First Round Sweep, St. Rudolph Arrives

Bang...

"Seigaku Academy's Kawamura and Fuji score, the score is 6:0, this game is won by Seigaku."

"This game is won by Seigaku, the score is 6:0."

"Seigaku wins, score 6:0, please have both players' singles one prepare to enter the court."

After four unsurprising matches, only the singles one match remained.

Not only Horio was bored, but even the others in the stands had lost their initial enthusiasm.

Stretching lazily, Horio looked like he had just woken up. He picked up his tennis bag and said to everyone.

"It's finally my turn, I'll finish it in ten minutes."

"Hey, brat, don't talk big. If you do, it won't just be us laughing at you. After all, you're singles one."

Hearing Kikumaru's teasing, Horio smiled, gave them his back, and walked straight onto the court.

On the court, Horio looked at the slightly nervous tall guy standing opposite him and couldn't help but shake his head.

"He's quite tall, but he's just a passerby."

He then tossed the ball into the sky and hit a very ordinary shot.

"Seigaku Academy's Horio scores, 15:0."

"Wh-what? Referee, what are you doing? He didn't even serve, why did you call a point?"

The referee, who had just called the score, heard that he was being questioned. He thought to himself, A referee in Prince of Tennis, and you doubt my eyes!?

He immediately looked at the other player with an gaze mixed with five parts anger, three parts disdain, and two parts indifference.

"Look to your right foot. Open your big eyes and look at your feet."

Startled by the referee's glare, Renda Junior High's singles one quickly looked to his right foot. He only saw a yellow tennis ball lying by his feet, and a mark on the ground left by the ball's friction.

"See? Does it look like your lost third eye..."

The pathetic passerby player, who was being ridiculed by the referee, didn't dare to say a word and ignored the strange looks from the stands.

"I don't know how you managed to exploit the loophole, but you won't have a next..."

"Seigaku Academy's Horio scores, 30:0."

Before Renda Junior High's singles one could finish his inner monologue, he heard the referee's voice again and quickly looked to his right foot.

"Referee! I don't have a ball by my right foot! You made a mistake!"

"Do you only have one foot? Renda Junior High player, this is a warning. Do not continue to argue with the referee, or you will be directly disqualified."

The referee was truly angry, and the player was truly defeated. Looking at the yellow tennis ball lying by his left foot, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"How... how could this be? He's just a first-year..."

Horio, who hadn't paid any attention to Renda Junior High's singles one's change in expression, watched him argue with the referee for two rounds and continued the match with three question marks appearing above his head.

"Seigaku Academy's Horio scores, the score is 6:0, this game is won by Seigaku Academy."

"The match between Seigaku Academy and Renda Junior High has ended, the score is 5:0. Please have both teams' players come onto the court to shake hands."

Hearing the referee announce the final point, the team members from both sides in the stands also stood up and walked onto the court. They shook hands and ended the first match of the prefectural tournament.

"That Renda Junior High singles one was really hilarious. Daring to question the referee. I think even Tezuka wouldn't dare, right, Momo?"

"Haha, that's right, Kikumaru-senpai. Didn't you see the referee's expression at the time? It felt like he was insulted."

"I really didn't expect the first match to be won so easily. It seems our training camp was quite effective."

Listening to the relaxed jokes of others after winning their matches, Inui Sadaharu, as the assistant coach, analyzed objectively.

"We don't have any more matches, do we? I'm hungry."

Horio, who had rushed back from the forest, played without eating anything. His stomach was already hungry, and he just wanted to eat.

The other members of Seigaku also wanted to rest well. Thinking about the tight schedule of the tournament matches.

Their next opponent probably hadn't been decided yet, so Oishi directly dismissed everyone to do their own activities first.

Hearing Oishi say to do their own activities, Momoshiro and Ryoma left together. Kaidoh also went off somewhere alone.

Seeing that only the third-year seniors were left, Horio walked towards the convenience store without any hesitation.

"This place is really big. Where is the convenience store..."

Weaving left and right, Horio searched for a long time but couldn't find the convenience store. Feeling a bit tired, he directly sat on a bench with a backrest by the roadside.

"Horio Satoshi, one of Seigaku's two new regulars this year, doesn't seem to have anything particularly special about him."

Horio, who had just sat down to rest, heard a somewhat flamboyant voice from beside him. Turning his head, he saw a man fiddling with his bangs.

"You're... Mizuki?"

"Oh? I didn't expect you to recognize me. Have you heard of me too?"

"Oh no, no, I just tend to remember special people."

"Hmph, is that so? I'm quite familiar with you, though. Compared to the other first-year regular, you're more mysterious, never having revealed your true strength."

"But since you've been assigned to Singles 1, I imagine you must have something extraordinary about you."

Listening to Mizuki's flamboyant and oily tone, Horio found it unbearable and couldn't help but interrupt him...

"Can you stop talking like that? Don't you think you're very charm—"

"But it has nothing to do with me."

"I'm telling you, can you stop using that—"

"Your Seigaku won't make it to Singles 1. We at St. Rudolph won't give you the chance."

With that, he got up and left, paying no mind to Horio, who was left on the bench, looking utterly frustrated.

Watching Mizuki walk further away, Horio, his anger rising, sprang off the bench.

"Hey, stop."

Mizuki, who had already walked a distance, heard Horio's slightly annoyed voice and immediately stopped.

"Is there something you want to say to me?"

"I want you to stop talking to me like that. Also, Seigaku won't make it to Singles 1 because you don't have the qualifications to even play Singles 1 against us."

After saying that, Horio turned and left, leaving Mizuki looking bewildered.

"Heh, is that so... I wonder if the others at Seigaku can escape my calculations. I've prepared a special gift for you all."

"The schedule for the next match is out. We're playing St. Rudolph, and their strength shouldn't be underestimated."

Inui Sadaharu gave everyone a heads-up as the others gathered.

"Seigaku, everyone assemble."

Coach Ryuzaki walked over at that moment.

"I will now announce the lineup for the rematch against St. Rudolph. This match is very important. Winning it is equivalent to securing a spot in the Kanto Tournament."

Upon hearing the coach's words, everyone at Seigaku grew serious, except for Horio, who was still a bit annoyed.

"Singles 1: Horio. Singles 2: Fuji. Singles 3: Echizen. Doubles 1: Kikumaru, Oishi. And finally, Doubles 2: Momoshiro, Kaitou."

Hearing the coach's arrangement, Momoshiro and Kaitou's expressions changed.

The others at Seigaku found it quite amusing – the two rivals were going to play doubles together.