136. The Targeted Aim Is?!

"If you're sick, go see a doctor. Stop with the spooky act."

It was Akutsu's turn to serve, and he couldn't care less about Kiryu's current state. In his eyes, that red-eyed glare was nothing more than a sign of desperation, fueled by frustration over being unable to beat Fuji.

With those words, Akutsu tossed the ball high and swung with full force, sending it straight toward Uehara Makoto!

*Smack!*

But just as Uehara prepared to receive, Kiryu stepped in ahead of him and returned the ball!

"He actually intercepted the serve?!"

An uproar erupted from the sidelines.

"Even though they were standing in their own respective halves, Kiryu still managed to get to the ball..." Shishido Ryo remarked.

"In that red-eyed state, Kiryu's power and speed have increased significantly. Right now, he's just like the Uehara from the beginning—he can reach any ball," Inui Sadaharu analyzed.

Every one of Kiryu's shots seemed aimed at putting Akutsu out of commission, and before long, the latter was forced all the way back to the baseline.

"It was a mistake to pair Akutsu and Fuji for doubles in this match," Inui shook his head.

"Why is that?" Matsubara Narui asked.

"Akutsu's style of tennis only reaches its full potential in singles. Right now, he's restricted to half the court, which severely limits his threat. Add that to Kiryu's red-eyed state, and the situation is completely unfavorable for Akutsu," Inui replied flatly.

"But Akutsu and I had great chemistry when we played doubles," Shishido pointed out, referencing their match at the regional qualifiers.

"That was entirely because Hou-Saki wasn't very strong, plus you and Akutsu have that unique rapport," Matsubara countered.

"Matsubara is only half right," Inui added. "Akutsu isn't actually well-suited for doubles; he only managed to maximize his doubles potential when teamed with Shishido. Looking at his current state with Fuji, there is zero chemistry—they are both just fighting their own individual battles."

"Then why arrange the lineup this way?" Akazawa Yoshirou found the formation absurd. Setting aside the fact that he had been relegated to Singles 1, it made no sense for Vice-Captain Fuji, a powerhouse in singles, to be downgraded to doubles. He could have been paired with Yanagisawa. Surely they wouldn't drop him just because of one loss in the previous match?

"Because Fuji has developed the Triple Counters, combined with his Vanishing Serve and ball control that rivals Tezuka's, I believe his mastery of singles is already profound. It’s time to test him as a wild card, pairing him with others to see how he adapts. Besides, we’ve put Tezuka in Singles 1 many times; we can't keep him out of the rotation forever. We brought Fuji out to add depth to our doubles lineup and to deliver an unexpected blow to our opponents," Inui explained.

"Fuji really is like a brick—tossed wherever he's needed..." Matsubara chuckled bitterly to himself. "Actually, I don't have to play singles. I can play doubles, too."

Matsubara meant it. Unlike Echizen, who was limited to singles, his own cheat-like abilities made him an even more versatile "wild card" than Fuji. He could ensure they weren't broken through while providing support to his partner. It shouldn't take long to forge a "Golden Pair"—or rather, a duo capable of rivaling Rikkaidai's doubles teams.

"Everyone has distinct capabilities. You, Tezuka, and Fuji are irreplaceable in singles—or at most, there are only one or two people who could fill those spots. That’s why we can experiment with various doubles pairings, but we shouldn't change the singles lineup too drastically. Compared to you, Fuji has a gentler personality and lacks that obsessive fixation on victory, which makes him more suitable for doubles. In those situations, he can't afford to be detached from the outcome, as he is right now," Inui said, his gaze fixed on the court.

"Being a coach or an assistant is a real headache..." Matsubara hadn't considered all that, but now that he thought about it, Inui was right. Fuji was strong in singles, but he didn't possess the same intense obsession with winning that he or Tezuka had.

The most obvious example was the match against Shiraishi Kuranosuke in the national tournament. Honestly, even now, the boy felt that Fuji had only lost because he had toyed with the game for too long. Even though he tried to make up for it at the end, it was already too late.

Suddenly, Kiryu hit a body-aimed shot that forced Akutsu to frantically launch a high lob. A sinister curve appeared at the corner of Kiryu's mouth as he leaped high, preparing for a smash!

"That posture...!" Akutsu noticed Kiryu's form was distorted. He immediately shifted his gaze to Fuji, who was holding his racket with both hands. A realization struck him like lightning. "Vice-Captain Fuji, watch out!"

Fuji was distracted by the shout, and in that split second, Kiryu grinned. "Hooked."

He aimed his racket at Fuji's knee and drove the smash straight toward him!

*Bam!*

"Ah!"

The ball struck right below Fuji's knee. The usually squinting Fuji opened his eyes wide as he let out a cry of pain. To the shock of everyone present, he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"Fuji!"

Tezuka was the first to shout. Pale-faced, he jumped to his feet, and a wave of commotion rippled through the spectators.

"That guy actually ambushed Fuji!"

"How despicable! He should be disqualified!"

"Technically, hitting someone with the ball isn't a foul..."

"Who made that rule? That's insane!"

"When a player's center of gravity is low and their muscles aren't fully extended, a heavy blow can easily cause a loss of balance and injury. However, don't worry—compared to an injury occurring during a full stretch, this is likely just a contusion," Inui analyzed.

"Even so, that looks incredibly dangerous..." Shishido felt a chill.

"0-15!"

"Are you okay?" Akutsu rushed over and helped Fuji up.

"The two of you..." Kiryu landed and walked to the net, looking down at Fuji and Akutsu with disdain. "Watch as I wipe you both out single-handedly."

"You bastard." Akutsu spat the words out, glaring at Kiryu's arrogant display.

"Player Fuji, are you alright?" The umpire climbed down from his chair to check on him.

"I'm fine," Fuji waved him off.

"It's a real shame, Fuji. Even if you blocked that smash with your body, the point still isn't yours," Kiryu said with an evil, charming smile, clearly not bothered by Akutsu’s insult.

Fuji narrowed his eyes at him.

"What's going on, Senior Kitau? Does that point really not count for Vice-Captain Fuji?" Oda Fuyuka, having heard Kiryu's arrogant declaration, turned to ask.