A Sudden Turn of Events

The tennis ball disappeared from Kevin's sight again, then reappeared on his left side.

However, this time the Ghost Ball is a bit unusual; it appeared earlier than before.

Previously, the Ghost Ball always appeared to Kevin's left rear, but this time it appeared directly to his left.

Kevin, who hadn't expected Kirihara to hit Ghost Ball, also noticed the problem and began to ponder the reason.

When the crowd saw Kirihara hit the Ghost Ball again, they thought Kirihara was about to launch a counterattack and immediately started cheering him on.

"The spin isn't enough; this level of Ghost Ball is practically handing it to them."

Seeing that the ball appeared much earlier than before, Horio shook his head.

"Fuji, if it were you... how would you deal with that Ghost Ball?"

"That Ghost Ball spins so fast, even if you just swing randomly, you might not be able to hit it. I think I need to see the angle of the ball carefully."

Sanada, who was off the field, was also very interested in Kirihara's Ghost Ball, so he discussed it with Fuji.

Kevin was on the field, also noticed the Ghost Ball technique.

"I've seen the angle of the ball clearly; you won't succeed next time."

A new round begins. Kevin has found a way to deal with the Ghost Ball, so he keeps trying to lure Kirihara.

After several rounds of play, Kirihara once again adopted the Ghost Ball stance.

Upon seeing this, Kevin Kirihara and struck the ball.

Kevin immediately took his position, ready to retaliate.

However, this was not Ghost Ball, but a normal return shot.

Bang...

"Kanto team scores, 30:40"

"Oh no, it was just a feint."

Kevin thought Kirihara doing it on purpose, but in reality, it was difficult for Kirihara to hit the Ghost Ball continuously.

Even if you manage to hit it, it'll be a low-quality Ghost Ball.

Bang...

"Kanto team scores, 40-40"

"Another feint..."

Another ordinary return shot, tying the score.

Now even the people in the audience thought Kirihara was using tactics, and they all praised Kirihara wisdom.

"It was already very difficult to hit Ghost Ball, but you managed to confuse your opponent. You could say you got lucky."

Seeing that both those on and off the field were confused, Horio was somewhat amused and exasperated.

Bang...

"Advantage, Kirihara."

"Damn it, another feint. It really surprised me, but it doesn't feel that simple."

Having been fooled once again, Kevin was starting to have doubts.

"Damn it, if I can't hit Ghost Ball soon, the opponent will get suspicious, but how many more shots can I hit with my shoulder?"

Kirihara, gritting his teeth and persevering, realized he couldn't continue like this, but he didn't know that Kevin had begun to suspect him.

So, in the next shot, to avoid arousing Kevin's suspicion, Kirihara once again endured the pain and hit Ghost Ball.

Kevin, who had been waiting for the Ghost Ball, finally got his chance. He quickly took his position and prepared to retaliate.

But this time the ball didn't appear where it was supposed to; instead, it bounced towards Kevin's face.

Kevin was caught off guard by the sudden shot and barely managed to dodge it with a quick reaction.

"Kanto team scores, score tied 2-2"

"Damn it, has the angle of the rebound changed?"

Kevin was delusional again, thinking that Kirihara had deliberately adjusted the ball's bounce angle.

"Oh no, if this keeps up, my arm will be ruined."

Feeling the pain in his shoulder becoming increasingly pronounced, Kirihara changed tactics once again.

At the start of the fifth game, Kirihara switched his racket to his left hand.

Kevin on the field and everyone off the field witnessed this scene, and the doubts they had about Kirihara not hitting the Ghost Ball resurfaced.

"Kirihara is using his left hand. What is he planning to do now?"

"But why do I have this feeling that something's not right?"

Kevin felt insulted once again when he saw Kirihara do this.

"You're using your left hand? Are you looking down on me?!"

"Heh, dealing with you will only require my left hand."

Kirihara still wore that arrogant smile, but it was clearly somewhat unnatural.

He then served a weak serve with his left hand, and seeing this, Kevin got angry again.

"What a piece of junk! There's a limit to how much you can underestimate someone!"

Kevin immediately swung his racket backhand, returning the shot with great force.

Whether it's serving or returning the ball, Kirihara's left hand is far inferior to his right.

So, just as he returned the ball, Kevin scored directly with a left-handed flat shot.

Seeing himself easily scored against, Kirihara was somewhat unwilling, but he still didn't switch his racket to his right hand.

Bang...

"West Coast team scores, 30:0"

Bang...

"West Coast team scores, 40:0"

"Damn it, my left hand is still not strong enough, but I won't give up easily."

Kirihara clenched his teeth, whether from the consecutive points scored on him or from the pain in his shoulder, it was unclear.

Holding onto the belief that he couldn't easily give up the match, he still served with his left hand.

Having faced Kirihara's left hand for three consecutive shots, Kevin was growing increasingly impatient.

"Seriously, why do you keep using your left hand and hitting that Ghost Ball?!"

Bang...

"West Coast team scores, score 3-2"

With a roar, Kevin won the fifth inning.

"That's enough, Kirihara. That's enough."

As soon as the referee finished speaking, Horio stood up.

"Referee, our athlete is injured. Please give us some time to receive treatment."

Only after hearing Horio's voice did everyone realize what was happening.

It turns out that Kirihara had already injured his shoulder after hitting the net post, which is why those symptoms appeared.

"Hmph, I see. I almost fell for your trick."

At this moment, Kevin understood everything.

"It looks like we really can't continue. I'll go tell the referee we're forfeiting."

"Are you kidding me? I'm not giving up! I'll compete even if I have to take painkillers!"

Inside the medical room, the doctor's advice after the examination was that he absolutely could not continue the match.

Upon hearing the doctor's words, Coach Sakaki decided to give up on First Singles.

But that wouldn't work for the fiercely competitive Kirihara; he was determined to finish the match no matter what.

"Your condition is too serious to continue the match; you need to be hospitalized immediately."

The doctor spoke again, but how could the stubborn Kirihara listen?

"I'm fine. Please let me continue the competition. I'm really unwilling to give up like this."

"It's no use being unwilling. There's a living example right here beside you. There's no need to ruin your athletic career for one game."

Hearing that Kirihara still refused treatment, Horio walked in.

"It's impossible for you to play, but the match can still go on."

We have a substitute player, and there's a special rule in this match.

You can let Echizen finish the rest of the match in your place; otherwise, we'll have to forfeit this match.

Even if you don't think about yourself, you should at least think about Rikkai Dai. What will Rikkai Dai become without you?

Since you believe you are very strong, then use your current frustration as motivation to become even stronger in the future.