MM Racing Chapter 88 The Demon King of Hell, No Falsehood
Chapter 88 The Demon King of Hell, No Falsehood
Wang Yueling nodded slightly, tapped the record board with her fingertips, and replied softly, "The meals will proceed as planned."
"Atobe, Minagawa, your singles match can begin."
After saying that, he flipped through the roster, turned to the lottery list that Takiginosuke had helped compile, and quickly scanned it.
"Playing in two groups at once is too slow..."
"All six courts are in use. Each group will play every five minutes. Don't waste time."
He tapped the page with his fingertip and quickly read out the names of the two pairs of players: "Singles: Hyotei Kabaji vs. Rikkai Nakamura. Doubles: Rikkai Kuwabara and Urayasu vs. Hyotei Yamada and Sasaki. Get ready."
The person whose name was called immediately sprang into action.
Spectators headed to the fields that interested them, while the players carried their rackets to their designated grass courts.
The crowd that had been gathered at the main field dispersed, and the sound of balls being hit echoed from all six courts at the same time, creating a lively and enthusiastic atmosphere throughout the entire estate.
Atobe's singles match started first on the west court.
He stood on the court, exuding a magnificent aura, every move exquisite and perfect. He didn't hold back at all, playing every ball with utmost seriousness.
His exceptional dynamic vision captured every subtle movement of Minagawa, relentlessly suppressing his opponent's backhand with deadly precision. However, he deliberately slowed down the pace of the match, giving Minagawa time to observe and think.
They delivered an exceptional coaching match.
Every ball accurately points out the opponent's weaknesses, yet maintains absolute respect.
Minagawa understood.
He tried his best to understand Atobe's intentions in every return, and never gave up running for any ball, even when he was being pressured.
The match lasted only fourteen minutes and ended with Atobe's complete victory.
Minagawa walked to the net, bowed deeply to Atobe, beads of sweat still on his forehead, and said with gratitude, "Captain Atobe, thank you so much for your guidance."
Atobe raised his hand to brush away the stray hairs damp with sweat from his forehead, his chin slightly lifted, and his icy blue eyes held a hint of approval.
"You played quite well. With more opportunities to play against players with different styles, you'll improve."
Ryo Mochizuki waited for Atobe to return to the coach's bench and handed him a sports drink. Atobe took it, unscrewed the cap, and gulped down a few mouthfuls.
"The old man gave excellent guidance today; he didn't lose any of his ministerial demeanor."
"Of course, my magnificent skills never disappoint." Atobe wiped the sweat from his forehead, a proud smile playing on his lips.
Mochizuki Ryo laughed out loud, then turned to Minagawa who was walking over, softened his tone, and succinctly pointed out in a few words the areas where he needed to improve.
"Minagawa, your backhand slice angle is too shallow, and your footwork is also a beat slow. Focus on improving these two aspects in your future training."
Minagawa carefully took notes, bowed to Mochizuki Ryo, and respectfully replied, "Yes! Thank you for your guidance, Coach Ryo!"
After presenting the awards to the two of them, Wang Yueling inspected the other courts.
The singles match between Kabaji and Rikkai University's second-year student Nakamura is also underway.
Kabaji's ability to imitate was very consistent in this match. He accurately copied every serve and return from Nakamura, and with more power and more difficult placement.
The outcome of the match was not much of a surprise, and Kabaji won easily.
In the doubles match, Kuwabara and Uraya are facing Yamada and Sasaki.
Kuwahara's "four lungs" made him run like a whirlwind on the grass field, and his defensive coverage was ridiculously large.
Although Urakuyama was only a first-year student, he became more and more confident in his game under Kuwabara's steady support.
Hyotei's Yamada and Sasaki, a second- and third-year student duo, fought with all their might, but were still suppressed by Kuwabara's ironclad defense and Uraya's agile interceptions.
The most intense, most exciting, and longest match...
It was still the doubles match between Niou and Ooku versus Yagyu and Shishido.
The close score, the interplay of real and feints, and the complementary offense and defense showcased the charm of doubles tactics to the fullest.
On the scoreboard in the center court, the numbers are jumping back and forth, and the score is now tied at 5-5.
There is no tiebreaker rule; whoever wins the sixth game first will secure the victory.
The grass was trampled and messy by the footsteps of both sides, and both were breathing heavily, but neither of them showed any sign of slackening.
Niou had dispelled the illusion; his silver hair was damp and clung to his forehead, but his fox-like eyes still shone with an astonishing brightness. He remained calm and composed throughout, sometimes switching between deceptive tactics and sometimes steadily filling in gaps, without the slightest sign of panic.
Feng was exhausted, but she still held her ground firmly, putting all her strength into every powerful serve with a determined look in her eyes.
A few beads of sweat clung to Liu Sheng's glasses, his elegant posture remained upright, and the frequency of his laser beam attacks increased, but he also gradually showed signs of fatigue.
Shishido's long hair was soaked with sweat, but his sharp movements remained crisp and decisive. He unleashed several supersonic smashes, forcing Feng to retreat repeatedly.
The deciding game, Chotaro Ootori's serve.
He took a deep breath, tossed the ball, swung his racket, and launched another shot with incredible speed, exceeding 180 km/h. Liu Sheng made a desperate save, but the moment his racket touched the ball, his wrist went slightly numb, and the return shot went off course.
Renou seized the opportunity, leaping lightly in the frontcourt to intercept and score.
"Advantage, Nioh, Phoenix."
"15-0".
Later, Feng's "One Goal, One Soul" performance suffered a more severe decline in quality due to the extended duration of the match.
Liu Sheng caught it with all his might, and the laser beam went straight for Feng's backhand blind spot.
Feng moved laterally and returned the ball with great force. Ren quickly covered the spot and hit a short drop shot, forcing Shishido to dive and save the ball, but due to the slippery grass, the return shot went into the net.
"Advantage, Nioh, Phoenix."
"30-0".
The score gap widened instantly, and Yagyu and Shishido's mentality fluctuated slightly.
Yagyu's playing style was too rigid, and his laser beam was blocked by Niou in advance, completely exposing his weakness of lacking a second killing move; Shishido's counterattack was fierce, but it was suppressed by Oo's heavy cannon, making it difficult for him to make use of his net advantage.
Similarly, Niou also exposed his weaknesses. In a pure power contest, he couldn't withstand Shishido's supersonic smashes and could only dodge by moving around, unable to confront him head-on.
The prolonged use of illusions consumed a lot of physical strength, resulting in a significant decrease in the precision of movements in the later stages.
Several interceptions revealed subtle weaknesses.
However, his cooperation with Feng perfectly masked their respective flaws.
The wisdom of deception and the courage of heavy artillery are perfectly combined.
Phoenix's power filled the gap in Niou's strength, and Niou's skill made up for Phoenix's shortcomings. Their tacit understanding reached its peak in the decisive game.
On the final point, Feng's powerful serve went straight to the inside corner, and Yagyu barely managed to return it, but the ball went too high. Niou jumped in the frontcourt and volleyed the ball into the net.
The referee's whistle pierced the air, its sound clear and bright:
"Game! Niou Masaharu, Ootori Chotaro."
"6-5!"
The yellow tennis ball landed on the grass and rolled a long way.
The entire stadium fell silent for a moment, then erupted in suppressed cheers.
After the whistle blew, both sides stood still, catching their breath for a while.
Niou breathed a sigh of relief, leaned lazily against Yagyu over the net, deliberately wiping the sweat from his silver hair onto the other's shoulder, and said in a teasing tone, "Puri~ Hiroshi, you're too kind."
"Your illusion today has indeed improved a lot."
Yagyu was pushed forward a step by him, pushed up his glasses, smiled helplessly, and reached out to support his arm.
Feng, standing to the side, held her racket and looked down at her fingers, which were wrinkled from being soaked in sweat.
Then he looked up at Shishido across from him.
Shishido was tidying her long hair, which had come loose while running, when she felt someone's gaze and looked over. Their eyes met across the net.
Shishido nodded slightly to him, and although the curve of his lips was very faint, Feng could tell that it was an expression of approval.
Feng smiled, her eyes crinkling, slightly out of breath, her cheeks flushed, and bowed deeply to Yagyu and Shishido: "Seniors, your fight was absolutely brilliant!"
After tidying up his disheveled long hair, Shishido Ryo's dark eyes showed no signs of defeat or frustration, but rather a satisfied smile.
He smirked and nodded at Niou: "Your imitation is indeed not bad. But you're still far from my supersonic dunk."
Niou raised an eyebrow, shrugged with a smile, and said playfully, "Of course, after all, it's Shishido's new signature move. When I was studying you before the match, I had never heard of this move before, so how could I replicate it so quickly?"
"However, after experiencing it firsthand, it's really a headache!"
Shishido, unusually, didn't keep a straight face and replied briefly, "Your phantom is a headache too."
The four walked to the net and shook hands. There was no barrier of winning or losing, only the pure love and recognition of tennis among young people.
Niou withdrew his hand, swayed over to Yagyu's side, and then clung to his partner as if he had no bones.
Liu Sheng leaned slightly as he was being held up, but he steadied himself. "Your illusion lasted much shorter than usual today."
"Because Fengjun's serve is too exhausting for the opponent, I'll just use it sparingly." Niou rested his head on Yagyu's shoulder, his voice lazy, but his breath still carried the heat of intense exercise.
"The hair tie on my braid is almost broken."
Upon hearing this, Renwang reached out and touched his braid, realizing that he had messed it up when he was grabbing the racket.
Yagyu pulled a spare hair tie from his pocket and handed it to him. Niou took it, quickly retied his hair, and resumed his lazy demeanor.
"Hiro~ Why do you always carry a hair tie with you?"
"Because some people never remember to prepare a few extra."
Niou laughed out loud, hung himself back on Yagyu's shoulder, and the two walked together toward the coach's bench.
As the four of them approached the coach's bench, their steps slowed simultaneously, and the atmosphere around them became slightly tense.
Wang Yueling was leaning back in her chair, tapping her notepad lightly on the armrest, a half-smile playing on her lips.
Alarm bells rang in the minds of all four people simultaneously.
The scene of Mochizuki Ryo criticizing Sanada with her sharp tongue was still vivid in their minds. They were all a little uneasy at the moment, afraid that they would be humiliated by that sharp tongue.
Niou instinctively shifted slightly behind Yagyu. Yagyu's movements were a beat slower than usual, Shishido Ryo pursed his lips, and Ootori gripped his racket nervously.
The feeling of queuing up to be scolded was all too familiar; they even breathed a little lighter.
Wang Yueling was amused by their cautious manner, her azure eyes crinkling as she teased them.
"What?! Is my face that scary? Why does everyone act like a quail in front of me?"
His tone was relaxed, but it made the four of them tense up even more.
Mukahi, who was drinking a sports drink nearby, choked. Oshitari pushed up his glasses and shifted his gaze to the grass beside him. Jiro, holding up Marui's support flag, hid behind Kuwabara, only half of his face showing.
Niou peeked out from behind Yagyu's shoulder and whispered, "Puri~ It's not his face that's scary, it's his mouth."
"Niou-kun, I heard you."
Niou scurried back behind Yagyu.
Wang Yueling chuckled lightly, ceasing her teasing, and strode over to the four of them, twirling her coaching pen between her fingers. Her tone instantly shifted back to that of a capable coach.
"Let's start with you, Yaji."
He looked up at the silver-haired boy and spoke bluntly, hitting the nail on the head: "The weakness in pure strength is too obvious. You can't withstand the opponent's strong attacks when you're trying to hold the line with force. You can only rely on positioning to dodge and fight. You have no advantage in a head-on confrontation."
"Phantom relies entirely on pre-match research and memory. When faced with Shishido's new supersonic smash, it becomes completely ineffective. Maintaining Phantom for an extended period consumes a lot of stamina, and its accuracy drops drastically in the later stages, giving the opponent openings."
"Once the trick is exposed, the fraudulent effect is halved, and the opponent will use targeted tactics to drain your energy."
"Over-reliance on miraculous plays, laziness in refining their original playstyle, and prioritizing showing off over practicality."
"If you don't change this, you'll fall apart at crucial moments."
Every word he said pinpointed the weaknesses precisely, yet without a trace of harshness; it was only the coach's strictness and sincerity.
The playful expression on Niou's face faded, and for once, he abandoned all his cynicism, straightening his back earnestly and nodding slightly.
"I understand, Coach Ling. The focus going forward will be on refining fundamental strength and the original playing style."
The way he called out "Coach Ling" was devoid of any of his usual playful tone, only genuine recognition.
Mochizuki Ryou nodded in satisfaction, then turned to Ootori and Shishido, smiling as she patted them on the shoulders.
"Both of you have made progress that's written all over your faces. Chotaro, your serve consistency and match focus have improved a lot. Ryo, your net play and new signature moves are starting to take shape."
"I've already scolded you enough during training. You played well today, just keep practicing."
Feng breathed a sigh of relief and exchanged a glance with Shishido. Both of them saw a hint of relief in each other's eyes.
Finally, Mochizuki Ryo's gaze fell on Yagyu.
"Hiros, your problem is even more obvious than Yaji's."
Liu Sheng habitually pushed up his glasses and stood up straighter, as if he were waiting for a verdict.
"The laser beam is your only killing move. It's a simple technique, and opponents can easily block it once they figure out the pattern. Since you don't have a second finishing move, its lethality is halved."
"His playing style is too conventional, and his hitting rhythm and trajectory are too routine."
"You excel at playing it safe and methodical, but you're not quick enough to adapt to unexpected situations. You lack explosive power and the ability to launch attacks, and your tactical thinking is too rational and too rule-bound."
"Gentlemanly conduct is a good thing, but on the tennis court, you have to be opportunistic when necessary."
"Learn from the white fox next to you, and try to get some of his ink on yourself."
Yagyu glanced at Niou, who was grinning slyly beside him. He gave a slight bow, his movements as elegant and composed as ever.
"I've learned a lot. I will improve on these issues one by one in subsequent training."
Wang Yueling's gaze swept past the four people in front of her and onto the team members who were gradually gathering around the sidelines after finishing their game.
Several people were still whispering to each other, but they immediately fell silent and stood at attention when his gaze met theirs.
"Those who have finished, come and claim your prize. Those who haven't finished, hurry up!"
Wang Yueling turned and gestured to the butler in the wilderness. The butler pushed the peach cart over and handed them plump, golden-red peaches.
The air was filled with a sweet fragrance, and the boys held peaches, their faces beaming with joy.
In the following time, the matches on the six courts were played one after another.
There weren't many people at the training camp to begin with, only about forty. Under Mochizuki Ryou's arrangement of "one group every five minutes," the singles and doubles pairs rotated efficiently.
The sounds of hitting the ball, running, and the referee announcing scores rose and fell, and the grass was filled with figures sweating profusely.
Everyone received "kind" guidance from the head coach after the game.
Most people weren't scolded too badly; only two or three people who made basic mistakes received a few mild criticisms from Wang Yueling.
However, everyone found their weaknesses during the competition and received clear directions for improvement from Mochizuki Ryo.
The boys' hair was damp with sweat and clung to their foreheads, but their eyes shone brightly. A morning of intense battles and guidance had left everyone with a wealth of knowledge and experience.
Peaches were handed out one after another.
The winners grinned as they held their prizes, while the losers, upon discovering that their participation prize was also quite large, relaxed their gloomy faces.
As the final whistle blew for the morning's singles match, Wang Yueling handed out the last participation prize peach.
He tucked the scoreboard under his arm, walked back to the coach, clapped his hands, and his clear voice echoed throughout the court: "Everyone, assemble!"
The sound wasn't loud, but it was more effective than a whistle.
More than forty teenagers immediately stopped what they were doing and quickly lined up in two neat rows.
The Hyotei players stood on the left and the Rikkai players on the right, their postures straight, without a sound, and their expressions serious.
After experiencing a bloody morning, the Rikkai members finally understood why the Hyotei members were so obedient to Mochizuki Ryo.
This person is not a wizard, but he is more terrifying than any wizard.
He can see through everyone's technical shortcomings at a glance, pinpoint their personality flaws accurately, and be ruthless when he's being sarcastic, yet he can also offer the most effective improvement methods.
The rumors that he is the Demon King of Hell are not unfounded.
His mouth, capable of verbally abusing someone to the point of soul-stirring, seemed to have been forged in hell...
Several Rikkai University members in the back row exchanged a glance.
How was that post written again?
"Being stared at by Hyotei's substitute coach for more than three seconds will cause breathing difficulties," they now believe.
And the urban legend of "Wang Yueling splitting an iron ball with a racket" doesn't seem to be entirely nonsense after this morning's baptism.
Kirihara stood in the line, holding a peach. His black curly hair was taut and he even stopped eating the peach, obediently lowering his head.
Sanada stood at the front of the Rikkai contingent, his dark eyes beneath his hat brim calm and unwavering, his inner reflection still ongoing. He looked at Mochizuki Ryo standing in front of him, and the rigidity and prejudice in his eyes had quietly dissipated by most.
Wang Yueling stood at the front of the line, tapping her palm lightly on the notepad in her hand.
Sunlight streamed in from behind him, making his blond hair dazzling. His azure eyes slowly swept over the forty-odd people from Hyotei and Rikkai, and the curve of his lips sent chills down one's spine.
"I have memorized every question from each player and every detail of your matches this morning."
He tapped his temple with the scoreboard, his tone suddenly becoming sharp: "Team tennis is not about individual play, it's not about being stubborn, and it's not about using your own standards to impose on others."
"The meaning of a team is to embrace different playing styles, recognize different efforts, complement each other's strengths and weaknesses, and make progress together."
"Rikkai's undefeated record, Hyotei's dazzling style..."
He paused, his gaze sliding from Sanada's face to Atobe's, then from Atobe to the ordinary club members in the back row. "It's never been about one person alone."
"It depends on all of you."
He put down his notepad, his voice languid yet firm, "So this week, each of you has your own training goals. The specific goals will be given to you after you check into your dorms."
"The training camp will officially begin this afternoon."
He tilted his head, a very gentle smile appearing on his face, but everyone was startled by this sudden smile.
"Anyone who slacks off will have to train three times as much. Understand?"
More than forty voices rang out in unison, perfectly synchronized, echoing throughout the manor: "Understood! Coach Ling!"
Wang Yueling curled her lips in satisfaction, raised her chin, and scanned the entire team with her eyes. She deliberately dragged out the last syllable of her sentence, carrying a hint of innocent arrogance.
"As for the track where you'll be challenging me... it starts before this afternoon's training. Those who qualified this morning, don't disappoint me! I'm really looking forward to your performance. If you play terribly and make me angry..."
He paused, raised a finger and rested it on his chin, pretending to be deep in thought.
"Maybe you'll increase your training menu several times over for the next few days? Or maybe you'll replace all the desserts this week with boiled broccoli? Who knows?"
His response was a collective gasp of astonishment.