Information Tennis
Bang...
Rikkai Dai scores, 40:0
Bang...
"Rikkai Dai scores, score 1-1"
"They've caught up, just like in the first game, winning four points in a row."
"Senpai, have you almost finished collecting your information?"
"You're almost there, but Kaitou, you can relax a bit more."
After only two rounds, Gan hasn't collected enough data yet; Kaitou needs to persevere for a few more rounds.
"Bunta, it looks like we need to remove it."
"Sure, otherwise we wouldn't be able to catch that Waterfall Pouring Down."
So Marui Bunta and Wally Kuwahara took off their heavy wristbands.
"Those two guys were even wearing weight training wristbands, they really look down on us."
Kaitou was a little angry when she saw that she had been looked down upon.
Seeing this, the person with the bottom line showed no emotional reaction.
The ball in his hand was still spinning when he tossed it up and then smashed it into the Waterfall Pouring Down.
This time, however, the Waterfall Pouring Down didn't score directly as expected; instead, it was caught by the Wally Kuwahara.
After the tennis ball was returned by the Wally Kuwahara, Kaitou waited in the back corner.
His arm muscles tensed, and everyone who saw this thought he was about to hit Wave Ball.
However, Kaitou did not do that. Instead, she swung Kaitou racket and hit Spinning Snake Shot.
Bang...
"Seigaku score, 15:0"
"A combination of Wave Ball and Spinning Snake Shot, that's quite novel."
"It seems that Kaitou has indeed made progress in her training during this period."
The Seigaku members were astonished to see that Kaitou had actually applied the Wave Ball to the Snake Ball.
"Kuwahara, it's time to get serious."
"Alright, Bunta, now it's our turn."
Bunta picked up the racket that Kuwahara had knocked away and reminded him to start the counterattack.
The dry, Waterfall Pouring Down struck again, but the two Rikkai Dai were no longer afraid and swiftly retaliated.
Kaitou returned the ball, and Wentai quickly moved to the net and hit a short ball.
Upon seeing the short ball appear, Kaitou quickly positioned herself, ready to return the ball.
However, the tennis ball, which should have landed, didn't touch the net; instead, it touched the net, and then a shocking scene unfolded.
After the tennis ball touched the net, it rolled on the net.
After rolling a distance, it finally landed in Seigaku's half of the court.
Rikkai Dai scores, 15:15
"This is my Tightrope Walk, not bad, right? Aren't you a genius?"
"Ha, what a loophole-exploiting trick! Calling someone a genius? How laughable."
Hearing such self-aggrandizing words, Horio made no attempt to hide his sarcasm; genius is never something one claims to be.
"What are you talking about, Seigaku? The advantage is with Rikkai Dai right now. No matter what you say, it won't make a difference."
Marui was clearly bothered by Horio's words and retorted.
"Senior Senpai Kaitou, everyone else has taken off their weighted wristbands, you should be more polite and take them off too, right?"
"What! Seigaku's team is wearing weighted wristbands too..."
As soon as Horio finished speaking, not only Marui and the others' expressions changed.
Even Sanada on the Coach bench changed his expression, while Kane and Kaitou immediately took off their weighted wristbands.
"I originally wanted to hold out a little longer, but all our first-graders said it would be impolite not to take it off soon."
Marui and Kuwahara looked somewhat grave as they watched the two remove their weighted wristbands.
"I'd love to try the full power of the Waterfall Pouring Down too, and now I have the chance."
Having said that, he unleashed a powerful Waterfall Pouring Down attack with all his might.
Bang...
"Seigaku's score: 30:15"
The Waterfall Pouring Down struck again, giving the two Rikkai Dai no chance to react.
"That ball just now... its speed must have exceeded two hundred, right?"
"I couldn't see the ball clearly; it must have already gone past me. Even if I could catch it, I couldn't return it..."
The Waterfall Pouring Down, overwhelmed the two players, and Seigaku easily won the third game.
In the fourth game, Kaitou scored again with a powerful Wave Snake Shot, bringing the score to 3-1.
Because the Waterfall Pouring Down was too physically demanding, it was not used again in the fifth round.
"Bunta, those shots they just hit must have taken a lot of energy. We need to work hard to catch up."
Kuwahara, noticing something amiss, pointed out that Marui, who had been outmatched for two games, was eager to retaliate.
So after the serve, Kuwahara's ironclad defense reappeared, forcing Kaitou to attack Marui directly.
Marui was clearly no pushover either, and he hit another short ball.
This time, however, the ball didn't touch the net; instead, it flew out of bounds.
However, as the ball flew out of bounds, it bounced off the net post.
After bouncing off the net post, the ball, which was about to go out of bounds, was bounced back in.
"It's really like a trick; it's a shame they don't go to the circus."
Seeing Marui hit another strange shot, Horio felt it was even more outrageous than Tightrope Walk.
"We need to start preparing our counterattack, so you'd better be serious."
So in the following few goals, thanks to Kuwahara's defense and Marui's offense...
The score was narrowed down until it reached 3:3.
"Kaitou, I'm ready now."
At this moment, Gan suddenly spoke to Kaitou in front of him, and Kaitou perked up upon hearing this.
At the start of the seventh inning, Gan, who had rested, still couldn't unleash his Waterfall Pouring Down potential.
It was just a regular serve, and Kuwahara responded proactively.
"Kaitou, aim for their left rear baseline."
Kaitou didn't answer, but simply swung her racket and hit the ball.
Bang...
"Seigaku score, 15:0"
"After Marui moves to the net, hit a short shot to the left."
Bang...
"Seigaku's score: 30-0"
"Hit the ball right at Kuwahara's right foot immediately after he returns it with a forehand."
Bang...
"Seigaku's score: 40-0"
"What's going on? How did Seigaku suddenly become so strong?"
At the Rikkai Dai Contest area, Kirihara noticed the sudden change in Kane and Kaitou.
He seemed somewhat puzzled, while Yanagi Renji, standing beside him, appeared to understand perfectly.
"It seems that Sadaharu has already collected all their information. Sadaharu... has your Information Tennis reached this level?"
Bang...
"Seigaku scores, score 4:3"
"Damn it, what's going on? They seem to know exactly how we're going to fight."
Marui, whose every shot was predicted in advance, got angry, Kuwahara seemed to have guessed something.
"It seems that Gan, like Liu, is a master of Information Tennis. He probably gathered all our information in those last few games."
"How is that possible? Isn't this something only Yanagi could do? I never expected that someone from Seigaku could do it too."
"I doubt even Sanada expected this. We can't lose the next game, otherwise they'll have the serve in the ninth game, and their serve will Waterfall Pouring Down; we won't be able to handle it."
As the defender, Kuwahara immediately analyzed the pros and cons, but he was equally helpless in the eighth inning.