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Chapter 328
Chapter 329
Chapter 330
The chapter 328 and 330 summaries are based on machine translated content. Thanks to @Waterlinkedgirl for the chapter 329 summary.
Chapter 329
Chapter 330
The chapter 328 and 330 summaries are based on machine translated content. Thanks to @Waterlinkedgirl for the chapter 329 summary.
Golden age 328: Deciding the Outcome
- Bismarck serves an ace since Kirihara can't receive. Oni observes that Tanegashima doesn't bother to return any of Bismarck's serves on his turn either. That's because as long as Kirihara can't receive, it's impossible for Japan to win two points in a row on Bismarck's service game. As a result, Germany goes up 1-0.
- Since Siegfried is incapacitated as well, Bismarck adopts the same strategy and Tanegashima evens the score with four service aces. Siegfried and Kirihara are also unable to serve in their own service games, so both sides earn breaks this way. The match is at a stalemate. Ryoma says it'll be settled in the tiebreak.
- In a tiebreak, the server alternates every second point after the first one. Because of the serve order, this means that as long as Tanegashima wins all the points on his serve, Japan will definitely win the tiebreak. Tanegashima realized this from the start and changed the serve order in anticipation of the inevitable tiebreak. Both Volk and Bismarck commend him for this.
- As the set goes on and the tiebreak approaches, though, QP says that if Tanegashima rushes into a tiebreak, he'll lose for sure. QP reveals Bismarck's nickname as Mr. Tiebreak.
- With the score tied at 6-6, the tiebreak begins.
- As he reviews Bismarck's data, Inui starts trembling. When Oishi asks him what's wrong, Inui says that Bismarck has won 100% of the tiebreaks he's played.
- Flashback to Bismarck's past: "Did you lose again in a close match, Michael? I know! It was the tiebreak, right?" Bismarck is playing cards with his childhood friend and girlfriend, the wheelchair-bound Astrid Turner. She tells him to win his next match for sure, so that he can take the first steps to becoming a pro, and Bismarck then adds, "For our future, right?" at which Astrid gets flustered.
- But it seems even here Bismarck can't escape his losing streak - he loses the card game against Astrid, and she says it's a million years too soon for him to win against her. She exposes his tendency to end up with only weak cards in the last round, because he uses up his strong cards first, and that's why he always loses at the end. She says it's the same for tennis. Bismarck always neglects tennis and thinks only about car racing, she says, so no matter how much time passes he won't get any good. Bismarck gets angry at her, saying that even though he's loved cars since childhood and she knows this, he's still really serious about tennis, and storms off.
- Bismarck doesn't know how to show his face to his girlfriend after that, so he trains for months and months. There's a folk tale that by throwing a horseshoe through the hole in a rock near the Schweitzer church for 100 consecutive days, any of your wishes will come true. And so, Bismarck returns every day, no matter the weather.
- When Bismarck notices, a lot of time has passed. At tennis, people say that Bismarck's serves have become much stronger. Bismarck thinks that ironically, all the horseshoe throwing has strengthened his serves.
- And then, he finally completes the "Circle of Hope" trial of successfully throwing the horseshoe through the hole for 100 days. However, the three years he's lost in this trial weigh heavily on him. For what did he put all his effort into doing this? It feels like there's a huge empty hole in his heart. He remembers that after 100 consecutive throws, a wish would be fulfilled, and he starts a wish to cure Astrid's legs... Until Astrid interrupts him by wishing that Bismarck may win all of his tiebreaks from now on.
- From then on, he's increased the types of shots and strategies he employs, always hiding his trump cards until the end to win. All to continue winning tiebreaks.
- Bismarck starts off the tiebreak with a powerful kick serve he had kept hidden before. Scoring an ace, Germany leads 1-0.
- Someone makes the win conditions clear again. If Tanegashima can win all of his own service points, he'll win the tiebreak. But if he gets broken even once, he has no chance of winning. Tanegashima thinks that if he loses, it'll seal Japan's defeat.
- Just like Bismarck, Tanegashima opens with a kick serve. While this is the first time Tanegashima uses this serve in this match, Bismarck manages to run around the ball and positions himself for a forehand. He takes the initiative and reads Tanegashima's drop shot two shots later, pressing his advantage. Tanegashima barely returns Bismarck's shot, but sets Bismarck up for a smash.
- However, the smash doesn't manifest. As Bismarck jumps in the air and drops back down, the ball continues to spin above him. Tanegashima has unveiled another special move: Void Before Birth.
