#6Chapter 6 Overall Evolution
He returned it! Niou returned Tezuka's ace ball!
Tezuka's expression remained unchanged as he moved slightly and swung his forehand.
"Fuji!" Niou shouted.
"15:0!"
Hearing the score, Tezuka continued to serve.
Niou moved with the wind, returning it once more, and then the two exchanged shots for about three rallies:
"30:0!"
"40:0!"
"Tezuka takes this game, 2:1!"
Although the Trickster was online and returned Tezuka's serve, Fuji didn't seem to make a move, and there was no communication between them.
"Those two have absolutely no coordination," Inui said, pushing up his glasses.
"That's right, even I can see it. This Tezuka's strength is no joke. Even if the two of them teamed up, the outcome would be uncertain, but now, with a formidable opponent before them, they're still so uncooperative." Even Agutsu, who had been silent for a long time, saw the problem.
So, what surprise do you two have in store for me? I'm looking forward to it, Shiratsu Tomohoshi thought to himself.
After the first game, which Tezuka won with four ace serves, the two had already discussed it. This match, they decided, must be played at their own pace, rather than mutually restricting each other.
Their playing styles were different, and they hadn't had time to practice together. Fuji barely held his serve in the second game with four vanishing serves. The rest had to be resolved with their own unique shots.
It was Niou's service game. A normal serve. Tezuka glanced at the landing spot of the ball, his eyes narrowing slightly, and he ran forward, hitting it back.
Fuji didn't step forward to intercept. It was still Niou running across the court by himself. He barely managed to hit this ball back, but it was a high lob.
Tezuka jumped, aimed, and smashed it, swinging his racket to spike!
Niou dodged, and Fuji quickly rushed forward, turning to meet the ball.
Oh? Brown Bear Drop? Fuji used Brown Bear Drop so early?
It seems he's really about to evolve, Fuji Syusuke!
"15:0!"
Shiratsu Tomohoshi silently announced the score.
"One of the three counter-returns, Brown Bear Drop."
Tezuka's eyes, at this moment, showed a hint of shock, followed by a look of relief, as if he was happy that his playing partner had evolved again!
Niou served again. "Bang!" The tennis ball flew out.
Tezuka, no longer holding back, dropped a short ball.
Niou sprinted to the net, and just as he was about to reach the ball, it... "didn't bounce!" Fuji said, opening his eyes.
"15:15!"
Even the squinty-eyed one needs to get serious.
Tezuka didn't answer, returning to his position.
"Bang!"
The tennis ball was served, bounced, and Tezuka hit it directly with a backhand.
"15:30!"
Tezuka no longer held back, hitting the ball solidly.
"15:40!"
"Tezuka takes this game, 3:1!"
It's a bit one-sided, isn't it?
Shiratsu Tomohoshi found it extremely enjoyable. After all, if he hadn't been reborn, how could he have witnessed this spectacle firsthand?
Tezuka's service game was a swift strike.
An ace ball, even faster than the previous one. Could it be that Tezuka wasn't playing at full strength just now?
This was Inui's thought.
"15:0!"
"30:0!"
"40:0!"
"Tezuka takes this game, 4:1!"
A merciless game, another no-contact point. Tezuka, you're almost at the threshold of the national level.
In Fuji's service game, his vanishing serve didn't score again and was returned by Tezuka.
Niou rushed to the net to meet it, and then a rally began. Fuji seized the opportunity to take over the match, and then suddenly held his racket upright. Swallow's Return?!
"15:0!"
"One of the three counter-returns, Swallow's Return."
Shiratsu Tomohoshi looked up at the sky. The sun was shining brightly. Perhaps there would be no chance to see White Whale today.
In the next three rallies, Fuji continuously scored three points with Swallow's Return.
"Fuji takes this game, 2:4!"
It was Tezuka's service game again, an unsolvable ace ball: "I told you, I saw through that shot of yours!"
It was Niou again! Because Tezuka had suddenly changed his shot and increased its speed, Niou had to re-observe, and he managed to break Tezuka's shot again, which was not easy.
"0:15!"
Tezuka, who was serving, thought to himself: This Niou's talent is truly remarkable; no wonder Shiratsu Tomohoshi was determined to recruit him. To see a leopard in one spot, to know autumn by one leaf.
The others also felt relieved at this moment. This guy, it seems, really has the confidence to achieve three consecutive national championships!
While he was thinking, the ball had already been hit. In fact, when Niou broke this shot, everyone subconsciously felt there was a flaw, but everyone overlooked that, for the current junior high school tennis world, not many people could serve with such speed, power, and angle.
Fuji and Niou were now familiar with each other and began to cooperate in doubles. The competition between the three gradually became clear:
"0:30!"
"15:30!"
"15:40!"
The score was very close. Tezuka once again had a chance to smash, but this time it was aimed at Niou, who couldn't return the ball:
"Niou takes this game, 3:4!"
What! That wasn't just now!
"Tezuka!" Shiratsu Tomohoshi looked at Tezuka, who was somewhat stunned on the court: "I forgot to tell you, Niou's nickname, besides being the Trickster on the court, is also the Swindler or Magician!"
Swindler? Magician?
Recalling the scene just now, Tezuka somewhat understood why Niou could also hit the Brown Bear Drop, and it was a flawless Brown Bear Drop!
Superb imitation ability!
Shiratsu Tomohoshi didn't find it strange. At least at this moment, Niou hadn't transformed into someone else's appearance; he was merely imitating, which wasn't quite satisfying enough for him.
However, fortunately, this match had completed Niou's evolution. At this moment, Niou, though slightly weaker than Fuji, was already a Kanto-level player.
Fuji, on the other hand, could now compete with some Kanto-level players.
So, Tezuka? What about you?
Fuji and Niou's cooperation became more and more tacit, and Tezuka's stamina was not as monstrous as it would be in the future. At this moment, the situation on the court gradually became a tie. If it continued like this, Fuji and Niou might really have a chance to win.
"Fuji and Niou take this game, 4:4!"
Back in the lounge area, Tezuka was drinking water. Shiratsu Tomohoshi walked down from the referee's position and approached Tezuka:
"So, this match, has it ignited your fighting spirit?" Shiratsu Tomohoshi teased.
"Yes."
"Have you ever thought you might lose?"
"Yes."
"Then do you want to win?"
"If there's a chance." He had matured a bit.
"Evolution. The effect of this match has achieved half of my goal. Fuji and Niou have both evolved based on their foundations. So, what about you, Tezuka?
You are now just one step away from being a national-level player. Take that step, and you will complete your evolution, and the purpose of this match will be achieved."
Tezuka looked at Shiratsu Tomohoshi in a daze. No wonder this was a two-on-one match; it was to make him evolve. This was Tezuka's inner thought.
"Remember, relax your mind. You need that aura. As long as you want it, you can win!"
After all, it was the first time he was imparting experience, and who knew if the system's instant knowledge transfer would work.
Standing on the court again, Tezuka felt his heart much calmer, and that aura appeared on him!
"What is that?" Inui on the sidelines once again served the purpose of asking for everyone.
"The State of Self-Actualization," Shiratsu Tomohoshi replied calmly. Unexpectedly, you are indeed the chosen one, Tezuka Kunimitsu. In this life, you will no longer be like before.
The subsequent situation became one-sided. All of Fuji's various shots were seen through and returned one by one. Niou was also helpless... "Match over, Tezuka wins, 6:4!"
With Shiratsu Tomohoshi's announcement, the match ended.
This match ultimately ended as Shiratsu Tomohoshi had envisioned. All three had evolved. Agutsu, who had played against him earlier, also made slight progress. Inui... we'll see.
Afterward, Shiratsu Tomohoshi didn't arrange any more matches. After all, this match lasted half an hour. Everyone did some basic practice, and then went home.
After a week of continuous training, everyone was miserable under Inui's training schedule, but life was happy. In a blink of an eye, some of Hyoutei's players were also about to start training, mostly third-year seniors.
Originally, Hyoutei had Ochi Tsukimitsu, who, by himself, led Hyoutei to the national quarterfinals.
However, he didn't like to manage things and didn't clearly designate who would be the next Minister of Hyoutei before he left. So, these third-year seniors actively practiced to compete for this position.
After Shiratsu Tomohoshi's very rule-abiding "earnest advice" taught them the "principles" of being human, these seniors were convinced by this junior.
Just kidding, although everyone wanted to compete for this position, it was all for Hyoutei's good. They had selfish motives, but they all wanted to lead Hyoutei to success. Since there was a monster like Shiratsu Tomohoshi, Hyoutei's honors would definitely increase, and there was no reason for them not to be convinced.
Because it was only a partial group, other club members hadn't seen them yet, so everyone was practicing individually.
Shiratsu Tomohoshi had also spoken with Inui, hoping that when Hyoutei started school two months later, all training would be taken over by him. Inui agreed, and the experimental data also had a destination. The two shrewd businessmen hit it off.
During this time, the seniors who had come to the tennis club earlier gradually followed the training rhythm. Although their strength wasn't strong, they were still free tools for sparring practice. How could they be let go?
Days passed, and two months flew by. The combat power of several people had changed:
Tezuka Kunimitsu, a high-end national-level combatant. Temporarily, there are few who can defeat him at the same level.
Fuji Syusuke, a Kanto-level combatant. In the Kanto Tournament, it can be said that no one except Rikkaidai can pose a threat to him.
Niou Masaharu, a Kanto-level combatant. Similarly, except for Rikkaidai, he currently has no opponents. In matches against Fuji, Fuji has a higher win rate.
Agutsu Jin, a Kanto-level combatant. In training matches, he currently has a 3-7 win-loss ratio against Niou, but he is still a high-end combatant.
Inui Sadaharu, invincible in the Metropolitan Tournament. Kanto opponents are currently unbeatable.
Tezuka and Fuji's evolution speed was very fast, surpassing Inui's understanding. This data fanatic, besides training, was always collecting data and never seemed tired.
The selection of official tennis club members had been finalized a few days ago by Shiratsu Tomohoshi, Coach Sakaki, and Inui. It could be implemented after the new student recruitment when school officially started.
What kind of changes would everyone face when school starter?