After the Fudomine regulars, who had been laughing and chatting loudly just moments ago, fell silent, Tachibana Kippei said in a low voice,
"They don't stand a chance. I've never seen Hyotei play, but based on their strength last year, they could've swept the Fudomine team we have now!
They're all useless!"
As Tachibana Kippei spoke, his fists clenched and his gaze sharpened. He was furious!
But more than anything, he felt helpless. The system Fudomine followed was no different from Seigaku's. First-years had no chance to play, even if they were stronger than the upperclassmen.
You could only meekly pick up the balls!
Tachibana Kippei hated this system. The seeds of rebellion had already taken root in his heart.
Watching the Fudomine players ahead fall silent, Tachibana An looked worried.
"Brother, I believe you can lead Fudomine into the tournament! You definitely can!"
Tachibana An was still shorter than she would be a year later, but her maturity was already showing.
Just as Tachibana An finished speaking, Chiba Yun Chuan arrived at the court with the Hyotei players!
"They're here! It's Hyotei!"
"Are those Hyotei's players? They're all so cool!"
"Is this match between Hyotei and Fudomine?"
"Hyotei has such an intimidating presence!"
Hearing the spectators' chatter, Tachibana Kippei and the others behind him, including Kamio, all looked in the same direction.
They saw Chiba Yun Chuan leading the Hyotei regulars toward them.
Chiba Yun Chuan walked at the front with a faint smile, giving off a warm, refreshing air.
His eyes were clear, yet commanding!
"So this is Hyotei? What a strong presence! The one at the front must be Hyotei's captain, Chiba Yun Chuan.
He really is different from the others!" Tachibana An had never seen a team with such an imposing presence before, and she could tell at a glance that Chiba Yun Chuan stood apart from the rest.
Chiba Yun Chuan and Atobe were walking at the front, while everyone else followed behind.
With Hyotei's arrival, the match was about to begin.
As Chiba Yun Chuan drew closer, he took a look at the Fudomine players. Weren't these the same guys from the anime who had fought with Tachibana Kippei?
What a coincidence.
Scenes of Tachibana Kippei and the others being bullied flashed through his mind.
"Fudomine, huh? Interesting."
Atobe glanced at him in puzzlement when he heard Chiba Yun Chuan mutter to himself.
Chiba Yun Chuan also spotted Tachibana Kippei and the others in the stands. He gave them a quick look. There were eight of them, and apart from Tachibana An, they were all set to become Fudomine regulars next year!
When Tachibana An noticed Chiba Yun Chuan's sharp gaze, she suddenly felt uneasy.
"Brother, someone's looking at us. It's Hyotei's captain!" Tachibana An's eyes darted nervously, and she lowered her head.
Hearing her, Tachibana Kippei looked toward Chiba Yun Chuan, but by then, Chiba Yun Chuan had already turned away.
Tachibana Kippei was still picking up balls for the tennis club. He didn't know whether the confrontation had happened yet.
If no word had gotten out, it probably hadn't happened.
Chiba Yun Chuan mused silently.
"Bai Zhang, what should we do? Should we forfeit? Hyotei looks so strong. We're no match for them!"
One of the Fudomine players spoke with a trembling voice. Hyotei's presence was simply too intimidating!
"No matter what, we have to give it a shot. We can't let them win too easily!"
Another Fudomine player spoke up.
His words seemed to give the Fudomine players a considerable boost in confidence!
The team fell silent again.
As time passed, more and more people arrived to watch the match.
If Hyotei won this match, they would move on to the next round.
That meant the semifinals tomorrow, followed by the final!
Chiba Yun Chuan had no idea who they would face tomorrow.
But one thing was certain: they would meet Seigaku later! Tezuka's arm had already healed.
"Both teams, get ready. The match is about to begin!"
The referee's voice rang across the court, signaling the start of the match.
"Doubles One: Oshitari and Gakuto. Show them what we're made of!
No need to overdo it. Just their service games.
You know what I mean?" After Chiba Yun Chuan said this, Oshitari understood.
"Got it, Captain Chiba. I'll make sure to play my service games well. Come on, Gakuto." After speaking, Oshitari headed straight for the baseline.
"You don't like them? They're just nobodies." Atobe asked as though he'd just made an exciting discovery.
"Yes."
Atobe was taken aback by Chiba Yun Chuan's answer. He rarely—no, almost never—saw Chiba Yun Chuan act like this. This was the first time!
Chiba Yun Chuan felt this way because he despised the Fudomine regulars for bullying players younger than themselves. Before, he could only grit his teeth in anger from behind a screen. Now that he had the chance, he was definitely going to teach them a proper lesson.
He would give them a match they'd never forget!
"The match begins! Hyotei to serve!"
The referee's announcement marked the official start of the match!
"Go, Hyotei!"
"Hyotei will win!"
"Go, Hyotei!"
The Hyotei cheer squad's shouts thundered from the sidelines. They were so spirited that the Fudomine players' legs nearly gave out.
Every eye was now on the players on the court.
Oshitari and Gakuto looked relaxed, while the Fudomine players looked more serious than ever!
Oshitari held the tennis ball in his hand and looked at his opponents, Yamayue and Tanin, with an amused expression.
"Then, let's begin."
He tossed the ball into the air. Just as it neared its peak, he leaped and swung his racket with all his strength. The ball had just reached its highest point!
Thwack!
A powerful impact rang out as the ball shot over the net and landed at Tanin's feet!
But it didn't bounce right away. It spun on the ground before springing up and shooting toward his face!
Tanin saw the ball hurtling toward him and tried to block it with his racket, but he was a beat too slow!
The ball, spinning with tremendous force, slammed into his face!
"Ahhh!"
A scream rang out.
Tanin was sent flying!
The ball sailed out of bounds, too.
"Hyotei scores! Fifteen-love!"
The referee's voice broke the silence around them.
"The ball actually flew straight at his face!"
"Is that the Outer Spin Serve? Fudomine's in trouble!"
"It's Oshitari's Outer Spin Serve!"
"Go, Hyotei! Hyotei will win!"
Watching Oshitari and Gakuto on the court, Akutsu broke into a devilish grin. It was a terrifying sight.
"Oshitari really doesn't hold back, does he? Though he still didn't put enough into it—the other guy can still get back up." Akutsu spoke in a low voice as he watched what was happening on the court, his tone chilling.
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