One Against Two
The two Seigaku members were on the verge of a fight, seemingly about to actually come to blows at any moment.
This state of the competition naturally worried the rehearsals, and they decisively began to intervene.
"Hey, you two from Seigaku over there! Do you even want to continue the match? If you want to keep playing, get back to your positions right now!"
After simple persuasion failed to work, the referee issued an ultimatum to Momoshiro and Kaidoh.
Hearing the referee's stern words, Momoshiro and Kaidoh decisively separated, returning to their seats one after the other.
The game continues.
"Go back!"
Kaidoh has a longer reach than average, so his hitting point is higher than others.
This method also makes it easier for him to unleash his signature moves while expending less energy.
However, if he encounters a tennis ball that lands even lower, like Echizen Ryoma in the original work, constantly hitting low balls, he will need to constantly crouch down.
This will also increase the stress on his knees, and running and physical exertion will cause more damage to his knees.
In the school ranking competition, he almost lost to Echizen Ryoma for this very reason.
If Kaidoh hadn't learned some of the techniques that Saeki Muneyoshi had used in front of him, he might have been defeated by Echizen Ryoma, just like Momoshiro Takeshi.
Even without failure, this weakness still served as a wake-up call, prompting him to increase the range of his knees and squats.
Facing Ishida Tetsu's powerful counterattack, Kaidou Kaoru did not hesitate.
Bang!
Faced with a technique that combines force and momentum, the Wave Shot generates a whistling force that cuts through the air.
Kaidoh's expression was grave. He had already noticed that Ishida's hitting power was constantly increasing, knowing that his opponent was using a stronger Wave Shot.
Faced with such an attack, Kaidoh no longer intended to hold back. If they didn't disrupt Ishida Tetsu's rhythm, they would likely be in serious trouble.
Bang!
Kaidoh, holding his racket with both hands, quickly turned sideways to catch up with the falling tennis ball, and used a motion similar to hitting a golf ball to scoop it up from the ground, instantly sending dust flying.
"The Poison Fang!"
The strong topspin and powerful force propelled the tennis ball into the outer corner of the receiving area, tearing two sharp vortexes around the ball like fangs.
Moreover, the tennis ball bounces at a very tricky angle after landing.
This ball exceeded Sakurai Masaya's ability to return it, and he could only watch helplessly as the tennis ball flew out from the tip of his racket and continued towards the baseline.
Fortunately, there was still Ishida Tetsu. Although Ishida wasn't very skilled at this kind of spinning ball, he did have experience facing Whirlwind Spin before.
Kaidoh's casual change of the ball was impressive, but it couldn't compare to Higa Junior High's move. Ishida stepped out of bounds and hit a beautiful cross-court smash before the tennis ball even hit the ground.
"As expected of Fudomine, but I am Kaidou Kaoru!"
Kaidoh's eyes snapped open, and his normally normal pupils now resembled the vertical pupils of a snake.
"Momoshiro Takeshi, watch closely, this is my true strength!"
Kaidoh strode quickly to the ball's landing point, crouching low to prepare, twisting his waist and abdomen to generate power from his arms and wrists.
"Spinning Snake Shot!"
A powerful, sweeping shot, like a venomous snake coiling its body to deliver a fatal blow.
The tennis ball, spinning violently, hissed and flew out of bounds in a flash, much to everyone's astonishment.
Then, it flew around one of the pillars and the referee's seat, flying from outside the court into Fudomine's court, landing precisely where Ishida Tetsu had just stood after hitting the ball back.
Bang!
"Game, Seigaku, 5:4."
"Wow! What kind of playing style is that?!"
"That ball flew out of bounds before landing back in; that shouldn't be a foul, right?"
"It seems this guy just used two really powerful moves. Was the last one Spinning Snake Shot? That's what it's called, right?"
"The second-year students at Seigaku are really amazing!"
The spectators outside the stadium erupted in cheers, stunned by the enormous arc of Kaidoh's Spinning Snake Shot.
Not only the other spectators, but even the members of Fudomine were somewhat shocked at this moment.
Even Tachibana Kippei and Keith had some appreciation for Kaoru Kaidō Kaoru.
"Seigaku. Is this why the captain is wary of Seigaku?"
Even Ibu Shinji's indifferent face, as impassive as a porcelain mask, finally showed a slight ripple.
"You viper, you've already completed this move too?!"
Momoshiro turned around and saw that Kaidoh was still in the same hitting posture as before, his competitive spirit burning fiercely.
He gripped his racket tightly, squeezing it so hard it cracked.
"Don't be so smug, you viper, watch out!"
"Hiss~"
Bang!
"Center of Gravity Vertical Jump Style!"
Facing the Wave Shot ball returned by Ishida Tetsu, Momoshiro Takeshi did not dodge. He leaned forward, took a few steps, and leaped forward.
Using the momentum from running and jumping, the racket is placed horizontally at the waist, and the weight of the whole body is gathered in a one-legged, leaping posture.
The immense force propelled the tennis ball, carrying a shockwave, as it hurtled towards Ishida Tetsu with terrifying momentum.
"Trying to score so easily? Dream on!"
Ishida Tetsu glared angrily, stomped his right foot back, raised his right hand to strike, and displayed astonishing muscle lines on his arm.
"Wave Shot 20th Style - Burst Smash!"
Boom!
With a loud bang, an astonishing golden beam of light, crackling with lightning, shot out from beside Ishida Tetsu's hand.
The airflow, filled with brute force and destruction, flew unstoppably towards Seigaku's arena.
"Damn it, it's even stronger than Kawamura -senpai's Wave Shot!"
Momoshiro stared at the ball in shock, realizing the tennis ball was approaching. He instinctively twisted his body, holding the racket in both hands, and swung it towards the golden light.
Sizzle!
The immense impact tore at Momoshiro's racket, but the sensation didn't last long. It merely jolted Momoshiro back half a step before he felt the racket slip through his fingers.
The destructive golden light pierced through the net in Momoshiro's hand and flew straight backward.
Off the court, Echizen Ryoma, who was facing Momoshiro, witnessed this scene. The tennis ball flew straight towards him, and its powerful pressure froze him for a moment.
Boom!
Fortunately, the iron net blocked Ishida's return shot, which did not penetrate the net, but it did leave a deep dent.
"This... is this the level of Japan middle school students? It's so good to be back!"
Although it was dangerous just now, it still excited Echizen. He felt a sense of crisis that none of America's peers could give him.
"Game score: Fudomine scores, score 5-5."
Both sides entered another tense scoring phase.
No matter how much Momoshiro or Kaidoh pulls ahead, Ishida will use brute force to bring them back in the next moment.
The score was tied again, leading to a tiebreaker.
Bang!
"Spinning Snake Shot!"
Kaidoh frequently created opportunities with his snake shot, constantly hitting Spinning Snake Shot that kept Ishida Tetsu on the run. Then, when Ishida returned the ball again...
Momoshiro once again employed his Center of Gravity Vertical Jump Style.
However, this time Ishida Tetsu still didn't give him a chance, and with a determined heart, he once again drew his racket and raised his shoulder.
"Wave Shot Style 30!"
The powerful Wave Shot, imbued with an aura of destruction, swept up the surrounding air and crashed down on Momoshiro Takeshi of Seigaku with a raging, surging roar.
"Aaaaaah! Ha!"
Hiss... thud!
"Game, Fudomine Junior High wins this round, score 7:6."
Despite using all his strength, Momoshiro Takeshi was unable to return Ishida Tetsu's powerful Wave Shot, and instead damaged his racket again.
However, compared to his initial ability to break through directly, he can now maintain that speed for several seconds.
In the regional qualifier finals, Fudomine took the first game.
Next up were the doubles pair Mori Tatsunori and Ryosuke, while Seigaku fielded their Golden Pair.
There were few surprises in this match; Seigaku won easily.