"What kind of serve was that?"
From the captain, Minami Kentaro, to the regular players, everyone on the Yamabuki team was stunned.
"That serve was incredibly fast," Coach Taro murmured, his fox-like eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the court.
Then, he turned to look at Hyotei's coach, Sakaki, who stood nearby, and said with a hint of admiration, "I didn't expect one of your players to have such a powerful serve."
"You flatter me, Coach Taro," Sakaki replied with a polite smile.
Despite his calm demeanor, Sakaki was wary of Taro. The man's experience in coaching middle school tennis likely rivaled Sakaki's own age. In terms of coaching expertise, even Sakaki and Ryuzaki couldn't compare to him.
Taro had a reputation for turning underdog teams into contenders, often leading them to the Kanto Tournament with what should have been a mediocre lineup. If it weren't for Hyotei's dual national-level players, Ishikawa and Atobe, Sakaki wouldn't have dared to field Shishido and Ootori, who had only recently started playing doubles.
However, their performance so far had been satisfying.
Especially Shishido. Since switching to doubles, he had become more composed. Although it seemed like Hyotei was at a disadvantage in this match, everything was still going according to Sakaki's plan.
**"One… Ball… Soul!!!"**
**Boom!**
The sound of the serve echoed like a cannon firing. The ball shot forward like a missile, slamming into the ground right in front of Kita Ichimaru, who was positioned to receive the serve.
"Ugh!"
Kita froze, just as his partner, Shinomiya, had moments earlier.
Facing such a fast serve, he felt completely immobilized, unable to react in time. All he could do was watch as the ball flew past him.
"30-0!"
"Nice one, Chotaro!"
"That's the way to turn things around!"
"Yeah, show them the power of your cannon serve!"
Winning two points in a row, both through direct serves, had significantly boosted Hyotei's morale.
In an instant, the entire court felt like Hyotei's home ground.
"So noisy!" Shinomiya grumbled as he switched positions to receive the serve. Every time they played against Hyotei, they had to deal with this overwhelming pressure.
If it were their serve, they could use their signal tactics to counter and shut down the opponent's momentum. But now, facing Ootori's cannon serve, they had no strategy to counter it. All they could do was watch as Hyotei scored point after point.
**Boom!**
"40-0!"
**Boom!**
"Game!"
"Hyotei's Shishido and Ootori, 1-3!"
In the blink of an eye, Hyotei had secured a game.
The crowd was in awe of Ootori's serve.
"Not bad," Oshitari commented from Hyotei's side, observing Ootori, who wasn't even breathing heavily after his serves. "The results of his intensive training are showing. Chotaro's first-serve success rate has improved significantly."
"Hmm," Atobe nodded in agreement.
Ootori's biggest weakness had always been his serve consistency. Balancing speed, power, and accuracy, along with the pressure of being labeled a "genius server," had weighed heavily on him.
However, Ishikawa's arrival had shifted some of that pressure away. With the spotlight no longer solely on him, Ootori had been able to focus on improving his serve through rigorous training.
Atobe glanced at the calm, black-haired boy standing nearby.
Ishikawa's presence had indeed brought subtle but significant changes to Hyotei.
Ootori, Shishido, and even Atobe himself had all increased their training intensity.
Thinking about this, Atobe recalled a suggestion Coach Sakaki had made not long ago, and a glint of interest flashed in his eyes.
"Hmph!"
"What's there to be proud of?"
"It's just one game."
On Yamabuki's side, the players' expressions were grim.
Muneyoshi sneered, "Don't get too cocky. In doubles, the serve rotates every four games. No matter how good that guy's serve is, the match will be over before it's his turn to serve again!"
"Huh?"
Outside the court, Shishido, the reporter, looked puzzled. "Then why did Hyotei arrange for Ootori's serve to be in the fourth game?"
"I'm not sure," Inoue shook his head.
This was indeed unusual. Not only the serve rotation but also the pairing of Shishido and Ootori seemed to lack coordination. It was hard to understand why Coach Sakaki would make such an arrangement.
"A mistake?"
On Yamabuki's coaching bench, Taro frowned slightly.
His experience and intuition told him that Hyotei's coach wouldn't make such a careless decision.
**Boom!**
At that moment, Shinomiya, now serving, aimed a sharp crosscourt shot at Ootori's backhand.
The ball was fast and had a slight topspin, forcing Ootori to step back and return it defensively.
"Heh."
Seeing this, Kita smirked.
"This point… is mine!"
He rushed forward, intercepting the ball with a quick volley aimed at the opposite side of Shishido's position.
**Tap tap!**
However, just as he thought his attack would secure the point, a figure suddenly appeared at the ball's landing spot.
"What?!"
Shinomiya and Kita's expressions changed as they saw Shishido preparing to strike.
"How is he so fast?!"
**Boom!**
Shishido's perfectly executed half-volley shot the ball straight between the two Yamabuki players. The speed was so fast that they had no time to react.
"0-15!"
"Was that… a fluke?"
Someone on Yamabuki's side muttered, "He must've just guessed our signal tactics by chance, right?"
A fluke?
Players like Minami and Higashikata shook their heads silently.
Shishido's counter wasn't a coincidence. He hadn't deciphered Shinomiya and Kita's signals—he had simply used his speed and reflexes to overcome the timing disadvantage.
**Crack.**
**Crack crack.**
Shishido rolled his neck, the sound resembling popping popcorn.
"Hey, you two," he said with a grin, looking at Shinomiya and Kita. "Feel free to use all the signal tactics you want. I'll take care of both of you by myself!"
"You bastard!"
The two of them exchanged a glance, both seeing the anger in each other's eyes.
*Just because they won one point, they dare to act so arrogantly?*
Immediately, they began devising another signal-based strategy. After Nitobe served, they aimed for Ootori's weak spot.
*Tap! Tap!*
But just then, Shishido, who had been standing at the baseline, suddenly rushed to the net. After intercepting the ball, he switched positions with Ootori.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Using his exceptional individual skills, Shishido single-handedly turned the tables, pressuring both opponents. Faced with his aggressive play, Nitobe and Kitahara's signal strategy fell apart.
The failed tactics led to disarray in their formation. Meanwhile, Shishido, unaffected by the chaos, continued to dominate.
*Thud!*
"Game!"
"Hyotei's Shishido and Ootori, 2-3!"
The gap in the score narrowed. Shishido, now fully energized, took control of his serve and successfully pressured the pair, tying the score at 3-3.
*Huff... huff...*
Exhausted, Nitobe and Kitahara felt a growing sense of urgency. Having lost three consecutive games, they couldn't let things continue this way. Even if it meant pushing themselves to their limits, they had to win the next game.
*Boom!*
However, Ootori's lightning-fast serve, which left them no time to react, instantly deflated their fighting spirit. In no time, Ootori secured the game with four consecutive ace serves.
4-3—Hyotei had taken the lead! Falling behind only added to Nitobe and Kitahara's panic. During the court switch, their coach, Banda, had to step in to calm them down.
His words extinguished their impulsive mindset, forcing them to refocus. Watching this, Hyotei's coach, Taro Sakaki, couldn't help but admire Banda's ability to steady his players with just a few words.
"Guess there's no other choice," Sakaki thought, turning to Shishido, who was using a hot towel on his face. "Since they're not falling for it, we'll have to switch to our backup plan."
"Understood," both Shishido and Ootori replied.
Then, to the astonishment of everyone watching, the two bent down, rolled up their socks, and removed lead weights—five on each leg.
"No way... are you kidding me?!" The Yamabuki team, along with players from other schools, stared in disbelief. "They've been playing with weights this whole time?!"
"This... wow."
Hyotei's reveal made Banda sigh. He finally understood Sakaki's strategy.
"First, Shishido hid his true strength to lull Nitobe and Kitahara into a false sense of security. Then, Ootori's cannon serve signaled the start of their counterattack."
"By then, Shishido, having familiarized himself with their playstyle, could easily exploit their weaknesses."
"Finally, Ootori's second round of cannon serves would make the opponents impatient, leading them to take reckless risks..."
Banda was indeed a brilliant coach. With just a glance, he had deciphered Sakaki's plan. Unfortunately, the sheer skill of Hyotei's players made it impossible to counter, even with this knowledge.
On the court, coaches could only do so much. The outcome ultimately depended on the players' abilities.
*Thud!*
In the end, as Shishido's half-volley landed and Nitobe and Kitahara dove for it but missed, the referee's voice rang out.
"Game over!"
"Hyotei's Shishido and Ootori win, 6-3!"
*Clap!*
On the court, Shishido and Ootori excitedly high-fived. Their victory in their first match as a duo proved that their doubles pairing had potential.
Meanwhile, Yamabuki's morale took a hit. As a team known for their doubles prowess, losing their first doubles match was a significant blow. Their already slim chances of winning had just gotten slimmer.
At this point, Yamabuki's captain, Kentaro Minami, stepped up. Along with his partner, Masami Higashikata, they were known as the "Potato Soldiers," a doubles pair even stronger than Nitobe and Kitahara.
On Hyotei's side, Mukahi and Taki were sent out. Mukahi excelled at net interceptions, while Taki was a steady, analytical player with a good grasp of data.
The match began with Hyotei launching a fast-paced offensive. Mukahi's high-speed attacks quickly earned them points.
At first, Minami and Higashikata struggled. As Yamabuki's last doubles pair, they carried the weight of their team's final hope against Hyotei. Losing points early on only added to their anxiety.
However, at a critical moment, Banda called out advice, urging them to stay calm, defend first, and then counterattack.
Sure enough, after holding out for a while, they noticed their opponents' momentum slowing. Mukahi, who had been relentlessly attacking, was now visibly exhausted.
Seizing the opportunity, Minami and Higashikata launched their counterattack. Using their signal strategy, they overwhelmed Taki, who was left scrambling to keep up.
*Thud!*
In the end, Yamabuki turned the tide, winning the second doubles match 7-5.
*Huff... huff...*
Mukahi and Taki, leaning on each other for support, walked off the court. Coach Sakaki didn't offer any words of comfort, simply gesturing for them to step aside.
"That's strange," Ootori murmured, watching the pale-faced Mukahi and Taki retreat to the rest area. "Both seniors went through the same intense training. Why is their stamina still..."
"People's physical abilities are different," Ishikawa explained. "For Mukahi, stamina has always been a weakness. Just doing the same training as Shishido wouldn't suddenly make him equal."
"Besides," he added with a sly smile, "the special 'herbal tea' I made not only helps with recovery and reducing fatigue but also enhances physical conditioning."
"Uh..."
Hearing this, Shishido's face twitched. During his doubles training with Ootori under Ishikawa's guidance, he'd been forced to drink that green concoction more times than he could count.
"Is that so?" The others, hearing Ishikawa's explanation, suddenly looked intrigued.
"Next up, the singles 3 match will begin."
The announcement echoed through the stadium.
"Hyotei Gakuen's Oshitari Yuushi versus Yamabuki Middle School's Sengoku Kiyosumi."
"Both players, please prepare."
With that, Oshitari, wearing a gray-white short-sleeved shirt and sporting long blue-black hair, confidently walked onto the court.
On the other side, Yamabuki's Sengoku, dressed in a light green jacket and with orange hair, stepped forward with a smile.
The two stood at the edge of the court, their eyes meeting. The air between them crackled with competitive energy.
After a moment, they nodded at each other and, with perfect synchronization, stepped onto the court.
---
**(End of Chapter)**