Chapter 105: Phantom Color Serve

Facing Tokugawa's Phantom Color Serve, Takahashi seemed to be nailed to the spot, letting Tokugawa score with his serve and take 2 points.

But on the third ball, Takahashi moved his body slightly, raised his arm, and swung his racket with force.

"Boom!"

The tennis ball headed toward Tokugawa with even more complex spin and greater speed.

……

Beside the court.

Irie and the other two were somewhat surprised.

"He saw through the trajectory of the tennis ball in just 2 shots? This middle schooler has some skills!"

Irie Kanata spoke up.

As a current member of Court 1, Tokugawa Kazuya could be considered one of the top experts in the Training Camp while the 1st String was away.

The Phantom Color Serve is one of his signature moves.

Even for other elite high schoolers in the Training Camp, returning this ball is very difficult.

The Phantom Color Serve utilizes the refraction of sunlight to make the tennis ball trail with brilliant, colorful light.

Under the sunlight, it is difficult to capture the tennis ball's trail; one can only see the colorful, shifting light left behind by the ball.

He did not expect the middle schooler before them to be able to return it directly on the third ball.

Moreover, Tanegashima Shuji observed his movements: rapid movement, decisive racket swings, with no signs of hesitation.

It was as if he had predicted the landing spot of the tennis ball long ago.

The brilliance of the Phantom Color Serve lies in the fact that the tennis ball, through the refraction of sunlight, trails many colorful hues, making it impossible for people to look directly at the spin on the ball, making it hard to judge the ball's landing spot.

However, this eye-deceiving tactic seemed to have no effect on Takahashi.

Yes, the facts were just as Tanegashima Shuji had thought.

From the very first ball, Takahashi had keenly discovered this problem.

If one looks directly at a tennis ball with brilliant light, one can only be deceived by the shifting colors trailing behind the ball.

Because compared to the yellow tennis ball, those ever-changing colors naturally attract one's gaze.

This is determined by human nature and is hard to change.

But no matter how the tennis ball's trajectory changes, and no matter if it drags out a trail as gorgeous as a comet streaking across the sky.

The angle, power, spin, and contact point at the moment the racket touches the ball remain unchanged.

As long as one observes that instant, combined with the trajectory of the ball's initial flight, one can roughly predict the ball's subsequent landing spot.

Gorgeous, eye-catching colors naturally seize a person's attention.

Therefore, Takahashi did not fight against his own human nature, attempting to observe the various data on the tennis ball from within the colorful light.

Instead, he did not look at that mass of dazzling light at all, finding a breakthrough solely from Tokugawa Kazuya's serving posture.

The focus of this move by Tokugawa was entirely on how to use the refraction of light to make the tennis ball present a brilliant, colorful glow; this point is indeed very attractive and deceptive.

But he overlooked one key point: his own movement when swinging to serve was not fast enough, at least not fast enough for Takahashi's eyes to be unable to keep up.

Therefore, once the breakthrough point was found, Takahashi only felt this move was flashy but lacking substance.

It is more than enough to deal with ordinary people, but to deal with him, it is a bit childish.

At the same time, he had basically seen through the essence of this move by Tokugawa.

……

"Boom!"

The two on the court were trading shots back and forth.

As Tokugawa swung his tennis racket, he also felt very surprised in his heart.

Not only did he successfully receive his Phantom Color Serve, but Tokugawa also felt that Takahashi had added complex spin to every ball.

And he also noticed that these spins did not cause the tennis ball's trajectory in the air to change, so where did the effect of these spins go?

"Snap!"

Takahashi hit a net-cord shot; the ball stopped on the top of the net for a second, then rolled down, rolling into Tokugawa's half of the court.

"30-15!"

"Takahashi scores!"

……

Beside the court.

A hint of a smile flashed in Tanegashima Shuji's eyes as he said, "This middle schooler is quite interesting."

Tanegashima Shuji, whose true identity is 1st String No. 2, stayed behind in the Training Camp as a plain member of Court 1 because he hates flying and did not follow the rest of the 1st String on their expedition.

But as the No. 1 defender of Japan U17, his signature move is the ability to reduce anyone's techniques to Mu.

Thus, he could see at a glance the purpose of the spin Takahashi was applying to the tennis ball, and he also saw the circle Takahashi's feet had drawn on the ground, which was exactly the Domain.

By applying subtle spin to the tennis ball, he made the ball naturally return to within one meter of himself.

This level of control over tennis ball spin was beyond his expectations.

And looking at the court, Tokugawa seemed not to have realized yet that Takahashi's Domain had been in effect the whole time.

……

"Boom!"

Tokugawa ran to the left baseline, raised his arm with force, and returned the tennis ball.

"Boom!"

Takahashi stood his right foot in place, moved his left foot slightly, tilted his body to the left, and swung his racket.

The tennis ball, carrying astonishing spin and power, kept shooting through the air.

"Bang!"

Tokugawa moved his feet quickly, arrived at the far right side, and stretched his arm out with force.

The tennis ball grazed Tokugawa's tennis racket and landed.

"30-30!"

"Point for Takahashi!"

Inside the Monitoring Room.

Saito crossed his arms and said, "This Takahashi is really quite good; he used his Domain to make all the tennis balls hit by Tokugawa head toward him, and by standing still himself, he has actually made Tokugawa start running all over the court."

"For a middle school student to play like this against a high school student, it is truly worthy of praise!"

"After all, Tokugawa is considered excellent even among the high school students, and Takahashi is only a first-year middle school student; it seems our Training Camp has found a treasure."

Tsuge said while doing push-ups, "Although we should praise Takahashi's tennis technique, Tokugawa is after all five grades ahead of him; a five-year gap is not so easily bridged."

"Even if Takahashi is temporarily neck-and-neck with Tokugawa using his Domain, there is a difference in their technique and physical stamina; even if Takahashi currently has the upper hand, the longer the match drags on, the more disadvantageous it is for Takahashi, and the initiative of the match will eventually return to Tokugawa's hands."

Kurobe picked up his coffee cup, took a sip of coffee, and said, "I'm afraid the initiative of the match is already in Takahashi's hands; this child's mind is truly meticulous."

While speaking, Kurobe moved the mouse and began to pull up the data regarding Tokugawa.

"Look, everyone, this is the data I compiled regarding Tokugawa."

"Look closely at the few positions where Tokugawa is not good at returning the ball!"

Saito leaned in and observed carefully.

He couldn't help but say in surprise, "One of these positions coincides exactly with the place where Tokugawa just lost the point."

Kurobe said, "Yes, Takahashi using his Domain is not just about wanting to drain Tokugawa's stamina. He is also probing, probing which angle is the place where Tokugawa is not good at returning the ball."

"I suspect he is likely judging based on whether Tokugawa's movements are coordinated to find his weak point."

"Therefore, the whole match has had its pace slowed down by Takahashi on purpose, with the goal of finding Tokugawa's weak point, and Tokugawa has also unknowingly fallen into Takahashi's trap."

"Facing an opponent stronger than himself, remaining calm in the face of danger, constantly observing, and constantly probing—the psychological quality Takahashi has displayed does not look like that of a middle school student, but rather like that of a battle-hardened veteran."