Since the original match order would have led to Fudomine's loss, there was no reason to stick to the same formula.
Even if Seiya replaced Shinji and defeated Ryoma, Seiya didn't believe Fudomine's captain, Tachibana Kippei, could defeat Tezuka Kunimitsu in Singles One.
So, under Seiya's suggestion, Fudomine drafted a brand-new lineup.
Their Doubles #2 remained Ishida and Sakurai, though this time their opponents would be Momoshiro and Kaidoh.
Doubles #1 would pair Tachibana Kippei and Shinji together to face Seigaku's famed "Golden Pair," Oishi and Kikumaru.
Kamio would still play Singles #3, while Seiya himself would take Singles #2.
That way, even if Kamio lost, Seiya was confident that—given Ryoma's current level—he still had a high chance of victory, even if Ryoma entered his "burst" state.
As for Singles #1, they simply gave up on it.
To be honest, even Seiya didn't have full confidence against Tezuka Kunimitsu.
No one knew whether Tezuka would go all out, risking his injured arm. If that happened, Seiya was certain he couldn't win—not yet. But once a few "brothers from Heart Dream Online" showed up, things might be different.
"Doubles #2 is Momoshiro and Kaidoh? So Seigaku changed their lineup too?"
Seeing the updated Seigaku roster, Seiya was briefly surprised. But he quickly realized that his involvement had already caused some shifts in the story's timeline.
Still, it wasn't a problem.
Purely in terms of skill, Momoshiro and Kaidoh were certainly stronger than Ishida and Sakurai—but Seiya knew their weaknesses inside and out.
This was Momoshiro and Kaidoh's first time playing doubles, which meant their flaws were obvious.
All Seiya had to do was explain both their strengths and weaknesses to Ishida and Sakurai—then, with their coordination, the match wouldn't be hard to win.
"Is it just me, or have Fudomine's two players changed their rhythm since just now?
And the ball placements—they're all hitting Momoshiro and Kaidoh's least favorite spots!"
Fuji, who had been watching with half-lidded eyes, now opened them fully. His expression turned serious as he watched Momoshiro and Kaidoh struggle on court—arguing even as they fumbled returns.
"You noticed too, Fuji?" Inui said quietly. "And that change happened right after they talked to their captain during the side switch."
Everyone looked at Inui in shock. "Wait—you mean Fudomine's captain is like you? A data-type player?"
"No," Inui replied, pushing up his glasses. "I think the one giving them advice was someone else."
"Someone else? Fudomine has another strategist?" Seigaku's team gasped.
"I saw that second-year, Wenren Seiya, talking quite a bit with their captain. Normally, only on-court coaches can give advice like that—players outside the court aren't allowed to pass information directly."
Inui's eyes glinted behind his lenses, clearly intrigued by Seiya.
Seiya, noticing Inui's stare, grinned broadly and flashed his teeth in return—promptly earning a scowl from An beside him. "Hey, stop being so obvious! You're going to blow your cover!"
"It's fine," Seiya said calmly. "We didn't break any rules. Otherwise, why would 'data tennis' players exist if gathering intel weren't allowed?"
"Still, can you tone it down? We haven't even won yet—what if you jinx it?" An muttered, rolling her eyes.
An wasn't too shocked that Seiya had data on Seigaku's regulars.
Back when they'd played at the street courts, Seiya had already told her about Momoshiro and Ryoma's signature moves and playing styles.
She didn't know how Seiya got that information—but since his family was wealthy, she guessed he might've paid someone to collect Seigaku's past match data or video recordings.
Thinking about how Seiya usually acted carefree, yet might've been secretly staying up late studying Seigaku's match tapes for Fudomine's sake, An couldn't help feeling moved.
Of course, if Seiya knew what she was imagining, he would've shouted his innocence.
He did occasionally stay up late watching videos—but they had absolutely nothing to do with tennis.
Rather, they were for "more profound and meaningful pursuits"… such as studying the origins of life and the miracle of birth.
Armed with detailed knowledge of Seigaku's weaknesses—and Ishida's secret weapon, the "Wave Ball"—Fudomine's Ishida and Sakurai narrowly defeated Momoshiro and Kaidoh 7–5.
The two were visibly relieved afterward; they could feel how close they'd come to losing.
As the match went on, Momoshiro and Kaidoh's coordination grew rapidly, and their improvement was startling.
If Ishida and Sakurai hadn't gone all out early on, following Seiya's strategy to secure a fast lead, they might've lost once Seigaku's duo found their rhythm.
After Seigaku's Doubles #2 loss, the lineup for Doubles #1 was announced—Tachibana Kippei and Ibu Shinji versus Seigaku's "Golden Pair," Oishi and Kikumaru.
Everyone from Seigaku was stunned.
Inui pushed his glasses again, expression grave. "We've been outplayed. The other side clearly has a skilled tactician."
Coach Ryuzaki's expression darkened. She knew just how powerful Tachibana and Shinji were. Their opponents had clearly used strategy to target Seigaku's weaknesses, aiming to win the first three matches outright.
"Don't worry! No matter who our opponents are, we won't lose!" Kikumaru said confidently, grabbing his racket.
"Eiji, don't get careless," Oishi warned, as steady as ever.
Skill-wise, the Golden Pair far surpassed Momoshiro and Kaidoh. After all, they were last year's representatives at the national tournament.
But in truth, that "Golden Pair" status only barely placed them at a national-level baseline. Among the top doubles teams nationwide, they were closer to the lower tier.
And their opponents now? A former Kyushu Twin Star and a prodigy with touch and control rivaling Echizen Ryoma's.
In terms of singles skill alone, Tachibana and Shinji already outclassed Oishi and Kikumaru—and with intel on their playstyles, it was a foregone conclusion.
The result was as expected: Seigaku's Golden Pair was crushed.
Not only did they lose, they lost even harder than Momoshiro and Kaidoh had. The final score: 6–3—and it took them less than half the time of the previous match.
Tachibana didn't even need to use his signature move, while Shinji's temporary paralysis technique completely shut down Kikumaru's acrobatic special shots.
(End of Chapter)
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