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

He knew, of course, that Atobe wouldn't let him off easy.

This guy is more arrogant than anyone else; if he wins, he wants to win fair and square. But he still had to mention it, afraid that Atobe might hold a grudge. After all, in the original story, after the battle between the two sides, Atobe was labeled a vicious villain by the irrational fans of the main characters, accused of "winning unfairly."

Atobe didn't say it, but he had been bothered by it for a long time. Even so, he still helped Tezuka contact the best doctors in Germany, running around doing all the work.

In his view, everyone is on their own team in the arena, and Tezuka's old injury was not caused by Atobe. The recurrence of the old injury due to the prolonged battle was also the result of their respective choices.

Why should Hyotei be blamed for an unfair victory?

Those guys from Seigaku, on the other hand, got a huge advantage and started to act all high and mighty.

Before the finals, Seigaku and Rikkai held a training camp together, and Tezuka even called Atobe before leaving the country to ask for one more practice match. What for? He knew Atobe was tough on the outside but soft on the inside and wouldn't refuse.

Do you really think Hyotei is a charity?

Wang Yueling's eyes turned slightly cold as she slammed the bottle heavily onto the table, making a crisp sound.

With him around, you can forget about doing something so thankless and exhausting.

Hyotei is not anyone's experience pack, Atobe is not anyone's stepping stone, and there is no need for them to pay for someone else's old wounds.

Thinking this, Mochizuki Ryo glanced again in the direction of Rikkai University. Yukimura Masashi bent down to adjust the small blanket in Luna's cat carrier, his movements very gentle, his profile softened in the sunlight.

Well, judging from the plot, Seigaku might turn their attention to Rikkai after hitting a wall with Hyotei.

Seiichi would never do something so stupid.

As for Sanada, that stubborn guy... I'll have to have Seiichi keep a close eye on him. If all else fails, I'll take the time to hide all of Sanada's communication devices while I'm beating him up in the middle of the night, so that he doesn't impulsively agree to be Seigaku's experience point.

Yes, he and Seiichi are equally intelligent; they are truly a match made in heaven.

Atobe sat beside him adjusting the strings, and seeing him sometimes angry, sometimes crazy, and sometimes laughing like an idiot, he couldn't help but give him a hard slap on the head.

Wang Yueling was so startled by his sudden outburst that she almost fell off her chair. She tidied her hair in annoyance and said in a more serious tone, "Ahem, well... don't fight for too long, finish this quickly. His arm can't hold out for long, and dragging it out could easily lead to an accident."

Atobe grunted in response, without looking up, and continued tidying up the strings and adjusting the grip tape.

he knows.

If you actually break the opponent's elbow, it will cause more trouble.

A quick victory is better for everyone.

The atmosphere was rather somber at the Seigaku coaching bench, which was not far away.

Tezuka walked back, his face expressionless, but his left arm hung naturally at his side, his fingers slightly curled, as if he dared not exert any force.

Ryoma Echizen sat on the chair next to him, his hat brim pulled low. Looking at his tense profile, he handed him a sports drink.

"minister."

As Tezuka raised his hand, a dull, aching sensation in his elbow made him frown slightly, but he quickly relaxed, his expression behind his glasses remaining unchanged. He took the drink and thanked him softly.

The atmosphere became somewhat silent for a moment.

Ryoma Echizen watched his movements, opened his mouth as if to offer some tactical advice, but swallowed the words back.

He's really not good at tactical guidance.

He's only a first-year high school student, still figuring out his own playing style, how could he possibly give advice to the club president? With Coach Ryuzaki absent, he's practically just a figurehead sitting in this position.

In terms of tactics and experience, he is far inferior to Tezuka himself.

Saying too much would be like showing off one's limited skills before an expert.

In the end, he could only manage to utter one sentence.

"come on."

Tezuka nodded, said "Don't be careless," then leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and placed his left arm at his side, feeling a tingling numbness. The impact of that game still lingered in his elbow, causing a dull ache.

Oishi walked up to them, his face full of worry. "Tezuka, if your hand is uncomfortable..."

"My hand is fine." Tezuka opened his eyes, turned around to interrupt him, his tone was calm but carried an undeniable firmness, "This game is important for both Seigaku and Kawamura."

Oishi wanted to say something, but Fuji stopped him with a look. Fuji looked at Tezuka's determined eyes, only curving the corners of his mouth slightly, but his smile was not very warm.

He knew Tezuka's personality; there was no point in saying anything.

"That's good. Don't force yourself."

Tezuka nodded and said nothing more.

He could feel his teammates' worry, and he could also feel the pain in his elbow getting worse.

But he cannot back down.

Kawamura fought tooth and nail to win that point; as the team leader, he had to win this round. Otherwise, Kawamura's sacrifice would have been in vain.

Momoshiro and Kikumaru stood behind, wanting to encourage each other but unsure what to say. They looked at each other, the atmosphere heavy. Inui Sadaharu flipped through his notebook, trying to find some useful data, but all he found were records from Tezuka's prime, offering no reference value whatsoever. Kaidou Kaoru stood to the side, her face grim, saying nothing.

The Seigaku supporters surrounded them, cheering them on all at once.

"Go, Minister! Turn the tide next time!"

"That's right! We believe you!"

"Atobe's just using psychological tactics, ignore him!"

Tezuka nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, only his grip on the towel tightened.

From the surrounding stands, the cheering squads on both sides shouted deafeningly, and the spectators' discussions never stopped.

Many people's attention shifted from the game itself to the comparison between the two coaching benches.

"Look at the coaching benches on both sides, the contrast is too big. On Hyotei's side, Mochizuki Ryo is constantly explaining tactics, and Atobe is listening very attentively. On Seigaku's side? The coach isn't here, just a kid sitting on the bench, unable to utter a single word for ages."

"Isn't Echizen sitting on Seigaku's side? No matter how good he is, he's only a first-year student. What does he know about tactical guidance? Expecting him to do this is like forcing a duck onto a shelf."

"One professional coach and one kid to make up the numbers."

"Tezuka played so hard, and he didn't even have anyone to pass him tactics. He had to come up with all the ideas on his own. That's just too tragic."

"Who can argue with that? There was already a gap in skill level, and with the coach being even worse, Seigaku's chances of winning this match are slim."

"It's really risky. We don't know how Tezuka's arm is doing yet. Even if he can hold on, he'll be at a tactical disadvantage."

"Speaking of which, Ryuzaki Jin is really carefree; he hasn't come back yet. The match has already gone through five games, is it appropriate for the coach not to be there?"

"What can you do? She's a veteran. She taught Echizen Nanjiro; that's enough to brag about for a lifetime. But if you ask me, it's quite wise of her to avoid it. This match is already one-sided; two more games and it'll be over. If Tezuka's hand is really injured, and it gets worse, he'll lose both arms in this match. If she doesn't avoid it, who will...?"

These words drifted into the ears of the Seigaku students, and they grew increasingly harsh. Momoshiro and Kaidou turned green with anger and wanted to turn back to argue, but Oishi and Inui each grabbed one of them and held them down.

"Ignore them. The most important thing now is the game."

"Hiss~" Haitang pulled off the bandana that had fallen askew on her head and glared fiercely at the group of people who had been chatting the most enthusiastically. "The coach isn't like that."

"Exactly!" Momoshiro gritted her teeth, glared angrily at the man, then turned back. "What are they saying? Echizen is pretty good too!"

The murmurs drifted to the press box, where Shiba Saori angrily snapped photos, muttering, "It's so unfair! What kind of skill is it for Hyotei's captain to adjust tactics with outside help! Tezuka has to carry the team all by himself!"

"Saori, stop talking." Inoue sighed, closing his notebook. "That's the difference in team strength. Echizen is too young to offer any substantial tactical adjustments... he really can't help."

"Inoue-senpai! Whose side are you on anyway? Why do you always take Hyotei's side?!" Shiba Saori shouted in dissatisfaction. "And these spectators can't tell right from wrong either! Coach Ryuzaki went to the hospital because she was worried about Kawamura! How can you say that about her! If you ask me, it's that Mochizuki Ryo who's meddling! Ryoma is too young to help, so Hyotei should just be fair and not say anything."

"Wouldn't it be better to let the two players on the field have a one-on-one match?"

Inoue ignored her wild ideas and even took a step back, because the other reporters were staring at them like they were idiots.

The atmosphere at halftime was much more relaxed for Rikkai University.

Only Sanada, who was constantly watching the field, stared seriously in the direction of the Seigaku coaching bench, his brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly. "The coach isn't here, there's not even anyone to give guidance. What kind of behavior is this?"

Liu closed his notebook, his voice steady, "Genichiro, the management style of Seigaku Ryuzaki Coach, has always been rather laissez-faire."

"Free-range? Calling it dereliction of duty is more like it. Is Seigaku planning to go down this path to the bitter end? Kawamura was just carried off, and now another one is stubbornly holding on despite being injured? Puppina~" Niou finished his rant, but still couldn't stay still, so he went over to the cat carrier and reached out to lift the mesh to take a look.

"Let me see if Luna is awake. She was shouting so loudly just now, she shouldn't have fallen asleep so quickly."

"Don't touch it." Sanada's voice came from the side, stern. "What kind of behavior is it to disturb its rest?"

Niou reluctantly withdrew his hand, pursing his lips: "It's just a look, it won't cost me anything."

Cilang also came over and peeked into the cat carrier.

The kitten was fast asleep when it stirred its whiskers, as if dreaming of something delicious, and began to nibble on its fabric fish-shaped toy. Its purring was so soft that you could feel a slight vibration even through the bag.

Cilang's eyes sparkled as he looked at her, like a curly-haired puppy. "She's sleeping so adorably, her fur looks so soft."

Kirihara nodded in agreement, his seaweed-like hair bobbing up and down: "I want to pet him."

Yukimura's gaze remained fixed on the blond figure on the Hyotei coaching bench. Listening to the two little animals beside him discussing petting the kitten, he smiled and shook his head, gently pulling the cat carrier closer to himself. "Luna just fell asleep, don't disturb it. You can play with it after this match."

The three of them immediately shrank back. Niou shrugged, Kirihara stuck out his tongue, and Jiro scratched his head. They all obediently turned their faces back to look at the field.

Niou leaned on Yagyu's shoulder and muttered, "The minister is too protective of the cat."

Liu Sheng pushed up his glasses, but a slight smile played on his lips: "It's better than protecting you."

Niou raised an eyebrow and nudged him with his elbow: "Hey, what did I do?"

Liu Sheng ignored him, but the tips of his ears quietly turned red.

Liu sat beside him, flipping through his notebook, writing something rapidly with his pen moving quickly.

Sanada stood at the front, looking in the direction of Tezuka on the field, his brows furrowed.

He still felt that he shouldn't speculate about other people's injuries. But Atobe's words, and the various details on the field, left him no choice but to believe them.

He sighed, his mind filled with even more complex emotions.

Tezuka was an impeccable man in terms of perseverance and sense of responsibility.

Unfortunately, they chose the wrong place.

Irie crossed his arms, smiled, and shook his head. "Having a reliable coach is really important."

Tokugawa stood beside him, his gaze also fixed on the coaching bench at Hyotei. Mochizuki Ryo had just finished speaking when he raised his hand and patted Atobe on the shoulder, his expression composed.

He paused for a few seconds, then said calmly, "He is indeed very good at leading his team."

The wind blew in from the stadium, carrying the heat of summer and a faint smell of plastic.

Halftime passed quickly.

The referee blew his whistle again, signaling the players to come onto the field.

Atobe stood up, tossed the towel onto the chair, picked up his racket, gripped it tightly, and strode toward the court.

Sunlight fell on him, gilding him with a golden edge. His back was tall and flamboyant, like a sword drawn from its sheath, sharp and dazzling.

Wang Yueling sat on the coach's bench, watching his back, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

Go ahead.

Win this game in the most spectacular way.

Let everyone see just how strong the Emperor of Hyotei really is.

The murmurs on the sidelines gradually subsided, and everyone's attention returned to the center of the field.