Chapter 199: The Prince of Tennis
"Ha? Are you attempting to spin a joke, make me burst into laughter until I'm breathless?" Yumiko retorted upon hearing Hachiman's audacious words, clearly dismissing him as a tennis expert. Not only her, but even Yukino and Yui were taken aback by Hachiman's proclamation.
Stating that he would lose if the opponent scored even one point seemed excessively arrogant. However, Yui recalled Hachiman expressing something similar back in the pre-finals interview of the Kendo Inter-High School Championship.
He had once said, "You can have countless opportunities, but I only need one."
Contemplating this, Yui felt a glimmer of hope.
Could Hachiman's tennis skills truly be impressive?
Even on the court, Yukino sensed a spark of hope, reflecting on Hachiman's recent words that sent ripples through the girl's heart.
"Try to trust others a bit..."
While everyone harbored their individual thoughts, the match pressed on, and it was Hachiman's turn to serve.
He opted not to capitalize on the wind, as in the original story; instead, he geared up for full-force mode.
Positioned at the service line, he rhythmically pounded the ball against the ground.
"Bang! Bang!" The percussive sound of the ball meeting the ground seemed to resonate in everyone's hearts.
Then, Hachiman tossed the bouncing ball high into the air, initiating the serve.
"Whoosh!"
The ball, spinning in the opposite direction, sailed toward the other half of the court.
"I got it!"
Although this serve didn't seem particularly fast, Hayama, confident in his abilities, swiftly dashed to the ball's landing point, anticipating a counterattack.
To his surprise, at the moment the ball landed, accompanied by a potent spin, it veered directly towards his face.
This startled Hayama, who swiftly twisted his body to avoid the ball. However, this maneuver caused the ball to soar out of bounds.
Point for Hachiman.
The unexpected turn of events left everyone stunned, and Hayama questioned uncertainly, "What was that?"
"A twist serve," Hachiman's mouth curved into a smirk.
"Twist serve..."
Hayama, not particularly well-versed in tennis, mumbled this name, evidently unaware of the origin of this serve.
However, Zaimokuza from the sidelines exclaimed, "A twist serve! Isn't that the technique used by the protagonist, Ryoma Echizen, in 'The Prince of Tennis'? Hachiman, you actually pulled it off; that's amazing!"
Not only him, even others familiar with 'The Prince of Tennis' manga expressed astonishment. A technique from the manga was being executed in real life.
"How is that possible..."
Hearing the surrounding reactions, Yumiko's heart started to feel uneasy.
"Caught off guard. Impressive, Hikigaya-kun." Returning the ball to Hachiman, Hayama smiled and said, "Let's continue; the match isn't over yet."
Hachiman advanced to the service line, gripping the tennis ball in hand.
Maintaining the twist serve, but this time, it was Yumiko positioned to receive. The ball once again hurtled toward her face, narrowly missing as an enraged Yumiko erupted into a string of curses.
"Hachiman, you jerk! This kind of ball is too dangerous. What if it hits my face?"
"Alright, then I won't use it," Hachiman replied, casually shrugging off Yumiko's complaint.
After all, he wasn't limited to just one move. The twist serve was a mere showcase, and he had no intention of endangering someone, especially a girl, with a real hit to the face.
Yumiko found solace in this assurance; as long as that rogue serve wasn't in play, she believed she still had a chance.
Now, it was Yumiko's turn to serve. She leaped high, striking the ball swiftly towards Hachiman's side, attempting to seize the initiative.
Unfortunately, the moment she connected with the ball, Hachiman anticipated its landing spot. He took a few calculated steps, positioning himself beneath the ball and using his racket to whip it horizontally.
The ball maneuvered around the referee chair, where Saika was seated, landed inbounds, and then bounced out.
"Ah, this is Kaoru Kaido Boomerang Snake," Zaimokuza on the sidelines provided commentary.
Witnessing a technique from the manga being executed, the audience beyond the court erupted in cheers. Even Saika couldn't contain his excitement. As a tennis club member, his fondness for "The Prince of Tennis" naturally amplified the thrill of watching Hachiman flawlessly replicate moves from the manga.
"Hachiman, you're truly amazing..."
On the opposing side, Yumiko's expression soured. She was on the brink of defeat, and the proud girl found it hard to accept.
Not only her, even Yukino, recuperating her stamina on the sideline, wore a somewhat peculiar expression.
The girls had come to the realization that they had been completely fooled by Hachiman. If this level of skill was merely "slightly knowledgeable," then they felt as if they were worse than babies.
Contemplating this, Yukino couldn't help but feel a bit discontent.
Regardless of their thoughts, the match pressed on, and Yumiko resumed her serves.
After a few exchanges, Hachiman seized an opportunity, swung his racket almost horizontally, and executed a slice shot.
"I'll take it!"
Observing what seemed like an ordinary slice shot, Yumiko swiftly stepped forward, preparing for a counterattack.
However, just as she anticipated the ball's bounce to execute her return, something peculiar occurred.
The ball, upon hitting the ground, refused to bounce. Instead, it clung to the surface, spinning, and smoothly slid forward.
This left Yumiko's hand frozen mid-swing, poised to strike the ball.
"This... this is Tsubame Gaeshi, the famous slice that doesn't bounce," Zaimokuza once again proclaimed the name of this move.
The spectators outside the court were practically numb. Witnessing these seemingly impossible maneuvers unfold before their eyes rendered them utterly speechless.
"He's like the real Prince of Tennis."
"Well, if they ever make a live-action version of Prince of Tennis, they better cast him. We won't watch otherwise."
At this point, Hayama wore a wry smile; in his eyes, today's defeat seemed inevitable.
Yet, Yumiko found it hard to accept this reality. Despite Hachiman being practically her best friend's prospective boyfriend, her prideful nature wouldn't permit her to concede so easily.
Then, she recalled Hachiman's earlier words — as long as they could score one point, it would be considered a win.
This reignited hope within the girl's heart.
Just one point, she needed only one point.
Exchanging a determined glance with Hayama, Yumiko made up her mind. Regardless of the odds, she was determined to secure that one crucial point.
Regrettably, in the ensuing match, they failed to score another point. Even attempting to adopt a stamina-based strategy, akin to dealing with Yukino, proved futile against the formidable opponent that was Hachiman.
Soon, the overall score reached 4-0, marking the beginning of the fifth round.
Simultaneously, this served as the last opportunity for Yumiko's team.