Whoosh...
A sharp sound cut through the air.
A sharp whoosh rang out as a fast—but not overly fast—serve flew from Horio's racket toward Fudomine's side of the court, seeming to slice through the air.
Seeing a ball that was about the same as the previous serve, if not a little weaker, the Fudomine team all voiced their doubts.
"What's with that first-year? Why is he holding back at a time like this? Just because he managed to return Ishida's Wave Ball, does he think he can insult Fudomine?"
"He's just a first-year kid. Having a bit of strength doesn't mean he can hit Ishida's Wave Ball."
"Ishida, show that first-year punk what you can do."
The only one who managed to remain calm was Tachibana Kippei, standing with his arms crossed. But his furrowed brow betrayed his worry.
"That ball is anything but simple... What that first-year said just now might have sounded unpleasant, but there's no denying it... He was only telling the truth."
Suddenly understanding what Horio had meant, Tachibana could no longer keep his composure.
"Ishida! Get out of the way! Don't return that ball!"
The Fudomine players looked puzzled at Tachibana's warning. Ishida on the court didn't understand why his captain was telling him not to return a ball he could clearly reach, either.
Ignoring the warning, Ishida gritted his teeth and swung his racket. Driven by the last of his resentment, he summoned the strength for one final Wave Ball.
As the ball dropped toward the ground, Ishida's tensed arm was ready.
The ball hit the ground! It bounced! Seizing his chance, Ishida swung hard—but he failed to notice what the rebounding ball had done to the court.
The moment it touched the ground, the seemingly ordinary serve had gouged a dent into the surface before bouncing back up.
As it bounced again, a cloud of dust rose. At the same moment, a figure shot out of the dust alongside the ball.
It was Ishida, who had tried to return it! The rebounding ball had sent him flying.
The enormous force of the ball's rebound sent him hurtling away, and he lost consciousness in an instant.
Only the sound of Ishida hitting the ground broke the silence. There wasn't another sound anywhere on or around the court.
Everyone was stunned. Nobody there had ever seen a ball send someone flying—not one that had already lost some of its force by bouncing off the ground, at that.
If anyone could manage not to look completely astonished, it was probably Coach Ryuzaki, dressed in a pink tracksuit.
"How incredible. To hit a ball like that at his age... Even Echizen Nanjirou couldn't do it at this age, back then. It seems someone has appeared who can surpass an entire era."
"Hey, referee, aren't you going to call the score? That ball was in, wasn't it?"
"Ah—oh, right! Kawamura and Horio score. 40–0, match point for Seigaku."
The referee, equally stunned, only came to his senses when Horio called out to him.
"Referee, they can't keep playing, can they? That guy looks like he's passed out."
Horio looked at Ishida, still lying on the ground without getting up. He figured the guy had been knocked out.
"Fudomine's Ishida has passed out and cannot continue. Seigaku wins this match."
After assessing Ishida's condition, the referee announced the result of Second Doubles.
"Ugh, that was so boring. I thought it'd be interesting, but it turned out to be a disappointing piece of junk."
Back at the team bench, Horio kept grumbling.
"Hey, brat, you won, so you won. Why are you still bragging like that?"
"Looks like Horio didn't really get to enjoy the match."
"Anyway, Aron and Horio, you both worked hard in that match. It's our turn now. We'll win this match too."
With that, Seigaku's Golden Pair, Oishi and Kikumaru, headed onto the court with their racket bags.
Horio, looking disappointed, said he was thirsty and got up to buy some water. Momoshiro tried to call him over to watch Oishi and Kikumaru's match.
But Horio only replied, "There's no point watching a match when you already know the result. The difference in skill is too great. I'll be back when Senpai Kaitou takes the court."
Horio's offhand remark left the Seigaku team looking confident.
That was right. The outcome of this match was already decided. The Golden Pair definitely wouldn't lose.
"Tezuka, wouldn't it be great to play a match against Horio?"
"Yeah. I'm looking forward to the day I can give it my all against him."
A hint of fighting spirit appeared in Fuji's eyes beneath his smile. Even Tezuka, who usually kept a straight face, sharpened his gaze and unconsciously looked at his left hand.
"I have to get better as soon as possible. This year, Seigaku has its best chance yet to win the national championship."
Sure enough, Second Doubles ended without a shred of suspense. Seigaku's Golden Pair gave their opponents no chance to fight back.
Seigaku had now won two matches in a row. They only needed one more win to claim the district preliminaries championship.
Not long after Second Doubles ended, Kaitou was getting ready to take the court. But rain began falling, and Horio, who had slipped away to buy water, returned as well.
"Talk about bad luck. Senpai Kaitou must be pretty frustrated right now."
"Brat, mind your own business. No matter what, I'm going to win."
"Oh? You're that easy to rile up? That's surprising."
Horio had teased Kaitou on purpose and could tell he was already thrown off, so he didn't push it any further. Meanwhile, on the other side, Fudomine's Third Singles player, Kamio Akira, listened to music to stay in the zone.
"Heh. Even the fastest prey gets tired. The faster it runs, the faster it dies."
Horio didn't know that Inui Sadaharu, standing right behind him, had heard his muttering. Inui pushed up his glasses thoughtfully.
Before long, the rain stopped, and Third Singles began on the muddy court.
Once the players had taken the court, but before they could shake hands, Kamio Akira of Fudomine remarked, "I heard your nickname is the Viper."
The remark infuriated Kaitou, already irritated by the rain. He raised his racket and swung it at Kamio.
The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned, but Kamio on the court dodged with his quick reflexes.
"You really are short-tempered, Viper."
Even after dodging the swing, Kamio kept talking. He made sure to emphasize the word "Viper," and Kaitou was now so furious he was ready to hit him.
Then Horio's voice suddenly rang out again.
"Don't get him wrong. He's not a viper. A viper wouldn't lose his patience just because of some random remark—especially not because of a useless guy who's only got a little speed."
Horio's words brought Kaitou back to his senses just as he was about to lose control. Kamio, seeing that Horio had seen through his provocation, couldn't take things any further.
At the referee's announcement, the Third Singles match began.
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