As soon as the first round began, the character controlled by Eriri launched a fierce attack. Judging by the action, it was an almost one-sided beatdown. (Continued)

Still, he could handle it!

However, just as he had taken his position and was preparing to return the ball,

he saw—

the tennis ball, which had landed on the ground, spinning violently like a top before springing up at an angle he never could have expected!

"W-what!?"

Kawamura Kentaro was stunned. He instinctively took a step back, and the ball skimmed right past him.

A wave of dread washed over him, and a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead.

Am I sure I'm playing tennis?

What the hell kind of trajectory was that? Why had it bounced at such a weird angle?

Did the laws of physics not exist anymore?!

"1... 15–0. Hasegawa takes the first point with a serve!"

The referee was the first to snap out of his shock and make the call.

He wasn't a tennis specialist, but he knew a thing or two. He'd only seen balls like that in "outtakes" compilations. This was the first time he'd ever seen one in real life.

The spectators erupted into a buzz of astonishment.

"Whoa! Did I see that right? Did that ball just curve in the opposite direction?"

"Is that the outside-spin serve Hasegawa was talking about?"

"Come on, that had to be an accident! Or maybe he's got some high-tech device in the ball that made it fly like that."

"Hey, hey, this doesn't look good. He couldn't return the first serve. Is Hasegawa going to win again?"

Everyone else was left staring in disbelief.

"Heh heh heh. That is the power of a 'skill.' It's beyond the comprehension of ordinary mortals."

Takanashi Rikka's comment was as unusual as ever.

Uh, whatever the case, as long as he wins!

Fujiwara Chika stared blankly for a moment, then started clapping.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

The others joined in, amazed by the show of force behind that serve.

Just how much has Izumi been hiding from me? Damn it!

Eriri lowered her head slightly and grumbled inwardly through clenched teeth.

Kawamura Kentaro picked up the tennis ball and tossed it back.

"I don't believe you can do that again!"

He refused to believe in anything supernatural. He thought the bizarre serve had just been a fluke.

"Then watch closely. This time, another outside-spin serve!"

Hasegawa Izumi didn't argue. He repeated the same motion and struck the ball in the same way.

Whoosh!!

This time, Kawamura Kentaro focused even more closely on the ball as it hit the ground.

To his astonishment, the ball was shaking at a speed beyond anything he could imagine.

Was that why it had curved in the opposite direction?

But could a person really do that?!

"Thwack."

He'd been thinking too much to dodge the attack, and the ball hit him on the chin.

It hurt like hell.

Luckily, he'd trained for years and had a thick hide. Otherwise, that shot would have had him crying for his mother.

"Sorry. Should I go even easier on you? I'm already trying my best to match your level."

Seeing what had happened, Hasegawa Izumi spoke with a merciless expression.

If he took it up to the level of lethal tennis, he'd probably end up behind bars.

He'd better avoid that kind of trouble.

"Temee! There's a limit to how much you can look down on someone! I've made it to Nationals and played singles. If the rest of the team hadn't held me back, we might've made it to the finals... So bring it on! That was just a tickle. You don't think you can beat me with that, do you? You've got a long way to go!"

Kawamura Kentaro flicked his racket and quickly pulled himself together, showing not the slightest hint of fear.

"Looks like what you said was true. But... what I said was true, too."

Seeing that his opponent was still in high spirits, Hasegawa Izumi came to a decision. He tossed out a casual remark and turned back to the service line.

He remembered someone once saying that stepping on an ant without killing it took great control over one's strength.

Now, he was doing his best to control the strength he let loose.

"Is Izumi-chan really this cold? He seems like a completely different person."

Fujiwara Chika looked astonished from the bench.

"That seems pretty normal, doesn't it? You'd expect someone to act differently when they're in battle mode. And doesn't that make him even cooler?"

Takanashi Rikka tilted her head.

Was that really normal?

Beyond the fence, Eriri's mouth twitched. She couldn't even think of a response.

This was obviously a serious illness!

He returned to his position.

"I've figured out the secret behind your bizarre serve. It's sidespin with topspin, right? In theory, that kind of shot shouldn't be possible. The spin is too powerful for an ordinary person to control. But in practice, it might be possible after all. I imagine you have a talent for 'Absolute Control'... There are always monsters in this world who surpass our imaginations. It seems I'm lucky enough to have met one."

"But it's still just a strange trajectory. Once I get used to it, I'll be able to return it!"

Before he even served, Kawamura Kentaro suddenly launched into his analysis with a serious expression, brimming with confidence.

He had to admit, it made sense.

Perhaps he'd underestimated the man's skill.

At last, Hasegawa Izumi felt a little anticipation.

"Come on. Return this one, and then you'll see what real hell looks like!"

He tossed the ball high into the air, then served another outside-spin shot.

There came a faint rumble of thunder.

"Crack!"

A sharp impact rang out. The towering figure staggered a few steps, then crashed to the ground, eyes wide and filled with confusion.

"40–0!"

The referee announced the score loudly.

Hasegawa Izumi turned away, glancing sideways. From the corner of his eye, he saw Kawamura Kentaro lying on the opposite side of the court and shook his head.

He'd thought you could actually return that one.

What a joke!

"Still, you've got to give him credit for his courage. He dared to face that shot head-on and even responded reasonably. He just couldn't read the direction of the spin. At this rate, he might get used to it on the next one."

Looking down from above, he could see right through his opponent's thoughts and progress.

The Human World wasn't so bad after all.

Perhaps even more unexpected thrills awaited him in the future!

"Keep going, big brother who plays tennis! Don't let yourself get knocked down! Never give up!"

The sudden shout was like a boulder dropped into a deep pool. The now-silent court and surrounding area erupted into awkward laughter, leaving everyone mortified.

She had the wrong person!

Who was the weak one here?

Everyone's eyes turned toward the speaker, making her nervously cover her mouth with her hand.

Her uniform revealed that she was a middle schooler. She was probably just curious about the high school and had come to take a look. Then she'd seen the scene before her and reached a conclusion different from everyone else's.

There was a big difference in their builds, but the frail-looking Hasegawa was clearly dominating. It even seemed a little like bullying the weak.

This was completely unlike what everyone had imagined at first. It was beyond all their expectations.

Who could have guessed that the Tennis Club's much-admired Club President would be crushed so easily?

Kawamura Kentaro clearly wasn't ready to give up. He came to his senses and stood back up.

"Little girl, you've got it wrong! He's the challenger! I only got hit like that because I let my guard down."

He pointed across the court.

"Pfft."

Some of the girls in the crowd couldn't help laughing.

He didn't even blush. Looking at Hasegawa, he said, "Come on, let's keep going! This time, I'll hit it for sure!"

From that remark, Hasegawa Izumi could tell that his opponent had lowered his goal.

Before, he'd wanted to return the ball. Now, all he wanted was... to touch it and call that a success!

The other spectators didn't find it strange, either. That outside-spin serve didn't seem like something a person could hit. They didn't think someone capable of such a serve wouldn't know any other techniques.

In everyone's eyes, he'd apparently gone from an elite NPC to a boss—an even higher level.

"Thump... thump..."

The only sound on the court was the tennis ball bouncing up and down. Everyone held their breath, waiting.

"Here it comes. Pay attention."

Hasegawa Izumi called out a warning, leaped into the air, and swung his racket with his right hand. The ball flew out again, dropping onto the other side of the court.

At that moment, Kawamura Kentaro's expression turned solemn. He fixed his gaze on the direction the ball was spinning on the ground. In that instant, his senses sharpened...

Time seemed to stop.

"This way!"

He made his move, shifting one step farther over as he swung his racket.

"Crack!"

The crisp sound of the racket striking the ball rang out.

His face lit up with delight.

He'd finally hit it!

"Out! Hasegawa wins the game and leads 1–0! They'll switch sides now."

The referee made the call as he watched the ball fly into the air.

"Clap, clap, clap..."

He hadn't managed to return the ball, but he'd hit it all the same. The effort earned the spectators' respect, and applause rang out.

"Congratulations. You hit it."

Hasegawa Izumi offered his congratulations, too.

"Hahaha..."

Kawamura Kentaro scratched his head, blushing slightly.