Chapter 90: Issuing a Challenge

Takahashi entered the Tennis Club with zero tennis experience, and in less than half a year, he dared to challenge the Vice Captain and the Captain.

And that was the Captain and Vice Captain of the number one Tennis Club in the country.

To outsiders, it was simply reckless!

A newborn calf is not afraid of the tiger!

Audacious!

Moreover, he would skip the Tennis Club's basic training whenever he could and never trained obediently.

Yet, this casual and free-spirited Takahashi actually succeeded in his challenge.

Relying on his own strength, he successfully sat in the position of Captain of the number one Tennis Club in the country.

After becoming Captain, Takahashi did not change his free and easygoing personality.

For the first few matches of the Kanto Tournament, and even including the semi-finals, the lineup Takahashi decided on was very casual, without considering overall strategy or tactics.

It gave people the feeling that the order was decided as if he had drawn lots.

Even with such recklessness, Rikkai had not lost a single point, whether in terms of the overall score or individual match scores.

However, for the upcoming final, Takahashi, who usually did not play by the rules, suddenly stopped being reckless and began to consider the lineup and think about strategy and tactics.

The problem, then, was huge!

Just as Yanagi Renji was using his brain to quickly think about the reason why Takahashi was no longer being reckless, Sanada spoke up.

"Does the Captain think Seigaku is difficult to deal with based on his strength?"

"I believe that defeating Seigaku is the easiest thing in the world."

Listening to Sanada's words, Yanagi Renji felt the same way.

Yanagi had once made calculations for a match between Rikkai and Seigaku.

The probability of Rikkai winning is 95%, and the probability of winning using only 3 matches is 90%.

Even if Takahashi continued to randomly change the lineup and order, it would have no impact on the match result.

Because.

The difference in strength between the two sides is simply too great!

It is truly a difference between heaven and earth!

Yanagi Renji could not think of any reason for Rikkai to lose.

However, from Takahashi's actions, one could see that Takahashi respected and valued this opponent very much.

A Takahashi like this is not a common sight!

"So, is this the reason why you insisted on coming here to Seigaku to take a look?"

Yanagi asked.

"Yes!"

Sanada replied.

It was just that looking left and right, in a team without Tezuka, Sanada really could not find any place that could pose a threat to Rikkai.

Fuji Shusuke and Echizen Ryoma.

Although these two have decent strength, it depends on who you compare them with.

Compared to other schools in the Kanto Tournament, these two are indeed very impressive.

But if compared to Wangzhe Rikai Da.

They don't count for anything at all!

"By the way, where is Kirihara?"

Yanagi Renji asked.

Just now he was immersed in his own thoughts, and without paying attention, Kirihara had disappeared.

"He's probably still over at Seigaku! I'll go find him and bring him back."

Sanada said.

Rikkai's shelter from the rain.

"How was it?" Takahashi looked up and saw the three of them return, then asked.

"The tournament organizing committee decided to postpone the match for one week."

Sanada replied.

"Master, the people from Seigaku are too arrogant; they actually said that our Rikkai was blinded by the victories of the past two years, which is why we chose a Captain who is only in the first year."

As soon as Sanada finished speaking, Kirihara couldn't wait to speak up and tell them about his trip to Seigaku just now.

"What?"

"Tell me in detail, what else did they say!"

Yagyu, Marui, and the others were all very shocked after hearing Kirihara's words.

They knew Kirihara's temper.

It must have been Kirihara who went up to provoke them first.

If the people from Seigaku had only targeted Kirihara, although they would have been dissatisfied with Seigaku, they would not have shielded Kirihara too much.

After all, this was not a big deal, just a conflict between team members.

But to escalate this matter to the Captain.

To look down on the Captain of their Rikkaidai Tennis Club!

This, this was not a small matter!

Kirihara continued: "They also said that although their Captain Tezuka cannot participate in the match due to illness, our Captain Yukimura is also hospitalized; without a Captain, we are on the same starting line."

"However, they at Seigaku have an experienced tennis Coach to oversee the big picture, while we do not. Furthermore, Seigaku is a school that values history and tradition; they wouldn't just randomly pick a first-year to be Captain."

"Even if they possess the strongest first-year in the country, Echizen Ryoma, they still understand the tradition of respecting seniority."

"They also said that because we at Rikkai won the last two years, we've become arrogant. Arrogance leads to complacency, and complacency leads to Metsu..."

Kirihara continued speaking.

"Enough!"

Sanada spoke up to interrupt Kirihara, scolding him.

Marui, Kuwahara, and the others were so angry their faces turned red.

This Seigaku was being far too excessive; the match hadn't even started yet, and they dared to look down on Rikkai and the Captain like this.

"Did they really say that?"

Takahashi put down the manga he was holding, looking somewhat surprised.

"Yes, Master, they went too far!"

"I was just about to argue with them further when I was pulled back by Vice Captain Sanada."

Kirihara was also extremely indignant.

Everyone fell silent for a moment.

"Since that's the case, Sanada, help me issue a formal challenge to Seigaku.

At the Singles No. 3 position, I will be waiting for Echizen Ryoma."

While speaking, Takahashi packed up his things and strode away.

Seigaku.

Fuji Shusuke, Momoshiro Takeshi, and the others were all gathered inside the office of Ryuzaki Sumire.

On the desk in front of Ryuzaki Sumire lay an envelope, which was precisely the formal challenge issued by Rikkai.

Kikumaru was the first to speak: "Aren't we already going to play them in the Kanto Tournament Finals? Isn't coming all this way to issue a formal challenge redundant?"

Fuji said: "The other side's intention is to have us place Echizen in the Singles No. 3 position."

Currently, Seigaku's Captain Tezuka cannot participate in the upcoming finals due to illness, so Ryuzaki has placed the player she values most, Echizen Ryoma, in the Singles One position.

Kikumaru was still very confused and said: "The other side is the Captain, so he should also be in the Singles One position. If he wants to play against the little guy, he doesn't need to issue this challenge; according to the order, the two of them could face each other anyway!"

Beside him, Inui Sadaharu pushed up his glasses and said: "According to the data I have collected, most of Rikkai's matches end in a 3-0 score, eliminating their opponents; they never even reach the fifth game."

"What?"

Kikumaru was very surprised. He continued: "So they issued this challenge because they think they can defeat us in three matches, and the little guy won't even have a chance to play?"

Oishi looked at Kikumaru with concern.

Kikumaru was blunt and straightforward; he hadn't read the expression on Coach Ryuzaki's face at all.

At this moment, Ryuzaki's face had turned completely black.

After all, issuing a formal challenge to an opponent before a match is something that causes little physical harm but is extremely insulting.

Especially since the challenge was delivered directly to the Coach's desk rather than to the Vice Captain.

Moreover, the challenge was implying that Rikkai only needed three matches to defeat Seigaku.

This made Ryuzaki, as the Coach of Seigaku, lose a lot of face.

Kikumaru even said this implication out loud.

Ever since Kikumaru finished speaking, the entire office was silent.

After a long while, Echizen Ryoma pushed down the brim of his hat and said: "Since they've issued a challenge, then let's play!"

Ryuzaki spoke viciously: "They really don't know how to respect their elders at all, actually delivering a challenge to me here. I've eaten more salt than they've eaten rice."

"To be so young and arrogant, with no regard for their elders and filled with pride—they are bound to take a big fall."

"Ryoma is a four-time champion of the US Junior Tennis League, while that new Captain has no reputation in the elementary school tennis world; there is simply no record of such a person."

"Since they want to bring humiliation upon themselves, Ryoma, show them what you're made of."

"Who says we at Seigaku will lose in three matches against Rikkai?"

"Ryoma, it is up to you, the genius, to end Rikkai's road to the championship."