The advantage was clearly with Sadaharu Inui.
Right from the start of the match, he used his Data Tennis to secure points.
Under overwhelming pressure from all sides, Sengoku Kiyosumi seemed to struggle.
However, no matter how fast Inui's shots were, they had no effect on Sengoku—he returned every single one with ease.
This was due to Sengoku's extraordinary dynamic vision.
Even the fastest shots appeared to him like slow-motion replays.
Generally, professional players possess exceptional dynamic vision, but Sengoku's ability to freeze and distinguish approaching targets was on another level.
Since he could track even the fastest shots, he could react instantly with explosive bursts of speed.
But that wasn't even Sengoku's true talent.
His real gift was a rare, conceptual-type ability—Luck Bonus!
So even though he couldn't overpower Inui in raw skill, he kept scoring through bizarre, unpredictable means.
The final score settled at 6-3.
It wasn't a smooth victory.
Still, Seigaku won the semifinals with a 3-0 overall score, advancing to the finals.
And this year, they'd be facing Hyotei in the championship match.
---
The Next Morning
The crowd for the finals had grown significantly.
Even before the teams arrived, spectators were already filling the stands.
Meanwhile, at the venue's entrance...
Seigaku and Hyotei's team buses pulled up at the same time.
Both squads stepped out, led by their respective coaches.
"Seigaku, huh."
The Hyotei players glanced at Seigaku's side, their expressions tense.
The previous day, Coach Sakaki had updated them with the latest intel on Seigaku. What was already a daunting challenge now seemed even more formidable.
This year's Seigaku had no weaknesses, and their growth was frighteningly rapid.
From the regional preliminaries to the metropolitan tournament—just one month—both of their doubles pairs had undergone substantial improvements. And Inui, their Singles No. 3, had demonstrated the sheer dominance of Data Tennis.
Since the metropolitan tournament, Seigaku's Singles No. 2 and No. 1 hadn't even stepped onto the court.
"Let's greet them properly."
Sakaki adjusted his suit jacket with refined elegance and approached Hannah.
"Good morning. I am Sakaki Tarou, coach and manager of Hyotei's tennis club."
So handsome~
A man with this much charm was impossible for someone Hannah's age to resist.
Her face flushed like she'd had a few drinks as she shook his hand. "Hello! I'm Hannah, Seigaku's new coach. I'm from Germany."
Most of the players didn't get what was happening.
But Yoru immediately recognized that look in his coach's eyes—she was totally smitten.
It was like when Akina Nakamori met Leon Lai in his past life.
Atobe glanced at Yoru briefly before shifting his gaze to Tezuka.
"I'll be waiting for you in the Singles No. 1 match. Do you dare accept the challenge?"
"An obvious trap, huh."
Yoru smirked but didn't pay it much mind.
He had no intention of playing anyway.
If he hadn't already beaten Atobe beforehand, he might've considered stepping in to give Ryoma a training dummy.
But since he'd already fought him, Tezuka could handle it.
Seigaku's future ace needed a few rivals to push his limits.
Yoru's plan?
Turn Tezuka into the ultimate "experience farm" for Ryoma during middle school.
Scanning Hyotei's lineup, he noticed something odd.
The three slackers—Matsudaira Chikao and his group—had actually dropped to 5-star strength. Probably slacked off in training.
Mukahi Gakuto and Shishido Ryou were at 4-star.
Oshitari Yuushi was 5-star.
But the real surprise?
Akutagawa Jirou was at peak 5-star.
There had always been rumors that Jirou was Hyotei's second-strongest (as unofficially confirmed by the author). Now, it seemed true.
He didn't have flashy stats or extraordinary techniques.
Yet, he always found a way to return the ball exactly where he wanted—thanks to his insane perception and wrist flexibility.
As for Atobe?
He'd reached 7-star.
No surprise for one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Golden Generation. A little stimulation, and his growth skyrocketed like a rollercoaster.
Too bad.
The current Atobe stood no chance against Tezuka—or even Fuji, who had unlocked his potential early.
---
Both teams entered the court.
Amid roaring cheers, they exchanged handshakes before retreating to their benches.
Doubles 2 for Hyotei featured familiar faces—Sasabe Junichi and Kishimoto Masakiyo.
Though their skills had declined from lack of training, their experience and teamwork remained.
Meanwhile, Seigaku's pair—Yamato and Kaido—stepped onto the court after receiving their buffs.
But as they approached the net for the pre-match handshake...
"BURNING! LET'S HAVE A GREAT MATCH!"
Kaido, way too pumped, started swinging his racket wildly in the air before even shaking hands.
Sasabe and Kishimoto flinched hard.
Yamato chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, he's… a little enthusiastic."
Gulp.
The Hyotei duo quickly shook hands and bolted back to their side.
With both teams ready, the referee blew the whistle.
"Game start! Doubles 2, Seigaku to serve first!"
BANG—!
Without hesitation, Yamato unleashed a powerful serve—straight, fast, and deadly.
A smash-style serve!
Against opponents weaker than him, Yamato always opened with this.
Though it had a noticeable wind-up, its speed and threat were overwhelming.
With multiple buffs stacked, the ball exceeded Sasabe's reaction limit. Before he could even move, it slammed into the back fence.
"Seigaku scores! 15-0!"
"So fast!"
The Hyotei players gasped.
Their intel had warned them:
Seigaku's serves were monstrous.
Since last year, their players had a 100% first-serve success rate—never missing an opening shot.
And not only were they consistent, but their quality was insanely high.
Even the usually drowsy Jirou perked up in admiration. "Amazing! His form isn't perfect, but the serve's quality is top-tier."
Little did Hyotei know—this was the result of hacks.
BANG—!
"Seigaku scores! 30-0!"
BANG—!
"Seigaku scores! 40-0!"
BANG—!
"Game! Seigaku leads 1-0!"
Four blazing-fast serves, four effortless points.
Sasabe's face twisted in frustration.
He, Kishimoto, and Matsudaira hadn't even bothered studying Seigaku's data.
It wasn't that Sakaki had given up on them—they just didn't care.
They'd never accepted Atobe's leadership, and without Gakuto's discipline, they'd become Hyotei's deadweight.
Before the match, Sasabe had assumed that with Seigaku's seniors gone, Doubles 2 would be an easy win.
Who knew Yamato would still be in Doubles 2—and this much stronger?
"Relax, Sasabe. Yamato probably just trained his serve to death. When it's our turn to serve, we'll target that dumb-looking guy instead."
"That airheaded oaf should be easy pickings!"
---