"Senpai, what exactly is a half-volley?"
As Saori Shiba rapidly clicked away on her camera, she turned to Inoue beside her with another innocent question.
"A half-volley," Inoue explained patiently, "is an advanced technique where the player strikes the ball right at the moment it bounces off the ground.
If your timing isn't precise, you'll either miss the ball completely—or worse, it'll bounce up and hit your face.
Normally, players hit a half-volley as the ball rises from the bounce. But what Seiya just did—he hit it before it even touched the ground.
That's way beyond a normal half-volley. The precision, the speed, the reaction time—it's on a whole other level. You could call it a super half-volley."
A similar explanation was also happening over on Seigaku's side, where Inui was analyzing things for the first-years.
Pushing up his glasses, Inui continued, "To hit a half-volley before Fuji's Swallow Return even lands, you'd need not just lightning-fast reflexes, but incredible sprinting speed as well.
Yet even now, I still can't tell what kind of footwork that player—Wenren Seiya—is using."
In tennis, there are many types of footwork. For instance, Ryoma uses the one-foot split-step, which gives him a speed advantage of nearly a step and a half over normal players.
Seiya's sprinting footwork clearly wasn't ordinary either. But even for someone like Inui, who prided himself on being a "tennis scientist," it was baffling—he simply couldn't identify it.
"It's Okuri-ashi," Tezuka suddenly said. "That's the special footwork he's using—but modified."
Everyone from Seigaku turned to him in confusion. None of them knew what "Okuri-ashi" meant.
However, Ryoma and Inui immediately understood, their faces lighting up with realization. "So that's it—it's Okuri-ashi! No wonder it looked so familiar."
"Okuri-ashi," Tezuka explained, "is a type of footwork used in kendo. I used to spar with my grandfather sometimes, so I recognized it right away.
And come to think of it, the way Wenren Seiya swings his racket—both before and now—it carries a sharp, cutting aura.
He must be a kendo expert who's merged swordsmanship with tennis. That must be the essence of his playstyle."
"Point for Fudomine's Wenren Seiya! The score: 30–15!"
At the same time Tezuka revealed Seiya's true form, Fuji watched the spinning ball roll past him, his expression one of surprise.
His Swallow Return—the move that had just earned him praise—had been completely countered by Seiya's half-volley!
In just three returns, Seiya had already read the Swallow Return perfectly and sent it back.
"Fudomine's Wenren Seiya really is strong," Fuji muttered. "But I'm not going to lose that easily."
To be honest, even Fuji felt an immense pressure from Seiya's skill and aura.
Since Tezuka, this was only the second time he'd faced an opponent who made him feel so overwhelmed.
But just like he'd said earlier—he had his own reasons not to lose.
When Fuji's serve was returned again, he went for another Swallow Return.
However, having already adapted to its rhythm, Seiya once more intercepted it mid-air with a flawless half-volley.
But Fuji had been anticipating that. The moment he saw the point of Seiya's strike, he had already moved, positioning himself at the predicted landing spot and returning the ball to the opposite corner.
"Beautiful! That one went straight to his blind spot! Even if Seiya's Okuri-ashi is fast, there's no way he can—
Wait, what!? That monster—he's already on the other side of the court!?"
Before anyone could finish speaking, Seiya had sprinted across the court in an instant, returning Fuji's tricky shot as if it were nothing—matching his opponent's placement with one of his own.
Fuji, lacking Seiya's specialized footwork, barely managed to reach the ball, returning it with a desperate high lob.
The ball soared into the air and began descending toward Seiya's side of the court.
Seeing that, the Fudomine team members' eyes lit up—this was the perfect chance for a smash point!
Meanwhile, the Seigaku members, having seen this situation before, exchanged knowing smiles.
Looking at the high lob, then at Fuji waiting near the baseline, Seiya smirked.
As someone who knew the story all too well, he instantly recognized Fuji's setup. But far from backing down, Seiya grinned wider.
With several powerful steps, he tightened his grip on the racket and leapt high into the air.
At the same moment, Seigaku's members jumped up in excitement—because they knew what was coming.
Fuji Shuusuke, Seigaku's prodigy, had three famous counter techniques—and one of them was made to defeat smash attacks: "Higuma Otoshi" (Brown Bear Drop)!
"Wenren-ryū, Fourth Form—Hajun (Breaker of Armies)!"
Seiya, soaring through the air, suddenly switched from a one-handed to a two-handed grip. His motion wasn't like a normal tennis swing—it was like someone swinging a sword midair!
And rather than striking the ball with the strings, he used the frame of the racket!
The instant the ball connected, it visibly deformed under the sheer force, then shot downward with unstable, explosive speed!
"Fuji! Get back! Don't try to take that one!"
"Fuji, that ball's too powerful—don't be reckless!"
The moment Seiya struck, both Tezuka and Coach Ryuzaki shouted warnings, realizing instantly that the shot was unlike anything normal.
But Fuji ignored them, holding his racket steady as he prepared his Brown Bear Drop stance.
Watching from the Fudomine bench, Tachibana Kippei sighed deeply, admiration and pity in his eyes.
"Fuji… you're planning to take that with those thin arms of yours? Even if the Brown Bear Drop can absorb part of a smash's power, Seiya's shot—that's no ordinary smash."
As he spoke, Tachibana glanced down at his right hand unconsciously.
He remembered vividly—he had felt that move himself the previous night.
The way his racket had been blasted several meters away, the numbing pain that lingered in his arm afterward…
He still shuddered at the memory.
He used to think his tennis was too violent—but after witnessing Seiya's "Breaker of Armies," he realized his own power was gentle in comparison.
The descending ball roared like thunder, tearing through the air as it crashed toward the court.
Dust exploded upward, leaving a deep crater where it struck.
Fuji's racket was in position for the Brown Bear Drop—but at the last moment, the ball veered off-course, grazing the edge of his frame and slamming into the court beside him.
(End of Chapter)
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