"Cough, cough…"
As the referee's voice faded, Akutsu on the court started coughing loudly, as if he'd choked on something.
"Hiss…"
A moment later, his breathing returned to normal, but he couldn't help but open his mouth and take a deep breath.
"Coach," Ishikawa called out, looking toward the sidelines. "We should get a doctor for Akutsu-senpai. I think his bone might be broken."
Broken bone?
The Ice Emperor team members around them were instantly shocked.
This was Akutsu we're talking about! His physical strength, muscle flexibility, speed, and reflexes were all top-tier—there wasn't a single weakness in his body. And yet, just from forcefully blocking Ishikawa's special move, his right arm was fractured?
"Understood," Coach Sakaki replied without hesitation, immediately pulling out his phone to call the school's medical team.
"Tch."
Despite the intense pain in his right arm, Akutsu was clearly annoyed by the interference with his freedom. He turned to leave the court.
"Senpai," Ishikawa called out, stopping him. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
"Huh?"
Akutsu paused, then his expression changed as if he'd just remembered something. A flicker of fear flashed in his eyes as he looked at Ishikawa.
"A bet's a bet," Ishikawa said with a smile. "I'm sure someone like you wouldn't back out of it, right?"
"Hmph!"
Akutsu snorted coldly and walked over. His gaze was icy as he stared at Ishikawa. "Hand it over. That special drink of yours."
"No way…"
The others on the sidelines looked at Ishikawa with a mix of fear and disbelief. Akutsu's arm was already broken, and Ishikawa still wasn't letting him off the hook?
However, Atobe and Coach Sakaki both smiled. They knew Ishikawa understood Akutsu's personality well. If Akutsu left in a fit of anger, his injury might worsen. This was Ishikawa's way of keeping him around to get proper treatment.
"But…"
Atobe narrowed his eyes as he watched Ishikawa pull out a 300-milliliter bottle of a murky, tea-red liquid. "Is that stuff even drinkable?"
During the earlier match, when Shishido and Otori lost, they were only punished with 50 milliliters each. Even that small amount had knocked them out cold after just one sip. It was like some kind of elephant tranquilizer!
"Gulp."
Sure enough, as Akutsu picked up the bottle with his left hand and stared at the cloudy liquid inside, even someone as tough as him couldn't help but swallow nervously.
"Don't worry, senpai," Ishikawa said with a grin. "This is my latest and greatest version of super herbal tea. It's twice as effective at relieving fatigue and improving your skin. Give it a try."
"Try it?"
Akutsu's expression darkened, and his icy glare seemed to say, *"Who do you think you're looking down on?"*
"Gulp, gulp…"
Without hesitation, he started chugging the drink.
At first, there was a hint of sweetness, which surprised Akutsu. But before he could even feel relieved, a heavy, bitter taste flooded his mouth.
Then came the spicy and salty flavors, exploding on his taste buds like a physical assault.
*Thud!*
He dropped the bottle and ran off, gagging and shouting. But he didn't get far before his stomach started churning, and his exhausted body gave out. He collapsed to the ground.
"Gulp."
The spectators around the court couldn't help but swallow hard. Their eyes were filled with terror as they looked at Ishikawa.
At that moment, they realized that his nickname, "The Demon King," was absolutely fitting.
"Let's get back to training," Ishikawa said casually, tossing the empty bottle into the trash. "Unless… you all want to try this new flavor too?"
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, everyone except Atobe and a few others scattered like frightened birds.
"Relax," Ishikawa said, noticing the worried looks from Hiyoshi and Mukahi. "I'm serious. Akutsu-senpai will be fine. It's just a minor fracture. With his recovery ability, he'll be back in time for the Nationals."
Truthfully, Ishikawa hadn't used his full power during the match. He'd estimated the force of his *Four Gods Martial Arts: Azure Dragon* move and knew it wasn't enough to cause a severe fracture.
Of course, if he'd used something like a *Lightning Strike* or *Asura Path* technique, the outcome might have been different.
A short while later, the medical team arrived and confirmed Ishikawa's assessment. Akutsu's arm would heal in about 20 days with a cast.
After this match, Ishikawa's reputation as "The Demon King" spread throughout Ice Emperor. He didn't mind the title—in fact, he was quite pleased with it.
After all, in the original story, only Seiichi Yukimura had earned a nickname as a first-year. Even Ryoma and Kintarou didn't have their own unique titles.
Naturally, people both inside and outside Ice Emperor began comparing Ishikawa to Yukimura. The consensus was clear: this first-year, who had defeated Rikkai's "Emperor" Sanada, was far more talented and powerful than Yukimura had been at his age.
Over the next few days, Ice Emperor's training returned to normal. The first semester's final exams also arrived, which Ishikawa aced effortlessly.
Afterward, he began planning targeted training programs for the team.
Ice Emperor was already much stronger than in the original story, but Rikkai and Seigaku would also be tougher after their battles with Ice Emperor.
So, besides strengthening the singles lineup, Ishikawa made sure to focus on improving the doubles teams as well.
For Shishido and Otori, Ishikawa worked on Shishido's reflexes and explosive power, using Fudomine's Tachibana as a model. For Otori, he focused on improving his serve accuracy and baseline defense, turning him into a hybrid of Oishi and Jackal.
As for the doubles pair of Oshitari and Mukahi, Ishikawa didn't interfere much with Oshitari's training, trusting his natural talent. For Mukahi, he improved his stamina and agility with a new footwork technique.
Akutsu, despite his injury, continued training like a man possessed. His determination reminded everyone of Shouji, who had transformed into a training machine after losing to Ishikawa.
Hiyoshi and Kabaji also followed Ishikawa's training plans diligently. Kabaji, in particular, was pushed to his limits every day, drinking Ishikawa's "herbal tea" as punishment for losing.
Ten days later, after a grueling training session, Coach Sakaki gathered the regulars and the top four reserve players.
"This morning, the school informed us that our reward for winning the Kantou Tournament is a three-day beach vacation in Chiba."
Everyone's eyes lit up at the news.
Ishikawa couldn't help but marvel at Ice Emperor's generosity. This was a far cry from Seigaku's humble rewards in the original story.
"However…" Coach Sakaki paused, and the smiles on Mukahi and Hiyoshi's faces froze.
"Atobe heard about it and upgraded the trip to Okinawa," Sakaki continued. "We'll be staying at a luxury resort for three days."
"Wow!!!" Mukahi and Hiyoshi cheered. "This is amazing!"
Ishikawa smiled. Of course, Atobe would go all out. With his wealth, this vacation was bound to be unforgettable.
"This is good," Ishikawa thought to himself. Training needed balance, and this trip would be the perfect chance to relax.
"But… Okinawa, huh? We might run into *those guys* there."
A glint of determination flashed in Ishikawa's eyes as he thought about the troublemakers from the original story.
**(End of Chapter)**
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