97. Narrow Defeat

“That’s… from the match against Yamabuki…”
Seeing this, Mamoru Inoue’s memory connected with a certain moment in his mind.
“Synchronization? If they’re in sync, then Akane and Yanagi won’t lose!”
Shibayama Kumakiri clenched his fists, his trembling voice betraying an indescribable excitement.
“Ah…”
The old man kneeling on the bench opened his mouth in astonishment.
“Synchronization… I thought it was exaggerated, but I didn’t expect such a thing to really exist.”
Kuroba had naturally heard about the signs of synchronization between Sadaharu Kan and Renji Yanagi during the match between Evergreen and Yamabuki. He had assumed it was just hype, but witnessing it now, he realized it might have been true.
“Why? Why do they seem to be enveloped in a burning white light, and their eyes look different too!”
Kinoshita Yoshihiko still wore his characteristic inquisitive expression, asking one question after another. The referee, however, ignored the extraordinary state displayed by Sadaharu Kan and Renji Yanagi and called out,
“Game to Rokkaku! 5-1! Kuroba to serve!”
“Let me test how strong you are in this synchronized state!”
No sooner had he spoken than Kuroba unleashed a blistering serve, yet just as the ball crossed the net, Sadaharu Kan appeared from nowhere to intercept it!
“What speed!”
Kuroba saw Sadaharu’s backswing and follow-through—their movements were even faster than before!
Bang!
“Oh no! I can’t make it!”
Kuroba tried to dive for the ball, but realizing that even stretching his racket to the limit wouldn’t reach it, he cursed inwardly.
“Leave it to me, Kuroba!”
Kinoshita Yoshihiko quickly appeared at the back court, crouched low, muscles taut in his right arm as he gripped his long racket, ready to strike!
“So fast!”
Fuji remarked in awe.
“A power player, yet so agile!”
Akazawa Jirou said in a low voice.
“They often played at that old man’s amusement park, and while enjoying themselves, they’ve mastered tennis techniques. Both their hands and feet are far beyond what typical first-years can manage.”
Matsubara Mei recalled from the original story how Kinoshita was able to catch up to Eiji Kikumaru with his nimble mobility, so she wasn’t surprised to see him intercept Sadaharu Kan’s shot ahead of time.
Swish!
Kinoshita swung and missed, he and Kuroba both stared at the ball as it flew out of bounds, surprise flickering in their eyes.
“15-0!”
“Well done, Sadaharu.”
In the synchronized world they shared, Yanagi saw his partner score and smiled gently.
“Yes, let’s start our counterattack from this moment, Yanagi.”
Sadaharu Kan gripped the racket with his left hand, his expression solemn.
“What happened, Kinoshita?”
Kuroba clearly didn’t understand why Kinoshita couldn’t catch the ball that was so close.
“The ball was fast. Even though I was prepared, my swing still felt half a beat slower when receiving it.”
Kinoshita recalled.
“I see… looks like their speed is far greater than we imagined.”
Kuroba muttered; when he tried to intercept Sadaharu Kan’s shot, he’d also had a fleeting illusion that he could catch up.
With Sadaharu Kan’s second serve, both Kuroba and Kinoshita pushed their speed and power even further, returning the serve. Kuroba felt his wrist tingling; the two from Evergreen weren’t just faster, they were stronger than before…
Bang!

Yanagi paused, using inertia to lean forward slightly, his hands gripping the racket so tightly that his knuckles turned white from the force!
“Hah!”
Kinoshita returned the shot single-handedly, but Sadaharu Kan, as if he already knew what would happen next, appeared at the net and swung both hands!
Thwack!
“30-0!”
…
“40-0!”
“5-2! Rokkaku leads! Evergreen to serve!”
“Nice shot! They’ve taken the second game, Dan!”
Yanagisawa Shinya threw his arm around Akazawa Jirou.
“The tide is turning.”
Fuji squinted and smiled.
“Yes, let’s seize victory in one push.”
Shishido Ryo nodded repeatedly.
“Well done, Akane, Yanagi.”
Tezuka still stood with his arms crossed, but he gave a barely perceptible nod; re-entering the synchronized state was inseparable from their recent training, and now their power and speed matched Rokkaku’s. Akane and Yanagi’s abilities would soon undergo a dramatic transformation.
“They haven’t given up yet; looks like they want to settle things once more. We can’t fall behind, Kinoshita!”
Kuroba was deeply inspired by Kan and Yanagi’s teamwork in the previous game. He was now brimming with energy—holding back against opponents giving their all would be the greatest insult!
Huff!
Dense white vapor burst from Kinoshita’s nostrils.
Smack!
Yanagi served, the yellow-green streak whistling through the air. When Kinoshita returned the shot, he channeled all his strength into his racket, white vapor once again billowing from his nostrils!
Huff!
The dazzling arc of light seemed to shake the very air as it shot towards the opponents. At this moment, Sadaharu Kan and Renji Yanagi moved in perfect unison, both rackets intercepting the ball!
“They collided?!”
On Rokkaku’s side, Shutou Satoshi was startled.
“No… they intentionally brought their rackets together.”
Kisarazu Ryo replied calmly.
“With data tennis augmenting their insight, both could tell Kinoshita used all his strength for this shot. Their combined swing will unleash even greater power than his.”
Saeki analyzed.
“15-0!”
Unable to withstand the combined force, Kinoshita’s racket was sent flying, Evergreen scored again, and Rokkaku’s nightmare was only beginning. No matter how much they increased their strength and speed, Kan and Yanagi always managed to break through with even greater force and velocity. In their synchronized state, their abilities were greatly enhanced!
It wasn’t just a contest of power and speed; the chemistry between Kan and Yanagi was unmatched by Kuroba Harukaze and Kinoshita Yoshihiko. Though Rokkaku’s duo played doubles, their cooperation was only that—no coded tactics, not even basic communication beyond minimal coordination.
“6-6! Tiebreak! Alternate serving! Rokkaku to serve!”
“They’re incredible—their movements and footwork are identical. They don’t even need to communicate to understand each other’s intentions. Their power and speed are on par with ours…”
Kuroba gripped his knees, sweat dripping from his cheeks, pooling on the rubber floor, then vanishing instantly.
“We only need seven more points to win… Kuroba…”
Kinoshita’s nostrils no longer emitted white vapor; his stamina was nearly exhausted, and even his speech was broken.
“Just one set left, Yanagi… it’ll be over soon…”
Inside the synchronized world, Sadaharu Kan was exhausted, but held on with sheer willpower. Yanagi, however, remained silent.
“Yanagi… could it be…?”

Sadaharu Kan noticed something was wrong with Yanagi and quickly asked,
“I’m still okay…”
“So it’s true—his stamina was already near its limit earlier, and now he’s barely holding on…”
Sadaharu Kan remembered that Yanagi had shown signs of fatigue when Rokkaku reached 5-1. He’d thought Yanagi would recover quickly, but the sharp drop in stamina was the key reason they lost that game.
“Hang in there, Kinoshita, we’re counting on you!”
Kuroba encouraged from the sidelines.
Bang!
Kinoshita’s serve was much weaker, the speed slower, but even so, Yanagi struggled to return it, as if each shot drained all his remaining energy.
“1-0!”
“Oh no, Sadaharu Kan and Yanagi’s stamina is gone…”
Inoue noticed Yanagi’s sluggish movements and glanced at Sadaharu Kan, who was barely holding up.
“Really… their state seems to be fading away…”
Shibazawa finally realized that the burning white light around them was now so faint it was barely visible.
“Hang in there, Akane, Yanagi!”
Hearing the reporters’ exchange, Shishido Ryo gritted his teeth and shouted loudly.
“Evergreen! Go for it!”
At that moment, Evergreen’s students rallied behind their duo once more.
“2-0!”
“3-1!”
“4-2!”
“5-2!”
“6-3!”
As the teams alternated serves, Rokkaku maintained control of the score. But just as Kuroba prepared to end the match with a blazing serve for the seventh point, Sadaharu Kan somehow found the strength to return the ball!
“6-4!”
“Tch… they still have energy to resist…”
Kuroba didn’t even want to chase the return; every extra rally meant wasted stamina. If only he could serve to a spot they couldn’t reach, the match would be over!
“Kinoshita, their synchronized state is weakening—give them the final blow!”
“Yes…”
Kinoshita served. In the synchronized realm, Sadaharu Kan shielded Yanagi behind him, saying, “Leave it to me!”
Returning to reality, Sadaharu Kan roared, and Kinoshita’s serve briefly held at his racket face before being fiercely struck back. Just as everyone thought Evergreen would score a fifth point, Sadaharu Kan’s return crashed straight into the net.
Thud… pat, pat…
“7-4! Match over! Rokkaku wins! 7-6!”
After a brief silence, the referee’s voice echoed across the court!
Hearing this, all four players were dumbstruck, most dramatically so Kuroba Harukaze and Kinoshita Yoshihiko. After a long moment, as the thunderous cheers from Rokkaku rang out, Sadaharu Kan managed to say, “We… lost.”
“It’s enough, Sadaharu…”
At that moment, Yanagi struggled to his feet and reached out to him, offering a warm smile.