"Atobe, you lost."
Tezuka slowly walked up, a slight smile playing on his lips. "Are you satisfied with my skill?!"
"Hmph..."
His shirt was drenched in sweat, his steps heavy, and his breathing short. His mind was blank; for a moment, he didn't know what to say. Had he truly lost?! Since returning from England and stepping through the gates of this Ice-Imperial Academy, he had imagined everything. But he had never imagined he would lose! And to lose in the very field he was most skilled in. Yet, the striking 6-3 on the scoreboard, and the way everyone around him looked at him, all spoke of the undeniable truth: he had lost, utterly defeated.
He might have been able to use other means to seize the throne of the tennis club. But who was he? Keigo Atobe!! He could accept this defeat, even if it was in front of everyone.
The Weight of Defeat
"I... lost."
Atobe hung his head, his body feeling hollowed out. He couldn't hear the clamor around him. He put his tennis racket back into its case and then quietly left the tennis club. Tezuka watched Atobe's retreating back, deep in thought, but he didn't try to stop him.
On the other side, Yushi Oshitari, who had been utterly crushed 6-0, didn't look like he was handling it very well either. However, he didn't place much importance on winning or losing and quickly let it go. He then noticed Keigo Atobe, crestfallen and leaving the tennis club alone.
Oshitari turned to look at Kamikawa, who was only slightly sweating, and couldn't help but ask with concern, "Aren't you going to stop him? That guy has a very strong ego..."
"Don't worry, that guy won't give up tennis," Kamikawa waved his hand, unconcerned. He was Keigo Atobe; no matter how big the setback, it would only become nourishment for his progress.
Currently, Atobe was still too weak, even weaker than Sanada at this stage. Tezuka's seemingly harsh approach actually held back most of his stamina. Throughout the match, besides the Self-Actualization state, he only used the Tezuka Zone. There was no sign of the Zero-Shiki Drop or the Pinnacle of Perfection.
The Private World of Atobe
In Tokyo, within a castle that seemed to have stepped right out of a fairy tale, a youthful boy with purple-gray parted hair lay on a mat in the center of a large swimming pool in the courtyard. The courtyard was vast, like an exquisite royal garden. The overall design was a European retro style, with exquisite reliefs and carved window lattices, all displaying its immense wealth and prominent status.
"This Great One... actually lost."
The boy looked up at the stars in the sky. He couldn't accept defeat. Since he had developed an extraordinary insight from adversity, he had never lost to any peer. But now... he had lost, lost to a peer he had never even met before. That guy's skill was superior to his own.
"A special spin."
Atobe raised his arm, feeling the sensation after receiving the ball today. That spin was incredibly subtle; if you didn't focus carefully, you might not even perceive it. He had to play several rounds before he could sense that momentary spin. He had also tried to counter it with reverse spin, but it was futile. He was easily dragged around by the opponent, and if he wasn't careful, the spin's intensity would even increase, causing the ball to deviate, handing Tezuka many free points.
"This Great One will absolutely never surrender."
Atobe stood up from the mat, his eyes flickering slightly. "Kunimitsu Tezuka! This Great One will remember you."
As Atobe's words fell, his entire body leaped up and plunged into the swimming pool. The butler nearby, seeing this, panicked and quickly called for help, fearing that Atobe might be in danger. His young master was the only heir to the Atobe Zaibatsu, and absolutely no mishap could be allowed.
The Path of the Chosen Few
...Meanwhile, in a small alley, in a courtyard, a refined young man slowly put down his racket. Tennis balls were scattered across the courtyard, and the young man lay on the ground as if drained of all strength.
"Hmph..."
Kamikawa glanced at his data panel, which clearly displayed that today's mission was complete. Although there were no signs of improvement in his five stats, Kamikawa clearly felt his own strength gradually increasing. Some things just couldn't be seen through mere stats.
"Today, I witnessed the prelude to a revolution."
Ice-Imperial Academy's revolution was going much smoother than expected. Even without him, without Tezuka, it could still be accomplished through Atobe's own influence.
Rikkaidai! Perhaps those two have also begun a new round of transformation. Yukimura and Sanada—in terms of tennis talent alone, these two are absolutely among the top of this generation. Coupled with Rikkaidai's third player, the data genius Renji Yanagi, it was only by relying on these three that Rikkaidai was able to overcome other renowned tennis schools and win two consecutive National Tournament championships.
"Currently, Ice-Imperial Academy isn't bad either~"
Three National-level players, three Kanto-level players—this is the configuration needed to dominate the nation and secure the national number one spot. Last year's champion team, Makino Tengu, also achieved national number one with such a setup. Among them, Makino Tengu's Overlord player had strength that even exceeded the national level limit.
"Speaking of which, I didn't see that guy during today's practice match with Yamabuki."
The person Kamikawa referred to was naturally the hidden monster of Yamabuki: Jin Akutsu, hailed as a once-in-a-decade prodigy. Akutsu's athletic abilities were astonishing, coupled with his innate flexibility, allowing him to excel in any field.
Before this, Kamikawa had considered bringing Akutsu into Ice-Imperial Academy. But with Tezuka's arrival, Kamikawa discarded that idea. The reason was simple: there were only three singles spots. Neither Atobe's temperament, nor Tezuka's, nor his own, would willingly play doubles. And Akutsu was even more out of the question. If that guy, who hadn't fully developed yet, were to play doubles, he might literally shatter his own doubles partner...
Although there was no place for that guy in Ice-Imperial Academy now, other schools had spots, like Yamabuki or even Seigaku... If Akutsu's personality went to Seigaku, he could likely shake up those who clung to old ways at Seigaku, perhaps even stimulating the potential of that group, including the hidden genius of Seigaku: Shusuke Fuji!
Hidden Talents
"Shusuke Fuji, Yushi Oshitari, Masaharu Nioh..."
Kamikawa smiled, holding his racket. "These geniuses, it seems they all dislike playing with their full strength."
The talented tennis players appearing in this generation, to be honest, are no less skilled than Echizen's generation. It's just that compared to Echizen's fighting spirit, the geniuses at various schools always prefer to hide their true abilities. In other words, they simply don't understand the joy of playing tennis. They only become tennis players for the sake of their team's victory.
Speaking of which, today's practice match with Yamabuki went unusually smoothly. It was called a practice match, but in reality, it just simulated the order of play for the Metropolitan Tournament. Regardless of the match results, all five matches were played in full, except for the doubles, where the second and third-year regulars played. The remaining singles matches were played by Kamikawa, Tezuka, and Oshitari.
Yes, that's right, Oshitari. After Atobe lost that match, he left the tennis club without looking back. He was a person with an extremely strong ego. In the short term, he couldn't accept losing to a peer. Even though Atobe had played multiple rounds earlier and expended a lot of stamina, and even though the Ice-Imperial Academy second and third-year regulars had already acknowledged him, Atobe still couldn't accept it.
Getting crushed by Tezuka early on would also help that guy grow, so Kamikawa didn't pay too much attention to Atobe. Atobe would return to the tennis club after some time.
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