"Two consecutive losses for Higa Chuu!"
Inoue couldn't help but sigh as he watched Hirakoba and Chinen retreat from the court. "It seems there's still a significant gap between a top-tier team and a national powerhouse."
Before the match, many had high hopes for Higa Chuu. Their track record was impressive—they had defeated Shitenhoji to dominate Kyushu and swept Rokkaku to advance to the second round undefeated. If Inoue were a Hyotei player, he would have been nervous facing such a team.
But now, Higa Chuu hadn't just lost—they had been completely overwhelmed. Two straight defeats had crushed their morale, and the atmosphere on their side was suffocating.
On the Higa Chuu bench, from the coach to the captain, from the regulars to the substitutes, everyone's face was grim.
*Slap!*
A loud sound echoed through the air.
Everyone looked up to see Hirakoba clutching his cheek, bowing his head in front of Kite.
"What kind of person does that?"
Tsubame frowned, confused. In her eyes, Hirakoba and Chinen had played well. It was just that Hyotei's doubles were stronger, and Higa Chuu's loss was inevitable.
But instead of comforting his players, the captain had slapped them?
"K-Kite, we..."
Chinen, terrified, tried to explain.
*Slap!*
Kite backhanded him, sending him to the ground.
"Listen up," Kite said coldly, his gaze sweeping over the remaining Higa Chuu regulars. "Higa Chuu has no room for losers. If anyone loses from here on out, don't blame me for what happens next."
His icy glare fell on Kai, who was preparing to take the court. The look sent a shiver down Kai's spine.
"I-I promise I'll win!"
Kai stammered.
"Good."
Kite nodded, satisfied.
"Is... is this really Higa Chuu's captain?"
Tsubame muttered in disbelief. "How can someone like him lead a team? Higa Chuu is just... unbelievable!"
In her mind, a team captain should be someone like Atobe or Tezuka—calm, composed, and respected for their strength and leadership. Not a violent figure like Kite.
"Sigh."
Inoue shook his head. He understood Tsubame's feelings, but he also knew that Higa Chuu, making their first appearance at Nationals in 26 years, was no ordinary team.
Perhaps only someone like Kite could lead them to break through and become the dark horse of the tournament.
"Unfortunately," Inoue thought, "they ran into Hyotei, a team with championship potential."
In his mind, the top contenders for the title this year were Hyotei, Seigaku, Rikkai, and Shitenhoji. Among them, Hyotei and Rikkai were the strongest. Higa Chuu, the dark horse, had crashed headfirst into a steel wall.
"Next up, the singles 2 match."
The umpire announced, "Hyotei Academy's Akutagawa Jirou versus Higa Chuu's Kai Yuujirou. Both players, please prepare."
"Yaaawn~"
On Hyotei's side, Akutagawa stretched lazily as he walked onto the court. Though he wasn't asleep, his eyes were heavy with drowsiness. If it weren't for his rigorous training regimen, people might have thought he had no interest in tennis.
"Does Jirou have narcolepsy or something?"
Mukahi couldn't help but joke. "What if he falls asleep mid-match?"
"Unlikely," Oshitari chuckled. "If the opponent isn't strong enough, Jirou will finish the match before he gets sleepy. But if the opponent is strong, he'll definitely get excited."
"True," Mukahi and the other Hyotei players nodded in agreement.
"Phew..."
On the other side, Kai, Higa Chuu's singles 2 player, breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his opponent. He had been praying that he wouldn't face Ryoma, Atobe, or Akutagawa. Instead, he got Akutagawa, a player who wasn't particularly well-known.
"From what I've heard, Hyotei's tennis team has a second-string squad," Kai thought. "Looks like Hyotei got careless, putting a second-string player in a Nationals match."
This was his chance—and Higa Chuu's turning point. If he could win this match and Higa Chuu took the next doubles match, the final showdown would fall to Kite.
"Just like in martial arts, the battle between top experts leaves no room for error. Hyotei, you've made a mistake this time, and it's going to cost you!"
With that thought, Kai confidently stepped onto the court.
"Higa Chuu!"
"Higa Chuu!"
"Higa Chuu!"
Realizing that this match was their last stand, the Higa Chuu team, despite their low spirits, chanted as loudly as they could.
"Hyotei!"
"Hyotei!"
"Hyotei!"
On the other side, the Hyotei team responded with their own cheers.
The simultaneous chants drew the attention of the surrounding spectators.
"Is that Hyotei over there?"
In the nearby court, where Seigaku was facing Shitenhoji, Inui glanced over. Seeing the scoreboard, he raised an eyebrow. "They've already won two matches? Their strength has improved again."
*Boom!*
Meanwhile, on Seigaku's court, a young boy in a white cap leaped into the air and delivered a powerful smash.
*Swoosh!*
The ball landed and skidded across the ground, leaving Shitenhoji's ace, Daigorou Ohmaru, stunned.
"Match over," the umpire announced. "Seigaku's Echizen Ryoma wins, 6-1!"
"Is this the strength of Shitenhoji's ace?"
Ryoma adjusted his cap, shaking his head. This level of play wouldn't even make the cut for Seigaku's doubles team.
"Hmm?"
Ryoma glanced over at the adjacent court, where Akutagawa was stepping onto the court. "Him? I didn't expect Hyotei to field him again."
During the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament finals, Ryoma had faced Akutagawa. The guy had some skill, especially with his volleys. Ryoma wondered how much Akutagawa had improved in the past two months.
Back on Hyotei's court, Akutagawa stood at the net, grinning.
"Your team's footwork is amazing," he said cheerfully. "Mind showing it to me?"
"Huh?"
Kai frowned, unsure if Akutagawa was mocking him. But the guy's friendly smile didn't seem malicious.
"Alright, heads or tails?"
Without waiting for a response, Akutagawa spun his racket.
"Uh... heads," Kai said after a moment.
*Clatter!*
The racket fell, showing tails.
"Lucky me!" Akutagawa laughed. "I knew today was my lucky day!"
With that, he turned and walked away.
"What a weird guy," Kai muttered.
Hyotei's players were all so strange. But he reminded himself not to underestimate his opponent. After all, the last person who underestimated Kabaji was still in the infirmary.
"Match begins."
The umpire looked at the eager orange-haired boy at the baseline and nodded. "Hyotei's Akutagawa to serve, first game!"
"Alrighty!"
With the serve in hand, Akutagawa grinned and sent the ball flying.
*Boom!*
As the ball soared, Akutagawa rushed to the net.
"Serve and volley?"
Kai's eyes narrowed. Facing the oncoming opponent, he steadied himself and aimed for Akutagawa's left side.
*Swoosh!*
The ball shot past Akutagawa.
"Nice shot!"
The Higa Chuu team cheered. Kai's technique was solid, and his decisiveness was commendable. Of course, part of the reason was that Hyotei's singles 2 player seemed too reckless.
"Hmph, charging to the net so early? He's not taking me seriously," Kai smirked.
He was confident this shot would force Akutagawa to retreat, if not score outright.
But then, Akutagawa lunged forward.
*Tap!*
He intercepted the ball.
"Idiot!"
Kai's eyes gleamed coldly. Even if Akutagawa managed a decent volley, Kai was sure he could return it. Akutagawa wouldn't get a second chance.
*Tap-tap-tap...*
But before Kai could use Shukuchi, Akutagawa's drop shot landed softly in the far right corner of the court—a spot Kai couldn't reach even with Shukuchi.
"15-0!"
"It's here!"
The Hyotei supporters erupted. "Akutagawa's Magic Volley!"
"Again," Akutagawa said, adjusting his position.
*Boom!*
He served once more, charging to the net.
*Thud-thud!*
Kai gritted his teeth, aiming for Akutagawa's feet to limit his movement.
But Akutagawa responded with another perfect drop shot, again landing in the diagonal corner.
"Is this a coincidence?"
Hirakoba muttered in disbelief. "Can he really place shots like that at will?"
"It's nothing special," Kite said calmly. "That kid from Rokkaku can consistently hit net-skimming shots too. It doesn't change anything."
"Uh, right," Hirakoba awkwardly nodded.
*Tap!*
Akutagawa scored again.
"30-0!"
*Tap!*
"40-0!"
*Tap!*
"Game! Hyotei's Akutagawa, 1-0! Change sides!"
"Dammit!"
Kai's face flushed with anger, then darkened.
This seemingly harmless guy had said he wanted to see Shukuchi, but every shot he made was deliberately aimed to prevent Kai from using it.
"Of course," Kai thought bitterly. "Hyotei's players are all the same—no good people among them."
First, there was Ryoma, who tricked them into drinking that punishment tea.
Then, Kabaji, who sent Tanishi flying.
And now, Akutagawa.
The more innocent they looked, the more devious they were!
*Boom!*
In the second game, after switching sides, Kai served.
Akutagawa, of course, didn't play predictable straight shots. Instead, he aimed for Kai's sides, further limiting his use of Shukuchi.
"Enough!"
Kai decided to pull out his trump card. He flipped his racket, using the handle's engraved letters as a guide, and swung with all his might.
*Boom!*
The ball arced high and wide, landing near Akutagawa's backhand baseline.
"15-0!"
"It's here!"
The Higa Chuu team erupted. "The Vice-Captain's Pirate's Horn!"
Kai glared at Akutagawa, as if issuing a challenge.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
To Kai's surprise, Akutagawa jumped up and down like an excited child.
"Can you do that again? Please?"
"Uh..."
Kai's eye twitched.
He ignored Akutagawa, convinced the guy was a little... off.
But to secure points, Kai kept using Pirate's Horn, scoring repeatedly. Akutagawa, meanwhile, remained unfazed, cheering like a kid at a carnival.
"Jirou's at it again," Oshitari and Mukahi sighed.
Akutagawa always got overly excited when he saw flashy techniques.
But when it was his turn to serve, Akutagawa got serious. Using his Magic Volley, he scored point after point.
The match became a battle of attrition, with both players holding their serves.
"Pirate's Horn!"
Kai gritted his teeth, sending another arcing shot past Akutagawa.
"Game! Higa Chuu's Kai, 6-6! Tiebreaker!"
"Pant... pant..."
On one side of the court, Akutagawa was breathing heavily.
The tiebreaker had taken a toll on him. In contrast, Kai, accustomed to the heat from growing up in Okinawa, still had plenty of stamina.
"This is my chance!"
Kai grinned confidently.
He had been holding back his strongest move for this moment, waiting for Akutagawa's stamina to drop.
After all, he had learned his lesson from Hyotei's tricks. Once bitten, twice shy. As Higa Chuu's singles 2 player, with two losses already, he had to be prepared for the worst.
Now, victory was within his grasp!
**(End of Chapter)**
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