Atobe, You Lost!

"Atobe, you lost."

Tezuka slowly walked over, a slight smile on his face. "Are you satisfied with my strength?!"

"Hoo..."

His shirt was already soaked with sweat, his steps heavy, and his breathing rapid. His mind was blank, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Did he lose?!

After returning from England and pushing open the gates of Hyotei Academy, he had imagined everything.

But he had never imagined he would lose!

And he lost in the very field he excelled at.

Yet, the scoreboard, with its glaring 6-3, and the gazes of those around him, all told the story of his loss, a crushing defeat.

He might have been able to take the position of king of the tennis club through other means.

But who was he?

Keigo Atobe!!

He could accept this defeat, even if it was in front of everyone.

"I... lost."

Atobe lowered his head, his body feeling hollowed out. He couldn't hear the noise around him. He put his tennis racket back into its cover and left the tennis club by himself.

Tezuka watched Atobe's retreating figure, deep in thought, but made no move to stop him.

Meanwhile, Oshitari, who had been utterly crushed 6-0, also didn't look to be in good shape.

However, he didn't place much importance on winning or losing and quickly let it go. He also noticed Keigo Atobe leaving the tennis club alone, looking dejected.

Oshitari turned to look at Kamikawa, who was only slightly sweating, and said with concern, "Aren't you going to stop him? That guy has a lot of pride..."

"No need to worry, he won't give up on tennis," Kamikawa said, waving it off dismissively.

He was Keigo Atobe, after all. No matter how big the setback, it would only become nourishment for his progress.

The current Atobe was still too weak, even weaker than Sanada at this stage.

Tezuka, while appearing to strike hard, had actually conserved most of his stamina.

Throughout the match, apart from Muga, he had only used the Tezuka Zone.

There was no sign of the Zero-style Slice or the Limit of a Hundred Refinements being used.

Tokyo.

In a castle that looked like it had stepped out of a fairy tale, a boy with purplish-gray hair parted in the middle, looking somewhat immature, was lying on a mat in the center of a large swimming pool in the courtyard.

The courtyard was vast, like an exquisite royal garden.

The overall style was European retro, with exquisite reliefs and carved window lattices, all showcasing immense wealth and status.

"This great master actually lost."

The boy tilted his head back, gazing at the stars in the sky. He couldn't accept defeat.

After developing extraordinary perception through hardship, he hadn't lost to any peer. But now... he had lost, to a peer he had never met before.

That guy's strength was superior to his own.

"Special spin."

Atobe raised his arm, feeling the sensation from receiving the ball today. The spin was mysterious; if one didn't pay close attention, they might not even perceive it.

He had to play several rounds before he could sense that momentary spin.

He had also tried to counter it with reverse spin, but it was all in vain.

He was easily drawn in by the opponent. If he wasn't careful, the spin would intensify, causing the ball to deviate, giving Tezuka many free points.

"This great master will absolutely not admit defeat."

Atobe stood up from the mat, his eyes gleaming slightly. "Tezuka Kunimitsu! This great master remembers you."

As Atobe finished speaking, he leaped up and dove headfirst into the swimming pool.

The butler nearby panicked and quickly called for help, fearing for Atobe's safety. His young master was the sole heir of the Atobe Financial Group, and not a single mishap could be allowed.

And in a small alley, within a courtyard, a delicate-looking boy slowly put down his racket. Tennis balls were scattered throughout the courtyard. The boy lay on the ground as if drained of all strength.

"Hoo..."

Kamikawa glanced at his status panel. The panel clearly showed that today's mission was complete.

Although his five dimensions showed no signs of improvement, Kamikawa clearly felt his own strength gradually increasing.

Some things couldn't be seen through mere five dimensions.

"Today, I witnessed the prelude to a transformation."

Hyotei's transformation went much smoother than anticipated. Even without me or Tezuka, the team could still undergo changes, relying on Atobe's influence alone.

Rikkai Dai!

Perhaps those two have also started a new round of changes.

Yukimura and Sanada – in terms of pure tennis talent, these two are definitely among the very best of this generation.

Add to that Rikkai Dai's third person, the data genius Yanagi Renji. It's precisely because of these three that Rikkai Dai has been able to defeat other renowned tennis schools and win the National Tournament for two consecutive years.

"Now Hyotei isn't too bad either~"

Three national-level players, three Kanto-level players. This is the kind of lineup needed to dominate the nation and claim the first place in the National Tournament. Last year's champion team, Makunouchi, also secured the national first place with a similar configuration.

Among them, Makunouchi's "Overlord" possessed strength that surpassed the upper limit of the national level.

"Speaking of which, I didn't see that guy during today's practice match with Yamabuki."

The person Kamikawa was referring to was naturally Yamabuki's hidden prodigy.

Akutsu Jin, hailed as a once-in-a-decade monster.

Akutsu's athletic ability is astonishing, coupled with his innate flexibility, allowing him to excel in any field.

Before this, Kamikawa had considered bringing Akutsu into Hyotei.

However, with Tezuka's arrival, Kamikawa abandoned that idea.

The reason was simple: there were only three singles positions. Whether it was Atobe, Tezuka, or himself, none of them were willing to play doubles. And Akutsu, even less so.

If this still-developing guy were to play doubles, he'd probably end up beating his doubles partner to a pulp...

Although Hyotei no longer has a place for him now.

But other schools do, like Yamabuki, or perhaps Seigaku...

If Akutsu's personality were to go to Seigaku, he could knock around those old-fashioned guys at Seigaku, and even potentially ignite the potential of those guys, including that hidden genius of Seigaku.

Fuji Syusuke!

"Fuji Syusuke, Oshitari Yushi, Niou Masaharu..."

Kamikawa smiled, holding his racket. "These geniuses don't seem to like playing with their full strength."

The talented tennis players who have appeared in this generation are, to be honest, no less than those of Pyongho's generation. However, compared to Pyongho's competitive spirit, the geniuses of each school always prefer to conceal their abilities. In other words, they simply don't understand the joy of playing tennis.

They become tennis players solely for the team's victory.

Speaking of which, today's practice match with Yamabuki went exceptionally smoothly.

While called a practice match, it was essentially a simulation of the Metropolitan Tournament's match order. Regardless of the outcome, all five matches were played to completion. Only in doubles did the second and third-year regular players participate.

The remaining singles matches were played by Kamikawa, Tezuka, and Oshitari.

Yes, that's right, Oshitari.

After losing that match, Atobe left the tennis club without looking back.

He's the type of person with extreme pride and couldn't accept losing to someone his own age in such a short period.

Even though Atobe had already played multiple rounds and expended a significant amount of energy, and the second and third-year regular players of Hyotei had already acknowledged him, Atobe still couldn't accept it.

Being thoroughly defeated by Tezuka once would also promote his growth, so Kamikawa didn't pay much attention to Atobe.

Atobe will return to the tennis club in due time.