Ryōma immediately froze, unable to say anything. He was deeply shocked—how did his opponent know what he was going to say?
"You must be wondering how I knew what you were going to say, right, Echizen?" Inui Sadaharu once again delivered a blow straight to Ryōma's chest.
Kato Katsurō and Mizuno Katsuo on the sidelines glanced at Horiō Fumihiro, both curious. After all, he'd been saying he'd been playing tennis for two years and should know better than them how things worked.
Horiō was now in a tough spot, not knowing how Inui-senpai could predict Ryōma's words. Luckily, Fuji spoke up beside them.
"This is Inui's data tennis."
"Data tennis!?" The three little rookies looked at Fuji, confused.
"That's right. All factors are converted into data, and then the most probable outcomes are found in the data to make predictions. That's Inui's style!" Fuji smiled, patiently explaining to the three first-years.
At that moment, Sakura and Tomoka rushed to the sidelines. Seeing Ryōma down a game, they immediately began cheering him on loudly. On the other side, Inoue Mamoru and Shiba Saori, hearing Tomoka's voice, curiously walked over.
On the court, after hearing Inui's words, Ryōma's pupils constricted. He looked up and, for the first time, seriously examined this unremarkable-looking senpai.
"You're a lefty, but the probability of you using your right hand to play at the start is 95%. The accuracy of your right-handed topspin serve is 15.4% higher than your left hand, but its power is 17.3% lower. When you switched to your left hand, the probability of your first statement, 'You're still far from it,' is 83%! I have all your data, and your chances of winning this match are less than 1%!" Inui said calmly.
"You're really eager to win, aren't you, Inui-senpai?" Ryōma said, not backing down.
The second game was Inui's serve. Ryōma stood at the baseline, focusing all his attention. He knew Inui-senpai was different from anyone he'd faced before—definitely a tough opponent.
Inui noticed Ryōma's still somewhat arrogant expression and sighed slightly. It seemed Ryōma hadn't experienced enough painful defeats. After all, schools like Fudomine had monsters like Akashi Seijurō. This match would serve as a good lesson, a form of care for a junior.
With that thought, Inui didn't hesitate and tossed the ball up. His right arm muscles tightened, and he swung the racket with all his might. The ball instantly turned into a large, fast water jet, heading straight toward Ryōma.
"Waterfall!"
"ACE! 15-0!"
Ryōma remained in position, waiting to return the ball. Only after hearing the umpire's call did he realize. He turned and saw the ball rolling under the net.
"What just happened? Why did Inui-senpai score?" Mizuno asked curiously.
"That's Inui's signature serve, Waterfall. The highest speed can exceed 220 kilometers per hour. It's not that easy to return," Fuji explained patiently.
The three rookies were stunned. 220 kilometers? That's faster than an average train! It was beyond their imagination.
On the court, Inui didn't give Ryōma much time to react. He hit three more Waterfall serves in quick succession, and Ryōma could only stand there, unable to move because his body couldn't keep up with his vision.
"GAME! Inui Sadaharu! 2-0!"
After the second game, Ryōma adjusted his racket string with his fingers and didn't say anything. Inui spoke again.
"I told you, Echizen. Your chances of winning this match are less than 1%. Data doesn't lie!"
Ryōma didn't respond. A trace of defiance flashed in his eyes. He tossed the ball up, quickly swung his racket, and hit the ball into the net.
"Fault! Second serve!"
"Inui-senpai, did your data predict that fault?" Ryōma raised his head and pointed his racket at Inui.
Fuji chuckled on the sidelines, amused. Ryōma really couldn't stand losing. But this approach was meaningless—unless he could break Inui's data completely, failure was all that awaited him.
"Actually, I didn't predict that fault. I still need to adjust my analysis of your personality!" Inui said seriously.
Ryōma stood at the baseline and served again. This time, he didn't deliberately fault, nor did he use the topspin serve, because he knew it wouldn't work on Inui-senpai.
"The probability of giving up the topspin serve is 89%, and the probability of serving to the left corner is 93%!" Inui said, running as he predicted Ryōma's next move. Before the ball even hit the ground, Inui was already at the left corner.
"Left side's open. The probability of scoring with a cross-court shot is 76%! However…" Inui said as he immediately hit a cross-court shot.
Ryōma quickly reacted, pushing off the ground with his foot and running toward the left side. Just before the ball flew out of bounds, he barely intercepted it, but only managed to hit a high lob.
"Based on Echizen's burst speed, the probability of successfully saving this ball is 86%, and the probability of hitting a high ball is 90%!" Inui Sadaharu appeared at the net, leaping high before performing a smash. The ball zipped past Ryōma's eyes and flew out of bounds.
"0-15!"
"Fuji, it looks like Inui has improved a lot. I never thought even Ryōma wouldn't be able to handle him!" Inoue Mamoru remarked, somewhat impressed.
"Inoue-san, you flatter him. Inui has always been the most diligent among us. His current ability is all earned through hard work," Fuji smiled and replied.
Maybe it was because of the filter of Echizen Nanjiro, but Inoue Mamoru always had an inexplicable confidence in Ryōma's abilities. He believed that a second-generation samurai like him must be far superior to his peers in tennis.
Ryōma, not one to back down, served the ball again, pushing his dynamic vision to its limits. However, facing Inui, who had already fully analyzed his data, Ryōma found himself helpless.
"0-30!"
"0-40!"
"GAME! Inui Sadaharu! 3-0! Change sides!"
After the break, as they passed each other on the way back, Inui slowly said:
"Based on your personality analysis, Echizen, the probability that you're hiding some trump card is 94%, isn't that right?"
"To be honest, playing tennis with you is really annoying~" Ryōma didn't answer Inui's question but said this casually instead.
At that moment, a light breeze blew across, causing Inui's notebook on the side to flip open. It was filled with dense data and formulas, most of which were related to Ryōma.
The fourth game came around, and it was Inui's serve again. Without holding back, Inui unleashed his Waterfall. The ball instantly flew across Ryōma's side and out of bounds.
"ACE! 15-0!"
As Inui prepared to serve again, he suddenly noticed Ryōma hopping in place. A confident smile appeared on Ryōma's face as he said:
"I admit, Inui-senpai, your data tennis is amazing. I was planning to save this move for the national tournament!"
"This is… a small split step?" Inui muttered, thoughtfully.
However, Inui didn't pay too much attention to it. He knew a simple technique wouldn't turn the match around. He served the Waterfall again, but this time, Ryōma actually moved immediately. Unfortunately, he was still too late, and after only a few steps, the ball had already flown out of bounds.
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 40-0!"
"GAME! Inui Sadaharu! 4-0!"
Though Ryōma's new move improved his reaction speed, he still couldn't handle the Waterfall that exceeded 210 kilometers per hour.
Ryōma didn't give up. On that last ball, his racket had almost reached the ball. If he were just a little faster, he believed he could have returned it.
However, that was clearly just his own illusion. The massive gap in skill was undeniable, and no technique could bridge that. Unless he activated his main character aura and unlocked his destiny power-up.
The game entered the fifth game. After serving, Ryōma kept jumping, and Inui analyzed the data again before hitting another shot that Ryōma had a hard time reaching.
But this time, Ryōma's speed increased significantly. He easily returned Inui's shot, and the power of his return improved as well.
"It's not an ordinary split step, but a one-legged split step. Looks like I need to adjust the data!" Inui said calmly.
"However, I knew the limits of my data back in first year. When I need data correction, I rely on the five-dimensional values and physical conditioning I've trained up myself!" Inui finished speaking and swiftly moved to intercept the ball with a forehand return.
The ball, now moving at high speed, caught Ryōma off guard. Luckily, with his one-legged split step, he barely caught up and used a forehand to return it.
But Inui had already fully demonstrated his strong basic tennis skills. With Ryōma's current abilities, he couldn't keep up. After three or four rallies, Ryōma lost the point. This was all part of Inui's plan to gather new data.
"0-15!"
"0-30!"
The second ball had the same outcome, but Ryōma managed to last longer than the first. This gave him new hope—he was starting to adjust to Inui's rhythm.
"Data correction complete!" Inui quietly said, waiting for Ryōma to serve again.
When Ryōma served the ball for the third time, he suddenly realized Inui had started predicting again. The ball hadn't even landed yet, and Inui was already waiting at the point where it would fall. Ryōma had a bad feeling rising in his chest.
As Inui returned the ball, he started running toward the right, speaking as he ran:
"The probability of a straight shot is 84%! If the ball speed increases to 178 kilometers per hour, the probability of Echizen reaching it is 2%!"
Ryōma used his one-legged split step to chase after the ball. He hit a cross-court shot, but Inui, already waiting at the hitting point, sent a powerful forehand return. The ball crossed the net at extreme speed and exploded at Ryōma's feet, flying out of bounds.
"0-40!"
"Data tennis is back!!!" The three rookies exclaimed in surprise.
"Echizen-kun! Do your best! You're the best!" Tomoka shouted, cheering for Ryōma.
"Tomoka-chan! Be quiet~" Sakura-chan whispered to Tomoka with a bit of embarrassment.
"Inui's data tennis isn't that simple. Even I might not be able to easily defeat him!" Fuji said with a smile, explaining to the many first-years around him.
"How is that possible! Even the great Fuji-senpai can't defeat Inui-senpai? Does that mean Ryōma is definitely going to lose!" The three first-years, along with Tomoka, immediately felt despair. Fuji, seeing their reactions, smiled even more.
"GAME! Inui Sadaharu! 5-0!"
At this point, Ryōma had once again lost his service game. Now it was Inui's serve, and if Ryōma couldn't return his Waterfall, he would have lost completely.
Ryōma himself knew the situation, so he stared intently at Inui, focusing all his energy. In that moment, Ryōma pushed his state to its peak.
Inui didn't hesitate and quickly served his Waterfall. Ryōma used all his strength to run toward the ball, but unfortunately, his racket was just a little too far from the ball, and he could only watch it pass by him.
"ACE! 15-0!"
"ACE! 30-0!"
"ACE! 40-0!"
As the match reached match point, the three first-years, Sakura-chan, and Tomoka had their hands over their eyes, unable to watch Ryōma's impending defeat.
At that moment, Ryōma was feeling more pressure than ever before from anyone other than his father. With his vast match experience, he could clearly tell that Inui wasn't even using his full strength. He was simply controlling the match with data.
Realizing this, Ryōma became even more unwilling to lose. This was completely different from the image of Japanese tennis he had, and he hadn't encountered such a formidable opponent, only two or three years older than him, even when he was in the United States.
When Inui hit his final Waterfall, a mysterious power surged within Ryōma's body. With a shout of anger, Ryōma barely managed to reach the ball, and he intercepted the ball with the tip of his racket.
The next moment, Ryōma's red racket flew up, and with his shocked expression, the ball flew uncontrollably out of bounds and struck the net.
"Waterfall isn't just about speed!" Inui adjusted his glasses and said calmly.
"GAME! 6-0! The match is over! Winner, Inui Sadaharu!"
After the match, Ryōma silently packed his things, then turned and walked off the court. Sakura-chan and Tomoka quickly followed, trying to comfort him.
"It's okay! Ryōma-kun, you're already a regular player in the tennis club! Congratulations!" Tomoka said cheerfully to him.
"Y-yeah~ Ryōma-kun! After all, he's a third-year senior~" Sakura-chan said a bit shyly.
But Ryōma didn't seem to hear their words. He kept his head lowered, his tennis bag slung over his shoulder, and walked straight to the locker room without looking at them.
Fuji, seeing this, walked over and patted both their shoulders gently, saying:
"Don't worry. I think Ryōma just needs some time to accept it. He'll bounce back soon, I'm sure."
At that moment, Kikumaru suddenly ran up to the side of the court. Seeing only Inui writing in his notebook in the middle of the court, he said with some disappointment:
"It's all Oishi's fault~ I missed seeing the little guy's match. I wanted to see just how strong the U.S. champion that Coach Ryūzaki mentioned is!"
"Ei-chan, you'll have plenty of chances. Besides, you were the one who got carried away just now," Oishi, walking behind Kikumaru, said helplessly.
"I don't care! It's still your fault, Oishi!" Kikumaru started pouting.
This scene left the first-years a little surprised. Is this really our senpai? Why does it feel like Kikumaru-senpai is even more childish than us? No, no, no, it must be a misunderstanding!
When Ryōma got home after school, he looked very down. Nanjiro saw him and burst out laughing loudly.
"Oh? What's wrong, kid? Did someone shave your head in the match at school?"
Ryōma immediately shot his father a furious look and then spoke, word by word:
"Dad, let's play a match later. Today, I'm definitely going to beat you!"
"Oh? I guess I've got it right, huh? Hahahaha! Well, I'll play a match with you, no problem. Wait for me at the court after dinner!" Nanjiro said casually, not concerned at all.
On the other side, after Kintarō made it into the regulars, Akashi had specifically designed a special training program for him and had Tezuka supervise him to ensure he completed it daily. Fortunately, as long as it was tennis-related, Kintarō was always full of energy. Even during training, he appeared excited.
In between training sessions, Akashi would occasionally play practice matches with Kintarō. Of course, Akashi mostly fed him balls, or else Kintarō might not even be able to return them.
Also, after hearing Akashi talk about Kintarō's talent and background, Tezuka took the initiative to play a practice match with him. During the match, he even used Ten'i Muhō no Kiwami, which left Kintarō in awe. He kept asking Tezuka to teach him that dazzling move.
Even Akutsu casually showed Kintarō how to hit a glowing shot. Seeing how high Kintarō was jumping, a faint smile appeared on Akutsu's face.