His quip broke the tension, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
"As long as he's found, that's what matters," Shiraishi said with a nod. "Coach, why don't we go pick Kin-chan up? None of us have eaten yet, and he's probably starving."
"No need," Watanabe replied, shaking his head. "That kid already ate at Hyotei's cafeteria."
"Hyotei's cafeteria?" A bespectacled, bald teammate, Hikaru Zaizen, stroked his chin thoughtfully. "From what I've heard, thanks to Atobe's no-expense-spared investments, the food there rivals a five-star restaurant."
"Lucky Kintaro," someone muttered.
The others shot envious looks.
*Gurgle…*
Someone's stomach growled, setting off a chain reaction as everyone's bellies chimed in.
"Alright, let's go," Watanabe said, adjusting his hat with a grin. "Time to fill our stomachs too."
With that, he led the team to a ramen shop next to the beef hotpot place near the hotel.
---
**Hyotei Academy, Tennis Club Cafeteria**
The dining hall was packed, but no one was eating. Instead, they stared, dumbfounded, at the red-haired boy wolfing down food while a mountain of empty bowls piled up beside him.
*Gulp.*
Hiyoshi swallowed hard. Now he understood why, despite Kintaro's scrawny frame, the kid had monstrous stamina and strength.
"This guy…"
Even Ishikawa was floored by Kintaro's appetite.
If he hadn't been certain he'd crossed into the *Prince of Tennis* world, Ishikawa might've wondered if he'd stumbled into the wrong show. Was this redheaded kid secretly packing Saiyan DNA?
"Coach," Yueji asked curiously from nearby, "what do we do with him?"
Kintaro was a Shitenhoji player, and as their opponent for tomorrow's match, Hyotei was in a tricky spot.
On this point, Coach Sakaki Tarou, Atobe, and the others agreed with Ishikawa's approach: avoid letting Kintaro play anyone before the official match.
Not because Hyotei was scared.
They were worried that if Ishikawa faced him now, Kintaro might not be able to compete tomorrow.
There was precedent for this.
Hiyoshi, for instance, was eating with his left hand because his right—after a match with Kintaro earlier—had a swollen palm from the sheer force.
Initial diagnosis? At least three days to recover fully.
In a way, Hyotei was the one at a disadvantage. But their bench was deep, and Hiyoshi wasn't slated to play against Shitenhoji tomorrow anyway.
"I've arranged a temporary dorm room with the school," Sakaki said. "Tomorrow, we'll send him back to Shitenhoji's camp and make sure nothing goes wrong."
Hyotei wanted to win fair and square, with no excuses.
They didn't want anyone saying they beat Kansai's team because Shitenhoji's star rookie got sidelined at Hyotei.
"I'm full!!!"
Kintaro set down his chopsticks, stretching with a satisfied yawn. "Man, you guys at Hyotei have *amazing* food!"
"What's that?" Hiyoshi teased with a smirk. "You thinking about joining us, Kintaro? See that guy with glasses over there? He's from Osaka too."
"Oh?" Kintaro's curiosity piqued, and he glanced at Oshitari.
Meanwhile, the other Hyotei players were sizing him up.
Kintaro Toyama was strong—no question about it. Even players like Oshitari or Shishido, solid singles competitors, wouldn't claim they could overpower Hiyoshi in such a short time.
Especially since Hiyoshi had recently mastered his *Gekokujou* tennis style, perfecting techniques like *Shukuchihou* and *Shishin Enbu: Byakko*.
Yet Kintaro had crushed him in under five minutes. Among first-years, his talent was second only to Ishikawa—maybe even surpassing Seigaku's Echizen.
If a player like that joined Hyotei, the team would dominate the National Tournament for the next three years, no weaknesses.
Even Atobe cast an intrigued glance his way.
If Kintaro agreed, Atobe could have him enrolled at Hyotei by the end of summer.
"Nah, I'm good," Kintaro said with a laugh, brushing off Hiyoshi's playful jab. "The food here's *too* good. I'd eat so much I'd mess up my training."
His words were light, but everyone caught the hint: he had no interest in transferring.
"Ishikawa!"
Kintaro suddenly hopped to his feet, his earlier goofy demeanor gone. His eyes sharpened as he locked onto Ishikawa. "How about it? Ready to take me on now?"
He was full, energized, and ready to unleash his full strength. If they rematched, Hiyoshi would go down even faster.
"I'm up for a match," Ishikawa said with a calm smile. "But it'll have to wait for tomorrow's official game. Don't worry—I'll be waiting for you in Singles 1."
"No way!" Kintaro shook his head, pouting like a kid. "I wanna play you *now*!!"
"Well, that's too bad," Ishikawa sighed. Under the stunned gazes of everyone around, he slowly raised his right hand and began unwrapping his bandage. "Guess I'll have to apologize to Coach Watanabe and Captain Shiraishi tomorrow."
"P-Poison Hand?!"
Kintaro's eyes widened in panic, and he dove behind Hiyoshi for cover.
"S-Sorry, my bad!" he stammered, trembling. "Tomorrow! Tomorrow's fine! I'll be in Singles 1 too!"
"Deal," Ishikawa said with a nod, calmly rewrapping the bandage.
Kintaro, still shaken, kept his distance, wandering around Hyotei's cafeteria like a spooked cat.
"I'm curious," Sakaki said with a chuckle. "How'd you scare him like that?"
"It's a trick from Shitenhoji's captain, Shiraishi," Ishikawa explained, smiling as he secured the bandage. "He knows Kintaro's terrified of ghost stories and monster tales, so he wraps his wrist in white bandages and calls it a 'Poison Hand.' Says if the bandage comes off completely, it'll kill anyone who's seen it."
"Clever," Oshitari said with a nod. "No wonder I always see Shitenhoji's captain with those white bandages on his hand."
He held a healthy respect for Shiraishi.
From what he knew, Shiraishi had never lost a match in Shitenhoji's internal records. And since last spring, he'd been their captain.
That was no small feat.
Unlike Hyotei, Shitenhoji's tennis club back then had a formidable third-year senior. For Shiraishi to claim the captaincy from someone like that spoke volumes about his strength.
"Let's leave it at that for now," Sakaki said, standing up. "Everyone, rest up for tomorrow's match. Kintaro, come with me—I'll show you where you're staying tonight."
With that, the team began to disperse.
Ishikawa, as usual, did some post-dinner warm-ups, practiced ancient martial arts, and finished with yoga meditation before turning in.
The night passed quietly.
---
The next day, the Hyotei team, Kintaro included, boarded a bus to the ARENA tennis courts.
After getting off, Ishikawa escorted Kintaro back to Shitenhoji's camp.
"Thanks for the help, Ishikawa-kun," Shiraishi said, nodding gratefully.
"No trouble at all," Ishikawa replied with a smile. "Here's to a great match today between our schools."
"Absolutely," Shiraishi agreed.
Ishikawa turned and left.
"What a guy," Kenya Oshitari remarked, watching Ishikawa's retreating figure. "Hard to believe he's just a first-year, already the core of Hyotei."
"Yeah," Shiraishi said with a sigh. "With him on their roster, Hyotei's scarier than ever this year."
Originally, Shiraishi had planned for Shitenhoji to face powerhouses like Hyotei or Rikkai Dai in the semifinals.
But the draw hadn't been kind.
They were up against one of the top championship contenders in the quarterfinals.
No doubt about it—this match was going to be a brutal fight for Shitenhoji.
"Everyone ready?"
Coach Watanabe, chewing on a blade of grass, glanced at his team with a grin. "Treat every match from here on out like it's the finals. Our opponents are tough, but we're stronger than we've ever been!"
At his words, Shiraishi, Chitose, and the others steeled their gazes with determination.
When the path narrows, the brave prevail.
And Shitenhoji would be the ones standing tall in the end!
---
Moments later, at the quarterfinal court for Hyotei vs. Shitenhoji…
"The third-round match is about to begin."
"Tokyo's Hyotei Gakuen vs. Osaka's Shitenhoji Middle School."
"Will both teams' players please take the court."
As the announcement echoed, the seven representatives from each team, led by their captains, stepped onto the court.
"Hyotei and Shitenhoji, huh?"
Outside the chain-link fence, Inoue from *Tennis Monthly* mused. "Kanto vs. Kansai, a clash of titans. Every matchup in this game is gonna be a dragon-and-tiger brawl!"
"Totally," Shiba nodded. "Both captains have this incredible presence. Atobe's a given, but Shiraishi's got this calm, steady vibe too. No surprise he's the captain of Kansai's strongest team!"
By comparison, Higa's captain, Kite—despite leading his team to dominate the Kyushu tournament—lacked the same charisma and poise as these two.
"I'm dying to know if those two will face off," Inoue said.
"Probably not," Shiba replied, shaking his head. "Atobe's likely playing Singles 2, while Shitenhoji's captain, if I had to guess, is their ace in Singles 1."
Originally, without Ishikawa in the picture, Atobe and Shiraishi might've clashed in Singles 1 for an epic captain vs. captain showdown.
But now, Ishikawa had taken over as Hyotei's core, making that matchup impossible.
It was a shame, no doubt, adding a touch of regret to this high-stakes game.
Just then, the loudspeaker crackled to life:
"The Singles 3 match is about to begin."
"Hyotei Gakuen's Keigo Atobe vs. Shitenhoji Middle School's Kuranosuke Shiraishi."
"Players, please prepare!"
*Whoa!!!*
The crowd erupted in shock.
"What?!"
Even Inoue was stunned.
He stared, incredulous, at the two boys on opposite sides of the court—shaking hands at the net moments ago, now gripping their rackets. "They're facing off right from the start?!"
---
*Author's Note: I messed up earlier— My bad! Also, some readers pointed out issues in several chapters. I'm planning to compile them and fix everything at once when I can