Chapter 16: Improved Serve, Enhanced Strength
Chotaro stood at over 180 cm tall, while Ishikawa was only around 165 cm (12 years old, first year of middle school). The 15 cm height difference between them resulted in a significant disparity in their serves.
Generally speaking, the taller the player, the more powerful their serve tends to be. For example, in the original series, characters like Inui from Seigaku, Chotaro from Hyotei, and Kazuhiko, the captain of Jyousei Shounan, were all around 180 cm tall despite being only 13 or 14 years old. By the time of *New Prince of Tennis*, Hyotei's former captain, Goshi Tsukimitsu, who possessed the "Mach Serve," stood at an astonishing 226 cm tall.
Therefore, in Ishikawa's view, the strength of Chotaro's "Cannon Serve" wasn't just due to his natural serving talent but also his height advantage. At only 165 cm, Ishikawa knew that blindly imitating the Cannon Serve would result in a noticeable drop in effectiveness and power.
"So... I need to make some adjustments," Ishikawa thought, gripping a tennis ball tightly as a glint of determination flashed in his eyes. "I'll take the essence of the Cannon Serve and blend it with my own serving style to create a serve that truly belongs to me!"
Having figured out the key to the problem, Ishikawa's eyes grew brighter.
*Whoosh!*
He tossed the ball into the air.
Then, bending his knees and lowering his center of gravity, he coiled his body like a spring. At the same time, he extended his arm, pushed off the ground with his feet, and used the momentum to leap forward slightly. With a firm grip on his racket, he swung it down sharply, aiming for the ball.
*Bang!*
A loud crack echoed as the serve landed near the service line on the opposite side. Under the dim lighting, a faint white mark could be seen.
"Huh? Out?" Ishikawa squinted, only to realize that the ball had landed just outside the service line. According to the rules, this counted as a first-serve fault. Another miss would cost him the point.
"The speed has definitely increased," Ishikawa thought, recalling the pace of the serve. "The key to the Cannon Serve does have its merits. But the problem is, this kind of explosive serve sacrifices control over placement."
It seemed like a paradox: increasing speed inevitably reduced accuracy.
"So... is it still a height issue?" Ishikawa wondered. He felt that if he were as tall as Chotaro, the effectiveness of his serve would be much stronger.
Of course, it was also possible that he simply wasn't familiar enough with the serve yet.
Without hesitation, Ishikawa practiced several more times. While his performance improved, he still felt like something was missing.
"My previous serve wasn't necessarily slower than this one. Back then, my serve was effective because..."
*Whoosh!*
Suddenly, a thought struck him, and a sharp gleam appeared in his eyes.
*Whoosh!*
He tossed the ball again.
This time, he bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and pushed off the ground, fully executing the key elements of the Cannon Serve.
*Whoosh!*
But at the moment of impact, Ishikawa's entire demeanor changed.
From a seemingly inexperienced middle schooler, he transformed into a confident master of swordsmanship. His racket moved as if it were an extension of his arm, guided by his mind. With the added strength from his 2-point power stat, the racket left behind a faint afterimage.
*Bang!*
A thunderous crack echoed as the ball shot forward like a bolt of lightning, streaking across the court and landing squarely inside the service line.
The entire process was noticeably faster than both the original Cannon Serve and Ishikawa's previous serves.
Looking at the landing spot, it was clearly inside the service line.
"Success!" A smile spread across Ishikawa's face. This version of the Cannon Serve was now truly his own.
**[Ding!]**
At the same time, the system's voice rang out.
**[Player has successfully modified a technique. The power of the Cannon Serve has increased. Would you like to rename the technique?]**
"Rename it?" Ishikawa thought for a moment, then nodded inwardly. "For now, let's call it **Cannon Serve - Modified**."
He chose this name because he felt he hadn't fully unlocked the potential of integrating **Kendo** into his tennis. Once he mastered the fusion of Kendo and tennis, he could consider renaming it again.
**[Ding!]**
**[Player has modified the technique: Cannon Serve - Modified. Basic serve experience +30.]**
*Buzz!*
As the system's voice faded, Ishikawa's mind was flooded with new insights into serving techniques. His serving ability had improved once again.
Afterward, he spent another hour practicing his serves until his arm felt sore and numb. Following that, he engaged in an hour of various exercises, pushing his physical limits before finally leaving the court.
Returning to his dorm, he took a shower and fell into a deep sleep.
For the next few days, Ishikawa maintained this routine. In the mornings, he focused on his academic studies, quickly mastering the semester's curriculum. He also used this time to study the works of renowned Go masters, analyzing complex game scenarios and using his enhanced mental capacity to simulate matches, further honing his Go skills.
During the afternoon club activities, he participated in basic tennis training, completed daily tasks, and helped Chotaro improve his serve accuracy. This not only boosted Chotaro's favorability but also allowed Ishikawa to learn more serving techniques from him.
In the evenings, he continued his additional training, pushing himself until he was completely exhausted before calling it a day.
With each passing day, Ishikawa could feel his body changing. Both his foundational strength and his character level were visibly improving!
Before he knew it, three days had passed.
By the end of Friday's training session, Ishikawa's level had finally increased, breaking through to Level 10.
**[Ding!]**
**[Player level has increased. Reward: Skill Points x3, Sub-profession Points x1.]**
Hearing the system's notification, Ishikawa opened his character panel.
---
**[Name: Ishikawa Shin]**
**[Age: 12]**
**[Identity: First-year student at Hyotei Academy]**
**[Main Profession: Tennis Lv10 (4/320)]**
**[Sub-professions: Kendo Lv9, Go Lv7]**
**[Attributes: Speed 1.3, Power 2.2, Stamina 1.4, Technique 3.1, Mental 3.0. Total: 11]**
**[Basic Techniques: Basic Serve Lv4 (12/500), Basic Drive Lv3 (36/100), Basic Topspin Lv2 (34/50), Basic Slice Lv2 (30/50), Basic Smash Lv1 (18/20)]**
**[Advanced Technique: Cannon Serve - Modified Lv2 (13/100)]**
**[Special Abilities: None]**
**[Remaining Sub-profession Points: 1]**
**[Remaining Skill Points: 30]**
**[Items: None]**
---
After five days of training, Ishikawa's foundational strength had improved significantly, with his total attributes increasing by 1 point. While this might not seem like much, for others, this rate of progress would be considered remarkable.
After all, in the original series, Yuta Fuji, who underwent hellish training at the mountain for a month as part of the "Losers' Group," returned to the U-17 camp with a total attribute score of only 13. At that time, Yuta was on the verge of reaching the national level.
Now, Ishikawa had also reached the threshold of the Kanto level.
However, for Ishikawa, this level of progress was still too slow.
"Next Monday is the intra-school selection tournament," Ishikawa thought, glancing at the regulars' area in the distance. "With my current strength, if I'm unlucky and get placed in the same group as Atobe or Oshitari, my chances of advancing aren't great."
With this in mind, Ishikawa began to consider whether he should spend the weekend outside of Hyotei, venturing into the "wild" to grind some levels.
---
Meanwhile, in the regulars' rest area.
After finishing practice, Oshitari turned to Atobe, who was wiping his sweat with a towel handed to him by Kabaji, and asked with a smile, "Atobe, you've finalized the list for next week's intra-school selection tournament, right?"
"Mm," Atobe nodded calmly.
He knew what Oshitari was hinting at—he was trying to secure a spot for that newcomer. However, Atobe had already made his plans, and the list had been submitted to Coach/Manager Sakaki's desk.
As his thoughts drifted, Atobe's gaze briefly settled on a certain figure in the rest area before shifting away.
"Don't disappoint me," he thought.
---
*(End of Chapter)*