[System Alert: Detected Ryoma Echizen attempting to copy "Reverse Zone (Lv. 10)"... Copying failed.]
This brat...
Yoru's lips twitched as he glanced at Ryoma, whose eyes sparkled with excitement.
BANG—!
30-0!
BANG—!
40-0!
BANG—!
1-0!
Once the Reverse Zone made its debut, every single return Ralph attempted flew out of bounds.
Even when he applied counter-spin, it wasn't enough.
Still, Ralph quickly realized that counter-spin could neutralize the Reverse Zone's effect—but only if the spin was overwhelmingly stronger.
He needed to completely overwrite the Reverse Zone's rotation.
Difficult, but not impossible.
Ralph eyed the ball mark outside the court. "You've amplified the Reverse Zone's spin way beyond the standard Zone, right?"
"Yep. About six times stronger."
Yoru didn't bother hiding it. Knowing the theory didn't mean Ralph could counter it—and even if he could, Yoru still had the Supreme Zone in reserve.
Six times?!
Ralph's eye twitched. He'd expected a boost, but not that drastic.
This would take some work.
"Again!"
---
### Second Game – Yoru's Serve
No fancy techniques this time—just a blistering flat serve.
Ralph reacted instantly, intercepting the ball before it peaked.
But the moment the ball crossed the net, Yoru was already there, racket raised.
"This move's proficiency isn't perfect yet—can't fully sync with my 10-star stats—but the speed's decent."
His arm vanished.
THUD-THUD-THUD!
A triple-impact echoed as the ball slammed into the fence, leaving a dent and a wisp of smoke.
Ralph had reacted in time.
He couldn't see the ball's trajectory, but he'd predicted its path based on Yoru's stance and swing.
Yet the sheer speed left him swinging at air.
Alan Hopkins whistled. "Damn, that's fast."
Not as flashy as the Reverse Zone, but still terrifying.
15-0!
Ryoma's eyes gleamed. "That technique…!"
[System Alert: Detected Ryoma Echizen copying "Like the Wind (Lv. 6)"... Feedback multiplier activated! You gain "Like the Wind (Lv. 8)"!]
[Feedback ineffective!]
Huh?
Yoru glanced at Ryoma. Copying again, huh?
Too bad his stats couldn't handle Lv. 8 yet—he'd only replicated Lv. 6.
Still, a good start. Now Yoru wouldn't have to train this move manually—Ryoma would farm it for him.
Poor Sanada.
The thought of Ryoma and Sanada spamming "Like the Wind" at each other in the future was downright hilarious.
But Lv. 8 "Like the Wind" wasn't enough to overwhelm Ralph.
Both of them had 10-star stats and fundamentals, and Ralph's real combat adaptability was even scarier.
On the second attempt, Ralph adjusted, intercepting the ball—though his return was shaky.
Yoru seized the opening with a smash.
30-0!
He knew the moment Ralph returned it once, this technique's effectiveness would plummet.
---
### Third Serve – Twist Serve
The familiar motion made Ralph groan. "Again?!"
"If it works~"
The ball curved violently upon landing, kicking toward the net.
But Ralph, now prepared, snapped his racket down, returning it—though the spin sapped its speed and power.
Then—
WHOOSH.
A mist-like aura enveloped Yoru's arm.
Hyakuren no Kiwami – Pinnacle of Hard Work!
The ball, mid-flight, was sucked into a whirlpool and dragged straight to Yoru's racket.
Ralph and Ryoma froze.
"Wait—since when were you in Hyakuren?!"
"And you can activate a Zone off a SERVE?! What the hell are you?!"
Ralph was losing it.
Ryoma just gaped, speechless.
Yoru smirked. "Ryoma learned Hyakuren from me. Why's it weird that I can use it?"
He turned to Ryoma. "Watch closely. This is how you use Hyakuren."
From their Hyakuren and Zone levels, Yoru could tell Ryoma hadn't yet combined the two.
Tezuka had been training him lately—but since Ryoma never used Hyakuren in practice, Tezuka never taught him the synergy.
BOOM—!
The doubled return power erupted as the ball blasted through the court, landing at an impossible sharp angle—enhanced by Yoru's Sharp Angle Drive.
This was the full might of an 11-star player.
The ball cannoned into the fence, leaving a crater-like dent.
Ralph's forehead dripped with sweat.
This… This is Hyakuren?!
The difference between Ryoma's version and Yoru's was night and day.
"Hyakuren + Zone…"
Alan, Chicko, and Dudu all stared at Ryoma.
They knew he had both techniques—but they'd never seen him fuse them.
Hyakuren's downside was obvious: sacrificing all other physical stats for raw power.
But paired with the Zone?
It was perfection.
---
BOOM—!
Yoru scores—2-0!
BOOM—!
Yoru scores—3-0!
By the fourth game, Ralph's Adaptive Evolution kicked in.
He still couldn't break the Hyakuren-Zone combo, but he adjusted enough to return consistently.
"Incredible…"
QP, sitting as umpire, watched Ralph evolve in real time.
Through minute tweaks—even changing his habits—Ralph patched his weaknesses mid-match, instantly applying the fixes.
By now, QP noticed Ralph's style mirrored his own—but where QP sought flawless perfection, Ralph adapted dynamically, optimizing for his own peak.
A fundamental difference.
BOOM—!
Yoru scores—4-0!
"Hah…"
Yoru exhaled.
For the first time since Nanjiro, he felt real pressure.
Normally, his 10-star stats let him dominate effortlessly.
But now?
Ralph, in the midst of his growth spurt, had caught up.
Screw it. Time to cheat.
"Heads up, Blondie~"
"Cheat?!"