King of Tennis (POT)

Swoosh—

The tennis ball skidded across the court, spinning rapidly against the ground.

A split second later, it shot straight toward Byoudouin's head.

But just as he raised his racket to return it, the ball suddenly curved mid-air, veering parallel to the ground and darting toward his backhand side.

"Oh?"

Byoudouin raised an eyebrow, impressed. "I didn't expect this serve to have such a tricky variation."

"Heh."

On the other side of the net, Echizen smirked confidently.

This was his newly refined Twist Serve, perfected through relentless training. With this first serve, he intended to make a strong impression—to show this high schooler exactly what he was capable of.

To Echizen, high schoolers might be stronger, but they weren't unbeatable. His real goal was defeating Ishikawa, and he'd trained harder than ever to close the gap. This serve was his way of making sure his opponent remembered his name.

Thwack!

But before Echizen could savor the moment, the crisp sound of a return shot echoed through the court. The ball, which had been flying parallel to the ground, was already intercepted and sent rocketing back.

Boom!

It landed right on the baseline, sending an invisible wave of pressure crashing over Echizen. When he swung his racket to meet it, a tremendous force jolted through his wrist.

"This power…?!"

Echizen's expression twisted in shock.

His earlier confidence vanished, replaced by sheer disbelief. Instinctively, he gripped the racket with both hands, barely managing to withstand the impact.

"Hoh?"

Byoudouin's eyes gleamed with interest. "He blocked it? Not bad. This middle schooler's got some skill."

Thwack!

He chased down the next ball and fired it to the far corner, forcing Echizen to sprint across the court.

Tap-tap!

Yet, the boy's feet moved with surprising agility, reaching the ball just in time.

"The Split Step?"

Byoudouin's eyebrows rose higher. And when he noticed Echizen's footwork adjusting mid-dash, his intrigue deepened. "No—a Single-Legged Split Step?"

If this kid really was a rookie, his technique was already at an impressive level.

Thwack!

Boom!

Thwack!

Boom!

The two fell into a grueling baseline rally.

"Not bad, not bad."

On the adjacent court, Duke Watanabe—wearing his signature oni mask—nodded approvingly. "To hold his own against the boss? This kid's got talent."

He turned to his own opponent, a grinning redhead. "Hey, you're no slouch either, right? Go on, serve."

"You got it!"

Kintarou beamed and tossed the ball high.

WHAM!

His serve exploded forward like a cannon shot.

Duke smoothly moved into position, raising his racket to counter—

CRACK!

The moment his strings connected with the ball, his eyes widened behind the mask.

"This power… He's a middle schooler?!"

He stared at Kintarou's lean frame, struggling to reconcile it with the raw strength behind that shot.

Of course, for Duke—the #1 power player in U-17—this was nothing. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the ball rocketing back, placing it perfectly in the far corner.

"Unless he's got some fancy footwork too— Huh?!"

But then, Kintarou leaped into the air, curling into a ball and spinning like a human top.

Whoosh—!

He landed with a skid, his racket already whipping forward.

BOOM!

The ball screamed back at Duke.

"What the—?!"

Duke had never seen such unorthodox play. It was chaotic yet fluid, full of wasted motion yet impossibly efficient.

"Since when were Japanese middle schoolers this insane?"

Thwack!

Boom!

Thwack!

Boom!

The rallies intensified. Duke gradually increased his power, yet Kintarou kept returning everything.

"This brat's a monster."

Duke's expression grew serious behind the mask.

Then—

Tap.

Kintarou suddenly dropped a delicate short shot.

"Huh?!"

The timing was flawless—right as Duke committed to a power swing.

Scrambling forward, Duke barely managed to lob it high.

"NOW'S MY CHANCE!"

Kintarou's eyes lit up. He launched himself into the air, spinning like a tornado.

WHOOSH—!!!

Dust swirled around him as he transformed into a human whirlwind.

"This kid—!"

Duke's eyes narrowed. The rotational force alone was terrifying—whatever came next would be brutal.

"SUPER… ULTRA… DELICIOUS… GREAT WHEEL MOUNTAIN STORM!!!"

With that absurdly named shout, Kintarou unleashed his ultimate move.

BOOOOM!!!

The ball streaked down like a meteor.

"A secret technique, huh?"

Nearby, Echizen shielded his eyes from the dust storm, watching intently.

He'd heard about Kintarou's infamous match against Ishikawa—how his final shot had been monstrous.

But seeing it in person?

This was on another level.

Echizen was certain: If Duke tried to return this, he'd be sent flying.

"Damn, this kid's a beast."

Duke braced himself as the shockwave hit. "Is he Oni's secret love child or something?!"

In U-17, Duke was strong—but Oni could lift a ton of weight. And this redheaded brat? Aside from his smaller build, he was like a mini-Oni!

"Guess I'll have to get serious."

KABOOM!!!

A deafening blast shook the indoor courts.

A massive dust cloud erupted, swallowing the entire area.

"Huh?!"

Echizen's eyes widened as a figure went flying—

But it wasn't Duke.

It was Kintarou.

THUD!

The redhead crashed into the wall, knocked out cold.

"Wha—?!"

Echizen's breath hitched.

As the dust settled, Duke stood there—shirt torn clean off, revealing a sculpted, powerhouse physique.

"Phew. That was close."

Duke wiped imaginary sweat off his brow, eyeing the unconscious Kintarou. "Kid's scary. Who throws a shot like that?!"

Scary?!

Echizen's eye twitched. Duke hadn't even flinched, while Kintarou was out cold.

"Hey, brat."

Byoudouin's voice snapped him back to reality.

"You shouldn't lose focus mid-match."

With that, Byoudouin raised his racket—and suddenly, his arm seemed to multiply into countless afterimages.

"Indian Snake Charmer!"

SWISH!

The ball split into a swarm of serpent-like trajectories, all lunging for Echizen.

"This technique—?!"

Echizen's pulse spiked.

This wasn't just some upgraded version of Ochi's Wild Ball Barrage. This was real high-level play.

Without hesitation, he switched his racket to his left hand.

"Oh?"

Byoudouin's interest peaked. "A southpaw, huh?"

The more he saw, the more this "rookie" impressed him.

Still, Byoudouin was confident. Even holding back, this technique should be beyond any middle schooler's ability to return.

But then—

Pulse!

A radiant white aura erupted around Echizen.

"This light—?!"

Byoudouin recognized it—Muga no Kyouchi (Perfect Harmony). But this version felt different, almost consuming his focus.

CRACK!

Echizen returned the shot with a fierce counter.

"Well, well."

Byoudouin grinned. "If he's really a rookie, his talent's insane."

This level already put him in the U-17's top ten. That aura was dangerous—even former elites like Kirihara and Akutsu would struggle against it.

Time to get serious.

Thwack!

Boom!

Thwack!

Boom!

The exchanges grew fiercer, dust clouds obscuring the court.

Echizen fought at his absolute peak, treating Byoudouin like he would Ishikawa.

But with every return, the weight behind the shots grew heavier.

"This pressure…"

Echizen gritted his teeth. Something was off.

Then—

RIIIP!

The dust curtain tore apart.

A gigantic tennis ball, swirling with terrifying force, hurtled toward him.

"This is—?!"

Even in Perfect Harmony, Echizen felt a primal fear.

The same fear he'd felt against Ishikawa at Nationals.

"HAAAH—!"

Gritting his teeth, he poured every ounce of strength into his swing.

BOOOOOOM!!!

The collision was catastrophic.

"Guh—!"

Echizen's racket warped on impact.

And then—

WHOOSH!

He was launched backward, slamming into the wall beside Kintarou.

"Ugh…"

Dazed, Echizen stared at his mangled racket in disbelief.

What kind of monster was this guy?!

"Hoh?"

Byoudouin tilted his head. "Still conscious? You're no ordinary middle schooler."

"Kid, you've got skill," Duke called over, chuckling. "But this isn't your stage yet. Train hard—we'll meet again."

"Y-Yeah…"

Kintarou groaned, slowly sitting up. He rubbed his head sheepishly.

"But, uh… We're not even the strongest in middle school."

"Oh?"

Duke's eyes sharpened. "There's someone above you two?"

That was unexpected. These two were already top-ten material.

"Not surprising."

Byoudouin crossed his arms. "You're both first-years, right?"

"Heh…"

Kintarou scratched his cheek awkwardly. Then, under his breath:

"Well, there's still one guy stronger than us… Too bad Ishikawa didn't show up for the selections…"

"—?!"

Both Byoudouin and Duke snapped their heads toward him.

"Kid," Duke's voice turned deadly serious. "Who did you just say?!"

(End of Chapter)