Tezuka: No Need to Make This So Complicated. You and That Kansai-Dialect Guy Can Take Me On Together!

Thwack!!

"Mukahi!"

Shishido's face changed dramatically. He turned toward Mukahi and shouted.

Mukahi launched himself forward, his eyes fixed on the tennis ball. But it fell beside him, landing precisely on the sideline.

"Game over. Atobe wins."

"Score: 6–3."

Even in a two-on-one match, they had managed to take only three games.

How could Shishido and Mukahi, who had been called talented since childhood, accept that?

And the second- and third-years watching from the sidelines could all tell that Mukahi and Shishido had the ability to become regulars on Hyotei's team. Yet they had still been crushed?!

"Even those two lost."

"Is there really no one who can stop him?!"

Unlike Shishido and Mukahi, who were gasping for breath, Atobe's breathing remained perfectly steady thanks to his self-developed IAP breathing technique. He was in remarkably good shape, and his focus kept sharpening as the match went on.

"Damn it, I... I actually lost to someone my own age again."

Shishido's face was full of frustration. He slammed a fist into the ground, gritted his teeth, and trembled all over.

He was one of the three aces of Hyotei Elementary School, a young prodigy who had been praised since childhood as having the potential to take over from his senior, Gekko Ochi. But one failure after another had trampled what little self-respect he had left.

"Damn..."

Mukahi was just as frustrated, but what could he say?

In the world of tennis, the victor basked in everyone's praise.

The loser, meanwhile, could only be mercilessly trampled.

"What a joke."

A voice came from behind Atobe.

"A bunch of second- and third-years, toyed with by a first-year newcomer."

The boy who approached at an unhurried pace had dark blue hair and round glasses. His Kansai accent was strong.

With Hyotei Academy having made a name for itself as the new Kanto overlord and reached the national top four last year, he'd expected its second- and third-years to have something to show for themselves. But they seemed thoroughly unimpressive.

Maybe he shouldn't have left Osaka in the first place. Shishiraku Junior High in Kyushu and Shitenhoji, where Kenya had enrolled, both seemed like pretty good options.

"So this is the newly crowned Kanto overlord, Hyotei Academy? You look pretty pathetic."

"Honestly, you've got me..."

As the boy continued talking to himself, a bright yellow tennis ball suddenly came flying toward him at astonishing speed.

The Kansai boy sensed danger and instinctively pulled a racket from its cover, raising it in front of himself.

Thwack!!

A sharp crack rang out.

The ball struck the racket strings and dropped away, drawing everyone's attention.

"Hey."

Atobe pointed his racket at the Kansai boy and said irritably, "Where did you come from, you guy with glasses?"

"Tch."

The Kansai boy lowered his racket and arched an eyebrow. "Honestly... I wasn't interested in your little act of playing king of the monkeys. But since you came at me first, I won't hold back."

With that, he set his racket cover aside, raised his racket, and headed toward the court.

"Wait..."

Just as everyone was settling in to watch the show, another youthful voice reached their ears.

Everyone looked toward the voice. Tezuka, who had been standing beside Kamikawa, had taken off his jacket and was already on the court with his racket in hand. He stood sideways, the sunlight catching his gold-rimmed glasses and making them gleam.

"I'll take the next match."

There was no room for argument in Tezuka's voice. He held his racket in his left hand, and a powerful, invisible presence drew the attention of Atobe and the Kansai boy about to take the court.

That guy's strong. That guy's strong.

At the same time, the same thought surfaced in Atobe's and the Kansai boy's minds.

"He... he's..."

"Tezuka Kunimitsu!"

Shishido had just gotten to his feet and recovered enough to look toward the boy on the court. His face was full of disbelief.

Mukahi was also drawn to the scene on the court, and the same look of shock appeared on his face.

"Tezuka Kunimitsu?"

The second- and third-years nearby looked at one another, puzzled.

"Hey, first-year over there."

Nagakawa Ino called to Shishido and Mukahi. "Do you know that first-year on the court?"

"Yes."

Shishido nodded, his gaze fixed on Tezuka. "He was runner-up in the JR Tournament elementary division not long ago. He's incredibly strong."

"Runner-up?"

Nagakawa rolled his eyes. He was only runner-up in an elementary-school division; it wasn't anything worth bragging about. He'd thought the boy had won some major tournament.

Looked like he was just another kid who liked showing off.

"Ryo~ look over there."

Mukahi seemed to have spotted someone. He pointed into the crowd. "It's Kamikawa Mutsu!"

"Kamikawa... Mutsu..."

Shishido swallowed. Ever since his loss at that JR Tournament, he'd had nightmares for a whole week, dreaming every night about his match against Kamikawa.

That glaring 6–0 score had clung to him like a nightmare.

He hadn't expected Kamikawa and Tezuka to enroll at Hyotei Academy, too.

"Oh~ two more have shown up."

Atobe shrugged and spread his hands. "I don't mind taking on both of you at once."

"Good. I'll beat all of you into submission in one go."

"No!"

Tezuka held his racket sideways and pointed it at Atobe and the Kansai boy. "You two take me on together instead."

Tezuka didn't like taking advantage of others. Atobe had already spent a lot of energy in the earlier matches. Even if those second- and third-year regulars were all useless, they'd still worn themselves out—and then he'd played a match against Shishido and Mukahi as well.

As for the Kansai boy who had come from Osaka, Tezuka could tell he was strong. Facing them both at once would be a little difficult, but still within his control.

After all, it was the first time those two had teamed up in doubles.

It might look like a one-on-two match, but in practice it could be one-on-one-and-a-half, or even one-on-one-half.

"Tch."

The Kansai boy clicked his tongue, looking helpless. "I see. So you're looking down on me."

Clearly, Tezuka didn't want to face someone his own age in a doubles match.

Atobe had the same idea. They were both proud, and proud people wouldn't accept a match format that insulted them.

"Let's make it singles."

Kamikawa had also taken off his jacket and was walking onto the court. "They'd never agree to a one-on-two, no matter what you say. They're both proud in their own way."

"I'll take the Kansai Wolf."

"I'll let you have him. That gives you a slight advantage."

"Fine."

Tezuka nodded, without much objection.

He wanted a chance to face Atobe, too.

"Interesting."

Atobe's gaze settled on Kamikawa, then shifted to Tezuka. He could tell these two were different from the ones he'd seen earlier. They were much stronger.

"You know me?"

The Kansai boy narrowed his eyes, his expression turning serious.

This was probably the first time he'd come from Osaka to the Kanto region. He'd never shown his face around here before, and with his reputation, word of him wouldn't have reached the Kanto region anyway. He didn't much like entering formal tennis tournaments.

"I've heard a little about you—the Kansai Wolf, Oshitari Yushi, who came all the way from Osaka!"