With their eyes closed, Fuji and Mori Jusaburo locked into an endless rally. Yet despite the extended battle, few spectators considered leaving - the fight between these two was so captivating that people couldn't bear to miss a moment.
They continued this way for several games until the score reached 5-5.
"Mori-senpai has met his match!"
Yukimura observed the court with a serious expression. He'd expected that once Mori entered his "Sleep" state, defeating Fuji would be straightforward. He hadn't anticipated Fuji possessing a special technique to counter it.
"Niō, Yagyu - go warm up and be ready to take the court at any moment."
Yukimura turned to address Niō Masaharu and Yagyu Hiroshi, assigned to the doubles match.
"Got it!"
For once, Niō wasn't being mischievous. He obediently followed Yukimura's instructions and went to find a warm-up area with Yagyu.
"Minami, Higashikata - you should warm up too."
Seeing Rikkaidai's doubles pair leave their positions, Tezuka gave similar instructions to Minami Kentaro and Higashikata Masami.
"No problem."
The two also departed with their tennis rackets.
Back on the court, Mori voluntarily emerged from his "Sleep" state and looked across at Fuji, who still had his eyes closed, breathing heavily.
"Little Fuji, seems I underestimated you."
Simultaneously, Fuji released his "Mind's Eye" and opened his eyes.
Whether "Sleep" or "Mind's Eye," though both techniques were powerful, they consumed tremendous physical energy. Without achieving quick victory, both players dragged into extended rallies no longer had sufficient stamina to maintain these demanding moves.
"Little Fuji, let's see who has better endurance and stronger fundamentals."
"That's exactly what I was thinking, Mori-senpai."
Both decided simultaneously not to use "Sleep" or "Mind's Eye" in the next game, instead battling based purely on their foundational skills.
Honestly, their basic abilities were closely matched. At this critical juncture, they each claimed one game and entered the final deciding set.
At this point, both Fuji and Mori's legs trembled slightly - their stamina was approaching its absolute limit.
Fuji, holding the serving advantage, opened with a fierce serve.
Though his legs were screaming that he couldn't continue, Mori still forced himself to move, reaching the ball's position to return it.
They kept exchanging shots, but neither could establish a decisive gap.
Until the very end, Fuji squeezed out his body's final reserves and delivered a powerful backhand slice, manifesting his White Whale.
Mori leaped with every ounce of remaining strength, but came up just short in the end. That tiny margin determined the match's outcome.
"Game over! Yamabuki Junior High's Fuji Shusuke wins, 7-6!"
As the referee's announcement concluded, thunderous cheers erupted from Yamabuki's side. They'd survived and prevented Rikkaidai from ending the tournament.
Looking at the court, Fuji had collapsed to the ground while Mori barely stood upright using his racket for support, both he and the racket shaking continuously.
They rested like this for several minutes. After recovering some strength, they finally made their way to the net for the traditional handshake.
"Little Fuji, you're incredible!"
"You're amazingly strong too, Mori-senpai!"
After a respectful embrace, both walked toward their respective rest areas.
"I'm sorry, Captain. I lost. I couldn't end the match here."
Mori felt tremendous guilt for failing to secure Rikkaidai's victory and eliminate Yamabuki.
"It's alright, Mori-senpai. We still have two more chances - Niō, Yagyu, and myself!"
Yukimura stood and patted Mori's shoulder consolingly.
On Yamabuki's side, as soon as Fuji returned, everyone immediately helped him into a chair. Inui even produced his special Inui Juice to replenish Fuji's strength.
"Oh, Inui Juice! How wonderful!"
Fuji accepted the concoction with a smile and began drinking.
Fuji consumed most of the cup without even blinking, which terrified the other Yamabuki students - including Inui himself. Only Fuji could withstand the power of Inui Juice with such composure.
"Fuji, you-!"
As Fuji was drinking the Inui Juice, a familiar voice called out. Everyone turned to see Eiji, who had previously collapsed from exhaustion.
"Eiji! How are you feeling?"
Tezuka inquired.
"Thanks for asking! I'm perfectly fine now. Had some water and food, recovered my strength - I'm in great shape!"
Eiji rolled up his sleeves to show everyone his biceps as proof.
"Eiji, would you like some Inui Juice? It's very nutritious and will help you recover faster!"
Fuji offered Eiji his cup of dark green, ominous-looking liquid, still about one-third full.
"No, no, no need! I'm completely fine now - you just enjoy that Inui Juice slowly!"
Eiji frantically waved his hands and took several steps backward.
"Hahaha!"
The Yamabuki group burst into laughter, though when Fuji turned the Inui Juice toward them, nobody dared speak up.
After this amusing interlude, combined with Eiji's return, Yamabuki's atmosphere became much more relaxed. However, the upcoming doubles match remained incredibly stressful - if Yamabuki lost even one more game, they'd miss this year's national championship.
For Yamabuki, every remaining match was do-or-die.
The next matchups were clear: Minami Kentaro and Higashikata Masami versus Niō Masaharu and Yagyu Hiroshi, followed by Kunimitsu Tezuka versus Seiichi Yukimura. Of course, for Tezuka to have his ultimate showdown with Yukimura, Minami and Higashikata first had to overcome Niō and Yagyu.
Perhaps it was divine will, or perhaps the support of their unbreakable determination, combined with their previous loss to Niō and Yagyu in the Kanto Tournament - whatever the reason, Minami Kentaro and Higashikata Masami exploded with unparalleled fighting spirit today.
On Rikkaidai's side, Niō Masaharu and Yagyu Hiroshi proved equally tenacious. Niō especially - in order to defeat the Minami-Higashikata combination, he employed his Niō Phantom in the third game, transforming into Sanada's appearance.
For a period, Higashikata and Minami were nearly overwhelmed by Niō's Sanada impersonation, but they somehow managed to endure.
Because Niō overused Move like Thunder through his phantom transformation, his body reached complete exhaustion. Not only was his stamina depleted, but both knees became red and swollen, rendering him unable to continue.
With Niō's collapse, Higashikata and Minami staged an incredible comeback, overturning a 2-5 deficit to eventually win 7-6.
After the doubles match ended, all four players on court could barely stand and required teammates' assistance to leave. Both sides had truly given everything for this game.