"That is…"
At that moment.
Mouri's sharp eyes caught the glint of a golden badge on the opponent's collar, shimmering under the sunlight.
"No. 8?"
"So, this guy is the 8th-ranked player in the first string?!"
Hearing this, Genji's expression turned serious.
The No. 8 of the first string!
Someone like that was definitely not an opponent that players from Court 1 could handle.
"Hey, kid."
The purple-haired youth narrowed his eyes, his voice turning cold. "I'm talking to you. Did you not hear me?"
As soon as he spoke, the surrounding high schoolers' expressions changed.
Recalling the guy's violent temperament, they quickly distanced themselves from Mouri and Genji.
"Now, now, Tohno."
At that moment, a silver-haired youth stepped out from the first string's lineup with a smile.
He stopped the purple-haired Tohno and looked at Mouri and Genji with a friendly expression. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Kiyoshi Yukito. You two, do you happen to know a newcomer named Ishikawa Shin?"
His tone was gentle, like a spring breeze, making it easy for anyone to feel a sense of goodwill.
Mouri and Genji were about to answer him instinctively.
But just then.
The badge on his collar gleamed under the sunlight, the golden light snapping them back to reality.
Upon closer inspection, the badge on his collar clearly read "No. 7"!
His rank was even higher than the previous guy.
And someone like that was definitely not as simple as he appeared. Especially since both of them were asking about Ishikawa, which made Mouri and Genji instinctively wary.
"Sorry."
Not knowing their intentions, Mouri shook his head. "We can't tell you anything about him."
"Tch."
The purple-haired Tohno clicked his tongue in annoyance. "See? Your approach doesn't work. I'll have to persuade them properly!"
With that, he stepped past Kiyoshi and faced the two again. "You've got nothing to say, huh? I'll give you one more chance to think carefully about your words!"
"Hmm."
Feeling the hostile aura emanating from Tohno, Mouri and Genji's hearts sank.
Was he really going to resort to force?
But this was the U-17 training camp, right? The coaches' rules were supposed to be strict.
Or were those rules only for the second string? Did first-string players like this guy, wearing that badge, not have to follow the coaches' orders?
Thoughts raced through their minds.
But Mouri and Genji didn't back down. They refused to believe that he could do anything too extreme.
And if it came to tennis…
They were confident. Even against a first-string representative, they weren't afraid!
"Good."
Tohno, his patience completely worn out, sneered as he picked up his racket and walked onto the court. "Even if you beg me on your knees later, the execution won't stop!"
Whoosh!
Hearing this, Mouri and Genji didn't think much of it.
But the other high schoolers, like Yamato and Nakagauchi, visibly paled.
Execution!
When that word came from Tohno, it carried a terrifying meaning.
After all, aside from his nasty personality, his tennis style was the most brutal in the entire U-17!
Thinking of this, the others couldn't help but look at Mouri and Genji with pity.
"Boss."
On the other side, among the first-string representatives, a fair-skinned, chubby guy with a pompadour smirked. "Aren't you going to stop this?"
"Stop it?"
The bearded blond guy chuckled lightly. "I'm not like that fool Oni. I don't have the time for that."
In fact, this was exactly what he wanted to see.
Before returning, he'd heard about the big incident at the training camp. Oni had been defeated by a newcomer!
This shocked Byoudouin.
At the same time, he was curious about who this newcomer, Ishikawa, really was.
With Tohno taking the lead, he was more than happy to see Ishikawa forced to show himself.
"That's enough!"
However, just as Tohno was about to step onto the court, a stern voice rang out from afar.
Everyone looked up.
Kurobe, Saito, and Takuzo, the three coaches, were standing on the second-floor platform. Kurobe held a megaphone, his gaze cold as he looked down at them.
"Oh, it's the coaches."
Seeing Kurobe and the others, Tohno's lips curled into a mocking smile. "What's the matter? Did you crawl out of your little dark rooms to come outside?"
Hearing this, the other high schoolers' hearts sank, while Mouri and Genji's faces filled with disbelief.
Was he serious?
How could he talk to the coaches like that?!
"Tohno Tokugawa, watch your tone."
Kurobe's expression grew colder. Seeing that Tohno ignored his warning and continued walking down the steps, he said sternly, "It's not too late to stop now."
"Idiot."
Tohno spat out the word coldly.
He didn't care about Kurobe at all. After his outstanding performance in three consecutive matches in Southeast Asia, he believed that aside from the head coach, these three had no right to speak to him in such a tone.
In fact, it wasn't just him.
Even Byoudouin, the strongest in the first string, referred to Kurobe and the others as "second-rate coaches."
With the momentum of his recent victories, Tohno refused to believe that he couldn't even teach two newcomers a lesson.
Moreover, Tohno's personality was inherently rebellious.
If Kurobe hadn't said anything, he might have let it go. But now that he had, Tohno was even less likely to back down.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Tohno descended the steps.
His footsteps weren't heavy, but each one seemed to echo in the hearts of the surrounding high schoolers, making them shiver instinctively.
When Tohno entered the court, and Kurobe and the others didn't issue any further warnings or take action, the other high schoolers felt that the coaches were powerless to stop him.
"Heh."
Standing at the baseline, Tohno glanced at Kurobe and the others, then turned his gaze toward Mouri and Genji.
"You two… come at me together!"
"Huh?!"
Hearing this, Mouri and Genji's hearts sank.
They could feel the overwhelming pressure Tohno was radiating. If even the coaches couldn't stop him, it seemed like no one here could restrain him anymore.
However, neither Mouri nor Genji considered teaming up against him.
They exchanged a glance, both ready to step onto the court.
"I heard you were looking for me?"
But just then.
A calm voice came from behind Mouri and Genji.
Whoosh!
Everyone turned to look.
A black-haired boy in a gray-white jacket had appeared on the other side of the court.
Ishikawa?
Seeing the boy, Mouri and Genji immediately felt relieved.
"So, you're Ishikawa Shin?"
Tohno's gaze fell on the boy. "You don't look like much. How could someone like you defeat Oni?"
"Whether I can or not isn't for you to decide."
Ishikawa shook his head, glancing at Tohno indifferently. "I'll give you a chance. I'm right here. You can hit the ball anytime."
"You've got guts, kid!"
Tohno's eyes flashed coldly. Provoked by Ishikawa, he immediately tossed the ball into the air.
Then, he raised his racket, preparing to secretly use his technique to unleash his execution move and teach the boy a lesson.
Whoosh!
However, just as Tohno's eyes locked onto Ishikawa's position, they met his gaze.
"Huh?!"
In the next moment.
He seemed to sense something, his pupils contracting sharply.
Then, to everyone's astonishment, his raised racket froze mid-air. The ball fell, but Tohno didn't react.
Thud.
The ball hit the ground.
Tohno stood there like a statue, muttering to himself as if he'd been struck by something. "What… what kind of gaze was that?!"
"What… what just happened?"
The scene left the surrounding high schoolers stunned.
Even some of the first-string representatives were baffled.
"Tch."
Ishikawa couldn't help but shake his head lightly. "I gave you a chance, but you couldn't take it… senpai."
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