"Tachibana! Are you alright?" Chitose turned right after his return, checking on Tachibana behind him.
"Relax! Just a bit of pain, nothing serious, Chitose!" Tachibana steadied himself and answered.
"We seem to have underestimated Kimijima a bit. Without realizing it, the match shifted strangely into singles between you and Toono. But don't forget, this is doubles. Don't let your emotions cloud your judgment, Tachibana!" Chitose's tone was sharp, though his relief showed when he saw Tachibana was fine.
Hearing this, Tachibana froze. Looking back on the rally, he realized he really had gotten carried away. He had clashed directly with Toono, losing the rhythm he usually shared with Chitose.
"Sorry, Chitose! I lost my head for a moment. Let's take the match back to our own pace!" Tachibana took a few deep breaths, calming the heat in his chest, and spoke firmly.
The second game was Chitose's serve. Standing at the baseline, the rainbow glow around him faded, replaced by a deep red aura. At the net, Tachibana also flared with that same red aura. In an instant, their auras linked together.
"Ability Synchronization—Mad Wolf's Howl!"
"Looks like the second negotiation failed. Toono, let's return to our normal rhythm," Kimijima said with a faint smile, watching their state.
"Tch, you don't have to tell me! I'll finish the execution on that brat myself!" Toono growled back.
Chitose tossed the ball high. With a sharp swing, his left hand smashed down. The instant it left the racket, the ball vanished, leaving only the net quivering faintly like touched by wind.
Suddenly, a ball appeared beneath Toono's feet, bounced once, and shot out of bounds. Toono blinked, caught off guard. He hadn't expected Kamikakushi to be usable even in serve.
"ACE! 15-0!"
It was pure carelessness. If Toono had taken time to study Tachibana and Chitose's records, he would've known Kamikakushi wasn't limited to returns—it worked perfectly on serve as well.
When Chitose served Kamikakushi again, Toono carefully tracked the swing. Flashing to the predicted landing point, he swept his racket through the air. A familiar impact told him he'd caught it, sending the ball back.
On the far side, Tachibana was already in a one-foot stance. Golden light wrapped his racket as he whipped it fiercely, the ball exploding into ten shadows hammering forward.
"Abare Dama—Kai!"
"That trick doesn't work on me—wha—!!" Kimijima, smiling faintly, stepped up and swung to intercept one shadow. But the next second, his racket was blasted from his hand by the sheer weight of the ball.
"30-0!"
"Super Sweetspot, huh? Impressive..." Kimijima muttered, clutching his wrist, his face dark as he looked across at Tachibana.
"Even if you see through the shadows, if you can't handle the weight, the result is the same," Tachibana replied flatly.
Kimijima said nothing more, turning to retrieve his racket. Few noticed the faint, eerie smile curling at his lips.
"Oh? Looks like Kimijima's moving again. I wonder if Tachibana and Chitose will catch on this time," Irie murmured from the stands, eyes thoughtful.
"If they let Kimijima's words lead them, they've already lost half the match," Tanegashima agreed.
"Hmph. Haven't you seen it yet? This match is actually a test for Kimijima and Toono," Oni Juujirou suddenly spoke.
"Seems your sharpness hasn't dulled much, Oni," Byoudouin Houou sneered with a sidelong glance.
Truthfully, even Byoudouin's impression of the middle schoolers had shifted. With his strength and experience, he could see clearly that these kids were nearly on par with the First String. Meaning, at the upcoming world tournament, Japan's team would gain several powerful assets.
But still, Byoudouin intended to teach them a harsh lesson before then. The cruelty of the world wasn't something words could explain. Even if Akashi and the others had stood in France two years ago, that didn't mean they were ready to shoulder the weight of national honor.
As the high schoolers discussed in the stands, Chitose once again launched a Kamikakushi serve. But this time, Kimijima seemed to have seen through it. He stepped quickly into the landing point, swung cleanly, and the ball appeared on his racket before being sent right back.
The rally turned into a proper doubles exchange. Kimijima and Toono's coordination was sharp, but against Tachibana and Chitose in Mad Wolf's Howl, they gradually slipped behind.
"40-0!"
"Game! Second String Selection! 2-0!"
Toono and Kimijima dropped the second game, but neither seemed rattled. Toono only looked annoyed that his Execution Laws hadn't landed on Tachibana, while Kimijima remained calm, as though everything was within his grasp.
"Why do I feel like Kimijima-senpai and Toono-senpai's strength…" Oshitari Kenya hesitated from the stands.
"You mean they look weaker than Mōri-senpai and Ochi-senpai?" Hiyoshi Wakashi cut in bluntly.
"According to my records, Kimijima and Toono's win rate against Ochi-senpai is under 20%! They've almost never beaten him in singles," Inui Sadaharu said seriously, flipping through his notebook.
"Huh? Then why are their rankings above Ochi-senpai and Mōri-senpai?" Kirihara Akaya asked curiously.
"Ochi-senpai used to be No. 4. But to pair with Mōri-senpai, he dropped down to No. 10," Yanagi Renji explained calmly.
"As part of the First String top ten, they can't be that weak. I trust Tachibana and Chitose won't let their guard down," Tezuka said evenly, eyes fixed on the match.
On court, the third game began with Kimijima serving. He hit only a standard high-speed serve, which Tachibana returned with ease.
Tachibana pressed hard at the net while Chitose covered the backcourt, their cooperation seamless. They nearly smothered Toono and Kimijima completely.
But even so, neither Kimijima nor Toono seemed worried. Nor did the other First String members at the sideline. Even Byoudouin Houou watched with a flat expression, showing no irritation.
When Tachibana's powerful drive split between them and flew out of bounds, Tachibana and Chitose frowned instead. They noticed it was oddly easier now compared to the first game.
"0-15!"
After their doubles match against Niō and Sanada in their first year, Tachibana and Chitose never underestimated anyone again. Even in their match against Suzuki and Umo, they hadn't slacked for a moment.
"Tachibana! Something feels off. We'd better stay sharp," Chitose warned quietly.
"Yeah, I know! But no matter what they're planning, the win will be ours!" Tachibana shot back firmly.
"My, such caution. But it looks like you two still haven't gone all out, have you?" Kimijima smiled faintly at them, tossing the ball high. With one sharp swing, the ball streaked for the back left corner.
"Heh. Whatever you're scheming, ending this quick sounds good to me!" Tachibana flashed to the landing point. His aura surged higher, his racket swung fiercely.
"Roar of the Lion!"
The ball thundered across with violent energy. Kimijima had already rushed the net and intercepted. But the instant the racket made contact, a deafening lion's roar boomed in his mind. He froze for just a beat—long enough for his racket to be blasted from his hand.
Though prepared, Kimijima still managed to send the ball back. But Tachibana was already at the net, smashing a diagonal drive that looked sure to seal the point.
"…Like a spiderweb!" Kimijima suddenly muttered. He ripped the jacket from his waist, swung it into the air, tangled his racket, and pulled it back. With one sharp sidestep, he caught Tachibana's diagonal shot. The impact dampened most of the ball's force, sending it dribbling off at a sharp angle. It landed on the opposite court and died after a few small bounces.
"15-15!"
"You've grown impatient again, Tachibana," Kimijima said smoothly, standing tall with a faint smile as his words cut across the court.