"H-how is this possible?!"
The high schoolers from Hyotei stared at Ishikawa as if they'd seen a ghost. "Th-this serve… it's just…"
The seniors, who had always carried themselves with confidence, were now so shaken they could barely string a sentence together.
This was insane!
How could a first-year's serve be this fast? Sure, they might have struggled with it, but this was Tochi they were talking about—even *he* hadn't been able to react in time.
"What kind of serve was that?!"
Mouri was equally stunned.
No matter how hard he tried to recall it, he couldn't picture the trajectory of Ishikawa's serve in his mind. It was as if the memory had been completely erased.
"That was an impressive serve."
Tochi broke the silence.
Unlike before, there was now a noticeable respect in his gaze as he looked at Ishikawa. It was clear that even he had been blown away by that serve.
Yes, even Tochi had felt something extraordinary in that serve—something he'd never experienced before.
The technique was top-tier.
The timing and angle were flawless.
And most importantly, the way this young player had seamlessly combined his muscle control, flexibility, balance, and explosive power into one motion.
All of these elements were essential, and Ishikawa had executed them perfectly.
"You're even better than I expected."
Tochi nodded, his expression serious. "Now, let's see what else you've got."
*Swish!*
To the astonishment of everyone watching, Tochi widened his stance, lowered his center of gravity, and assumed a defensive posture.
"Alright."
Ishikawa acknowledged.
His serve had clearly caught Tochi's attention. Now, it was time to test the rest of Tochi's abilities.
*Thud!*
With that thought, Ishikawa sent the ball flying.
*Whoosh!*
Just like before, it was a sharp, spinning serve. But Tochi simply glanced at it and effortlessly returned it with a clean stroke.
"Here it comes!"
Feeling the pressure radiating from Tochi, Mouri's expression changed.
During their earlier match, it was this version of Tochi that had completely overwhelmed him.
Now, Tochi was serious.
This was no longer a casual game. Mouri wasn't sure if the Hyotei middle schooler could keep up his relaxed demeanor.
*Thud!*
But Ishikawa's return came faster than expected.
And not just that—the ball landed perfectly on Tochi's backhand side, right on the baseline, without an inch to spare.
"Whoa…"
The other high schoolers couldn't hide their shock.
They knew this middle schooler was skilled, but they hadn't expected his control to be this terrifying.
*Thud!*
While everyone else was stunned, Tochi remained calm.
After witnessing Ishikawa's serve, he had already stopped thinking of him as just another middle schooler.
Though he didn't see Ishikawa as an equal, Tochi was no longer treating this as an ordinary match.
*Thud!*
Chasing the ball, Tochi sent it diagonally across the court.
The angle of the shot made Mouri's eye twitch. If it had been him, he would've been completely caught off guard.
*Tap tap!!*
But just then, a figure quickly moved into position near where the ball was about to land.
"His reflexes and footwork are insane…"
Mouri was starting to feel numb.
Ishikawa's skill level was so far beyond what he'd expect from a middle schooler that, if not for his age, Mouri would've thought this was a high school-level match.
*Thud!*
The moment the ball landed, Ishikawa returned it with a super half-volley.
Tochi reacted instantly.
At 2.26 meters tall, his long legs gave him an unparalleled advantage. In the blink of an eye, he reached the ball and sent it back.
"This is the fourth exchange. There's no way he can—huh?!"
The Hyotei high schoolers were shocked.
Just when they thought Ishikawa wouldn't be able to reach the ball, he appeared at the landing spot once again.
*Swish!*
Ishikawa's racket moved so fast it left an afterimage. With a loud *thud*, he smashed the ball back.
"That swing speed is insane!"
Mouri's face paled. "Even Sanada's 'Speed Like Wind' technique might not be faster than that."
Sanada Genichirou.
He was a year younger than Mouri and now a key player at Rikkai Dai. In Mouri's eyes, Sanada's relentless training had made his swing speed unmatched among middle schoolers.
But now, this Hyotei first-year was giving him a run for his money.
*Thud!*
However, even with such a fast swing, Tochi returned the ball with ease. His height gave him an overwhelming advantage near the baseline.
Not only could he cover the entire court effortlessly, but his reach also made his shots incredibly difficult to counter.
In Mouri's opinion, Ishikawa's only chance to score was to lure Tochi to the net with a drop shot, just like before.
*Tap!*
As if reading his mind, Ishikawa suddenly executed a perfectly placed drop shot.
*Tap tap!!*
Tochi took the bait and rushed forward, his long legs allowing him to cover the distance in no time.
*Thud!*
Reaching the ball just as it bounced, Tochi smashed it back with a powerful stroke.
On the other side of the net, Ishikawa raised his right leg and tilted his racket downward, adopting an unusual stance.
*Swish!*
Suddenly, he looked up, his racket aimed at the incoming ball, and unleashed a devastating strike.
*Bang!*
With a loud crack, the ball split into a dozen afterimages.
*Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!!*
The phantom balls swarmed toward Tochi, who was still at the net.
"That's too fast!"
Mouri was both amazed and nervous. If it were him, he wouldn't have been able to identify the real ball in such a short time.
*Thud!*
But with a single, precise stroke, Tochi managed to pick out the real ball from the illusions and smash it back.
*Clang!*
At the same time, a sharp, metallic sound rang out.
The ball, which had just been hit, reversed direction at an unbelievable speed.
"What kind of speed is that?!"
Even Tochi, usually unshakable, couldn't help but widen his eyes.
The return was so fast that he had to rely entirely on his instincts and experience to intercept it.
*Thud!*
Fortunately, Tochi's reflexes and experience saved him. He barely managed to return Ishikawa's lightning-fast "Draw Slash: Mind Shift."
"Whew…"
Seeing Tochi return the shot, the Hyotei high schoolers collectively let out a sigh of relief.
That had been too close.
For a moment, they thought Tochi, positioned at the net, wouldn't be able to handle that shot.
Thankfully, Tochi's skill was on another level.
Even in such a dangerous situation, he had managed to counter Ishikawa's ultimate move.
**With Echizen's height, once he moved to the net, he naturally took control of the match's pace.**
*Buzz!*
However.
No one expected.
In the next second, the entire court was suddenly flooded with an indescribable, blinding light.
"This is..."
Feeling the black shadow that accompanied the white light and dizziness, Echizen's expression changed.
But.
The light was too intense.
It was like staring directly at the sun, causing a strong sense of vertigo in his mind.
*Tap tap tap...*
By the time Echizen's vision cleared, the tennis ball was gently rolling to the side.
"Game!"
On the opposite side, Ishikawa, who had put away his racket, nodded lightly. "Hyotei's Ishikawa, 1-0!"
"W-what?!"
The other Hyotei high schoolers stared in disbelief. That middle schooler had actually scored a game against Echizen?!
Mouri's expression was equally complicated.
Because just moments ago, even after giving it his all, he couldn't score a single point against Echizen. Let alone win an entire game like this guy.
"You're strong."
Echizen nodded at Ishikawa, his gaze now as cold as when facing an opponent of equal skill.
"What's the name of that last move of yours?"
The dazzling light that had erupted in an instant had completely overwhelmed Echizen's vision. What he couldn't understand was why he had felt dizzy and experienced ringing in his ears.
This wasn't something that could be achieved simply by changing the angle of the light.
"Dawn."
Ishikawa nodded slightly.
This move was inspired by a morning training session when he noticed the reflection of sunlight on his racket.
By swinging the racket at a specific angle, he could use the sunlight to completely obscure his opponent's vision.
Combined with the rapid striking motion, it forced the opponent to instinctively try to track the ball, only to have their vision completely overwhelmed by the light.
At the same time.
The vibration caused by the racket hitting the ball created a sound-muffling effect as the ball shot forward.
And this.
Was the first time he had used it.
Against an opponent like Echizen, the move had worked remarkably well!
"Dawn's Light, huh?"
Recalling the earlier moment, Echizen nodded. "I can see that your talent in tennis isn't limited to just serves. In that case, I'll take this a bit more seriously."
"W-what?"
"Did I hear that right?"
"Echizen-senpai... is actually going to get serious?!"
Outside the court.
The Hyotei team members looked as if they had just heard something unbelievable, their faces filled with shock.
"W-what does that mean?"
Their exaggerated reactions left Mouri confused.
What did they mean by "finally getting serious"?
Did that mean... Echizen Tsukimitsu hadn't been serious during the match until now?
At that moment.
Mouri's heart began to race.
*Tap!*
*Tap!*
*Tap!*
At the baseline.
Echizen pulled out a tennis ball and began bouncing it lightly.
Gripping the ball, he looked up at Ishikawa and nodded. "Since you came to me for advice on your serve, I suppose I should take this a bit more seriously and show you a proper serve."
A bit more?
Serious?
Are you sure?
Hearing this, Mouri's expression changed, but he didn't dare let his focus waver, afraid he might miss even a single detail.
*Whoosh!*
At that moment.
Echizen tossed the ball into the air.
With his height, the ball reached a point where it almost felt like a baseline self-directed smash.
*Bang!*
The next second.
A thunderous sound echoed as the ball shot forward like lightning, landing squarely on the service line in front of Ishikawa. Before Ishikawa could even react, the ball had already bounced out of reach.
"15-0!"
Echizen announced calmly.
"Gulp."
Outside the court, Mouri couldn't help but swallow hard.
That was fast!
Even though he had mentally prepared himself, the speed of that serve still caught him off guard!
In comparison.
The serves Echizen had used against him earlier felt like child's play.
"Dammit."
Thinking about it, Mouri felt even more frustrated.
"Senpai."
However, Ishikawa on the court shook his head. "That serve of yours was probably limited to less than 50% of your full power, right? For me, it's fast, but not impossible to return."
"Oh?"
Hearing this.
Echizen looked at him with surprise.
That was correct. His earlier serve had been limited to about 40% of his full power. Even so, it was already beyond what most players could handle, let alone return.
But.
This kid had seen it just once and already figured it out?
"Then give it a try."
Without questioning or showing any annoyance, Echizen simply stated this calmly.
*Whoosh!*
Then.
He tossed the ball into the air again.
"This kid really doesn't know when to quit!"
The Hyotei high schoolers looked at Ishikawa with mixed expressions. On one hand, they had to admit this junior's talent was ridiculously strong.
But at the same time.
They felt this middle schooler was way too arrogant.
Yes.
That wasn't Echizen's full-powered serve, but once the speed approached 50%, it was no longer something an ordinary player could handle, let alone return.
*Bang!*
The next moment.
Echizen slammed the ball forward.
*Whoosh!*
The speed of this serve was so fast that even though they had seen it before, the players could only catch a glimpse of its trajectory.
Tracking the ball's path was already difficult enough. Returning it head-on was another matter entirely.
*Bang!*
The ball landed.
Ishikawa's figure didn't appear.
This made the high schoolers shake their heads. The kid was too young and didn't understand just how terrifying Echizen's serves were.
*Swish!*
But in the next moment.
A silver arc flashed, wrapping around Echizen's serve as it bounced up.
*Bang!*
A crisp sound echoed.
Echizen's serve was instantly sent back.
And the landing point was right on the baseline. The entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye, so fast that the spectators' brains couldn't process it in time.
"That serve..."
Taking a deep breath, Mouri looked at Ishikawa with a deep gaze. "He actually managed to return it?!"
At that moment.
This prodigy from Rikkai suddenly felt a strong sense of apprehension for his teammates back in the middle school division.
If there was a weakness in Rikkai's quest for a third consecutive national championship, it would undoubtedly be this guy!
(End of Chapter)