A short while later, the tournament medical staff arrived and carried away Tanishi, who was screaming like a pig being slaughtered.
"That guy... really had it rough," Mukahi from Hyotei couldn't help but shake his head. "Who in their right mind would provoke Kabaji? And to badmouth Atobe in front of him? Tsk tsk..."
"Yeah," Hiyoshi sighed in agreement.
The fierce version of Kabaji they had just witnessed was something they had never seen before. That explosive shot he delivered was also something entirely new.
Thinking about it, Hiyoshi asked curiously, "Could it be that Kabaji unleashed some hidden power in his anger?"
"Not exactly," Jirou chimed in. "From what I know, Ishikawa also gave Kabaji specialized strength training. He even taught him a secret technique—probably that one."
"Alright, Kabaji," Atobe quickly reassured Kabaji, who was still visibly agitated. "Don't take that guy's words to heart, okay?"
"Yes," Kabaji nodded blankly, gradually calming down.
"By the way," Mukahi asked curiously, "Vice-captain, the technique you taught Kabaji... was it that 'Power Shot' from Rikkai Dai's Ishida?"
"Correct," Ishikawa confirmed without hesitation. "I modified Ishida's Power Shot to increase its power while reducing the strain on the arm."
"That's so cool," the other second-string players, like Kurokawa and Shishido, couldn't help but express their envy.
Shinohara's expression darkened slightly.
Ishikawa's guidance was usually reserved for the regulars or second-year players. For third-years like them, whose potential had already been tapped, there was no such opportunity.
However, they understood.
As the vice-captain, Ishikawa had already gone above and beyond his duties. If anything, they could only blame themselves for being born two years too early, missing the chance to witness Hyotei's three-peat national championship alongside him.
"Next up, the doubles 2 match will begin."
"Hyotei Gakuen's Shishido Ryoh and Ootori Choutarou vs. Higa Chuu's Hirakoba Rin and Chinen Hiroshi."
"Both teams, please prepare."
As the announcement ended, the crowd's attention turned to the players stepping forward from Hyotei and Higa Chuu.
"It's them?!"
On Higa Chuu's side, the blond Hirakoba and the thin-faced Chinen narrowed their eyes as they recognized their opponents.
On the other side, Shishido and Ootori also recognized their opponents.
Hirakoba was no stranger—Shishido had faced him before. As for Chinen, he had been the referee during their beach tennis match.
They were old acquaintances.
Walking up to the net, the two pairs exchanged words.
"Never thought you guys were from Hyotei," Hirakoba said confidently to Shishido. "I beat you before, and I'll do it again!"
"Is that so?" Shishido replied with a calm smile.
He wasn't provoked. Instead, he genuinely wanted to face Hirakoba in a proper match.
"You," Chinen sneered at Ootori. "I doubt you're any better than that short guy from Rokkaku."
"Maybe," Ootori replied with equal calmness.
The Ootori of today was no longer the easily provoked, naive player he once was. The battles in the regional and Kanto tournaments had tempered his personality and honed his skills.
For him, there was no need to respond to provocations. All that mattered was playing well.
Seeing that their taunts had no effect, the Higa Chuu pair stopped their antics.
After the coin toss, both teams retreated to their baselines.
"Hyotei's pair is strong," Hirakoba thought to himself, recalling Kite's pre-match advice. "They're the ones who fought Rikkai Dai's national-level pair to a standstill. We have to break their serve right away!"
With that in mind, Hirakoba focused on his opponent.
"The match begins," the referee announced. "Hyotei's Ootori to serve."
*Whoosh!*
Ootori tossed the ball high into the air, then leaped up and swung his racket with precision.
"One... Ball... Strike!"
*Boom!*
The serve shot forward like a cannonball, landing sharply in the right corner of Hirakoba's court.
"This—"
Hirakoba's eyes widened in shock. The speed of the serve was beyond his reaction time.
By the time he realized what had happened, the ball had already shot past him and slammed into the wall.
"15-0!"
"Wow..."
Higa Chuu's players collectively gasped.
"Not bad," Ishikawa nodded in approval. "Ootori's new Power Serve has improved significantly."
"New serve?"
Hearing this, the others turned their attention to Ishikawa.
"So," Jirou raised an eyebrow, "even Ootori's serve has been modified?"
The thought made him feel a little envious.
But quickly, Jirou shook it off. He knew that while external help could boost one's strength, true growth had to come from within.
*Boom!*
Another serve landed.
Facing Ootori's new Power Serve, Chinen stood frozen like a statue.
"30-0!"
"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei!"
The consecutive aces boosted Hyotei's morale.
In contrast, Higa Chuu, already demoralized by Tanishi's crushing defeat, was further shaken by their inability to even touch Ootori's serves.
*Boom!*
Ootori continued to dominate with his serves.
"Game!"
"Hyotei, 1-0. Change sides!"
Four straight aces left Higa Chuu's pair completely stunned.
The match continued with Shishido and Ootori's默契配合 and individual skills压倒性地压制了Higa Chuu的两人.对方只在Hirakoba的发球局拿到分数,之后就完全处于被动挨打的局面.
"This is pathetic!"
On the coach's bench, Higa Chuu's bald, pot-bellied coach, Saotome Harumi, looked thoroughly annoyed.
With their Shukuchi technique countered, Higa Chuu's players were completely outmatched.
"Ugh."
On the court, hearing his coach's displeasure, Hirakoba's expression darkened. He decided to go all out, swinging his racket with full force.
*Boom!*
The ball shot forward like a venomous snake, curving unpredictably.
"Now!"
Shishido, who had been waiting for this, sprang into action.
Still bitter about losing a game to Hirakoba before, Shishido had spent countless hours refining his footwork and explosive power.
*Swish!*
In a flash, Shishido intercepted the ball and sent it straight into the gap between Hirakoba and Chinen.
"Game!"
"Hyotei, 3-1!"
The gap widened, and the situation grew increasingly dire for Higa Chuu.
In the fifth game, it was Ootori's serve again. Four more aces followed, and Hyotei took a commanding 4-1 lead.
"Idiots!"
Saotome's frustration boiled over.
During Higa Chuu's serve, he kept coughing, signaling Hirakoba to try something else.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly feeling a chill, Saotome looked up toward Hyotei's side.
*Tap! Tap! Tap!*
Hiyoshi was casually bouncing a ball, a mischievous smile on his face.
"This..."
Saotome's face paled.
Remembering Hyotei's fierce reputation, his anger quickly dissipated.
"Uh..."
Hirakoba, preparing to serve, was now in a dilemma.
He wasn't sure what his coach wanted, but as he hesitated, he felt a sudden sense of danger and looked up.
There, standing behind Hyotei's coach, was the black-haired boy, smiling at him.
"Yikes!"
Hirakoba shuddered.
He remembered Ishikawa's terrifying strength, that horrifying drink, and how Kai's hat had been blown off by a serve earlier that day.
At the time, Hirakoba had seen it clearly—the ball had been aimed directly at Kai's hat. There was no luck involved.
Without hesitation, Hirakoba decided to play it safe.
*Boom!*
He served, refocusing on the match.
Despite the large deficit, he wasn't ready to give up. He planned to fight head-on and win the match fair and square.
Unfortunately, Hyotei's pair was simply too strong.
Hirakoba and Chinen's chemistry was lacking, and their coordination was no match for Hyotei's seamless teamwork.
"Fine."
With the match point against them, Hirakoba finally unleashed his ultimate move.
*Boom!*
The ball shot forward, its trajectory forming a massive, exaggerated curve, even more menacing than before.
"It's here!"
Higa Chuu's players perked up. "Hirakoba's Big Cobra!!!"
"Wow."
Inoue, watching from above, was visibly impressed.
He hadn't expected Higa Chuu's player to have such a powerful technique.
This move was on par with some of the top techniques in the Kanto region. It would be a serious test for Hyotei's pair.
"Hmph."
After executing the Big Cobra, Hirakoba smirked confidently.
Originally, he could only use this move once per game. But after his defeat to Ishikawa, fueled by a desire for revenge, he had trained relentlessly to increase its usage to three times per game.
This meant that as long as he could score one more point outside of this technique, he could secure a game.
*Swish!*
But just as Hirakoba was feeling confident about turning the tide, Shishido moved.
In an instant, he burst forward with incredible speed.
*Hum!*
At the same time, a faint blue aura seemed to emanate from his body, as if he had broken through the resistance of the air.
"Oh?"
Coach Sakaki, sitting on the bench, raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Is this the 'Limit Break' Ishikawa mentioned before?"
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Moving at blinding speed, Shishido's afterimages appeared around him. His real body, however, caught up to the Big Cobra in an instant.
*Boom!*
He returned the shot, breaking through Higa Chuu's defense once more.
"I won't let you win!"
At the baseline, Chinen lunged forward, desperately returning the ball high into the air.
"Hmm."
Seeing the ball flying toward him, Ootori's eyes gleamed.
*Step!*
He leaped into the air, raised his racket, and smashed the ball down with full force.
"One... Ball... Strike!!!"
*Boom!*
The powerful smash left Higa Chuu's pair helpless as the ball shot past them.
"Game over."
The referee announced, "Hyotei Gakuen's Shishido Ryoh and Ootori Choutarou win, 6-1!"
"Woohoo!!!"
As Ootori landed gracefully, Hyotei's team erupted in cheers.
"Hyotei! Hyotei! Hyotei!"
With two consecutive wins, Hyotei's chants turned the entire court into their home ground.
"Gulp."
Hirakoba and Chinen, having lost the match, swallowed hard.
"So this is the strength of a top national-level doubles pair?"
---
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