"E-Echizen…"
Momo's eyes were filled with concern as he stared at Echizen, who was holding only half of his broken racket.
However, at this moment, Echizen seemed somewhat dazed.
He was caught in an overlapping state between the initial and deeper stages of the *Muga no Kyouchi* (State of Self-Actualization), and his consciousness hadn't fully returned. After a brief pause, he walked off the court, switched to a spare racket, and moved to the other side during the court switch.
Throughout the entire process, Echizen appeared no different from anyone else, except for his slightly vacant gaze.
"Brat."
Akutsu, his opponent, curled his lips into a scornful smirk. "Your so-called *Muga no Kyouchi* doesn't seem all that impressive, huh?"
*Boom!*
Without hesitation, Akutzu served the ball.
His already formidable physical abilities, combined with the pale aura surrounding him, had significantly boosted the power of his serve.
*Crash!*
The ball landed right on the service line in front of Echizen, but he couldn't react in time, letting it whiz past him.
"15-0!"
The umpire's call made the Seigaku team's expressions grow tense.
"He's like a beast in this state," Inui muttered, his eyes fixed on Akutsu, who was enveloped in a pale, swirling aura that radiated an intimidating presence. "This mode has unlocked Akutsu's latent potential. His strength and explosiveness have improved dramatically, and even his speed seems to have increased."
Hearing this, the Seigaku team grew even more anxious.
After his intense battle with Akutsu, Echizen was drenched in sweat, his clothes soaked, and his stamina was nearly depleted. Momo, Kaidoh, and the others knew all too well that Echizen, in this state, wouldn't last much longer. And against Akutsu, whose power had clearly surged, the chances of winning seemed slim.
*Boom!*
*Thud!*
*Boom!*
*Thud!*
As the match continued, Echizen, still in the *Muga* state, was clearly being overpowered by Akutsu's beast-like mode.
Echizen's rhythm was chaotic, his movements increasingly inefficient, and his breathing grew more labored. It was clear he was reaching his limit.
On the other hand, Akutsu, despite the dangerous aura surrounding him, had eyes that gleamed with intensity.
To him, this first-year from Seigaku was nothing more than a stepping stone. Beating him wasn't something worth getting excited about.
No, Akutsu's real target was someone else on the court—someone from the Ice Emperor camp.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
As the match entered its final stages, Echizen's movements became even more erratic. Sweat poured down his face, making him look utterly exhausted.
"It's over, brat!"
Seeing Echizen at his limit, Akutsu's eyes flashed coldly as he slammed the ball with a brutal forehand.
*Boom!*
The ball landed sharply in front of Echizen, but in a twist of fate, it hit a small, barely noticeable pebble on the court.
*Whoosh!*
The ball ricocheted upward, and to everyone's horror, it shot straight toward Echizen's face.
*Swish!*
The faint yellow blur rapidly expanded in Echizen's vision. As the sharp, dangerous ball approached, a flicker of fear flashed in his eyes.
At the same time, as his consciousness began to clear, the *Muga* aura around him visibly dissipated.
Without the boost from *Muga*, Echizen, already at his physical limit, collapsed as if all his strength had been drained.
*Thud!*
His head drooped forward, narrowly avoiding the ball that would have hit him square in the face. However, his white cap was sent flying into the air.
*Thump.*
Echizen fell to his knees, then slumped forward onto the court.
"Game over!"
The umpire announced loudly, "Akutsu Jin of Hyotei Academy wins, 6-3!"
"Echizen (Little Guy)!!!"
Momo, Kikumaru, and the others rushed onto the court.
"Brat… you've still got a long way to go," Akutsu sneered, looking down at the unconscious boy. Then, slinging his racket over his shoulder, he turned and walked confidently back toward the Hyotei team.
*Swish!*
His gaze swept past Mukahi and the others, finally landing on the black-haired boy.
"Hiss…"
Feeling the sharp, beast-like intensity of Akutsu's victorious glare, the others instinctively looked away.
But the boy Akutsu was staring at—Ishikawa—simply smiled. To the astonishment of the spectators from other schools, he nodded and said, "Well done, Akutsu-senpai."
His calm eyes and appreciative tone sounded less like a junior praising a senior and more like a teacher commending a student who had made progress.
But this was Akutsu!
A player as dangerous as a wild beast!
Yet, defying everyone's expectations, Akutsu, who should have been furious, actually averted his gaze when he met Ishikawa's calm, meaningful eyes.
"What…?"
Many spectators exchanged puzzled looks.
But the Hyotei team members were unfazed. They knew better than anyone that if there was one person in their team who could truly tame Akutsu, it was Ishikawa.
"Is Echizen okay?"
On the Seigaku side, Momo anxiously looked at Inui, who was checking on Echizen. Inui nodded, "He's just exhausted and temporarily lost consciousness. Give him some glucose to replenish his energy."
"Got it."
Oishi, ever the team's caretaker, quickly rummaged through their bags and pulled out a bottle of glucose solution, which he fed to Echizen.
As the color gradually returned to the boy's pale face, the Seigaku team breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness, Ryoma-kun is okay."
The first-years on the team, as well as the cheerleaders like Sakuno and Tomoka, smiled with relief.
However, others, like Coach Ryuzaki and Inui, still wore heavy expressions.
"Three matches in, Seigaku has one win and two losses,"井上 (Inoue), standing on the steps above, murmured with a sigh. "They've been pushed to the edge, with no room to retreat."
"Yeah," Shiho agreed with a nod.
Personally, she hoped Seigaku would win, but the reality was harsh. At best, Seigaku could only secure one more victory.
After all, Hyotei's remaining two players were both national-level powerhouses.
And unless something unexpected happened, Seigaku's likely choice for Singles 2 would be Fuji, while Hyotei's Singles 2 was Ishikawa, who had crushed Fuji in the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament.
The gap between them was simply too wide.
Even Fuji, who had developed a fourth counter shot, hadn't been able to push Ishikawa to reveal his true strength.
On the steps,观月 (Mizuki) from St. Rudolph and千石 (Senri) from Yamabuki shook their heads. "Seigaku's chances of advancing… are slim."
"Next up, the Singles 2 match will begin."
"Tezuka Kunimitsu of Seishun Gakuen vs. Ishikawa Makoto of Hyotei Academy."
"Both players, please prepare."
*Swish!*
The announcement instantly caused a stir among the spectators.
"Seigaku's Singles 2 is Tezuka?!"
Inoue's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked toward the Seigaku team.
Sure enough, a handsome boy with ash-brown hair and oval glasses walked to the court, racket in hand.
"Tezuka?!"
The Hyotei team was equally shocked.
One member, in particular, had eyes that flashed like lightning—Atobe!
At this moment, he looked as if he had just heard something unbelievable. Though he tried to suppress his emotions, his trembling gaze betrayed him.
"Seigaku actually placed their ace in Singles 2?"
Coach Sakaki narrowed his eyes, glancing at Ryuzaki, who looked both tense and hopeful. He had a hunch about what was going on.
"Perhaps…"
He glanced sideways at Atobe and Ishikawa, thinking to himself, "Seigaku sees Ishikawa as an even greater threat than Atobe."
In fact, it wasn't just Seigaku.
Even within Hyotei, after the initial shock, players like Oshitari and Mukahi quickly realized what was happening.
Then, they looked at Atobe with mixed expressions.
Simply put, in the eyes of many Hyotei players, Ishikawa, who had defeated Kyushu's Two Heroes, Yamabuki's beast Akutsu, and Seigaku's genius Fuji Syusuke, had clearly outshone Atobe in terms of performance.
Especially after defeating Akutsu and being the only one in Hyotei who could keep him in check, Ishikawa's credibility was undeniable.
"Tezuka as Singles 2?"
On the Seigaku side, Momo and Kikumaru turned to Inui for answers.
"Yes," Inui replied without hesitation. "We anticipated this situation. With one win and two losses, this is our only hope."
Originally, Ryuzaki, Tezuka, Oishi, and Inui had discussed the possibility of Seigaku being in this position after Singles 3.
Of course, they had assumed that both doubles matches would be lost, with Echizen securing one win. But as it turned out, they got lucky in doubles, while Echizen suffered a crushing defeat against Akutsu.
Now, the situation had come full circle.
"Tezuka," Coach Ryuzaki said gravely, "Seigaku's fate rests on your shoulders."
"I understand," Tezuka nodded, his eyes growing sharper as he gripped his racket and stepped onto the court.
"Fuji," Ryuzaki then turned to the brown-haired boy behind her. "Go warm up. Your opponent will be their captain."
"Understood," Fuji replied with a serious nod.
He picked up his racket and left the court to prepare.
As the crowd's attention shifted from Tezuka to the Hyotei side, Coach Sakaki calmly addressed the black-haired boy beside him.
"Though I didn't expect the opponent to make this arrangement," he said, "for you, even their captain shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Tezuka-senpai, huh," Ishikawa glanced at the cold, iceberg-like boy across the court and smiled. "I didn't expect to face him, so this is an unexpected twist. As for the outcome, anything's possible until we play."
With that, he picked up his racket and walked onto the court.
At the net, the two shook hands and sized each other up.
**[Tezuka Kunimitsu (Boss): Lv55]**
Seeing the clear information above Tezuka's head, Ishikawa nodded inwardly.
Compared to the evolved Kyosuke, Tezuka's base level was noticeably higher. In terms of actual strength, he was likely even stronger than Kyosuke in his beast mode.
"Ishikawa-kun," Tezuka spoke first. "I've seen your matches. You're the strongest player I've ever faced. So, in this match, don't hold back."
His sharp gaze locked onto Ishikawa's.
"Of course," Ishikawa replied without flinching. "I've been looking forward to facing you, senpai. So, please give it your all as well."
As he finished, Ishikawa gave Tezuka a meaningful look.
*Crackle!*
Their eyes met, and it was as if sparks flew between them.
The atmosphere on the court, which had been relatively calm, suddenly grew tense, filled with the unmistakable scent of gunpowder.
---
*(End of Chapter)*