King of Tennis (POT)

"What... what just happened?!" Momoshiro stared at the tennis ball at Echizen's feet, completely stunned. 

The others were no less shocked. 

None of them had seen what happened after Echizen served the ball. 

"Hmm..." 

At that moment, Tezuka's eyes narrowed behind his oval glasses, as if he had noticed something. 

"That is..." 

Inui and Fuji also turned their gaze toward the court. 

The usually calm duo now had a look of astonishment on their faces. 

On the court, where Ishikawa had been standing, a silvery-white light enveloped him. Rays of light radiated outward like sharp needles, forcing everyone who looked at it to instinctively avert their eyes. 

"This feeling..." 

At the Rikkai bench, Sanada, who had been standing with his arms crossed, suddenly loosened his grip, his expression filled with doubt and unease. 

"It's too sharp!" 

Yanagi clenched his fist involuntarily. 

The moment his gaze met the aura emanating from Ishikawa, an uncontrollable sense of fear surged within him. 

"So... this is your true form, Ishikawa?!" 

Yukimura's usual smile was gone, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness. 

He was now certain that during their semifinal match, Ishikawa hadn't been fighting at his full strength. 

The sharpness of his sword intent was overwhelming. 

It wasn't just intimidating—it was soul-shaking. 

Even without actually playing against him, just the aura alone was enough to make anyone lose their courage. 

"Ishikawa Shin!" 

At the baseline, Echizen, having regained his composure, locked eyes with Ishikawa. "So, you're finally showing your true power, huh?" 

Instead of fear, Echizen's eyes burned with intense fighting spirit. 

For him, relying on the brilliance of the "Perfect Harmony" to overwhelm others might have been enough to win the national championship. But personally, that kind of victory didn't feel satisfying. 

But now, things were different. 

This level of Ishikawa was exactly what he needed to truly test his limits! 

Whoosh! 

With that thought, Echizen tossed the ball into the air and swung his racket with a speed that was almost impossible to follow. 

Thwack! 

The crisp sound of the racket hitting the ball echoed across the court. 

But no one could see the ball's trajectory—it was as if it had vanished. 

Thwack! 

Another sound followed. 

Ishikawa had returned Echizen's serve. 

"Hmm..." 

Fuji, unable to see the ball's path, frowned and turned to Kikumaru. 

Noticing Fuji's gaze, Kikumaru looked up and shook his head with a wry smile. 

"Even Kikumaru can't keep up?" 

Fuji's heart sank. 

Meanwhile, Inui flipped open a thick notebook, which only had a few pages filled. Under the curious gazes of others, he quickly jotted down his observations of the match. 

"This match has already surpassed our understanding. Both players' movements and actions have reached the level of 'Perfect Harmony.'" 

"As their speed increases, the dust on the court grows thicker, making it even harder to see what's happening!" 

Inui scribbled furiously. 

At this point, he had given up on collecting data. Instead, he was more like a historian, documenting everything he saw, heard, and thought. 

Thwack! 

Echizen sent another ball flying. 

The tennis ball, enveloped in a white light, streaked across the court at an astonishing speed, aiming for Ishikawa's backhand baseline. 

Even at this level of play, Echizen's control remained incredibly precise. 

Hum! 

As the ball flew past, the brilliant white light transformed into a radiant halo, exuding an overwhelming pressure that seemed intent on devouring Ishikawa's power. 

"This light is too strong..." 

Yukimura, barely able to catch a glimpse of the ball's trajectory, looked on with deep concern. 

Even from a distance, he could feel the brilliance of the "Perfect Harmony." It was like a star—so bright that it seemed to consume everything around it. 

Hum! 

But in the next moment, Yukimura saw a flash of silvery light. 

Though it lasted only an instant, he witnessed the light of "Perfect Harmony" shatter. 

The sharp sword intent, upon touching the ball, caused it to disintegrate, even breaking down the particles of light. 

"That sharp sword intent... it completely severed the light of 'Perfect Harmony'!" 

Atobe and Akutsu's eyes gleamed. 

If Echizen's light was like a dazzling star, then Ishikawa's aura was like a terrifying black hole. No matter how powerful the force, it would twist and distort upon approaching him. 

Swish! 

In an instant, Ishikawa returned the ball. 

The terrifying sword intent tore through the dust. 

Everyone saw the dust surrounding him part abruptly, and without even seeing the ball's flight, a long, narrow gap was cut through the dust on Echizen's side. 

"Is this... 'Gale'?!" 

Tezuka's expression changed. 

He instinctively sensed the terrifying aura emanating from this technique. 

Tap tap!! 

But Echizen, bathed in the particles of light, seemed completely unaware of the danger. He quickly moved toward the ball's landing point. 

Swish! 

Catching up to the ball, he swung his racket without hesitation. With a twist of his wrist, he absorbed the sharp and powerful "Gale" into his shot. 

Hum! 

A flash of white light. 

As the power of "Muga no Kyouchi" erupted, Ishikawa's technique was tamed like a wild beast, becoming completely docile. 

"Incredible skill!" 

Shiraishi, Senri, and Tachibana watched in awe. 

Before this season began, they could never have imagined that the national finals would feature two first-year players. 

And even more unimaginable was that their match had reached a level that even they couldn't comprehend—a realm that felt almost forbidden. 

Thwack! 

Thwack! 

Thwack! 

The powerful sounds of ball meeting racket echoed repeatedly. 

Each collision sent a slight tremor through the spectators. 

They had no idea how far this match would go. 

In the dust, Echizen's initially relaxed expression gradually turned serious. 

"Is Ishikawa's power still increasing?" 

Echizen was shocked. 

Both of them were first-years, so their base strength shouldn't be that different. Even with the enhancement from his "Perfect Harmony," Ishikawa's power shouldn't be this overwhelming. 

Could it be that even now, Ishikawa wasn't going all out? 

"No, that's impossible!" 

Echizen immediately dismissed the thought. "No matter how strong he is, his tennis skills can't be that far ahead of mine." 

Swish! 

With that in mind, Echizen raised his head, his spirits high. Following the sound of the ball cutting through the air, he locked onto the dust ahead and prepared to return the shot. 

Whoosh! 

But in the next moment, as the dust was pierced, what appeared before Echizen wasn't a normal tennis ball—it was a massive, mountain-sized ball! 

"What... what is this?!" 

Echizen was stunned. 

As the giant ball appeared, blue-green lights flickered around it, casting an eerie glow on his horrified expression. 

"No, this can't be real." 

Echizen took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. "As he said, a tennis ball can't just disappear, split into multiple balls, or suddenly become gigantic like this..." 

Swish! 

With that thought, Echizen decisively raised his racket and swung at the giant ball with unwavering determination. 

Boom! 

The next moment, under the stunned gazes of everyone, a figure—along with a white cap—was sent flying out of the dust like a broken kite. 

Thud! 

Echizen's body slammed into the wall. 

Clatter... 

His racket slid across the ground. 

"Echizen!!!" 

Momoshiro and Kikumaru shouted in alarm. 

"Cough, cough..." 

But just as they were about to rush onto the court, Echizen, who had hit the wall, stood up, coughing. "I... I'm fine." 

Echizen gritted his teeth and stood up. 

But as soon as he spoke, he felt a chill on his chest. Looking down, he saw a long, narrow cut in his shirt. 

"This..." 

Echizen seemed to realize something and quickly looked toward his racket. When he saw that a section of it had been cleanly sliced off, his pupils contracted sharply. 

"Gasp!" 

Seeing the state of the racket, everyone felt a chill run down their spines. 

"His sword intent... has reached such a terrifying level?" 

Echizen's heart trembled. 

Recalling the earlier illusion of the giant ball, his expression darkened, and he clenched his fists tightly. 

"Even 'Perfect Harmony' is useless?" 

In the stands, Inoue's voice trembled slightly. 

"Of course." 

Beside him, Nanjiroh, calm as ever, shook his head. "There's no such thing as an invincible technique in this world." 

"That's right. What's truly strong is the person, not the technique!" 

Saitou nodded in agreement. "Both have reached the deep realms of tennis, but Ishikawa's understanding clearly surpasses Echizen's." 

As he spoke, a fiery glint appeared in Saitou's eyes. 

Now, he finally understood why Ishikawa was considered the strongest middle schooler in the nation. 

With this level of skill, he could easily rank among the top five—or even higher—in the U-17 representatives! 

Hum! 

But soon, Echizen, having changed his racket, unleashed the dazzling white light of "Perfect Harmony" once more. 

With "Perfect Harmony" activated, Echizen launched a fierce offensive. 

Gone was his earlier composure. Now, he was attacking with everything he had. 

Thwack! 

Thud! 

Thwack! 

Thud! 

However, despite their intense exchanges, Echizen couldn't gain any advantage over Ishikawa. 

On the contrary, he couldn't withstand the razor-sharp sword intent. Under the assault of the silvery light, Echizen's racket was torn apart as easily as tofu. 

Thud! 

Echizen crashed into the wall again. 

Thwack! 

"Game!" 

"Ishikawa of Hyotei leads, 5-0!" 

"Echizen's done his best." 

Inui said solemnly, seeing Echizen's somewhat disheveled state. "In the semifinals, Ishikawa used this same sharp sword intent to defeat Rikkai's captain, Yukimura." 

"Hmm..." 

The mood grew heavy. 

Hearing about it and seeing it in person were two completely different things. 

Now, they no longer held onto the naive hope of turning the match around. 

Seigaku had lost. 

But as Inui said, Echizen had done his best. If their opponent hadn't been Hyotei, but the defending champions Rikkai, or the former national champion, Echizen might have had a chance. 

Hum! 

However, on the court, Echizen seemed unwilling to give up. He once again unleashed an astonishing aura. 

And this time, the white light was even more intense than before. 

"Is it just me, or does Echizen's aura feel stronger now?" 

Inui adjusted his glasses, surprised. 

"No, it's not just you." 

Fuji shook his head firmly. He, too, could feel that Echizen's aura had grown stronger. 

"That's right." 

On the bench, Ryuzaki spoke with a serious expression. "As the son of the samurai Nanjiroh, your talent is far greater than this. The stronger your opponent, the stronger you must become!" 

She had never doubted Echizen's potential. 

From a young age, he had been trained by Nanjiroh, one of the world's greatest players. The knowledge and experience instilled in him had become second nature. 

When faced with a powerful opponent, Echizen would naturally rise to the occasion. 

This was what it meant to grow stronger with each challenge! 

"Echizen!" 

Tezuka, watching the boy bathed in white light, clenched his fist and called out, "Go! Become Seigaku's pillar!!" 

"Got it!" 

Echizen responded, his eyes sharpening. 

Tap. 

With that, he took a step forward and swung his racket, returning Ishikawa's shot. 

Thwack! 

Thud! 

Thwack! 

Thud! 

On the court, two beams of white light clashed. 

Their auras were like two terrifying tornadoes, pressing against each other. The sharpness at the center was overwhelming. 

Even the slightest gust of wind generated by their clash could cut a gap in the wall. 

The court had become a dangerous battlefield. 

As a result, aside from the referee on the high chair, all other staff had left the court. 

As for Echizen, despite being at a disadvantage in the intense exchange, his aura continued to grow stronger with each point lost. 

Whoosh! 

Suddenly, Ishikawa's shot flashed past. 

The sharp aura felt like it could cut through the spectators' vision. 

"Bring it on!!!" 

Facing the shot, Echizen, his fighting spirit at its peak, activated the light of "Perfect Harmony." Leaping into the air, he gripped his racket with both hands and smashed it toward the ball. 

Boom! 

A loud explosion echoed. 

Ishikawa's dangerous shot was sent flying by Echizen's powerful strike. To everyone's astonishment, the ball hit the steel cable connecting the pole to the net. 

Sizzle... 

The high-speed spinning ball ground against the cable, creating sparks. 

Pop! 

In an instant, the ball was cut in half by the cable, splitting into two and flying toward Ishikawa at incredible speeds. 

This was Echizen's ultimate technique, infused with his full power—the "Samurai Strike!" 

"Can this kind of shot even be returned?" 

Everyone watched in awe as the ball split into two. 

A single ball was already beyond what most players could handle. Two balls at once was unimaginable. 

"Can he win?" 

"He... he has to win!" 

"Please, he has to score this point!" 

The Seigaku team watched nervously, their hopes pinned on the two flying balls. 

"Ishikawa, I should thank you." 

Echizen, having unleashed his ultimate move, smiled confidently. "If it weren't for the pressure you put on me, I wouldn't have been able to break through again." 

Now, even on the path of "Perfect Harmony," in the deep realms of tennis, he had made significant progress. 

In Echizen's eyes, the match was about to turn in his favor! 

"Indeed." 

But at that moment, Ishikawa slowly raised his head. He wasn't looking at the two balls flying toward him—he was looking directly at Echizen. "I didn't expect you to have come this far in the realm of 'Muga.' In that case... I won't hold back anymore." 

Hum! 

As soon as he finished speaking, under Echizen's wide-eyed gaze, the silvery light around Ishikawa surged to a terrifying level. 

The entire court was engulfed in it. 

At this moment, Ishikawa's third-level sword intent was fully unleashed! 

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