As the umpire made the announcement, Yukimura and Tezuka both walked off the court. Just as Yukimura neared Rikkai's bench, he staggered and nearly collapsed—fortunately, Akashi had anticipated it and caught him in time.
"Sanada! Get over here and help! Also, Chitose! Quickly arrange to have Yukimura and Tezuka sent to the nearest hospital for a full examination!" Akashi supported Yukimura as he called out to Sanada and Chitose.
Sanada had already been holding himself back—he immediately pole-vaulted to the court and swiftly took over from Akashi, catching the exhausted Yukimura. He gave Akashi a brief nod of thanks.
Chitose quickly contacted the event's medical staff, and even Tachibana joined in to help. Before long, Yukimura and Tezuka were taken off the court by the medical team and rushed to the nearest hospital.
At the same time, Atobe arrived at the court with the members of Hyōtei. Judging by their expressions, Akashi figured they must have already eliminated Seigaku—which meant, barring surprises, the final match would be between Fudomine and Hyōtei.
'Didn't expect Atobe to actually beat Seigaku… so even the strongest protagonist aura can't overcome an absolute difference in strength,' Akashi thought silently.
"Oh? So it ended in a 6-6 draw? Looks like things were pretty intense over here, huh, Kabaji?" Atobe glanced at the scoreboard and turned to Kabaji.
"Usu!" Kabaji gave his usual dull response.
"Didn't think the match between Fudomine and Rikkai wasn't over yet. That's a surprise," Oshitari pushed up his glasses, sounding mildly impressed.
"Heh~ It's about to end. Rikkai's loss is inevitable. They just couldn't overcome the odds," Hiyoshi said calmly.
"Whoa! Looks like Marui's match is coming up next! I'm getting pumped already!" Jirō grinned excitedly as he looked at Marui and Jackal warming up on the sidelines.
"But I'm surprised Fudomine's Doubles 1 isn't Tachibana and Chitose. What are they thinking?" Shishido frowned as he noticed Krauser and Kite stepping up instead.
"Maybe Fudomine planned to win it in the first three matches but messed it up," Mukahi said with a smirk, still sweating from earlier.
"You think Krauser and Kite are weak? Don't take them lightly, Mukahi. Marui and Jackal don't have much of a chance, right, Kabaji?" Atobe said playfully after hearing Mukahi's comment.
"Usu!" Kabaji responded again, just as expressionless as before.
While Hyōtei was chatting, Fuji showed up outside the court with the rest of Seigaku. Notably, Ryōma had his head down, the brim of his cap covering most of his face—no one could tell what he was thinking.
Fuji, on the other hand, still wore his usual calm smile, looking like Seigaku's loss didn't bother him at all. But Inui, who knew Fuji well, could tell that wasn't the case.
'He didn't even get to play. His self-blame probability is 87%,' Inui thought silently as he watched Fuji.
"We might've missed Tezuka and Yukimura's match, but Doubles 1 should be exciting too. So cheer up, shorty! Stop looking so down!" Kikumaru said, trying to lift Ryōma's spirits.
"Yeah, Echizen! You're not the only one who lost—I lost too, didn't I?" Momoshiro chimed in, pretending not to care.
Even though everyone tried to comfort Ryōma, he kept his head down, saying nothing. He firmly believed he was the one who destroyed Seigaku's final chance. To understand what really happened, let's go back in time a bit.
At the court where Hyōtei and Seigaku had faced off, Atobe swaggered into the arena with Hyōtei behind him, while Fuji led Seigaku in from the opposite side, smiling as always.
"Honestly, I'm sick of playing against you Seigaku guys," Atobe said bluntly as he stepped up to Fuji.
"Really? But I think you'd hate facing Fudomine even more, right? So let us at Seigaku take care of that for you and challenge Fudomine instead~" Fuji said gently, but his words were as sharp as knives.
"Heh~ Maybe Fudomine will get upset by Rikkai. But either way, you guys from Seigaku don't stand a chance against me," Atobe replied with a cold sneer.
"Oh my~ Atobe, you're starting to sound more and more like Akashi-kun~" Fuji said, unfazed by Atobe's mockery.
"Fuji, you…! Tch, whatever. Losing my cool before a match isn't part of my style. You'll find out soon enough what total defeat looks like!" Atobe snorted and turned away. He didn't want to waste more words on Fuji.
"Total defeat, huh? Sounds like you've prepared for everything, Atobe," Fuji murmured softly as he watched Atobe walk off.
At that moment, Ryūzaki Sumire and Sakaki Tarō had both taken their places at their respective benches. The two exchanged nods in greeting before Sakaki turned to Kabaji, who had already completed his warmup and was ready to take the court.
"I won't waste words. Go give it your all and secure the first win for Atobe, Kabaji."
"Usu!" Kabaji nodded seriously despite his blank expression.
On the other side, Ryūzaki-san offered a few last words of encouragement to Momoshiro Takeshi, who was about to step on court. Compared to Kawamura Takashi, Momoshiro had made far more noticeable progress this year—sometimes talent really did make all the difference.
Even though Kawamura had trained alongside Akashi and the others since their first year at the U-17 camp, his tennis talent was still average. He couldn't match up to Fuji or Atobe, and even Inui, Oishi, and Kikumaru had better natural instincts. Now, as second-years, both Momoshiro and Kaidō were starting to catch up to him.
But Kawamura wasn't bitter about it. He understood his limitations. Reaching just under national level might be his peak, and it was unlikely he'd improve further. In fact, he had already decided to give up tennis after middle school and planned to inherit his father's sushi shop.
Now, Kawamura's main role on Seigaku was to boost morale and, when brute force was needed, give everything he had to win even a sliver of hope for his team.
"Next up, Singles 3! Representing Hyōtei Academy: Kabaji Munehiro! Representing Seishun Academy: Momoshiro Takeshi! Players, to the court!"
Momoshiro and Kabaji walked onto the court and approached the net for the customary handshake. Momoshiro had planned to say something, but the moment he saw Kabaji's blank face, the words got stuck in his throat. In the end, he said nothing and simply waited for the coin toss.
Momoshiro won the serve. Kabaji didn't react at all—he just turned and walked to the baseline, preparing for the match, while Momoshiro stepped up to serve.
"Singles 3 match begins! Seishun Academy to serve first!"
"The wind's pretty wild today~" Momoshiro muttered, then tossed the ball.
With a loud thwack, the ball became a blur and shot toward Kabaji's side. Kabaji moved quickly to the bounce point—not especially fast, but just enough to track the ball.
As Kabaji moved to intercept, the ball suddenly kicked left off the ground like a deflection and shot out of bounds. Kabaji froze in place, unsure of what had just happened.
"Ace! 15-0!"
"When did Momoshiro learn Sanada's Black Dragon Double Strike?" Mukahi said in disbelief from Hyōtei's bench.
"Black Dragon Double Strike? Don't be ridiculous. That was nothing like it. The ball hit a pebble on the court and bounced weird," Atobe scoffed.
Even as Atobe explained, Momoshiro launched his second serve. And just like the first, the ball ricocheted unpredictably at the last second, catching Kabaji off guard again.
"Ace! 30-0!"
"Seems like Momoshiro's got a sharper eye now… still, cheap tricks at best." With his keen vision, Atobe had seen right through both of Momoshiro's aces and wasn't impressed. When it came to observation, who besides Akashi could possibly match him?
"Kabaji! Use your racket and clear the court in front of you—especially the pebbles!" Atobe barked.
"Usu!" Kabaji responded immediately and followed the order.
"Ara~ So I've been found out!" Momoshiro grinned cheerfully, not bothered in the least.
By the third serve, things returned to normal. Kabaji's side was now free of debris. As the ball bounced normally, Kabaji swung without hesitation and launched a powerful return.
The ball rocketed toward Momoshiro with explosive force, but Momoshiro charged forward and shouted, "You wanna go power-for-power? I'm not scared of that!"
As the rally continued, Kabaji's movements gradually began to mirror Momoshiro's exactly. No matter what technique Momoshiro used, Kabaji copied it flawlessly. Momoshiro had mentally prepared for this, but facing it for real was still frustrating.
30-15!
40-15!
40-30!
"Game! Seishun Academy! 1-0!"
Momoshiro managed to hold serve thanks to his sharp instincts and by using the wind to his advantage. But deep down, he knew this match wouldn't be easy—Kabaji still had the upper hand overall.
The second game was Kabaji's serve. As he stood silently at the baseline, Atobe suddenly snapped his fingers from the sidelines and called out loudly:
"Let's go, Kabaji! Show them the secret weapon I've prepared just for you!"
"Usu!" At that moment, Kabaji's eyes lit up with a crimson glow, like someone had flipped a hidden switch.