"See through appearances, grasp the essence of things!"
Heavy rain poured down.
In the old tennis court on the mountain slope.
Ishikawa looked at the stone wall in the distance and nodded seriously.
At this moment.
His realm had finally crossed the boundary, touching a new horizon.
Next.
He left and headed to the foot of the mountain to meet with Tsubasa and the others.
After the rain stopped, they took a ferry back to the main island of Okinawa. However, the weather wasn't great, and no one went out in the afternoon. The beach was empty.
After resting overnight.
The Ice Emperor team took Tsubasa's private jet back to Tokyo.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Meanwhile, in Naha City, at Biga Middle School.
The tennis team was in the midst of an intense training session.
Having lost to Ishikawa, Hirakoba, Kaibara, and the others were determined to give the team that had defeated them a surprise at the national tournament!
"Someone who mastered the shrink technique with just one glance?"
On the sidelines.
A bespectacled youth with slicked-back hair raised an eyebrow. He had never seen a player like this in Kyushu, Kansai, or even Kanto.
"But since you dared to provoke Biga Middle, you're done for!"
At that moment.
Mokichi had set his sights on the mysterious person who had disrupted his business and defeated his teammate.
Back at Ice Emperor.
The team didn't train that day.
Only Ishikawa, who was staying over, began training in the afternoon. He did some jogging, push-ups, and pull-ups to maintain his physical strength and core muscles.
Then he practiced his swings and wall hits.
Until evening.
Ishikawa, drenched in sweat, finally left.
Just like that.
The dull training days passed.
With only a week left before the national tournament.
Ishikawa and Tsubasa took a helicopter to Kanagawa's Rikkaidai.
Like the Kanto draw, the national tournament draw rules were simple: it was held at the school of the previous year's champion.
This was considered a great honor.
It represented the defending champion's status and, to some extent, made others feel like they were coming to pay their respects.
At least, the Rikkaidai team members were in high spirits, having lost the Kanto finals.
Of course.
Their excitement wasn't just because of that.
The news that their captain, Kunimitsu Kori, the strongest middle school student in the country, had recovered.
This news, released just before the national draw, greatly boosted Rikkaidai's morale.
Boom!
Rikkaidai Tennis Team.
A fast and accurate shot flew past Kirihara's side, shocking him, and landed precisely on the baseline.
"Game over."
The umpire, Akaya Kirihara, shouted: "Kunimitsu wins, 6-0!"
"Captain Kunimitsu is amazing!"
Within 10 minutes, Kirihara had lost. This was Kunimitsu's first match back after his general rehabilitation training. It was hard to imagine the true extent of his terrifying abilities.
However.
After the initial shock.
The Rikkaidai team, including Kirihara, got excited.
The return of the "God of Tennis."
Rikkaidai's last weakness had been eliminated. This was the true meaning of a national champion without any weaknesses.
"Welcome back."
Outside the court, Akaya and others smiled and nodded.
Even the usually serious and cold Taro Yamada cracked a faint smile. The pressure on his shoulders had eased.
But just then.
A loud, piercing noise suddenly filled the sky.
"Is that... a helicopter?"
Everyone looked up to see a helicopter landing smoothly on Rikkaidai's grounds.
"Who is that?"
Akaya was surprised: "Arriving by helicopter for the draw? That's too extravagant, even for staff!"
"No."
Mokichi shook his head: "It's probably Ice Emperor. I heard their captain, Tsubasa, is very wealthy."
When he mentioned "wealth," a gleam appeared in Mokichi's eyes.
"Ice Emperor?"
Akaya raised an eyebrow.
This team had dominated Kanto for years, but their abilities were no match for Rikkaidai's.
However.
As Mokichi watched Tsubasa and Ishikawa walk towards him, he sensed something was off.
The draw results were announced, and Mokichi, along with Akaya, left early.
"Confirmed."
Akaya took a deep breath, narrowing his eyes: "Our first match is against Chiba's Rokkaku, and the second match will be against Ice Emperor."
Mokichi nodded heavily.
With only a week left before the national
tournament, he needed to boost his team's strength. On the day of the national tournament, he would crush Ice Emperor.
That day.
After the draw.
Ishikawa and Tsubasa returned to Ice Emperor.
The team trained as usual, while Ishikawa reviewed his tennis skills and match strategy.
Day after day.
Six days passed.
That evening.
After completing his training, Ishikawa reviewed the possible lineups and strategies for the national tournament.
Before bed.
He opened his character panel and invested the accumulated experience points.
[Ding!]
[Player level up, current level: Lv53]
[Name: Ishikawa]
[Age: 12]
[Identity: Ice Emperor Middle School 1st-year student, Tennis Club regular, Training Advisor, Tennis Club Vice-Captain, Street Tennis Legend, Ice Emperor's Devil (EXP gain +15%)]
[Main Occupation: Tennis Lv53 (0/26000)]
[Sub-Occupations: Kendo Lv9, Go Lv9, Ancient Martial Arts Lv9, Yoga Lv3]
[Five Dimensions: Speed 4, Strength 4, Endurance 4, Technique 6, Mental Power 5, Total: 23]
[Basic Tennis Skills: Serve Lv7, Forehand Lv7, Topspin Lv7, Slice Lv7, Smash Lv7 (upgraded by 1 level)]
[Advanced Tennis Skills: Lv7 (Star Scar, Outer Rotation Serve, Gale, Shock, Zero-Style Slice, Giant Bear Counter, Kokoro, Dawn, Super Interception Shot)
Lv6 (Dance of Destruction, Exploding Ball Frenzy)
Lv5 (Four Gods Performance: Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, White Tiger)]
[Special Abilities: Kendo True Intent Lv3, Go True Principle Lv2, Martial Arts Momentum Lv2, True Eye]
[Sub-Occupation Points: 2]
[Skill Points: 78]
[Items: Dry Juice Recipe]
[Evaluation: Elite high school-level player, firmly advancing on his own path, possessing unparalleled potential]
With only one day left before the national tournament.
patreon:belamy20
Ishikawa's eyes gleamed with determination.
He would give it his all and make this national tournament one to remember!
(End of chapter)