Chapter 218: Forfeit? Is Hyotei Crazy?! (Part 1)
"How... how is this possible?"
At this moment, time seemed to stand still.
Marui stared at the tennis ball that had just whizzed past him. He tried to swing his racket to intercept it, but found himself frozen, as if his movements had been locked in place. It felt as though his opponent had struck the ball in a state of absolute stillness, making it impossible for him to react.
Boom!
The ball landed, and the entire court fell into silence.
"15-40!"
The referee's voice broke the stillness, and everyone's eyes instinctively turned toward Ōshitari on the court.
"That aura..."
Ōshitari's body was now enveloped in a peculiar mix of black and white energy. The aura fluctuated, sometimes intense, sometimes faint, giving off an air of mystery.
"Has Ōshitari... broken through?!"
On Rikkai's side, Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi exchanged glances, their expressions shifting. Yanagi, in particular, observed the uncertain aura around Ōshitari and said gravely, "He's merged his Shadow Moon and Daylight abilities. This is bad..."
The rest of the Rikkai team felt a heavy weight settle in their chests.
Marui's Perfect Fortress was not just a solid defensive line on the court—it was also Rikkai's last line of defense in this match. If the fortress was breached, it would mean their journey in the national tournament was over.
For a moment, everyone felt as though they were trapped in a dream, unable to believe this was reality.
"Marui, snap out of it!"
On the court, Jackal's urgent voice broke through the tension. He rushed to the net, looking at the dazed Marui. "Don't lose heart! We still have the advantage. Don't let their moves shake your confidence!"
"Jackal..."
Marui blinked, the sunlight reflecting off Jackal's head bringing him back to his senses.
"I understand," Marui nodded firmly.
Ōshitari's breakthrough had disrupted his plans, leaving him momentarily lost. But the thought that Rikkai absolutely could not lose reignited his spirit. This match wasn't just about personal victory—it was about the future of their team. There was no room for hesitation.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
At the baseline, Ōshitari bent down, tapping the tennis ball against the ground.
After his breakthrough, his entire demeanor had changed. If before he had been calm and composed, now he exuded an air of mystery, as if an invisible force separated him from the outside world.
Whoosh!
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Ōshitari tossed the ball into the air. With a natural, fluid motion, he swung his racket, sending the ball flying with a blend of light and shadow.
Boom!
The ball, wrapped in a faint mix of black and white, sped toward Jackal's service line.
"Hmph!"
Jackal's eyes narrowed as he focused on the incoming ball. "No matter what's happened to you, I won't let your ball get past me!"
Swish!
He swung his racket, aiming to return the ball with a powerful stroke.
But to his shock, the ball, which had seemed to have ordinary spin, suddenly accelerated upon bouncing.
"A speed-changing ball?!"
Jackal's pupils contracted. He tried to adjust, but it was too late. He could only watch as the ball flew past him.
"30-40!"
"He... scored directly?!"
The Rikkai team was stunned.
Jackal's reflexes were among the best in Rikkai, and his baseline defense was considered impenetrable. Yet, he had been completely outplayed.
"The ball's speed changed," Yanagi said grimly. "That serve was too deceptive. The sudden acceleration made it nearly impossible to defend."
Yukimura nodded slightly. He had seen it clearly—Ōshitari's serve had a unique quality. The ball's spin wasn't particularly fast, but upon bouncing, it shifted from one state to another in an instant.
Boom!
Ōshitari served again.
The ball flew over the net, landing sharply in front of Marui. Marui's eyes narrowed, his caution heightened after Jackal's earlier misstep.
Tap!
The ball landed, and Marui took a step back to give himself more room to react.
But this time, the ball's behavior was ordinary—no sudden acceleration or change in direction.
"Was I overthinking it?"
Marui squinted, preparing to return the shot.
Bang!
However, the moment his racket made contact with the ball, a tremendous force surged through it.
"What?!"
Marui's expression changed drastically.
Clatter!
His racket fell to the ground, leaving the spectators in shock.
"Deuce, 40-40!"
"The ball's power increased instantly?!"
Marui stared at his fallen racket, then looked up at Ōshitari in disbelief. "He can change the ball's spin, speed, and power in an instant? What is going on?"
The rest of the Rikkai team was equally baffled.
"He's switching the ball's state in an instant?" Niō adjusted his glasses, deep in thought. "This change is internal... Wait!"
Suddenly, his expression shifted.
Yanagi's eyes snapped open. "A deeper level of power?"
The interplay of surface and hidden changes—this was the deeper level of power that Ryoma's theory had hinted at. First, Akutagawa, then Atobe, and now Ōshitari...
The spectators were equally stunned.
Aside from Ryoma, who had yet to play, Hyotei now had three players who had reached this level of mastery.
"By merging the states of day and night," Ryoma observed, watching Ōshitari's mysterious aura, "he's truly tapped into a deeper level of power. He's applying a technique that shifts the ball's state at the moment of impact."
Under the influence of this mysterious aura, the ball existed in a dual state. Only upon contact could its true nature be revealed—but by then, it was too late.
Speed, power, spin...
With so many variables, a single misjudgment could cost a point. And even if the opponent guessed correctly, Ōshitari could always switch things up.
In this situation, the opponent had to guess correctly every time. With three possible changes, each with a 50% chance, the probability of guessing correctly was a mere 16.7%—and that was just for a single shot.
Without the ability to truly see through the ball's changes, relying on guesswork was a losing strategy.
Boom!
"Advantage, server!"
Boom!
"Game! Hyotei, 4-4!"
The score was tied, and the momentum had shifted in Hyotei's favor.
Facing Ōshitari's unpredictable playstyle, Marui and Jackal felt as though they were groping in the dark, unable to find a way out.
Jackal's defense crumbled, and Marui's Perfect Fortress was dismantled.
Even working together, they could barely keep up with Ōshitari. But as time went on, Hyotei's scoring became more and more dominant.
Boom!
"Game! Hyotei, 5-4! Change sides!"
In the blink of an eye, Hyotei had broken Rikkai's serve, taking a crucial lead.
A shadow seemed to fall over Rikkai. Many of their players began to feel that victory was slipping away, mentally preparing themselves for defeat.
Boom!
"15-0!"
Boom!
"30-0!"
Boom!
"40-0!"
Under Hyotei's relentless assault, Marui and Jackal were left gasping for breath, their movements growing increasingly desperate.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
At the baseline, Kaidō lightly tapped the ball. With victory within reach, he felt as though he was holding not just a tennis ball, but Rikkai's fate in his hands.
This point would decide the match!
The so-called "Kings of Tennis," Rikkai, would become a thing of the past, a footnote in history. Hyotei would rise as the true, undisputed national champions!
"Referee, I request a timeout."
Just then, Ōshitari, who was at the net, suddenly spoke up.
"Huh?"
The Hyotei team was stunned. No one had expected Ōshitari to call a timeout just as they were about to secure victory.
He walked over to Kaidō, whispering something in his ear. Kaidō nodded, and the two of them approached their coach, Tōru Sakaki, bowing slightly.
"What is it?" Sakaki asked, a faint smile on his face as if he already knew what they were about to say.
"Coach," Ōshitari said, his words shocking everyone present, "we've decided to forfeit this match."
"Forfeit?!"
Not just the Hyotei team, but the entire crowd was dumbfounded.
What was going on?!
They had the national finals within their grasp, yet these two Hyotei doubles players were choosing to forfeit. Were they secretly working for Rikkai?!
For a moment, the absurd thought crossed everyone's minds.
As for the Rikkai team, it was as if a drowning man had been thrown a lifeline. Many of their players looked to Hyotei's coach, hoping against hope.
"I see," Sakaki said, raising an eyebrow. But instead of anger, he simply shook his head. "While I am Hyotei's coach, this isn't my decision to make."
The Rikkai team's hopes were dashed.
Of course, no one would be foolish enough to give up a sure victory. If they were in Hyotei's shoes, they wouldn't do it either.
"I think it's fine," Atobe, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up. "We can forfeit this match."
"I agree."
"Me too."
"I support this decision."
To everyone's astonishment, after Atobe spoke, the rest of the Hyotei team—starters, substitutes, even the support staff—nodded in agreement.
"Are they... insane?!"
The representatives from other teams were utterly baffled.
This was unheard of! They had seen people bend the rules to win, but this was the first time they had seen a team willingly give up a sure victory.
If this were professional tennis, with all its financial stakes, people would have accused Hyotei of match-fixing!
But this was just a middle school national tournament.
"Hmph."
Sakaki, far from being angry, actually smiled. Clearly, the team's decision aligned with his own thoughts.
He turned to the black-haired boy who had remained silent throughout, his expression calm and composed. "Ryoma... what do you think?"
In that moment, every eye in the stadium—whether from Hyotei, Rikkai, or the spectators—turned to Ryoma.
Some shook their heads. To them, agreeing to forfeit meant handing victory to their opponents. The pressure that would follow would be immense.
If Hyotei failed to advance, all the blame would fall on Ryoma's shoulders.
This was no joking matter.
"Me?"
Ryoma, feeling the weight of everyone's gaze, nodded calmly. "I have no objections."
"Referee!"
With Ryoma's approval, Sakaki raised his hand and declared solemnly, "Hyotei forfeits this match!"
The stadium erupted.
Shock, disbelief, ridicule!
But amidst the chaos, a sense of anticipation began to grow.
Ryoma versus Yukimura!
The two players widely regarded as the strongest middle schoolers in Japan were finally about to face off on the national stage.