Chapter 25: Atobe’s Surprise, Hiyoshi Overwhelmed

  "That serve was way too fast!"

  Outside the court.

  One of Hyotei’s regurs, Mukahi, widened his eyes in disbelief.

  Beside him, Shishido was equally shocked and instinctively blurted out, "T-this isn’t Chotarou’s Scud Serve, is it?"

  "It’s not."

  Two voices spoke at the same time—Oshitari and Chotarou.

  "That’s right, this isn’t the Scud Serve."

  At that moment, Atobe spoke up as well.

  Looking at Ishikawa on the court, he said calmly, "Chotarou’s Scud Serve relies on his height and power, concentrating an explosive force in one instant. However, this power is too strong to control precisely, which is why his first-serve success rate is only about 75%."

  As he spoke, he gnced at the younger pyer beside him. Chotarou’s expression immediately turned serious, and he nodded heavily in acknowledgment.

  "But this serve is different."

  Atobe turned his gaze back to Ishikawa. "He uses the momentum of his jump to increase his serve height. But in doing so, he should be losing some of that explosive power, meaning his speed shouldn’t be this fast."

  "But the ball is clearly very fast!"

  Mukahi caught on to the contradiction and blurted it out.

  "That’s exactly the issue."

  Atobe nodded. "Even without explosive power, his serve is still incredibly fast. If I’m not mistaken... it has to do with his technique."

  Technique?

  Everyone was stunned for a moment before their expressions turned to shock—especially Shishido and Mukahi.

  They knew that Ishikawa was just a first-year and hadn’t been pying tennis for long. If he was using his physical ability to pull off an impressive serve, that would be understandable.

  But technique?

  Could a first-year already have that?

  Even Oshitari narrowed his eyes instinctively.

  He was the first to see Ishikawa py in an official match, even serving as the referee.

  From what he observed in that match, Ishikawa’s technique was raw, his movements weren’t fluid, and it was obvious he was new to the sport.

  His actions didn’t seem like they were faked.

  And besides—

  There was no reason for him to deliberately py weak in that match just to pretend to be a hidden prodigy.

  But the one saying this was Atobe, Hyotei’s captain, one of the nation’s top pyers.

  If Atobe said Ishikawa had remarkable technique, then it wasn’t just specution.

  "Wait!"

  Suddenly, as if realizing something, Oshitari raised his head. His sharp gaze locked onto Ishikawa, who was tossing the ball up again and leaping into the air.

  "That motion... Yes, it's that!"

  Swoosh!

  Ishikawa’s racket swung rapidly from behind his head, striking the ball at the perfect moment in mid-air.

  And right then—

  Oshitari keenly observed that Ishikawa’s arm and racket left behind a faint afterimage, almost too fast to perceive.

  Boom!

  The tennis ball shot forward like a cannonball, clearing most of the court in an instant before plummeting down with astonishing speed.

  "So fast!"

  Even though he had already seen this serve once, Oshitari still felt his heart jolt in shock.

  But then, as his mind processed the scene, his eyes narrowed with understanding.

  "His swing is so fast that it’s impossible to track his point of contact with the ball. That makes it harder to read the nding spot, which further enhances the illusion that the serve is 'too fast'!"

  Bang!

  At that moment—

  The ball nded right in front of Hiyoshi. Even Oshitari struggled to follow the ball’s trajectory, so there was no way Hiyoshi could react in time.

  And so—

  Another point.

  "30-0!"

  The referee’s voice rang out, and the court fell silent once again.

  The crowd’s faces were filled with shock.

  Oshitari exchanged a look with Atobe and then gave a small nod—confirming that Atobe was right. This Ishikawa’s tennis skills... were far from ordinary!

  "Impossible!"

  On the court, Hiyoshi was stunned by two consecutive ace serves.

  Before his opponent served, he hadn’t expected the ball to be this fast.

  Hiyoshi thought to himself, "Even compared to Chotarou’s Scud Serve... this isn’t much slower, is it?"

  "Hiyoshi-senpai, how’s my serve?"

  At that moment, Ishikawa shifted positions for the next serve, smiling. "But I think you were going easy on me. It’s fine, this is an official match—no need to hold back."

  Going easy?

  The surrounding audience turned to Hiyoshi in surprise.

  "Ugh!"

  Hiyoshi froze for a moment before quickly forcing out a strained smile. "Oh? So you noticed? But your serve is indeed fast—if I don’t get serious, it’s really hard to return."

  He had no choice but to say that—otherwise, wouldn’t it mean he couldn’t even react to a first-year’s serve?

  At the same time—

  Hiyoshi also gave himself an escape route, both complimenting Ishikawa and leaving room for his own pride.

  "This kid..."

  Seeing Hiyoshi’s awkward expression, Atobe shook his head. He knew very well that Hiyoshi was actually ruthless and ambitious.

  Yet now, just two serves from Ishikawa had thrown him off so badly that he couldn’t even speak properly.

  "But... is that kid really a first-year?"

  Atobe’s gaze returned to Ishikawa.

  Possessing an unusual serve technique and an understanding of people far beyond his age—

  If he hadn't personally investigated Ishikawa’s background, Atobe wouldn't have believed that the boy before him was really just a rookie.

  Boom!

  The next moment—

  A crisp sound echoed as the ball was struck again.

  Even though Hiyoshi tried his best to track it, the ball was still too fast for him to react in time. By the time it bounced up, he was already too te to swing.

  "40-0!"

  The referee announced the score.

  The crowd, still in shock, turned their attention to Hiyoshi. His expression was stiff as he silently inspected his racket.

  "Was I pying too fast, senpai?"

  Ishikawa’s voice sounded again. The audience looked up to see him smiling.

  "Alright then, I’ll slow it down a little."

  Slow it down?

  Hearing this, the spectators instinctively widened their eyes.

  Mukahi excimed, "He's doing it on purpose, isn't he?"

  Sure enough—

  Hiyoshi's already dark expression grew even darker.

  "Arrogant!"

  Though he suppressed his anger, his eyes burned with fury. He stared intensely at Ishikawa, swearing to himself that he would return the next serve.

  Swoosh!

  He bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and leaned slightly forward, getting into a battle-ready stance.

  Whoosh!

  Ishikawa tossed the ball again.

  Then—

  He bent his knees, compressed his core, jumped, and swung his racket in a smooth, fluid motion.

  Boom!

  The racket struck the ball once more.

  However, since Ishikawa intentionally slowed down, this time the audience—including Hiyoshi—could barely make out the point of contact.

  Whoosh!

  The ball shot forward.

  Hiyoshi, fully focused, tracked its trajectory and quickly calcuted the nding spot in his mind.

  Tap tap!

  Moving swiftly, he reached the ball as it bounced up, aiming to strike it with force.

  Swoosh!

  But—

  Under countless watchful eyes, Hiyoshi’s racket barely missed the ball.

  The difference was... less than an inch.

  But at this moment, that tiny gap felt insurmountable.

  "How could this be?!"

  Seeing the ball slip past him, Hiyoshi's mind roared in frustration.

  And then—

  As he tried to calm himself, he caught sight of Ishikawa’s faint smile.

  A chilling thought crept into his mind—

  "That serve... was intentional?"

  (End of Chapter 25)