Chapter 195

"The semi-final, the battle between Tokyo Budongfeng Middle School and Osaka Shitenhoji, is won by Budongfeng Middle School with three wins and one loss!"

"Salute!"

"Thank you for the match——"

Accompanied by the players from both sides shaking hands and saying goodbye at the net, the semi-final of the B-group National Competition completely came to an end.

And on the other side of the venue, the doubles No. 1 match had also just ended at this time.

On the court, Shishido Ryo and Ootori Choutarou were sweating like rain, their mouths agape as they struggled to breathe, looking at their opponents across the net, their expressions filled with unwillingness.

"Damn it, victory was clearly right in front of us, why couldn't we take the points..."

"Haa——"

Shishido Ryo stomped his feet hard on the ground, the muscles in his calves suddenly bursting with strength, and he squeezed out the last bit of stamina to leap up, pressing down on that lob shot in mid-air.

If it weren't for Sanada voluntarily choosing to play in the singles No. 3.

Liu Lian Er turned his head and smiled slightly, the gloomy expression instantly dissipating.

"Liu Lian Er is not someone you can deal with, return to the team!"

From the beginning...

The final backup plan of Bing Di was not the two of them.

"Is that so, Yagyu, you're overthinking it..."

Shishido Ryo and Ootori Choutarou apologized to Atobe, full of self-reproach.

When leaving the court, Yagyu Hiroshi's peripheral vision swept over Liu Lian Er beside him; even though they had won the match, the opponent's expression still carried a bit of gloom.

Sizzle——sizzle——

"Match over, Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School wins, total score 2-2!"

"Who will ultimately emerge victorious depends on the upcoming singles No. 1!!"

He adjusted his slightly slipping glasses with his fingers and said softly: "That would be best; this was just my well-intentioned reminder."

In the venue, the spectators were filled with shock, not expecting that Bing Di could actually fight the kings, Rikkai, to such a stalemate, dragging the match into the fifth game.

At this moment, Ootori Choutarou also lacked his usual gentle demeanor; at Shishido Ryo's command, their bodies simultaneously rushed forward.

Bing Di's Chitose Senri, Oshitari Yuushi, Akutagawa Jirou, and Atobe Keigo would take the first three matches in one go, and Rikkai would also be directly out of the finals.

Hearing this, Liu Lian Er slowed his pace and glanced at the total score on the electronic big screen in the center of the venue, 2-2.

"Kamaitachi!"

"Rikkai..."

"Could it be that Bing Di will win?" Someone couldn't help but have this very bold thought in their heart.

Two smooth, clean-cut tears suddenly appeared on the gray-white uniform, and as this ball landed on the court, the match was declared over.

Such a thing...

Almost happened because of his own careless tactics!

Thinking that Rikkai might miss out on the championship because of such a reason, Liu Lian Er felt a sting in his heart; even though the final situation didn't develop along such a trajectory, he couldn't easily forgive himself.

His fingernails dug into his palms, Liu Lian Er looked up, engraving this moment in his heart, and secretly swore.

"Two wins, two losses?!"

Then, he was seen crossing his hands in front of his chest, the racket in his hand swinging out fiercely.

"The probability of launching a double-net attack is one hundred percent, what a pity..."

A cold light flashed in Atobe's long, narrow eyes.

"There won't be a next time."

However.

Bang!

The tennis ball flew over the net, carrying a fierce air wave; Shishido Ryo's body lunged forward rapidly, shouting at the same time.

"Choutarou!!"

"It's the first time I've seen you play so aggressively; this isn't your usual style."

"Understood, Senior Shishido!!"

But from this slightly stiff tone, Yagyu Hiroshi clearly heard that this was obviously Liu's insincere words, though he didn't continue to dwell on it.

"Game, Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Liu Lian Er, Yagyu Hiroshi, 6-0!"

Bang!

Seeing this scene, Shishido Ryo and Ootori Choutarou's pupils shrank, their footsteps stiffened, and an incomparably sharp wind blade sliced between the two.

"Sorry, Atobe."

He took a deep breath to calm the emotions in his heart, but the light in his eyes remained unsettled.

The brown hair on his forehead trembled slightly, Liu Lian Er opened his eyes, his expression cold and calm; the opponent's choice seemed to have been in his calculations all along.

For a time, there was much discussion in the spectator stands.

Although Shishido and Choutarou had the potential to become a top doubles combination, they were still far from being able to defeat the combined forces of the national-level Liu Lian Er and the Kanto-first-class Yagyu Hiroshi.

It's a double-net attack!!

The spectators outside the court were startled; the match had already reached this point, and the Bing Di players actually still had the courage to actively launch a double-net offensive—truly remarkable!

But before he could continue his reverie, he was denied by his companion beside him.

"Don't joke around, Rikkai still has that one person who hasn't appeared yet——"

Soon, the referee's voice sounded from the broadcast.

"Next, the National Competition semi-final, singles No. 1 match begins——"

"By Kanagawa Prefecture Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi..."

"Against Tokyo Bing Di Xue Yuan's Kabaji Munehiro!!"

"You really did appear in singles No. 1 as planned, Yukimura."

Looking at Yukimura Seiichi, who had the bright yellow long-sleeved uniform draped over his shoulders, Atobe looked forward to the scenes that might appear in the upcoming match, yet a touch of self-mockery appeared on his face.

To ensure overall victory, he had voluntarily avoided Yukimura, but didn't expect...

At the final moment, the opponent still became the obstacle Bing Di had to overcome, and furthermore, the person dueling with him on the court at this moment was not himself.

"Oh well, you go ahead and taste Kabaji's power."

Atobe lowered his eyes, suppressing the surging thoughts in his heart; he couldn't show hesitation or doubt at such a time, so he slowly raised his right hand.

Snap!

Snapping his fingers, Atobe shouted loudly in a confident voice.

"Kabaji, play a beautiful match!"

"Yes."

Responding blankly with his head lowered, Kabaji's hulking body walked toward the court.

Coach Sakaki's peripheral vision swept over Atobe's face, and he pondered in his heart: "To be able to completely set aside your own pride for the victory of Bing Di, Atobe, you are the best captain of Bing Di."

In front of the net.

Yukimura looked at his opponent with some surprise, but it only lasted for a fleeting moment before he curved his lips into a smile and extended his hand.

As his arm slowly raised, clear, streamlined muscles were revealed; compared to the Kanto tournament, his physique had clearly improved.

"Kabaji-kun, please take care of me~"

"."

Kabaji was still in that blank state, extending his own hand like a robot to shake hands with Yukimura.

"Pfft! Bing Di actually sent such a player, Rikkai is sure to win!"

Seeing Kabaji's blank appearance, the spectators supporting Rikkai couldn't help but smile with contempt; how could such a guy win against the Child of God!

In front of the net, the two figures, one large and one small, finished the coin toss.

"Match begins, Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi's service game, one set decides the outcome!"

As the referee's voice fell, everyone went quiet, their attention focused on the court.

Without a doubt, one could hardly see any chance of winning for Bing Di in this match, but when looking at the Bing Di team, everyone didn't know what the people of Bing Di were actually expecting.

Swish!

The tennis ball was tossed up, Yukimura's pair of eyes clear and clean.

Although he didn't know what Bing Di was planning, no matter who the opponent was, it made no difference to him; he just needed to hit the ball to a place the opponent couldn't reach.

Bang!

The racket swept lightly, the tennis ball stretched into a residual shadow, the yellow stream of light flashing past his side, but Kabaji couldn't even react in time.

"Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi scores, 15-0."

"What astonishing speed!"

Outside the court, Ootori Choutarou's expression changed slightly; the speed of that ball just now was not slower than his own full-power heavy artillery serve, yet this was just a casual ball from the Rikkai captain.

"."

Kabaji blankly switched to the other side to prepare to receive, remaining silent, his eyes continuously replaying the scene from before; possessing a heart of innocence, he reflected every one of Yukimura's movements in his heart.

"Going to continue now."

Yukimura smiled slightly, his arm raised, and the tennis ball soared into the air.

Bang!

"Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi scores, 30-0."

Bang!

"Game, Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi, 1-0!"

"Please exchange courts."

On the sidelines, Atobe narrowed his eyes, glanced at Yukimura Seiichi, who had his uniform draped over his shoulders and was composed, and gripped his palm slightly.

"Kabaji Munehiro's service game."

Swish!

The tennis ball was tossed up, Kabaji looked up at the ball, his motion to hit it completely inconsistent with his hulking physique, giving people a very familiar feeling.

"The winner is Bing Di!"

With a low shout, his strong arm snapped the racket toward the tennis ball skillfully.

Bang!

The tennis ball instantly turned into a residual shadow, the yellow stream of light suddenly rushing into Yukimura's half of the court.

"So fast, this big guy can actually hit such nimble tennis, it's truly unexpected."

Kirihara Akaya revealed a surprised expression and sighed in a low voice.

"Kabaji Munehiro, a first-year player from Bing Di; although his physique is huge, he is not a purely strength-based player."

"He is a person with a naturally pure heart, possessing copying abilities that exceed ordinary people; in the Kanto tournament, he reproduced Ishida Tetsu's Wave Ball."

On the side, Liu Lian Er's gaze flickered slightly, detailing Kabaji's information in every possible way.

"So, this guy naturally has the ability to copy ball skills?!" Kirihara Akaya was shocked.

Nioh narrowed his eyes, his casual expression turning serious; the ability to naturally copy ball skills, interesting...

"However, Yukimura is not someone who can be dealt with by just copying one or two ball skills."

Bang!

A baseline drive shot like an antelope hanging its horns grazed Kabaji's backhand gap, and the tennis ball flew high away.

"Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi scores, 0-15!"

The situation of the match was indeed as Nioh had expected; even though Kabaji copied Yukimura's serving technique, it still didn't change anything.

The serves he couldn't catch, Yukimura could easily catch, and after two rallies, he could easily score again.

"Ba-a-woo!"

But although he lost points, Kabaji didn't have a trace of emotional fluctuation, only making strange shouts in his mouth and mechanically hitting the tennis ball again.

Bang!

Another yellow residual shadow streaked across the court.

"It's useless, Kabaji-kun."

Yukimura stepped to the landing point of the tennis ball, his relaxed and natural appearance not even causing the uniform on his shoulders to sway in the slightest; his arm stretched slightly, and he backhanded a swing.

Bang!

Bang!

"Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi scores, 0-30!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang!

"Game, Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi, 2-0!"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bang!

"Game, Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School Yukimura Seiichi, 3-0!"

"Please exchange courts!"

The match remained under Yukimura's control; from the start of the match until now, Kabaji hadn't gained a single point.

However, from some unknown time, the number of shots Yukimura needed to take a point began to slowly increase.

The tennis ball rushed over rapidly.

Tap tap.

Kabaji took two steps forward, his movements nimble and precise, simply like an enlarged version of Yukimura Seiichi; his expression was blank, but the racket in his hand nimbly backhanded a swing at the tennis ball.

Bang!

A baseline drive shot that could be called an antelope hanging its horns attacked Yukimura's backhand.

Tap tap tap...

His footsteps tapped rapidly, Yukimura looked at the tall figure opposite him, a strange stream of light flashing in his eyes.

Copying the opponent's ball skills during the match and returning them to the opponent in a tit-for-tat manner.

From initially only copying his serve, to now, not only had he copied various types of drive shots, but even the methods of how to deal with these moves had all been mastered.

Even, occasionally, he could rely on these means to cause himself a certain amount of trouble.

Kabaji Munehiro, huh...

A bit interesting!

Remembering the opponent's name in his heart, Yukimura wore a confident smile and whispered in his heart: "Since it only takes one glance to copy my moves, then..."

"If you can't see, how are you going to continue?"

Bang!

The racket cut into the bottom of the tennis ball, Yukimura swung his arm downward, and a trace of extremely subtle mental power was hidden within the tennis ball as it leaped over the net.

Outside the court.

Atobe, who was constantly paying attention to the changes on the court, suddenly opened his eyes; in this match, he had maintained his ultimate insight just to wait for this moment.

The moment he perceived that subtle change in mental power, a cold light surged in Atobe's sea-blue eyes, and he sneered in his heart, making a judgment.

"Child of God of Rikkai, you are finished!"