Chapter 86: Tachibana Kippei's Failure

At the side of the court.

The Fudomine group watched Captain Tachibana Kippei and Kirihara Akaya playing to a draw, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Finally, we've turned the disadvantage around!"

"The Captain is worthy of being the strongest in our Fudomine; as soon as he takes the court, he can wash away the humiliation of the first two doubles matches."

"The first two matches were lost too miserably; at the critical moment, we still have to rely on the Captain. The Captain is too amazing, too reliable!"

"In one go, let's take this game!"

"That's right! Although our strength isn't as good as Rikkai, through the Captain's lineup arrangements, we can still take a game from Rikkai."

"On the competition court, strength is important, but strategy and tactics are also important."

On the other side.

"What is this person's background? To actually be able to take a point from Kirihara."

"This school, Fudomine, how come I've never heard of it?"

Sanada Genichiro spoke up.

"Tachibana Kippei, one of the original Kyushu Twin Heroes, the ace of Shishigaku Middle School, transferred to Fudomine in Tokyo this year."

"He is the only player at Fudomine who possesses National Level strength."

Yanagi Renji said.

"So that's how it is!"

Sanada said.

"Kirihara is really too weak; he needs to step up his training after this match."

Takahashi turned his head and said to the two people behind him.

"Competing against a player as famous nationwide as Tachibana Kippei, for Kirihara to play like this, his strength is actually alright!"

Marui Bunta interjected.

"If it were Tachibana Kippei going all out, I wouldn't say anything about Kirihara playing like this."

"But the current Tachibana Kippei is only exerting six or seven tenths of his strength."

Takahashi said indifferently.

Marui was startled.

"Indeed, according to the data I have collected, Tachibana Kippei's strength goes far beyond this."

Yanagi Renji spoke up.

"His pressure is very high, and his mindset is not right."

Sanada also voiced his opinion.

In the court.

A sudden change occurred.

With a "Crack!" sound.

Tachibana Kippei fell to the ground, and the tennis racket in his hand slipped away.

His right ankle was twisted.

"15-0!"

"Rikkai University Affiliated Middle School scores!"

Tachibana Kippei patted his pants, stood up, and picked up the tennis racket that had fallen to the ground.

His brows were tightly locked, and his entire face turned gloomy, mixed with an expression of pain.

Yes, Sanada's guess was not wrong.

Tachibana Kippei's current pressure was extremely high.

Both of the first two doubles matches between Fudomine and Rikkai ended in miserable defeats.

If they lost another game, then the entire match would be over.

Ending the match in just three trials.

This was something Tachibana Kippei could not accept.

What he could accept even less was that his team members had lost their confidence.

In the first two doubles matches, the astonishingly powerful strength displayed by Rikkai had deeply struck his team members.

As Captain, not only did he need to hold onto this match, but what he needed to do even more was to boost the confidence of his team members.

Losing didn't matter, but confidence could not be lost.

Therefore, to Tachibana Kippei, this was not just about winning or losing a match; it was related to the confidence of his team members and their future paths.

The pressure Tachibana Kippei was shouldering could be imagined.

And Tachibana Kippei recalling the conversation with Takahashi before the match also made him somewhat absent-minded.

The match for Doubles 1 was currently underway on the court.

Tachibana Kippei walked in front of Takahashi.

"Takahashi, I heard that you Rikkai replaced a first-year Vice Captain?"

Tachibana asked.

"Your news is quite well-informed, but there is an error; it wasn't replacing the Vice Captain, but the Captain."

Takahashi said.

"So, is it you?"

Tachibana asked in disbelief.

"Yes!"

Takahashi replied.

As soon as the match began, when Tachibana saw Takahashi sitting in the Rikkai coaching chair on the court, he had a premonition that the newly appointed Vice Captain was Takahashi.

Tachibana had once faced Takahashi and knew his strength well.

Takahashi had defeated the "Emperor" Sanada.

Tachibana felt that this fact was not so hard to accept.

But he had not expected to learn from Takahashi's own mouth.

That it was not the Vice Captain who had been replaced, but the Captain!

This fact truly shocked Tachibana.

What shocked him even more was Takahashi's age.

A first-year!

Only a first-year! And already this powerful!

Incredible.

Tachibana knew that he had no chance of winning against Takahashi.

He had originally thought that Rikkai changing their Vice Captain was to cultivate a newcomer in advance, to take over the position of Yukimura, who was already a third-year, in the future.

Therefore, Tachibana believed that this Vice Captain had good potential, but his current strength would not be too great.

After all, he was only a first-year.

Perhaps it was just like how they were cultivating Kirihara Akaya, valuing his future rather than his current strength.

However.

Upon learning that this person was Takahashi, and that he was the Captain, Tachibana completely overturned his previous assumption.

With Takahashi's strength, the strength that could shut him out.

Facing Sanada, wanting to win would not be difficult!

Even against Yukimura Seiichi, he would have the power to put up a fight!

And Takahashi was only a first-year; to show such strength already, how terrifying would he be by the time he reached his second or third year!

Therefore, Tachibana Kippei's pre-match guess was completely wrong.

Before the match, he had thought that this newly appointed first-year Vice Captain had potential, but that his strength would not be too great and would need to be slowly cultivated by the Three Giants.

But the appearance of Takahashi completely shattered this fantasy of his.

Not only that.

He had also inferred from Rikkai's previous match lineups that this Vice Captain probably did not understand how to arrange a team.

Now, seeing Takahashi, Tachibana Kippei knew he had been wrong to an outrageous degree!

Takahashi's knowledge and understanding of strategy and tactics were not just skillful and handy; they could simply be described as perfect and reaching the pinnacle.

Back then, it was Takahashi who had taught Tachibana about the "Tian Ji Horse Racing" strategy.

That was why Tachibana decided to turn Ibu Shinji and Kamio Akira, two players with decent singles strength, into a doubles pair.

It was precisely because of this decision, this knowledge learned from Takahashi.

That allowed Fudomine to completely defeat the tennis powerhouse Hyotei Academy at the Metropolitan Tournament.

That allowed Fudomine to make it all the way to the semifinals at the Kanto Tournament.

Only three matches were needed to secure the final victory.

Now, at the Kanto Tournament semifinals, Tachibana had originally intended to use this strategy against Rikkai.

Even if he couldn't win the match, he could at least guarantee one victory!

He had assumed that the Rikkai team leader did not understand this tactic.

Yet he never expected that the current Captain of Rikkai was Takahashi, the very same Takahashi who had taught him this strategy and tactic!

This was truly showing off one's blade in front of Guan Gong.

How overestimating of his own abilities!

Takahashi completely crushed him, Tachibana Kippei, not only in strength but also in strategy and tactics.

Before this match had even begun, Tachibana Kippei understood that Fudomine was bound to lose.

There was simply no chance of winning at all!

Not even a sliver of a chance!

But he was, after all, the Captain of Fudomine; the responsibility weighing on his shoulders was heavy, and he also had to consider the confidence of his team members.

If even the commander gave up, Fudomine would truly be finished!

The pressure Tachibana Kippei was facing now could well be imagined!

On the court, the match between Tachibana Kippei and Kirihara Akaya was still continuing.

"Bang!"

Tachibana Kippei started running, using all his strength just to return Kirihara's ball.