87. Two Regulars Certain to Be Eliminated

The Kanto Tournament was unlike the other prefectural competitions. Anyone who understood that this event would bring together every tennis school in the Kanto region knew just how high its stakes were.

This in-school elimination round still had eight regular spots available, divided into four courts labeled A through D. Each court had twelve players, and only the top two could become regulars. That meant the tournament would be run in a round-robin format.

“Everyone, the Kanto Tournament will include many formidable teams. Among them are several stronger than our school. Though we did not meet them in the metropolitan tournament, we must not let our guard down. Just like us, they are training without pause. Perhaps their training intensity is ten times, even a hundred times greater than ours. I hope everyone will maintain the highest level and the best condition to face the Kanto Tournament, and show off the brilliant spirit of Seishun Academy!”

Tezuka stood before everyone and spoke.

“Yes!”

“Good. Don’t let your guard down, and go at it!”

From far away, faint shouts could be heard. As she approached the courts, Shizuku Fuji saw that everyone at Seishun Academy, regulars and non-regulars alike, were gathered on one court receiving Tezuka’s briefing, and she said with satisfaction, “Oh? What a fine atmosphere. We arrived just in time for the elimination round to begin, Senior Inoue.”

“Now I will announce the groups. Members of the first group: Naru Matsubara, Suzunosuke Tamura, and Kumasuke Makise!”

Ganjiro Inui stepped forward and said.

“Members of the second group: Kumakiri Shibayama, Shinya Yanagisawa, and Yuta Serizawa!”

“Members of the third group: Jin Akutsu, Ryo Shishido, and Naraku Katagiri!”

“Members of the fourth group: me, Ganjiro Inui, Shuichiro Fuji, and Yakan Kuroiwa!”

“Members of the fifth group: Kunikazu Tezuka, Jiro Akazawa, and Yugo Kuroki!”

“Everyone whose names were called, gather quickly at the neighboring tennis court. The matches will begin shortly.”

Inui said.

“Oh? Akazawa and Yanagisawa from St. Rudolph. I didn’t expect the outside-school additions to be them.”

When Matsubara Naru heard the two familiar names, he thought in mild surprise.

As for the students whose names had not yet been called, Matsubara Naru also noticed familiar school uniforms among them: some from Midoriyama, some from Sui-en, and even students from second-rate schools like Kamata and Akiyama Third.

From these schools, at least three or four students had come to take part in Seishun Academy’s in-school elimination tournament, hoping to stand out in this battle and earn a regular spot.

With a crisp pop, the first group’s match had already begun. Makise Kumasuke, a second-year non-regular at Seishun Academy with considerable ability, faced first-year non-regular Suzunosuke Tamura and crushed him with a sweeping 6-0 victory.

“Ha!”

Soaring high, Akutsu unleashed a powerful shot that defeated Katagiri Naraku in the same group, taking the match 6-0 with ease.

“Can’t even dance anymore, Katagiri?”

Landing with remarkable flair, Akutsu held his racket under one arm and said coldly.

“Watch me!”

In the fifth group, Yugo Kuroki stared at the dark-skinned Jiro Akazawa and rushed forward with all his strength.

Snap.

Akazawa shifted from forehand to backhand, then struck the ball with the tip of his racket. Yugo Kuroki, watching the rapidly flying tennis ball, suddenly froze, because in that brief instant the ball seemed to vanish. By the time he sensed it again, the ball had already slammed into the baseline and shot past him.

“What the hell?!”

“Match over! Akazawa wins!”

Hearing the umpire’s call, Jiro Akazawa murmured, “If you don’t have the skill, how dare you come to Seishun and make a scene?”

“That guy called Jiro Akazawa, what kind of shot is that? It looks like four or five balls at once...”

Ryo Shishido rubbed his eyes, finding them uncomfortably strained, and complained.

“I saw six balls.”

Akutsu said faintly, hands in his pockets.

“That’s because he hits the ball with the tip of the racket. Since it produces more power than striking with the center, it creates a tiny difference in position, making it look as though there are several balls. The advantage of this style is that it works very well against players like Shishido and Akutsu, who have excellent dynamic vision, and it also works against those without strong dynamic vision. For the latter, someone like Yugo Kuroki, there will be an instant when the ball seems to disappear.”

Inui frantically recorded Jiro Akazawa’s data in his notebook as he spoke.

“That companion who joined Seishun with Jiro Akazawa, Shinya Yanagisawa, also seems to be an interesting fellow. Serizawa’s already been psychologically broken by his verbal attacks.”

Fuji said with a smile.

“Still, from a technical standpoint, Shinya Yanagisawa seems far more versatile than Jiro Akazawa. It looks like he’s a player skilled in doubles.”

Inui said, as if discovering something.

The morning passed quickly. Looking at the names on the strategy board, many students remarked, “Most of the non-regulars have already been eliminated...”

“But the main players are still all here. As expected of those who have been tempered by the regional and metropolitan tournaments!”

“These two transfer students from St. Rudolph are impressive too. The one named Jiro Akazawa completely overwhelmed Shibayama, and the one named Shinya Yanagisawa talked his opponent out of all fighting spirit and casually took a 6-0.”

“Still, the later matches will get tougher. If the eliminations continue like this, the regulars are going to end up facing each other...”

The afternoon matches began again. Looking at the Seishun Academy third-year non-regular across from him, Matsubara Naru smiled faintly.

“Senior, you’re still not good enough.”

As soon as he said that, Matsubara Naru served an utterly unadorned ball. After all these days of training, the boy’s strength was no longer standing still. Against a non-regular, he did not even need to use any special means to win.

“Match over! Matsubara wins! 6-0!”

“How was that, senior? I told you not to boast before the match. That kind of thing makes it easy to let your guard down.”

With his racket slung over his shoulder, Matsubara Naru lifted the corners of his mouth.

“Hey... could you at least show a little respect to your senior...?”

Seeing this, the man opposite could only shake his head helplessly. But even if he had not boasted, he still would not have beaten Matsubara Naru. This group assignment was absurd. How was he supposed to win against someone who had crushed the tennis court into shallow pits during a match with Sengoku from Yamabuki Middle School...

“No way.”

Dropping the brief remark, Matsubara Naru walked off.

“Tch... even with such a fresh-faced, innocent-looking face, don’t go out of your way to act cute like that, damn it...”

Hearing Matsubara Naru’s soft, babyish voice, the man’s skin prickled with gooseflesh. His teeth chattered as he grew somewhat frantic.

“The regulars are as strong as ever!”

Shizuku Fuji hurriedly snapped photos and said.

“However, once Inui wins another match, an unavoidable clash between the regulars will happen sooner or later. In that case, one of the original eight will have to be eliminated.”

Inoue was not nearly so optimistic.

“Yes. I really wonder who will ultimately come out on top in a regular-versus-regular match...”

Shizuku Fuji nodded in agreement, full of anticipation.

“Only two players can advance from each group...”

Matsubara Naru murmured, looking at the names on the strategy board.

“Because outside-school students have joined, one of our original eight regulars will have to be removed.”

Ryuji Renji said.

“From what it looks like now, Akutsu is the leading candidate to become a regular, followed by Jiro Akazawa and me.”

Fuji smiled faintly and continued, “Tomorrow’s match, barring accidents, should be Matsubara against Shishido. I’m looking forward to it.”