A high-speed serve delivered at seventy percent strength

As the clock neared ten, the venue where the tournament would soon begin was already filled with players warming up. Among them, Renji Yanagi paused, glancing up to notice a group of boys in green athletic uniforms walking outside the wire fence. He spoke calmly, “That’s Yamabuki Middle School—they’ve arrived.”

“These guys... they don’t look all that impressive,” remarked Ryo Shishido, who was stretching forward and studying the group led by Kiyoshi Sengoku with a hint of disdain.

“Kanoya Bando...” Mei Matsubara caught sight of the slightly hunched, smiling elder among the crowd and was momentarily stunned.

“You know him?” Shishido asked.

“Yes. He’s been Yamabuki’s tennis advisor and coach for eighteen years. His favorite tactic is provoking opponents until they make mistakes. With that perpetual smile, doesn’t he just make you want to hit him?” Mei nodded, lifting her chin toward Shishido.

“From what I’ve heard, Kanoya Bando is a formidable coach with a strong personality. As for other details, those still need to be uncovered,” Sadaharu Inui muttered, taking out his notebook.

“Since we’ve defeated Seigaku and Kuroburn, we’ve had a few byes. If we beat Yamabuki, we’ll qualify for the Kanto Tournament,” Yanagi explained.

“Let’s end their run here,” Akutsu replied coolly.

Both teams stood at the net. Kiyoshi Sengoku smiled, “I heard you defeated the first and second seeds. This match will determine which of us advances to the Kanto Tournament. Let’s give it our all—leave no regrets behind!”

“Yes, let’s have a good match!” Everyone, including Tezuka, shook hands with Sengoku and his teammates before dispersing.

“The match between Yamabuki and Evergreen is about to begin. First up: Doubles Two. For Yamabuki, Saten Mikami and Yuten Mikami; for Evergreen, Renji Yanagi and Sadaharu Inui,” echoed a woman’s voice through the loudspeaker.

“It seems our predictions were spot on, Yanagi,” Inui said, adjusting his reflective glasses as the Doubles Two lineup was revealed to be the Mikami brothers.

“We can’t underestimate their doubles, Inui,” Yanagi replied gravely.

“I hear you two specialize in data tennis, but to me, you’re just two blind men playing. Our data is not so easily deciphered,” Saten Mikami taunted.

“Hmph. Whether you come from seeded Seigaku or the famed Rikkaidai, in front of us brothers, you’re nothing but clowns,” Yuten Mikami retorted without backing down.

Yet Inui and Yanagi paid no mind to the brothers’ provocation, exchanging a glance. Inui said, “Their personalities match perfectly with the data.”

“Mm,” Yanagi nodded.

“These two...” Saten Mikami watched as Inui and Yanagi finished speaking and walked away, annoyed at their theatrics.

“One set, winner takes all. Evergreen’s Sadaharu Inui serves!”

“It’s finally starting, Inoue-senpai. I didn’t expect Evergreen’s Doubles Two to be those two,” Saori Shiba said, recording with her camera.

“In fact, they used to be doubles partners. Yamabuki is a school famed for doubles, so pairing them is ideal,” Mamoru Inoue understood Evergreen’s strategy: Doubles Two was Inui and Yanagi, Doubles One was Akutsu and Shishido, Singles Three was Mei Matsubara, Singles Two was Syusuke Fuji, and Singles One was Kunimitsu Tezuka. This was Evergreen’s strongest lineup.

Moreover, combinations like Inui and Yanagi or Akutsu and Shishido not only complemented each other but also helped teammates tap into their greatest potential. Evergreen’s doubles were every bit as formidable!

“Huh? You mean Inui and Yanagi were...” Shiba was surprised to learn they had once been doubles partners.

“That’s right. In elementary school, they were in the same tennis club and formed a doubles team. They dominated the elementary group tournaments, and our Professional Tennis Monthly interviewed them many times. In the world of elementary tennis, Inui and Yanagi were star players,” Inoue reminisced.

“Though they eventually went their separate ways, now they’re reunited at the same school—the legendary doubles team revived,” Shiba said, seeing Inoue’s anticipation. “A match between Yamabuki’s perfectly synchronized brothers and Evergreen’s star duo... The tournament just keeps getting more exciting!”

Inui served. With a blur of yellow-green light streaking across the sky, the ball landed exactly where the Mikami brothers could reach, and Evergreen took the first point.

“15-0!”

“That was...”

“What kind of serve was that...?”

The Mikami brothers’ faces changed dramatically. Both could have returned the serve, yet they couldn’t track its trajectory as it flew toward them.

“It’s here—Inui’s high-speed serve!” Shishido exclaimed.

“High-speed serve?” Shiba murmured, glancing sideways.

“Very fast, and extremely powerful. Among first-years, this kind of serve is incredibly rare,” Inoue said, astonished.

“It’s even faster than during practice, Inui,” Yanagi noted, feeling the difference.

“Yes, that first shot used seventy percent strength. The next three will increase by ten percent each,” Inui replied calmly.

In less than two weeks of training, Inui had pushed himself relentlessly. While he was often seen doling out vegetable juice punishments or assisting with training, beneath the surface, he had worked many times harder than his teammates, all to become stronger.

Since joining Evergreen Academy, Inui’s desire to catch up to and surpass Tezuka had grown even more intense. Now, with his old partner Yanagi fighting alongside him again, his resolve to improve had only strengthened. In just over ten days, he had mastered the high-speed serve and made it his new weapon!

“What... What a joke! That last serve was only at seventy percent strength...” Saten Mikami gripped his racket tightly, unsettled by Inui’s composure.

“Don’t worry, brother. It’s just a fast serve. If we focus on the ball’s path, we’ll be able to return it!” Yuten Mikami reassured him.

Bang!

Another high-speed serve. Just as Saten Mikami prepared to swing, a fierce gust roared past his ear, whipping half the hair on his face upward. The ball slammed near the baseline and shot out.

Thud... thud...

The tennis ball rolled feebly along the ground after landing.

“30-0!”

“It’s really... even faster than before...” Saten Mikami was drenched in sweat, removing the mask that covered his mouth, his lips trembling uncontrollably.

Yuten Mikami was speechless as well, staring blankly at their opponents.

Tap. Tap.

Inui lightly bounced the ball, looked at the Mikami brothers, and said evenly, “The next shot will be at ninety percent strength...”

As he finished speaking, a brilliant white gleam flashed across Inui’s glasses.