Prince of Tennis: Shocking! Hyotei's Demon King is a Yukimura fangirl!

Chapter 174 Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?

The two sang in unison, their voices not loud, but exuding an arrogant confidence, and the song carried far away on the wind.

The entire room fell silent for a second, then erupted in a cacophony of discussion.

"Holy crap? Is Hyotei this arrogant?"

"Huh? Isn't that Mukahi with the red hair? Who's that next to him? I've never seen him before. Where's Oshitari?"

"Who knows... Didn't they change their pairings over there too? Oishi didn't come, and Momoshiro is teaming up with Kikumaru. Seigaku and Hyotei both coincidentally chose to use new doubles pairs in this do-or-die match that will decide who advances to the national tournament. They're both pretty bold!"

"Isn't that Takiginosuke? Have these two ever teamed up? I don't think I've seen him play together before. Isn't Takiginosuke always a substitute for Hyotei? Can he and Mukahi work together?"

"Are you crazy? Why are you abandoning your strongest doubles team and pulling this stunt? Aren't you afraid of losing?"

"What do you know? This is called catching someone off guard. Seigaku must have prepared a bunch of tactics to target Oshitari Motohi, but he didn't use them. So all their preparations were for nothing."

"That makes sense... but... I came here today to see the Golden Duo versus Hyotei's tag team ace, what is this? An unexpected surprise?"

"Oh well... we can just wait and see, it's bound to be interesting."

……

The audience was noisy.

No one expected Hyotei to arrange their team like this; they thought it would be a foregone conclusion that the strongest doubles team would face off against the temporary combination.

But Hyotei did not play by the rules.

In the press box, Saori Shiba's hand holding the camera froze. She turned to look at Inoue beside her, her eyes wide.

"Inoue-senpai, Hyotei actually sent Mukahi and Taki?" Her tone was full of surprise. "Where's their ace doubles player, Oshitari? Are they saving him for the singles later?"

Inoue frowned slightly, his gaze falling on the Hyotei coaching bench.

He recalled the scene he had encountered in Karuizawa. The boy seemed nonchalant, but every word he spoke hit the nail on the head. He was definitely not an impulsive or reckless person.

"It must be a tactical arrangement."

Inoue tapped his notebook with his fingertip and said in a low voice, "This Coach Mochizuki has a very good grasp of people's minds. Just now, he made the doubles players play later to deliberately wear down their opponents' mentality, and he is doing the same now. Judging from his style of doing things, even if the new pairings come on, they will probably be one step ahead."

Saori Shiba nodded as if she understood, then raised her camera again and aimed it at the four people on the field.

"Then this match will be interesting."

"I wonder how well Mukahi and Taki coordinate, and whether they can beat Kikumaru and Momoshiro."

Inoue didn't speak, but just stared at the back of the blond boy on the sidelines. He had a feeling that things weren't that simple.

Wang Yueling dared to break up the established doubles, so she must have a backup plan.

The murmurs from the stands continued unabated, but the Hyotei supporters were unaffected and instead erupted in even louder cheers.

"Hyotei will win!!!"

The shouts grew louder and louder.

The uniform support fans opened and closed in unison, and the gold-plated school badges shimmered like a sea of ​​light in the sunlight, so dazzling that the stands trembled slightly.

Sitting on the coach's bench, Wang Yueling felt the surprised and inquisitive gazes coming from all directions, but remained indifferent.

In the Seigaku rest area, several people showed expressions of surprise.

Momoshiro's eyes widened, her face flushed with anger: "Hey! What they just said was way too arrogant!"

"They're a temporary combination too?!" Kikumaru wasn't particularly angry, but he frowned, his usual smile gone, and his fingers tightened around his racket.

"Is Yuji Oshitari no longer playing doubles?"

All the plans he and Oishi made before the match were specifically designed for the fixed doubles pair of Oshitari and Mukahi. Now that the opposing team has suddenly changed their lineup, most of their prepared tactics are no longer useful.

What is this?

Do you look down on him and Da Shi?

The pen in Qian's hand fell onto the notebook with a "thud." He quickly picked it up and flipped through the thick data book in his hand with great speed, the papers rustling.

"No...this shouldn't be happening."

"Taki Oginosuke is a data-driven tennis player who rarely plays in official matches. Mukahi's playing style relies on volleys at the net and follows a special shot approach, while Taki is more of a baseline data-driven player. This combination... seems a bit incongruous no matter how you look at it."

He looked at the two players who came on the field, flipping through his notebook, but couldn't find any corresponding tactical analysis.

He even crossed out one line of the previous prediction data in the notebook, then another line, and finally wrote nothing at all.

This was completely beyond his expectations.

Long Qijin stood on the referee's bench, his gaze lingered on the field for a moment, then turned to look at Wang Yueling on the other side of the coaching bench.

His face was ashen.

The blond boy opposite was leaning back in his chair, relaxed, with one hand on the armrest and the other slowly adjusting the green ribbon in his hair.

A faint smile played at the corners of his lips, as if he had everything under control.

This Mochizuki Ryo... actually dismantled Hyotei's strongest doubles team.

What was he thinking?

"Inui, do you have any data on Takiginosuke?" Ryuzaki Jin asked, tilting his head.

Inui put away his notebook, looked at Takiginosuke on the field, and said with a serious expression, "Yes, but not many."

"Takiginosuke's last official match was last year's Kanto Tournament, so there's very little data on him. All we know is that his tennis accuracy is good, his tactical planning ability is strong, and his teamwork with Mukahi... there's no record of that."

"In other words, we have no data to support our assessment of this match."

"So, like us, this is their first time teaming up?" Kawamura asked, somewhat surprised, pausing as he held up the giant Seigaku support flag.

"Based on the available data, yes."

"Since there's no data, we'll collect it on-site." Ryuzaki sighed, his tone calm, but his fingertips rubbed lightly against his cuffs.

"The problem now is..."

"Shinobu and Mukahi have been a fixed pair for two years. Their separation today suggests they definitely have other tactical arrangements in mind."

Fuji stood behind her with his arms crossed, opened his half-closed eyes, and looked at the boy on the opposite coaching bench, his blue eyes full of inquiry.

The other person sat in the coach's chair, still fixing their hair, their movements unhurried and leisurely, which made one feel uneasy.

"It seems that Coach Mochizuki is more daring than we thought."

Fuji withdrew his gaze, regaining his usual composed demeanor, and shared his thoughts with his teammates.

"He... is probably deliberately trying to confuse our judgment."

"Our previous predictions were all based on the assumption that Hyotei would stick to their fixed lineup. Now that they're not playing by the rules, we'll actually be at a disadvantage in the upcoming matches."

"Fuji is right."

Inui flipped through the notebook, which contained information on all the members of Hyotei, and said to Tezuka and the others, "We changed our doubles players because Oishi was injured unexpectedly, so we had to form a temporary pair. Hyotei couldn't possibly have known that."

"They dared to use a new combination in the first match of the Kanto Tournament. Either they wanted to test the waters by conceding a game, or... they were absolutely confident of winning."

Tezuka stood by the fence, his gaze shifting from Mukahi and Takigami, who were warming up on the court, to the blond boy on the Hyotei coaching bench.

They dared to use their first pairing in the first match of the Kanto Tournament.

This Wangyue Ling is far too confident.

Ryoma Echizen leaned against the railing, pulled down his hat brim, and looked at the two people in Hyotei Stadium with his amber eyes. He crushed the can in his hand, glanced in the direction of Hyotei's coaching bench, and muttered something under his breath.

"That's interesting."

The three first-year students not far away were also extremely nervous.

Horio crossed his arms, stood on tiptoe to look at the field, and muttered under his breath, "What the hell? Hyotei didn't even field Oshitari Mukahi. Are they looking down on Seigaku? And they just said something about 'Seigaku being defeated'... It's infuriating."

Katsuro Kato tugged at his sleeve and whispered, "Horio, keep your voice down... Maybe their new doubles team is really good."

Katsuo Mizuno nodded in agreement, a hint of worry in his eyes: "Yeah, and those two seem to have pretty good chemistry. Can Kikumaru-senpai and Momo-senpai really handle this...?"

Ryuzaki Sakuno gripped the hem of her clothes so tightly that her fingertips turned red.

Her gaze first fell on Kikumaru Eiji on the field, then quietly drifted to Echizen Ryoma not far away. Her heart was pounding, and she silently cheered him on in her heart.

"We can only take it one step at a time."

Ryuzaki Jin sighed, raised his hand and patted Kikumaru and Momoshiro's arms lightly, with a reassuring tone, "Eiji, Momoshiro, you two stay calm. No matter what moves they make, just maintain your own rhythm."

Kikumaru nodded, turned and walked onto the field. After taking a couple of steps, he looked back at Seigaku's team. The spot where Oishi usually stood was now empty.

He felt a little depressed, and his steps faltered.

Don't worry, Coach!

Kikumaru waved his hand, his voice as lively as ever, though a closer listen revealed a hint of tension. "We'll definitely win! We'll win for Oishi!"

Momoshiro followed behind, racket in hand, taking several deep breaths as he reached the baseline. He looked up at the opposite stands, filled with gray and camel-colored banners. Hyotei's cheering squad was neatly waving their support fans.

The deafening shouts drilled into my ears, leaving me somewhat dazed.

"Really."

Momoshiro scratched his head and muttered loudly, "How many people from their support group actually came? My ears are about to go deaf."

Kikumaru squatted down beside him, retying his shoelaces, his fingertips tightening them into a secure knot. He listened to the noise of the Hyotei cheering squad, which annoyed him a little, and puffed out his cheeks in frustration.

"It's so noisy. This atmosphere is really uncomfortable."

After tying her shoelaces, she stood up and jumped twice, her red curly hair swaying with her movements.

He raised his hand to touch the bandage on his face, his gaze flickered for a moment, then quickly returned to Momoshiro beside him, his tone firm, "But it's okay. Oishi... Momoshiro, we're partners! We'll definitely win!"

Momoshiro paused for a moment upon hearing the name "Oishi," then looked down at his wrist.

Earlier at the hospital, when Da Shi held his hand, his face still a little pale, and earnestly instructed him, "I'm counting on you for today's match, A Tao!", his heart felt heavy, as if a stone was pressing down on it.

He knew this victory wouldn't be easy, and he also knew that he and Kikumaru-senpai hadn't really practiced together much.

But we absolutely cannot lose this doubles match!!!

Momoshiro shook his head, clearing his mind of those chaotic thoughts. He looked up at Kikumaru, grinning with a set of bright white teeth.

He patted his chest, speaking with a defiant spirit, "Kikumaru-senpai, don't worry about me! With the two of us working together, we'll definitely be fine! I promised Oishi-senpai I would win this game."

Seeing his serious expression, Kikumaru's irritation subsided considerably. He reached out and patted Momoshiro's shoulder with considerable force, making Momoshiro stagger.

"Alright! Let's give them a good fight and teach them a lesson!"

On the other side, Mukahi and Taki bowed slightly to Mochizuki Ryo before slowly walking onto the field.

Xiang Ri spun around, shifting her ankles low, her knees slightly bent, and her red hair falling down to cover her forehead.

He looked sharply at Kikumaru Eiji across from him, a slight smile playing on his lips, looking eager to try.

"Taki, that red-haired guy is Kikumaru Eiji, who's famous for his special shots."

"Today we'll show him what real aerial acrobatics are like. We'll also let him experience what it means to be superior to others."

Taki brushed a stray hair from his forehead, his gaze quickly sweeping over the two opponents, taking in their positions, grips, and even their center of gravity.

The data flashed through my mind like a sophisticated instrument, instantly calculating several possible tactical options for the opponent.

With a faint smile, he replied, "Sure. It'll be a good opportunity to try out the new tactics we've been practicing lately and see how they perform in actual combat."

"Very good!"

Xiang Ri's eyes lit up, his toes shuffling on the ground, his tone filled with barely suppressed excitement: "I've wanted to try this for a long time! The internal scrimmage wasn't enough of a training session, so today's the perfect opportunity to practice against them."

"If our opponent were Kikumaru Oishi, we might have been able to play for a bit longer, but now... winning is a piece of cake."

"Yue Ren, don't underestimate the enemy."

Taki smiled and offered a reminder, his tone calm and composed, showing no sign of nervousness, "If you want to play... you'll have plenty of opportunities to shine today. But we still need to do as Ling said, first control the pace, and find loopholes in their coordination."

"One more... and I'll defeat him."

"We've played doubles so many times, so our teamwork is excellent. But we can't let our guard down too much. We should finish the match quickly if possible, to avoid any unforeseen problems."

Xiang Ri gave an OK sign and tossed his red hair.

"I know, I know! Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

The training over the past two months.

Their regular team was reorganized and regrouped by Mochizuki Ryo to practice doubles. Every day they practiced teamwork, covering for each other, and different tactics.

In just the past two weeks, he and Taki have hitched a ride no less than ten times.

Although they're not a fixed pair, their teamwork is excellent. Moreover, Taki's data-driven tennis always allows him to accurately predict his opponent's routes, which, combined with his mobility, makes the game exceptionally smooth.

Under the intense daily ranking matches, they even honed their own unique doubles tactics.

He was worried that he wouldn't have a chance to play against Takita after the points tournament, but he didn't expect to use him in the first match of the Kanto Tournament.

Mukahi swung his arm, his tone full of arrogance, "It's time to show everyone what Hyotei's doubles is all about!"

As they talked, they each took their places in their respective areas. Xiang Ri stood slightly to the left of the front field, leaning forward slightly, his attention highly focused.

Taki stood slightly to his right, racket held horizontally in front of him, his posture relaxed yet exuding a sense of pent-up energy.

On the sidelines, Wang Yueling leaned lazily against the back of the coach's chair, his azure eyes sweeping over the four people on the court, the curve of his lips remaining unchanged.

Sunlight fell on his blond hair, giving it a bright golden halo, and the green hairband on his forehead was lifted at the edges by the wind. He gently placed his right hand on the black wristband of his left hand, slowly stroking the old Rikkai University emblem.

I feel very calm.

Choosing Hiyori and Taki to play doubles number two was never a spur-of-the-moment decision for him.

Seigaku temporarily paired Momoshiro and Kikumaru together, so a lack of chemistry was inevitable. Momoshiro is strong but weak at the net, while Kikumaru is agile but lacks stamina and is weak at baseline defense.

Using Shinobu and Mukahi to fight would definitely result in a win, but it would be a huge waste.

Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut?!

Yuushi Oshitari, he wants to save him for a more suitable opponent.

Taki's data-driven tennis skills can accurately exploit the weaknesses of Seigaku's temporary pair. Coupled with Mukahi's net volleys, the combination of stability and agility perfectly counters the opponent's playing style.

We've secured this point; it's a sure thing.

The referee stood in front of the net, saw that both sides were ready, raised his hand, and blew his whistle.

The crisp whistle pierced the noise of the stadium, drowning out all the discussions and cheers.

"The match begins."