Chapter 219: Ishikawa vs. Yukimura – The Battle of the Strongest Middle Schoolers (Part 2)
"Due to Hyotei Academy's forfeiture, the winner of this doubles match is Rikkai Dai—"
After confirming Hyotei's decision, the referee was about to announce the result.
"Wait!"
But at that moment, Yukimura, who had been sitting on the bench, suddenly stood up. With a serious expression, he looked toward the Hyotei side and said, "Mr. Tōru Sakaki, we deeply appreciate Hyotei's sportsmanship. However, we cannot accept this result!"
Huh?!
Everyone was stunned. They had assumed the match would be decided in the singles 1 round.
"Captain…"
The Rikkai team members were equally surprised, but when they saw the determination in Yukimura's eyes, they quickly understood.
That's right!
They were the reigning champions, Rikkai Dai!
As kings of the court, they would rather fall standing than kneel and accept a hollow victory.
"This…"
The referee was at a loss. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation—one side voluntarily forfeiting while the other refused to accept the win.
"In that case," the referee said after a moment, his tone serious as he addressed both teams' representatives, "according to the rules, this will be considered a draw. Are you both in agreement?"
A draw?
The audience was taken aback.
After exchanging glances, Sakaki and Yukimura both nodded.
"Very well," the referee announced. "Since both sides have withdrawn, this match is declared a draw!"
"A draw…"
In the stands, Shiraishi, the captain of Shitenhōji, sighed with emotion. "I never expected it to end like this."
"Yeah," Chitose nodded, his tone equally complex. "Last year's national champions now need Hyotei to concede just to have a chance at victory."
If anyone had predicted this outcome before the match, they would have been laughed at.
"But honestly, wasn't Hyotei being too careless?" Zaizen squinted his eyes. "Rikkai's singles 1 is Yukimura, the legendary 'Child of God'! Hyotei's gamble could backfire spectacularly."
In his opinion, Hyotei's decision was downright foolish.
They had victory within their grasp but chose to create unnecessary suspense. If they won, fine. But if they lost, Hyotei would become the biggest joke in national tournament history!
"Perhaps," Shiraishi mused. "But for Hyotei, giving up an easy victory to place their hopes on Ishikawa shows they're aiming for more than just a finals ticket."
"Exactly," Chitose agreed. "Rikkai's true core is Yukimura. Without defeating him, even if Hyotei wins the national championship, it won't carry the same weight."
Of course, for most teams, even Shitenhōji, winning the national championship was the ultimate goal.
But Hyotei was different. From Coach Sakaki to the players, they were clearly aiming for something beyond the title.
And that something couldn't be achieved by simply defeating Rikkai.
The fact that Hyotei could make such a bold decision showed that their vision and ambition were on a completely different level.
"Next up is the singles 1 match."
"Hyotei Academy's Ishikawa Shin versus Rikkai Dai Fuzoku's Yukimura Seiichi."
"Both players, please prepare."
As the announcement ended, the audience's attention shifted to the two teams.
"Kikumaru."
At that moment, Yukimura, now wearing a short-sleeved shirt, turned to the curly-haired boy beside him. "You'll be the court coach for this match."
"M-me?" Kikumaru was taken aback.
Sanada, standing nearby, gave him a light push, sending him stumbling onto the bench.
"Remember," Yukimura said solemnly, "watch this match carefully. Understand?"
"Y-yes, I understand," Kikumaru nodded repeatedly.
He quickly realized that Rikkai's current record was one win, one draw, and two losses. If Yukimura won this match, it would lead to a sixth deciding match!
Yukimura's words were clearly a reminder for him to stay alert and be ready to step in if needed.
"This pressure…"
At that moment, Kikumaru felt the weight of responsibility settle on his shoulders.
Half of Rikkai's fate now rested on him, while the other half was carried by Yukimura, who had to secure this victory.
"Captain Yukimura… huh?"
As Kikumaru was lost in thought, he suddenly noticed something and his expression changed. "The captain's jacket?"
Jacket?
The others quickly realized that Yukimura's signature jacket, which he always wore during matches, was now hanging on the bench.
"Hmm."
Sanada, Yanagi, and the others exchanged glances.
They knew Yukimura's strength. Since entering middle school, he had never removed his jacket during a match—not even during his practice match with Sanada the previous day.
But now, before the match had even begun, Yukimura had taken off his jacket. This showed just how much he respected his opponent.
At the net, Ishikawa and Yukimura faced each other.
Both wore gentle, friendly smiles, devoid of Sanada's fierceness or Atobe's regal aura. They looked like two ordinary, approachable seniors.
But everyone knew better.
These two were the pinnacle of middle school tennis in Japan.
"Ishikawa-kun," Yukimura said with a smile, "it seems your teammates have a lot of faith in you."
Even Yukimura had been surprised by Hyotei's collective decision to forfeit the doubles match.
They had been one step away from securing a spot in the national finals!
With Rikkai out of the way, Hyotei would have been unstoppable in the finals.
Yet, they had given up that chance just to let Ishikawa compete in the singles 1 match.
Their goal was clear: to have Ishikawa defeat Yukimura and claim the title of the strongest middle schooler in the nation.
With that, Hyotei would become the strongest team in history.
Such ambition and vision left even Yukimura impressed.
However, as the captain of Rikkai, Yukimura would not allow this to happen.
Geniuses, prodigies—none of that mattered to him.
He would crush any obstacle in Rikkai's path with absolute dominance!
"Senpai," Ishikawa replied with a smile, "I can feel your intense fighting spirit."
Hmm?
Yukimura's brow rose slightly in surprise.
He prided himself on his ability to control his emotions. The thoughts that had just flashed through his mind were fleeting, yet Ishikawa had picked up on them.
'Such sharp insight.'
A glint of admiration flickered in Yukimura's eyes.
"As expected of someone who surpassed Atobe in vision," Yukimura said with a smile. "Let me see the tennis of Hyotei's 'Demon King.'"
"I look forward to it," Ishikawa replied with a slight nod.
He was genuinely curious to see just how strong the "Child of God" was—the player who, in the original story, stood above all other middle schoolers and was only defeated by the protagonist's plot armor.
After determining the serve, both players retreated to their respective baselines.
"The match begins, best of one set!"
The referee's gaze swept over the two players before he declared, "Hyotei's Ishikawa to serve. Game start!"
Swish!
All eyes turned to the black-haired boy on the court, his expression calm and composed.
Tap!
Tap!
Tap!
Ishikawa gently bounced the ball, feeling the rhythm as his mind grew increasingly focused.
Tap!
He caught the ball and looked up, his gaze locking onto Yukimura.
"Let's begin."
Whoosh!
With a fluid motion, Ishikawa tossed the ball into the air.
He rose gracefully, his body extending naturally as he swung his racket, striking the ball with precision.
Boom!
The ball shot across the net, arcing toward the intersection of the service line and the singles sideline on Yukimura's right.
"Wow!"
The Rikkai team was visibly impressed.
Ishikawa's serve was both fast and accurate, his control so precise it was almost surgical.
Swish!
The ball landed and kicked up sharply, curving outward in a wide arc that threatened to fly out of bounds.
This sudden change was swift and unexpected.
Even many players at the Kanto level would have struggled to handle such a serve.
Swish!
But in the next moment, Yukimura, wearing his green headband, appeared at the perfect spot.
Boom!
With a crisp sound, Yukimura effortlessly returned Ishikawa's powerful serve.
Swish!
Not only that, the ball flew back almost parallel to the sideline, landing precisely on the baseline.
"Such control!"
The Hyotei team was equally impressed.
Yukimura had not only read Ishikawa's serve but also countered with a perfectly placed return.
Even Akutsu might not have been able to pull that off.
"This is the tennis of Rikkai's captain, Yukimura Seiichi," Coach Sakaki murmured, his tone filled with admiration.
Boom!
Ishikawa returned the shot, sending the ball to Yukimura's backhand. But Yukimura, as if anticipating the move, quickly adjusted and countered with another powerful shot.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The two engaged in a rapid baseline rally, each shot faster and more precise than the last.
The spin and speed of the ball left the audience breathless.
Some spectators rubbed their eyes, only to find they could no longer keep up with the players' movements.
"No way…" someone whispered in awe. "The match just started, and they're already playing at this level? This is insane!"
Insane?
To top players like Atobe, Sanada, Shiraishi, and Chitose, this was just the beginning.
Tap!
Suddenly, Yukimura shifted his grip, slicing the ball with a sharp, angled shot that sped toward Ishikawa's baseline.
"He's finally making a move," Mukahi said, his expression serious.
"No," Atobe corrected. "That's just Yukimura's standard return. A high-speed slice was the most appropriate shot for that position."
"Wait, you're saying…" Mukahi trailed off, realization dawning. "That was just a basic return?"
"Exactly," Atobe nodded. "For players at their level, even their ordinary shots are stronger than most players' special techniques."
Boom!
Ishikawa countered, sending the ball back like a bullet, its speed rivaling Yūshi's Laser Beam.
"This speed?!" Yūshi adjusted his glasses, his eyes widening in shock.
"Too strong!"
On the bench, Kikumaru felt the pressure mounting. From his position, the intensity of the match was overwhelming.
He couldn't even keep up with their movements, let alone imagine returning their shots.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
After more than twenty exchanges, only a handful of spectators could still follow the action.
"Are these two really middle schoolers?" players from Rokkaku and Shitenhōji muttered in disbelief.
Boom!
Ishikawa easily returned Yukimura's shot and smiled. "Senpai, I think the warm-up is over, don't you?"
Warm-up?!
The audience was stunned.
Swish!
Ishikawa accelerated, the ball suddenly gaining speed mid-flight.
"A double-speed shot?!"
The crowd gasped.
Tap! Tap!
But Yukimura was already in position, calmly returning the shot.
"Indeed," Yukimura said, his tone calm but firm. "It's time to get serious."
The entire stadium erupted in excitement.