in2ebook Chapter 182 The plot halo is indeed well-deserved.
Chapter 182 The plot halo is indeed well-deserved.
The sound was loud and clear, passing through the noisy audience and reaching the ears of the two Seigaku players who were fighting hard on the field.
Kikumaru suddenly raised his head and looked in the direction of the sound.
All that could be seen was Shuichiro Oishi standing by the railing of the stands, his right arm still wrapped in bandages, his face pale, his forehead covered in sweat, and he was breathing heavily.
He looked at the two players on the field, a smile of encouragement on his face, and waved.
It really is a huge rock!
"Oishi!" Kikumaru's eyes immediately reddened, his voice choked with emotion, and his earlier anger and exhaustion vanished instantly, replaced by a radiant smile. He waved in Oishi's direction, his face beaming.
"Senior Oishi!"
Momoshiro was taken aback for a moment, then snapped back and returned the ball with all his might, a look of surprise on his face. "What brings you here? Is your arm alright?"
The Seigaku rest area suddenly became lively.
Kawamura quickly went over to help Daishi up, Fuji smiled and nodded in acknowledgment, and Tezuka also nodded slightly.
Oishi walked to Seigaku's area, leaned forward slightly, raised his uninjured right hand, and waved at him in a loud voice.
"The doctor said the injury wasn't serious, so I rushed over. Eiji, Momo! Don't give up! I believe in you!"
"Um!"
Kikumaru nodded vigorously, his entire demeanor changing. Turning to Momoshiro standing at the baseline, he loudly declared, "Momoshiro, let's play well! We can't let Oishi down!"
Momoshiro nodded, his earlier impatience subsided considerably, and his eyes regained their firmness.
"Okay! Let's work together and score!"
Long Qijin looked at Daishi in the stands, somewhat surprised, then a look of relief appeared on his face. "That kid Daishi, he still can't stop worrying about the competition. He even came here with his injury."
The first-year trio from Seigaku were the first to cheer. Satoshi Horio waved his support flag and shouted, "Oishi-senpai is here! The golden duo is reunited! Seigaku will definitely turn the tide..."
"Ah!!! We won't lose!"
Momoshiro's spirits lifted upon hearing the cheers, and he shouted back in a deep voice. Looking at the yellow tennis ball hanging high in the air, he jumped up and delivered a powerful smash.
Just as Mochizuki Ryo predicted, the moment Oishi appeared, the state of the temporary Seigaku duo changed instantly.
The two, who had initially been discouraged, seemed to have been suddenly infused with new energy. The weariness in their eyes lessened, replaced by a surge of fighting spirit.
Kikumaru's changes were particularly noticeable; his previously heavy legs felt lighter, and his physical strength miraculously recovered significantly.
On the next play, the two seemed to suddenly have a breakthrough, and their teamwork became surprisingly smooth.
Kikumaru's net play speed suddenly increased, although it was still not as good as his peak, but much better than before. He also started using his dance-style special shots again, and his net coverage area increased significantly.
Momoshiro has calmed down considerably, no longer blindly launching attacks, but instead steadily defending the baseline, controlling the landing points much better than before.
The two even miraculously replicated the positioning logic that only a golden duo would have.
When Kikumaru goes online, Momoshiro will automatically fill the gap behind him; when Momoshiro smashes, Kikumaru will block the interception route in front of the net in advance.
Although Oishi wasn't present, their teamwork miraculously improved significantly.
Their positioning improved, and there were no more near-collisions. Their timely cover and smooth teamwork made them seem like long-time teammates.
Riding the momentum, they scored two more points in a row.
"15-40".
"30-40".
The referee's scores rang out one after another, and cheers erupted from the stands. Many spectators were inspired by Seigaku's tenacity and began to cheer them on.
"Things really change when Oishi comes!"
"The golden duo is back! This teamwork is completely different from before!"
"As expected, Oishi is Kikumaru's perfect partner! Seigaku has practically put on a 'three-person doubles' game; what an unexpected turn of events!"
Go Seigaku!
"Chase after them!"
……
Cheers erupted one after another, and the atmosphere in the entire stadium became enthusiastic.
The ear-piercing sound of sneakers rubbing against the plastic court, mixed with the shouts of the audience, made people's eardrums vibrate slightly.
After Kikumaru scored a point with a beautiful net volley, he waved his fist at Oishi in the stands and grinned smugly.
"nice shot!"
Oishi stood in the stands, his eyes filled with pride, excitedly pumping his fist and shouting, "Eiji! Momo! That's it! Keep pushing!"
Fuji looked at his teammates who were getting into the swing of things on the field, with his usual smile on his face. "As long as Oishi is here, Eiji has a pillar of support."
Tezuka nodded to Oishi, then looked back at his teammates on the field, a hint of worry in his eyes.
Inui adjusted his glasses, a barely perceptible hint of excitement in his voice, "Since Oishi arrived, their error rate in covering for each other has decreased by 38%, and their running efficiency has increased by 21%. Their short-term explosiveness is very strong, but..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone at Seigaku knew that this positive momentum wouldn't last long.
On the Hyotei court.
Mukahi frowned and looked at Taki.
Taki shook his head slightly and gently pointed towards the stands with his racket, indicating that it was because the injured Oishi had arrived. He shifted his feet slightly, signaling to Mukahi that they should proceed according to the original plan.
Xiang Ri understood, nodded, adjusted his breathing, and readjusted his posture.
He didn't believe a few words of encouragement would work indefinitely. His stamina was what it was; no matter how much he hyped himself up, he couldn't last long.
In Hyotei's rest area, Atobe sat upright, two buttons undone at the collar of his shirt, looking languid, yet his eyes were sharp.
He glanced at the two Seigaku players who had suddenly erupted on the field and gave a soft snort.
It was a bit of a surprise, but I didn't pay much attention to it.
"Hmm~ You came all this way with your injured hand, that's quite a feat." He crossed his right leg over his left, tapping the armrest lightly with his fingertips, his tone casual but without malice.
"But how long can this state last?"
Oshitari leaned back leisurely in his chair and replied with a smile, "A pillar of strength, of course, makes a difference in performance. But Kikumaru's stamina has long been exhausted; he's just holding on by sheer willpower. He can't hold on much longer."
Atobe glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips, but said nothing.
He agreed.
This kind of motivation, which relies on others, certainly can't last long.
Wang Yueling leaned back in her chair, watching the two players on the field suddenly become so in sync. She raised an eyebrow, feeling a little speechless.
They arrived as expected.
The plot halo lives up to its name; it triggers instantly, without any transition.
Just by standing in the stands, people can gain a buff from a distance, instantly boosting the chemistry between the two temporary partners, as if they had a cheat code.
Who would believe that if I told them?
Quel dommage. (What a pity, a halo is just a halo after all.)
The gap in strength is there, and the weakness in physical fitness is there; no matter how many buffs you add, you can't fill the gap in raw strength.
Mental strength can only control things for a short time, not the whole situation.
"A waste of effort."
Mochizuki Ryou's tone was flat, her fingertips gently rubbing the scratch marks on her wrist as she watched Kikumaru's increasingly rapid pace, her eyes indifferent.
After complaining, he said to his teammates who were adjusting their positions on the court, "Hold on with the tiered positioning, don't be affected, keep the original rhythm. Try to stretch the game a few more times, they won't last long."
The sound wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Mukahi and Taki's ears.
Taki nodded slightly toward the coaching bench, giving Mukahi a signal to continue using attrition tactics for the next play, without rushing to unleash his ultimate move. Mukahi nodded, understanding his meaning.
Every ball from then on.
Hyotei played steadily, avoiding haste and recklessness, taking their time and intentionally drawing the opponent into a prolonged game.
One ball after another, pulling back and forth.
In Rikkai University's rest area, Marui stared wide-eyed, somewhat surprised. "Huh? How come Seigaku's teamwork has suddenly changed? They almost bumped into each other just now, but now they're working so smoothly. Their teamwork is perfect, like they're two completely different people."
Kirihara leaned forward and tugged at Liu's sleeve with a puzzled look.
"Senior Liu, how come they suddenly became so strong? After that egg-head guy from Seigaku arrived, the two on the field were like they'd taken some kind of stimulant; they weren't tired anymore, and they weren't arguing anymore?"
Liu took out a stopwatch from his pocket and recorded the data on the field one by one, explaining it to him in a calm voice.
"It's psychological suggestion."
"Shuichiro Oishi is Kikumaru's regular doubles partner. The two have been playing together for many years and have a high level of understanding. In the junior high school tennis world, they are known as the golden doubles duo."
"Oishi's arrival gave the two players on the field a strong psychological boost. They subconsciously replicated their positioning and covering habits when they partnered with Oishi, so their teamwork suddenly became much smoother. To put it simply, it was a mental boost."
Yukimura nodded, gently pinching the kitten's paw pads with his fingertips, and calmly joined his teammates' discussion.
"The mental boost is only effective in the short term. Kikumaru's stamina is already nearing its limit; he's only holding on by willpower. If he pushes on for another two rounds, his condition will decline even faster."
"Meow~"
Luna didn't struggle at all. Every time it was pinched, it responded with a soft meow. Its round eyes were fixed on the yellow ball flying around on the field, its little tail swaying gently as it watched with great interest.
Sanada sat next to Yukimura, his arm brushing against the kitten's tail. He struggled to suppress his urge to pet the cat, but he couldn't bear to leave its furry touch.
He coughed lightly, shifting his attention to the game on the field, his brow furrowed and his expression serious.
"You can't win a game by relying on such empty things. Competitive sports ultimately rely on hard skills."
After hearing what he said, Liu continued writing without stopping, "The effective counterattack is expected to last for three minutes and twenty seconds, after which Kikumaru will experience a significant drop in stamina."
Niou, with a coat over his head and a small fan he pulled from Luna's cat carrier, grinned mischievously.
"That's true, but sometimes, that drive really can create miracles. However..."
He paused, glancing in the direction of Hyotei, "A miracle is unlikely to happen against Hyotei's doubles team."