*Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!*
On the street tennis court, three figures were locked in an intense battle.
To be more precise, two of them were engaged in a long-distance, high-intensity baseline rally.
"This guy with glasses is amazing!"
"Yeah, he's actually holding his own against Mr. X! Does Akikawa Middle School have such a strong player?"
"No, he's not from Akikawa."
At this mont, Izumi and Bukawa recognized Inui. Although he hadn't appeared as a regular in this year's regional tournant, he had been a regular for Seigaku the previous year.
A year had passed, and aside from his height, his appearance hadn't changed much. His signature opaque white glasses were also a unique trademark in the entire tropolitan tournant.
Bukawa spoke up, "His na is Inui Sadaharu. He used to be a regular for Seigaku's tennis team."
"Used to be?"
Soone asked in confusion, "So... he graduated?"
"No," Izumi shook his head. "He's a third-year now. Rumor has it he lost to two underclassn and didn't make the regular lineup this year."
"Wow! Seigaku's players are that strong?"
The others were visibly shocked.
Even a player who didn't make the regular lineup could go toe-to-toe with Mr. X. anwhile, the regular from Akikawa Middle School couldn't even keep up with their movents.
It was clear that even among teams that had made it to the tropolitan tournant, there were significant gaps in skill.
*Thwack!*
At that mont, Ishikawa executed a quick follow-through, sending the ball skimming along the sideline and scoring a point.
"0-15!"
The umpire called.
Standing at the baseline, Inui looked up in surprise. "After such a long rally, his control is still this precise?"
This guy was definitely a pro.
After testing him in actual play, Inui was convinced that his opponent was a true expert.
"Inui-kun," Ishikawa said with a smile, "The warm-up is over. Shouldn't you start showing your real skills now?"
What?
The match so far was just a warm-up?
Hearing Ishikawa's words, the street players around the court were visibly shaken.
"Mr. X," Inui shook his head, "I wasn't holding back. Your skills are truly impressive!"
However, the smile on Ishikawa's face didn't waver. "As expected of Seigaku's data expert. While collecting information on others, you're also very careful to protect your own data."
"Huh?"
Behind his opaque glasses, Inui's eyes narrowed slightly. But he quickly regained his composure and replied with a smile, "Mr. X, you don't really think I was hiding my strength during the match just now, do you?"
Right!
Inui's words resonated with the crowd.
The match so far had been intense, and even keeping up with the pace was challenging. After all, even Kamio and Ibu, who had previously challenged Ishikawa, had struggled at this level.
"No need to pretend," Ishikawa shook his head. "Take off the weights on your legs, and let's have a fair match. Otherwise, beating you in this state would be aningless."
"Weights?!"
Hearing Ishikawa's words, Izumi, Bukawa, and the others were stunned.
Inui himself was equally shocked.
"How did he know?"
At this mont, as he looked at the black-haired boy smiling across the net, Inui felt an eerie sensation, as if he had been completely seen through.
"The rumors were true. This Mr. X is indeed extraordinary."
Inui gave Ishikawa a deep look, then, under the astonished gazes of the onlookers, bent down and rolled up his pant legs, revealing the blue-black weights strapped to his ankles.
"Whoa!"
Seeing the weights on Inui's legs, the crowd gasped in amazent.
On the court, Tosaka was utterly speechless.
What kind of monster was this?
He could run that fast even with weights on?
"Wait a minute!"
"Did they just say... this guy is only a non-regular from Seigaku?!"
At this mont, Tosaka's sense of superiority vanished completely. Instead, he began praying that his school, Akikawa, wouldn't have to face a terrifying team like Seigaku in the tropolitan tournant.
"Let's continue."
After removing the weights, Inui gave Tosaka a brief glance, and the latter imdiately felt an overwhelming pressure.
The muscular boy quickly nodded, his expression now tinged with a hint of flattery.
However, Inui paid no attention to him. His focus was entirely on Ishikawa.
*Thwack!*
Tosaka served the ball, then wisely retreated to the side of the court, leaving the space to the two competitors.
As for Inui and Ishikawa, they didn't imdiately launch into an intense rally. Instead, they began cautiously feeling each other out.
Especially Inui, knowing his opponent's keen insight, he played very carefully.
At the sa ti, Inui's mind was working overti, collecting every bit of data from Ishikawa's movents.
His running posture.
The angle of his backswing.
The height of his racket head during slices.
Every detail held valuable information. And as a data tennis player, Inui's job was to connect these pieces of information into a coherent strategy.
So, in the early stages of the match, he deliberately chose a defensive style of play. This made the match seem dull to the spectators.
Where were the powerful smashes?
The thrilling exchanges between experts?
Why was it just this monotonous baseline rally?
However, seeing that Ishikawa hadn't managed to break through Inui's defense, the onlookers didn't dare to voice their complaints.
*Thwack! Thwack!*
The two continued to probe each other.
This single point had already lasted over two minutes. Although the pace and rhythm weren't particularly fast, the spectators were gradually losing track of the action.
Yet, Inui's mind was as clear as a mirror. "The longer the rally, the more likely soone's guard will drop. Prolonged exchanges can reveal things that are usually hidden."
In terms of endurance, Inui was one of the best in Seigaku.
Even more impressive was his ability to transform that patience into a weapon through his analytical skills.
After more than two minutes of rallying, he had gathered a wealth of data on Ishikawa's movents.
And in his mind, he had already ford a complete data chain.
*Swish!*
At that mont, Ishikawa, after chasing down the ball, suddenly raised his racket as if preparing for a powerful shot.
It looked like he was growing impatient and wanted to end the point quickly.
"A perfect performance."
However, in Inui's eyes, this was just an act. "Unfortunately, your normal swing for a powerful shot has a larger backswing."
From a logical standpoint, if soone was impatient, their swing would be more exaggerated. But Ishikawa's actions were the opposite.
"There's only one explanation."
Inui's eyes glead as he watched Ishikawa prepare to strike. "This is a feint. Your real goal is... a drop shot!"
*Tap tap!*
In an instant, Inui sprinted toward the net.
At the sa ti, he kept a close eye on Ishikawa's movents. When he saw the boy's swing slow down, it only confird his theory.
*Smack!*
However, just as Inui crossed the service line and reached the middle of the court, Ishikawa suddenly accelerated his swing and sent the ball soaring into the air.
*Whoosh!*
Inui instinctively looked up, watching the ball fly over his head. His movents froze.
"A... lob?"
---
(End of Chapter)
Reviews
All reviews (0)