Saeki Muneyoshi had no idea that when he went to see Tony Oki, Tony was actually discussing arrangements for the tournament with Ohashi Miku.
Two forms he had already filled out sat on the desk beside his computer.
[National Junior High School Tennis League—Regional Preliminary School Entry Form]
His name was also listed at the bottom of the form.
But his position wasn't where he had imagined it would be in the official matches.
He was a substitute!
As for Saeki Muneyoshi, he left the Tennis Club and headed to a club outside the school.
He wasn't going there to watch other people play or to do anything else.
He wanted to use the club's high-speed ball machines as opponents and try to fully master multi-ball rallies.
Multi-ball rallies were an effective way to train more deeply along the paths of the Shining Shot and the Asura Path.
They also greatly helped him master the Sweet Spot Hit Technique.
If Muneyoshi could return a barrage of balls using proper Sweet Spot Hit Technique,
then it would greatly improve his abilities.
Once he mastered the Sweet Spot Hit Technique, he'd be able to counter even exceptionally powerful players with ease.
At the same time, he'd be able to hit back with even greater force.
However, he couldn't practice this way alone.
Muneyoshi called over the coach he knew best at the club, Coach Yamada.
"Coach Yamada, could I trouble you for a moment?"
Coach Yamada was checking the club's equipment. Hearing Muneyoshi, he smiled and said, "Of course. What is it, Muneyoshi?"
Muneyoshi was a regular here, and Coach Yamada was very friendly toward the young man with such impressive skills.
"I'd like you to start up several ball machines for me and adjust their speed."
"So you want me to help you train? No problem, Muneyoshi. That's part of my job as a club coach."
Coach Yamada readily agreed and led Muneyoshi to a private training room at the very back.
The room wasn't large. Half a tennis court had been marked out inside, and three ball machines were mounted on the wall.
Muneyoshi took his racket out of his tennis bag, then walked onto the court and said to Coach Yamada, "Sorry for the trouble, Coach Yamada."
Seeing that Muneyoshi was ready, Coach Yamada asked, "How many machines do you need, Muneyoshi? What speed?"
"Let's try all three at once. For the speed, set them to 180 kilometers per hour to start."
Muneyoshi's request gave Coach Yamada a shock.
As someone qualified to work as a coach at a tennis club, he played tennis himself and knew the sport well.
So he knew exactly how fast 180 kilometers per hour was, especially when it came from a high-mounted ball machine.
A serve at that speed would be very dangerous for a first-year student like Muneyoshi.
If he wasn't careful, the ball could easily hit him. At that speed, it packed a tremendous punch. Getting hit was no joke.
As a professional coach, Yamada immediately objected. He couldn't stand by while a client attempted such dangerous training, so he offered a sensible alternative.
"Muneyoshi, I recommend starting at a lower speed and gradually increasing it as you get used to it. Starting with serves this fast, and from several machines at once, is far too reckless. It's dangerous!"
"It's fine, Coach Yamada. Just do what I said. I know my own limits, so don't worry."
Muneyoshi's insistence left Coach Yamada feeling helpless, but he couldn't very well refuse a client who was so determined.
What Coach Yamada didn't know was that Muneyoshi was already being cautious.
After all, quite a few players in the junior high tennis world could serve at 180 kilometers per hour, and it was even more common in high school.
Besides, Echizen Ryoma and Aoi Kintaro were the same age as him now.
Under Coach Mifune's training, they had mastered multi-ball rallies in a very short time.
And before that, they had never experienced Coach Mifune's outrageous training methods.
Saeki Muneyoshi, on the other hand, had started training in that same extreme manner, albeit in a simplified form, as soon as he began playing tennis.
Over the years, he had gradually increased the training volume he'd initially cut back.
So his foundation was no weaker than theirs would be after completing the hellish training at the back mountain. If anything, it was stronger.
Even if those two kids were the protagonists of this world and had incredible talent, Muneyoshi wasn't going to start with ten balls right away.
Three balls, five, seven, nine, ten!
That was the progression he had set for himself.
He would increase the number gradually, not all at once, so he didn't think he was being reckless.
"All right, then. But be extremely careful."
Seeing that he couldn't talk Muneyoshi out of it, Yamada had no choice but to agree.
"Don't worry, Coach Yamada."
Muneyoshi understood that Yamada meant well, but he had his reasons for sticking to his plan.
Yamada adjusted the speed of all three machines, gave Muneyoshi a signal, then slowly pressed the start button.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In an instant, three tennis balls shot out of the machines.
The balls fired from above turned into three streaks of yellow, trailing flashes of light as they hurtled toward Muneyoshi.
Muneyoshi's gaze sharpened as he locked onto the balls and pushed off with his feet.
With his mind intensely focused, his whole body was like a burning torch, and a wave of scorching air swept across the court.
He didn't wait for the balls to bounce. His feet blazing, he shot forward like an arrow.
Thwack! Thwack-thwack!
The sound of the racket striking the balls rang out three times, two of the strikes nearly blending into one. The balls that had been flying toward Muneyoshi were sent straight back.
All three returned on the first try!
A surge of joy welled up inside Muneyoshi. Years of training had paid off in that moment. Three-ball rallies were no challenge for him.
Coach Yamada, across the court, stared in stunned disbelief. He had never seen anyone play or train like that.
"Coach Yamada, keep them coming!"
But Muneyoshi didn't let himself get carried away. He urged Yamada to continue...
"Sorry for the trouble, Coach Yamada!"
After finishing another day of training in the club's practice room and working off his frustration, Muneyoshi turned to Yamada with an apologetic look.
Yamada was a coach at this tennis club, but because of Muneyoshi, he seemed to have become his personal coach. Muneyoshi felt a little bad about that.
The Tennis Club at Fudomine had no real atmosphere for training, and there was no one who could practice with him.
So aside from showing up at the Tennis Club once a week to check in,
he spent the rest of his time training at this club outside the school.
And Yamada was the coach in charge of practicing with him.
It wasn't an official private coaching arrangement, but things seemed to be heading in that direction.
That was one reason Muneyoshi was always so polite whenever they finished.
Before you continue