Chapter 141: The Method to Break the Zero-Style Serve

"The match begins, one set to decide the winner! First is the service game of Seigaku's Tezuka Kunimitsu."

The umpire announced loudly.

Tezuka lightly bounced the tennis ball while keeping his eyes fixed on Takahashi.

Watching Takahashi's relaxed stance and casual grip on his racket, Tezuka frowned.

It seemed Takahashi did not take this match as seriously as he had imagined.

Was it because Rikkai had shut out Seigaku in the Kanto Tournament, leading him to look down on everyone from Seigaku?

Seigaku's strength was more than just that.

He tossed the tennis ball upward, and when it reached the appropriate position, he swung his racket lightly.

"Bang!"

The tennis ball turned into a yellow streak of light as it headed toward Takahashi.

Seeing the unusual spin on the ball, Takahashi was stunned and stood in place, making no move.

After the ball landed and spun in place a few times, it rolled along the ground toward the net.

"15-0!"

"Point to Seigaku's Tezuka!"

Seigaku rest area.

"Is this... the Zero-Style Serve?"

Fuji Shusuke opened his eyes wide and said in surprise.

"A serve version of the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot?"

Echizen Ryoma pushed down the brim of his cap.

"Yes. Tezuka, he has long had the idea of evolving the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot into a serve."

"It's just that the side effects of the Zero-Style Serve are significant, placing a heavy burden on the arm."

"Previously, because of his arm injury, Tezuka never dared to attempt this move."

Fuji explained.

Momoshiro said: "Then the fact that the Captain can use this move now means..."

Fuji said: "Right, it means Tezuka's arm injury has completely healed."

Oishi cried tears of joy: "That's great! Tezuka told me before that his arm had completely healed. But I didn't dare to believe it, because ever since Tezuka was injured by a senior in his first year, this arm injury had dragged on for nearly three years without healing."

"Now that I see Tezuka can fully display his strength on the court, without having to consider the burden on his arm, and enjoy the match to the fullest, it's truly wonderful!"

Fuji smiled: "Indeed, the Tezuka who played before was always injured; we almost forgot what the strength of Tezuka Kunimitsu, as the Captain of Seigaku and Seigaku's strongest player, is really like."

Echizen said: "This ball should be unsolvable, because tennis rules do not allow you to return a serve before it has landed."

"And after the ball lands, it rolls backward along the ground, with no moment where it bounces at all."

"No matter how strong Takahashi is, there is no way to break this ball."

Momoshiro said: "If that's the case, then the Captain can hold his service game with this ball, and next he just needs to find a way to break the opponent's service game."

"Wanting to beat Takahashi isn't such a difficult thing either."

Hearing this, Fuji's expression turned somewhat serious.

As fellow third-years, the relationship between Fuji and Tezuka was quite good.

So he understood Tezuka's personality; with Tezuka's calm and composed nature, it was rare to see him use his ultimate move right from the start.

It seemed he didn't want to give the opponent a chance to probe at all, relying on his ultimate move to score directly.

However, thinking about Takahashi's performance in the Kanto Tournament, Fuji seemed to understand again.

Facing a powerful opponent capable of shutting out Echizen, only by first holding his own service game could he be most secure.

On the other side, Rikkai rest area.

"I didn't expect Tezuka to have mastered the Zero-Style Serve."

Yanagi Renji's expression was very serious.

"A tennis ball that rolls backward along the ground—if you return the ball before it lands, that violates the rules."

"And the ball doesn't bounce after landing."

"This ball is truly tricky!"

Marui popped the bubble gum in his mouth and said.

Marui looked at Yukimura, thinking back to when Takahashi played against Yukimura, he had used this move to break through Yukimura's blockade.

He didn't expect that in the National Tournament, Takahashi would actually have to face this move, his own former ultimate move.

"So, Yukimura, is there really a way to break this move?"

Marui continued to ask.

Yukimura was silent and did not answer.

"I remember Captain Takahashi once said that this move is not unsolvable."

Yanagi Renji spoke up.

On the court.

Takahashi looked at the yellow tennis ball rolling in his half of the court, feeling somewhat speechless.

He didn't expect Tezuka to use his Zero-Style Serve right from the start.

Was this meant to give him a show of force?

"This is a match, so you must not be careless!"

Tezuka's calm voice reached Takahashi's ears.

Takahashi glanced at Tezuka's arm from afar.

Being able to hit a Zero-Style Serve that stays completely on the ground, it seems Tezuka's arm injury has fully healed.

"I admit this move is indeed brilliant. It might be unsolvable for the average person, but that 'average person' does not include me!"

Takahashi's words, carrying a slight smile, reached Tezuka's ears.

Tezuka remained unmoved, tossed the tennis ball in his hand, and swung his racket.

Another Zero-Style Serve.

Takahashi watched the spin on the tennis ball intently; the moment the ball crossed the net, he arrived at the net and swung his racket forcefully at the air beside the ball.

Then, Takahashi tapped his left foot lightly on the ground, pivoted on his right foot, and his entire position instantly shifted to the ball's landing spot.

The tennis ball, which should have rolled along the ground, actually had a slight bounce.

The moment the ball bounced, the tennis racket arrived right on cue.

"Bang!"

Accompanied by the crisp sound of the strike, the tennis ball flew rapidly toward Tezuka's half of the court.

"This..."

Momoshiro opened his mouth wide, unable to believe everything happening on the court.

Just a moment ago, they had discussed that this ball was unsolvable and that Tezuka could rely on it to hold his service game.

Before the words had even faded, Takahashi had successfully returned the ball.

You've got to be kidding!

In the spectator stands.

"Why do I feel like Takahashi's strength has grown again after not seeing him for a while?"

A man with a small braid at the back of his head spoke up.

It was none other than the Japan U17 mental Coach Saito.

"The most troublesome thing about the Zero-Style Serve is that it rolls backward along the ground after landing, leaving no chance for a bounce; this is because complex spin is added to the tennis ball."

"The moment the tennis ball crossed the net, Takahashi swung his racket at the air, changing the airflow and thereby indirectly affecting the spin on the tennis ball."

"The spin on the tennis ball was altered, so the trajectory after landing changed as well, resulting in a slight bounce."

"What a creative way to break it."

Another man with his hair completely let down said.

It was none other than the Japan U17 tactical Coach Kurobe.

Just now, Takahashi's gaze had passed over Tezuka and looked exactly at these two.

"It sounds simple, but the hardest part of this move is how to change the spin on the tennis ball through airflow, and it requires neutralizing a portion of that spin."

"It is a great test of a player's understanding of spin."

Saito said.

"When it comes to the understanding of spin, I'm afraid there aren't many among the high schoolers who can compare to Takahashi!"

"He has even improved the Zero-Style Serve to roll to the left along the ground after landing."

Kurobe sighed with emotion.

"Yes, using this method to break the Zero-Style Serve is truly creative!"

Saito said.

"Actually, Takahashi didn't change the spin on the tennis ball much, only a tiny bit, but it was that tiny bit that gave the ball a chance to bounce after landing."

"I think with Takahashi's strength, he could have done even better and made the ball bounce higher."

Kurobe said.

"Don't you know Takahashi yet? For any ball he can reach, if he can move a little less, he won't move a little more."

Saito said helplessly.