The Match Was About to Begin

With just one goal, he changed the minds of the Seigaku members, while Tezuka, standing by the court, revealed a serious expression.

"You were actually hiding your strength... Well then, let me experience it for myself."

Kevin, who was stunned by the beating, quickly came to his senses, and a cruel smile reappeared on his face.

At this moment, Akutsu, with his dark red eyes and indifferent expression, took out a tennis ball and threw it out again.

It was the same serve again, and Kevin, who had been keeping a close eye on Akutsu, finally managed to catch a glimpse of its trajectory this time.

He swung his racket hastily to return the shot, but the tennis ball didn't stop because of the racket's obstruction.

Instead, it continued flying until Kevin could no longer continue.

After holding on for a second, the tennis ball continued its flight path, and Kevin's racket was knocked away along with it.

"They really won't give up. Akutsu is not someone he can handle now."

Just as everyone was still in shock, Horio appeared and snapped them out of their daze.

"Akutsu has, to some extent, transcended the level of a middle school student; Kevin is someone you can't beat."

Horio was well aware of Akutsu's strength, but to Horio surprise, Akutsu, who believed in the supremacy of strength and the supremacy of the strong, did not serve towards Kevin's body.

After all, Kevin had hit him with several powerful shots before that.

In the following plays, Akutsu did not make any harmful moves against Kevin.

On the other hand, Kevin used all of Ryoma's skills but still couldn't gain the slightest advantage over Akutsu.

On the contrary, Ryoma, watching Kevin's playing style, was shocked.

That was completely another version of myself, watching from the sidelines as another version of myself was relentlessly suppressed on the court.

First, he was thoroughly studied, and then Kevin, who had studied him so thoroughly, was manipulated at will by Akutsu.

Under this double blow, Ryoma could no longer remain calm.

Bang...

"This isn't a place where you can run wild, you bastard."

With the final shot hit, Kevin couldn't catch up, and the game was lost.

A few days ago, Kevin was so frightened by Horio that he thought he would never encounter anyone stronger than himself again.

Kevin didn't take Akutsu's appearance seriously today, and regained his previous arrogant confidence.

In the previous rounds, Akutsu's stealth made Kevin think that his opponents were just minor characters, and his arrogance was rekindled.

"Hey, didn't you challenge me to a duel? Why all this fuss? Let's settle this properly today."

Ryoma, regaining his senses, walked straight onto the pitch without hesitation.

Just as he was about to serve with a tennis ball, Tezuka, Tezuka off the court, immediately called out to stop him.

"Stop it, Echizen! You're not allowed to compete against him!"

"Captain Tezuka, why..."

Tezuka's intervention puzzled Echizen, and the tennis ball in his hand was squeezed out of shape.

"Because you are a substitute player for the representative team, and he is from the West Coast team, you cannot compete against each other privately."

At this moment, Horio also came out, and Horio's words made Echizen, who was Echizen dissatisfied, even angrier.

Upon seeing Horio appear, Kevin's eyes once again showed fear.

Sensing Kevin's gaze, Horio turned to look at Kevin and said.

"If you insist on playing against him now, I can report you for playing against him privately as the team Coach, and you'll be kicked off the team roster."

Upon hearing Horio's warning, Kevin immediately deflated.

However, the thought of losing to his nemesis and being threatened by Horio caused Kevin's deep-seated hatred to erupt.

"I'll let you off this time. Since you're just a substitute, I'll make sure you meet me in the official match, Echizen Ryoma. I'll make you kneel before me and beg for mercy."

You too, one day I will defeat you and repay you for today's humiliation."

He first unleashed a barrage of attacks on Ryoma, then spoke to Akutsu as he turned to leave.

Seeing Kevin leave, Ryoma's stubbornness and resentment became increasingly apparent.

Meanwhile, Horio and the others were also preparing to leave, while Akutsu completely ignored them.

"Really? Echizen about not being selected..."

"Yes, he should really want to play."

"I think you're the one who most wants to play, right?"

In the hospital ward, Tezuka was reporting to Coach Ryuzaki about his work over the past period.

Coach Ryuzaki expressed his understanding regarding Tezuka and Horio not to select Ryoma for the national team.

"It's okay, as long as my arm fully recovers, I'll still be able to participate in the National Tournament."

"Yes, once your injury heals, Seigaku will have another mountain to climb."

"Coach, if there's nothing else, I won't disturb your rest any longer. I'll be going now."

"Okay, then I'll leave the team in your care for a while."

After saying that, Tezuka left the ward.

"Dear guests, I am very honored to meet you here today."

Please allow me to introduce myself first. I am Richard Baker, the Coach in charge of leading the West Coast team.

I regret that you all seem to not know what real tennis is. Do you ever consider tennis to be an art form?

Tennis can almost be called a form of entertainment; when the best stage, the best actors, and the best performances come together, the tennis court can present a miraculous art form.

Our West Coast team will show you tennis like never before.

At that moment, everyone in the tennis clubs of various schools was watching a press conference on TV.

"Tennis that we've never seen before?"

"So, Richard still hasn't said what kind of tennis ball it is."

"Alright, now let me introduce the best actors from our West Coast team."

First up is Billy Katie, the shotgun boy...

And finally, the proudest warrior Kevin Smith.

"Is this really a press conference? It's more like a performance."

Kikumaru couldn't help but comment on the unusual way these people made their entrances on TV.

"Those who seek attention will only fall harder the moment they're praised."

Horio lost interest in the flashy behavior and left the lounge.

"This is outrageous! Treating tennis like a performance."

Meanwhile, at Rikkai Dai, Sanada also got angry after hearing Richard Baker's words.

"These guys are really arrogant. Do they really think they can beat us? It's laughable."

Meanwhile, Atobe of Hyotei also disapproved of this excessive publicity, feeling that it was simply using the match as a gimmick instead of focusing on the true essence of the game.

"Hmph, going to such lengths for a single match, quite a lot of trouble. But it's a pity, all that investment going to waste... I wonder how that would feel."