King of Tennis (POT)

Having won three consecutive points and securing a game point, Hiyoshi sent the ball flying once again.

At the same time, he resumed his martial arts-style stance, ready to attack.

"Heh."

As Ishikawa moved toward the ball, he glanced up and smiled. "Senpai, your ancient martial arts-style play is impressive, but if you keep this up, your stamina won't hold, will it?"

"Huh?"

Hiyoshi's expression froze for a moment.

Seeing this, Ishikawa chuckled softly. "Looks like I hit the mark."

"This kid!"

Hiyoshi's face darkened further.

He hadn't expected Ishikawa to still be probing him at this stage. Gritting his teeth, he increased his speed, chasing down the ball and slamming it toward Ishikawa's backhand corner without hesitation.

*Tap tap!!*

But to his surprise, Ishikawa managed to catch up to the ball, thwarting Hiyoshi's attempt to score.

*Thwack!*

Returning the ball, Ishikawa smiled again. "What's the matter, senpai? So eager to win this game… could it be that your stamina's running low?"

"Enough of your nonsense!"

Hiyoshi growled, charging forward once more. Catching up to the ball, he unleashed a powerful drive, putting even more force into it this time, sending the ball flying at an even greater speed.

Perhaps due to the sheer speed of the shot, Ishikawa, who had initially taken a step to chase the ball, suddenly stopped.

"Hmph."

Seeing this, a smug grin spread across Hiyoshi's face. "I told you, don't provoke me, or else—"

"Out!"

"40-30!"

However, before Hiyoshi could finish his thought, the referee's call rang out.

"What?!"

Hiyoshi's expression changed drastically. He quickly turned to look at where the ball had landed. Sure enough, there was a clear white mark between the singles sideline and the doubles sideline.

His shot had gone out!

"Damn it!"

This turn of events only added to Hiyoshi's frustration. What should have been a straightforward game was now becoming increasingly complicated.

Still, he had the advantage in this game.

*Thwack!*

Without overthinking it, Hiyoshi served again, quickly moving toward the net.

"Go, Hiyoshi!"

"That's it, finish him off in one go!"

The surrounding Ice帝 team members cheered him on. However, unlike their excitement, the regulars shook their heads silently.

"Hiyoshi's rhythm is off."

Shishido remarked with a frown. "Martial arts-style tennis and net play are completely different. He's too desperate to win this point and is starting to play recklessly."

"Can't blame him."

Oshitari sighed softly. "Anyone would feel the same in his position. When you're so close to winning but can't seem to score, it's hard not to push harder."

In his opinion, Hiyoshi's approach wasn't wrong.

It was just that Ishikawa was too formidable. Not only did he have a clear understanding of his opponent's movements, but he also had an almost uncanny insight into the flow of the game and his opponent's psychology.

It was hard to believe that Ishikawa was just a first-year.

"This point is crucial."

Watching Hiyoshi on the court, relentlessly attacking in an attempt to break through Ishikawa's defense, Oshitari said gravely, "If he loses this point, it'll deal a heavy blow to Hiyoshi's morale."

Momentum in a match is like a wave—it builds, peaks, and then crashes. If Hiyoshi lost this point, he'd need to win two consecutive points to take the game. The psychological burden of that would likely crush his fighting spirit.

Hiyoshi himself was well aware of the consequences of losing this point, which only made him attack more fiercely.

By the end, he wasn't even paying attention to placement or spin, focusing solely on speed in an attempt to score.

Unfortunately, it was all in vain.

Ishikawa had already adapted to his playstyle. With the insight provided by his level 9 [棋道](Kido, or "Way of Chess"), Hiyoshi's weaknesses were as clear as cracks on ice, appearing one after another in Ishikawa's vision.

In other words, Hiyoshi, both inside and out, had been completely dissected by Ishikawa.

The only reason Ishikawa hadn't counterattacked yet was to gain more experience and to fully gauge the strength of a quasi-Ice帝 regular.

Now, the time was ripe.

Ishikawa finally made his move.

*Thwack!*

On the other side, Hiyoshi attacked, sending the ball hurtling toward the sideline. By this point, he was practically playing recklessly, no longer caring whether the ball would land in or out.

But as if luck was on his side, the ball landed right on the line.

"Great shot!"

Seeing this, Shishido, Mukahi, and the other regulars couldn't help but exclaim.

"The tide's turning!"

Oshitari's face also showed a hint of relief. Winning this point would tie the game at 1-1. Hiyoshi would likely calm down and reassess his strategy.

With the score reset, the outcome of the match was still anyone's guess.

*Swish!*

But in the next moment, Ishikawa's figure suddenly appeared near the ball. His racket was already in motion, striking the ball as it bounced up.

*Thwack!*

With a crisp sound, the ball spun fiercely, curving sharply and skidding past Hiyoshi's backhand side.

"Hah!"

Of course, Hiyoshi knew how crucial this point was. With a loud shout, he lunged forward, raising his racket to intercept the ball.

"Huh?"

However, his movement suddenly halted. His face displayed a mix of shock, panic, and disbelief.

"I… I can't reach it?"

"How… how is this possible?"

Outside the court, the spectators were equally stunned.

At this moment, the distance between Hiyoshi's racket and the ball was less than 5 centimeters.

But no matter how hard he stretched, he couldn't close that tiny gap.

This reminded him of the dramatic serve from the previous game.

"Did he do this on purpose?"

Hiyoshi looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at Ishikawa.

This time, Ishikawa met his gaze head-on, a calm smile on his face.

*Swish!*

Realizing the truth, Hiyoshi's fighting spirit drained away like air from a deflating balloon.

"Deuce (40-40)!"

The referee's voice rang out at the appropriate moment.

But Hiyoshi's face showed no trace of determination anymore.

He knew he had lost. Even after such a frantic offensive, he hadn't been able to score a single point against Ishikawa. Now, with the difficulty of winning the game increased to two points, his chances of victory were practically zero.

Sure enough, Ishikawa quickly claimed the next two points, breaking Hiyoshi's serve.

By this point, even the most oblivious spectator could see that the match had completely tilted in Ishikawa's favor.

*Thwack!*

Finally, in the 21st minute of the match, as Ishikawa's drive landed decisively, the referee's voice echoed once more.

"Game over."

"Ishikawa Shin wins, 6-0!"

**[Ding!]**

At the same time, a notification sounded in Ishikawa's mind.

**[Player has defeated elite player Hiyoshi Wakashi. Based on his level, you have earned 750 experience points.]**

**[Player has obtained a special item dropped by Hiyoshi Wakashi: Sub-profession item · Ancient Martial Arts x1]**

"Huh?"

Seeing the second line of the system notification, a wave of excitement surged through Ishikawa.

A new sub-profession had dropped?!

(End of Chapter)