"Seigaku's first-year, huh?"
At the baseline.
Agitatingly bouncing the tennis ball, Agatsuma glanced across the net at the boy poised in a ready stance. "You're not *just* good at that Twist Serve, are you?"
*Wham!*
His thoughts shifted.
He launched the ball across the court.
*Step, step!*
Without hesitation, Agatsuma sprinted toward the net.
"Serve and volley?!"
The Seigaku team's expressions tightened.
If this were Echizen's service game, he could use his serve to limit his opponent's chances of rushing the net. But this was Agatsuma's serve. With the first-mover advantage, he could capitalize on the brief window of Echizen's return to charge forward.
*Pop!*
At that moment, Echizen opted for a slice.
The ball arced toward Agatsuma's left side. He quickly slid over, returned the shot, and surged toward the net again.
"Crap!"
Seeing this, Horio and the others felt a pang of dread.
Inui's voice was grim. "Once he's at the net, it's nearly impossible to pin him back to the baseline. A slice is too slow—it can't restrict his movement at all."
*Step, step!*
But then—
Echizen took off, bolting toward the net himself.
"Huh?"
Yue, caught off guard, blurted, "Seigaku's first-year is going to the net too? Does he seriously think he can out-volley Jirou?"
"Jirou's volleys are untouchable," Ninose added, shaking his head. "If he thinks rushing the net will stop Jirou's offense, he's way too naive."
As former Hyotei regulars, ranked second and third, Ninose and Agatsuma had clashed plenty of times. Ninose usually came out on top, but only by keeping Agatsuma pinned at the baseline. Once Agatsuma reached the net, it was game over.
*Wham!*
But then—
Agatsuma, returning Echizen's shot, raised an eyebrow. "Whoa, that's some crazy spin on this ball!"
He hadn't expected it.
That seemingly ordinary slice hid some serious power.
But Agatsuma wasn't your average player. With a flick of his wrist, he adjusted his racket angle and sent Echizen's ball back.
Now, both players were closing in on the net, but Agatsuma was clearly closer.
In a net duel, the one who gets there first has the edge.
A glint flashed in Agatsuma's eyes as he prepared to move. "This point's *mine*!"
*Step, step!*
But then, against all expectations—
Echizen, still charging toward the net, showed no signs of slowing down.
"Is this guy insane?"
The crowd outside the court gasped, stunned by Echizen's recklessness.
"No way!"
Yue couldn't hold back. "This kid hasn't slowed down at all. Is he seriously just trying to beat Jirou to the net?"
His words drew skeptical headshakes from the others.
Tennis isn't about ego. If this Seigaku first-year was just chasing clout, he was way too green.
*Swish!*
But then—
Just when everyone thought Echizen couldn't return the ball, he suddenly crouched low, sliding forward with the momentum.
"What the—?"
The abrupt move left the crowd dumbfounded.
"Here it comes!"
Off the court, St. Rudolph's Fuji Yuta's face darkened. "It's *that* move!!!"
*Whoosh!*
Echizen, still sliding, leapt into the air. With a fierce swing, he smashed the ball.
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
The ball soared in a high arc, then plummeted sharply. It bounced once, then shot up again, landing just beyond the baseline.
The two parabolas traced by the ball's bounces formed a shape on the court that looked like a giant letter *B*!
"There it is!"
Seigaku's cheer squad—three first-years and some second-years—erupted in excitement. "Echizen's (*Ryoma-kun's*) Drive B!!!"
"0-15!"
As the referee's call echoed, all eyes turned to the boy slowly rising at the net.
"Not bad, kid," Yue said, genuinely impressed. "He's got some tricks up his sleeve!"
"This Seigaku first-year's no joke," Shishido nodded. "Facing Jirou's serve-and-volley, he didn't back down. He went head-to-head!"
"No wonder Tezuka's got his eye on him," Atobe mused. "That Drive B? The timing and angle are *flawless*."
To pull off that shot, you needed—
Technique.
Guts.
Resolve.
Miss any one, and it wouldn't work.
That alone proved this Seigaku first-year could hold his own in a Kanto-level match.
"Way to go, Echizen!"
On the sidelines, Momoshiro pumped his fist. "Show 'em what you've got!"
"Damn right!" Horio laughed. "When it comes to net play, we're not losing to him!"
Courage wins in a head-on clash.
Echizen's bold move had scored a direct hit, boosting Seigaku's morale. Curious eyes turned to Agatsuma, wondering if Hyotei's genius would lose his cool after being outplayed.
"Wow, that was *awesome*!"
But instead of frustration—
After a brief moment of shock, Agatsuma lit up like a kid with a new toy. "That was so cool! Hey, first-year, can you hit that Drive B again?"
"Uh…"
Not just the crowd—Echizen himself was thrown off by Agatsuma's sudden enthusiasm.
"Sure… no problem."
Echizen turned and headed back to the baseline.
"Sweet!"
Agatsuma perked up, returning to his baseline with a serious look. "This time, I'm *definitely* cracking that killer move of yours!"
*Wham!*
He fired off another serve.
*Step, step!*
And charged the net again.
*Pop!*
Echizen countered with another heavily spun slice.
His strategy was simple: force Agatsuma's return low to set up another Drive B.
*Wham!*
As expected—
Agatsuma returned the ball with the same angle as before.
*Skid!*
Across the net, Echizen lowered his center of gravity, sliding into position.
*Wham!*
Leaping up, he unleashed another powerful Drive B.
"Here it comes!!!"
Agatsuma's eyes lit up.
Tracking the ball's path, he bolted to the backcourt. Just as the ball dropped for its second bounce, he swung, barely managing to return it.
"He caught it!"
Hyotei's cheering squad roared with excitement.
*Swish!*
But then—
A figure leapt into the air on the other side, smashing the incoming ball with a ferocious spike.
*Wham!*
"0-30!"
"Aw, man!"
Caught off guard by Echizen's follow-up, Agatsuma let out a frustrated sigh before grinning at Echizen. "One more time!"
"Jirou, you…"
Shishido, Yue, and the others gave wry smiles.
No helping it—Hyotei's genius just loved to *play*. To him, tennis was one big game.
"Not bad, not bad."
Nearby, Nanjiro nodded approvingly. "I like this Hyotei kid."
"Nanjiro-san…"
Inoue and Shiba Saori exchanged glances, surprised.
They'd expected him to comment on Echizen's performance.
"What?" Nanjiro grinned, catching their confusion. "Tennis is just a game, you know. The real fun comes when you dive in without overthinking, letting the game take over."
"Nan… Nan-pervert!"
Saori, curious, asked, "So, you play tennis like it's a game too?"
"Well, not exactly," Nanjiro chuckled, thinking it over. "When I was playing pro, it was all about winning."
"I see," they nodded.
Inoue thought to himself: *So, this mindset came after he retired.*
"Makes sense," he mused silently. "Goals change after retirement. And Nanjiro-san's vibe now is totally different from Agatsuma's."
*Wham!*
"0-40!"
*Wham!*
"Game!"
"Seigaku's Echizen, 1-1!"
Before long—
Agatsuma, obsessed with cracking Echizen's Drive B, lost his service game.
"Jirou!"
Seeing him still caught up in the moment, Atobe snapped, "Get your head in the game!"
"Whoops."
Atobe's voice snapped Agatsuma back to reality. Glancing at the updated scoreboard, he scratched his head sheepishly. "My bad, my bad."
*Swish!*
He spread his legs, lowered his stance, and got serious. "Seigaku kid, I can't play around anymore. Atobe's orders—I'm getting real now."
As he spoke—
His gaze sharpened.
His carefree vibe gave way to a hint of intensity.
"What?"
The crowd murmured. "Hyotei's guy was just *playing* before?"
"No surprise there. He's Hyotei's singles ace. To treat a match like this so casually…"
"That's Hyotei's confidence for you."
"Now that he's serious, Seigaku's first-year might be in trouble."
All eyes turned to Echizen.
"Hm?"
Then someone gasped, eyes wide. "W-Wait! That Seigaku kid… he's switched his racket to his *left hand*?!"
"What?!"
The crowd buzzed.
Sure enough—
The boy who'd been holding his racket in his right hand was now gripping it with his left.
"No way!" Yue blurted. "This Seigaku first-year's a *lefty*?!"
"Echizen Ryoma…"
Atobe narrowed his eyes, surprised. He hadn't expected Echizen to hide such a trump card, especially with Seigaku's tournament hopes on the line.
*Wham!*
Echizen served.
The ball was fast, with wicked spin and pinpoint placement. It landed deep, bouncing outward with force.
"Ugh!"
Agatsuma, returning the shot, was pushed back half a step.
*Wham!*
Echizen's next shot came screaming in.
Like before, it was a deep topspin shot, hugging the baseline.
"Is this Seigaku kid trying to trap Jirou at the baseline?"
Hyotei's players grimaced.
Agatsuma's strength shone at the net. This Seigaku first-year was clearly trying to keep him away from it.
"No worries," Taki said. "Jirou's skills are way above that first-year's. Plus, in a drawn-out rally, the more experienced player will take control!"
"Yeah," Yue and Shishido nodded.
In their eyes, third-year Agatsuma's match experience trumped first-year Echizen's. And stamina? Echizen didn't have the edge there either.
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
But as the match wore on—
Hyotei's team started to sense something was off. In the prolonged rallies, Echizen was getting *more* comfortable, while Agatsuma was visibly struggling.
"Why…?"
Taki looked baffled.
"It's his footwork," Ninose explained. "This Seigaku first-year's got insane court sense. He reads his opponent's shots in a split second. With those quick, tiny steps, he's half a step faster than most players to the ball—no!"
His eyes widened. "It's not just quick steps. He's using *single-leg* quick steps!"
"Exactly," Ishikawa nodded. "In this situation, Echizen's a full *step and a half* faster than usual!"
*A step and a half?!*
Hyotei's team froze, stunned.
*Wham!*
Using his speed, Echizen fired a shot just outside Agatsuma's reach.
"15-0!"
"This…"
Seeing Echizen score so quickly, Hyotei's players—and Agatsuma himself—looked grim.
"Bring it."
Agatsuma growled, settling into his return stance.
*Wham!*
Echizen served again.
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
*Wham!*
The two locked into another long rally.
But whether it was technique or experience, Echizen was outclassing Agatsuma. Their duel was slowly turning into Echizen dominating Agatsuma.
"How… how is this possible?"
Panting as he ran, Agatsuma felt exhaustion creeping in. His face twisted in shock.
"Why…?"
"Why can't I keep up with him?"
"I *saw* his shots coming!"
Agatsuma was lost in confusion.
As the match dragged on, he felt heavier. Meanwhile, Echizen, though sweating more, still had razor-sharp focus in his eyes.
Thirty minutes in—
Echizen's control was as steady as ever. Agatsuma, drenched in sweat, was breathing so hard it alarmed the onlookers.
In that moment—
Hyotei's genius felt a pang of regret. If he'd taken training more seriously instead of just coasting, he wouldn't be in this mess.
But regret was useless now.
*Wham!*
At the 36-minute mark, Echizen unleashed a final Drive shot. The referee's voice rang out: "Match over! Seigaku's Echizen wins, 6-2!"
*Thud!*
Agatsuma collapsed, gasping for air, his chest heaving dramatically.
"I… I still lost…"
A bitter smile crossed his face.
Even giving it his all, using a desperate sprint and his signature Magic Volley to claw back one game in his service, it wasn't enough to turn the tide.
*Crack.*
*Crack.*
Agatsuma's fists clenched, nails digging into his palms. A newfound resolve burned in his eyes.
In that moment—
Hyotei's genius, tasting the bitter sting of defeat, finally awakened.
Nearby—
Nanjiro, watching Agatsuma's reaction from the sidelines, nodded with deep admiration.
"Shame fuels courage. Not bad."
"With a bit of polish, this Hyotei kid could unleash some serious potential."
"And that Akutsu kid too—they're both promising talents!"
"Uh… Nanjiro-san?"
Inoue, standing beside him, suddenly sensed a shift in the man's demeanor.
It was like a collector spotting a priceless treasure.
*(End of Chapter)*