"Twelfth game!"
The referee, seated high above, glanced toward the Ice Emperor team and announced, "Ice Emperor's Mukahi serving, one game final!"
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
At the baseline, Mukahi bounced the tennis ball rhythmically.
Among the four players on the court, he was undoubtedly the one with the most stamina left. For him, reaching this stage of the match with so much energy in reserve was a rare luxury. He had never been in such a favorable position before.
"Yushi," Mukahi thought to himself, observing the visibly fatigued back of his partner, Oshitari. "Leave the rest of the match to me!"
*Bang!*
With that thought, Mukahi sent the ball flying across the net.
*Tap! Tap!*
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the net.
"A serve-and-volley? And at that speed?!"
The members of Rikkai Dai's team were visibly shaken. Mukahi's burst of speed was nothing short of astonishing.
"This is bad," Jackal muttered under his breath. "Oshitari has been holding off two players by himself, taking most of the hits. Mukahi's stamina is practically untouched—it's like the match just started for him. Ice Emperor is about to turn the tables!"
*Bang!*
Just as Jackal predicted, Mukahi swiftly returned Yanagi's shot and positioned himself near the net.
Meanwhile, Oshitari retreated, ceding the stage to his partner.
"Who would've thought Ice Emperor had this card up their sleeve?"
Representatives from schools like Yamabuki, Rokkaku, and Seigaku, who had faced Ice Emperor's first doubles pair before, couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.
Under normal circumstances, Mukahi would have been a liability for Oshitari by now. Yet here he was, becoming the key to the match's outcome.
As everyone marveled at the turn of events, they couldn't help but admire Oshitari even more. The pressure he must have endured to create this situation was unimaginable.
*Bang!*
Mukahi struck again, using his signature dance-like stroke to send the ball toward Yanagi's backhand. Yanagi, now drenched in sweat and far from his usual composed self, managed to return the shot.
"Useless," Mukahi said with a grin. "In your current state, you two can't stop my attacks."
*Whoosh!*
As he spoke, Mukahi leaped into the air, executing another dance-like stroke aimed at what he believed to be a dead angle.
"This point... is mine!"
*Swish!*
But just as the ball was about to land, a figure appeared in its path. It was none other than Yagyu, wearing a faint smile.
"Sorry, but this path is closed."
*Crack!*
With a sharp sound, Yagyu redirected the ball to Mukahi's opposite side.
"You won't get away with that!"
Though startled by Yagyu's reflexes, Mukahi twisted mid-air and managed to return the shot with a backhand.
*Bang!*
The ball flew back, and Mukahi landed gracefully to the side.
"Even Yagyu won't be able to handle this—wait, what?!"
The Ice Emperor players, who had been confident in Mukahi's shot, were stunned to see Yagyu already positioned to intercept the ball.
*Crack!*
With another precise shot, Yagyu sent the ball into Mukahi's blind spot.
"0-15!"
"How... how is that possible?!"
The Ice Emperor team, including players like Otori and Hiyoshi, were left speechless.
Shishido frowned. "That guy... he's keeping up with Mukahi's movements. Did he conserve his stamina too?"
The others were equally baffled.
"Just as I thought," Ishikawa murmured, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Yagyu. "He's finally showing his true colors."
If there was one player in the middle school tennis scene whose strength in singles was debatable, there was no question when it came to doubles. Yagyu, Rikkai Dai's most enigmatic figure, was undoubtedly the most formidable doubles player.
He was a near-unstoppable force in doubles matches.
Ishikawa had anticipated this. Yagyu was the one player he had been most wary of when planning the match lineup.
And now, just as Ishikawa had predicted, Yagyu was beginning to unleash his full potential.
"Mukahi," Oshitari called out from the baseline, noticing his partner's stunned expression. "Stay calm. We still have a chance."
"Right," Mukahi nodded.
They still had two more chances to turn the tide. If they could regain control during these opportunities, victory was still within reach.
"Yagyu," Mukahi thought, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the silver-haired figure across the net. "I won't give you another chance."
*Bang!*
Yet, in another net exchange, Mukahi's dance-like stroke was once again countered by Yagyu.
"Impossible!"
Mukahi's eyes widened in disbelief. It was as if Yagyu could predict his every move, like a game of rock-paper-scissors where Yagyu always knew what he would throw.
This was beyond ridiculous!
*Tap! Tap!*
From the baseline, Oshitari quickly moved in to cover.
*Bang!*
He returned the ball, but Yagyu, as if anticipating its trajectory, appeared in its path once more.
"Ugh!"
Oshitari's expression darkened. He was more perceptive than Mukahi and could sense that Yagyu seemed to have completely read his movements.
*Crack!*
Yagyu's return shot landed in a spot Oshitari particularly disliked—a weakness he had avoided exposing throughout the match.
"Data tennis?!"
Oshitari's heart sank. Yagyu's precision suggested he had been gathering data on them all along.
This realization made Oshitari recall Ishikawa's warning before the match: "Be careful of Yagyu."
At the time, Oshitari had assumed Ishikawa was referring to Yagyu's risky plays or his tendency to switch identities with Yanagi.
Now, he understood. Yagyu was the true threat.
"So, he's been collecting data on us this whole time," Oshitari thought grimly. "With him holding back until now, it's going to be much harder for us to score and force a tiebreaker."
Indeed, Yagyu's insight was terrifying. His knowledge of Ice Emperor's weaknesses allowed him to completely suppress Oshitari and Mukahi.
*Crack!*
Finally, Yagyu ended the match with a devastating laser beam shot.
"Game over!"
The referee announced, "Rikkai Dai's Yagyu and Yanagi win, 7-5!"
"Ice Emperor... has suffered two consecutive losses?"
The spectators from various schools were stunned.
Compared to Ice Emperor's back-to-back defeats, Rikkai Dai's two victories solidified their reputation as the undisputed champions of the nation.
"This year's Kanto finals will likely crown Rikkai Dai as champions again," someone remarked.
Others nodded in agreement.
The defending champions had no visible weaknesses. With their upcoming singles matches featuring equally formidable players, Rikkai Dai's dominance seemed assured.
"Sorry, Coach... everyone," Oshitari and Mukahi returned to the Ice Emperor bench, their heads bowed in shame.
Their loss had pushed Ice Emperor to the brink. With no room for error, a single defeat in any of the remaining singles matches would spell their doom.
"Step aside," Coach Sakaki waved them off.
His demeanor had shifted noticeably. The usual warmth in his expression was gone, replaced by a stern seriousness.
"It's alright," Ishikawa said to Oshitari and Mukahi. "You both fought hard. There's no need to blame yourselves."
"Still," Mukahi sighed. "If I were stronger, we wouldn't have lost."
In his eyes, the primary reason for their defeat was his own lack of strength. His shortcomings had dragged the team down.
If he had been better, they could have capitalized on Oshitari's earlier efforts and secured the win.
"Your approach wasn't wrong, but the circumstances were different," Ishikawa replied, shaking his head. "With Yagyu on the court, Rikkai Dai's first doubles pair is practically flawless."
"What... do you mean?"
Mukahi, Shishido, and the others turned to Ishikawa, curiosity evident in their eyes.
"It's simple," Ishikawa said, glancing toward Rikkai Dai's side, where the silver-haired figure had blended back into the crowd. "Yagyu hasn't even shown his true strength yet."
"What?!"
The Ice Emperor team gasped in unison.
Yagyu had been holding back during such a crucial match? If anyone other than Ishikawa had said this, they would have immediately dismissed it.
"Yagyu, huh?" Atobe mused, his gaze lingering on the Rikkai Dai lineup. "Interesting. If even Ishikawa is this wary of you, whatever you're hiding must be something extraordinary."
"Ah, sorry everyone, I need to use the restroom," Ishikawa said casually, yawning as if the dire situation didn't concern him.
With that, he turned and walked away, leaving the others puzzled.
"That's strange," Mukahi frowned. "Why is he taking his racket to the restroom? And there's no way he's playing in the singles third match, right?"
"The match is dragging on too long," Sanada said coldly, his tone contrasting with Rikkai Dai's two victories. "I need to call Yukimura."
He stood up and headed out of the court.
"Hmm?"
Noticing Sanada's departure, a white-capped boy from Seigaku raised an eyebrow before also getting up.
"Ryoma, where are you going?"
"To buy a drink. Want me to get you one, Momo-senpai?"
"Uh, no thanks."
Momo waved him off, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Ryoma had other motives.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Meanwhile, in a tennis park in Osaka, Kansai, a match was underway between Shitenhouji from Osaka and Makinofuji from Hyogo.
On the court, two players were locked in a fierce battle.
One was a tall player from Makinofuji, dressed in a light green jacket. The other was a fiery red-haired boy from Shitenhouji, wearing a leopard-print tank top.
"How... how is this possible?"
The Makinofuji players on the sidelines were in shock. "Hagi is being pushed to his limits by that Shitenhouji brat?"
"Ha ha ha!"
The red-haired boy laughed heartily as he leaped into the air and smashed the ball with a powerful spike.
*Boom!*
The ball exploded at the feet of the Makinofuji player, who couldn't even react.
"Game over!"
The referee declared, "Shitenhouji's Kintarou Toyama wins, 6-0!"
"Great job, Kintarou!"
The Shitenhouji team, dressed in yellow-green jackets, applauded their teammate.
"I didn't expect this year's Kansai tournament to be so easy," a handsome brown-haired boy remarked.
"True," a silver-haired boy next to him agreed. "Looks like Chitose made the right call. The real competition is in the east."
"Exactly," their coach, Watanabe, chimed in, chewing on a blade of grass. "That's why I sent him to scout. He should be arriving around now."
"I envy him," the brown-haired boy said. "I can't wait to face the players from Kanto. Speaking of which, Chitose shouldn't have any trouble, right?"
"Unlikely," Watanabe replied. "He's a top player from Kyushu, after all. He knows all the notable players in Kanto."
"Actually," the silver-haired boy—Shitenhouji's captain, Shiraishi—interjected, "I heard there's a remarkable newcomer in Kanto this year."
"A super rookie in Kanto?"
The Shitenhouji team chuckled, their eyes drifting to the red-haired boy on the court.
Compared to him, they believed their own first-year prodigy was the strongest newcomer in recent years.
*Tap!*
At the same time, at the entrance of the Green Forest Tennis Park, a figure in a floral shirt and wooden sandals stepped inside.
After surveying the park, the boy with messy black hair smiled faintly.
"Kippei," he murmured. "I wonder how far you've come now."