A Shot Involving the Sweet Spot
Kawamura heard Coach Ryuzaki's shouts, but his hands didn't stop moving.
He swung his racket at the tennis ball that had already bounced back.
Bang!
The sound of the ball being struck rang out, but the scene everyone had anticipated did not occur.
Kawamura's racket wasn't knocked away, and the tennis ball was successfully returned.
"Does he still have strength left? That ball had the same force as the twentieth Wave Ball that just knocked his racket away!"
"His return shot was noticeably easier than before; it seems Kawamura was indeed hiding his true strength."
Even if he was hiding his strength, after so many consecutive Wave Ball, his arm shouldn't be much better than Gin's.
Konjiki Koharu and Kazuki Yuji were also surprised by Kawamura's outburst, and the two of them, who were standing together, clearly lost their previous playful expressions.
Although Shiraishi couldn't discern Kawamura's specific situation, based on his understanding of Ishida, he could roughly deduce Kawamura.
In reality, Kawamura's situation was not much different from what Shiraishi had described. At this moment, Kawamura's arm had begun to feel a slight pain due to the Wave Ball.
However, since both players use two hands to hold the racket, even though Ishida's physical condition is better than Kawamura's, the condition of their arms is actually similar.
"This is truly unexpected. In that case, I will disregard my arm and go all out! Twenty-fourth move Wave Ball!"
Kawamura's return shot, hitting from the center of the court, was comparable to the 22nd Wave Ball. Ishida, without hesitation, immediately returned the Kawamura with two levels of power.
"Hmph, you're not bad at all. Well then, I'll be even less polite!"
His arm tensed up again, and the veins on Kawamura's palms bulged.
"Kawamura! What are you doing! Stop this!"
Even though Coach Ryuzaki knew from the previous shot that Kawamura could continue hitting the ball like that, she still insisted on stopping Kawamura for safety reasons.
However, a general in the field may disobey the emperor's orders, Kawamura, who was in the middle of the game, could completely ignore the Coach's instructions.
Bang!
"He got it back! Aron actually got that ball back!"
"But didn't he already reach his limit before? Why..."
"If I'm not mistaken, the two shots Kawamura just returned were related to the way he hit them."
"Agan, you mean..."
"If I'm not mistaken, it should be related to the sweet spot. It's a type of shot that can give the ball enough power, but it requires a high level of ball control; it's a very solid shot technique."
In response to Kikumaru's doubts, Inui offered his own explanation.
"Using the sweet spot technique can provide the hitter with over 40% more ball speed feedback and minimize the vibration of the tennis ball on the racket."
Upon hearing Gan's explanation, the members of Seigaku couldn't help but nod in agreement.
"So Agan, you mean to say that Aron has already mastered the sweet spot technique?"
"I never imagined that Kawamura- Senpai had secretly learned such amazing hitting techniques!"
"Everyone is getting stronger, it seems I still haven't trained enough."
"You've got it wrong. Real dessert techniques have much more power than just that."
Hearing the sighs of those around him, Horio shook his head.
"The sweet spot isn't so easy to learn. Kawamura- Senpai has only mastered one sweet spot: hitting the center of the pitch."
Horio's words made everyone turn their heads, including Tezuka.
"Before the National Tournament started, Kawamura- Senpai approached me to help him train, in order to correct some problems with his swing."
After explaining, Horio didn't say anything more, and everyone around him turned their attention back to the court.
"That was exhilarating! This is the kind of tennis a real man should play! The 28th move, the Wave Ball!"
Ishida was now completely ignited by Kawamura's passion, and he had completely forgotten the increasingly heavy burden on his arms.
With a heavy thud, the tennis ball was completely enveloped in purple sparks and flew towards Kawamura with unstoppable momentum.
"No way! That was a terrible shot! We don't know what will happen if Aron keeps trying to receive those shots."
"If I were to catch that ball, I would be helpless too..."
Upon hearing Oishi's words, Tezuka acknowledged the power of Ishida's shot.
"Even if Aron has improved his swing, can he return this shot...?"
Despite the worries of the Seigaku team, Kawamura bent his right leg on the court, even though Tezuka was helpless against the ball.
"Charging Wave Ball! Aron's for real!"
This was the only thought in the minds of everyone at Seigaku, and even Tezuka frowned at this moment.
" With Charging Wave Ball combined with a center-point striking technique, to what extent will this shot be enhanced?"
Horio, the only player in the Seigaku players' box who was still calmly observing the situation on the field, also began to focus his attention.
"Using the momentum of your forward sprint to incorporate all your body weight into the shot—that's beautiful!"
Ishida had lost his initial composure. Seeing Kawamura's Charging Wave Ball, his already wide-ranging movements became even more exaggerated.
"I never expected there would be a player who could compete with A-Yin to this extent. A-Yin's condition is already not good. Nobody knows what will happen to his arm after he receives this ball."
On the Coach bench at Shitenhoji, a hint of worry appeared in Watanabe Shu's eyes.
It wasn't just the fear that Shitenhoji would be eliminated if they lost another match, but also the concern for the safety of their students.
"Thirty-three styles... thirty-one styles... no! It's thirty-three styles."
When Ishida's twenty-eighth Wave Ball was returned with increased power, it was now equivalent to the thirty-third wave. Ishida knuckles were white as he gripped the racket tightly.
"A-Gin is feeling the pressure too..."
"I've never seen him pushed to this extent before..."
"I initially thought it would be a predictable match, but now it seems the outcome is anyone's guess."
Shiraishi stared sternly at Ishida, who was preparing to return Charging Wave Ball, while Shiraishi remained silent beside Oshitari.
On the court, the tennis ball, now completely transformed into a deep red flame by Kawamura's racket, landed in Shitenhoji.
The tennis ball bounced off the ground, leaving a clear black mark before finally rebounding.
At this moment, Ishida also took the opportunity to unleash his long-prepared strike, but the same sound of hitting the ball as before did not occur.
The tennis ball, or rather, that ball of fire, passed through Ishida's racket, and where the racket face touched the tennis ball, the strings snapped one by one.
The ball's momentum wasn't weakened until it disappeared after it landed on the wall behind Ishida and spun for several seconds.