Since the original lineup resulted in a loss, a new strategy was needed. Even if Seiya could beat Ryoma, he wasn't confident that Kippei Tachibana could beat Kunimitsu Tezuka in Singles 1. So, with Seiya's input, Fudomine created a new lineup.
Their Doubles 2 team remained Ishida and Sakurai, but now their opponents would be Momoshiro and Kaido. Doubles 1 would be Kippei and Shinji, who would face Seigaku's "Golden Pair," Oishi and Kikumaru. Kamio would still play Singles 3, while Seiya would play Singles 2. This way, even if Kamio lost, Seiya was confident he could beat Ryoma, even if Ryoma had a power-up. As for Singles 1, they decided to forfeit the match. Honestly, even Seiya wasn't sure he could beat Tezuka. He didn't know if Tezuka would risk his injured elbow and go all out. If Tezuka did, Seiya knew he wouldn't win, but that might change after his "Dream of the Heart" gets him more power.
"Doubles 2 is Momoshiro and Kaido? Did Seigaku change their lineup too?"
Seiya was surprised when he saw Seigaku's lineup. He quickly realized that his involvement had slightly altered the original story. But it didn't matter. In terms of singles strength, Momoshiro and Kaido were definitely stronger than Ishida and Sakurai. However, Seiya knew their weaknesses. This was probably their first time playing doubles together, so their flaws would be obvious. If he told Ishida and Sakurai their weaknesses, it wouldn't be hard for them to win.
"Is it just me, or did the Fudomine team's rhythm change? And the shots they're hitting are all in the spots that Momoshiro and Kaido hate."
Fuji, whose eyes were usually half-closed, had them wide open now. He looked at the struggling Momoshiro and Kaido, who were even arguing with each other, and his face was grim.
"You noticed it too, Fuji? And the two players from Fudomine changed their playstyle after talking to their captain during the switch."
Hearing Inui's words, the other Seigaku players were shocked. "Inui, are you saying that the Fudomine captain is a data player like you?"
"No, I think there's someone else giving them advice."
"Fudomine has another master player?" the team exclaimed.
"I saw that second-year named Wenren Seiya talking to their captain. The only people who can give advice during a match are the coach and the players on the court." Inui pushed up his glasses and looked at Seiya with a new sense of curiosity.
Seiya noticed Inui's stare and gave him a big, toothy grin. An, who was next to him, twisted his head back and said, "You're being too obvious. You're going to give yourself away."
"It's fine. We're not breaking any rules. Why else would data players gather information on other players?"
"Just try to be a little more subtle! We haven't won yet. What if we lose?" An wasn't surprised that Seiya knew about the Seigaku regulars. He had already shown her that he knew about Momoshiro and Ryoma's moves and playstyles at the street court. She didn't know where he got his information, but she knew he wasn't a data player. She guessed that maybe he used his family's wealth to hire someone to gather data and game tapes on Seigaku. The thought of Seiya secretly studying Seigaku's games for the sake of Fudomine's victory made her feel touched. Of course, if Seiya knew what she was thinking, he would yell that she was wrong. He did have a habit of watching tapes late at night, but they had absolutely nothing to do with tennis. They were about a much more important and meaningful topic, like the origin of life itself.
Knowing their opponents' weaknesses and having a secret weapon like the "Wave Ball," Ishida and Sakurai managed to win a close match against Momoshiro and Kaido with a score of 7-5. They were relieved to have won, as they could feel the match getting harder and harder. Momoshiro and Kaido's chemistry and growth during the match were shocking. If they hadn't listened to Seiya's advice to win quickly without holding back, they might have lost.
After Seigaku's Doubles 2 lost, they were shocked to see that the Fudomine team for Doubles 1 was Kippei and Shinji, the same guy who had defeated Kakio's ace. Inui pushed his glasses up and said with a serious face, "It seems they've played us. They have an excellent strategist on their team."
Coach Ryuzaki's face was also grim. Kippei and Shinji were both very strong. It was clear that Fudomine was using strategy and trying to win the first three matches and get an early lead.
"Don't worry, no matter who the opponents are, we won't lose!" Kikumaru said with confidence, holding his racket.
"Eiji, don't be careless. They're strong opponents," Oishi, ever the mother hen, warned.
In terms of doubles skill, Oishi and Kikumaru were far better than Momoshiro and Kaido. They were the "Golden Pair" who had made it to the national tournament last year. However, they were just at the national level; in the grand scheme of things, they were at the bottom of the national-level doubles teams. But their opponents were a former "King of Kyushu" and a genius with a feel for the game that rivaled Ryoma's.
Kippei and Shinji were stronger than Oishi and Kikumaru in singles, and now they had the advantage of knowing their opponents' weaknesses. There was nothing to say about the match; the "Golden Pair" was completely crushed. They lost even worse than Momoshiro and Kaido, with a final score of 6-3, and in less than half the time. Kippei didn't even have to use his signature moves, and Shinji's paralyzing shots completely nullified Kikumaru's acrobatic plays.