"Ahhh…"
Just as the referee announced the end of the singles match and the Ice Emperor team erupted in cheers, Akutagawa lazily opened his eyes, stretching as if he had just woken up from a nap.
"Huh?!"
At that moment, he noticed something was off. A look of confusion spread across his face. "The match is over already?"
"Pfft!"
Seeing his opponent's bewildered expression, Kai, who had just lost the match, almost spat out blood in frustration.
*This is so humiliating!*
But as he recalled Akutagawa's cold and overwhelming demeanor during the match, a shiver ran down his spine. Kai considered himself a strong player, definitely at the Kyushu (Kanto) level. Yet, against Akutagawa in his sleep-like state, he had been completely outclassed. Kai was certain that Akutagawa had reached the so-called *national level* during that match.
"Ice Emperor… they're terrifying!"
With that thought, Kai glanced over at Ice Emperor's lineup—Ishikawa, Atobe, Akutsu, and Oshitari. And now, with Akutagawa joining them, Ice Emperor had *five* national-level players?!
"Gulp."
Despite his strong will, Kai couldn't help but swallow hard. Exhausted, he stepped off the court.
"Mitsuyoshi, I…"
Seeing the cold glare of Kite, Kai braced himself for a scolding. But to his surprise, Kite didn't even look at him. Instead, his gaze shifted to the other two players.
"Uh…"
Kai was stunned. The feeling of being ignored by Kite left a bitter taste in his mouth.
"Shiranui, Arakaki!"
Kite turned to the two players who were warming up, ready to take the court. "The doubles match is up to you two. Understand?"
"Got it, Mitsuyoshi (Captain)!"
The two nodded solemnly and stepped onto the court.
Even though Higa Chuu was on the verge of defeat, Kite refused to accept it. No matter what, he couldn't let Higa Chuu be looked down upon in the national tournament.
"Next up, the doubles match will begin."
"Ice Emperor's Mukahi Gakuto and Hiyoshi Wakashi pair versus Higa Chuu's Shiranui Tomoya and Arakaki Kouichi pair."
"Please prepare."
"It's our turn."
On Ice Emperor's side, Mukahi walked onto the court with his racket slung over his shoulder, a confident smile on his face. Behind him, Hiyoshi followed, equally self-assured.
"As expected."
Seeing Ice Emperor's lineup, Inoue nodded. "It seems Ice Emperor is treating this match against Higa Chuu as a training exercise."
Atobe, Akutsu, and Oshitari hadn't been confirmed to play. Instead, Kabaji, Ootori, and Hiyoshi were given the opportunity. This was clearly a move to give them experience for the national tournament, ensuring they could lead the team more effectively next year.
But even with this "training" lineup, Ice Emperor had effortlessly defeated Higa Chuu, who had previously swept Rokkaku in the first round.
If Rokkaku was considered a second-tier team, then Ice Emperor was undoubtedly a top-tier national powerhouse. There was no room for debate!
"Ice Emperor has sent Mukahi and Hiyoshi."
Watching the confident duo on the court, Inoue thought to himself, "It looks like they're going for a fast-paced attack. I wonder what Higa Chuu's players have up their sleeves."
From their previous performances, Higa Chuu's players were no slouches. Being assigned to the doubles match, these two seemingly ordinary players likely had some impressive skills.
Unfortunately, Inoue was overthinking it.
As soon as the match began, Ice Emperor launched a fierce offensive.
Mukahi's *Moon Volley* and *Moon Step* (a new footwork technique), combined with Hiyoshi's *Enbu-style* play, overwhelmed Higa Chuu's pair. The two were pushed back relentlessly.
"This is bad!"
Seeing his teammates unable to fight back, Kite's expression darkened.
Shiranui and Arakaki, assigned to the doubles match, did have one strength—their stamina. They were among the top two in Higa Chuu's long-distance running training, known for their seemingly endless endurance.
It was mid-August, the hottest time of the year. The scorching sun and sweltering heat made even breathing feel like inhaling fire. This was why Akutagawa had seemingly run out of stamina during the previous match's tiebreaker.
Realizing this, Kite quickly decided to switch Shiranui and Arakaki to a defensive stance, using the *Shukuchi* technique to cover both sides of the court, leaving no gaps. The plan was to drag out the match and exhaust their opponents.
"They're tough."
Hiyoshi narrowed his eyes as he watched the opponents' defensive formation. When the ball came his way, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.
"In that case… let's break their shell with *that* move!"
*Step!*
In an instant, he lunged forward, raising his racket in a poised stance. As he reached the ball, he swung with full force.
*Bang!*
The crisp sound of the racket hitting the ball echoed through the court. The ball shot forward like an arrow.
"So fast!"
Shiranui, near the net, paled and quickly called out to his partner, "Watch out! This one's fast!"
"Got it."
Arakaki nodded and sprinted after the ball. Just as it was about to bounce, he swung his racket to return it.
*Bang!*
But the moment the ball connected with his racket, Arakaki's expression changed drastically.
*Clatter!*
His racket flew out of his hand, and the ball continued its trajectory, smashing into the wall.
"Game!"
"Ice Emperor, 3-0. Change sides!"
"Yes!"
Hiyoshi pumped his fist in excitement.
"Oh?"
Mukahi walked over, surprised. "You've learned *that* move?"
"Yep."
Hiyoshi couldn't help but grin proudly.
Over the past few weeks, he hadn't just been practicing his footwork. He'd also been strengthening his physique and studying Ishikawa's techniques. Finally, after nearly half a month, he had mastered the basics of *Shishin Enbu: Byakko* (Four Gods Martial Arts: White Tiger).
But then, Hiyoshi shook his head. "I've only grasped about 30% of its power. I'm far from mastering it."
*30%?!*
Hearing this, Arakaki, whose racket had just been knocked out of his hand, looked at Hiyoshi as if he'd seen a ghost.
*Are you kidding me? That power was only 30% of the original move? If I hadn't let go of my racket in time, my wrist might've been sprained!*
"This guy… even after winning, he's still trying to intimidate us."
Shiranui's expression was equally grim.
In his eyes, the Ice Emperor players were anything but kind. Compared to them, he missed the simple, innocent opponents from Rokkaku.
But in reality, Hiyoshi wasn't lying. The power he had displayed was indeed less than 30% of Ishikawa's *Shishin Enbu: Byakko*. The gap in skill between Ishikawa and Hiyoshi, and between Hiyoshi and the Higa Chuu players, was simply too vast.
Unsurprisingly, the fast-paced attack overwhelmed the defensive strategy. In no time, Ice Emperor reached match point.
Desperate to avoid a complete shutout, Shiranui, seeing Ice Emperor's players at the net and the baseline wide open, suddenly launched an extraordinary lob.
"Just one point!"
Shiranui gripped his racket tightly, almost roaring in his mind. "Even just one point would be enough!"
*Thud!*
The ball landed.
As if the heavens pitied them, Shiranui's desperate lob actually hit the baseline.
*Whoosh!*
But at that moment, a figure suddenly appeared at the baseline.
"Wait… what?!"
Shiranui and Arakaki's eyes widened in disbelief. "Shukuchi?!"
The rest of Higa Chuu's team fell into a stunned silence.
No one had expected that *Shukuchi*, the secret technique they had planned to use to dominate the national tournament, would become so common that even their opponents could use it!
*Bang!*
Meanwhile, Hiyoshi, in his *Enbu* stance, mercilessly unleashed *Shishin Enbu: Byakko*.
The ball shot past the two players.
Seeing the sheer power of the shot, Shiranui and Arakaki could only watch in silence. They knew there was no way they could catch up to that ball, let alone return it.
*Bang!*
The ball landed decisively, ending the match.
"Game over!"
The referee announced, "Ice Emperor's Mukahi Gakuto and Hiyoshi Wakashi win, 6-0!"
Four consecutive victories! And this was the first time in the match that Ice Emperor had completely shut out their opponents.
Ice Emperor's overwhelming strength left the spectators in awe, while Higa Chuu's players hung their heads, unable to face the crushing defeat.
"Ugh, this is getting worse and worse!"
On the bench, Higa Chuu's coach, the bald-headed Saotome, spat in frustration and stood up to leave. "There's no point in watching this anymore."
He felt humiliated. Whether it was his players' performance, his inability to counter Ice Emperor's coach, or being intimidated by Ice Emperor's young players, it was all too much for him to bear.
*Whoosh!*
But at that moment, a sharp sound cut through the air.
*Thud!*
A tennis ball struck Saotome's bulging stomach with pinpoint accuracy. The intense pain and impact forced him to stagger back and collapse onto the bench.
"K-Kite… you…"
Saotome looked up at the cold-faced boy standing on the court's railing. The man who usually held complete control over Higa Chuu now had a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"Saotome-sensei."
Kite smiled calmly, as if he had done nothing out of the ordinary. "As the coach, you must stay until the very end of the match."
With that, he walked down the steps, his smile sending chills down everyone's spines.
"Ugh…"
Feeling the coldness behind Kite's eerie smile, Inoue and Shiba couldn't help but shudder.
"This guy… he's terrifying!"
Even in the sweltering heat of mid-August, Shiba instinctively pulled her clothes tighter, feeling a chill run through her body as she stared at Kite.
"Kite Eishirou!"
Inoue said gravely. "The captain of Higa Chuu, known as the 'Assassin' for sweeping through the top players in the Kyushu tournament."
After witnessing what had just happened, Inoue finally understood why Kite had earned that title.
With that in mind, Inoue turned to look at the other side of the court. "I wonder who Ice Emperor will send to face him in the singles match?"
Just then, the announcement came:
"Next up, the singles match will begin."
"Ice Emperor's Ishikawa Shin versus Higa Chuu's Kite Eishirou."
"Please prepare."
*Step!*
As the announcement ended, a handsome black-haired boy with a confident smile walked onto the court.
It was Ishikawa!
---
**Patreon: belamy20**