The Omnipotent Super Chuunibyou - Chapter 22
“What the hell? Never heard of it. Anyway, let’s get this over with! I can’t wait to beat you to a pulp!”
Kawamura Kentaro shrugged, propping his racquet on his shoulder.
“Oh, is that so? Then I’ll make an exception and show you today.”
Hasegawa Izumi didn’t seem to mind.
The Mortal Realm’s knowledge was superficial, akin to a frog at the bottom of a well who could only see a sky the size of its well, unable to imagine the true vastness of the heavens above. This person before him was no exception.
Their conversation left the spectators equally baffled.
“Twist serve? Is that some kind of special serve?”
If the tennis club members hadn’t heard of it, naturally no one else had either.
Here comes Izumi’s chuunibyou again, Eriri thought, exasperated.
“Is he really going to use a ‘skill’ right off the bat? Looks like the Sage really is in a hurry,” Takanashi Rikka mused, looking excitedly at the proceedings.
“What’s a skill?” Fujiwara Chika wondered, feeling her own ignorance keenly.
Standing in the service area, Hasegawa Izumi tossed the tennis ball into the air with his left hand.
Kawamura Kentaro, on the other side of the court, didn’t look impressed, but inwardly, he was taking the newcomer seriously. He gripped his racket with both hands, slightly bent at the waist, and focused intently on the ball, ready to sprint in any direction at top speed.
“Bang!”
In a flash, the boy’s feet left the ground, his back arched, and he struck the ball with his right hand, sending it high and to the right before quickly dropping it back down.
Swoosh!
The ball traced a magnificent arc before landing deep in the other half of the court.
“Such a textbook swing! What a fast serve!”
Kawamura Kentaro’s heart lurched, but he quickly composed himself and calculated where the ball would land.
I can handle this!
He planted himself in front of the spot where he expected the ball to come down, preparing to hit it back.
But then…
The ball, which had just landed on the ground, spun like a top before unexpectedly bouncing up at an odd angle.
“What?!”
Kawamura Kentaro paled, taking an involuntary step backward as the ball whizzed past him. A bead of cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
Am I really playing tennis?
What kind of trajectory is that?! Why did it bounce up at such a weird angle?!
Is physics dead?!
“1…15-0. Hasegawa takes the first point!”
The referee was the first to recover from his astonishment and make a call.
Though he wasn’t an expert, he knew the basics. He’d only ever seen a shot like that in “blooper” compilations—this was his first time witnessing such a thing in reality.
The crowd erupted.
“Whoa! Are my eyes deceiving me? Did that ball just veer the other way?”
“Is this what Hasegawa meant by ‘TWIST SERVE’?”
“Give me a break, that’s gotta be a fluke! Or maybe he embedded some high-tech device in the racket to make it curve like that.”
“Uh-oh, looks like things aren’t looking good. If they can’t even return the first serve, could Hasegawa be on track for another win?”
Everyone was dumbfounded by this display.
“Hahahah, this is the power of a ‘skill,’ something beyond mortal comprehension,” Takanashi Rikka remarked, as usual, in her own unique way.
“Uh, either way, it’s gonna be a win! Good enough for me!” Stunned for a moment, Fujiwara Chika clapped her hands.
“Clap clap clap…”
The rest of the crowd joined in, applauding the intimidating show of force.
Just how much has that guy, Izumi, been keeping from me?! Dammit! Eriri thought, her head lowered, grinding her teeth.
……..
…..
..
Kawamura Kentaro tossed the tennis ball back, refusing to believe in the supernatural. “There’s no way you’re going to pull this off a second time!”
He didn’t for an instant suspect this bizarre serve was anything other than a fluke.
“Then watch carefully. This time, it’s another TWIST SERVE!”
Hasegawa Izumi wasted no time arguing, assuming the same stance and making the same swing.
Swoosh!
This time, Kawamura Kentaro focused even harder on watching the ball as it landed, shocked to discover that it was moving with impossible speed, spinning wildly.
Is that what makes it curve? But is that even humanly possible?!
“Thump.”
The young man was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to dodge the attack, and the ball struck him squarely on the chin.
It hurt… Luckily, he was a seasoned athlete with tough skin, or this one hit would have made him cry out in pain.
“My apologies. Should I go easier? I’m already trying to adjust to your level,” Hasegawa Izumi said, looking quite merciless.
If this went any further, he’d likely end up in jail for murder by tennis ball. Better to avoid such trouble altogether.
“Brat, don’t underestimate me! I’ve competed in the national championships before, and I’ve played singles, too. If it weren’t for my teammates dragging me down, who knows, maybe I’d have made it to the finals… So, bring it on! This is nothing more than a tickle. Don’t tell me you think this is gonna be enough to beat me? You’ve got a ways to go!”
Kawamura Kentaro flicked his racket, quickly shaking off any intimidation, his face unafraid.
“Well, it seems you’re telling the truth, but…” Izumi said, watching the boy’s spirited reaction. “I’m telling the truth, too.”
With that, he turned and returned to the service area.
He still remembered how someone had once told him it was hard to step on an ant without crushing it. Controlling the strength of his blows was something he was still working on.
“Izumi-chan, are you always this cold? It’s like you’re a different person,” Fujiwara Chika said, surprised, from the bench.
“That’s pretty normal, right? It makes sense that you’d act differently when you’re in ‘game mode.’ Plus, isn’t this cooler?”
Takanashi Rikka tilted her head.
Is this really normal?
Outside the cordon, Eriri’s lips twitched. Honestly, it was hard to make fun of this.
Isn’t this kid obviously crazy?!
The players returned to their positions.
“I’ve figured out the secret behind your weird serve. It’s actually a top spin, right? In theory, this kind of serve is impossible, since the spin is too strong for a normal person to control, but in practice, it’s possible. I’m guessing you have ‘absolute control,’ don’t you? There are always monsters beyond imagination in this world, and it looks like I’ve been lucky enough to meet one.”
“But it’s only the trajectory that’s weird. Once I get used to it, I’ll be able to return it, no problem!”
Kawamura Kentaro launched into an analysis before the serve had even been tossed, brimming with confidence.
You know, he’s got a point…
It seemed like Hasegawa Izumi had underestimated this opponent.
For the first time, he felt a spark of anticipation.
“Ready? Catch this serve, and then prepare to be shown the real hell!”
He tossed the tennis ball high into the air, then once again unleashed a TWIST SERVE.