Boom!
A loud explosion echoed across the court.
A flash of black light streaked across the court, followed by a thunderous impact. The sheer force of the ball sent a cloud of dust swirling into the air.
"This power...!"
The high schoolers surrounding the court all had a change in expression.
It was only the fourth shot of the match, and yet it had already reached such a terrifying level.
However, no one had time to dwell on it, as Ishikawa's return shot came flying back.
In an instant, the air was thick with dust, which only grew denser as the two continued their fierce rally.
Boom!
The ball landed in Oni's hand.
Oni's brow twitched slightly. "What a powerful shot. That sharpness... It seems he's quite skilled in swordsmanship as well."
Once upon a time, Oni had battled a certain arrogant blond on this very court. The scar on his face was a souvenir from that match, inflicted by the sharpness of his opponent's return shot.
Now, facing Ishikawa, Oni could feel that old scar tingling faintly.
Whoosh!
With a flick of his wrist, Oni sent Ishikawa's return shot hurtling back.
"His talent is truly terrifying," Oni thought, his eyes narrowing as he observed Ishikawa's every move. "Even I and Byoudouin weren't this strong two years ago."
Given time, with Ishikawa's talent, he would undoubtedly rise to challenge the top of the world's high school tennis hierarchy.
"So..."
Oni's gaze sharpened, and his aura surged once more.
Boom!
The ball shot forward like a cannonball, carrying the weight of a mountain.
"This shot...?!"
Ishikawa's expression shifted slightly.
Oni's shot gave him a sense of danger. This wasn't just an ordinary deep-level tennis shot.
However, Ishikawa didn't retreat. Instead, he stepped forward, swinging his racket with precision.
Boom!
The sound of the impact echoed, and the dust in front of Ishikawa was blown away by the explosive energy.
Thud!
To everyone's surprise, Ishikawa's return shot barely grazed the net before falling back.
"15-40!"
"Did it hit the net?"
"Was that a mistake?"
"What just happened?!"
The high schoolers around the court were baffled. Especially Mori and Oshitari, who couldn't understand how someone with Ishikawa's control could make such an error.
"He returned it?!"
But some were more shocked that Ishikawa had managed to return the shot at all, and that his racket hadn't been knocked out of his hand.
Tokugawa stared at Ishikawa in disbelief. "This guy's technique... is on another level."
After all, that shot had been one of Oni's serious moves. For most people, simply holding onto their racket would have been an achievement.
"Did you see that?" Tōzō asked, his eyes narrowing as he watched Oni's intense expression.
"Yes," Saitō nodded. "No doubt about it. He just used that move."
"One of the forms of dimensional tennis."
In front of the screen, Kurobe slowly uncrossed his arms. He narrowed his eyes as he watched Oni, who seemed like a completely different person now. "The dimension of supergravity, huh?"
Dimensional tennis, in general, is an extension or evolution of a player's physical abilities or playing style. The dimension of supergravity is the evolution of sheer power.
When a player's strength surpasses a certain threshold, they can tap into this realm.
And Oni's strength is undoubtedly the strongest in U-17. Even among high schoolers worldwide, he stands at the pinnacle.
After all, how many people in the world can do squats with a one-ton boulder?
"Dimensional tennis, huh?" Ishikawa mused on the court. "The power behind that shot was impossible to counter with technique alone."
If it weren't for his mastery of martial arts and his ability to partially neutralize the force of Oni's shot, his racket would have been sent flying.
"Of course," Ishikawa thought, adopting a serious stance as he locked eyes with Oni. "For someone like you, who can rival professional players in the original story, I can't afford to hold back."
"Oh?" Oni noticed Ishikawa's focused gaze and nodded. "It seems you're ready."
Boom!
Another cannon-like serve shot forward.
Swoosh!
As the black light spread, Ishikawa, preparing to receive the serve, felt the air around him grow heavy.
"Is this Oni's dimension?"
Suddenly, he looked up and saw a terrifying, ghostly figure with fangs and a menacing aura.
Boom!
In the next moment, to everyone's shock, Ishikawa was pushed back by the sheer force of the shot.
His feet dragged across the ground, leaving two long trails until he nearly hit the wall.
"Whoa..."
Mori and Oshitari couldn't help but gasp.
"Ugh..."
Tokugawa's eyes flickered with uncertainty.
It happened again! Oni's devastating shot hadn't knocked the racket out of Ishikawa's hand.
"Grip strength," Oni immediately realized, his eyes narrowing as he focused on Ishikawa's hand. "He's trained his grip strength specifically. It must be at least 80 kg."
The average grip strength for teenagers is between 18 to 29 kg, while adult males typically range from 43 to 50 kg. Oni himself only had a grip strength of 90 kg. For Ishikawa to reach 80 kg was already an impressive feat.
"Not bad," Oni said, preparing to serve again.
Boom!
The explosive serve shot forward like a black streak. From Ishikawa's perspective, the black demon god raised its fist and came crashing down.
At this moment, there was no retreat.
Facing such a powerful opponent, Ishikawa angled his racket like a sword, combining his swordsmanship with his tennis skills. As Oni's serve bounced up, Ishikawa slashed forward.
Slash!
In the mental space, the demon god's massive fist was split in two by a silver light. The sharpness of the sword cut through the mountain-like fist with ease.
Boom!
In reality, a silver arc suddenly appeared in front of Oni.
"He returned it?!"
Tokugawa's pupils contracted. He had already thought highly of Ishikawa, but he had still underestimated him.
"Not bad," Oni said, his eyes showing a hint of approval. "Your tennis has also entered the realm of Asura."
The path of Asura—a realm in tennis that only those who break their limits can touch.
Oni himself had crossed that threshold during a life-and-death match with Byoudouin.
And now, this young man before him had also touched that realm.
"I wonder what your Asura will be like," Oni thought, his eyes gleaming.
With a powerful swing, he sent the ball flying back.
"Bring it on!" Ishikawa's eyes burned with fighting spirit as he charged forward to meet the ball.
Hum!
In an instant, a silver light erupted.
The sharpness of Ishikawa's third-level sword intent easily tore through the black light. A dangerous gust of wind swept toward Oni.
Boom!
Oni swung his racket to meet the ball.
The moment the ball and racket collided, a sharp burst of energy exploded.
Rip!
In the next moment, to everyone's shock, a strand of Oni's red hair was cleanly cut by the gust of wind.
"Gulp."
Someone unconsciously swallowed hard.
Many noticed the scar on Oni's face, which seemed to twitch slightly.
"Could it be...?"
Mori and Oshitari exchanged glances, both seeing the shock in each other's eyes.
Whoosh!
In the next instant, Oni's powerful return shot came flying back.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
On the court, the two engaged in a fierce exchange.
The speed and power of their shots were beyond anything the spectators had ever seen.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the dimensional space, the fanged demon god clashed with a shadowy figure in a straw hat and cloak, wielding a sword.
The demon god's punches were heavy, each one causing the space around it to collapse.
The shadowy swordsman, however, was equally skilled. His sword left afterimages as it struck the demon god repeatedly.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
On the court, the ball flew back and forth, skimming just above the net.
The speed of the shots caused the air to heat up, and soon, the friction reached a critical point.
Sizzle!
Suddenly, as Oni's return shot passed over the net, the temperature spiked. To everyone's shock, the net burst into flames.
In an instant, a wall of fire separated the two players.
"Is... is this really a high school match?"
Someone muttered in disbelief.
The others remained silent, their eyes glued to the two figures on the court, who showed no signs of stopping despite the blazing net.
"Ishikawa Makoto!" Oni called out, his gaze sharp. "I never expected you to push me this far!"
Once again, Ishikawa had exceeded Oni's expectations. Even with his Asura realm activated, Oni felt a sense of frustration at not being able to overpower his opponent.
Boom!
Oni's aura surged once more.
The demon god's figure grew more solid, roaring as it threw a punch that seemed capable of crushing Ishikawa into dust.
"This pressure..."
Ishikawa's heart raced.
He felt as if he couldn't move, locked in place by the demon god's fist.
The world around him seemed to darken, and the air grew heavier.
"It's here—the dimension of supergravity!"
In the coaching room, Kurobe and the others watched intently as the black aura spread across the screen.
"Rumor has it that players in the supergravity dimension are so powerful that the air around their shots becomes dense, as if gravity itself has increased."
"In other words, the power of their shots is multiplied by two, or even more."
"Indeed," Kurobe explained, his expression serious.
This was Oni's true strength.
If he hadn't been focused on nurturing new talent, his abilities would have far surpassed this level.
"Ishikawa..."
Saitō glanced at Ishikawa, a hint of worry in his eyes.
A shot like this would be difficult even for a professional player to handle.
If Ishikawa tried to return it recklessly... Saitō shuddered at the thought.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Ishikawa moved.
He raised his racket and swung at the ball without hesitation.
"Is he crazy?!" Tōzō exclaimed.
As the U-17 physical training coach, he knew exactly how terrifying Oni's strength was in the supergravity dimension.
For Ishikawa to try and return such a shot was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Hum!
But then, a black light appeared.
"Black Hole?!" Kurobe exclaimed.
"It's useless," Tōzō shook his head. "In the supergravity dimension, even a Black Hole will be shattered instantly."
Crack.
As if to prove his point, the black void began to crack, and the ball shot straight through.
"It's over!" Saitō thought, his heart sinking.
But it was too late.
Oni's shot was something only Byoudouin, who was currently on an overseas expedition, could handle.
It was ironic.
A year ago, Oni had saved Tokugawa from Byoudouin's wrath.
Now, Saitō found himself wishing Byoudouin were here.
But that was just a foolish thought.
Even if Byoudouin were here, he might not be able to handle this situation.
All Saitō could do was pray that Ishikawa would survive this shot.
"Even if he's seriously injured, that's acceptable... Huh?!"
Suddenly, Saitō's eyes widened.
Hum!
Behind the shattered Black Hole, a second black void appeared.
"A second Black Hole?!" Tōzō exclaimed.
It was a double Black Hole!
Kurobe gave Ishikawa a deep look. It was clear that Ishikawa had anticipated this and had prepared accordingly.
Hum!
At that moment, a black-and-white aura erupted from Ishikawa's body, merging into a chaotic energy.
Boom!
In the next instant, a blur of color flashed before Oni's eyes.
"What?!"
The demon god's pupils contracted.
In the dimensional space, the demon god's massive body froze as a sword light descended upon it.
"I... I can't move?!"
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