Chapter 186: The Problem with the Mach Serve

Byodoin continued, "So this is the reason why, even with the Mach Serve as his ultimate move, Ochi Tsukimitsu can only compete in doubles."

"His weakness is too obvious!"

"Once the opponent successfully returns it, he will lose the point directly."

Yukimura said, "So, once the opponent receives the Mach Serve, it can only be returned by Ochi-senpai's partner?"

Byodoin nodded and said, "Yes."

Kirihara exclaimed, "Doesn't that just throw the difficult problem to Master?"

"Q. P can receive the Mach Serve, but Ochi-senpai himself cannot react in time, so it can only be received by Master."

"But this is almost professional-level serve speed."

Kirihara's voice gradually grew smaller.

Sanada asked Mouri, "Mouri-senpai, as Ochi's partner, how do you solve this problem?"

Mouri frowned slightly and said, "Facing a returned Mach Serve, I don't have any solution at the moment."

"However, Ochi and I have ideas, but they are still being refined and haven't been truly completed."

Yanagi Renji said, "You don't have a way either?"

Mouri said, "After all, very few people can return a Mach Serve. I have considered this situation, but it never felt that urgent."

Sanada said sternly, "It is very urgent now."

……

On the court.

Takahashi said lazily, "To be able to successfully return it after watching two balls, one really cannot underestimate this Q. P."

"Ochi, continue with the Mach Serve, no need to lower the speed."

"Bang!"

Q. P stepped to the left, raised his arm, and swung his tennis racket.

"Bang!"

The tennis ball flew back to Takahashi and Ochi's half of the court again with lightning speed.

At this moment, Ochi was still standing at the baseline, too late to change into a receiving stance.

Takahashi moved quickly to the net, twisted his wrist slightly, and swung his racket.

"Bang!"

The tennis ball rushed straight toward Seyfried at almost lightning speed.

Facing the whistling yellow blur, Seyfried's pupils shrank sharply, and his whole body was firmly frozen in place, unable to move.

"1-0!"

"Japan Team scores!"

……

Borg, who was watching the match with his arms crossed, suddenly stiffened.

"A speed of 283 km/h!"

Bismarck's shocked words reached Tezuka's ears.

Even the usually calm and composed Tezuka couldn't help but widen his eyes and open his mouth upon hearing this number.

"Is this the speed of the Mach Serve?"

Tezuka asked.

"Not entirely. The Mach Serve's speed is under 280 km/h; after the returns by Q. P and this middle schooler, the speed increased again."

Bismarck replied, then continued to exclaim, "A middle schooler, actually able to return a ball with such high speed."

"His strength is probably not just professional-level, but approaching professional-level."

Tezuka exclaimed, "Professional-level? I thought Takahashi's level was at most World Level."

Bismarck explained, "This Mach Serve is a ball that even Q. P has to watch twice before he can receive it."

"Although Ochi Tsukimitsu, who hits this ball, hasn't reached professional-level, his serve can be viewed as professional-level."

Tezuka continued to ask, "Ochi Tsukimitsu hasn't reached professional-level?"

Borg said in a deep voice, "He is able to hit such a fast serve thanks to his height, which is far above the average person, but he cannot receive his own ball."

"The previous ball where he couldn't return Q. P's return of serve is the best example."

"But this middle schooler Takahashi is able to hit back Q. P's return of serve."

"So Takahashi's strength is undoubtedly above this Ochi."

Bismarck said, "So the focus of this doubles pair is not on this high schooler, but on this middle schooler?"

Listening to the conversation between Borg and Bismarck, Tezuka felt it was truly incredible.

Takahashi is actually not just World Level, but even approaching professional-level?

And he even surpasses the high schooler on his own team?

If someone else had said this, Tezuka Kunimitsu would not have believed a single word.

But the one who said this was Borg, the captain of the D-Guo Team, so he could not help but believe it.

"Tezuka, describe in detail the scene of the match where you lost to Takahashi."

Borg asked, his expression slightly solemn at this moment.

A middle schooler, only in his first year, actually has a level approaching professional-level.

Such a person is not only a genius in Japan, but even in the D-Guo Team, he is a one-in-a-million peerless talent.

Originally, when he heard that Tezuka had lost to a first-year middle schooler from Japan, he was very dissatisfied with Tezuka and even increased his training load because of it.

But seeing that Takahashi could return such a high-speed ball, Borg knew that Tezuka simply could not deal with someone like this.

What he found most unacceptable was that before the match, he and Q. P had analyzed the players and teams with professional-level skills they might encounter in this year's world tournament, but they had never once taken the Japan Team seriously.

A middle schooler with nearly professional-level skills, even if he was just one person, was enough for Borg to regard the entire Japan Team as his greatest enemy.

Because he was only in his first year of middle school, he still had great potential for growth; at this rate of development, in a few years, even Borg might not necessarily be his opponent.

How could the Japan Team have such a gifted genius?

……

On the other side.

"Takahashi, he actually managed to return it."

Shiraishi and the other middle schoolers felt it was incredible.

"Although it's a bit surprising, it's still within reason."

"Takahashi is the one who defeated Shuji, after all."

"If even Shuji can crack the Mach Serve, it's not worth being surprised that Takahashi can crack it too."

Irie said.

"It's just that Tanegashima inevitably has to use his ultimate move—Metsu Mu—to return the Mach Serve; I didn't expect Takahashi to be able to return it successfully using only the most ordinary method."

Oni continued.

……

On the court.

Seyfried stared blankly at the tennis ball rolling behind him.

The tennis ball in that instant, the tennis ball coming toward him.

That terrifying speed made his legs feel a bit weak.

Since he started learning tennis, although he had watched matches of professional powerhouses, he had never personally faced a tennis ball with such high speed.

The opponent's shot did not aim for his body, brushing past his ear, but it was enough to make his heart tremble with fear.

He felt his heart beating wildly in his chest.

They were both middle schoolers, yet he couldn't even capture the trajectory of the tennis ball, only feeling a yellow blur of light constantly enlarging before him.

And yet the opponent could return this ball.

Looking at the playful smile on the opponent's face, Seyfried could be certain that the opponent had intentionally brushed past his ear, because the first ball the opponent had aimed directly at his chin.

The opponent must have wanted him to know that he could hit the ball toward his body, or he could keep the ball away from him.

And how to attack was entirely up to the opponent's whim.

Thinking of this, waves of fear surged from Seyfried's heart.

On the side, Q. P looked at Takahashi with an expressionless face and said, "It seems this match is worth me using 70% to 80% of my strength."

Takahashi looked at Seyfried, who was clearly distracted, and gave a wink to Ochi on the side.

Ochi turned toward Seyfried and suddenly brushed his hair back with his hand, revealing his handsome face.

"It looks like tonight will be a Full Moon!"

A calm voice came from Ochi's mouth.

……

"Bang!"

The tennis ball landed heavily on the net and did not go over.

"Fault!"

"Double fault!"

"0-15!"

"Japan Team wins the point!"

……

Q. P looked coldly at Seyfried and said, "Your task is to serve successfully; leave the rest to me."

Facing Q. P's emotionless gaze, drops of cold sweat flowed down Seyfried's forehead.

"Bang!"

"Fault!"

"Double fault!"

"0-30!"

"Japan Team scores!"