**Chapter 165: Returning to Routine, Akutsu's Challenge (3rd Update)**  

*Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City.* 

*Kanai General Hospital.* 

Evening. 

The regulars of Rikkai Dai were gathered outside the rehabilitation room, their heads hung low, their expressions grim. 

They had lost the Kantō tournament. 

After promising Seiichi before the match, none of them had the courage to ask about his condition now. 

"Everyone." 

At that moment, Sanada, who stood at the front of the group, turned to face the others. 

"The loss is my responsibility," he said sternly. "To ensure we never forget this lesson, I want you all to... do it!" 

"Huh?" 

Chōtarō was stunned. 

He hadn't expected Sanada to be so resolute. Not only was this outside Seiichi's recovery room, but the blame for the loss didn't fall solely on Sanada. 

*Step!* 

Before Chōtarō could react, Yanagi stepped forward and, to everyone's shock, slapped Sanada across the face without hesitation. 

*Slap!* 

The sharp sound echoed through the hallway outside the recovery room. 

"Good," Sanada nodded firmly, then turned to the next person. "This is the rule. Even I can't be exempt." 

One by one, Yagyū, Marui, and Jackal followed suit. 

*Slap!* 

*Slap!* 

The sound of crisp slaps continued to ring out. 

Inside the recovery room, a pale, blue-haired boy in a hospital gown sat in a wheelchair, watching the scene outside with an expressionless face. 

"Ishikawa Shin... the Demon King of Hyōtei, huh?" 

He had just finished surgery and asked the nurse to bring him to this room. Still too weak, Seiichi hadn't started his rehabilitation training yet. Instead, he used the time to replay the broadcast of the Kantō tournament's singles match between Ishikawa and Sanada. 

Now, Seiichi understood. 

The primary reason for Rikkai Dai's defeat was this newcomer from Hyōtei. 

"To make Atobe acknowledge him, defeat Tezuka, and now even Sanada... I never thought there'd be a player like this among middle schoolers!" 

Seiichi's mind raced as he visualized Ishikawa's image. His light brown eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity. 

"I really want to play against him!" 

At that moment, he made up his mind. 

No matter what, he would regain his tennis abilities and lead Rikkai Dai to fulfill their dream of a national three-peat! 

--- 

*Hyōtei Academy.* 

Winning the Kantō tournament had the tennis club buzzing with excitement. Atobe, like an ancient emperor, rewarded everyone with a lavish yakiniku party to celebrate their victory. 

Everyone was thrilled. 

After all, this was a barrier Hyōtei hadn't overcome in over two years. Defeating Rikkai Dai, the strongest team in the nation, meant Hyōtei could now set their sights on the upcoming national tournament. 

However, not everyone was in high spirits. 

Despite the lively atmosphere and even a karaoke session arranged by Atobe, Akutsu, who had been sitting in a corner, finished eating and left without a word. 

Though he had been at Hyōtei for nearly a month, he hadn't integrated into the group at all. 

Of course, this was just his nature. 

Even at Yamabuki, where he had spent three years, Akutsu had left without hesitation. 

He was like a lone wolf, coming and going as he pleased, with no connections to anyone. 

"Huh?" 

But as Akutsu left the restaurant and entered the training area, he was surprised to see someone jogging around the courts. 

"It's him?" 

Recognizing Ishikawa, Akutsu's expression shifted. 

Rumors had it that Ishikawa was the most dedicated trainer at Hyōtei, almost like a training maniac. At first, Akutsu hadn't paid much attention, thinking it was just hype. 

But as he spent more time at Hyōtei and learned more about Ishikawa, he realized the rumors were an understatement. 

At least during the limited time Akutsu spent on the courts, Ishikawa was always training. 

Like now. 

The guy seemed like an unstoppable machine, completely absorbed in his training. This made Akutsu, who disliked structured training, feel a sense of urgency. 

Yes, Akutsu's talent was extraordinary. 

Even with minimal training, he could surpass most players. 

But facing Ishikawa, Akutsu wasn't so confident. 

Not just because Ishikawa's fists were harder, but because of his almost obsessive dedication to training. 

This made Akutsu anxious. If he didn't challenge Ishikawa soon, he might never get the chance! 

With that in mind, Akutsu left the training area. 

"Did he leave?" 

On the court, Ishikawa glanced at Akutsu's retreating figure and shook his head. "Guess it's time to have another 'chat' with him." 

--- 

After finishing his training, Ishikawa returned to the dorm. 

After showering, he didn't go to bed immediately. Instead, he sat at his desk and pulled out his personal notebook. 

He began jotting down notes about the day's match, highlighting key points. 

"Shishido and Ōtori's coordination still has issues. The Mirage Formation needs refinement. With Yanagi and Inui's abilities, they'll definitely find a way to counter it." 

"Jirō's individual skills are strong enough. We can consider placing him in singles. For doubles, we can rotate others in. Also, Mukahi's techniques are too one-dimensional. He needs some pressure to test his potential." 

"As for Atobe and Akutsu... it's time to push them a bit to accelerate their growth." 

Hyōtei's current lineup was undoubtedly among the nation's best. 

In fact, compared to the original four powerhouse schools, Hyōtei could now be considered the top. 

But that didn't mean they could easily defeat the other three teams, especially a fully recovered Rikkai Dai led by Seiichi. 

As the de facto leader of Hyōtei, Ishikawa had to plan carefully to ensure they secured the national championship. 

--- 

The next day, during club activities. 

Before the regulars arrived, the non-regular members had already started training. 

This was the new atmosphere brought by victory. No longer needing forced motivation, everyone was training with unprecedented enthusiasm, still riding the high of defeating Rikkai Dai. 

Soon, the regulars arrived. 

After a brief discussion, led by Atobe and Ishikawa, they began their warm-up jog. 

Once that was done, the members split into groups for either physical training or practice matches. 

Since the tournament had just ended, Ishikawa had reduced the training load to half the usual amount. 

He understood the importance of balance. 

After a major competition, it was time to let the team relax. However, he didn't want them to become complacent, so he insisted on maintaining some level of training. 

For the regulars, while Ishikawa reduced the physical training load, he kept the intensity of the practice matches high. 

First up were two doubles matches. 

Ishikawa didn't give any special instructions, only mentioning that he had recently perfected a new herbal tea recipe, which had just finished fermenting. 

The losing pair would be "rewarded" with 50 milliliters of the new brew. 

Even the usually calm Jirō couldn't help but grimace at this. 

Though 50 milliliters didn't seem like much, it was precisely this small amount that highlighted how terrifying Ishikawa's new concoction was. 

Thus, both pairs went all out from the start. 

Even though it was just a routine practice match and they were still recovering from yesterday's exhaustion, neither side held back. They unleashed their signature moves relentlessly. 

The match was even more intense than the actual tournament! 

In the end, Jirō and Mukahi narrowly defeated Shishido and Ōtori, 7-6. The losing pair had no choice but to down their 50 milliliters of the new tea in front of everyone. 

*Thud!* 

*Thud!* 

Shishido and Ōtori collapsed on the court. 

The other members, witnessing this, pushed themselves even harder during their practice matches. 

Even Kabaji, who usually needed a nap after training, was too scared to sleep. 

"Yūshi-senpai." 

After the doubles matches, Ishikawa approached Hiyoshi, who was practicing his footwork. "Next up is our match." 

"Huh?!" 

Hiyoshi thought he misheard. He swallowed hard, his face turning pale. "Ishikawa... no, Vice-Captain, are you serious?" 

"Of course," Ishikawa smiled. "It's your turn according to the training schedule. Also, your Enbu-style footwork should be almost perfected, right?" 

"Uh... it still has some flaws," Hiyoshi forced a smile, his face turning ashen. "Can we wait until I've refined it before we play?" 

To an outsider, it might seem like Hiyoshi lacked confidence in his footwork. 

But in reality, ever since Hiyoshi had drawn inspiration from ancient martial arts to develop his Enbu-style footwork, he had been training relentlessly. With the intense competition within the team, Hiyoshi hadn't slacked off. 

Not long ago, he had completed the Enbu-style footwork and had been eager to test it against Shishido. 

However, Shishido had been busy developing the Mirage Formation with Ōtori and hadn't accepted the challenge. 

Now, facing Ishikawa's arranged practice match, Hiyoshi was panicking. 

It wasn't that he was afraid of Ishikawa, but rather the post-match drink. That horrifying concoction, which Ishikawa drank without issue, had nearly sent Hiyoshi to the hospital the last time he tried it. 

He still remembered the overwhelmingly complex taste. For Hiyoshi, running laps until he collapsed was preferable to facing that drink again. 

*Whoosh!* 

Just then, a yellow blur shot past the two of them. 

*Thud!* 

The ball hit the ground, bounced off the wall, and landed in Ishikawa's hand. 

"Who?!" 

Hiyoshi and the other members turned to see who had dared to challenge Ishikawa's authority. 

Ishikawa was already like a demon king at Hyōtei. After his dominant victory over Sanada in the Kantō finals, his reputation had surpassed even Atobe's. 

Who would dare challenge him now? 

"Akutsu?!" 

But when they saw who it was, everyone's expressions changed. 

The onlookers quickly moved aside, clearing a path for Akutsu. 

"Yūshi-senpai," Ishikawa said with a smile. "Since you don't want to play me, how about a practice match against Akutsu-senpai instead?" 

"Uh..." 

Hiyoshi's face twitched. 

Was this a joke? 

This was Akutsu! 

Even if Hiyoshi was confident in his abilities, he knew he was no match for Akutsu. After all, he still remembered how Akutsu had crushed Chōtarō during the Kantō tournament. 

"What's wrong?" Ishikawa raised an eyebrow. "Senpai, are you not confident in your Enbu-style tennis?" 

"I..." 

Hiyoshi wanted to argue, but the sight of Akutsu's cold expression made him swallow his words. 

He was rational. 

While talking tough might seem cool, self-preservation was the better choice here. 

"Ishikawa!" 

At that moment, Akutsu spoke up. "I'm here for you. How about a match?" 

The crowd erupted in whispers. 

Akutsu was challenging Ishikawa? 

Had he not seen how brutally Ishikawa had defeated Sanada yesterday? 

But faced with Akutsu's icy demeanor, the others wisely kept quiet. Hiyoshi, relieved that the pressure was off him, turned to Ishikawa, curious about his response. 

"A match? Sure," Ishikawa nodded. "I did promise you one. Besides, I can use this opportunity to show Yūshi-senpai the true potential of Enbu-style tennis." 

"Huh?!" 

Hiyoshi was stunned. 

At first, he thought Ishikawa was joking, but the serious look in Ishikawa's eyes made his heart skip a beat. 

"Wait... is Ishikawa planning to use Enbu-style tennis against Akutsu?!" 

(End of Chapter) 

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