Chapter 38
Leading 2-0, they only need one win to win the national championship.
"It seems that the Minister has no chance to play in the game again." Kirihara Akaya said bluntly.
Yukimura Seiichi looked at Yanagi Renji, who had finished warming up. "It would be best if you didn't play, right, Renji?"
"Rikkai University's chances of winning are 98.72%. Yukimura, please stay in the coaching booth and prepare to receive your award." Yanagi Renji said calmly, revealing his absolute confidence in the match. "Fuji Shusuke's recent data changes and new moves... The battle at Shitenhoji provided a lot of useful information."
After the match, Niou Masaharu became lazy again, leaning against the railing beside the tennis court. "Sei Gakuen's Fuji Shusuke lost to Sanada, so it's normal for him to lose to the military advisor~"
"That's true." Marui Bunta held the mineral water in his hand and drank it sip by sip.
Sanada's face was tense, his eyes piercing. "Rikkai University's three-peat is a sure win."
"Of course." Yanagi Renji checked the condition of his racket and stepped onto the court.
The players of Seigaku watched with anticipation as Fuji Shusuke walked onto the field. As long as he won, the competition could continue.
Fuji Shusuke's steps were brisk, his face devoid of a smile, his sharp blue eyes filled with determination. 'This match is crucial for Seigaku's continued success.'
In the audience, cheers from both schools continued.
"It's the last match. I wonder if Seigaku can break through Rikkai University's blockade."
"It's really too difficult to defeat a team led by three national-level leaders."
"Qingxue's strength should not be underestimated. Perhaps there is still hope."
...Most of the people who support Rikkai University are fans and alumni who have been with Rikkai University all the way. The supporters of Seigaku are either members of the school team or members of other defeated schools.
Junior high schools only hold national championships every three years, making surpassing them incredibly difficult. Speaking of schools that have achieved three consecutive championships, Rikkai University will always be at the forefront until a new record is set.
Yanagi Renji's opponent, Fuji Shusuke, was already standing on the other side of the net, and the game was about to begin.
All eyes were on the tennis court.
Yanagi Renji lightly flicked the strings of his tennis racket and quickly served the ball.
Fuji Shusuke moved lightly to the landing point of the ball and hit it back.
The tennis ball flew through the air, and the duel between the two officially began.
Fuji Shusuke's return angles were tricky, and Yanagi Renji resolved them one by one with the help of data prediction.
"Game Li Hai Daliu, 15-0!"
"Game Qingxue Fuji, 15-15!"
Fuji Shusuke glanced at the team's stat-conscious player, Inui Sadaharu. Statistically speaking, Rikkai University's Yanagi Renji was the more formidable. "He's left room for reaction with ease."
Taocheng Wu said anxiously: "Senior Fuji, why don't you use Phoenix Flash? This is a good opportunity at the net."
"It's not that we don't use it, it's just that it's difficult to use. Fuji's move is a counterattack technique, and Renji paid special attention to the rotation of the return ball when he returned the ball." Inui Sadaharu explained.
Horio was surprised: "Doesn't that mean we can only rely on basic skills?"
"Not really, it depends on the mastery of skills. Fuji is a mysterious person that I have never been able to collect all the information about." Inui Sadaharu thought of the match against Yanagi Renji, where he was hit back by a slice even though the ball was pressed low.
Yanagi Renji was on high alert, calmly analyzing Fuji Shusuke's movements. Fuji Shusuke was quite capable, and his previous information had indeed been kept very secret. That was because Kanto-level competitions couldn't allow the Seigaku prodigy to exert his full strength.
Fuji Shusuke's information is a framework, and Yanagi Renji is famous for his data, but he has more than just data.
"Game Li Hai Daliu, 2-1!"
Niou Masaharu tilted his head and pointed at the Seigaku rest area. "There's a commotion over there for some reason."
"The replaced regular player has returned to the team. Seigaku is really noisy." Marui Bunta blew a bubble.
Kirihara Akaya grabbed the railing and gave a shout of support. "Senior Yanagi, come on! Defeat him quickly!"
Sanada watched the match. Yanagi Renji hadn't yet used his full strength, and Fuji Shusuke wasn't at his limit either. "We're just testing the waters."
"Renji, even if Fuji, who's known as a genius, has great skills, his ability isn't at the national level yet." Yukimura Seiichi sat firmly in the coaching booth.
Fuji Shusuke was focused on the field. His triple counterattack was blocked, and he needed some motivation to break the stalemate. "Just in time, the wind is picking up~"
In the attack at the net, Yanagi Renji used a fake topspin move to hit a high-speed slice.
Fuji Shusuke used the fourth level of counterattack - the mayfly cover counterattack, to dissolve the tennis ball's spinning counterattack.
Yanagi Renji retreated to the landing point of the ball and returned the high ball to buy time.
After receiving the ball, Fuji Shusuke paused slightly, and the force of the tennis ball rolled on the racket, forcing the ball to have double the rotation.
Yanagi Renji positioned himself correctly, his counterattack landing outside the bounds. "This mark was used in the battle of Shitenhoji Temple—the Hundred-Armed Titan's guard."
"Out! Game Qingxue Fuji, 3-3!"
Kawamura Takashi held up the racket and passionately raised the Seigaku flag. "Seigaku! Fighting!"
"The score is tied! It's Senior Fuji's new move." Katsuo Mizuno exclaimed.
Horio jumped up excitedly: "That's great, Fuji-senpai!"
"It's just a tie, but Seigaku's acting like they've won. Tsk~" Kirihara Akaya glanced sideways, saying he didn't care, but his eyes were fixed on the changes on the field, afraid to miss any details. "It's not enough to have more moves. Senior Liu hasn't used any of his moves yet!"
Yanagi Renji was impressed, saying the title of genius wasn't for nothing. Fuji Shusuke's talent always brought unexpected changes to the game, making him the type of opponent that stat-focused players disliked the most.
The spin doubling trick takes a lot of effort to break. If the spin is reduced for this type of return ball, the seal on the triple counterattack will be loosened.
Yanagi Renji stood quietly. Although he was in the midst of a passionate competition, his heart was as calm as still water.
The game entered a white-hot stage, and Shusuke Fuji started with a disappearing serve and quickly went to the net.
Yanagi Renji predicted the ball's trajectory and hit back with a straight shot.
Fuji Shusuke intercepted the ball and returned it to Yanagi Renji's backhand. Yanagi Renji didn't move, but used the elasticity of his racket to gently bounce the ball back, making a short shot.
Realizing that Yanagi Renji's strength was more formidable than he had imagined, Fuji Shusuke returned the ball to the backcourt and adjusted his position.
The guard of the Hundred-Armed Titan once again faced Fuji Shusuke's moves, and Yanagi Renji fought back head-on - Kamaitachi.
A fierce diagonal cut broke through the Giants' defense and scored.
"Game Li Hai Daliu, 30-15!"
Fuji Shusuke's eyes narrowed. Although his new move was cracked, he did not panic. He planned a new counterattack with a desire for victory in his eyes.
Yanagi Renji noticed the subtle changes in Fuji Shusuke and became alert.
Fuji Shusuke concentrated his attention, pushing himself to the limit. "This is the pressure of the national level. Even though the score difference is not big, it feels like an insurmountable chasm is looming before us."
Yanagi Renji served, and Fuji Shusuke reacted quickly, hitting the ball back. The tennis ball flew across the net, making a snapping sound.
"Military advisor, why don't you end the battle? The situation on the Seigaku side is about to get out of control." Yagyu Hiroshi pushed his glasses. An impulsive move could be the beginning of a mistake or the beginning of a miracle.
Yukimura Seiichi straightened his jacket and gave his teammates a calm smile, as if everything was under control. "Don't worry, Renji is the best at putting out fires, isn't he, Sanada?"
Sanada nodded, his hat pressed down. "Renji has his own rhythm in the game."
A passionate battle dominated by emotions between both sides will never happen to Yanagi Renji. His usual style of play is to remain calm and composed, incorporate all changes into the scope of data, and find ways to break the deadlock.
In the same battle, when gathering intelligence, Yanagi Renji would never give up the score to confirm the data in the match between Sanada and Yukimura...
The closer they got to match point, the more clearly they could sense this genius gradually breaking through his limitations. Not wanting to give his opponent any chance to exploit, Yanagi Renji took action. "It's time to put an end to this match."
Fuji Shusuke stopped abruptly, leaning his body, letting the edge of his racket brush against the tennis ball, using the wind to lift it high. "Sixth Return - Star Fireworks."
"Game Qingxue Fuji, 40-40!" The referee's voice rang out over the court.
Yanagi Renji paused swinging his racket, watching the tennis ball bounce into the aisle. "A new return star firework? It overlaps with Niou's meteor hammer's trajectory. It's a bit of a shame to have such a secretive teammate. It's essentially a lob..."
Yi Qiu saw through the essence of the move, and it would take time for Yanagi Renji to hit it back. However, not being able to hit it back does not mean that he cannot deal with it.
At the Rikkai Grand Prix, the tennis ball continued to soar across the court.
Yanagi Renji moved slightly and narrowly saved the tennis ball.
The tennis ball fell to the ground, bounced up, and landed on Yanagi Renji's racket again, and was sent back steadily.
Facing Yanagi Renji's impeccable defense, Fuji Shusuke was not to be outdone. The intensity of the game rivaled the captain's battle between Hyotei and Seigaku, and the score went back and forth.
"Game Li Hai Daliu, AD-40!"
"Game Qingxue Fuji, AD-40!"
…The referee kept repeating the score.
The score was deadlocked and the two sides fought at the net.
Fuji Shusuke wanted to use a high lob to create an opportunity for himself and tie the score.
Yanagi Renji, contrary to his usual style, played a short ball.
The tennis ball did not bounce after it hit the ground, but rolled directly onto the ground, brushing past Fuji Shusuke's racket.
At this moment, Fuji Shusuke thought of Tezuka's Zero-style slice, but the difference was that the Zero-style was heading towards the net, while Yanagi Renji's short ball rolled in the forward direction.
Yanagi Renji won a crucial point with Utsukishima.
"The match is over, Rikkai Oyanagi wins 6-4!"
The stadium was silent, with only the voices of the Rikkai University cheerleaders being exceptionally loud.
"Always win! Rikkai University!"
"Let's go! Let's go! Rikkai University! Take the lead and win first place!"
The audience was silent for a few seconds and then broke the frozen air and cheered along with the Rikkai University cheerleaders to celebrate the birth of the champion.
The Rikkai University players gathered in the center of the arena, hands clasped together. "Three consecutive championships!"
“We did it!”
Only four schools were able to stand on the field at the national competition.
After distributing the medals, Seiichi Yukimura received the banner that he had submitted at the start of the national competition.
The Rikkai University players held up the trophy and pennant and took a memorable photo.
With the awards ceremony concluded, the national competition also came to a close. Rikkai University wrote a legend—the first team to achieve three consecutive championships.
"Let's go!" Yukimura Seiichi walked in front.
Sanada followed closely behind, his expression serious but relieved. "It's all over."
The players from Rikkai University followed their captains, holding their medals and trophies. There were also grand celebrations waiting for them in the clubs and the school.
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