Kaitou's Demonization

"What are you talking about, Horio? We're discussing why Sanada treated Kaitou that way, not praising him."

Momoshiro was a little angry after hearing Horio's somewhat inexplicable words.

"Don't you understand? Why was Kaitou -Senpai Captain the Second Singles that originally belonged to Tezuka? Is it really just for fun to separate Kane -Senpai and Kaitou -Senpai for doubles?"

Why wasn't it you, Momoshiro, or anyone else who took on the Second Singles? Aren't there people among us who are more qualified than him?

Why was Sanada disappointed by Kaitou- Senpai's initial display of weakness, and why did he defeat him using Kaidou's most advantageous fighting style?

Horio's barrage of "whys" immediately silenced Momoshiro's mindless anger.

Even the other members of Seigaku fell silent and began to think, while Coach Ryuzaki simply smiled when he heard Horio's words.

Before the match began, when the Coach announced the starting lineup, Horio understood Tezuka's meaning when he heard that Kaitou would be playing Second Singles.

At the time, Horio was still lamenting that Tezuka's feelings for Seigaku were still quite deep; even though he was no longer with Seigaku, he was still thinking about Seigaku before he left.

"Hmph, Tezuka, your successor doesn't seem to be all that great, getting beaten up like this by Sanada."

In the spectator area, looking at the disheveled Kaitou on the field, Atobe's tone also contained some disappointment.

As a long-time rival and confidant, Atobe naturally understood some of Tezuka's thoughts.

Because at this point, he also had to start worrying about the next leader of Hyotei.

"If an athlete's mindset changes at the very beginning, that's a fatal problem."

Although Oshitari, who was standing next to Atobe, did not know the specifics of the situation, he had a clear understanding of the situation on the field.

On the court, the fourth game is about to begin.

Kaitou, whose mental state had been declining along with her physical exhaustion, slowly reached her limit. At that moment, Sanada's voice came again.

"I never thought someone like you would be noticed by Tezuka. Looks like even he can make a mistake one day."

Sanada's words initially startled Kaitou, who then looked on with disbelief.

"What are you saying! What right do you have to talk about Captain Tezuka like that!"

"His idea of handing Seigaku over to you is laughable. In my opinion, you are not qualified to lead Seigaku at all."

Hearing Sanada mock Tezuka, Kaitou, a devoted fan of Tezuka, naturally couldn't stand it.

However fierce his tone was, Sanada's ruthless words still struck Kaitou like bullets.

"What!? Sanada said Tezuka is going to hand over Seigaku to Kaitou!? Could it be..."

"It seems Tezuka made some remarkable arrangements before leaving. In order for Seigaku to go further after we graduate, he actually asked his rival to hone his chosen successor."

"So what that brat just said... is that what he meant...?"

"Damn it... Captain Tezuka actually wants Poisonous Snake as the next Captain... I'm really not happy about that."

Sanada's words not only struck Kaitou on the field like a bolt from the blue, but the Seigaku in the audience also couldn't believe their eyes.

However, considering what Horio had said earlier, the facts were already laid bare before them.

"So that's why Sanada did that."

"But Sanada wasn't wrong. Kaitou's performance just now really didn't qualify her to be the leader of a group. It was a waste of Tezuka and Sanada's good intentions."

On Rikkai Dai's side, Liu suddenly realized what was going on, while Niou also looked down on Kaitou.

"Captain Tezuka actually wants me to be the next Captain... Why is that...?"

Upon learning the truth on the court, Kaitou was overwhelmed by the news and a surge of emotions welled up inside her.

"Kaitou, it's your turn to serve."

Seeing that Kaitou remained motionless in her stunned state, the referee had no choice but to speak up and remind her.

Puff...

"Mistake."

Having fallen into a trap, Kaitou even made a mistake in her serve. After shaking her head to calm herself down a bit, she served again.

Sanada continued to employ a strategy of attrition, while Kaitou, lacking a plan, simply returned the ball based on her instincts.

So at this moment, he was like a puppet, being manipulated at will by Sanada.

"Kaitou has lost all fighting spirit; if this continues, we're destined to lose this match."

"It seems he hasn't fully processed this sudden news, or perhaps he's having trouble accepting it."

"However, I can understand Tezuka's intentions. After we graduate, Seigaku will really have very few players left who can compete..."

Because Tezuka's arrangements were made public by Sanada, Oishi, Kikumaru, and Kawamura, the third-year students, also learned about Seigaku's current situation, but as they were about to graduate, they were powerless to do anything about it.

Bang!

"Rikkai Dai Fuzoku Junior High School's Sanada scores, making the score 4-0."

Sanada won another game, and Kaitou, exhausted, fell to the ground while chasing the last ball.

"What are you doing, Viper? What do you look like?!"

Captain Tezuka had such high expectations of you, and this is how you repay them?!

You bastard, you're hogging such a good position Second Singles, and you're doing such stupid things! Do you even deserve to be a member of Seigaku?!

Seeing the fallen Kaitou on the ground, Momoshiro could no longer hold back.

It wasn't just because Tezuka valued Kaitou, but also because, as his old rival, he couldn't tolerate Kaitou's lack of fighting spirit.

When Momoshiro spoke, the Seigaku members remained silent, it was unclear whether they agreed with Momoshiro or had some other reason.

Momoshiro's words reached Kaitou's ears without missing a single one.

After a few seconds of silence, he clenched his fists and stood up.

A sudden aura was brewing around him as he kept his head down. Sanada, who was not far from him, sensed it and frowned.

"Hmm? This is..."

Off the field, Horio noticed the faint red aura emanating from Kaitou and immediately became curious.

"Tezuka! You bastard!"

At this moment, a roar came from Kaitou's mouth, and the aura that had been brewing within him exploded.

After his words surprised everyone, a familiar scene unfolded.

The skin turned red, the hair turned white, and the eyes turned dark green.

Tezuka's good intentions, Sanada's strong pressure, and Momoshiro's anger at her lack of ambition all contributed to Kaitou's Demonization.

"This is!? Demonization!"

"Besides Akaya, there's someone else who can Demonization..."

"Akaya, can you sense the extent to which Kaitou has become Demonization?"

"No matter how badly he's gotten, if he runs into me, I'll definitely beat him to a pulp."

Kaitou's Demonization startled the Rikkai Dai who were familiar with Demonization, while she faced Liu's questioning.

Kirihara, who could Demonization, did not directly answer his question, but the information conveyed in his words clearly put him under pressure.