"Game!"
"Ishikawa leads 1-0, switch sides!"
As the smoke cleared, the referee's voice rang out. The spectators around the court were wide-eyed in disbelief.
"He broke serve?!"
Tokugawa's eyes flashed with surprise.
This was unbelievable!
That newcomer had actually managed to take a game from Oni.
This was Oni, the "Demon"!
Oni Tojiro, one of the two towering peaks of Japan's U-17, standing above all other high school players.
Even Tokugawa himself couldn't guarantee he could score against Oni when the latter was serious.
Whoosh...
At this moment, the smoke had completely dissipated.
Everyone's eyes fell on the cracked court where the ball had landed. Both players appeared calm, but the atmosphere was heavy with tension.
"I never expected him to actually break Oni's serve."
In the coaches' room, even the three seasoned coaches were deeply shaken.
Saito looked at Ishikawa with a complex expression.
During the national middle school tournament, he thought he had seen Ishikawa's true strength. But this match had once again shattered his expectations.
"Indeed," Kurobe nodded solemnly. "To be able to withstand Oni's Asura Path: Demon God and counter his Hypergravity Dimension tennis... He's clearly been holding back before."
That flash of silver light earlier had been unimaginably fast.
Even through the screen, Kurobe could sense that the speed had surpassed anything Ishikawa had shown in his match against Inui.
"So..." Tōzō narrowed his eyes. "Has he developed his own Asura Path through his swordsmanship?"
"That's hard to say," Kurobe shook his head.
He had reviewed Ishikawa's match records. The boy had never been pushed to the brink, never faced a life-or-death situation that would force him to break through his limits.
From the regional preliminaries of the national tournament to the finals, every recorded match had been a one-sided domination by Ishikawa.
The closest match was the 6-3 against Tezuka Kunimitsu from Seigaku during the metropolitan tournament.
But as far as Kurobe knew, the Asura Path required a true life-and-death struggle, a battle where one risked everything.
"However," Kurobe paused, then nodded. "His mastery of swordsmanship has reached an unimaginable level. If he can further integrate his swordsmanship with tennis, then..."
He left the rest unsaid, but Saito and Tōzō understood his implication.
"Second game, Ishikawa to serve!"
After switching sides, Ishikawa, now with the serve, tapped the ball a few times before gripping it firmly.
He looked up, his gaze locking onto his opponent.
Oni Tojiro.
In the original storyline, Oni had only lost to Q.P., the so-called "God of Tennis" from the German team, who was even more ridiculously overpowered.
Facing Oni, even after using nearly all his abilities, Ishikawa still couldn't be certain of victory.
This was unlike any match he had played before.
It wasn't a one-sided domination but a battle filled with immense pressure. The feeling of having every move countered, every space closed off, and every return feeling like a struggle—this was a first for him.
However, facing a top-tier player like Oni had ignited Ishikawa's fighting spirit. Oni was like a solid whetstone, his immense pressure sharpening Ishikawa's understanding of tennis.
Under such intense pressure, Ishikawa's swordsmanship, ancient martial arts, and even his strategic thinking from Go were merging more seamlessly with his tennis.
Vaguely, he felt as though he was touching the threshold of a new realm.
"What's going on with him?"
Outside the court, Ōishi and Nakagauchi exchanged puzzled glances.
Logically, after winning the first game, Ishikawa should be brimming with confidence. But instead, he seemed to be trapped in some kind of dilemma, hesitating to serve.
"Is the pressure getting to him?" Ōishi speculated. "Under extreme pressure, a player's judgment can be affected, leading to poor decision-making and reduced shot quality."
Some players thrive under pressure, while others crumble. Even among professionals, such cases are common.
"True," Nakagauchi nodded. "Oni's playing style does have that effect. Many players break down mentally before the match even ends."
In U-17, Oni had been relatively restrained.
During the national tournament, when he led the unknown team Okayama Oka, Oni had been an overwhelmingly dominant and fierce player.
It was precisely because of this that Okayama Oka had swept through the national competition, claiming the championship.
In Nakagauchi's eyes, Ishikawa was likely being affected by Oni's pressure, leading to a mental block. Otherwise, he wouldn't have hesitated so long before serving.
He even predicted that Ishikawa might double-fault or make a serving error.
"Player Ishikawa," the referee called out, frowning. "Is there an issue?"
Swish!
In an instant, all eyes turned to Ishikawa.
"Sorry, I was a bit too focused," Ishikawa looked up, smiling at Oni. "Senior, please evaluate this next serve of mine."
The crowd perked up.
In the coaches' room, Saito's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"If I recall correctly, Ishikawa's serve is one of his strongest weapons."
His serve?
Tōzō raised an eyebrow.
The speed of his previous serve had been impressive, but against a player of Oni's caliber, even the fastest serve might not make a difference.
Whoosh!
At that moment, Ishikawa tossed the ball into the air.
He bent his knees slightly, his body coiling like a spring. His eyes locked onto the ball, and as it reached the perfect height, his wrist snapped forward, the racket slicing through the air like a sword.
Swish!
In an instant, a blur of motion flashed across the court.
Before anyone could process what had happened, the crisp sound of the racket striking the ball echoed.
Then, a silver arc of light streaked across the court.
In the wake of that light, the surrounding space seemed to darken. A trail of shimmering starlight appeared before everyone's eyes.
For a brief moment, time seemed to stretch endlessly.
Tap-tap-tap...
By the time everyone regained their senses, the sound of the ball hitting the ground came from behind Oni.
"What... just happened?"
Outside the court, the high school players were stunned. Even Tokugawa's pupils contracted in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him.
Swish!
He quickly turned his gaze to Oni, only to find the latter standing motionless, his expression unreadable as he stared at the spot where the ball had landed.
"This speed..."
Oni himself was equally shocked.
Unlike the others, with his professional-level skills, he had managed to catch a glimpse of the moment Ishikawa's racket made contact with the ball.
But after that...
The scene before him seemed to stretch and distort, as if being pulled backward. He could see the ball's trajectory, but he couldn't move.
He could only watch helplessly as the ball landed and bounced past him.
It was as if his body had been frozen, unable to react.
"Could this be..."
Oni looked up at Ishikawa. "The legendary Hyperspeed Dimension?"
Hyperspeed Dimension!
An extension of the five-dimensional speed. Legend had it that once a player entered this realm, their opponent wouldn't even be able to touch the ball.
Compared to the Hypergravity Dimension, this was the other extreme.
"This serve... it's on par with Mōri's Mach Serve!"
In the coaches' room, Tōzō was visibly shaken.
Kurobe and Saito were equally stunned. Even though they had known Ishikawa's serve was strong, they hadn't expected it to reach this level.
"Before this, his serve was impressive, but it wasn't at this level," Kurobe narrowed his eyes, watching the replay on the screens.
One of the screens showed Ishikawa holding the ball, deep in thought.
"Under Oni's pressure, he seems to have had an epiphany, breaking into the realm of the Hyperspeed Dimension."
"In other words," Kurobe's gaze fixed on Ishikawa, "he has now reached professional-level strength."
Professional-level!!!
Hearing these words, Saito and Tōzō couldn't help but shudder.
This boy wasn't even a high school freshman—he was just a first-year middle schooler! (patreon belamy20) A middle schooler with professional-level skills?!
This was beyond unbelievable.
"Asura Path versus Swordsmanship."
"Hypergravity Dimension versus Hyperspeed Dimension."
"This match..."
Kurobe's expression grew solemn as he watched Oni's tense face on the screen.
Saito and Tōzō understood what he left unsaid.
This match...
Oni might suffer his first defeat.
"Serve is valid!"
On the court, the referee, after reviewing the slow-motion footage provided by the coaches, made the call. "Ishikawa leads 15-0!"
"Sigh..."
The players from Court 5, who had held onto a sliver of hope, felt their hearts sink.
"Not bad," Ishikawa, holding the ball, glanced at Oni and smiled. "Senior, pay attention. Here comes the next one!"
Whoosh!
He tossed the ball again.
Contrary to what others might have expected, Ishikawa's serving stance had changed slightly, yet it still appeared effortless.
Crack!
Another crisp sound.
The light around the court dimmed once more.
On the other side, Oni's expression shifted again.
The same sensation of time and space being pulled backward returned.
This time, it felt as though an invisible force was pushing him away.
Even though the ball was landing less than twenty centimeters in front of him, Oni knew he couldn't reach it.
Tap-tap-tap...
Light returned.
The ball landed behind Oni once more.
"30-0!"
The referee announced.
This time, he didn't wait for the coaches' feedback. Kurobe had instructed that if neither player disputed the call, there was no need to review the footage.
However, after calling the score, the referee cautiously glanced at Oni. Seeing no objection, he breathed a sigh of relief.
"Is this for real?"
"Oni can't even touch the ball?"
"This serve of Ishikawa's... it's almost as good as Mōri's, isn't it?"
Around the court, the high schoolers whispered among themselves.
Most of them were still processing the fact that Oni had been aced.
The rest looked at Ishikawa with even greater respect.
Oni Tojiro.
That name carried immense weight in U-17.
And now, Ishikawa, who could go toe-to-toe with Oni, score against him, and even deliver consecutive aces, had effectively risen to Oni's level.
"Again!"
Oni took his stance.
His cold, piercing gaze locked onto Ishikawa, like a predator sizing up its prey.
"That look!!!"
Outside the court, Nakagauchi's expression changed.
He had only seen that look twice before—once during Oni's match against Byōdōin two years ago.
This was the second time.
Clearly, Oni was serious now.
He was treating Ishikawa as an equal.
Crack!
Ishikawa served again.
Oni's aura surged, a dark energy rising like smoke around him.
As Ishikawa's serve shot forward and the light dimmed, Oni moved!
Swish!
He swung his racket.
With sheer force and willpower, he broke through the temporal constraints binding his body.
But...
He was still a fraction too slow. His racket missed the ball.
"40-0!"
"He's making his move?"
In the coaches' room, Saito was both surprised and impressed. "As expected of Oni. He managed to break through the temporal limitations."
"Oni's willpower is terrifying," Kurobe nodded. "For the past two years, he's been like a sleeping lion. Ishikawa has awakened him."
"True," Tōzō agreed. "In the past two years, no one has been able to push him to his limits. Without participating in the overseas tournaments, he's missed out on facing top-tier opponents. His physical condition and reflexes have somewhat declined..."
Kurobe and Saito nodded in agreement.
Just as Oni's strength had ignited Ishikawa's potential, Ishikawa's pressure had reawakened Oni's dormant power.
Two players, both stepping into the realm of tennis's other dimensions, had found in each other a worthy rival and a stepping stone.
Crack!
Ishikawa served again.
The Hyperspeed Dimension enveloped the court, but Oni's aura erupted in response. Like a awakened beast, he lunged forward.
Bang!
As his racket swung, he finally managed to catch Ishikawa's serve. A deafening explosion echoed.
A black arc of light shot across the court.
However, facing this impossibly fast and destructive shot, Ishikawa's expression remained calm.
Whoosh!
To everyone's astonishment, the ball flew past Ishikawa and slammed into the wall behind him, creating a massive crater.
Crash!!!
Debris scattered everywhere.
The shockwave from the impact spread, but Ishikawa stood firm, his gaze steady as he watched Oni.
"Out!"
"Game!"
"Ishikawa leads 2-0!"
As the referee's voice echoed, the entire court fell into complete silence.
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