The weather today was fantastic. Looking up, you couldn't spot a single cloud, and the sun was unusually gentle.
Ever since Kamikawa and Atobe's match ended, Atobe, apart from attending his daily classes, hardly came to the tennis club. He seemed to be enveloped in a gloomy aura, as if he had suffered a significant blow. Besides Atobe, the other regular team members rigorously trained according to Tezuka's plan, with the obscure Coach Sakaki occasionally observing on the court. Some tennis club members who hadn't made it as regulars, seeing the surging morale of the official team, also accelerated their pace, throwing themselves into the training frenzy.
Today was a crucial day for the reformed tennis club. This would be their first match since becoming regulars. The Regional Tournament! After the Regional Tournament, they would face the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, the Kanto Tournament, and then the Nationals.
Because Hyotei performed exceptionally well in last year's Regional Tournament, they directly advanced to the next round, only needing to play two matches in total, while other schools needed to play three. This was a privilege for Hyotei's tennis club. Of course, three other schools also enjoyed similar privileges, as they were schools that performed outstandingly in the Regional Tournament, almost always making it to the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament whenever they competed. But compared to Hyotei, they were still far behind. It was impressive for a single division to have one school make it to the Kanto Tournament, let alone Hyotei advancing to the Nationals. In their division, they were undoubtedly the boss-level presence.
Atobe, who had been absent all this time, also showed up at the tennis club today. His previous gloomy aura had vanished, replaced by his usual haughty demeanor, head held high, looking as if he was the best in the world. Everyone noticed Atobe, but all eyes were on Tezuka.
Just as Tezuka walked down and took his place at the front of the line, and before everyone could fully react, the sound of steady footsteps echoed from outside the door.
Step... step-step...
Sakaki Tarou walked out of the office, his expression calm, his gaze sweeping over everyone. He didn't say much, only nodded in satisfaction.
"This Regional Tournament is your chance to test your strength."
"Whether you were selected as a regular or unfortunately lost. You are all members of Hyotei's tennis club, and my only demand is that you win every single match you play from now on."
"Use your strength to silence others and conquer the nation!"
As Sakaki Tarou's words fell, the entire court erupted in thunderous applause. Everyone's faces were filled with high spirits and unity; their faces brimming with a thirst for victory.
"Let's go!" Sakaki Tarou pointed towards the school gate.
The regular team members didn't say much. With their tennis bags slung over their shoulders, they headed towards the match venue. Atobe, being wealthy, naturally wouldn't let everyone walk. He specially chartered a few buses, and with an imposing aura, they set off towards the Regional Tournament venue.
Just outside Hyotei, in Shinjuku Park, located in the central Shinjuku Ward of Tokyo's six central wards, was also the venue for the matches in these six central wards. According to the rules of the Regional Tournament, only the champions and runners-up of each division qualified to advance to the next round, which was the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament. As the top seed of the six central wards, Hyotei was naturally aiming for first place. Other schools could only aim for second. The runner-up also qualified for the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, and this was their only chance to advance.
As for the tennis schools grouped in the same half as Hyotei, they had already begun preparing for next year's Regional Tournament. Even though they had heard many rumors that this year's Hyotei regulars included many first-years, the strength Hyotei had shown over the years did not allow them to be complacent.
Whoosh whoosh~
As buses pulled up to the entrance of Shinjuku Park, students and coaches coming to watch the matches all looked towards the buses. When the bus doors opened, teenagers in Hyotei's gray-and-white uniforms stepped out. They didn't rush to leave but consciously moved to both sides, clearing a path. At this moment, Hyotei's regulars slowly walked out along that path.
"They're here, they're here! It's Hyotei!"
...
"What an intense aura!!"
...
"It seems the rumors were true. This year, Hyotei sent out all first-years."
...
Everyone was amazed by Hyotei's strength; their tennis club alone had over two hundred members, all looking vibrant and full of spirit. However, the one leading them was a first-year. This gave some of them a slight glimmer of hope for victory. It seemed that last year's champions, the team that made it to Nationals, had a gap in player development!
"Number 1, Hyotei Gakuen, eight participating players. Please confirm."
Tezuka handed the prepared roster to the organizer of this Tokyo Metropolitan Six-Ward Regional Tournament. The organizer took the roster, glanced at it, and a shocked expression appeared on his face. He looked at Tezuka again and asked, "Are you sure you're fielding seven first-years for this match?!"
"I am certain," Tezuka replied calmly.
The organizing staff member nodded gently and said, "All five matches of the first round must be played. For subsequent matches, winning three matches counts as a victory."
"The champions and runners-up of the Regional Tournament will qualify for the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament."
"Do you have any other questions?" The staff member patiently explained the rules of the match.
Tezuka slowly shook his head and said, "No."
The lineup was submitted. Since it was their first match, to build morale, Sakaki Tarou directly included all eight regular members for their debut. The singles players were Tezuka, Atobe, and Kamikawa, while the doubles teams were Oshitari and Jiro, and Shishido and Mukahi, each pair playing separately. This lineup was considered Hyotei's strongest available force at the moment.
In the first round, Hyotei faced a tennis school that had already played one match. Upon hearing that Hyotei was fielding seven first-years, everyone was eager to teach them a lesson.
The result...
Five games down, a clean sweep of 6-0.
Watching the matches, the opponents only managed to touch the tennis ball when they were serving. For the rest of the time, they didn't even touch the ball once. The gap was simply too immense, beyond imagination. Many schools that had sent scouts to investigate Hyotei's strength broke into a cold sweat. Subsequent schools that still held a sliver of hope surrendered proactively before their matches even began. Such one-sided slaughter simply wasn't necessary.
"Much easier than expected," Kamikawa said softly, lying under the shade of a tree, glancing at Tezuka beside him. For the subsequent matches, there was no need for the regulars to play. Sakaki Tarou had already arranged for the former Hyotei tennis club regulars, meaning the second and third-year seniors, to go out and have some fun.
"Indeed," Tezuka nodded. The Regional Tournament in the six central wards never had any strong tennis schools capable of making it to the Metropolitan Tournament, so this outcome was within everyone's expectations.