The Prince of Tennis: From Data-Driven Tennis to the Pinnacle of His Career

"I don't think so."

Otsuka walked to the service area, tossed the ball high into the air, and swung his racket quickly.

"Bang!"

Jin Akutsu casually flicked the ball back.

Otsuka's strength is too average. Not to mention him, even Sengoku Kiyosumi could easily handle someone of this level.

They had overestimated Aihara's number one ranking. Apart from those two hidden national-level players, the rest of the players were just so-so.

The victory in pushing Yamabuki to the brink of defeat this time was purely a result of strategic deployment.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

Jin Akutsu scored directly with a casual volley.

"0-15!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"0-30!"

……

"0-40!"

……

"Game, Otsuka, 0-1!"

"How can he be so strong?"

Otsuka stared at the imposing figure opposite him, his face filled with disbelief.

The power and speed that Akutsu Jin displayed were on a completely different level from what was described in the intelligence; it was as if he were a completely different person.

Faced with such an opponent, he felt completely powerless to resist. Even a casual blow from the opponent was extremely difficult for him to receive.

"boom!"

After tossing the ball up, Jin Akutsu leaped high into the air, his arm muscles bulging, and swung his racket forcefully.

"15-0!"

"So fast..."

Looking at the tennis ball spinning on the barbed wire behind him, Aihara No. 1's captain, Otsuka, was filled with disbelief.

Cold sweat trickled down his forehead; Akutsu Jin's serve just now had clearly exceeded 200 km/h!

This level of serve is rare even in national tournaments, let alone in the Kanto Tournament.

"boom!"

……

"30-0!"

……

"40-0!"

……

"Game, Otsuka, 0-2!"

"I never imagined the difference would be so huge."

Kagura Yijin, who was watching from the sidelines, was speechless.

The gap in academic strength at Aihara Daiichi School is so severe that the polarization has reached an extreme.

Some contestants are exceptionally strong, while others are quite average, and Aihara's top-ranked captain belongs to the latter category.

After silently reciting the system's name, Kagura Ichijin began to check Otsuka's five dimensions.

Otsuka (Second year of junior high school)

Speed: 2.5

Power: 2.5

Stamina: 2.5

Spirit: 3

Technology: 3

Total: 13.5

Otsuka's five-dimensional data is actually not too low, but unfortunately, in the Kanto Tournament where there are many strong players, there are many players of this level, so he is not good enough.

In the following match, although Otsuka tried to fight back through various means, all his efforts seemed pale and powerless in front of Akutsu Jin.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"0-15!"

……

"0-30!"

……

"0-40!"

……

"Game, Otsuka, 0-3!"

……

"Game, Otsuka, 0-4!"

……

"Game, Otsuka, 0-5!"

……

"Game, Otsuka, 0-6!"

……

"Match 5 ends, 6-0, Jin Akutsu wins!"

……

"Congratulations to Yamabuki Junior High School for defeating Aihara Daiichi 3-2 in the finals and advancing to the semifinals!"

The stadium erupted in cheers as the referee gave the whistle.

The Yamabuki crew rushed into the arena, surrounding Akutsu Jin and cheering in celebration.

In the past, Yamabuki's best result was only reaching the quarterfinals of the Kanto Tournament, but this time, they have finally taken a crucial step.

If they win just one more game, they will secure their ticket to the national tournament.

"Master, the match between Rikkai and Hyotei shouldn't be over yet. I'll go check on the situation."

While everyone was celebrating, Kagura Ichijin quietly picked up his tennis bag, walked over to Banta Mikiya, and whispered something.

Hyotei, as a long-established powerhouse, is a force to be reckoned with. They should be able to force Rikkai to reveal many of their hidden strengths, and he doesn't want to miss such a good opportunity.

"Just you?"

Banta Kanya hesitated.

When it comes to intelligence gathering, the more people involved, the better, as this ensures higher accuracy.

"Yeah, fewer people means less chance of being spotted."

Kagura Ichijin nodded.

Mitsuya Akuto was able to obtain information about Yamabuki without anyone noticing, thanks to his stealth, and he planned to imitate him.

"Okay, go early and come back early."

Banta Kanya smiled slightly and watched Kagura Ichijin leave.

……

Ten minutes later, Kagura Ichijin arrived at the match venue between Rikkai and Hyotei.

However, the scene that came into view sent a chill down his spine.

"Is this... a sign of defeat?"

On the court, Rikkai's Jusaburo Mori had completely dominated Hyotei's Jiro Akutagawa, bringing the score to a terrifying 5-0, just two points away from ending the game.

Looking at the scoreboard, the overall score between Hyotei and Rikkai is 1-2.

Hyotei lost both of their doubles matches, and the only point they won was probably won by Keigo Atobe.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"40-0!"

……

"Game, Mori Jusaburo, 6-0!"

……

"Congratulations to Rikkai Affiliated High School for defeating Hyotei Academy 3-1 and advancing to the semifinals."

With the referee's whistle, Rikkai began their celebration, while the Hyotei players walked off the court dejectedly.

"Kagura, you've come..."

Upon seeing Kagura Ichijin, Atobe Keigo hesitated for a moment before walking over, his face showing an unusual sense of desolation.

"Atobe, Rikkai University... is it really that strong?"

Kagura Ichijin's expression was somewhat complicated.

He didn't expect Hyotei to lose so badly. Apart from the match Atobe won, they were swept 0-6 in almost every other match, failing to win even a single game.

"Except for one doubles pair that isn't national-level, all the other starters are."

Atobe Keigo's tone was calm, yet it revealed a deep sense of helplessness.

Rikkai's overall strength is ridiculously high; no wonder they've consistently dominated the national tournaments.

This time, Hyotei didn't even get to meet Rikkai's captain, Seiichi Yukimura, before they were defeated.

"..."

Kagura Ichijin fell silent. He hadn't expected that the third-year seniors from Rikkai University would be so formidable.

Therefore, even if Yamabuki has hidden trump cards, its chances of winning against Rikkai are still slim.

At present, Yamabuki's only advantage may be that slight information gap, which can catch the opponent off guard. Apart from that, it has no advantage whatsoever.

"Kagura, don't even think about beating Rikkai. Yamabuki has no chance at all."

After leaving behind a word of advice, Atobe Keigo turned and walked towards the Hyotei group.

Yamabuki's overall strength is even inferior to Hyotei's, and if they encounter Rikkai, their fate will only be worse.

"Ugh!"

Watching Atobe Keigo's departing figure, Kagura Ichijin sighed.

This time, he not only failed to gather any useful information, but was also severely defeated by the terrifying strength displayed by Rikkai University.

This year's Rikkai is stronger than ever before, truly possessing the strength to contend for the national championship, while Yamabuki is noticeably weaker.