Atobe didn't have time to think much.
Bang!
Bang!
"Bring on whatever tricks you've got!"
Atobe dismissed his thoughts, tossed the ball, and smoothly delivered a high-quality serve.
WHAM!!
This shot had even more precision than before, landing perfectly in the inverted triangle near the service line.
"Is he getting nervous...?"
Kamikawa's gaze fixed on that serve.
A topspin serve, huh? Interesting... I guess I can try that move.
Ssssssss~
A fierce friction sound resonated from the racket.
BANG!!
With a dull thud, the tennis ball shot out abruptly.
The ball was sliced quickly along the racket face, like a sword being drawn, so fast that Atobe didn't even see the moment of impact.
"What was that?!"
He only saw a sharp blade quickly cut into his court. The ball landed, instantly streaked past him, and hit the wall, still spinning fiercely!
"What was that?!"
Shishido kept blinking.
For a split second, he thought he saw a hurricane-like blade slice into Atobe's court.
This shot was too stunning.
For a moment, even Tezuka was distracted. He hadn't expected Kamikawa to have such a move left. The hurricane dissipated, and the furiously spinning tennis ball left a faint black mark on the wall.
Not only that, but even the ground had a shallow mark, as if it had been cut by a blade, smooth and clean...
This technique seemed to require certain conditions to form.
Tezuka saw it clearly: in that instant, Kamikawa's motion was a slice.
Slices are divided into three categories: chop, flat slice, and slice serve. Among them, the chop is usually used to counter high-bouncing topspin shots.
Chop shots make the tennis ball produce backspin, causing it to bounce at a lower angle upon landing. They are often used defensively at the baseline. Besides rallies, the chop shot is the most frequently used.
Tezuka's Zero-Shiki Drop Shot and Kamikawa's earlier Maple Leaf Drop Shot are actually types of flat slices, where the racket is held at the waist, and the slicing position is slightly forward.
The flat slice is an offensive slice, using specific spin to disrupt the opponent and score. An advanced flat slice, of course, is like the Zero-Shiki Drop Shot, which rolls back after landing, making it impossible for the opponent to return.
Kamikawa used the spin from his opponent's topspin serve to create a visual impact. Of course, this also involved Kamikawa activating his mental power.
The principle is similar to the Swallow Return, but the power is completely different. This move is a fast slice shot, emphasizing one word: "speed"—extraordinary speed!
"What incredible speed, and that bizarre bounce angle."
A familiar voice came from behind Shishido.
Sweaty Oshitari walked over, racket in hand. By the looks of it, he had already finished his match with Jiro, and from his condition, Oshitari had won.
"Oshitari, you're done over there?"
Shishido was surprised. Oshitari was facing Jiro, after all.
The No. 1 of Hyotei Elementary's "Three Musketeers" finished so easily?
"Jiro, he's good at net play, and it just so happens..."
Oshitari calmly replied, "I'm good at defense, and his smashes are just suppressed by my Bear Drive. The most crucial thing is, that guy's stamina is awful!"
Jiro, who loves to sleep all the time, no matter how talented he is at tennis, his stamina will always be a weakness. Whether it's him, or Hiyoshi, who just entered sixth grade, or Mukahi.
These net players often lack stamina the most.
Without extraordinary endurance, once a match lasts longer than thirty minutes, they face a slow death, with no chance to fight back.
"Jiro, he's like that..."
Shishido nodded slightly.
All three of their "Musketeers" had a common problem: their stamina wasn't great.
Shishido was still okay; at least he could last beyond thirty minutes.
Mukahi and Jiro, though, after twenty-five minutes, they'd be completely drained, with no ability to resist whatsoever.
At this moment, everyone was still immersed in that "Wind Blade" move from earlier.
BUMP!!
Just then, with a crisp sound, everyone snapped out of it.
"0-30!"
"It's that same return again..."
Mukahi tugged on Shishido's sleeve. "That move is seriously insane. It felt like a wind blade was coming, and my body couldn't react in time."
But then, remembering it was Kamikawa who hit it, Mukahi quickly relaxed.
Given he could hit such an exaggerated serve, a shot that doesn't bounce back seems within reasonable bounds.
"Using the opponent's topspin to quickly slice, requiring nearly perfect power and speed in the swing to unleash such a move. Even if you understand the principle, that 'Wind Blade'..."
Oshitari's mental strength was decent, and he generally understood the principle behind the Wind Blade's release in that instant. But simply knowing the technique's principle isn't enough; your body needs to react the moment the ball lands.
Even with full comprehension, trying to return that Wind Blade through normal means... even Atobe would probably find it incredibly difficult!
In Oshitari's view, as long as you don't hit a topspin return, that Wind Blade would be hard to form.
Of course, this is theoretical impossibility. Whether it can actually form or not, we'll have to keep watching. Who knows, maybe Kamikawa can do an instant slice even without that slight topspin.
Could Atobe on the court truly realize this?
It's probably a bit difficult...
The scene outside and inside the court were completely different. From Atobe's perspective, he clearly saw a wind blade sweep across his court, and he couldn't react at all, his body felt rooted to the spot.
He couldn't even take a single step.
Bang!
Bang!!
On the court,
The successive Wind Blades left Atobe bewildered for a moment.
The quick offense actually broke Atobe's service game.
The score quickly reached 3-2, with Kamikawa leading.
"Is it a technique hit by quickly slicing my topspin serve?!"
"No! It's more than that. What is that exaggerated visual impact...?"
The effect of the Wind Blade was shocking, but Atobe's insight was also top-notch.
He barely managed to analyze the principle of the Wind Blade strike, but his body remained unable to move an inch.
"Huff... huff huff..."
Atobe, who had recovered, realized he was breathing heavily.
Yet, just moments ago, other than serving, he hadn't moved a single step.
So why,
Did his body feel so exhausted? What else about that Wind Blade strike hadn't he seen through?
"You must have seen through the essence of this return, right?"
Kamikawa walked past Atobe, speaking softly. "Wind Blade Strike, just as you thought, is me using your topspin serve, quickly slicing it to create that visual impact."
"Atobe, if you can't break through this move, if you can't take this step, you'll never be able to surpass me, or Tezuka!"
Atobe's pupils constricted slightly. He turned to look at Kamikawa. What did he mean by that?!
And his only response was Kamikawa's back. Perhaps only after the match ended would he truly understand what those words meant.
"Atobe!"
Kamikawa, racket in hand, looked at Atobe, who was constantly adjusting his stance ahead. "Tezuka, he's been too soft on you. I'm going to show you what a true gap looks like!"
"What?!"
Atobe's brows furrowed, his pupils shrinking. He seemed to guess something.
This guy,
Couldn't have been playing at full power in the match just now, could he?
Right, he still has that monstrous serve!
Whoosh~
Next moment,
Kamikawa tossed the tennis ball high into the air. He bent his knees, squatted, then leaped up in one fluid motion. As the ball began to descend, his arm drove his forearm, and his forearm swung the racket fiercely forward.
Buzz! Buzz!!
A sharp, piercing sound burst forth.
Everyone's ears were ringing with that sharp noise.
For a moment, everyone couldn't help but cover their ears, their eyes fixed on the tennis ball on the court.