"It's finally starting!"
Outside the court.
Inoue watched the players from both teams exchanging words at the net and nodded to himself. "The showdown between Tokyo's top team and Chiba's number one is definitely going to be exciting."
"That's true," Shiba chimed in, though he furrowed his brow slightly. "But seeing Rokkaku's captain standing next to Atobe just feels... off."
"Huh?" Inoue was taken aback.
He glanced at the court, where the young captain of Rokkaku was confidently shaking hands and chatting with Atobe. Inoue couldn't help but shake his head. "Yeah, a captain this young is probably one of a kind in the entire Kanto region."
As he spoke, his gaze shifted curiously toward Rokkaku's coach.
If he didn't know better, he might have thought the Rokkaku coach was just fooling around. But knowing that this man was one of the most seasoned figures in Japanese tennis, Inoue held his tongue.
"Rumor has it that even Mr. Nanjiro received guidance from him at some point," Inoue mused.
In his eyes, anyone connected to Echizen Nanjiro was no ordinary figure. And it wasn't just Inoue who thought so. Even Ice Emperor's coach, Mr. Sakaki, bowed slightly in the direction of Rokkaku's coach before taking his seat.
"Who is this Rokkaku coach? What's his deal?" a curious second-year player asked.
"A highly respected elder," Sakaki replied sternly. "Make sure you all behave. Remember, you represent Ice Emperor. Act like it!"
"Understood," the team replied in unison.
Soon after, Atobe returned, and players from both teams stepped onto the court.
"Next up, the Doubles 2 match: Rokkaku's Kurobane Harukaze and Amane Hikaru versus Ice Emperor's Shishido Ryo and Kabaji Munehiro. Please prepare."
"Kabaji?" Shiba's eyes widened as he saw the towering figure from Ice Emperor step onto the court. "Not Ootori? Did Ice Emperor change their doubles lineup?"
"Hmm?" Inoue glanced toward Ice Emperor's bench and spotted Ootori, who was also present for the match. At first, he thought Ice Emperor might be conserving their strength for the semifinals in the afternoon. But when he noticed the bandages wrapped around Ootori's right hand, his expression changed. "Ootori's injured?!"
"Seriously?!" Shiba was equally shocked.
"Looks like it happened during practice," Inoue speculated. "But with Ice Emperor's lineup, they should still be able to pull through this quarterfinal."
Rokkaku was strong, but Ice Emperor's roster this year was even more formidable. Besides, Ootori and Shishido's partnership was a recent development. With the addition of Ishikawa and Akutsu, Ice Emperor had no weak links this year.
*Step!*
On the court, Shishido strode forward confidently. "Kabaji, let's give it our all!"
"Yes," Kabaji nodded firmly.
Though he rarely got the chance to play, Atobe had personally asked him to partner with Shishido and secure this match. The usually reserved and gentle giant was now brimming with determination.
As for Ootori, his injury wasn't due to anything unusual. After watching Atobe's match against Kajimoto, he had been inspired to incorporate some of Kajimoto's serving techniques into his own. Unfortunately, during practice a few days ago, he had strained his wrist.
With no other choice, Coach Sakaki had to adjust the lineup, pairing Kabaji with Shishido instead.
"Is Ice Emperor's doubles team in trouble?" Seeing their opponents' lineup, Kurobane and Amane exchanged a glance and smiled.
They had initially been wary of Ootori's ultra-fast serves. But now, that threat was gone.
With renewed confidence, the two stepped onto the court.
After a brief exchange, Rokkaku won the serve. Kurobane stepped up first, unleashing a blazing serve that far surpassed the speed of a bullet serve.
*Boom!*
However, Kabaji effortlessly returned it.
"As expected of Ice Emperor's strongest power player," Kurobane muttered, eyeing Kabaji warily. "Amane, let's attack!"
"Got it," Amane replied, gripping his unusually long racket and launching a fierce offensive at the net.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
His attacks were relentless. The combination of his long, heavy racket and powerful swings put Shishido on the defensive.
"Now's our chance!" Seizing the opportunity, Amane unleashed a devastating smash, scoring the first point.
"15-0!"
"Rokkaku's impressive," the spectators murmured.
Rokkaku's duo had a powerful playing style, and their custom rackets gave them an edge. They quickly took the lead.
"Amane!"
"Kurobane!"
"Go for it!"
Outside the court, a group of young kids cheered enthusiastically for Rokkaku.
"Are those kids... elementary schoolers?" Oshitari asked, surprised by the youthful faces in the crowd.
"Yeah," Ishikawa nodded. "They're local kids from near Rokkaku. In fact, players like Saeki, Kurobane, and even their current captain started training with the old coach when they were really young. Their fundamentals are solid."
If Ryoma Echizen had Echizen Nanjiro as his personal coach, then Rokkaku's players weren't far behind. They had been trained by the old coach from a young age, treating tennis more like a game than a competition. In a way, these elementary schoolers were closer to achieving the "Perfect Harmony" state than most.
Of course, with their limited experience and skill, even if they did reach that state, they wouldn't be able to fully utilize it.
"As for the others..." Ishikawa's gaze shifted to Kurobane and Amane.
Once they entered middle school, their minds became cluttered with distractions. In the original story, their overthinking had led to their defeat against Seigaku's Kikumaru and Momoshiro.
Interestingly, their opponents now were Kabaji, who possessed a pure heart, and Shishido, whose strength was no joke. In a way, this match mirrored the original storyline.
At first, both sides tested each other with probing attacks.
Rokkaku's serve game saw them using powerful drives to target their opponents' midcourt. Shishido struggled to keep up, and within two minutes, Rokkaku took the first game.
Then, it was Ice Emperor's turn to serve.
Shishido didn't hold back, using his super jump to execute a super volley that broke through Amane's long racket defense.
1-1, the score was tied.
The next two games saw both sides holding their serves, bringing the score to 2-2. The match was tight, but Rokkaku felt the pressure more acutely. Both Kurobane and Amane knew that Rokkaku's singles players were no match for Ice Emperor's.
So, they ramped up their aggression, using relentless attacks to break through Ice Emperor's defenses and take a 4-2 lead.
But then, Shishido removed his weights and launched a counterattack. His rapid-fire style helped him claw back two games, tying the score at 4-4.
Kabaji also stepped up, using his pure heart to replicate Kurobane's smashes and drives, leaving their opponents stunned.
In the end, after a fierce battle, Shishido and Kabaji emerged victorious, winning 6-4.
"Ice Emperor lives up to their name," Kurobane and Amane admitted with a wry smile.
But they weren't upset. Rokkaku's philosophy was to enjoy the process, not obsess over the outcome.
"Too bad," Rokkaku's captain, Tsukimitsu Kintaro, teased. "If you two had been training with weights, you might not have lost."
"Kintaro, you jerk!" Amane playfully snapped. "Trying to trick us into training with weights, huh? What other schemes do you have up your sleeve?"
"Weights, huh?" Kurobane pondered for a moment before nodding. "Not a bad idea. Shishido's second-half surge was largely due to him shedding his weights. Without that training, he wouldn't have been able to keep up with us last year."
"Maybe," Saeki interjected as he walked over, having changed into his gear. "But if you two had taken the lead, I'm sure that Ice Emperor first-year wouldn't have just stood by and watched."
"That guy?" Kurobane and Amane's expressions shifted.
Ishikawa Makoto!
Ice Emperor's first-year vice-captain, a top-tier national-level player. What made him even more intimidating was the rumor that he could completely outplay Seigaku's Inui in data tennis.
As Saeki had pointed out, even if Rokkaku had taken the lead, Ishikawa would have likely analyzed Kurobane and Amane's weaknesses and relayed them to Shishido and Kabaji, turning the tide in Ice Emperor's favor.
"Don't worry," Saeki said, sensing the team's tension. "We'll win this match."
With that, he and his partner, Kiichi, stepped onto the court.
Ice Emperor's first doubles pair, Oshitari and Mukahi, were already waiting.
The two teams were old rivals.
After a brief exchange, Ice Emperor won the serve. Oshitari served first, and with Mukahi's dance-like volleys and moon somersaults, they quickly took the first game.
They continued their momentum, winning the next two games and taking a 3-0 lead.
"Ice Emperor!"
"Ice Emperor!"
"Ice Emperor!"
The crowd roared as Ice Emperor's dominance became apparent.
Except for a few like Ishikawa and Atobe, most of the team felt victory was within reach.
But then, in the fourth game, Saeki made his move.
With his exceptional dynamic vision, he completely shut down Mukahi's dance volleys.
Then, he and Kiichi teamed up to pressure Oshitari.
They quickly closed the gap, tying the score at 3-3.
"Saeki from Rokkaku... he's strong!" Shishido and Ootori muttered, their expressions darkening.
They had never seen anyone completely neutralize Mukahi's attacks in an official match.
Not only that, but Saeki and Kiichi were also effectively containing Oshitari.
Soon, Rokkaku took the lead again, 4-3.
Just as they were about to secure the eighth game, Oshitari finally unleashed his full potential. He rushed to the net, activating his "Shadow Moon" technique to counter Saeki.
Even with his superior dynamic vision, Saeki couldn't predict Oshitari's movements.
Meanwhile, Mukahi, now positioned at the back, regained his rhythm. Using his rear control tactics and moon somersaults, he turned the tide in Ice Emperor's favor.
In the end, Ice Emperor's first doubles pair also won 6-4.
In just an hour and a half, Ice Emperor had secured two consecutive wins, all but guaranteeing their victory in this quarterfinal match!
**(End of Chapter)**