King of Tennis (POT)

Whoosh! 

In an instant, a streak of white light tore across the court at an astonishing speed. Even those with exceptional dynamic vision, like Senri and Saeki, couldn't follow it clearly. 

"What kind of shot is that?" 

On the Hyotei side, Atobe and Akutsu's expressions changed. The speed of this shot completely surpassed their ability to track it. Especially Atobe, who had recently broken through to the level of "Kingdom" in his visual acuity. He had been confident that he could see through even Ishikawa's techniques like Mind Shift and Awakening of Insects. But now, facing this sudden burst of white light, he couldn't even catch a glimpse of its trajectory. 

"The pinnacle of Perfect Harmony?" 

At the baseline, Ishikawa raised an eyebrow slightly. He was surprised that his opponent had broken through that barrier so effortlessly. But then again, during the World Cup, Perfect Harmony had become as common as cabbage. Thinking about that, he quickly regained his composure. 

Moreover, this time there was no amnesia subplot like with Echizen. Given the opponent's talent, breaking through the final barrier was only natural. 

Swish! 

In that moment, Ishikawa's mind focused. His racket rose swiftly, like an experienced fisherman's net, accurately catching the tennis ball that darted like a fish. 

"He blocked it?!" 

Seeing the ball on Ishikawa's racket, the Seigaku team's expressions changed dramatically. They hadn't expected that Echizen's powerful attack, unleashed after his breakthrough, would be so easily countered by Ishikawa. 

"Is he even human?!" 

Kikumaru and Oishi stared wide-eyed, looking at Ishikawa as if he were a ghost. Was there really no technique in this world that he couldn't return? 

Whoosh! 

The ball flew out, heading precisely toward the corner of the baseline. Surprisingly, Echizen, standing in the center, made no move to intercept it. 

Thud! 

The ball landed and bounced straight out. 

"0-15!" the referee announced. 

Everyone turned their gaze to where the white light had flashed. 

"No way…?" Horio and the others exchanged glances, panic evident in their eyes. They had subconsciously assumed that Echizen's earlier move was his strongest attack, unleashed after reaching his full potential. 

"Hmm?" 

But as the white light gradually faded, revealing the figure on the court surrounded by a faint aura of glowing particles, everyone's eyes trembled. 

"Echizen… Ryoma-kun…" 

The Seigaku team widened their eyes in shock. At this moment, Echizen seemed as if he were enveloped by a divine halo. Compared to Yukimura's title of "Child of God," Echizen appeared more like a true divine being descended to earth. His dark green hair lifted slightly, his gaze calm, his expression serene, and a faint, confident smile played on his lips. 

"The pinnacle of Perfect Harmony?" 

From the Shitenhoji side, Chitose took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Echizen has truly opened the ultimate gate!" 

Chitose, who had been obsessed with the mysteries of Muga no Kyouchi to the point of near madness, was now filled with excitement. The realm he had been searching for… it truly existed! 

"Echizen Ryoma…" 

Beside him, Shiraishi couldn't help but murmur, "As the heir to the Samurai's bloodline, he has once again unlocked this legendary state. Is this… fate?" 

Once upon a time, the legendary Samurai had been a member of Seigaku. And now, the Samurai's son, also a member of Seigaku, had inherited the power of Perfect Harmony. It was as if history had come full circle. For a moment, many seemed to see the figure of a handsome man with tied-back hair, wearing a black jacket. His image overlapped with Echizen's. 

"Perfect Harmony, huh?" 

Inui sighed, while Saeki glanced at Nanjiro beside him. He had known Echizen was talented, but he hadn't expected him to reach this level. 

"Is this fate?" 

Saeki thought to himself. Even he couldn't help but feel a sense of trust in Nanjiro. With Echizen awakening to this state, the tide of the match was sure to turn. 

"Ishikawa of Hyotei… what a pity." 

It wasn't that Saeki didn't believe in Ishikawa, but the name "Echizen Nanjiro" carried too much weight. Even the head coach of the U-17 team wouldn't dare ignore its significance. 

"The kid's finally made some progress." 

Nanjiro nodded in satisfaction. Seeing through the surface and understanding the essence—this was a necessary ability for reaching higher levels in tennis. 

"But…" 

At that moment, Aoi frowned and said, "Didn't Ishikawa just return that ball?" 

What good was Perfect Harmony if it couldn't score points? No matter how impressive the title, it meant nothing without results. 

The Emperor of Rikkai, the Child of God, the Dual Heroes of Kyushu, Tezuka who was praised by professional players, the national dark horse and Ace Killer… weren't all these players exceptional? Of course they were! Each of them was a top-tier player in the nation. Yet, without exception, they had all fallen to Ishikawa. 

On the tennis court, strength always spoke loudest. And if we're talking about nicknames, wasn't Ishikawa, revered as the "Demon King" of tennis, the most terrifying of all? 

"Let's wait and see." 

Nanjiro, however, simply smiled. "Perfect Harmony… it's not as simple as you think." 

Tap… tap… tap… 

At the baseline, Echizen bent down and lightly tapped the ball. His aura was now transcendent, his presence more pronounced than ever. Every move he made drew the attention of the crowd. 

"The real match is just beginning." 

Whoosh! 

With that, Echizen tossed the ball into the air. The glow of Muga no Kyouchi radiated from him as he swung his racket with natural ease, striking the ball. 

Crack! 

A crisp sound echoed. Those closest to the court—Hyotei and Seigaku's second-string players, as well as the representatives from across the nation in the stands—all felt a shiver run down their spines. 

The ball had disappeared! Echizen's serve seemed to have been plucked from existence, vanishing completely from sight. The speed was beyond comprehension. Even Yukimura, Atobe, and Tezuka couldn't help but feel a chill. 

Thud! 

But the next moment, a clear sound came from the baseline. Everyone turned to see that the vanished serve had somehow landed on Ishikawa's racket. 

"He blocked it?!" 

Momoshiro and Kaidoh's eyelids twitched violently. 

Boom! 

At the same time, a powerful dust storm erupted in front of Ishikawa. The force of Echizen's serve had finally been unleashed. 

"Huh?" 

Seeing Ishikawa's figure obscured by the dust, Saeki's expression changed. "The speed of that serve has reached such a level? And Ishikawa was able to track the ball's trajectory under these conditions?" 

Whoosh! 

Suddenly, Ishikawa's return shot flew out. The sharp spin tore through the dust, heading straight for Echizen. 

Boom! 

The ball landed, instantly kicking up another cloud of dust. 

Sizzle… 

However, Echizen managed to block it. Despite the intense spin, the ball couldn't break through his racket. 

"Yes!!!" 

Seeing this, Inui couldn't help but cheer. 

Ishikawa had been too dominant. No matter what technique Echizen used, Ishikawa had countered it effortlessly. His terrifying insight and skill had left everyone in despair. But now, Echizen had finally managed to block one of Ishikawa's deep shots. 

Fuji took a light breath, his expression easing slightly. "So… Perfect Harmony really can counter Ishikawa's advanced techniques." 

Whoosh! 

The ball reversed direction, streaking back toward Ishikawa with a faint white glow. Those with sharp eyes, like Yukimura, Tezuka, and Atobe, noticed that as the white light flashed, Ishikawa's aura seemed to weaken slightly. 

Thud! 

But in the next moment, as Ishikawa returned the shot, the dust cloud obscured his figure once more. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

The two continued their fierce battle. The dust cloud made it impossible for anyone to see what was happening. Even the Hyotei and Seigaku players closest to the court were left in the dark. 

"This Echizen… he's so strong!" 

On the Hyotei side, Mukahi and Hiyoshi were trembling. They had never seen anyone go toe-to-toe with Ishikawa in a direct confrontation. What was even more unbelievable was that this person… was also a first-year student! 

"Perfect Harmony… hmm." 

Oshitari narrowed his eyes thoughtfully. "In this state, it seems he can release the power of Muga no Kyouchi in a way that wastes none of its potential." 

"Yes." 

Atobe nodded beside him. "Indeed, his control over his power has improved significantly. With the boost from Muga, even his normal shots probably have the force of a Hadoukyuu." 

"Hiss…" 

Hearing this, the Hyotei team couldn't help but gasp. A normal shot with the power of a Hadoukyuu? Even Ishida from Shitenhoji couldn't do that, could he? 

Oshitari nodded. "According to Ishikawa's theory of 'Surface' and 'Depth,' when technique reaches a high enough level, it can manifest as destructive power." 

In other words, a top-tier technical player, even if physically weak, could still deliver devastating shots. This meant that Echizen, in his Perfect Harmony state, had closed the gap between himself and Ishikawa. 

"That light…" 

On the bench, Coach Tachibana's eyes showed a trace of concern. He could sense that the light emanating from Echizen wasn't as calm as it appeared. Those seemingly peaceful particles of light seemed to explode with violent energy the moment Echizen struck the ball. 

Whoosh! 

The ball shot out. Its speed was so fast that it created a powerful whirlwind as it cut through the air. Unlike before, this time the wind arrived before the ball, blowing away the dust cloud that had obscured Ishikawa and revealing his figure. 

"Hmm?" 

The Hyotei team's eyes trembled. Ishikawa no longer had the sharp, imposing aura he had earlier. It was as if time had worn him down, leaving him with a diminished presence. At first glance, he looked like an ordinary, unremarkable stone by the roadside. 

"This…" 

Atobe and Oshitari's expressions changed. As top-tier players, they could see things on a higher level. The Ishikawa before them now resembled the Yukimura from three days ago—the Child of God who had been continuously suppressed and fallen from his divine throne. 

Thud! 

Ishikawa swung his racket, returning the shot. He had blocked Echizen's attack again, but his movements were noticeably slower. 

"Is it that light?" 

Atobe narrowed his eyes, focusing on the white glow surrounding Echizen. 

"W-what do you mean?" 

Mukahi and Hiyoshi looked at him, confused. 

"This is just my speculation…" 

Atobe said gravely, "Once you're engulfed by that light of Perfect Harmony, your own power begins to wither… to the point where you can't even use your full strength." 

His words sent a shock through the Hyotei team. 

"So Perfect Harmony is like an upgraded version of Yips?" 

Hiyoshi exclaimed in disbelief. "Echizen is draining Ishikawa's power?!" 

Thud! 

At that moment, Echizen's shot finally broke through Ishikawa's defense. With precise control, the ball landed squarely on the baseline. 

"15-15!" the referee announced. 

"Woohoo!!!" 

As soon as Echizen scored, the Seigaku team erupted in cheers. 

"He did it!" 

Momoshiro and Kaidoh even jumped up in excitement. They were thrilled! This meant Echizen had a real chance of defeating Ishikawa and leading Seigaku to victory in the national championship! 

"So the light of Muga can devour an opponent's power?" 

Inui was equally shocked. But seeing Ishikawa's diminished aura, it seemed to be true. 

With Echizen in Perfect Harmony, his side effects minimized, and Ishikawa's power weakened and continuing to decline, Seigaku's chances of winning this match had indeed surpassed 90%! 

"But…" 

Inui still had some doubts. According to his data, Ishikawa had also mastered a top-tier technique. Yet, he hadn't used it so far. Was it being suppressed by Perfect Harmony? Or was Ishikawa still holding back? Inui leaned toward the former, but with Ishikawa, even a 1% chance of the latter couldn't be ignored. 

Thud! 

"30-15!" 

Thud! 

"40-15!" 

In the blink of an eye, Echizen scored consecutive points, reaching game point in his service game. 

"Seigaku! Seigaku! Seigaku!" 

Horio and the others chanted excitedly. Their enthusiasm spread to Arai and the other second-year players, who also began shouting Seigaku and Echizen's name at the top of their lungs. 

Even though it was just one game, for Seigaku, it felt as significant as winning the entire match! 

"Ishikawa." 

At that moment, Echizen, holding the ball, looked up at his opponent. "At this point, I don't think there's any need for you to hold back anymore, is there?" 

"Or…" 

He paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Are you afraid that even if you use that power, you'll still lose to me?" 

"This guy!" 

"He's too arrogant!" 

The Hyotei team was furious. But looking at Ishikawa, who still appeared calm yet noticeably weakened, Mukahi and the others couldn't help but feel disheartened. They had been hoping Ishikawa was secretly holding back, ready to unleash a surprise. But it didn't seem that way. 

"Was I overthinking it?" 

Echizen shook his head slightly. Even though he was only at game point, he carried himself with the confidence of someone at match point. He tossed the ball into the air with ease. 

"If you're not going to get serious, then I'll just have to take this game." 

Thud! 

He swung his racket, sending the ball flying. 

Boom! 

But in the next moment, before Echizen could even lower his racket, the ground beneath him shook. Less than ten centimeters to his left, a crack appeared in the court. 

Rustle… 

At the same time, a yellow-green tennis ball rolled slowly to his feet. 

"What…?" 

In the stands, Saeki and Inui were stunned. Aoi's eyes widened in disbelief. "What just happened?!" 

"That kid…" 

Beside them, Nanjiro, who had been calm and composed, now had his eyes locked on Ishikawa. Watching him slowly lower his racket, the legendary Samurai's eyes flashed with a hint of shock. 

"His tennis… has already reached this level?"