"Is this the strength of Rikkai Dai?"
Watching Rikkai Dai's Marui and Jackal dominate the court, even against Ice Emperor's so-called "Golden Pair" of Shishido and Ootori, who couldn't even score a single point, the representatives from other schools outside the court were utterly stunned.
"The number one doubles pair in the nation... truly lives up to their reputation!"
Inui sighed softly, "Even though Ice Emperor has been undergoing intense training recently, individual talent isn't something that can be cultivated through rigorous practice alone."
Just like Seigaku's Fuji, Rikkai Dai's Marui is also a tennis prodigy. Such geniuses often have the ability to single-handedly sway the outcome of a match.
And this match was no exception.
On Rikkai Dai's side, Jackal's defensive skills were astonishing, effortlessly returning every attack Ice Emperor threw at him. Meanwhile, Marui's exceptional talent allowed him to unleash a variety of techniques at the net, making him nearly impossible to defend against.
As a result, almost everyone believed that this doubles match would soon be completely dominated by Rikkai Dai.
"Victory, Rikkai Dai!"
"Let's go, let's go, Rikkai Dai!"
"One strike to win!"
Outside the court, Rikkai Dai's cheerleading squad erupted in cheers as their team gained the upper hand.
"Tch, I thought Ice Emperor was supposed to be strong," said Kirihara, a regular from Rikkai Dai, with a bandage on his face. He leaned back casually, hands behind his head, "But they're completely being crushed by our seniors."
"Don't underestimate them," Yanagi, who had been quietly observing with his eyes closed, shook his head. "Ice Emperor didn't dominate the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament by being weak. And that guy... he definitely won't just sit back and watch."
As he spoke, he raised his head, his gaze locking onto the black-haired boy in Ice Emperor's camp.
Unlike the other Rikkai Dai members, Yanagi wasn't as optimistic. He knew all too well that with Ishikawa's tactics, Ice Emperor surely had more tricks up their sleeve.
**Second Game**
"Rikkai Dai's Jackal to serve, one game all!"
Soon after both teams switched sides, the referee announced.
*Tap... tap... tap...*
At the baseline, Jackal lightly tapped the tennis ball a few times, smiling as he said, "Marui, let's give them a bit more pressure!"
*Thwack!*
With that, he swiftly served the ball.
The serve was fast, and the placement was precise. This only further emphasized Rikkai Dai's strength to the spectators. Even Jackal, known primarily for his defensive skills, displayed such impeccable control.
*Thwack!*
However, Ootori reacted quickly, chasing down the ball and returning it.
"It's useless. Your shots can't break through the baseline," Jackal sneered as he sprinted to intercept the ball. "Let me show you something—huh?!"
But before he could finish, his expression suddenly changed.
On the opposite side of the court, only Shishido remained. Ootori, who had just returned the serve, had vanished.
"What's going on?"
The sudden disappearance of his opponent sent a chill down Jackal's spine.
"Bluffing," he thought coldly, deciding to play it safe and aim for Ice Emperor's baseline.
Jackal remained calm. In situations where the opponent's strategy was unclear, it was better to play cautiously rather than risk an aggressive move.
*Tap tap!!*
At that moment, Shishido sprinted toward the ball, and suddenly, a head popped up behind him, moving in sync.
"So, he was hiding behind Shishido," Jackal chuckled. "These guys are definitely bluffing."
"Jackal's response is excellent," Yanagi praised from outside the court. "When you have the advantage, it's crucial to maintain stability. No matter what tricks the opponent tries, their effectiveness will be greatly reduced."
It was clear that Ice Emperor was trying to disrupt the flow with an unconventional strategy. But now, not only had it failed, but they had also exposed a weakness at the net, right in front of Marui.
With Marui's exceptional net play, Ice Emperor seemed to be in a dire situation.
*Swish! Swish!*
But just then, Shishido and Ootori, chasing the ball together, raised their rackets in unison.
"Wait... what's this?"
Jackal, who had thought he had everything under control, suddenly paled as he saw two differently colored rackets raised in front of him. "Which one of them is going to hit the ball?"
In tennis, every split-second decision is critical. A wrong judgment could mean losing more than just a step or two. Even with Jackal's speed, he couldn't afford to misjudge.
*Swish!*
A yellow racket swung into view. Jackal immediately moved, thinking, "It's Shishido!"
*Swish!*
But Shishido's swing was a feint. Ootori was the one who actually hit the ball.
*Thwack!*
The ball flew past Jackal, landing in the opposite direction of where he had run.
"0-15!"
Jackal froze, and the spectators both on and off the court were equally stunned.
"No way," Momoshiro from Seigaku exclaimed in disbelief. "Jackal... actually fell for that?"
"It's not that simple," Inui shook his head. "From our angle, it's easy to see through Shishido and Ootori's intentions. But from Jackal's perspective, it's much harder to tell."
"Exactly," Fuji nodded. "From Jackal's position, their bodies completely overlap. Aside from the different racket colors, there's no way to tell who's hitting the ball."
"The more critical the moment, the more tense the mind becomes. It's easy to be misled and make the wrong judgment," Yanagi added, narrowing his eyes. "In short, Jackal's success rate is only 50%."
And once he made a mistake, the result was as clear as day—a direct point for the opponent.
"This is getting interesting," Kirihara raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on his face. "Looks like Ice Emperor's players aren't all useless after all."
*Tap... tap... tap...*
Soon, Jackal, now on the serving side again, tapped the ball a few times.
He looked up, squinting at his opponents. "These guys are definitely something. But with a 50% success rate, it's still manageable."
Jackal had always been confident in his luck.
Moreover, he trusted his own skills. He believed that after a few more exchanges, he would be able to crack his opponents' strategy.
*Thwack!*
With that, he served again.
Shishido returned the ball, and then, taking advantage of the ball's flight, quickly moved behind Ootori.
Their bodies overlapped, making it seem as if only one person remained on the court.
Jackal's expression darkened as he hit the ball back.
*Tap tap!!*
The two moved in unison, one in front of the other, their steps perfectly synchronized, making it appear as if only one person was on the court.
*Swish! Swish!*
As they reached the ball, they raised their rackets again. The blue and yellow rackets flashed before Jackal's eyes.
"Here it comes," he thought, narrowing his eyes and focusing on their movements.
*Swish!*
The blue racket swung.
"Is it Ootori? No... it's a fake," Jackal immediately dismissed the idea. "The one hitting the ball must be Shishido—"
*Thwack!*
But to his surprise, the blue racket actually hit the ball, sending it flying to the far side of the baseline, away from Jackal.
"0-30!"
"What... how is this possible?"
Jackal was utterly baffled. He had misjudged twice in a row.
"Rikkai Dai's 'Chocolate Senpai' seems a bit slow," Kikumaru from Seigaku chuckled. "And his luck isn't great either. With a 50% chance, he got it wrong both times."
The Seigaku team nodded in agreement. Jackal's luck did seem to be lacking.
But Jackal, as if provoked, challenged them again. And once more, he guessed wrong, falling behind 0-40.
"Tsk tsk... Jackal Senpai is having a rough time," Kirihara couldn't help but shake his head.
"Puri puri," a silver-haired, handsome boy leaning against the wall chuckled, making strange sounds with his mouth.
"Hmm," Yanagi, standing behind Sanada, slightly opened his eyes.
With a 50% success rate, the probability of Jackal making three consecutive mistakes was only 12.5%. It did seem like he was having a streak of bad luck.
But Yanagi couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that.
*Thwack!*
Jackal served again.
Ice Emperor's pair repeated their strategy. After two exchanges, they raised their rackets once more.
"Jackal!" Marui, positioned at the net, suddenly called out. "Let me handle this one!"
With that, he focused on the opponents' rackets.
*Swish!*
A blue racket swung into view.
"It's Ootori..." Marui's eyes narrowed, but he didn't move immediately, keeping a close watch on their actions.
Sure enough, the blue racket swung past without hitting the ball, a clear feint.
*Swish!*
Then, the real hitter stepped forward.
"So... it's Shishido this time?" Marui's eyes gleamed like a hunter locking onto its prey, his chewing gum bubble growing larger.
*Swish!*
But the next moment, what appeared before him was still a blue racket.
"What?!"
Marui's pupils contracted, and his gum bubble burst with a *pop*.
*Thwack!*
The blue racket struck the ball, sending it to Marui's backhand side.
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor, 1-1!"
"Ice Emperor!"
"Ice Emperor!"
"Ice Emperor!"
With the game now tied, Ice Emperor's morale soared.
On the other hand, Rikkai Dai's team was visibly confused. Marui, in particular, stared intently at Shishido and Ootori as they turned around. When he noticed their rackets had suddenly changed to yellow, his eyes widened in shock.
"So that's how it is?" Yanagi's eyes snapped open, a look of realization dawning on his face.
"Their rackets... they're painted different colors on each side."
Shishido and Ootori's rackets were actually the same.
But they had been painted differently on each side—one blue, one yellow. This was why Jackal kept guessing wrong.
This wasn't a game of chance. Ice Emperor's pair could control the match by simply changing the color of their rackets.
"As expected of Ishikawa," Ootori smiled after winning the game. "His little trick has really boosted the effectiveness of our 'Mirage Mirage' formation."
"Yeah," Shishido nodded in agreement.
He had to admit, even though it was just a small adjustment, the impact was significant. Even a genius like Marui had been fooled.
With this strategy, they had turned the tables, taking control of the match's rhythm.
"Time to press the advantage," Shishido glanced at their opponents and smiled. "It's your turn, Ootori."
"Got it!" Ootori nodded firmly, his fighting spirit burning brightly.
"We were tricked?"
Jackal and Marui's expressions were grim.
Especially Jackal, who never expected his opponents to pull such a stunt, making him the laughingstock of the court.
"These guys are too much!" Jackal growled angrily. "We have to break their formation!"
"Right," Marui nodded.
He was equally frustrated. Standing at the baseline, he prepared to receive the serve, determined to teach Ice Emperor a lesson.
*Whoosh!*
On the other side, Ootori tossed the ball into the air.
"One..."
As he spoke, he bent his knees, tightening his core.
"Ball..."
Then, he unleashed the power in his legs, his core driving his body upward as he leaped into the air.
"Into..."
Spotting the ball, Ootori raised his racket and swung it down with full force.
"SOUL!!!"
With the final word, the racket connected with the ball, sending it rocketing forward like a cannonball!
*Boom!*
In the next instant, a yellow streak exploded in front of Marui.
Before he could react, the ball ricocheted off the court and slammed into the wall.
"15-0!"
*Gasp!*
Seeing Marui frozen in shock, the spectators collectively inhaled.
"That serve..."
Even Kirihara's expression changed.
Arrogant as he was, he couldn't help but stare in awe at the second-year from Ice Emperor, whose clothes fluttered gently in the breeze. It was hard to believe that Ice Emperor, aside from Hiyoshi, had such a formidable second-year player.
"Ice Emperor's second-year... can actually deliver such a terrifying serve?"
"Ootori Choutarou," Yanagi's face showed a hint of seriousness. "His cannonball serve is even faster than during the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament."
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
After three consecutive cannonball serves from Ootori, the referee announced, "Game! Ice Emperor, 2-1, switch sides!"
In an instant, the cheers from Rikkai Dai's supporters died down.
Marui and Jackal's expressions were grim.
Their counterattack had been brewing, but it was shattered by Ootori's devastating serves.
The pressure was overwhelming, and both of them wore serious expressions.
They knew.
The pair from Ice Emperor were the strongest opponents they had ever faced in an official match.
**(End of Chapter)**
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