Kanto Tournament Divisional Preliminaries Champion

On the slightly muddy court, Kaitou left an imprint with every step he took, looking somewhat fatigued.

Across from him, Kamio Akira wasn't even breathing heavily, appearing completely relaxed. Everyone from Seigaku was worried about Kaitou.

"Kaitou's really run into the player who counters him the most. If this keeps up, Kaitou will be worn out."

"Exactly. The opponent hasn't stopped changing the pace since the beginning, completely toying with Kaitou. Kaitou's completely fallen into the opponent's rhythm now."

For Kaitou, who excelled at attrition warfare, facing the fast-paced Kamio Akira was, in everyone's eyes, a blatant display of dominance.

It would be very difficult for Kaitou to win.

Seeing the panting Kaitou, even Ryoma, who was scheduled for singles 2, started to warm up. But Horio stopped him.

"Ryoma, you don't need to rush your warm-up. Senior Kaitou isn't going to give up that easily. You've played him before, don't you know how tenacious he is?"

Ryoma, who had already stood up, heard Horio's words, pondered them, and then sat back down.

Seeing the confused looks from the Seigaku members, Horio explained further.

"Fudomine's rhythm idiot's rhythm is already messed up. It's much faster than at the start.

When he can't keep up the pace anymore, that's when the Viper will harvest its prey. Right now, Senior Kaitou probably just looks tired."

"As expected of Horio, to notice even this. Kaitou has indeed been improving his stamina.

Ten kilometers every morning, another ten kilometers after club activities.

Then another ten kilometers at night, fifty sets of shuttle runs three times, and 150 racket swings. This is what Kaitou does every day."

Hearing Horio's words, Inui Sadaharu, standing behind him, also spoke of Kaitou's private efforts.

"Senior Inui is too kind. It's just that my eyesight is a bit better."

"Is that so? It seems your eyesight is more than just a little good."

Hearing Inui Sadaharu's meaningful words, Horio just smiled and turned his attention back to the court.

On the court, Kaitou was still being controlled by Kamio's rhythm.

During one particular rally, Kamio hit the ball into Kaitou's blind spot. Kaitou, chasing the ball with all his might, didn't notice the muddy ground and slipped, about to fall.

Unwilling to accept defeat, he swung his racket with sheer willpower as he fell, and Kaitou Kaoru's signature move, the Spinning Snake Shot, appeared.

The tennis ball flew in a bizarre arc, grazing the side of the net before landing in Kamio Akira's backcourt for a point.

This sudden, unbelievable shot made everyone's eyes widen.

Even Horio, who had seen it many times in his past life's anime, felt his eyes light up, exclaiming how cool it was.

"Not bad, Senior Kaitou. To pull off a Spinning Snake Shot unintentionally. Looks like you've startled the opponent."

"Spinning Snake Shot, huh? The people from Seigaku are indeed extraordinary."

Even Tachibana Kippei couldn't help but marvel, which showed the immense shock it brought to everyone else.

Kaitou, having unintentionally executed the Spinning Snake Shot, thought he could win with this move alone. However, not having fully mastered it, he once again fell deeply into Kamio's rhythm.

Seeing Kaitou resting on the bench, Horio decided to offer a reminder.

"What's the use of using techniques you haven't mastered? Just swinging your racket constantly, can you not win without the Spinning Snake Shot? Does the Viper catch its prey through some special technique?"

"Horio is right. Anyone on the court who just swings their racket blindly is an idiot. It's impossible to subdue an opponent with just one special move; the opponent isn't that weak. Kaitou, what kind of tennis is your tennis?"

Coach Ryuzaki also chimed in at the opportune moment to enlighten Kaitou. On the bench, Kaitou still kept his head down, his back to everyone, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.

The match resumed, and Kaitou continued to deal with Kamio Akira exhaustedly.

However, upon closer inspection, one could see that Kaitou no longer engaged in irrational swings.

Instead, he calmly observed every shot Kamio Akira hit. As a result, the score was tied at 5-4, with Kaitou's tenacity keeping him in the game.

By this point, Kamio Akira was so tired that he started making mistakes, and Kaitou seized every opportunity.

Thus, after repeatedly taking the lead and then being tied, Kaitou won the match.

Seigaku secured the regional championship title with a clean sweep of three wins. After the match, Tachibana Kippei suddenly approached Horio.

"I think you know why I'm here. I want to know how you know so much about me."

"Heh, you don't need to be nervous. It's not just you I know about. I know about Chiba Chitose too, and others from different regions. These eyes of mine..."

Horio pointed to his own eyes.

"...are very magical."

"Magical... So that's why you can see through so many things... You're truly a frightening person."

Tachibana Kippei averted his gaze from Horio's eyes. Horio smiled and said to Tachibana Kippei, "I hope we can have a match sometime. I really want to experience the Beast's Aura and your Explosive Ball Dance. I assume you're not sealing your strength anymore."

"Currently, our Fudomine needs to focus on preparing for the prefectural tournament. Seigaku is likely in the same situation, so let's find time for a match after the prefectural tournament. I also want to experience your strength."

Tachibana Kippei, considering that he had to balance his own training with his teammates' training, temporarily declined.

Horio didn't press the issue. They chatted for a few more minutes before parting ways.

As soon as he returned to the main group, Horio was pulled away by Katsuro and Katsuo, celebrating their victory in the district preliminary rounds.

Kawamura's father decided to celebrate with the Seigaku team, so they gathered at Kawamura Sushi Restaurant.

The regular Seigaku team members, along with the first-years Katsuro and Katsuo, and a few second-years who didn't make the school team, were celebrating boisterously.

Horio felt a sense of relief as he took in the lively atmosphere of these gifted junior high students.

The district preliminaries were over, and the metropolitan tournament should be coming up soon.

After the metropolitan tournament, only a very few teams could participate in the Kanto Tournament, and to qualify for the National Tournament, one had to be among the top-ranked teams in the Kanto Tournament.

Thinking about all the matches still to be played, Horio felt tired.

However, there were about two weeks before the metropolitan tournament, and Horio wondered what method he could find to improve his skills.

"Clearly, training with the school team won't lead to much improvement. What should I do? Ah, never mind, there will be a way. For now, I'll just eat my fill."

Unable to come up with a solution for the moment, Horio stopped dwelling on it and focused on enjoying the delicious food.