Prince of Tennis: A new Hextech Crafting System is refreshed every week.

Kirihara pursed his lips, his eyes reddening.

This wasn't the surge of pride from a blow to one's self-esteem, but rather a warm feeling welling up inside me from receiving recognition from the vice minister despite losing the game.

His nose stung, and although he immediately raised his head, tears still rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably.

There was no sound, but I could see the shoulders shaking.

"Next...next time..."

Kirihara's voice choked, as if his throat was blocked.

Turn your back.

She wiped away her tears forcefully, turned around, looked at Sanada with an extremely serious expression, and vowed in a hoarse voice, "Next time, I will definitely not lose again."

Sanada's stern gaze also fell upon Kirihara, and sensing Kirihara's will, he nodded slightly.

"Um."

He understood Kirihara's feelings at that moment.

The bitterness after failure can become fuel for one's progress.

Sanada turned his head, his eyes under the brim of his hat sweeping over the blue and white stands. Just like Kirihara, next time... he would definitely not lose.

......

The award ceremony.

The event organizers gave a speech, and the eight finalists of the rookie competition took to the stage one after another. Their team uniforms were of different colors, and they stood in a row under the lights.

First, the eighth to fifth place winners—Takeshi Momoshiro, Juji Muromachi, Hikaru Amane, and Daichi Kiriyama—each received a certificate recognizing them as one of the top eight rookie contestants.

Muromachi stepped forward to accept the certificate. Although it was just a thin piece of paper, he was very careful, as it was the first competition result he had obtained since entering junior high school.

He smiled broadly, holding the certificate high in front of his chest, and cheers erupted from the crowd.

Then there were two third-place finishers, Kabaji Takahiro and Hiyoshi Waka.

They were all members of Hyotei, but Hiyoshi was in the hospital, while Kabaji had two medals around his neck.

Next came the runner-up, and Kirihara was clearly dissatisfied with the result. Even after the silver medal was hung around his neck, his face was still sour, with only the area around his eyes still red, making it clear that he had just been crying.

Finally, when the champion was announced, the Yamabuki Junior High School's Kitahara Akira announced his name on the loudspeaker. The Yamabuki supporters in the stands cheered even more enthusiastically than before.

Kitahara Akira stepped forward, leaned slightly forward, put on the medal, and then held the championship trophy in both hands.

The trophy was heavy and thick, reflecting light under the spotlight.

He rushed towards Yamabuki, raising the trophy high above his head with both hands, causing the Yamabuki section of the stands to erupt in cheers once again.

"Kitahara Akira!"... "Kitahara Akira!"... "Kitahara Akira!"...

Kitahara Akira stood on the podium, listening to his name echoing throughout the hall, and was momentarily dazed.

He once heard a saying somewhere, "Sound has weight." He didn't understand it before, but now he does. It feels just like the trophy in his hand—heavy, but warm.

......

"What are you doing?"

"Take a picture!" Momoi Satsuki pulled a small digital camera out of her bag. "Of course, we should record this important moment. We'll give the photos to Kitahara-kun later."

When the competition ended, Akutsu wanted to leave, but Momoi Satsuki stopped him. Seeing the boring awards ceremony, he couldn't stand it anymore.

Seeing that Momoi Satsuki still refused to leave, she had no choice but to put her hands in her pockets, turn her back to the podium, and lean against the railing.

He was expressionless and very cold.

In reality, he felt somewhat embarrassed. He hadn't expected to misjudge Kitahara Akira. Despite having such strong abilities, he had waited until he was about to lose before revealing his true strength.

"Tch, what a dark-hearted guy..." Akutsu thought to himself.

But it's all good, at least I didn't misjudge him before. That guy is definitely not a small fry who can be easily dealt with.

The last time I played basketball was back in elementary school, which is too long ago. With my current rusty skills, I probably won't be able to beat that guy.

Akutsu raised an eyebrow slightly. In that case, he would take some time to learn it first.

He turned around.

Looking at Kitahara Akira on the podium, he stretched out his right hand, spread his fingers, and grasped the figure under the lights in the air with his palm, then squeezed it hard.

......

"Although you couldn't participate in this rookie competition, I believe you've gained a lot."

On the stands, Tachibana Kippei's gaze swept over Shinji Ibu, Akira Kamio, Tetsu Ishida, and others, his calm gaze revealing a firm will.

"There are always people better than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. I hope you can put away your arrogance from Fudomine, especially Shinji and Kamio. In the next six months or so, put in all your effort to improve your strength and hone your skills."

"Then, in August of next year, we'll expand nationwide!"

Ju Juping's voice wasn't loud, but it clearly rang in everyone's ears at Fudomine.

"Yes!" *6

Everyone shouted in unison, and the unusual momentum attracted the attention of those around them.

"Let's go first."

Tachibana Kippei turned around and glanced at the teams from Rikkai, Hyotei, Yamabuki, and Seigaku in turn. Then, with a solemn expression, he walked towards the entrance of the passage. This place does not belong to Fudomine yet; they will return here next year.

Splash...

People around them made way for them, and for some reason, when they saw Ju Jiping's stern eyes, their bodies reacted before their minds.

"That's terrifying, it's like a lion!"

......

"It's nothing serious, but you need to be hospitalized for a week?"

Hearing the voice on the phone, Atobe breathed a slight sigh of relief. "It's good that you're alright. As long as there are no lasting effects, there's no need to worry about the costs."

"understood."

After hanging up the phone, Atobe slammed the phone shut, his face as cold as ice.

Hiyoshi's revenge is something he must take on himself.

However, he wouldn't pretend that nothing had happened regarding the serious injury to the next captain of Hyotei.

Someone always has to pay the price for this.

......

One day after the Kanto region rookie tournament ended.

News quickly spread that a first-year student named Kitahara Akira from Yamabuki Junior High School had decisively won the Autumn Newcomer Tournament championship against Rikkai University.

The news was even more shocking when they learned that this year's competition was being held on an individual basis, with participants representing their schools.

Originally, Yamabuki was only famous nationwide for doubles, but there was also Sengoku Kiyosumi to take care of.

But a new queen from Kanto emerged.

Things are different now. The weakness in singles has been compensated for, and with Yamabuki Banro's abilities, it will be much harder to tamper with Yamabuki's lineup and formation in the future.

The national competition next year.

Yamabuki will definitely not stop at the first round.

The schools in other regions that are capable of competing for the top 16 or 8 nationally quickly raised the threat level of Yamabuki.

Meanwhile.

Results have also been announced for the rookie competitions in other regions.

The Kansai Newcomer King is a contestant from Shitenhoji named Zaizen Hikaru.

I heard that she was very talented. She only started playing tennis after attending Shitenhoji High School. She played tennis for less than a year before defeating a Makino Teng Junior High School player 6-0 in the final.

The situation in the rookie tournament in the Kyushu region was equally surprising.

Shishiraku Junior High School, which has dominated the Kyushu region for many years, has encountered some problems. The two Kyushu champions, who made their debut in this year's national tournament, have both transferred schools, and the rookie tournament championship has also been taken away by someone else.

The champion came from an obscure school.

Higa Junior High School in Okinawa.

The champion, Koichi Aragaki, incorporated Okinawan martial arts into his tennis style. He battled for an hour and a half with a player from Shishiraku Junior High School in the final, eventually winning 7-6 in a tiebreaker.

......

Yamabuki Middle School.

After the rookie tournament ended, Yamabuki was bustling with activity for a while.

Kitahara Akira's victory was reported in a tennis monthly magazine, a popular publication among junior high school students. With the school's promotion, Kitahara Akira suddenly became a celebrity.

Wherever he goes, people gather to watch.

During breaks, the corridor suddenly became filled with unfamiliar girls who would deliberately slow down and peek at Kitahara Akira through the windows.

"Tennis is still too authoritative in this world."

Kitahara Akira shook his head.

"Kitahara, it's your face that's too unfair."

Morimura Ya's eyes were full of envy.

A tennis star at school, plus an incredibly handsome face, he's irresistible to girls.

If it were me, I would have confessed to Mengnai by now.

Yoshioka Moina, Morimuraya’s goddess.

Morimura wiped away non-existent drool, and Kitahara Akira said resentfully, "You're so lucky!"

Upon hearing Morimura Ya's words, Kitahara Akira leaned back in his chair, put his hands behind his head, looked up at the classroom ceiling, and had a faint smile on his lips.

Good fortune?

You were absolutely right this time, I'm just so lucky!

Kitahara Akira unfolded a transparent panel in front of him.

A golden card appeared in the air.

[Forward-thinking: You lose all your current assets, but five days later, you will receive back a thousand times that amount. The amount you will receive: 2 million yen.]

See the final "2 million yen".

Kitahara Akira felt a little dizzy.

At the current exchange rate, 200 million yen is equivalent to more than 10 million yuan. More than 10 million yuan at the end of the century!

The night the rookie competition ended.

He was so excited he couldn't sleep all night. Although he had the panel and knew he would never lack money in the future, he still couldn't contain his excitement when 2 million yen was actually in front of him.

After all, he came from an ordinary family in his previous life, and he is not a wealthy family in this life either.

2 million yen......

Fortunately, no other great cards appeared in this week's three-choice challenge.

Otherwise, he would have been agonizing over it for a long time.

Unfortunately, the panel only calculates the assets he owns, and the asset amount is already determined as soon as the card is opened.

Otherwise, he would insist that his parents transfer all the family's money to his name.

That would be a real windfall.

Kitahara Akira shook his head vigorously in his heart, thinking, "I can't be too greedy. Two hundred million is already a lot."

*Pfft*...

At times like these, you just can't help but want to laugh.

"I just wonder how this 2 million yen will be distributed?"

"If a large sum of money suddenly appears in my bank account without my knowledge, won't it attract the attention of the authorities?"

Kitahara Akira couldn't help but worry again.

That's just how people are.

The more you care about something, the more you worry about losing it.

Fortunately, the training I've done in tennis during this period has strengthened my willpower considerably.

In addition, after the rookie competition, his friend always took him to meditate and calm his mind, and he even skipped club training. He didn't know what the use was before, but now he seems to be able to feel it.

"Inhale...exhale...exhale...exhale..."

Kitahara Akira tried the breathing method taught by his mentor, consciously controlling his breathing rhythm. His mind gradually calmed down, and the chaotic emotional fluctuations in his eyes quickly dissipated.

"It actually works?"

Looking at the noisy classroom, the incessant chatter of Morimura Ya, and the girl peeking through the window, Kitahara Akira found that he was not as easily influenced as before.

But this tranquility was soon broken again as attention was diverted.

But as he consciously controlled his breathing and cleared his mind, his heart calmed down once again.

Kitahara Akira felt what he was experiencing now.

If he can maintain this form in the competition, his combat power will definitely increase again.

and......

It seems that I can enter the "overclocking state" with just a thought, without having to search for it for a long time like before.

An idea arises, a thought takes hold.

Kitahara Akira opened his eyes.

Calm, indifferent, with a sense of detachment, as if observing the world from a higher dimension.

[Overclocking status]

It was very easy to get in.

Kitahara Akira's mind raced as he carefully examined his current physical condition, not wasting a single second.

Because each time you enter the "overclocking state", you may receive too much information in an instant. Even if it only lasts for ten seconds, you will fall into a weak state afterwards, which will affect subsequent training.

Therefore, he rarely uses the overclocking mode, and once he does, he doesn't waste any overclocking time.

One minute later.

Kitahara Akira felt weak, as if all his energy had been drained, but his eyes held an uncontrollable joy.

During the overclocking state just now, he found two sensations in his body's memory.

It's something very familiar; I just used it a few days ago.

Limited Status: Overlord!

The other one was somewhat unfamiliar, but he hadn't forgotten it either.

It was during my first use of the Hextech 'Patient Learning' technique that I briefly entered a state of selflessness and emptiness.

Let's leave the latter aside for now.

But he was well aware of the former's power; once he entered it, his strength would instantly leap to a whole new level.

Even someone as strong as Kirihara Akaya couldn't catch a single ball.

I thought I'd only get to enjoy this once.

Will the fun continue?

Kitahara Akira clenched his fist, first with 2 million yen, then with an overbearing attitude.

"You're so lucky!"

After a brief moment of excitement, Kitahara Akira quickly calmed down.

Although he saw the possibility of re-entering the Overlord state, he couldn't do it yet. During the time he was in the [Overclocking State], he found the reason: his mental strength was not enough.

Perhaps with certain stimulation, one might be able to get into the zone, but there's no guarantee that one can do so every time.

Kitahara Akira also realized that his companion taught him meditation and calming his mind precisely to cultivate his body and mind, as well as to practice spiritual power.

Based on the current situation.

He couldn't maintain this "calmness" if his attention was slightly diverted, which was a manifestation of insufficient mental strength, and cultivating mental strength was a long process.

Kitahara Akira let out a soft breath.

Since that's the case, his subsequent practice content is now set.

I will focus all my energy on strengthening my mental fortitude, temporarily suspending my ball skills practice, and strive to increase my mental strength to a level sufficient to enter a dominant state before the start of the second grade.

......