Saeki vs. Saeki in Singles No. 3

"However, don't be too superstitious about rackets; ultimately, the competition will be a contest of individual skill."

Seeing that everyone from Fudomine had fallen silent because of his words, Muneyoshi awkwardly touched his nose. He had only meant to talk about the Rokkaku custom racket, but it seemed he had overstated it.

He could only continue, "The Rokkaku racket is both the strength and the limitation of the players. Using this specially designed racket makes their playing style more aggressive, but it also reduces their innovation."

"A bold and unrestrained playing style?"

The previously silent group's eyes lit up instantly, and they quickly looked towards the field. The two players from Rokkaku Middle School were indeed behaving very boldly.

"Hmm, you know what, it really does have a certain boldness..."

"However, this style... is not in line with the department's..."

"That's understandable. The minister also grew up in Chiba, so he's bound to be influenced."

"I see, does that mean everyone at Rokkaku Middle School is quite strong?"

"Forget it, let's watch the game. Kamio and Ishida can definitely hold them off!"

Seeing that this group of people seemed completely unaffected, and that their expressions changed almost instantly, Muneyoshi, who hadn't had much contact with his teammates for over a month, was somewhat surprised.

However, he didn't dwell on it, as long as they weren't scared.

"Wave Shot, go back!"

Seeing the powerful Wave Shot flying towards him again, Amene Hikaru's arm muscles bulged, and he charged forward with all his might, managing to hold on to his immense strength.

A pale yellow beam of light ripped through Fudomine's half of the field.

"Game score: Rokkaku Middle School Amene Hikaru scores, score 3-5."

"So you can even counter the third move of the Wave Shot now?"

"In that case, let's utterly crush you right here!"

After tossing the tennis ball high into the air, Ishida Tetsu swung his arm violently, his racket striking the falling ball with all his might.

Boom!

Another deafening roar rang out as the tennis ball left a deep mark on the Rokkaku half of the court before crashing into the iron net behind it.

"ACE, Fudomine Ishida Tetsu, 15-0."

"This guy actually used the Wave Shot serve at this moment!" Kuroba Harukaze's expression became even more serious.

Fudomine has reached match point; if they can't hold on, the match might really be over.

However, the match has been closely contested so far, especially with Kamio's tennis starting to take effect in the early games, giving Ishida Tetsu ample time to rest.

The power duo from Rokkaku Middle School still fell short in their strength contest against Ishida Tetsu.

Bang!

"Fudomine Junior High won this round, with a score of 6:3."

As Kamio Akira accumulated more and more competition experience, he also came to understand more and more when it was the optimal time to start exerting his strength.

Having come this far with Ishida, he had witnessed countless formidable doubles matches. He easily suppressed the nearly uncoordinated pair of Kuroba Harukaze and Amene Hikaru, securing the victory.

"We've really lost to you guys. We never expected to be completely outmatched in strength. We definitely won't lose again next time."

Although they lost the match, Kuroba Harukaze and Amene Hikaru's frustration was only momentary.

The men of the Rokkaku are known for their boldness and optimism; if they lose a game, they lose and don't dwell on it.

The defeats of Kuroba Harukaze and Amene Hikaru did not cause any ripples in the Old Man's heart.

With his skill level, he could naturally discern the current power gap between Fudomine and Rokkaku.

This was a match he couldn't win. All he could do was let the Rokkaku players and the fresh blood experience the level of the Kanto champions and the national level.

In the second doubles match, Fudomine's team naturally featured Keith and Lin Xiu, while Rokkaku Middle School fielded Kisarazu Ryo and Itsuki Kihiko.

Like his brother Kisarazu Atsushi of St. Rudolph, Kisarazu Ryo is also skilled in doubles, and their performance in this pair is even more impressive than the previous pair.

But they encountered Keith and Lin Xiu.

Fudomine's doubles Gemini.

"Damn it, just how much hidden strength do these two guys have?!"

Kisarazu Ryo ran continuously on the court, his sense of powerlessness growing stronger.

If we compare one's Insight and Itsuki Kihiko's spinless shot to the attack of small pebbles, then the tennis ball enveloped by the airflow from Keith's shot and Lin Xiu's Gleam Smash are like cannonballs with extremely strong penetrating power!

Faced with the opponent's relentless bombardment tactics, Kisarazu Ryo and his companion had no effective way to counter them.

Looking at Kisarazu Ryo and the other two in the arena, Saeki Kojiro and the others also had extremely bitter expressions on their faces.

This is a gap in hard power, which cannot be bridged overnight.

Moreover, even if the rest of the team were to be replaced, apart from Saeki who could somewhat resist such a ferocious attack, the others would be no match.

Unbeknownst to them, this was actually what Saeki Muneyoshi had emphasized yesterday: if they lost, the rest of the matches would be postponed. Therefore, once they took to the field, they went all out.

If it's a normal game, the difference in skill level is still significant, but at least it will look better.

"Kojiro!" Rokkaku Old Man said tremblingly, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Old Man!"

"I request a pause in the match! I have something to say to those two brats, Ryo and Shu!" Rokkaku Old Man said slowly.

"Yes, Old Man!" Saeki Kojiro quickly signaled to the referee, requesting a pause in the match.

"Liang, Shu, your hearts are in turmoil!"

"They are indeed much stronger than you, but that's no excuse for your declining performance. You're in doubles, so you need to utilize your understanding of doubles effectively while also learning from your opponents!"

"Calm down! Don't let external factors distract you! I believe you can do even better."

Rokkaku Old Man spoke slowly, but his words had a calming power.

"Yes, Old Man!" Kisarazu Ryo and the other replied in deep voices.

The game continues.

After returning to the arena, Kisarazu Ryo's previously anxious heart calmed down, and he kept his eyes fixed on Kissling and the other person in front of him.

In the subsequent games, their performance improved significantly, and they even had several opportunities to catch up.

Both Kisarazu Ryo's net volleys and Itsuki Kihiko's no-spin shots left a deep impression on the audience.

However, the difference in strength was still too great. They were facing a doubles pair of National Level quality under Muneyoshi's evaluation standards, the Fudomine Gemini.

Therefore, they were quickly defeated.

"Game 1, doubles match, won by Fudomine, score 6-0."

"How could this be!"

Among the Rokkaku's supporters, a large group of children who looked like elementary school students stared in disbelief.

They are the future driving force of Rokkaku.

Rokkaku Middle School is the dominant school in Chiba, and they have witnessed Rokkaku Middle School's victories all along. They never expected that Rokkaku Middle School would suffer such a crushing defeat against Fudomine in the National Tournament held in Chiba this time.

"Wow, Fudomine really strong..."

Among the Rokkaku Middle School team, Saeki Kojiro, who had just returned from warming up, shook his head helplessly, even though he had been mentally prepared.

But when actually facing him, I still felt the terrifying oppressive force of Fudomine.

This is the team that Muneyoshi built.

Looking towards the Fudomine contestants' area, Saeki Kojiro's eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

"Old Man, I'm going!"

Kojiro bowed to his Old Man, then stepped onto the court carrying his racket.

"My opponent should be Tachibana Kippei."

Rokkaku Middle School had naturally collected information on Fudomine. Saeki Kojiro knew that whenever Tachibana Kippei went to singles, Fudomine's number three singles player would almost always be Tachibana Kippei.

"Ooh ooh ooh!"

Just as he was waiting for his opponent to enter the game, a scream suddenly came from outside the arena.

"What!"

Saeki Kojiro looked toward the Fudomine camp and saw a man with slightly lighter skin, a bit taller, and a more muscular build than him, who looked like a larger version of him, walk onto the field.

"Muneyoshi!"

Saeki Muneyoshi had already taken off his jacket, took the racket handed to him by Tachibana Kippei, and stepped onto the court.

Fudomine's captain, Saeki Muneyoshi, made his appearance in the third singles match.

When Muneyoshi saw Munehiko appear, Kojiro was first startled, then overjoyed.

What he had been hoping for had finally happened.

"The singles match number three is about to begin, featuring Rokkaku Middle School's Saeki Kojiro against Fudomine Junior High's Saeki Muneyoshi. Both players, please come forward."

P. S.: "Please vote with monthly tickets! This is a brotherly duel, and I'll only write it once."