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

Chapter 205 Sprint Wave Ball, the protagonist's halo is truly unreasonable.

In the eleventh and twelfth innings, the two sides became even closer.

Kawamura seemed to be going all out, putting all his strength into every shot. The power of his wavy balls fluctuated, but he tenaciously kept the score close. His right forearm was swollen, and the cuff was soaked with sweat, clinging to his skin, revealing the taut muscle lines.

Huadi continues to work steadily and surely.

He doesn't try to catch dangerous balls head-on, but he calmly returns balls he can save. His movements are completely composed, like a precisely functioning machine, adjusting his output to match Kawamura's rhythm.

The two began to rally, the pace was slow and the shots were not tricky, just like a normal practice match.

But most of the people in the stands could see that Kabaji was giving Kawamura the opportunity to choose for himself.

"Kabachi must have been throwing that shot. In previous sets, he would have rushed up to attack the point much earlier." Kirihara tugged at his senior's arm, expressing his doubts.

"It's not that he's holding back; it's that Kabaji is deliberately holding back and picking up the ball to receive it." Liu put down his notebook, his voice not loud but clear. "His wrist is also at its limit. If he continues to imitate the previous games with all his might, his hand will have serious problems after this game."

Of course, besides safety concerns, he probably also wanted Kawamura to choose how to end things.

Niou crossed his arms and watched the game: "Puri~ It's a pity Kawamura won't pick him. He'll just keep playing until he can't swing anymore."

"Game, Hyotei, 6-5."

"Game, Qingxue, 6-6."

When the referee announced that the score was tied and the game would go to a tiebreaker, everyone couldn't help but move closer, their eyes glued to the court.

Everyone understands that this game will determine the outcome of the singles match and the subsequent trajectory of both teams.

The discussion in the room reached its peak.

"Kawamura's arms were practically useless, yet he still managed to go to a Game 7? Isn't he incredibly resilient?!"

"It's not that he's too resilient, it's that the big guy from Hyotei kept holding back."

"Let them throw the game? Impossible. They were only two points away from losing, why would they throw it?"

"Are you blind? Didn't you see that Kabaji hasn't hit any heavy shots in these two games, and he's been picking at the balls when he receives them? It's driving me crazy. Could it be that he saw his opponent was in such a bad situation and decided to give up the victory on a whim?"

"I doubt it. Kawamura's hand is like that; he definitely can't compete with explosive power in a Game 7. Even if Kabaji tries to catch him, he can wear him down."

"It's hard to say. I watched their match against Yamabuki at the tournament this year. Yamabuki's Akutsu was so terrifying, yet their first-year student managed to stage a comeback in the second half. I think... Seigaku's players are quite good at making comebacks from desperate situations. Just wait and see."

……

The buzzing of voices, mixed with the hot air, filled the entire stadium.

Luna was startled by the sudden increase in volume around her. She pressed her ears back and shrank into Yukimura's arms, her little body trembling uncontrollably.

Yukimura raised his hand to cover its little ears, gently stroking its back with his fingertips, and soothingly whispered.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, it won't hurt you."

Wang Yueling turned her head to the side, reached out and poked the tip of the kitten's exposed tail, the soft fur brushing against her fingertips.

"Such a timid cat, how will it be Hyotei's spirit cat in the future?" He said with a hint of amusement, his voice low, afraid of scaring the kitten again.

Luna understood, poked her head out from Yukimura's arms, and meowed at him in a soft, childish voice, without any hint of intimidation.

Niou watched with amusement, took a keychain from his pocket, removed a ragdoll fish skeleton from it, and waved it in front of the kitten. Luna's eyes immediately lit up, following the little fish skeleton around, raising and waving its little paws, but unable to reach it for a long time, it wagged its tail in frustration.

Yukimura glanced helplessly at Niou, who smiled and handed the small fish bone to the kitten's mouth. Luna immediately grabbed it and happily gnawed on it.

The referee blew the whistle again, and the tiebreaker began.

The two sides switched sides. The midday sun shone directly on the court, making the synthetic surface scorching hot, and the soles of shoes made a slightly sticky sound when stepped on.

The wind was light, but it couldn't dispel the tense atmosphere on the field.

The seventh game was extremely close.

You score one point, I score one point, the score is very close.

Kabaji stopped imitating the wave shot. He used the most common flat shots, slices, shallow shots, and deep shots, alternating between them and pressing Kawamura in various directions. Kawamura's movement became slower and slower, and each swing of his right hand was draining his remaining strength and endurance.

1-0，1-1，3-3，5-5……

Every point felt incredibly long.

Kawamura was holding on by sheer willpower; his breathing grew heavier and heavier, his chest heaving violently like a fish being pulled ashore. His right hand trembled so much he could barely grip the racket, so he used his left hand to support his right, forcing himself to hold the racket firmly.

The crack in the web between his thumb and forefinger opened up a little more, and blood dripped down between his fingers, landing on the orange-red plastic surface and spreading into small, dark brown spots.

With each swing of the racket, the pain in his forearm intensified, but his eyes grew brighter and brighter, as if burning with fire.

The pace on the other side of Kabaji remained steady, but it was not easy either.

Although the power application was more scientific, the continuous barrage of powerful shots had caused my wrist to ache from the injury. When receiving difficult shots, I would subconsciously pause for a moment, always remembering Atobe's words, "Don't force it."

Therefore, he always receives the ball within a safe range. If the ball is too far off-center or the force is too strong, he would rather lose the point than force a save.

When the score was "7-7", Kawamura once again narrowed the gap with that wave shot, but this time his wrist made a crisp "crack" sound when he hit the ball.

That wasn't the sound of a racket hitting a ball.

It's a joint.

He stood there, looking down at his right hand. The bloodstain at the base of his thumb had dried, but was now soaked with fresh sweat, spreading a small patch of pale red on the back of his hand.

Kabaji stood opposite him without saying a word.

In the stands, Rikkai University's Yanagi closed his notebook. His pen stopped moving, and his voice was a few octaves lower than usual: "That sound just now was probably a friction sound from the medial bursa of the wrist joint. His wrist ligaments are already loose, the joint space is widening, and it's an acute injury caused by repeated overexertion."

Yagyu adjusted his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses heavy: "If the fighting continues, it's not just a matter of a torn tendon. His wrist might dislocate."

Niou then pulled out a lollipop from somewhere and twirled it between his fingers: "Do you think he knows?"

"Of course he knew," Liu Sheng added in a deep voice. "His body was telling him every second; he must have heard it all. But he chose to ignore it."

Sanada remained silent. The brim of his hat obscured most of his face, but the taut lines of his jaw revealed his emotions.

Kirihara squatted in front of the railing, gripping the horizontal bar with both hands. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. Hiyoshi stood beside him with his arms crossed, his lips pursed.

Wang Yueling did not participate in their discussion. He leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the scene, never wavering.

But Yukimura noticed that the hand he was using to tap the metal surface of the armrest was tapping it slowly, once, twice, three times.

It's like they're waiting for something.

Luna suddenly propped herself up from Yukimura's lap, rested her two front paws on the edge of the bagel, and tilted her head to look at the field. Then she stretched out her bandaged paw and gently placed it on the back of Mochizuki Ryo's hand.

Wang Yueling looked down at it.

Luna tilted her little head up to look at him, her round, heterochromatic eyes sparkling in the sunlight. She pressed her paw against the back of his hand, as if to say, "Don't be upset."

Mochizuki Ling paused for a moment, then reached out and rubbed the tip of its ear with his index finger. Luna shrank back, snuggled closer to Yukimura, and closed its eyes again.

But it didn't retract its claws.

……

When the score was tied at 9-9.

The entire room fell silent.

Even the Hyotei support group held their breath, all eyes glued to that little yellow ball.

Kawamura retreated behind the baseline, bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily. His right hand hung at his side, trembling uncontrollably, the glue on his palm soaked red with blood.

We cannot lose.

We absolutely cannot lose.

Kawamura could clearly feel the tendons in his arm throbbing, the pain shooting up his shoulder and making the back of his neck stiff. He gritted his teeth, looking at Kabaji across from him, many images flashing through his mind again.

This morning, at the sushi shop counter, my dad smiled and said he had prepared a celebration feast for them; I flashed through my mind of my teammates solemnly saying before the game, "This game is very important, it all depends on you"; I flashed through my mind of Echizen's half-joking words before the game, "You squeezed me out of the official roster, you have to win."

There's also the way Akutsu told his first-year juniors who followed him on the day he left the club, "Echizen is the role model I should follow."

He knew he wasn't a naturally gifted player, and he had already given his all to make it into the starting lineup. He only got his spot this time by squeezing out Echizen.

So he can't afford to lose this round!

A deep shot came from the opposite side, landing off-center at the corner of the baseline. Kawamura lunged to the side, stumbling slightly, but still managed to get a chance to return the ball. Instead of returning a short shot, he took a large step back, bent his knees, and shifted his entire weight onto the ball.

Engage your core muscles, which in turn move your shoulders, making your entire right arm resemble a fully drawn bow.

The moment he swung the racket, he poured all his strength into his arm, along with his unwillingness and obsession, and smashed it out with a desperate gamble.

"ah!!!"

Kawamura roared and slammed his racket heavily onto the ball.

The ball hurtled towards Hyotei's half of the court like a cannonball, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound. It was so fast that it almost left a blur, and upon landing, it unleashed an extremely strong forward momentum, with speed and power nearly 30% faster than a regular Wave Ball.

"Dash Wave Ball!!!"

The entire audience held their breath.

That ball was too fast and too powerful.

A group of people in the Seigaku rest area immediately stood up, with Kikumaru and Momoshiro jumping up excitedly, their fists clenched tightly.

Kabaji stood still, watching the ball's trajectory. His pupils contracted, and he took a half-step forward, assuming a receiving stance. But just as the racket was about to touch the ball, he caught a glimpse of Atobe shaking his head slightly out of the corner of his eye. He remembered the ice pack on Mukahi's forehead and Mochizuki Ryo's words to him before the match: "Your health is more important than winning or losing."

The movement paused for half a second.

In that half-second, the ball grazed his racket, slammed heavily against the baseline, bounced high into the air, and flew into the net behind him with a dull thud.

"ACE!"

"10-9, Seigaku is in the lead."

As soon as the referee finished speaking, the entire stadium fell silent for a second, then erupted in a deafening roar.

"My God, that ball was so fast!"

"Not answering again? What's Kabaji doing?! We almost bumped into each other! How long is he going to let us off the hook?!"

"They've given up two match points in a row? Does Hyotei not want to win anymore?"

The Seigaku rest area erupted in cheers. Momoshiro danced excitedly, waving his fist and shouting, "Well done, Kawamura-senpai!" Kikumaru's eyes lit up as he jumped around, hugging a large rock. The three first-year students from Horio shouted until their voices were hoarse, waving their support scarves until they were almost blurry.

Saori Shiba jumped up, camera in hand, frantically snapping photos. Her voice cracked with excitement, and her face flushed red. "Amazing! What kind of incredible move is that! Kawamura, that's amazing!"

Her eyes sparkled, and her face was beaming with joy. "I knew he could do it! This is the level Seigaku is at! Use this move to crush them!"

Inoue held the pen, its tip hovering over the notebook, not falling. He watched Kawamura, who was bent over with his arm supporting him, his brows furrowed, his expression grave.

"The shot was powerful enough, but the way he generated the force was completely overloaded. After hitting that shot, his arm was probably already at its limit."

"Hey, senior, can you stop saying such discouraging things?" Shiba Saori interrupted him, waving her hand dismissively, her eyes still glued to the court. "At this point, so what if we get injured? As long as we win, that's all that matters! Winning the match is more important than anything else."

Inoue glanced at her sideways upon hearing this, but said nothing.

At Rikkai University, Liu's pen flew across the paper, calculating numbers in dense rows.

"The explosive power of this dash wave ball is 1.7 times that of a regular wave ball." He looked up at Kawamura on the field, speaking quickly, "At this intensity, the probability of a complete tendon rupture is over 90%. After hitting this ball, his arm..."

"He's completely ruined." Liu Sheng added, his tone turning somber. "This isn't playing ball, it's gambling with his life! This move puts an exponentially greater strain on the tendons... Well, it's already a miracle he's managed to hold on this long."

"He's losing eight hundred men and a thousand of his own. Is he planning to say goodbye to tennis after this game?" Niou clicked his tongue, looking at Kawamura stubbornly sticking out his arm, and sighed, "Looks like he won't turn back until he hits a brick wall. It's the last point, and this big oaf will most likely defend the title regardless of the consequences."

Sanada's brows furrowed even more, and his jawline tightened into a straight line.

The initial enthusiasm had long since dissipated, leaving only a heavy sense of unease. He recalled the days when he trained with injuries, which he had once considered a testament to resilience. Now, looking at Kawamura, he suddenly felt a pang of unease.

"His fighting spirit is commendable, but his methods were reckless," he uttered in a deep voice.

Marui slowed down his chewing of gum, leaned on the railing, and muttered softly, "It looks painful... If it were me, I would have cried by now."

"That's all you've got," Renou casually retorted, though his tone wasn't as carefree as usual.

Kirihara stared, speechless for a long time. After a while, he swallowed hard, "W-that's amazing..."

Yukimura's gaze fell on Kawamura's figure on the court, and he recalled the despair of no longer being able to hold his racket. His brows furrowed slightly.

Luna sensed his anxiety, tilted her little head back, and rubbed her nose against his palm—it was damp. Yukimura looked down at her, the melancholy in his eyes lessening slightly, and gently stroked her little nose with his fingertip.

Ryou Mochizuki's gaze swept over Kabaji's position, then fell back on Kawamura's reddened forearm, her azure eyes showing little emotion.

A dash wave ball?!

He remembered that in the original story, this move was supposed to be used when Seigaku faced Rokkaku in the Kanto Tournament doubles match, but it was used so early.

Sigh! The protagonist group of Seigaku always has that kind of halo.

A sudden burst of power in dire circumstances, a breakthrough to the limit—it's truly unreasonable!

But Kawamura isn't a protagonist blessed by heaven; his aura won't be as powerful as Ryoma Echizen's. He simply places all the "cost of his power spike" on himself.