Thud!
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor leads 1-0, switch sides!"
With four consecutive ace serves, Ice Emperor easily secured the first game.
"As expected," Senju nodded. "Ice Emperor is planning to capitalize on their victory in the first singles match and keep the momentum going!"
Ice Emperor's doubles teams are also strong. If their singles players are at a national top-tier level, then their two doubles pairs are undoubtedly first-class. Especially the pair of Shishido and Ootori. Although they've been partnered for the shortest time, their默契 and coordination are no worse than others. Combined with their rigorous training, their skills have improved rapidly, and they're not far from being a top-tier national-level doubles team.
"Second game," the referee announced after a moment, turning to Yanagi from Rikkai. "Rikkai's Yanagi to serve, one game ends!"
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Everyone's attention was drawn to Yanagi's movements.
The strategist of Rikkai glanced at Shishido's position, gave a slight nod, and then tossed the ball into the air, swiftly serving.
Thump!
The ball landed precisely on the service line.
"Such control! As expected of Yanagi!" Representatives from other teams nodded in approval. In terms of technique, even though Yanagi is considered the weakest of Rikkai's Big Three, he's still a force to be reckoned with.
However, Shishido's reaction was even faster. He had been working on improving his explosive power, reaching a level where he could react within 0.1 seconds over short distances.
"Huh?"
But when Shishido raised his racket, his movements noticeably slowed. Then, to everyone's surprise, he pulled his racket back slightly before returning the ball.
That slight adjustment neutralized his advantage in explosive power.
"Yanagi has made his move," Oshitari said gravely. "He's studied Shishido's style thoroughly. That shot was aimed precisely at his weakest point."
"Data tennis!!!" Mukahi and Hiyoshi's expressions shifted.
Yanagi, alongside Yukimura and Sanada, is known as one of Rikkai's Big Three. While the latter two's strengths are unquestionable, Yanagi's ability to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them purely through his mastery of data speaks volumes about his terrifying understanding and application of it.
Thump!
Yanagi struck again.
This time, the ball was aimed at Ootori, landing with a sharp topspin. Ootori had no choice but to retreat to find the right position to return the ball.
However, that retreat created a gap between him and Shishido, which Yanagi敏锐ly exploited.
Thump!
A high-speed slice shot flew past, slipping through the gap between the two and landing precisely on the baseline.
"15-0!"
"Impressive," Oshitari nodded. "By exploiting the opponent's weaknesses and forcing them to retreat, he's managing to dominate even while playing one against two. This is Rikkai's strategist in action!"
The match continued.
Yanagi repeated his tactics, using his refined skills and deep understanding of his opponents' styles and data to continuously score points, leaving Shishido and Ootori struggling to keep up.
Swish!
Finally, unable to withstand Yanagi's relentless pressure, Shishido and Ootori suddenly changed their formation. They positioned themselves one in front of the other, forming a straight line that made it impossible to see the other player from the front.
"It's here!"
"The Mirage Formation!"
The Ice Emperor team's spirits lifted.
Whoosh!
But at that moment, a laser-like beam shot across the court. Shishido and Ootori quickly moved, but the ball was too fast. Shishido had no choice but to speed up, inadvertently disrupting their carefully crafted formation.
Thump!
Shishido returned Niou's Laser Beam.
At the net, Yanagi, who had been waiting, gently pushed his racket forward.
Tap.
The ball landed silently and rolled forward, as if a cicada had shed its shell.
"Game!"
"Rikkai, 1-1!"
The score was tied, and both teams were back on equal footing.
"So strong... to think he broke through the Mirage Formation so easily!" Hiyoshi clenched his fists.
This formation had previously overwhelmed Rikkai's top doubles pair, Marui and Jackal. Yet, against Yanagi, it was dismantled in an instant?!
"A brilliant strategy," Oshitari said gravely. "By using the speed difference of Niou's Laser Beam, he easily broke through Shishido and Ootori's formation... No wonder he's called the strategist of the court!"
What seemed like a daunting challenge to others was effortlessly solved by Yanagi.
Moreover, this made everyone realize why Yanagi had brought Niou along.
"This isn't looking good," Mukahi said, watching Shishido on the court. "Ootori's new cannon serve only comes around every four games. If Shishido can't hold his serve, the match is in danger..."
Thump!
Shishido served.
After the serve, he decisively rushed to the net, while Ootori instinctively moved back. The two crossed paths, switching their formation.
"Trying to switch formations?" Yamabuki's Senju said in surprise. "Are they planning to create a 'Shishido Zone,' like Seigaku's Oishi and Kikumaru?"
Whoosh!
Niou, receiving the serve, responded with a laser-like shot—the Laser Beam!
Clearly, he had seen through their plan. This shot was meant to disrupt their formation change.
Hum!
But Shishido's body suddenly emitted a faint blue aura.
[Limit Break]!
This was Shishido's new ability, unlocked through intense muscle training to enhance his explosive power. In this state, his爆发力 increased significantly, allowing him to catch up to Niou's Laser Beam in an instant.
Bang!
With a super jump, Shishido returned the ball.
"15-0!"
"Such incredible爆发力!" The representatives from other schools were shocked. In their minds, Ice Emperor's top players were Atobe, Akutsu, and maybe Oshitari.
But this guy with the baseball cap, Shishido, had such astonishing strength too?
"Limit Break, huh?" Yanagi nodded slightly.
He had heard that during Ice Emperor's match against Hyotei, Shishido had used a powerful technique. But without access to the match footage, this was his first time seeing it.
"Indeed, in short bursts, his speed surpasses even Jackal's. Even Shitenhouji's Oshitari probably can't match this level," Yanagi noted mentally.
As he continued to face Shishido and Ootori, he and Niou increased their offensive pace while carefully observing their opponents.
"True," Yanagi said after several points. "We can't let Shishido get to the net, so..."
Tap!
He lobbed the ball high, sending it cleanly over Shishido's head.
"Huh."
But Shishido wasn't nervous at all. In fact, he smiled.
Swish!
From behind, Ootori, who had anticipated the lob, raised his racket and assumed his serving stance: "One... Shot... Soul!!!"
Bang!
The ball shot like a cannonball, slamming into Rikkai's side and scoring directly.
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor leads 2-1!"
"It's here!" The Ice Emperor team erupted in excitement. "Ootori's Cannon Smash!!!"
"I see," Yanagi nodded. "The gap in Shishido's net defense has been filled by Ootori's powerful serve. So..."
He turned to look at Atobe, who was standing outside the court. "This is the flawless doubles pair you've built for Ice Emperor, Atobe."
At that moment, Yanagi's attention was entirely focused on Atobe. It was as if his real opponent wasn't Shishido and Ootori on the court, but Atobe, who was watching from the sidelines.
"I admit, you're incredibly strong, far beyond what I can handle," Yanagi thought, his eyes sharpening. "But unfortunately, you're not playing in this match. The dynamics on the court can't be fully captured by data from the sidelines."
Yanagi was confident.
He wasn't worried about Shishido's Limit Break. Instead, he approached it like a scholar, meticulously analyzing and studying it.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Fourth game.
Rikkai's Niou served.
At the net, Yanagi continuously observed Shishido's movements. He responded actively, but Shishido's tennis skills were formidable. After several exchanges, Yanagi finally lost the point.
Thump!
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor leads 3-1!"
"Whoa!!!"
Breaking their opponent's serve boosted Ice Emperor's morale. Even the regular players were excited, as the next serve would be Ootori's.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As expected, Ootori delivered four consecutive Cannon Serves, scoring directly.
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor leads 4-1!"
"Wow," Shitenhouji's Zaizen said in shock. "Is Ice Emperor about to win two in a row?"
That would be insane! Rikkai had won the national championship two years in a row, and this year's lineup was their strongest in three years. If they lost twice in a row, Ice Emperor's strength would be truly terrifying!
"No," Shiraishi shook his head. "Ice Emperor is strong, but Rikkai's players won't just sit back and take it."
As expected, Rikkai launched a counterattack in the sixth game. Niou went all out, unleashing the true Laser Beam. Even Shishido could barely see it, struggling to return the shot.
Meanwhile, Yanagi had fully gathered data on both players.
While Shishido was flustered, Yanagi精准ly targeted their weak spots.
Laser Beam, high-speed slices,蝉脱...
Rikkai continuously scored, while Ice Emperor's pair was firmly suppressed.
Bang!
"Game!"
"Rikkai trails 2-4!"
Thump!
"Game!"
"Rikkai trails 3-4!"
Thump!
"Game!"
"Rikkai ties 4-4!"
In the blink of an eye, Rikkai won three games in a row.
Their powerful攻势 left Shishido and Ootori scrambling. Finally, in the ninth game, Ootori, with the serve, delivered four more Cannon Serves.
Bang!
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor leads 5-4!"
Winning this game, Ice Emperor breathed a sigh of relief, but they also clenched their fists.
"One more game!" Mukahi and Hiyoshi thought. "If we win this one, we'll defeat them."
However, Atobe and Oshitari had a bad feeling.
Thump!
Sure enough, in the tenth game, Yanagi's serve.
He started with a sharp topspin, pinning Shishido to the baseline. No matter how Shishido reacted, he was trapped, unable to move from the baseline.
"Yanagi has completely figured out Shishido's data," Oshitari said gravely. "At this rate, Ootori won't be able to hold on alone."
On the court, Yanagi restricted Shishido's movements.
Whenever Niou saw an opportunity, he unleashed the Laser Beam. The ball was so fast that even Ootori couldn't react in time.
Thump!
"15-0!"
Thump!
"30-0!"
Thump!
"40-0!"
The points kept slipping away.
Shishido grew impatient.
Finally, unable to hold back, he used Limit Break to break through Yanagi's topspin and rushed to the net, disregarding the baseline.
"When victory is slipping away, the probability of you rushing to the net is... 100%," Yanagi thought, watching Shishido. His Limit Break was indeed fast, even over long distances, rivaling Shitenhouji's Speed Star.
Swish!
But as Shishido approached the net, Yanagi suddenly crossed his arms in front of him. Instead of lobbing as expected, he opened his hands.
"镰鼬 (Kamaitachi)!"
With Yanagi's low voice, a sharp gust of wind, like a blade, shot out. Shishido had no time to dodge and was sent flying, tumbling across the court.
"Game!"
"Rikkai ties 5-5!"
"Shishido-senpai!" Ootori rushed over, worried.
Upon closer inspection, he noticed Shishido's knee was bleeding from hitting a碎石 on the court, remnants of a previous match between Akutsu and Sanada.
"Senpai, you..." Ootori's voice trembled.
"It's fine," Shishido gritted his teeth and stood up. To everyone's shock, he tore off a piece of his shirt and wrapped it around the wound to stop the bleeding.
"Let's continue," he said, looking at Yanagi and Niou. "This little injury is nothing. Let's see what else you've got!"
As he spoke, Shishido's sharp gaze locked onto Yanagi.
Hum!
A stronger blue aura erupted from Shishido's body.
Despite his injury, his fighting spirit burned even brighter. The intensity of his presence put immense pressure on Yanagi and Niou.