9. Discussion

“So…so incredible, he defeated more than forty people all by himself, and didn’t lose a single game!”
If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, Taiichi Dan could hardly believe there was anyone in this world more formidable than Akutsu’s older brother as a tennis player.

Earlier, unable to find Akutsu anywhere, Taiichi Dan was worried about the safety of Mei Matsubara, so he hurried back to the court.
But upon returning, he was astonished to discover that his concerns had been entirely unfounded.
The match was completely one-sided, without suspense. The young man, after defeating a dozen opponents in succession, showed no sign of faltering.
And now, after besting the forty-ninth challenger, he still stood strong.

Staring at the deserted court, Mei Matsubara felt dizzy, and then an overwhelming sense of weakness surged through her body, leaving her helpless.
Collapsing to the ground, she gasped for breath, sweat pouring from her forehead to her chin, finally dripping onto the green surface and soaking it through.

Seeing this, Taiichi Dan immediately rushed in from outside the wire fence. “Are you alright, Matsubara?”
“Ah… I’m just too tired.”
At this moment, Mei Matsubara had lost all composure she had when facing the forty-ninth challenger, her voice wavering as she replied.
Realizing the exhaustion was the cause, Taiichi Dan smiled kindly and carefully helped her to her feet.

Looking at the scattered tennis balls and rackets on the ground, Mei Matsubara pointed, “Taiichi, take all these with us.”

Having overexerted herself, Mei Matsubara had to temporarily give up the search for Akutsu at Yamabuki Middle School.
Returning to Evergreen Academy, the young man’s weariness eased somewhat. When the players saw him bring back baskets full of tennis balls and rackets, they gathered curiously.

“Wow, where did you get so many balls, Matsubara?”
“There must be hundreds here, and so many rackets too!”
Mei Matsubara smiled, “These are gifts from a group of people who lost their bets.”
She gestured gratefully to the middle-aged men who helped carry the equipment, who nodded in return and drove their truck out the school gate.

“Come on, don’t just stand there, help move these. Taiichi, you too.”
Clapping her hands, Mei Matsubara called out.

“Matsubara’s family must be really wealthy, right?”
Standing in the corridor watching the tennis court, Fuji noticed Mei Matsubara had brought back an astonishing number of balls and rackets, and smiled faintly.
Seeing Tezuka walk out without a word, Fuji followed obediently.

“That’s amazing, Matsubara, you actually defeated fifty players from Ginwa Middle School all by yourself!”
“And without losing a single game, that’s just unheard of!”
“Exactly. Ginwa’s strength has always been a mystery, no one knows their real capabilities, yet all fifty couldn’t beat Matsubara!”

Faced with Taiichi Dan’s enthusiastic praise in front of everyone, Mei Matsubara could only laugh awkwardly and scratch her head.
Honestly, the only reason she won was thanks to her hidden skills, and Ginwa Middle School’s abilities were rather lacking, which made it possible for her to take on forty-nine opponents alone.
This exhausting battle also taught Mei Matsubara her physical limits.
She had already reached her limit after fighting forty people; had the last challenger not fled, she might not have prevailed against him.

Now, on the court, whether it was Kamito, who initially disliked Matsubara, or any of the regular players, everyone felt awe and respect for the young man.
To face fifty alone—not just fifty students who knew tennis, but even beginners—Kamito and the others couldn’t possibly defeat them all; this wasn’t just a matter of skill.

Among all the regulars, only Mitsuki kept his distance, watching Mei Matsubara, now the center of attention, with increasingly dark eyes.
This kid had accomplished two earth-shaking feats in a single day. If things continued, his prestige would soon rival that of Fuji and Tezuka!

Mitsuki had only one goal in coming to Evergreen: to become both captain and coach; if possible, he wanted to take on the manager’s role too.
The higher-ups at St. Rudolph Middle School refused his request, so he left without looking back.

Without ambition, one never finds the motivation to advance or improve, Mitsuki had realized this even before joining St. Rudolph.
Though Tezuka, impressed by his expertise in data-driven tennis, made him coach, Mitsuki’s ambitions went further: he wanted not only to be coach, but also captain and manager.

But now, Matsubara had emerged unexpectedly, not only taking his spot as a regular, but shining brighter and brighter in front of everyone—a situation Mitsuki could not tolerate.
If Mei Matsubara were allowed to grow unchecked, Tezuka would inevitably hand over the captaincy to him!

This realization filled Mitsuki with dread. He had to find a way to curb Matsubara’s momentum!

“What are you all doing!”
Just as the crowd was bombarding Mei Matsubara with questions, like interviewing a celebrity about her domination of the Ginwa Tennis Club, a stern voice echoed across the court!

“Captain!”
At the sight of Tezuka, everyone scattered in alarm—some hurried to collect balls, others pulled friends into practice matches, still others began warm-up exercises. Watching the commotion, Fuji smiled softly.

Behind the white gleam of his glasses, Tezuka’s eyes were calm and deep as he looked at Mei Matsubara and Taiichi Dan, then at the pile of balls and rackets.
“What happened here?”

So Mei Matsubara explained her story, but this time she didn’t boast about her achievements in front of Tezuka, just briefly described how she acquired the equipment.
After finishing, she mentioned, almost casually, “By the way, Captain, when does the school ranking tournament begin?”

“In a week,” Tezuka replied calmly.

“I actually have an idea, though I’m not sure if I should share it.”
Hearing this, Mei Matsubara’s heart leapt, and she asked tentatively.

Seeing Tezuka and Fuji waiting for her to continue, the young man grinned, “I’ve looked into it—our tennis club has a full roster of regulars, plus plenty of backups who could be promoted…”

She paused, then continued, “But honestly, I think their skills aren’t quite enough. Before joining Evergreen, I did some research: schools like Yamabuki, Hyotei Academy, and Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School have all welcomed strong students this year.”

“What are you suggesting?”
Fuji seemed to see where this was going.

“My suggestion is, can we recruit suitable players from those schools, or even others? After all, the school ranking tournament and upcoming regional tournaments are worlds apart in scale.”

Mei Matsubara didn’t know if Tezuka would support such poaching, but only by doing so could weak Evergreen Academy grow stronger. Otherwise, relying on herself, Tezuka, Fuji, and Mitsuki alone, it would be impossible to reach the national tournament.

“Hmm, it’s a good idea.”
Tezuka didn’t object, leaving Mei Matsubara astonished. Fuji, however, remarked, “Though recruiting to strengthen the team is well-intentioned, all the schools have been in session for about a month. At this point, our chances of success are rather slim, aren’t they?”

“Vice-Captain Fuji, don’t worry—I have a clever plan.”
Mei Matsubara patted her chest. The people she wanted to recruit could be won over either by defeating them or by persuasive words. She wouldn’t use grand declarations like Atobe, who proclaimed himself Hyotei’s king at the opening ceremony; players like Keigo Atobe, who boast both skill and wealth, were beyond her reach.

But Akutsu and Ryo Shishido were different. The former only needed to be defeated; the latter, unafraid of challenges, sought to explore his future in unknown territory. Mei Matsubara was confident she could convince Shishido to leave Hyotei and make his mark at Evergreen!

As for Seiichi Yukimura and Genichiro Sanada, Matsubara knew Tezuka was the key. As long as Tezuka stayed at Evergreen, Sanada, who tasted defeat a year ago, would leap at the chance to compete alongside him at the same school.

For Sanada, who saw Tezuka as his archrival after losing to him, if he insisted on joining Evergreen, Yukimura would surely follow, and thus the seven regulars would be assembled!

Among these candidates, the highly talented Akutsu and hard-working Shishido would make an excellent doubles pair; Matsubara, Tezuka, and Fuji would excel in singles. With Yukimura and Sanada’s chemistry, their doubles would be as formidable as the first pair, though it might not fully utilize their talents.

And now, with Mitsuki able to manage training and strategy, as long as Matsubara recruited the right people, Evergreen would become a dark horse among the renowned tennis schools!

“I support Matsubara’s proposal as well.”
Just as Matsubara, Tezuka, and Fuji reached consensus, Mitsuki appeared behind them.
His swept-up bangs framed a meaningful smile. “But recruiting from well-known schools will take time. Why not target someone closer first?”

“Do you have someone in mind, Mitsuki?”
Tezuka asked calmly.

“There’s actually a perfect candidate.”
Mitsuki spoke unhurriedly.

“I only heard about him recently. He possesses extraordinary physical strength and athletic talent, playing matches at public courts far beyond the level of a first-year. Those he defeated gave him a nickname that strikes fear into the heart…”

Mitsuki’s smile widened, and he opened his eyes, pronouncing each word deliberately:
“The Demon of the Court!”