The announcement echoed through the air.
Players from both teams, led by their coaches, entered the court. Seeing the two hundred spectators blocked outside the wire fence, the two doubles pairs from Seiseikan felt a wave of relief.
Even so.
The overwhelming presence of Hyotei's cheering squad outside the court still cast a heavy atmosphere over everyone.
"Don't get too nervous," Hanamura said confidently, crossing her long legs clad in black stockings as she took her seat in the coach's area. "Hyotei's players are human too. No matter how intimidating their supporters are, they can't actually affect what happens on the court."
"Got it," the four players nodded in unison.
The other three, however, seemed far more self-assured.
"Sigh."
Seeing this, Hanamura couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.
She had studied human kinetics at the University of Tokyo for both her bachelor's and master's degrees. After graduating, she joined Seiseikan directly, introducing a scientific approach and adopting the "elite training" methods from Europe and America.
This was why she had gained strong support from the school.
But time wasn't on her side. She had only been here since last September—barely a year. Even the most skilled chef can't cook without ingredients, as the saying goes.
Still, Hanamura remained confident.
At the very least, under her guidance, she had produced three fairly impressive "works." That, at least, met her minimum expectations.
Of course, her ultimate goal was to create even more refined "works" during her tenure as a tennis coach.
"That boy..."
Her gaze drifted toward the black-haired boy standing next to Atobe in Hyotei's camp. "Is he really only... 12 years old?"
"Next up, the doubles 2 match will begin!"
"Seiseikan's Tanaka Yohei and Tanaka Kohei pair versus Hyotei's Shishido Ryo and Ootori Chotaro pair!"
"Both teams, please prepare!"
"Finally," Inoue, standing outside the wire fence, watched as the players from both sides adjusted their gear and checked their conditions. "The first round of the Kanto Tournament is about to begin!"
"Yeah," Ushio nodded firmly.
From the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament to the Kanto Tournament, the overall skill level of the players had risen significantly. For reporters like them, the stakes were higher, and the demands were stricter.
"Seiseikan is sending out those twin brothers this time?" Ushio asked curiously.
Meanwhile, on Seiseikan's side, Hanamura was briefing her players: "Hyotei's pair is strong. Although they're a recently formed doubles team, they haven't lost a single match yet."
"Also," she added, her tone growing serious, "the second-year player, Ootori, has an incredibly fast serve."
"Fast serve?"
The Tanaka brothers exchanged a glance.
Yohei, the older brother with purple-red bangs, chuckled. "Got it, Coach."
"Ha," his younger brother, Kohei, who sported a blue high ponytail, grinned confidently. "We've got this match in the bag."
If they were up against a pair like Jirou and Akutagawa, they might have been more cautious. But against a newly formed doubles team? No need to worry.
Besides, they had faced national-level doubles teams before during the Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament.
Sure, they had lost badly, but in the Tanaka brothers' eyes, Rikkai Dai was on a completely different level compared to Hyotei's new pair.
With that in mind, the two confidently stepped onto the court.
"Seiseikan's players seem pretty confident," Jirou remarked, watching the purple and blue-haired brothers enter the court. "And they're twins?"
"What's so special about twins?" Ootori asked, turning to Jirou.
"Twin brothers share a unique bond," Ishikawa explained calmly. "From what I know, twins often have an innate默契 that surpasses other doubles pairs. They can often anticipate each other's moves without even communicating, making their coordination incredibly effective."
"Is that so?" Ootori's expression shifted slightly.
These two were among Hyotei's top strategists. If they spoke so highly of twin doubles, it was clear that their opponents were no ordinary pair.
"Hey, you two," Shishido stepped forward. "The match hasn't even started yet. Don't scare Chotaro. Besides, tennis isn't just about默契."
"Oh?" Jirou smirked. "So you're admitting that your默契 with Chotaro isn't that great yet?"
"Uh..." Shishido was momentarily speechless.
"Let me remind you," Ishikawa interjected. "These Tanaka brothers are actually third-year students. Plus, during the Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament, they managed to win two games against Rikkai Dai's top doubles pair."
"What?!"
Shishido's face paled.
Rikkai Dai!
The name alone carried weight, especially when it came to their top doubles pair.
Shishido remembered all too well how Hyotei's third-year seniors last year had only managed to win a single game against them.
"Our opponents... are that strong?" Shishido clenched his fists, exchanging a determined glance with Ootori. The two nodded solemnly and stepped onto the court with serious expressions.
"By the way," Jirou turned to Ishikawa with a raised eyebrow. "I couldn't help but notice you're getting more and more... cunning."
"Cunning? Not at all," Ishikawa shook his head. "Everything I said was true."
"True, but..." Jirou smirked. "You only told half the story. Not all twins have that level of understanding . . And as for Rikkai Dai's pair, they've been letting opponents win the first game in every match since the start of this year."
"Is that so?" Ishikawa chuckled but didn't elaborate.
Jirou didn't press further. In his view, Ishikawa's intention was to keep Shishido and Ootori on their toes and avoid underestimating their opponents—a wise move.
Seiseikan might not be a powerhouse, but if Hyotei were to stumble against them, Coach Sakaki wouldn't let them off easily.
"Game start, one-set match."
Moments later, the referee glanced toward Hyotei's side and nodded at Ootori. "Hyotei's Ootori to serve, first game!"
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
*Thud!*
At the baseline, Ootori began his serve.
Ootori took out a tennis ball and began tapping it lightly.
"Strange," remarked Shisato, watching with surprise. "What's Hyotei up to? Why is Ootori serving first?"
She remembered that in previous matches, this pair had Ootori serving later. And this time, against Seigaku and Yamabuki's doubles, Seigaku didn't seem stronger than before. "Maybe it's a new strategy from Hyotei," Inoue mused thoughtfully.
"Is it coming?" Seeing Ootori prepare to serve, Tanaka Yohei from Seigaku, with his reddish-purple hair, smirked. "They say his serve is impressive. Let's see how it compares to Kajimoto's."
"How old is he?" His brother, Tanaka Kohei, shook his head skeptically. "Kajimoto's serve only reached this level after our coach brought in a special yoga instructor to improve his arm flexibility. This second-year from Hyotei can't possibly match that."
As they spoke, many eyes turned to Seigaku's tall, composed captain, Kajimoto, with his calm demeanor and brown hair.
"True," remarked Wakato Hiroshi, the orange-haired player often idolized by the girls. "The captain's serve doesn't seem like something a middle schooler could pull off."
"Yeah," nodded Shinjo Reiji, his gear-like crew cut bobbing slightly. Even the usually arrogant and reserved Shinjo agreed, which spoke volumes about Kajimoto's exceptional serve.
"Be careful," Coach Hanamura interjected from the sidelines, shaking her head. "They're from Hyotei, after all. You can't afford to underestimate them."
Still, she couldn't help but feel proud of her "creation," Kajimoto. In terms of serve speed, she believed no middle schooler could surpass him.
*Whoosh!*
Ootori tossed the ball into the air. As he tapped it, he overheard the conversations around him. His respect for Seigaku's strength grew, and he felt a heightened sense of caution. This was no team to take lightly.
Even though it was just the first serve, Ootori focused intently, pouring all his energy into it.
"One…"
His mind raced as he bent his knees, tightened his core, and lowered his center of gravity, muscles coiling like springs.
"Ball…"
He stretched his body, eyes locked on the ball as it reached its peak.
"Into…"
As the ball hovered at its highest point, Ootori raised his racket, his gaze sharp and predatory, like an eagle zeroing in on its prey.
"SOUL!!!"
With a final mental shout, he exploded into motion, leaping slightly and swinging his racket with full force, smashing the ball downward like a cannonball.
*Boom!*
The sound was deafening. The spectators felt as if they were witnessing a fired projectile, blazing across the court and slamming into the service line in front of Tanaka Yohei.
*Thud!*
The ball exploded like thunder. Tanaka Yohei, who had been relaxed and ready to return the serve, froze as the yellow streak flashed past him. His smile vanished.
*Clang!*
The ball rebounded off the fence with a metallic clang.
The entire sequence happened so fast that Tanaka Yohei didn't even have time to react.
"15-0!" the umpire announced.
The Seigaku team's expressions turned to shock.
"What kind of serve is that?!" exclaimed Ota Shou, the short, bespectacled player from Seigaku's doubles pair, his mouth hanging open.
"K-Kajimoto…" Wakato Hiroshi and Kiriyama Daichi turned to their captain, their faces pale.
But even Kajimoto, who had always been confident in his serve, looked stunned.
"That serve…" Kajimoto muttered, his eyes wide as he stared at Ootori. "Is he really a second-year?"
Despite his internal shock, he forced himself to remain composed, nodding slightly. "Not bad," he said calmly.
"Just… not bad?" Wakato, Kiriyama, and even Shinjo exchanged doubtful glances.
"Hmph!" Ootori, however, felt a pang of unease at Kajimoto's reaction. He had just unleashed 80% of his serve's power, and yet Kajimoto only called it "not bad"?
"As Senpai and Ishikawa said, there's always someone better. I can't afford to be complacent," Ootori thought, his determination reigniting.
"W-Wait a second…" Tanaka Kohei, now swapping positions with his brother to receive the serve, felt his heart race as he caught the sharp glint in Ootori's eyes.
"ONE… BALL… INTO… SOUL!!!"
*Boom!*
Ootori's serve, now closer to 90% of his full power, rocketed across the court like a missile.
*Bang!*
The ball slammed into the ground in front of Tanaka Kohei, who, like his brother, couldn't even react.
"No way…" Kajimoto, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms. "That wasn't even his full power?!"
For the first time, even before his own match had started, the Seigaku captain felt an overwhelming pressure.
"Is Hyotei… really this strong?" Coach Hanamura's expression turned complex. She had meticulously trained Kajimoto, using scientific methods to enhance his arm flexibility and push his serve speed to 190 km/h. And yet, this Hyotei player had matched it so effortlessly?
The thought that someone like Ootori wasn't even a main singles player for Hyotei left her feeling bitter.
Her gaze shifted past Coach Sakaki and Atobe, landing on the black-haired boy standing at the front.
"His name is… Ishikawa Shin, right?" she thought, her eyes lingering on the boy's striking features and calm demeanor. To her, he seemed like an uncut gem, full of potential. If the rumors were true, he might be the most naturally gifted player she had ever seen.
(End of Chapter)