**Chapter 66: Tachibana's Awakening, the Beast's Aura (3rd Update)**

"How... how is this possible? Brother's Exploding Shot?!"

Outside the chain-link fence, 

Karin Tachibana instinctively gripped the wire mesh, her entire body trembling with shock. 

No one understood her brother's strength better than she did. Yet now, her brother's signature move had been completely countered by this first-year from Hyotei? 

"His movements are so fast!" 

On the other side, 

Inui was equally stunned. As he spoke, the image of Ishikawa's swing—a sharp, silver arc—lingered in his mind. 

"Is that... a *Iaido* draw strike?" Inui muttered, his expression serious. 

"A *Iaido* draw strike?" Kikumaru echoed, confused. "Isn't that a swordsmanship technique?" 

"Yes," Inui nodded. "While I can't be 100% certain, his posture during that shot closely resembled a *Iaido* draw. This first-year from Hyotei is definitely hiding more of his abilities." 

Inui's feelings toward Ishikawa were complicated. Initially, he had seen Ishikawa as a mysterious player—someone whose strength and style were enigmatic. But now, after learning that Ishikawa was a first-year at Hyotei, the mystique Inui had built around him had shattered. 

Inui had expected Ishikawa to be easily defeated by Tachibana, dispelling the lingering unease he felt about Ishikawa's potential. But now, after witnessing that impossibly fast strike, all of Inui's assumptions had been overturned. The sense of mystery surrounding Ishikawa had only deepened. 

"Huh?" 

Just then, a surprised voice rang out from behind them. "What's going on? Why is it so quiet here?" 

Everyone turned to see a group of boys in blue-and-white jackets walking toward them in unison. 

"It's Seigaku!" 

"Is that Tezuka? His presence is overwhelming!" 

"Did they already beat St. Rudolph and advance to the semifinals?" 

As the Seigaku team approached, the crowd's attention shifted toward them. 

"Inui!" Kikumaru called out, jogging ahead of the group. "What's happening here? Wait... isn't that Fudomine's captain?" 

"As you can see," Inui adjusted his glasses, suppressing the lingering shock in his heart, "Fudomine has won two matches in a row. This is the third singles match." 

"What?!" Ryuzaki, dressed in her pink tracksuit, exclaimed. "Hyotei lost two matches in a row? Wait... are they using their second-string players?" 

"I see," Fuji said, stroking his chin. "With Tachibana playing in this match, Fudomine has completely outmaneuvered Hyotei." 

Tezuka nodded slightly. He had never held a favorable opinion of Hyotei. The school always carried an air of arrogance, often fielding their second-string players in matches. Now, it seemed they had finally been humbled by Fudomine, the dark horse of the tournament. 

"Wait a minute," a youthful voice interjected. "That Tachibana guy... doesn't seem to have the upper hand." 

The speaker was a boy wearing a white tennis cap, standing just over 150 cm tall. It was none other than Seigaku's prodigy, Ryoma Echizen. 

"15-30!" 

The umpire's voice rang out. 

"Huh?" 

Hearing the score, the Seigaku team's expressions shifted dramatically. 

"Tachibana is falling behind?" Momoshiro blurted out, his eyes wide. 

"Fudomine's captain..." Oishi, Kaido, and Kawamura exchanged puzzled looks. 

In their eyes, Tachibana, Fudomine's captain, should have been a formidable player. While he might not be on Tezuka's level, he was undoubtedly a strong opponent. Yet now, it seemed he was being suppressed by this unfamiliar player from Hyotei? 

"It's not that simple," Inui said, waving off their confusion with a wry smile. "It's hard to explain in a few words. Just watch the match carefully, and you'll understand." 

The others nodded. They trusted Inui's judgment. If he said the match wasn't as straightforward as it seemed, there had to be more to it. 

"Tachibana Kippei..." Tezuka murmured, his brow furrowing slightly. The name felt vaguely familiar to him. 

*Thud! Thud! Thud!* 

On the court, 

Tachibana continued to bounce the tennis ball. 

After the initial shock, he now regarded Ishikawa as an opponent on par with himself. 

"You're stronger than I expected. In that case, I won't hold back anymore!" 

*Bang!* 

With a sharp motion, Tachibana served the ball. 

"What?!" 

The Seigaku team, who had just arrived, froze in place as they watched the ball shoot forward like a blazing bullet. 

"That serve... it's so fast!" Momoshiro exclaimed under his breath. 

"Ugh..." Kaido, imagining himself in Ishikawa's position, immediately felt an overwhelming pressure. 

"Can that Hyotei player even return that serve? Wait... what?!" 

In the next moment—

But then, a figure appeared in front of the tennis ball's landing point. It was none other than the calm-faced Ishikawa.

At that moment, his racket sliced through the air at an angle, positioned perfectly in the path of the ball's rebound.

*Thud!*

The moment the ball bounced up, he struck it with precision.

"A half-volley?"

Ryoma and Fuji's expressions changed.

Ryoma had just finished a match against Yuuta Fuji from St. Rudolph, experiencing the latter's incredibly fast super half-volley. But compared to Ishikawa's shot, Yuuta's half-volley seemed like child's play!

*Bang!*

Before anyone could react, the sound of Tachibana's racket striking the ball echoed from the other side.

"Such speed…"

Kikumaru felt his heart race as he watched Tachibana press the ball with his racket and send it flying with tremendous force.

"The power behind that shot is impressive too," Kaidoh remarked seriously.

As Seigaku's top power player, he could clearly sense the strength behind Tachibana's shot.

*Bang!*

Yet, to everyone's astonishment, the Hyotei player not only met Tachibana's fierce return head-on but also managed to counter it with equal force.

*Bang!*

Tachibana accelerated again, unleashing a powerful forehand smash.

*Bang!*

Ishikawa swiftly moved, using the half-volley technique to conserve energy while increasing the pace of his attack.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

The two resumed their baseline rally, their violent shots and relentless pace leaving no room for either to catch their breath.

"What kind of match is this?"

Kaido and Momoshiro were completely stunned.

They had never imagined that a match they thought was just starting would escalate to such an intense level so quickly.

"These two… they're incredible!"

Vice-captain Oishi's forehead glistened with sweat. The sheer pressure of the match was enough to make his heart race. It was hard to believe this was only the quarterfinals of the prefectural tournament, and just the third singles match at that!

Meanwhile, the surrounding spectators were also captivated by the duel, murmuring in awe.

"That Hyotei first-year is amazing!"

"Yeah, he's holding his own against one of the Kyushu twins. This is insane!"

"The… Kyushu twins?"

Hearing this, Kaido, Momoshiro, and Ryoma exchanged confused glances.

"What?"

At that moment, Ryuzaki, their coach, suddenly exclaimed, "That Tachibana is actually the ace player from Kyushu's Shishigaku?!"

Kyushu? Shishigaku? What's going on?

Wasn't Tachibana the captain of Fudomine?

Momoshiro and the others were still baffled, but Tezuka, Fuji, and the other third-years had already paled.

Only those who had experienced last season and faced Shishigaku's aggressive, relentless style understood just how terrifying that team was.

"It's him?"

A glint of recognition flashed in Tezuka's eyes.

The image of a golden-haired, lion-like figure from his memories overlapped with the black-haired, buzz-cut Tachibana before him.

"I never expected Tachibana to be *that* Kyushu player!"

Fuji's eyes slowly opened, and his gaze shifted to Ishikawa. "And this one… is he the rumored Hyotei rookie?"

"Yes," Inui confirmed, adjusting his glasses. "Ishikawa Shin, 12 years old, a first-year regular at Hyotei."

*Whoosh!*

At those words, everyone's attention turned to the boy in the white tennis cap. He simply tugged at the brim of his hat, his expression hidden.

The others were surprised. They had never seen the usually proud and outspoken boy so quiet when in the spotlight.

"This year's Hyotei is even stronger than last year," Oishi remarked, pulling everyone's thoughts back to the match. "If we face them in the prefectural finals, it's going to be tougher than ever."

*Hmm…*

The team fell silent.

Hyotei had always been a formidable rival for Seigaku, and now with Ishikawa's addition, their chances of victory seemed even slimmer than last year.

"But if it's just the prefectural tournament, it might not be that bad," Kikumaru suddenly chimed in, breaking the tension.

He pointed to Tachibana, who was still relentlessly attacking on the court, and said with a smile, "This year's Hyotei might not even make it to the semifinals!"

That's right!

The others quickly realized.

Hyotei had already suffered two consecutive losses. If they lost this third singles match, they would be out of the prefectural tournament entirely.

"But the question is," Inui interjected, his tone serious, "can Fudomine actually win this third singles match?"

*Huh?*

His words sent a jolt through the group.

They immediately focused back on the match, only to realize that Inui was right. Despite Tachibana's reputation as one of the Kyushu twins, he was struggling to score against his opponent.

Was Tachibana not strong enough?

No!

Everyone present was at least at the prefectural tournament level, and no one would underestimate the sheer power of Tachibana's attacks.

The problem wasn't Tachibana's strength—it was that his opponent, the Hyotei rookie, was equally formidable.

Their intense rally was something only Tezuka and Fuji could handle without breaking a sweat. Even Fuji felt the pressure.

"Strange," Fuji muttered, his brow furrowing as he observed the match more closely. "Tachibana's playing style seems different from before."

"Yes," Tezuka nodded slightly. "His attacks are more restrained now, not as ferocious as they used to be."

*Huh?*

Hearing this, Momoshiro and the others couldn't help but twitch.

This wasn't ferocious? What would his truly aggressive style look like?

"This Tachibana…"

Even on Hyotei's side, Atobe's brow furrowed slightly. "His playing style isn't as ruthless as it was last year."

He recalled the previous year's national tournament, where the golden-haired Tachibana had dominated with his lightning-fast, brutal shots, each one aimed at his opponent's weaknesses or vulnerable spots.

By the end of a match, his opponents were often left trembling, barely able to stand.

But now…

**Tachibana Had Indeed Been Holding Back.**

"Brother..." 

Not far away, Karin Tachibana watched as her brother struggled in a difficult position, still suppressing his true strength. Her face was filled with anxiety as she thought, "It's been so long since that incident. You don't need to keep holding back your emotions anymore!" 

She knew what Tachibana was worried about. 

But this match was a crucial battle for Fudomine's victory. 

If he continued to hold back and ended up losing, she would feel it was a great injustice to him. 

As Tachibana's younger sister, she didn't want her brother to be misunderstood by others. Nor did she want him to become a laughingstock for losing while suppressing his true abilities. 

In her eyes, if Tachibana could just let go of his emotional burden and unleash his full potential, this first-year from Hyotei would be no match for him. 

*Bang!* 

Yet, on the court, Tachibana once again returned the ball without any sign of breaking through his self-imposed limits. 

This left Karin feeling deeply disappointed and frustrated. 

"Senpai." 

But just then, Ishikawa spoke up. 

After chasing down the ball, he didn't even glance at the bouncing tennis ball. Instead, he looked up with a smile and said, "I can sense that you're holding back your true power. But there's no need for that. Feel free to come at me with everything you've got. I can handle it!" 

*Bang!* 

As soon as he finished speaking, Ishikawa's racket whipped forward with a sharp, explosive motion. 

*Whoosh!* 

A faint yellow blur streaked across the court. 

Tachibana, tracking the ball's trajectory, quickly moved to intercept it. As he approached the ball, his gaze locked onto Ishikawa on the other side of the net. 

Tachibana could tell that the young opponent's words were sincere—not an attempt to provoke him. 

Moreover, the memory of Ishikawa's lightning-fast strike earlier in the match resurfaced in his mind. 

"He hasn't been using his full strength either, has he? In that case..." 

Glancing at the tense expressions of his Fudomine teammates, like Shinji and the others, Tachibana made a decision. 

*Hum!* 

As Tachibana raised his racket, a dark red aura suddenly enveloped his body. The aura surged as his racket made contact with the ball, exploding outward in a burst of energy. 

*Boom!* 

In the next moment, the tennis ball shot forward like a cannonball, moving so fast that it was almost invisible to the naked eye. It landed sharply near the baseline on Ishikawa's backhand side. 

"30-30!" 

The umpire's voice rang out. 

All eyes turned to Tachibana. 

Now, a dark red aura surrounded him, flowing like a living flame. It exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure and danger, as if a wild beast had been unleashed. 

(End of Chapter)