*Pitter-patter!*
The venue for the national tournament was drenched in a torrential downpour.
Representatives and spectators from various schools had all scrambled to find shelter from the rain.
According to the schedule for the second day, the quarterfinals were to be held in the morning, followed by the semifinals in the afternoon. The two teams that advanced to the finals would face off the next morning in the championship match.
But now...
The rain showed no signs of letting up. It had been pouring relentlessly since 10 a.m., and it wasn't until 2 p.m. that it finally began to subside.
However, the organizers had already made a decision at noon: the two afternoon matches would be postponed to the next morning, and the finals would be pushed to the day after.
Unlike the original storyline, the two strongest teams in the quarterfinals were now Hyotei and Shitenhoji. As a result, none of the matches were delayed to the next day.
In the other three matches:
- Rikkai Dai had defeated Makinofuji.
- Seigaku had beaten Fudomine.
- Nagoya Seitoku had triumphed over Yamabuki.
With that, the national semifinalists were decided. The four towering peaks of middle school tennis had emerged!
*Pitter-patter...*
The heavy rain continued to pour.
On a bus heading from Tokyo to Kanagawa, raindrops tapped against the windows. The atmosphere inside was quiet. The boys in yellow-and-black jackets were either resting with their eyes closed or intently studying the materials in their hands.
Living closer to Tokyo, they didn't book hotels like Shitenhoji did. Instead, they had to commute daily between Tokyo and Kanagawa.
"Our opponent tomorrow is Hyotei," said Kaidoh, turning around from the front seat to look at the back. "Captain Yukimura, please put me in the singles 3 spot tomorrow!"
"I'll consider it," replied Yukimura, the blue-haired boy with a green headband and the captain of Rikkai Dai, nodding slightly.
Having returned from the hospital after two weeks of recovery, Yukimura had regained his pre-hospitalization form. His return had filled the gap in Rikkai Dai's singles lineup, making the defending champions a team with no weaknesses!
Or so many of the team members believed.
But in Yukimura's eyes, this year's national tournament was full of variables. The team he was most wary of was undoubtedly Hyotei.
"Yanagi," Yukimura turned to the brown-haired boy sitting beside him, who had his eyes lightly closed. "When we get back, show me the footage of Hyotei's recent matches."
"Understood," Yanagi replied with a nod.
The bus fell silent once more.
---
Meanwhile, the Hyotei team had returned to their tennis club.
With the rain pouring outside, Coach Sakaki had strictly forbidden any training in the rain, especially for the regulars. He ordered them to stay in the cafeteria and wait for the rain to stop before heading home.
As the team's coach, he paid attention to every detail. In Sakaki's eyes, this was Hyotei's best chance to win the national championship. Any mistake that could lead to a loss was absolutely unacceptable.
Ishikawa was even more direct. After returning, he collected everyone's rackets for safekeeping. Meanwhile, he analyzed the possible lineup Rikkai Dai might deploy the next day.
To him, Rikkai Dai was clearly the stronger team overall. Defeating them would essentially secure the championship for Hyotei.
---
At 2 p.m., the Rikkai Dai team returned to their school.
The rain still hadn't stopped.
Kaidoh got off the bus and immediately headed to the cafeteria to eat. Jackal and Marui followed behind him. Yanagi was reviewing data, while Yagyuu was flipping through a magazine.
Everyone had their own way of relieving stress.
In the kendo dojo, Sanada, now dressed in a loose robe, picked up a wooden sword and stepped into the practice area.
Since it was summer break, the dojo was empty.
Sanada stood in front of a dummy, holding the wooden sword. After adjusting his breathing and focusing his mind, he began practicing his slashing motions over and over again.
Yukimura, meanwhile, headed to the screening room.
He fast-forwarded through the footage Yanagi had collected of Hyotei's matches since the Kantō tournament. The Rikkai Dai captain watched intently, even enjoying Hyotei's doubles matches. With his keen observational skills, Yukimura continuously gathered and analyzed Hyotei's weaknesses.
In the end, he concluded:
This team was the biggest threat to Rikkai Dai's reign as champions!
Afterward, Yukimura left the screening room and returned to the tennis club's office. Like Ishikawa, he began analyzing the possible lineup their opponents might deploy.
*Click.*
After Yukimura left, a figure appeared in the screening room.
The newcomer glanced at the paused image on the projector—Momoshiro pinned against the wall—and a glint of interest flashed in his eyes.
"So this is the strength of Hyotei's strongest player, huh?" he murmured, raising an eyebrow.
He rewound the footage, skipping the doubles matches and focusing solely on the singles matches.
*Crunch!*
Biting into an apple, he replayed the interesting parts, watching with great interest.
---
*Drip... drip...*
By 4 p.m., the rain had finally begun to ease.
In the kendo dojo, Sanada, who had already executed hundreds of slashes, suddenly had a moment of enlightenment.
*Swish!*
He raised his wooden sword and slashed at what he perceived as the dummy's weak point.
*Rip!*
A sharp sound echoed as the dummy was split from the right shoulder to the left rib.
*Thud!*
But as Sanada sheathed his sword, a deep gash suddenly appeared from the dummy's left rib to its right waist.
"Not bad," a voice came from the entrance of the dojo. "It seems your kendo skills have improved."
Sanada turned to see Yukimura walking in with a smile.
"What's up?" Sanada asked, sheathing his sword.
"I have something to discuss... though it's more of a personal thought," Yukimura said, glancing at Sanada. "The rain's stopped. Care to play a match with me?"
Sanada's calm expression faltered for a moment.
"Hmm..." He pondered for a moment. Though he didn't know why Yukimura wanted to play now, Sanada himself had been eager for a rematch.
"Alright," he said seriously. "To be honest, I've been waiting for this day for a long time."
---
At 4:10 p.m., the Rikkai Dai tennis club was abuzz.
The afternoon heat had dried the hard courts.
Players began training in small groups. This was Rikkai Dai's rule, especially for the regulars.
Soon, Marui, Jackal, Kaidoh, and others appeared on the courts. Yanagi and Yagyuu followed, and under Yanagi's guidance, the team began their formal training.
"It's so hot!" Kaidoh exclaimed, already drenched in sweat after just two laps.
"That's normal," Yanagi explained, maintaining a steady pace and breathing rhythm. "The rain just stopped, and the heat is evaporating the moisture from the ground. Training now is like being in a sauna—it drains your stamina faster than usual."
"Also," he added, "the temperature is manageable now, but the sun will set soon. By tomorrow morning, when the humidity is at its peak, the stamina drain will be even worse."
"Got it," Kaidoh nodded. "So if tomorrow's match turns into a long battle, those with weaker stamina will struggle, right?" He puffed out his chest confidently. "But I've been doing stamina training lately, so that's not a problem for me!"
"Kaidoh, you're wrong," Jackal chimed in with a grin. "Stamina is relative. Your current stamina might stand out at the regional level, but at the national level... well, let's just say it's a different story!"
"You!" Kaidoh glared at Jackal, who was also sweating. "You're not doing much better! Shouldn't this weather be normal for someone from Brazil? Why are you lagging behind me?"
"Don't kid yourself," Jackal smirked. "I've already lapped you once!"
"What?!" Kaidoh was stunned.
Jackal seized the moment and sprinted past him.
"No way!" Kaidoh, refusing to back down, sped up, trying to close the gap.
But no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't catch up. Determined, Kaidoh put his head down and charged forward, eventually overtaking Jackal.
"Haha!" Kaidoh laughed triumphantly. "See? Your speed's nothing special. If you admit defeat now, you only have to treat me to barbecue later!"
"Kaidoh," Jackal said, not taking the bait. Instead, he pointed ahead. "Look over there."
"Huh?" Kaidoh turned his head.
"What?!" His eyes widened as he saw two figures in Rikkai Dai regular uniforms on the opposite court. "Captain Yukimura and Vice-Captain Sanada? Wait..."
Realization dawned on him, and he blurted out, "Are they about to play a match?!"
The entire team, including Yanagi and Yagyuu, stopped their training and gathered around the court.
The afternoon sun slowly set over the sea, casting long shadows of the two towering figures on the court.
At that moment, on the tennis court, stood the two strongest players of Rikkai Dai: Yukimura and Sanada, facing each other across the net.
"Sanada," Yukimura said with a smile. "Don't hold back. Give it your all."
"Don't worry, I won't," Sanada replied, his sharp eyes locked on Yukimura. "I want to see if you're still fit to be Rikkai Dai's singles 1."
The surrounding team members couldn't help but gasp.
The tension between the two was palpable—like two sharp blades clashing!
---
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