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*Boom!*
Near the rundown tennis court on the unnamed island.
A sharp gust of wind from the tennis ball sliced through the air, neatly cutting the weeds surrounding the stone wall.
*Zzzzt!!*
Then—
The tennis ball slammed into the stone wall, its powerful force and spin scraping off the dried moss clinging to the surface.
*Plop.*
But eventually, the ball lost its momentum and fell to the ground.
"Hmm."
Staring at the spot where his shot had landed and comparing it to the deep hole nearby, Ishikawa's heart sank. "As expected, this wall is harder than the average ground. Even with the second-stage Sword Intent and *Shocking Awakening*, I can't achieve the same result."
Truth be told, if it weren't for knowing about the insane shots from the U-17 era in the original story, Ishikawa wouldn't have believed that someone could actually pierce through such a stone wall.
But knowing something and doing it are two entirely different things.
Even Ryoma Echizen, the so-called "God of Plot Armor," probably couldn't have pulled off the *Lightning Strike Shot* without Ryoga Echizen's guidance.
Similarly, Ishikawa had tried before.
He had come close to what he thought was the perfect hitting point, but he never quite found the exact spot. He chalked it up to his skills not being at that level yet.
So, instead of obsessing over the so-called *Super Sweet Spot*, he decided to focus on strengthening his fundamentals. After all, true power comes from within.
Now, standing in the legendary samurai's training ground, Ishikawa gazed at the deep hole in the wall, his eyes filled with determination.
*Boom!*
Without hesitation, he sent the tennis ball flying.
As it rebounded, he smashed it back with full force.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
The intense sound of his shots echoed from the hillside court, reaching every corner of the small island.
"Huh?"
The members of Hyotei, who were hiking up the mountain, paused in surprise upon hearing the noise.
"Is that... Ishikawa practicing?" Marui asked, raising an eyebrow.
"But... we're so far away. How hard is he hitting that ball?" Mukahi added, equally puzzled.
Given what they knew about Ishikawa, who had seemed ready to relax and enjoy the vacation, this level of intensity was unexpected. Just yesterday, he had played a casual match against the Higa Chuu players on the beach court.
Was he really such a training maniac that he couldn't take a single day off?
"That boy?" The guide also looked surprised.
He had only mentioned the legendary samurai's story in passing, hoping to inspire the young player. He never expected Ishikawa to actually take it to heart and try to replicate the feat.
Shaking his head inwardly, the guide thought, *I hope he doesn't get too discouraged when he sees that terrifying mark.*
After all, that hole was made by the legendary Tennis Samurai in his youth. If people knew about it, they'd probably turn this place into a tourist attraction.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
At the old court, Ishikawa kept swinging his racket, maintaining a steady rhythm as he sent ball after ball into the stone wall.
If the guide had been there, he would've been shocked. Because under Ishikawa's relentless assault, a shallow dent had begun to form on the wall.
Sure, it was nowhere near as deep as the legendary hole nearby, but this wall was made of one of the hardest types of rock in the world—so hard that even a power drill couldn't make a dent in it.
That was why, when the young samurai had left the island all those years ago, the entire community had been in awe.
And now, in the same spot, a young boy was attempting to recreate that legendary feat.
*Hum.*
As Ishikawa finished his warm-up, a fiery red aura began to emanate from his body.
*Martial Arts Aura!*
This was a special ability Ishikawa had unlocked through his mastery of ancient martial arts. In this state, his explosive power, strength, and speed were all significantly enhanced.
*Whoosh!*
The tennis ball came flying back, and Ishikawa swung his racket with all his might.
*Bang!*
With a deafening crack, a spiraling green streak shot out, slicing through the already trimmed weeds once again.
*Boom!!!*
The ball struck the wall, causing a massive explosion and sending a cloud of dust into the air.
*Zzzzt...*
At the same time, the ball spun fiercely against the wall.
*Crash!*
Pieces of the shattered wall crumbled to the ground.
"Not enough."
Seeing that the wall had only lost a thin layer, Ishikawa shook his head.
Even with his *Martial Arts Aura*, a shot that could break Atsushi's arm had only caused minimal damage. The wall's durability was truly terrifying.
*Tap.*
*Tap.*
*Tap.*
At the edge of the court, Ishikawa lightly bounced the tennis ball, his eyes locked on the distant wall.
In this moment, he treated the wall as his opponent, giving it his full focus and determination.
*Hum.*
The fiery red aura around him faded, replaced by a sharp, silvery glow. The second-stage (Lv2) Sword Intent elevated Ishikawa's presence to an intimidating level.
*Swish!*
With a clear focus, he tossed the ball into the air and swung his racket, sending the ball hurtling toward the wall.
*Zzzzt...*
The ball hit the wall, spun violently, and rebounded. Ishikawa, like a machine, raised his racket and smashed it back again.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Over and over, Ishikawa poured his heart into every shot.
As time went on, sparks began to fly with each impact, and the phenomenon grew more pronounced. Clearly, Ishikawa's shot power was steadily increasing.
*Whoosh!*
At some point, a strong gust of wind swept through, and Ishikawa caught the rebounding ball, frowning as he glanced around.
Unbeknownst to him, the sky had darkened.
"Wait... a storm is coming!"
Ishikawa's eyes narrowed.
Earlier, on the ferry, he had noticed the behavior of the seagulls and the changing environment, sensing that a storm might be approaching. He could have easily avoided the sudden downpour.
But...
Turning back to look at the shallow dent in the wall—less than two fingers wide—Ishikawa's resolve hardened once more.
*Bang!*
Once again, he sent the ball flying, undeterred by the howling wind.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
The challenge continued.
Ishikawa kept swinging, his shot power steadily increasing. He could feel it—the vague boundary he had been struggling with was becoming clearer and clearer.
Suddenly, a flash of white light illuminated the sky.
*Boom!!!*
A deafening thunderclap followed, and the wind grew fiercer.
A storm was imminent.
On the hillside, the Hyotei team, led by their guide, hurried back from their sightseeing trip.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
But the closer they got to the base of the mountain, the louder the thunder became.
"Ishikawa was right," Marui muttered, annoyed. "There really is a storm. Looks like we're losing a day of our three-day vacation."
He glanced at Atobe, but the captain didn't respond. Instead, Atobe exchanged a meaningful look with Oshitari.
A coincidence?
They didn't think so.
Even today's weather forecast hadn't predicted a storm in this area. And the more they learned about Ishikawa, the more they suspected there was more to this than met the eye.
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
*Boom!*
The thunderous noise grew louder.
"Wait!" The guide was the first to realize. "That sound... it's coming from the tennis court!"
"Let's go check it out."
With a shared understanding, the Hyotei team rushed toward the court.
When they arrived, they were met with an astonishing sight.
"Ishikawa?" Ootori exclaimed, shocked. "Stop practicing! The storm's coming. Let's get to shelter!"
"You go ahead. I'll catch up."
*Bang!*
Without missing a beat, Ishikawa smashed another shot into the wall.
"Whoa..."
The sheer power of the shot left Mukahi and the others wide-eyed.
"That shot... even Yukimura from Rikkai couldn't pull that off, could he?"
And here was Ishikawa, using that level of power for practice?
Akutagawa and Hiyoshi exchanged uneasy glances.
The level they had been striving for was just Ishikawa's training intensity?
This was insane!
The group couldn't help but laugh bitterly, gaining a newfound respect for Ishikawa's strength.
"Let's go," Coach Sakaki said, shaking his head. "Ishikawa has his reasons for staying. We shouldn't disturb him."
"Right."
The others nodded and turned to head back down the mountain.
"That boy..."
The guide took one last look at Ishikawa's back.
For a moment, he thought he saw the shadow of the young samurai who had trained here day after day, over twenty years ago.
"Good luck, kid."
With a nod, the guide followed the others.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Now alone, Ishikawa continued his relentless practice.
The thunder, the wind, and the sound of his shots blended together, while the occasional flash of lightning stretched his shadow across the court.
But Ishikawa was in a state of complete focus.
He wasn't oblivious to the danger. He knew how risky it was to stay out here. But he could feel it—the boundary he had been chasing was within reach. Just one more shot, and he could break through.
Yet, no matter how many times he smashed the ball into the wall, he couldn't replicate the deep hole beside him.
"Not enough!"
"Still not enough!"
Ishikawa's gaze grew sharper.
*Drip.*
*Drip.*
Then, the first drops of rain began to fall.
The wind picked up, and the cold rain soaked Ishikawa's clothes.
It was raining!
And as the wind grew stronger, the rain became a downpour.
*Splash!!!*
The rain poured down, but Ishikawa closed his eyes, relying on instinct to return the ball.
In this moment, he emptied his mind, fully immersing himself in the storm's fury—the wind, the rain, the thunder.
Gradually, he began to understand.
The storm and the lightning became clearer in his mind, and the boundary he had been chasing felt closer than ever. His instincts told him that the next shot would be the one to break through.
*Boom!!!*
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree.
*Crash!!!*
The massive trunk split in half, toppling toward Ishikawa.
Danger!
Every instinct screamed at him to run, to avoid the falling tree.
*Swish!*
But Ishikawa opened his eyes.
Instead of fleeing, he faced the tree head-on, confronting his fear.
As the ball flew toward him, a light brighter than lightning flashed in his eyes.
*Swish!*
Without hesitation, he swung his racket with all his might.
*Bang!*
The shot tore through the air, creating a vacuum that pushed the rain aside. A silvery streak shot toward the wall, faster than the falling tree.
*Boom!!!*
The ball struck the wall.
There was no grand explosion this time, but the ball embedded itself into the stone.
*Crack.*
*Crack.*
*Crack.*
The wall began to fracture, spiderweb-like cracks spreading from the impact point.
*Boom!!!*
Then, the ball drilled deeper into the wall, causing it to collapse inward and form a crater even more impressive than the legendary hole beside it.
Calmly, Ishikawa lowered his racket and turned away.
*Crash!!!*
The tree fell, its branches just inches from Ishikawa's body, but he remained unscathed.
**[Ding!]**
The system's voice rang out.
**[Player's Sword Intent and Martial Arts Aura have leveled up.]**
**[Sword Intent: Lv3]**
**[Martial Arts Aura: Lv2]**
---
(End of Chapter)
*pat-reon: belamy20*