"Senpai Kaitou, I think we all know what your greatest strength is.
That's right—your incredible stamina. In my eyes, you're much like Senpai Inui."
"You're both willing to push yourselves to the limit to get stronger. But you should know that no matter how good your stamina is,
if your skill isn't on par with your opponent's, even the best stamina can't change the outcome of a match."
"So my advice is to build on your Snake Shot by adding more variation—in power, speed, and direction."
"You're also the type to get riled up easily. People like that are often more likely to reach a special state.
That would be the Beast's Aura, which Akutsu entered last time, or another state called Demonization."
"The Beast's Aura makes your playing style more aggressive, while Demonization amplifies your abilities."
"These special states can only be triggered under extreme circumstances, and they're hard to control even when you do reach them. Still, you can discuss them with Senpai Inui."
"Your turn, Ryoma. For an all-around player like you, the most important thing is to develop your own playing style.
You've kept changing ever since our match, but I think you can be even more innovative."
"The spirit of a samurai can be passed down, but progress requires innovation. Otherwise, you'll never surpass your father."
By then, he'd finished speaking to all the regulars competing in the Kanto Tournament. Horio turned his attention to Momoshiro, who had worn an impassive expression from the start.
"Lastly, there's Senpai Momoshiro. Even though you didn't make the team this time,
there's no doubt your ability and potential are good enough to meet the team's standards, so you're included in my plans, too."
"Since your foot injury last time, you've been overusing your left foot. But it's also brought you some benefits."
Hearing the turn in Horio's words, Momoshiro looked at him.
"You can now hold the racket with both hands. There's a special playing style used around the world
called the Center of Gravity Vertical Jump Style, which involves holding the racket with both hands."
"I could tell during your match against Sengoku last time. And now that you've freed up your right foot, I think you can try practicing it."
"The Center of Gravity Vertical Jump Style uses the right foot as its pivot,
with both hands on the racket to return the ball with a backhand. It really would suit Momoshiro.
If he'd used that style in the match just now, who knows how things might have turned out."
Hearing Horio mention the Center of Gravity Vertical Jump Style reminded Inui Sadaharu of the tennis technique.
"Of course, that's not all. Senpai Momoshiro, you have another strength you could develop."
"Your keen powers of observation—not just when it comes to your opponent,
but also the surroundings during a match. All of that can become part of what gives you an edge."
"That's all I wanted to say. If there's anything you still don't understand,
you can come talk to me privately. I'd be happy to help you improve."
After Horio finished, he thought that someone might still have questions, so he didn't rush to speak again.
Seeing everyone quietly reflect on what he'd said, Horio knew his words had gotten through to them.
"Since everyone's got the idea, let's call off training for today.
Go home and think about your weaknesses. We'll start training again tomorrow."
The others left the court, each lost in thought. Watching them go, Horio's eyes gleamed.
"This is the first step toward the national championship. When Tezuka comes back and sees a Seigaku that's transformed into something new, I wonder how he'll react."
"Excuse me, Arai. Is Momoshiro here?"
"Ah! Senpai Oishi, Momoshiro was just here... Should I go look for him?"
"It's all right. I'll come back another time."
A few days had passed since Horio gave everyone his advice. The tennis club had been training every day, but Momoshiro hadn't shown up once.
Worried about Momoshiro, acting Captain Oishi finally couldn't take it anymore and went to look for him in the second-year classroom. But Momoshiro wasn't there either.
With no choice but to come back later, Oishi started toward his own classroom. But the moment he turned around, a group of second-year girls surrounded him.
The girls clamored for his autograph, saying they were his fans. Oishi blushed bright red, wanting nothing more than to get away as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, on the roof of the school building, Horio stood watching a lone figure vent by the small lake in the distance, a smile on his face.
"That's the passionate monster I know. A monster who never loses his fire."
"I'm starving. Maybe I should grab something to eat instead of going to the training center."
Beneath the setting sun, Horio strolled along with his tennis bag on his back. His stomach was growling, so he decided not to head to the training center.
He was about to turn and look for somewhere to eat when he suddenly heard the sound of a tennis match nearby.
Horio figured he might as well check it out. Maybe the public courts would have a surprise in store.
"Hm? What a coincidence, Ryoma. I didn't expect to run into you at the public courts. Were you planning to play here, too..."
"Is that Senpai Momoshiro? No wonder he hasn't been coming to practice. He's been training on his own—and with a girl as his practice partner."
When Horio reached the public courts, he spotted Ryoma in the Seigaku regulars' uniform, watching from just beyond the court.
As Horio walked closer, he saw that Ryoma was watching Momoshiro chat and laugh with a girl on the court.
"Isn't that Tachibana Kippei's younger sister? Looks like Senpai Momoshiro's pretty popular."
Horio was about to pull Ryoma closer when he suddenly sensed something and stopped.
On the other side of the court, several people wearing uniforms with white in the middle and blue-gray on the sides appeared in the stands.
"Well, what do you know? There really is a surprise. People from Hyotei are here."
Ryoma had spotted them, too. Seeing his interest stirred, Horio said,
"What, want to play them? We're not supposed to play other schools outside official matches, but if they're willing, I'll keep it a secret."
At Horio's words, Ryoma started moving, and Horio smiled.
He could guess how things would turn out, but there was no harm in watching.
"Hey, you're from Hyotei, right? Didn't expect to run into you here. How about a match?"
"Who does that little brat think he is, running his mouth like that?"
"Seriously, who does he think he is? We're Hyotei."
"Atobe, someone's challenging us. You can handle it."
"Hmph. Don't worry, Oshitari. He looks like no more than a first-year. There's no need to bother with him. Right, Kabaji?"
"Yes."
Ryoma's sudden challenge made the people from Hyotei feel insulted. But their naturally arrogant king, Atobe, wouldn't take a challenge like that seriously.
"No wonder you haven't been coming to practice these past few days. You've been out here dating. What do you think Coach Ryuzaki and Senpai Oishi will say when they find out, Senpai Momoshiro?"
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