The Team of Kings (Five Updates)

The next day.

The Tokyo Metropolis Kanto Tournament finals saw an even larger turnout at Ariake Tennis Forest Park.

The final victor in the Kanto region will be decided between the Hyotei Academy and Rikkai Dai.

Early in the morning, the Regular of Seigaku had already gathered at the park.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, Yamato Yūdai, Fuji Shusuke, Akutsu Jin, Inui Sadaharu, Oishi, Kikumaru, Kawamura...

"There are so many people in the finals... Oishi, if we hadn't lost to the Hyotei Academy, would we be Seigaku here right now?"

Looking at the tennis court completely surrounded, Kikumaru said with resentment.

Their match against the Hyotei Academy fully exposed their weaknesses in doubles, and even the naturally optimistic Kikumaru was holding his breath.

"It will happen. If it doesn't work this time, we'll try again next time. Besides, we still have the National Tournament to prepare for."

Tezuka's eyes flashed, and he said with certainty.

Seeing his resolute back, the others were all convinced.

Tezuka, walking at the front, lightly clasped his hands. He had now achieved Yamato Yūdai's goal and entered the National Tournament.

The next question is whether he himself can lead Seigaku to the top of an even higher peak.

The venue for the Kanto Tournament was already packed with people as the competition time approached.

The final of the Kanto Tournament was considered by many to be a competition of some caliber.

This has attracted many tennis enthusiasts and tennis journalists.

These people gathered together and began predicting who would win this year's championship.

Who do you think will be the champion of this year's Kanto Tournament?

"Of course it's Hyotei Academy. Rikkai Dai Affiliated Middle School has too many first-year students. Although they are indeed very strong, this is the finals, and Hyotei Academy is no slouch either."

"Yes, experience is most crucial in the final moments of a major competition, and I think Rikkai Dai might be in a bit of a predicament."

"Hmph, what are you talking about? Rikkai Dai has never lost a single game since the beginning. Hyotei Academy? They're nowhere near as good."

As the topic was brought up, everyone began to whisper among themselves.

People love a good show; gossip is always a popular topic of conversation.

"The champions of the Kanto Tournament and even the subsequent National Tournament all belong to Rikkai Dai; everyone else will only become our defeated opponents."

Just then, a group of people wearing matching yellow uniforms appeared, and the leader's cold voice drowned out all the discussion.

"Um?"

The group of people who were discussing the matter were startled, unsure whether it was because the group's appearance was too sudden or because their aura was too imposing.

The speaker was none other than Rikkai Dai- captain, Sanada Genichirou.

One of the teams in the finals, Rikkai Dai.

Arrive!

"Ma... Sanada!"

Sanada Genichirou's serious and domineering words immediately frightened these people into stuttering.

"Hmm? Sanada, you're making such a blatant declaration that you don't take me seriously, huh? Hmph~"

Just as the situation reached a stalemate, a somewhat frivolous voice rang out, offsetting Sanada's imposing aura, diverting everyone's attention, and rescuing those who had been suppressed by him.

When they saw who it was, they immediately understood: Hyotei Academy Atobe Keigo had also arrived.

"Atobe, Hyotei Academy is no match for us. Rikkai Dai came here to win."

Sanada looked at Atobe and said seriously.

"So confident? Sanada, you'll definitely kneel before my magnificent ball skills."

Atobe approached Sanada, their eyes met, and then Atobe turned his gaze to Yukimura Seiichi before extending his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Atobe Keigo, captain of the Hyotei Academy Tennis Club."

"Heh, Yukimura Seiichi, captain of Rikkai Dai's Tennis Club."

Hands clasped; the battle of wits had begun.

"See you on the court! Hopefully, Hyotei Academy can bring us some surprises..."

After shaking hands, they let go, and as Yukimura led the group away, he said one last thing.

"Ah, Child of God, Yukimura Seiichi..."

With the rise of Rikkai Dai, Yukimura Seiichi's terrifying tennis, and the tennis that deprives people of their five senses, gradually became known. It was at this time that the title of "Child of God" began to resound.

Atobe disagreed with this and led the Hyotei Academy Regular into his rest area.

After the referee verified the information and personnel, the match started on time.

"Now, the final round of this Kanto Tournament will begin."

"Hyotei Academy from Tokyo Metropolis vs. Rikkai Dai High School from Kanagawa Prefecture."

As soon as the announcement from the stadium ended, deafening cheers and shouts of encouragement erupted from the sidelines.

"Hyotei Academy! Hyotei Academy won!"

"Rikkai Dai, the ever-victorious one, hey!"

The rhythmic cheers of the two teams rose and fell, and the entire stadium seemed to tremble in a huge wave of sound.

"This... is outrageous!"

Yamabuki Sengoku brought his team here, and couldn't help but gasp in amazement at the sheer scale of the support.

Such momentum and teamwork are truly unmatched by other schools.

This is the foundation of a long-established powerhouse.

"That's really strong..."

On the other side, even the Seigaku members watching from the sidelines felt this invisible aura.

"Next, the doubles match number two will begin."

"Hyotei Academy's Anahira Ryo and Taki Oginosuke will face Rikkai Dai High School's Mitsuya Akito and Yanagi Renji."

"Both players enter the arena."

Hyotei Academy's doubles team has changed their lineup again...

Having finished warming up, Mitsuya stood up, took off his outer uniform, glanced at the two people facing him, and his eyes gleamed.

According to the information he collected, in the dozen or so matches from the regional preliminaries to the Kanto finals, Hyotei Academy 'Hyotei Academy doubles pair was usually Anahira Ryo paired with Mukahi Gakuto.

Unexpectedly, they changed their formation in the very first game of the finals?

Mitsuya took a deep look at the man in the luxurious burgundy suit on the Hyotei Academy coaching bench.

"Is this a special tactic by the Hyotei Academy, or were they just covering for us?"

Mitsuya pushed up his glasses; deeply involved in the data field, he was wary of all changes.

"Or perhaps Hyotei Academy is going all out, preparing for a risky move?"

"Unfortunately, we haven't collected enough information; both the main players and the coach of the Hyotei Academy are newcomers."

Mitsuya was somewhat helpless about this; there were just too many outstanding first-year students this year.

Although he hadn't collected much data, he wasn't panicked, especially since he was paired with Yanagi Renji, whom he had personally trained...

"Let's go, Renji. This should be the last time I teach you. Remember to watch carefully and understand it thoroughly."

"Yes, Akito- nii!"

Swish!

Mitsuya deliberately lobbed the tennis ball Lob, sending it spinning in the air before Mitsuya, poised to unleash a powerful Anahira Ryo.

Bang!

A beam of yellow light streaked across the half-court, heading straight for the right-angle corner of Yanagi Renji's serve line.

"Renji, remember to make good use of the data I gave you!"

"A tempting Lob, 98% chance of the opponent smashing it, tennis ball speed 193 m/s, deflected 23 degrees to the left, with slight horizontal spin..."

The instant Anahira Ryo his move, the parameters of the tennis ball were fed back from the other side into Yanagi Renji's mind.

With the data model that Mitsuya had prepared for him in advance, the next move of the two members of the Hyotei Academy was no secret to him.

Tap tap...

With steady steps, Yanagi Renji appeared precisely at the landing point of the tennis ball.

Bang!

He blocked what appeared to be an incredibly fast smash.

At the same time, his gaze kept sweeping over the two people opposite him.

"The return shot goes to the left, there's a 75% chance it won't score, Anahira Ryo's amazing explosiveness will allow him to catch up with this shot."

Then, with the net facing down, he skillfully sliced the ball into the backcourt, slightly to the left of Anahira Ryo.

Just as he had predicted, Anahira Ryo caught up with the ball and successfully returned it again.

"However, given the height of this ball, Akito's probability of successfully smashing it is 86% and 98% respectively."

Yanagi Renji watched the tennis ball fly across the center line again, calling out softly.

"Akito- san!"

"Bang!"

Mitsuya leaps high at the net and delivers a powerful smash, scoring instantly.

"Game, Rikkai Dai, 3-2."

Tread!

With a violent forward Anahira Ryo made no attempt to stop himself; his body had completely lost its balance, yet he still managed to intercept.

Bang!

The tennis ball flew through the air, heading towards an undefended corner on the other side.

However, the tennis ball... before it even hit the ground.

"The probability of catching up and scoring a cross-court shot is 90%, and the probability of scoring on a return shot is 100%."

Bang!

Mitsuya's figure appeared here at some unknown time, and as soon as he finished speaking, a vertical racket accurately intercepted his shot.

Whoosh!

A superb interception and smash sent the tennis ball plummeting across the Hyotei Academy before bouncing high into the air and flying off the court.

"Game, Rikkai Dai wins, score 6-2."

"Smack!"

Mitsuya and Yanagi Renji high-fived each other, expressing their joy.

"Renji, well done!"

"It's all thanks to Akito- san's excellent teaching."

The two walked to the rest area chatting and laughing. Rikkai Dai had won the doubles match without much effort.

And that's indeed the case. If Mitsuya hadn't wanted to train Yanagi Renji given him many opportunities to collect data, things would have been very different.

The game will only end sooner.

"Those two guys just now..."

At the Hyotei Academy Stadium, Atobe's eyelids were lowered, his right hand was placed on his face, and he only looked at Mitsuya and Yanagi Renji through the gap between his fingers with one eye.

He sensed something was wrong from the start of the match.

Anahira Ryo and Taki struggled a lot, and Yanagi Renji and the third-year student Mitsuya's return shots were very strange.

Despite not having any particularly tricky maneuvers or extremely powerful shots, Anahira Ryo and Taki were simultaneously manipulated, as if they were being controlled by someone.

"What kind of tactic is this?"

Atobe glanced at the two composed-looking boys opposite him who had already left the arena, and his brows furrowed.

At that moment, Sakaki Tarou left the coach's bench and went to stand in front of the Hyotei Academy Regular.

"Yanagi Renji, a first-year student at Rikkai Dai High School, is an all-around player, specializing in data intelligence tennis."

"Mitsuya Akito, a third-year student at Rikkai Dai High School, is an all-around player who excels in Data Tennis, and his Data Tennis is even more powerful!"

Then, Sakaki Tarou explained the presentation of Data Tennis.

This Regular the eyes of the Hyotei Academy's first-year regulars.

"The doubles match will now begin."

"Oshitari Yushi from the Hyotei Academy vs. Niou Masaharu Mukahi Gakuto Marui Bunta Rikkai Dai High School."

"Please allow both players to enter the arena."

"Oshitari, the outcome of this match rests in your hands..."

In the waiting area of the Hyotei Academy, Atobe stared Oshitari at Oshitari's retreating figure.

They must win one of the doubles matches, otherwise, judging from their current performance, Rikkai Dai is indeed too strong.

Before the match, Hyotei Academy was predicted to win.

"The match begins, with Oshitari Yushi and Mukahi Gakuto serving from the Hyotei Academy."

Snap!

Snap!

As he bounced the tennis ball in his hand, Oshitari adjusted his breathing and glanced lightly at the opposing team's positions.

Even without Atobe's reminder, he was perfectly clear that the outcome of the doubles match was the true core of the Hyotei Academy's tactics.

He has to win!

Swish!

Recalling how Atobe had played against him the night before, Oshitari strengthened his resolve and tossed the tennis ball upwards with his left hand.

Then, with his knees slightly bent and his feet lightly touching the ground, he leaped up, his shoulder blades extended, his arms raised, and his elbows rotated inward to strike the ball.

At the instant the racket touches the tennis ball, use the extension of your elbow to forcefully twist inward.

Bang!

The tennis ball flew with tremendous force towards Marui Bunta's half of the court.

"Wow... that's a truly terrifying serve. No wonder he's Hyotei Academy's number two player, Oshitari Yushi."

Marui Bunta up as he gently blew on the bubble gum in his mouth.

He immediately saw through Oshitari's serve, which contained a special technique for generating power.

"Nice serve, but unfortunately, such a powerful serve is useless against me."

Marui Bunta chuckled lightly and arrived at the landing point in two strides.

Bang!

The moment the tennis ball bounced off the ground, the shadow of a racket appeared behind it.

Marui Bunta easily received Oshitari's powerful serve.

"It's not working... Marui Bunta is quite a formidable guy..."

Seeing his serve easily returned, Oshitari a slight pang of emotion. This was a technique he and Atobe had only come up with after practicing together for a long time.

Unexpectedly, it was easily cracked on the first use against Rikkai Dai.

"Does the opposing team also have someone with the same skill level as Atobe who frequently feeds him the ball?"

The probing approach failed, Oshitari began to ponder the matter.

"However, merely retaliating is nothing..."

Oshitari's expression remained unchanged, but he had already thought everything through. In front of him, Mukahi Gakuto had already performed a somersault and leaped high into the air.

"It's no use, it's no use!"

Upon seeing Marui Bunta's rebuttal, Mukahi Gakuto, in perfect unison, launched a surprise attack online.

"Your return shot was too high! We've won the point!"

His vibrant red hair shone brightly in the sun as he elegantly intercepted the tennis ball mid-air.

Bang!

A crisp sound, a spectacular smash!

"Perfect teamwork, dazzling special effects, what a pity..."

Off the field, Yanagi Renji followed Mitsuya's advice and needed to continuously gather information on all his opponents, so he wouldn't let such an opportunity slip by.

Seeing Mukahi Gakuto's retort, he squinted and exclaimed, "What a pity... you've run into Bunta."

Niou Masaharu the backcourt didn't even move, just stood there blankly.

Just when Mukahi Gakuto thought he was about to score easily, the boy opposite him, who also had a head of brilliant red hair, blocked the tennis ball.

Snap!

As the bubble in his mouth burst, Marui Bunta's backhand and flew straight out of the court.

"At this angle, with this force, don't worry, it's a ball out of bounds... Wha... what?!"

The tennis ball, which Mukahi Gakuto would have considered to be out of bounds, bounced off the net post and then bounced back into their court.

"How could I run into this? What kind of shitty luck is that..."

Seeing his opponent's incredibly lucky shot, which seemed like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse, Mukahi Gakuto felt utterly helpless.

15-0.

Hyotei Academy got off to a bad start, unable to break through Rikkai's net defense against only Rikkai Dai Marui Bunta.

"Such a tactic is too coincidental... Was that just luck?"

Unlike Mukahi Gakuto, who was Oshitari, Oshitari glanced at Marui Bunta, who was chewing gum, and his wariness towards him increased again.

If his suspicions are correct, the opponent could have easily hit the ball into the court just now, but deliberately missed, giving Mukahi a false sense of security and then personally extinguishing that hope.

This is a terrifying feel for the ball, a very strong sense of confidence, and a very clever way of undermining Mukahi's confidence.

Swish!

With another light toss of the tennis ball, Oshitari leaped into the air once more, his arm swinging the racket to smash the ball down with a powerful slam. A flash of yellow light streaked across Oshitari's hand before he swiftly appeared in the opponent's half of the court.

Super high-speed serve!

This time, Oshitari didn't try the same serve; instead, he changed his approach.

"Such a fast serve..."

The speed of that ball was already beyond Bunta's visual reaction time.

He didn't try to catch the ball himself, but instead trusted his teammates behind him.

At this time, Niou Masaharu was not as monstrous as he would become two years later, but he was still not to be underestimated. He possessed immense mental power and superhuman dynamic vision.

He could easily catch such a fast-moving tennis ball.

Bang!

With a smooth and simple movement, Niou easily caught the ball's landing point and swept his racket horizontally.

The tennis ball was returned directly.

Having already learned their lesson once, Oshitari and Mukahi will no longer believe that their opponents cannot return their serves.

Therefore, having made preparations in advance, Oshitari glanced at the coded message behind Mukahi's back.

This is a tactic that Hyotei Academy has practiced many times.

Bang!

"15-15."

Bang!

"30-30."

The competition was fierce from the very first point, with both sides trading blows and the game remaining extremely close.

The spectators from various schools watched intently, not wanting to miss a single exciting point.

"As expected of the finals, the battle for the first point was so intense!"

Inoue Mamoru took several photos with his camera, pointing them to both sides. Both of these first-year doubles pairs were at the national level, just like in previous years.

Of course, this so-called national level is more of an exaggeration; it only represents the owner's ability to stand out in National Tournament.

This does not necessarily mean that their strength has truly reached the National Level.

Bang!

Niou Masaharu Mukahi barely managed to return the high lob, leaping up and forcefully slamming the ball down with his racket.

"They're here!"

Oshitari's gaze shifted, a smile appearing on his face. The special technique he had learned from Seigaku was finally coming in handy.

Swish!

He glanced briefly at the tennis ball, then turned his body, using the centripetal force to bend his knees into a half-squat, raising his racket halfway.

He accurately caught the landing point of Niou Masaharu's smash.

"Brown Bear Drop!"

To everyone's astonishment, the smash hit the racket and was deflected by Oshitari.

The tennis ball flew up, passing over Marui Bunta and Niou Masaharu, and landed precisely near the baseline of the Rikkai Dai duo.

"Game, Hyotei Academy, Oshitari Yushi and Mukahi Gakuto, Score 1-0."

After dozens of rounds of play, Hyotei Academy successfully held onto their serve.

"Change of scene!"

Seeing that Oshitari and Mukahi had won a game, Niou and Marui exchanged a glance, unconcerned.

The real competition is about to begin...

Bang!

"Game, Tatekai Daihito Masaharu, Marui Bunta, 1-1."

Bang!

"Game, Hyotei Academy, Oshitari Yushi & Mukahi Gakuto, 2-1."

Bang!

"Game, Tatekai Daihito Masaharu, Marui Bunta, 2-2."

"Change venues!"

The next few games were played quickly, with both sides using a variety of techniques, showcasing Marui Bunta net play and defensive skills.

Niou's solid defense and counter-attacks, along with his superb dynamic vision, are very similar to the Hyotei Academy's doubles first team.

However, Marui Bunta, as a teammate, knew very well that Niou had not yet unleashed its full power.

During a break.

"Niou, how are your preparations going? Is it taking so long this time? It's almost time for the fifth game!"

Niou, who had been leaning back in his chair without saying a word, tugged at his braid.

"Puri... it's been ready for a while, you just didn't ask beforehand."

"Niou, that's enough! You've been doing this all along. Don't you see how troublesome they are?"

"Relax, relax, it's time to go on stage."

The first-year Niou has not yet developed that extremely powerful Niou Phantom.

Similar to Atobe, his greatest strength at this moment is the astonishing Insight generated by the combination of his immense mental power and superb dynamic vision.

This Insight might be slightly weaker than Atobe's, but it's still enough to easily see through some of the opponent's weaknesses.

Even in the original work, when Niou first appeared and fought against Kikumaru Oishi, he saw Kikumaru's weakness in just one round.

However, Niou did not delve deeper into the path of weakness insight, but instead entered into another profound use of spiritual power.

However, at this point, the duo who saw through the Hyotei Academy's schemes were enough.

The characteristics of Mukahi Gakuto are very similar to those of Kikumaru Eiji and Marui Bunta.

They have something to learn from, and they can figure things out quickly. The only one who is a little slower is Oshitari Yushi.

"Don't get distracted, hang in there, Mukahi, I'm here for you..."

Seeing the relaxed expressions on the faces of the two Rikkai Dai opposite him, while his own teammate Mukahi looked extremely tired, Oshitari shouted in a low voice.

He roughly guessed what the other side was thinking and had already made his move. In the previous fierce battle, the opponent had been attacking Mukahi, which had severely depleted his stamina.

"Yes! Don't worry, Yushi."

Mukahi Gakuto responded softly, realizing what the other person was thinking, which infuriated him.

"They actually used him as a weak point; what an easy target."

"And... the feeling of being watched that's been lingering around us since the start of the match, that's all your doing, you blue-haired bastard!"

The Kansai wolf, which had been fighting Atobe until last night, had extremely keen senses.

At this moment, his eyes looked past Gwenta in front of him and towards Niou in the back. Under the mirror light, his eyes also emitted a faint glow.

"Compared to Atobe, your insight is far inferior!"

Oshitari's thoughts drifted back to the final moments of last night's battle...

"Oshitari, this helpless surrender, this is not the ending I want to see!"

Atobe murmured to himself.

With Atobe unleashing his full power, all of Oshitari's weaknesses were exposed.

No matter how he attacks or defends, Atobe can easily break through his defenses.

This blow almost broke him.

Feeling lost, helpless, powerless, and utterly powerless.

Am I going to lose?

"I can't beat Atobe. No matter what attack I launch, he'll easily retaliate..."

"Is it perhaps better for things to end like this under Atobe's kingdom?"

As Oshitari's heart sank deeper into despair, a voice kept calling out, and a terrifying gloom instantly blinded his eyes.

After his crushing defeat against Muneyoshi, he initially didn't feel much.

However, seeing Atobe making further progress under Muneyoshi's pressure, while he himself didn't seem to improve much for some reason.

This was completely unacceptable to someone who was known as a genius.

Moreover, as time went on, the dark figure of Muneyoshi, buried deep in his heart, became clearer and more terrifying.

The influence of darkness continues.

Oshitari realized this as well, so he challenged Atobe.

I thought that playing against Atobe would help me see my tennis path more clearly and sort out the frustration I'd been going through, but it all seemed to be in vain.

Even though he used a thousand unique techniques, he was ultimately overwhelmed by Atobe's counterattack.

This caused Oshitari to develop deep self-doubt.

Am I really a tennis prodigy?

The more prestigious the reputation, the more painful the repeated failures.

The emotions, both internal and external, are exceptionally complex.

The figures of Muneyoshi and Atobe weighed heavily on his heart like two mountains.

Suddenly, he remembered something Saeki Muneyoshi had said to him when he left Hyotei Academy.

"Genius is merely recognition bestowed by the strong. Do you want to be a genius, or a strong person?"

As if the deepest string of pride within him had snapped, Oshitari's body trembled.

He wants to be a strong person, not a genius!

Strong tennis players keep playing!

Having realized this, Oshitari finally began to change.

After endless silence and darkness, came the first light.

Bringing his thoughts back, Oshitari felt a deep sense of gratitude for his battle with Atobe the previous night.

I also sincerely thank Saeki Muneyoshi for that one sentence he said to him.

Oshitari didn't know was that Muneyoshi had said this to more than just him...

Realizing that Niou Masaharu had already made his move, Oshitari no longer held back. At that moment, he seemed to forget everything, focusing solely on the tennis ball and racket.

"Pfft, what's this?"

Oshitari's transformation naturally did not escape Niou's notice.

At this moment, Oshitari's entire demeanor changed; behind those gleaming glasses were a pair of cold, indifferent eyes.

This situation startled Niou, who had suddenly lost all sense of Oshitari.

The other person was right there, but he couldn't sense anything about them.

If Saeki Muneyoshi were here, he would know very clearly that Oshitari awakened the ultimate technique he would have used two years later.

Close your heart.

Like Sanada's Difficult to know like the shade, it has an isolating effect on all perception and insight.

No one could have predicted his next move.

"You finally used it, Oshitari. You didn't let me down after all the effort I put into training with you until so late."

Off the field, Atobe's gaze was approving; he was very satisfied with Oshitari's performance.

"Win this match, Oshitari!"

Once in this state, even in Atobe's eyes, Oshitari's weaknesses and blind spots almost disappeared, and he was looking forward to seeing how Oshitari would perform next.

Bang!

The match resumed.

Bang!

Facing Niou's tricky shot, Oshitari no fear, tilting his racket upwards and delivering a beautiful Drop Shot.

"Hyotei Academy's Oshitari's movements suddenly became so clean!"

In Rikkai Dai's waiting area, a hint of admiration flashed in Yukimura's eyes from the referee's stand.

Even he couldn't see anything superfluous in Oshitari's movements.

The movements were clean and concise, yet they posed a tremendous threat.

"It seems like Niou and the others are in trouble this time. I didn't expect Hyotei Academy to have such talent besides Atobe."

As Yukimura had predicted, with Oshitari's explosive performance, the scales of victory began to tip in the Hyotei Academy's favor.

Tap tap...

Niou swiftly moved to the net and flicked the ball up.

The tennis ball was spinning slightly in the air, but before it landed, a figure had already leaped high into the air.

Oshitari Yushi.

As if everything had been pre-planned, Oshitari's silent face was devoid of any smile as he used the force of his sprint to smash the tennis ball down.

"Game, Hyotei Academy wins, score 7-5."