(Note: I changed Takeshi Fuwa to Gaichūchi Gedō. A reader pointed out that Fuwa is actually the next captain of Mokushi Tai, and while I couldn't verify the info, I adjusted it for accuracy.)
"The finals of the Metropolitan Tournament—Seigaku vs. Yamabuki! Doubles 2 match begins, Seigaku to serve first!"
After a ten-minute warm-up, the referee's whistle signaled the start of the match.
"Kawasaki-senpai, we're counting on you!"
Yamato and Kawasaki exchanged a glance before taking their positions.
Thud—! Thud—! Thud—!
Kawasaki bounced the ball a few times, steadying himself.
With a quick glance at the positioning of Kaneda and Kaho, he tossed the ball high into the air, bent his knees, and leaped—
At the peak of its ascent, his arm muscles tensed before he smashed the ball downward with full force.
Swish—!
The ball slammed into the ground, but instead of rebounding immediately, it seemed to stick to the court for a brief moment.
"Huh?!" Kaidō blinked in surprise. "Isn't that the Gravity Ball effect? Kawasaki can use it in his serves now?"
"Heh." Kawasaki smirked but didn't explain.
Originally, it had just been an experiment—but as his swing speed improved, applying the Gravity Ball to his serves had become second nature.
"This serve…"
Kaho, the receiver, frowned.
The delayed rebound messed with his timing. By the time his racket connected, most of the ball's force had dissipated.
The return flew high, giving Yamato the perfect chance for a sharp net intercept.
His swing was blindingly fast—Kaneda and Kaho barely had time to react before the ball was already past them.
"Yamato Yūda, Kawasaki Junsa score! 15–0!"
The umpire's voice rang out.
"Strange…"
Coach Banji's brow furrowed.
Their performance was way beyond the data he'd collected.
A Gravity Ball serve? That rapid-fire net kill? None of this had appeared in Seigaku's match against Hyōtei.
A bad feeling settled in his gut.
Thud—!
Kawasaki served again.
This time, Kaho waited for the ball to fully rebound before swinging—
CRACK!
The moment his racket connected, his eyes widened. "What the—?!"
The sheer force behind the ball was unreal.
Last time, he'd missed the optimal timing, so he hadn't felt the full impact. But now, with a direct hit, the difference was staggering.
The return was weak, but at least it stayed low.
Yet before Kaho or Kaneda could react—
BAM!
Yamato's interception blazed past them, landing cleanly in the corner.
"30–0!"
"Huh. The Swift Strike Rune and Counter Rune have better synergy than I thought."
Yoru mused to himself.
The Counter Rune boosted the regulars' return accuracy by 10%, while the Swift Strike Rune increased swing speed by another 10%—indirectly improving shot quality.
He wasn't sure what had happened after practice yesterday, but judging by Yamato and Kawasaki's performance, they'd clearly developed new techniques to capitalize on the runes' effects.
Thud—!
"40–0!"
The new strategy worked flawlessly—Kawasaki's Gravity Ball serves pinned the opponents down, while Yamato's lightning-fast net play secured easy points.
"So this is the chain reaction from the Swift Strike Rune…"
Seigaku's biggest weakness had always been doubles.
At first, Yoru assumed Yamato and Kawasaki would need months to gel as a proper pair. But the increased swing speed drastically improved their adaptability.
It was a simple tactic, but with Yamato's skill covering the gaps, this duo was now on par with Kaidō's pair.
Yoru glanced at QP. "What do you think of their doubles now?"
QP replied calmly, "Significant improvement. My guess? They're using this tactic to force their opponents into predictable patterns—setting up Yamato's Misalignment Shot later."
Thud—!
The next few games proved QP right.
Just as Kaneda and Kaho started adapting to their strategy—
WHOOSH!
Yamato's Misalignment Shot sent them swinging at air, completely thrown off.
With Kawasaki's Gravity Ball keeping the pressure on, the score climbed rapidly.
"2–0!"
"...4–2!"
"5–3!"
By the ninth game, it was Yamato's turn to serve.
(In doubles, serving rotates—Player A serves first, then the opponent's Player A, then your Player B, and so on.)
Standing at the baseline, Yamato fired off a serve with ridiculous speed.
Kaneda braced for a flat shot—only for the ball to skid sideways upon bouncing, spinning wildly out of reach.
"A spin serve that fast?!"
He lunged, but—
FWOOM!
The ball sailed wide.
"15–0!"
QP observed quietly, "With faster swings, they've brought previously impractical techniques to life. As the last remaining ancient civilization, Daxia truly holds mysteries beyond ordinary comprehension."
Yoru coughed, cheeks reddening as he looked away.
Thud—!
Yamato's next serve rocketed toward the backline.
Kaneda and Kaho were too far apart—
Just as the ball seemed destined to fly out, Kaho roared and hurled himself after it. "NOT HAPPENING!"
He dove, fully aware he'd crash hard—but he refused to let their mission (winning Doubles 2) end here.
His racket just grazed the ball—
But there was no impact.
The ball vanished mid-air.
Misalignment Shot.
"Game! Seigaku wins, 6–3!"
Kaho hit the ground hard.
"Kaho!"
Yamabuki's team rushed onto the court in concern.
Kawasaki didn't even glance back as he walked off. Even Yamato—usually the embodiment of kindness—left without a word.
Yesterday's clash wasn't something he'd forget.
He was compassionate—not naive.
---
"Who knew Yamato and Kawasaki would improve this much?"
"Right? If we had to face them in doubles now, we'd be in trouble. That was insane."
Kaidō and Momoshiro exchanged impressed looks.
"Remarkable progress."
QP's assessment was brief but firm.
Compared to yesterday, this was like watching a completely different team.
But everyone knew—this advantage came from their techniques, not raw teamwork. Their doubles synergy still had room to grow.
As the pair stepped off the court, before anyone could praise them—
"HELL YEAH! THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT! SEND THAT CRAFTY OLD MAN BANJI PACKING!"
A certain hothead's voice boomed from the sidelines.
(To be continued...)