Chapter 5: Ace Serve

  "Are you ready?"

  From outside the court, Ryota Suzuki, who had volunteered to be the referee, looked at the two pyers below. After confirming that both were ready, he nodded and announced:

  "The match will be decided in a single set!"

  "Ishikawa to serve. Game start!"

  As his voice fell, all eyes turned toward Ishikawa.

  Pa!Pa!Pa!

  He picked up a tennis ball from the ground and gently bounced it a few times.

  "He looks the part, at least."

  "Acting all serious—what can a rookie even do? Just because he got lucky with one impressive shot, he thinks he can actually compete?"

  "Hah, exactly. Does he think he’s Atobe? A first-year trying to stand out—he's probably been watching too many shounen anime."

  Among the spectators, hardly anyone believed in Ishikawa. Not out of personal bias, but simply from experience.

  After all, every single one of them had at least a year of training. Physical conditioning, fundamental tennis drills, learning the rules, mastering techniques—none of these could be skipped.

  Atobe had managed to dominate Hyotei immediately after returning from overseas only because his skills were already top-tier.

  But this newcomer? At best, he had received some basic training. Comparing him to Atobe was nothing short of ridiculous.

  On the court.

  Even though Ishikawa tried to maintain a calm exterior, this was his first official match—his first real competition. It was inevitable that his movements would show small, unnecessary gestures.

  "A first-time competitor?"

  Noticing these small tells, Oshitari was surprised. "This rookie really is fearless, huh? Challenging Shinohara right out of the gate?"

  Shinohara Saburou.14 years old.Third-year at Hyotei Academy Middle School Tennis Club.

  While he wasn’t a top pyer, in a tennis club with over 200 members, qualifying for practice matches alone was already an achievement. If he were in any other school at the district tournament level, he would undoubtedly be a core team member.

  What’s more—

  Shinohara modeled his pystyle after Hyotei’s regur, Ryo Shishido, an aggressive attacker known for his fast-paced game.

  With his fiery temper, many third-years even avoided pying against him. Given this, Oshitari could only assume the rookie was just recklessly overconfident.

  But in reality…

  Though Hyotei’s strict hierarchy made things difficult, Coach Sakaki Taro and Captain Atobe Keigo were both highly perceptive.

  If a pyer had real talent, there was no way they would overlook it. Especially Atobe—though he didn’t show it outwardly, Oshitari knew he cared a lot about potential successors.

  Unfortunately, since the start of this year’s recruitment process, Oshitari hadn’t seen any particurly outstanding newcomers.

  "But if this rookie somehow manages to beat Shinohara…"

  Realizing where his thoughts were going, Oshitari shook his head. That was far too unrealistic.

  Whoosh!

  Just then, Ishikawa made his move. He tossed the ball high into the air.

  "That height?"

  Oshitari raised an eyebrow, thinking Ishikawa was preparing for a jumping smash serve. But instead, Ishikawa remained grounded, adjusting his posture to stabilize his center of gravity before finally raising his racket.

  However—

  By then, the ball had already reached its peak and was beginning to fall rapidly. Seeing this, Oshitari shook his head.

  "His movements are too unrefined."

  Hearing the spectators murmur, he had expected Ishikawa to have at least practiced serving properly. But judging from this, the rookie was completely inexperienced.

  A proper serve required precise control over every detail—Not just physical control but also an exact calcution of the toss’s trajectory.

  A perfect serve occurs when the ball reaches its highest point just as the racket swings down to strike it. This method ensures the shortest air-time, highest impact, and greatest effectiveness.

  But right now—

  Ishikawa had completely missed the optimal timing. This was a beginner’s mistake, one that even a week of practice should have corrected.

  At that moment—

  Oshitari felt utterly disappointed. His brief hope for an exciting match vanished instantly.

  Whoosh!

  However—

  Ishikawa didn’t care about Oshitari’s judgment. Right now, all his focus was locked onto the ball in mid-air.

  Yes, this was only his second serve attempt. But unlike before, he had to ensure absolute precision—

  The ball needed to nd just inside the opponent’s second service line. With that thought in mind—

  Ishikawa sharpened his concentration. In his mind, his racket was no longer just a sports tool—it was a sword. His serve was no longer just a simple strike—it was a sword technique.

  In that instant—

  With his max-level kendo skills, Ishikawa’s aura transformed entirely. As his arm swung, his racket left behind faint afterimages—

  And then—

  Boom!

  The ball vanished from the air!

  A split-second ter, a loud, sharp crack echoed from the other side of the court! Before anyone could even react—

  Bang!

  The ball smmed into the metal fence behind Shinohara.

  "Hisss—!"

  A wave of stunned gasps spread through the crowd.

  "W-What…?"

  Shinohara stood frozen in pce. As the one who had personally faced the serve, he had no idea what had just happened.

  Lowering his gaze to the ball slowly rolling across the ground—His pupils shrunk in shock.

  "Such incredible racket speed…!"

  From outside the court, Oshitari's face finally showed genuine astonishment. If the first half of Ishikawa’s serve had been clumsy and unimpressive—

  Then the tter half had been nothing short of a master swordsman’s strike—swift and precise! Even he hadn’t been able to track the exact moment of impact!

  Meanwhile—

  On the referee's stand, Ryota Suzuki hesitated. His expression twisted in distress—he wanted to make a call, but he had no idea where the ball had nded.

  It was too fast!

  Even as the referee, he hadn’t seen it clearly!

  Suzuki looked at Shinohara on the court, then back at the rookie on the other side. Clenching his teeth, he was just about to call it a fault.

  "Enough."

  A low, commanding voice interrupted him. Suzuki instinctively looked down, his face paling.

  "O-Oshitari! W-What are you doing here?"

  "Step down."

  Oshitari cast him a cold gnce.

  Feeling pressured, Suzuki quickly climbed down from the referee’s chair.

  Then—Oshitari took his pce.

  His gaze swept over the calm-looking Ishikawa, then shifted to the now visibly shaken Shinohara. After a brief silence, he spoke.

  "Serve is good. 15-0."

  Boom!

  The crowd erupted in disbelief. It wasn’t that they doubted Oshitari. It was because they completely trusted his judgment that they were so shocked.

  "It was in?!"

  "That was way too fast! Did anyone actually see where the ball nded?!"

  "Wait… that means this rookie’s first powerful shot… wasn’t just luck?!"

  For the first time—

  The second and third-years stopped underestimating Ishikawa. And with Oshitari stepping in as referee, any st doubts about fairness vanished.

  Perhaps—

  This first-year rookie actually had a chance to win? On the other side of the court—

  Ishikawa’s lips curled into a smirk. He hadn’t expected Oshitari to step in, but more importantly—

  His system had given him an update.

  [Pyer has successfully performed a standard serve. "Basic Serve" skill unlocked: LV0 (0/10)][Pyer has successfully executed an Ace Serve. Basic Serve skill +5 EXP]

  "Interesting."

  Ishikawa chuckled.

  "So this is the beginner tutorial, huh? This game system is pretty damn well-designed."

  (End of Chapter 5)