Among the crowd watching the match, there was a strangely dressed figure whose unique height made everyone else around him look like miniature people. From a distance, this person stood at least over 210 centimeters tall, with long hair tied behind his head, wearing a white coat like a researcher's over a T-shirt. Who knew how he could stand the heat dressed like that?
If Akashi saw him, he'd definitely recognize him as Saitō Itaru, the mental coach of the U-17 training camp. Despite his gentle appearance, he showed no mercy in eliminating unqualified players and was always searching for those with an obsessive desire to win.
Originally, he shouldn't have appeared here since middle schoolers weren't his usual targets. But the information Mitsuya brought back to U-17 had caught the coaches' attention: this year's middle school circuit seemed filled with exceptionally talented players, especially one person Mitsuya specifically highlighted—Akashi Seijurō!
Fudomine and Rikkai's players had also piqued their interest, so Saitō Itaru came to the Kanto Tournament to see for himself if Mitsuya's words were true.
During the earlier doubles two match, Saitō Itaru hadn't come close, instead watching from beside a large tree, which was why even Akashi hadn't noticed him. But with Akashi now playing, he had moved a bit nearer.
To be honest, the previous match had truly shocked him. Two first-year middle schoolers had briefly shown a trace of a dimensional aura, and that unique ability synchronization fascinated him.
Moreover, Akutsu's physical talent was beyond ordinary. Saitō Itaru was sure if Tsuge Ryūji saw him, that guy would be thrilled.
Meanwhile, Yamato stood at the baseline, rubbing his right hand with his left. Though he had rested it for some time, he knew deep down it hadn't fully healed. If he pushed past his limit, it might flare up again.
But he wouldn't give up easily. Even if it meant injuring himself, he was determined to help Seigaku go as far as possible. Seigaku had finally made it to Nationals this year, and he had no regrets. He'd stake his right arm if it meant moving them one step further.
Yamato took a deep breath, tossed the ball high, and during his swing made a subtle, strange motion. The ball flew straight toward Kite in the backcourt, but just as Kite prepared to receive it, the ball vanished like a mirage, and the sound of it bouncing came from the right side instead.
"Gen'u Yume Utsutsu!"
But Kite reacted instantly. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he dashed to the right corner of the baseline like he'd teleported, intercepting the ball just before it went out of bounds and firing back a sharp cross-court shot.
"As expected, not that simple, huh?" Yamato murmured quietly, quickly moving to the next return spot. For these first two games, he had to stall as much as possible so Inui could gather data.
Akashi remained mostly still at the net, making only minimal movements. However, his massive mental energy had slowly begun to surround Kite. Seeing this, Saitō Itaru's eye twitched violently.
According to Mitsuya's report, Akashi wasn't supposed to be a mental player. But as a mental coach, he knew without a doubt that the immense mental pressure on court now was far beyond that of a normal high schooler.
What intrigued Saitō Itaru even more was that typically, mental energy was used on oneself or opponents, but seeing someone like Akashi directing it toward a teammate was incredibly rare.
The match continued. Though Yamato's five attributes were low, his tenacity was extraordinary. He desperately chased every ball, with Inui collecting data and helping him return shots.
In contrast, Akashi hardly moved. He only casually returned balls that came his way, leaving most of the defense to Kite. Kite's figure kept flickering across their half of the court, amazing spectators who were watching Fudomine play for the first time.
"0-15!"
Finally, Kite secured the first point with a powerful flat shot. Just then, he felt something inside him being guided, as if someone was drawing out the deepest strength within him.
Remembering what Akashi had told him before the match, Kite didn't feel any fear or resistance. He bent down, fully focused, waiting for Yamato's next serve. At that moment, faint red arcs of electricity flickered in Akashi's eyes.
Yamato kept using Gen'u Yume Utsutsu, but it was almost useless against Kite's all-around Shukuchihō. On top of that, even Akashi, who seemed to have been slacking off, started moving, which greatly increased the pressure on Yamato and Inui Sadaharu.
Of course, Akashi wasn't going all out at all—not even using half his strength. His main goal in this match was to guide the potential deep inside Kite and help him break through to the national level, so he only assisted Kite's returns.
Kite felt himself growing smoother with every shot. He could even sense Yamato's Gen'u Yume Utsutsu in advance. This was because Akashi's mental energy was guiding his senses, enhancing his perception, and laying the groundwork for the Dark Strike.
"0-30!"
"0-40!"
"GAME! Fudomine! 1-0!"
As Kite's movements grew faster and his attacks sharper, Yamato and Inui struggled to keep up. With Akashi occasionally covering gaps, they quickly won the first game.
"So he's using mental energy to guide his teammate? Fascinating. As Mitsuya-kun said, this Akashi Seijurō deserves special attention," Saitō Itaru murmured quietly from the sidelines.
When it was Akashi's turn to serve, he casually hit a simple flat serve with barely any spin, which made Inui, who had been closely observing Akashi, frown. This was completely different from what he had predicted of Akashi.
But that was only because Yamato and Inui's mental strength was too weak to sense the terrifying aura of mental energy on the court. Otherwise, they wouldn't have been so confused.
Even so, Kite's solo offensive overwhelmed them. His shots, amplified by Sweetspot Technique, made their arms go numb. Yamato even dropped his racket several times.
However, Inui gradually completed his data collection on Kite. Since Akashi wasn't taking the initiative to attack, he felt a bit of relief—but he still didn't let down his guard toward Akashi.
"GAME! Fudomine! 2-0!"
Akashi and Kite secured another game. But Kite knew Inui must have almost finished collecting his data, so things wouldn't be easy going forward.
Sure enough, when the third game began, Inui surprised Akashi and Kite—not with data tennis, but with his serve. Inui tossed the ball high, the muscles in his forearm and core tensing before he slammed down a powerful serve that rocketed toward their half of the court.
Akashi instantly saw that the serve speed was at least around 190 kilometers per hour, almost as fast as Kajimoto Takahisa's. Kite was also slightly surprised but quickly used Shukuchihō to flash to the landing point.
"Is this the prototype of Waterfall Serve? Looks like you've been working hard in secret, Inui~" Akashi chuckled softly.
Kite swiftly countered the serve with a strong return. Inui wasn't surprised at all—this was within his calculations. He dashed to the return spot, his mind working at full speed, calculating every probability.
"With Shukuchihō, the probability of returning a down-the-line shot is 90%! The probability of hitting a baseline drive is 86%!"
As he spoke, Inui fired a down-the-line shot and signaled Yamato to run toward the baseline. As expected, Kite instantly appeared at the landing point and smashed a sharp baseline drive.
"Oh? A data tennis player like Mitsuya-kun? So he's Inui Sadaharu in Seigaku. Not bad at all," Saitō Itaru remarked with admiration. Perhaps in a couple of years, U-17 would gain another strategist. Tomorrow, he'd also pay special attention to that Rikkai player named Yanagi Renji.
Before the Kanto Tournament began, Mitsuya had already predicted with 94% certainty that the final would be between Fudomine and Rikkai, so Saitō Itaru prioritized observing Fudomine today and planned to watch Rikkai during the finals.
Yamato, who had already run to the baseline, gripped his racket with both hands and fought to return the shot. The ball flew straight back to Akashi and Kite's side of the court.
"Akashi's probability of taking the shot is 81%, probability of hitting topspin is 87%!"
But just as Inui prepared to move early, the ball was intercepted right after it crossed the net. Kite had somehow already appeared at the net, tapping a delicate drop shot that caught both Inui and Yamato off guard.
"0-15!"
"There's a discrepancy in the data? No! Kite is actually surpassing my data again and again! How is this possible?" Inui Sadaharu said in shock.
If one looked closely through Kite's glasses, they would see a faint red glow radiating around his pupils. Kite's state kept improving, which meant his potential was constantly being drawn out by Akashi.
"Probability of a baseline shot: 97%... what! It's a Habu!"
"0-30!"
"Probability of a down-the-line shot: 82%, correcting data by 3%... it's a crosscourt shot, how can that be!"
"0-40!"
"Probability of a Habu: 89%... no! The spin's flight angle increased by 6%!"
"GAME! Fudomine! 3-0! Change court!"
In four straight points, all of Inui's data failed—not because it was wrong, but because Kite was continuously strengthening, making Inui's data unable to keep up.
"Using mental energy to guide his teammate's potential and draw out greater strength… he can actually do something like this?" Saitō Itaru said with amazement.
During the short break, Yamato asked Inui about his condition. He had also noticed that Inui's data tennis seemed ineffective just now.
"Don't worry, Captain Yamato. It's unbelievable, but Kite's strength is clearly rising nonstop, which keeps my data from updating fast enough. But next, I'll have to accelerate my data correction!" Inui said resolutely.
Yamato didn't say anything more, just glanced at Akashi, who still wore a calm smile. He had a gut feeling Kite's transformation was caused by something Akashi was doing that they didn't understand.
After switching courts, the match resumed. It was Kite's turn to serve. Both Inui and Yamato retreated beyond the baseline because they knew Kite would definitely use his Big Bang Serve.
As expected, with a crackling sound, the ball rocketed toward Seigaku's court with immense power, bouncing off the ground and continuing at high speed toward the right baseline.
Yamato held his racket tightly, swinging with all his strength to meet the ball head-on. But he couldn't even withstand it for an instant before his racket was blasted out of his hands, and the ball flew out of bounds.
"ACE! 15-0!"
"The power and speed of this serve increased by 9% compared to my earlier data!" Inui said, adjusting his glasses.
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 40-0!"
"GAME! Fudomine! 4-0!"
Three consecutive Big Bang Serves. No matter how many ways Inui and Yamato tried to absorb the impact, they couldn't avoid having their rackets knocked away.
After all, Kite's Big Bang Serve combined with Sweetspot Technique was even stronger than in the original timeline. Given Inui and Yamato's current level, it was impossible for them to handle it.
Once again, it was Yamato's service game. Without hesitation, he used Gen'u Yume Utsutsu, even though he knew it likely wouldn't work—he could only give his all.
Kite unhesitatingly used Shukuchihō to rush to the opposite direction of the ball, quickly returning it. Inui kept correcting his data in his mind, causing a faint pain at his temples.
But Kite's strength was now almost at national level. The gap in strength made Inui's efforts meaningless—no matter how hard Yamato fought, some things just couldn't be fixed with sheer will.
"0-15!"
"0-30!"
"0-40!"
They soon reached game point again. Yamato and Inui were under overwhelming pressure. Kite alone left them helpless—let alone Akashi, whose depths were unfathomable.
Yamato served once more. Inui calculated data at high speed, but at that moment, Akashi sensed Kite's aura suddenly surge—it seemed he had finally broken through to the national level, even if temporarily.
After returning the serve, Kite felt his own transformation but had no time to think. Inui had already sent the ball back, and Kite unhesitatingly smashed it while adding a complex spin by instinct.
The ball weaved a dazzling path through the air as it crossed the net, leaving both Inui and Yamato stunned before it landed and shot out of bounds.
"Oo Habu!"
"GAME! Fudomine! 5-0!"
In that instant, faint red lightning flashed in Kite's eyes, identical to Akashi's—he had officially entered the state of "Pseudo ZONE!"