King of Tennis (POT)

Whoosh! Whoosh! 

On the court, a white whirlwind enveloped Ryoma completely, intensifying his already sharp aura. 

"Just as I thought!" Oshitari's eyes narrowed. "His 'Muga no Kyouchi' (State of Self-Actualization) has grown even stronger since the last time." 

Ryoma's talent was undeniable. If it weren't for Ishikawa, he might have become the top rookie in the nation. Through relentless effort, the sheer volume of his Muga no Kyouchi had far surpassed what it was when he first awakened it. 

Tap! Tap! Tap! 

At the baseline, Ryoma, now fully immersed in Muga no Kyouchi, lightly bounced the tennis ball. 

"Something feels off," Momoshiro muttered, frowning as he watched from the Seigaku side. 

"Tch," Kaido scoffed beside him. "What's wrong with you? Ryoma looks perfectly fine to me. The stronger, the better!" 

"No," Inui shook his head. "Ryoma's current state is different from usual." 

"You still have lots more to work on," Fuji remarked with a slight smile. 

"Huh? Fuji-senpai?" Horio and the others looked at him, confused. "What did you just say?" 

"'Mada mada dane,'" Fuji replied, stroking his chin as he watched their puzzled expressions. "That's Ryoma's usual catchphrase." 

"That's it!" Momoshiro suddenly realized. "Every time Ryoma enters Muga no Kyouchi, he says that!" 

"Catchphrase? Does it really matter if he says it or not?" Horio and the others still didn't get it. 

Of course, it matters! Inui's eyes gleamed with insight. The fact that Ryoma hadn't said it meant that his mastery of Muga no Kyouchi had reached a profound level, just like Tezuka and Chitose. 

Whoosh! 

Ryoma tossed the ball into the air, his upper body rising as he swung his racket down with a powerful smash. 

Crack! 

The ball shot forward at an incredible speed. 

"So fast!" Many of the Hyotei players' expressions changed. Even some of the third-year veterans might not be able to return a serve of that caliber. 

Thud! 

The ball landed, and the crowd instinctively put themselves in Ishikawa's shoes, wondering if they could even react to such a high-speed serve. 

Many of the Kanto-level players shook their heads. The serve was simply too fast; there was no way they could return it. 

Swoosh! 

But then, to everyone's surprise, the ball, which had been skimming the ground at high speed, suddenly began to spin, as if trying to reverse its trajectory. 

"Is that... the Zero-Shiki Serve?!" The Hyotei players' faces paled. 

The Zero-Shiki Serve—Tezuka's ultimate serve technique! And this first-year from Seigaku had mastered it?! 

The Seigaku players, on the other hand, were invigorated. Many of them even thought Ryoma might score directly from this serve. 

Crack! 

But in the next moment, the crisp sound of a return echoed, and the ball was sent flying back. 

"He returned it?!" Momoshiro's eyes widened. 

Kaido was equally shocked. "What kind of swing speed is that?!" He hadn't even seen Ishikawa's movement clearly. 

"Not bad," Ishikawa said with a smile after returning the serve. "But your technique is too simplistic. It lacks the finesse of Tezuka's version." 

"Ugh..." 

The Seigaku team's spirits sank. Ishikawa had countered the Zero-Shiki Serve as easily as if it were nothing. 

Inui and Fuji's expressions grew even more serious. They remembered clearly how Ishikawa had countered Tezuka's Zero-Shiki Serve during the Kanto Tournament. If he could handle Tezuka's version, Ryoma's imitation through Muga no Kyouchi was no challenge at all. 

Whoosh! 

Suddenly, Ryoma raised his left hand and right foot, his head lowered like a waking lion slowly lifting its gaze. 

"This move..." The Fudomine players' eyes narrowed. 

Crack! 

Ryoma swung his racket, and the ball split into countless afterimages, raining down on Ishikawa. 

"Is that... Kippei's 'Exploding Ball Barrage'?" Chitose from Rikkai exclaimed in surprise. "He's mastered it to this level already?" 

Muga no Kyouchi allowed the user to mimic various tennis styles, but the effectiveness of the same technique varied greatly depending on the user's skill level. For example, Chitose himself could execute the Exploding Ball with great precision, but it lacked the wild, untamed energy that Ryoma's version exuded. 

"This kid's not bad," Nanjiroh murmured from the stands, a hint of approval in his eyes. "He's even incorporated the feeling of that wild boar I fought into his technique." 

To others, the ball seemed like a roaring lion, full of overwhelming pressure. But to Nanjiroh, the chaotic afterimages resembled a wild boar charging recklessly. Ryoma's talent was indeed remarkable. After just one glance, he had captured the essence of that wild energy. 

"Balls don't split into multiple copies," Ishikawa said calmly, watching the countless afterimages. 

"Is that so?" Ryoma smirked. 

Whoosh! 

In an instant, the afterimages vanished, leaving everyone stunned. 

"What the...?!" Fudomine's captain, Tachibana, was shocked. "Chitose's 'Divine Illusion'?!" 

The others were equally dumbfounded. How had this first-year from Seigaku combined the techniques of the "Two Kings of Kyushu"? 

"Interesting idea," Ishikawa said, shaking his head as the afterimages disappeared. "But a ball can't just vanish. And if it does, what's the difference between one ball and a hundred?" 

Crack! 

With a swift motion, Ishikawa struck the ball from the empty space where it had seemingly disappeared. 

"Tch..." Ryoma's smirk faltered slightly. 

"This kid's gone too far," Nanjiroh sighed. 

Ryoma's innovation, while flashy, was essentially a forced fusion of two fundamentally different techniques. Divine Illusion was elusive and unpredictable, while Exploding Ball was wild and oppressive. Combining the two only diluted their effectiveness. And Ishikawa, with his keen insight, saw right through the flaw. 

Whoosh! 

The ball flew like an arrow, aiming for the far corner of the baseline. 

Thud! Thud! 

Ryoma sprinted forward, his movements reminiscent of Rikkai's Oshitari's "Wave Speed Star" footwork. 

Crack! 

As he reached the ball, Ryoma swung his racket, sending it spinning along the ground, trying to slip past Ishikawa. 

"Is that... Shiraishi's 'Round Table Shot'?" Rikkai's players were stunned. Shiraishi hadn't even used this technique during the training camp with Seigaku, yet Ryoma executed it with remarkable proficiency. 

Crack! 

But Ishikawa casually intercepted the ball as it spun toward his right. 

"Flashy but impractical," Ishikawa said, shaking his head. "Without a solid foundation, these tricks are just for show. They hold no real meaning." 

"Ugh..." 

Ryoma's expression darkened. In just a few exchanges, Ishikawa had dismantled all of his techniques—techniques he had worked tirelessly to master, not through Muga no Kyouchi, but through sheer effort. Yet, none of them had lasted more than a single exchange. 

"He's too strong!" Ryoma's gaze sharpened, and the aura of Muga no Kyouchi around him intensified. The white light grew so bright it seemed like molten steel, converging around his left wrist. 

"Hyakuren no Kiwami (Pinnacle of Hard Work)?" The Seigaku players were stunned. "Isn't that supposed to be used with Tezuka's 'Tezuka Zone'? Wait, what's that?!" 

Whoosh! 

In the next moment, the ball curved beautifully, landing on Ryoma's left side. 

The Tezuka Zone—or rather, Ryoma's own version of it! Having trained under Nanjiroh since childhood, Ryoma's techniques and playstyle were ingrained in his muscle memory. It was no exaggeration to say he had reached the pinnacle of hard work. This wasn't mere imitation of Tezuka—this was Ryoma's own domain! 

Crack! 

With a burst of Muga no Kyouchi, the ball, now spinning with double the force, shot back toward Ishikawa. 

"You've grown," Ishikawa said, stepping forward as if taking a leisurely stroll. He swung his racket, effortlessly returning Ryoma's explosive shot. 

Thud! 

The ball landed, but in the next moment, Ryoma appeared like a bolt of lightning, his racket raised high as he brought it down with a thunderous strike. 

Crackle! 

Electricity arced across the court, splitting it like a white river. 

Crack! 

But before the audience could react, Ishikawa's racket intercepted the destructive shot with ease. 

"Just copying others' techniques won't cut it, Ryoma. Your tennis should be more than this, right?" Ishikawa said with a smile. 

Whoosh! 

The ball shot back like a bullet, and Ryoma's eyes widened in shock. 

It was too fast! He couldn't even activate his "Lightning" technique! In that moment, Ryoma felt the same despair Sanada had during the Kanto Finals. Even with his near-instantaneous movement, Sanada had been completely outclassed by Ishikawa. 

Thud! 

The ball landed, and Ryoma stood frozen. 

"0-30!" the umpire called. 

The Seigaku team's expressions grew grim. Ryoma had unleashed a variety of techniques, some even surpassing the originals, but none had fazed Ishikawa in the slightest. 

"The gap is too big," Inui sighed. 

This outcome wasn't entirely unexpected. Even if Ryoma's imitations were powerful, the original users of those techniques wouldn't stand a chance against Ishikawa either. After all, no matter how skilled the imitations, they could never surpass the true masters. 

Crack! 

Crack! 

Crack! 

As the match progressed, Ryoma was completely suppressed, unable to mount any effective counterattacks. 

Crack! 

"Game! Ishikawa of Hyotei, 1-0!" 

Crack! 

"Game! Ishikawa of Hyotei, 2-0!" 

Crack! 

"Game! Ishikawa of Hyotei, 3-0!" 

Crack! 

"Game! Ishikawa of Hyotei, 4-0!" 

In the blink of an eye, Ishikawa had taken four consecutive games. The overwhelming speed of his victories left the other teams' representatives stunned. They had expected Ryoma to put up at least some resistance, but instead, he hadn't scored a single point in four games. 

"How... how is this possible?" Momoshiro muttered in disbelief. "Is there really no way for Ryoma to turn this around?" 

"Hmm," Tezuka, who had been silent until now, finally spoke, his expression serious. "Ishikawa's tennis has reached a level where he sees through the very essence of the game. He's on a completely different plane." 

"Tezuka," Inui asked, "if Ryoma could use your 'Ultimate Zone,' could he turn the tide?" 

"No," Tezuka replied without hesitation. "Even if I were on the court using the Ultimate Zone, Ishikawa would likely counter it. His insight is terrifying." 

The Seigaku team's hearts sank. If even the usually composed Tezuka was saying this, it was clear that no matter how hard Ryoma tried, he stood no chance against Ishikawa. Even scoring a single point seemed impossible. 

"Tennis that sees through the essence..." Ryoma muttered, sweat dripping from his brow as he gripped the ball tightly. "So, only tennis that also targets the essence can defeat him, huh?" 

Whoosh! 

With renewed determination, Ryoma unleashed Muga no Kyouchi once more and served the ball. 

"It's no use," Horio said dejectedly. "That technique won't work against Ishikawa." 

He had already lost hope in this seemingly inevitable defeat. 

Crack! 

Crack! 

Crack! 

But on the court, Ryoma's fighting spirit burned brighter than ever. 

"Oh?" Ishikawa could feel the power behind Ryoma's shots increasing with each exchange. Ryoma's determination was growing, and his aura was reaching new heights. 

"Now!" Ryoma stepped forward, his eyes locked on the ball as he swung his racket with all his might. 

Unlike the lost and confused Ryoma from the past, this Ryoma was like a piece of steel tempered through countless trials. His spirit and abilities had reached a critical point of transformation. He no longer needed to search for the essence of tennis—it was already in his grasp! 

Hum! 

In the next moment, a blinding white light erupted, engulfing the entire arena. 

"Wait..." Chitose's eyes widened in realization. "Is this... that legendary realm?!" 

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