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

"Kawamura's Hadouken is getting softer and softer, while Kabaji's hands are getting harder and harder? Are his hands made of iron?"

"Even something made of iron would break. Look at him changing rackets; his right hand wasn't even gripping the handle properly."

"But speaking of which...aren't Seigaku a bit too unfair, trading a player's arm for points? They'll just use him for this year and then abandon him after graduation, right?"

"You can't say that. Don't you guys think 'persevering through injury' is incredibly cool? And think about it yourself, you've fought hard for ten rounds, and you were just two points away from winning. Would you really give up?"

"But that hand is clearly not holding up anymore; if they keep hitting it, it might be ruined."

"Whether it's useless or not is up to them; as long as they're willing to accept it."

……

The murmurs from the audience grew louder; some cheered, while others sighed.

The discussions, mixed with the hot wind, were overwhelming, but ultimately, there was more regret than praise.

On the Rikkai University side of the stands, Liu's pen tip traced across his notebook, leaving behind a string of fine numbers.

With his eyes half-closed, he reported the data in a steady voice, "Kawamura's swing speed has decreased by 87%, the racket head speed of his forehand swing has decreased by 15%, and he can hardly generate power with his backhand anymore. The swelling in his arm has affected the accuracy of his power. Kabaji's replica of the wave ball has a power reproduction accuracy of 112%, and the movement deviation is less than 2 centimeters."

If this continues, Kawamura won't be able to hold on much longer, even without Kabaji's efforts.

"Of course, Kabaji's hand has reached its limit too," Yanagi said, turning to a new page and tracing a new line of data on the paper. "His imitation requires precise force, putting more strain on his wrist than a normal shot. After these few shots, his accumulated wear and tear is already quite significant."

"He's giving it his all." Marui chewed his gum, watching the figure on the field gritting his teeth and running. He was silent for a few seconds, then his tone was full of regret. "He's really trading his arm for points."

Sanada's gaze remained fixed on the field beneath his hat brim. Watching Kawamura's unsteady steps, he said in a deep voice, "In the end, power-type athletes are all about physical endurance. Kawamura's foundation isn't as solid as Kabaji's, and if he continues to fight, he'll only hurt himself. Right now, all we can do is admire his strong willpower."

"What's the use of being strong?"

Niou lazily leaned against Yagyu, adjusting his sun hat, and said in a somewhat nonchalant tone, "In the next few games, Kawamura probably realized that he can't receive high-intensity swing balls from Kabaji. Do you think he'll play recklessly?!"

"Vice-Captain Sanada, don't follow his example. You might ruin your arm from practicing 'Thunder,' and then the captain will be worried."

Sanada's face darkened, and he turned to glare at him, his voice sharp, "Too lax!"

Yagyu coughed lightly, glanced at Niou, and said, "Masaharu, don't talk nonsense."

Niou shrugged, a sly smile playing on his lips as he twirled a lollipop stick between his fingers. He then sighed, "Is Seigaku betting everything on this one game? Aren't they afraid of crushing their team? And this big oaf... what's he after? What's the point of winning this game if he can't play anymore? Puri~"

"Everyone makes different choices."

Yagyu adjusted his glasses and said calmly, "He probably thought that if he won the singles three times, Tezuka and Fuji could then get one more point and he could advance. His plan was sound, but he didn't consider whether the players' bodies could handle it."

Kirihara leaned on the railing, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the power struggle on the field, forgetting even to eat the candy he was snacking on.

"Wow, that's amazing..."

He stammered, his voice much softer, "If that ball hit him, it would probably leave a huge bruise... Can he really still play?"

Kuwabara patted him on the shoulder without saying anything, but looked at Kawamura on the field with a hint of regret in his eyes.

Luna, nestled in Yukimura's arms, was dozing off when the constant shouting woke her up. She looked up, her ears twitching. She noticed the two-legged creature in blue clothes frowning every time it raised its hand. Tilting her head in confusion, she reached out a small paw and tugged at Yukimura's sleeve, meowing softly.

Yukimura bent down and rubbed its head, saying softly, "It's alright, just watch the game."

The atmosphere in the Seigaku rest area plummeted.

Kikumaru clung to the railing, the bandage on his face blown away by the wind, but he didn't care, staring intently at the field. Oishi stood beside him, the bandage on his right arm swaying in the wind, the wrinkles between his brows deep and etched.

"Eiji, Aaron's hand can't hold on any longer. The spin of that wave shot he just hit was lower than in the previous two games..."

"I saw it," Kikumaru said, his voice irritated. "But he's still hitting."

Momoshiro stood on the high ground of the stands, holding up the gravity support flag, wanting to shout "Go for it!", but looking at Kawamura's right arm, which he could barely lift, the word "Go for it!" stuck in his throat and he couldn't shout it out no matter what.

Kaidou kept his head down, his headband covering his eyes and brows, only his tightly clenched fists betraying his emotions.

A new line of data was added to Inui Sadaharu's notebook: Kawamura's probability of serious injury had risen to 88%.

Ryoma Echizen pushed his hat brim up, put his hands in his pockets, and looked through the shadow of his hat onto the field. His amber eyes were fixed on the hunched, panting figure on the field, and he remained silent for a long time.

"...Tsk,"

He clicked his tongue softly and then fell silent.

Fuji stood next to Tezuka, his usually squinting eyes wide open. His brown pupils reflected Kawamura's back on the field, the smile on his face almost invisible.

"He's gambling. He's gambling that he'll give in before Kabaji, or that Kabaji will back down first."

Tezuka didn't reply, his expression even colder than usual.

He noticed Kawamura rubbing his right arm with his left hand, and he subconsciously pressed his left elbow with his right hand, then quickly put it down, so quickly that no one noticed.

Kawamura picked up his racket, gripped it tightly, and walked back to the rest area. His back was still taut, yet it revealed a fragile strength beneath the surface. Tezuka recalled the feelings he had when he played with an injury, that unwillingness to give up, that stubborn determination to do what he knew was impossible.

That's how I got here as a "pillar of Seigaku".

I understand it, but seeing others repeat my mistakes still makes me feel uneasy.

"Tezuka, should we..." Oishi hesitated before speaking, wanting to suggest whether to forcefully persuade Kawamura to withdraw, but the words caught in his throat.

Tezuka shook his head, his voice soft: "It was his own will."

Fuji stood to the side, sighed softly, and relaxed his shoulders.

"Kawamura-senpai's strength has decreased." Horio gripped the railing, his voice tense. "Won't he lose if this continues...?"

"Pah, pah, pah, don't jinx it!" Katsuro Kato nudged him, but his own voice lacked confidence.

Ryuzaki Jin stood on the coach's bench, watching Kawamura on the court. Her lips moved, but she ultimately didn't call a stop. The tactical board in her hand was clenched so tightly it was deformed, and the pages were torn.

……

Kawamura walked to the sidelines to wipe his sweat, picked up his water bottle and took a sip. The water slid down his chin, mixing with the sweat and dripping into his collar. Ryuzaki Jin brought over an ice pack and handed it to him. He took it and applied it to his wrist. The cold made him hiss, but he didn't let go.

"Your right hand can't exert any force anymore. If you continue hitting, you can't afford the consequences. Still want to hit me?"

"Go." Kawamura looked up, his wisps of hair soaked with sweat and plastered to his forehead. He picked up the racket from the ground and switched to a spare. "I've played many matches, but I've never given up in the final game. Coach, please... let me finish."

Seeing the stubbornness in his eyes, Long Qijin swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue and simply nodded: "Be mindful of your words."

She knew that stopping the game at this point would be a lifelong regret for Kawamura. But as his coach, she should have stopped him.

The words were on the tip of my tongue, but in the end, I hesitated and said them.

At Hyotei, Kabaji sat on a bench, with Atobe standing beside him.

Kabaji's right wrist was also red, but when he clenched his fist and then relaxed it, the speed at which his fingers closed was normal, without any obvious lag.

Atobe glanced at him, said nothing more, only uttering, "Fight as I say."

Kaba nodded obediently: "Yes."

In the stands, Mochizuki Ryo watched as Kawamura picked up his racket and returned to the court, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly.

"We really have to tough it out."

He said it in a low voice, his tone tinged with regret, but more so with disagreement.

Yukimura followed his gaze and gently shook his head: "It seems they will continue. The previous two doubles matches, plus this match, made him deeply aware of Hyotei's strength. He probably feels that if he doesn't seize this match point, it will be even more difficult for his team to break through, so he plans to take a risk."

Even with injuries this severe, I'm unwilling to give up...

Wang Yueling didn't reply, but turned around and walked down the steps.

"Where are you going?"

"Go say something to Seigaku." Mochizuki Ryo waved her hand without turning her head. "We have to remind them when necessary; whether they listen or not is their business."

Yukimura nodded, then moved aside with Luna in his arms. Luna clung to his arm, craning her neck to look at Mochizuki Ryo's back, her little tail wagging gently.