Chapter 97: Metsu Gokan and Happy Tennis

On the court where Takahashi is playing against Echizen.

Relying on the special move developed during the training camp a few days ago—the Tornado Smash—Echizen successfully takes a point from Takahashi.

Looking at the tennis ball rolling on his own half of the court, the corners of Takahashi's mouth curl up slightly.

This so-called Tornado Smash is indeed interesting!

At the moment Echizen smashes, he can make the Tornado manifest.

But this move poses no threat to Takahashi at all.

As for why Takahashi did not return the ball.

The answer is, because Takahashi is wearing a jacket.

In order not to let the jacket fall off, Takahashi must limit the range of his movements.

They cannot be too large.

He is different from Yukimura; Yukimura has worn a jacket year-round and is highly experienced.

This is his first time playing a match while wearing a jacket.

To keep the jacket from falling to the ground, he is cautious and afraid to make any large movements.

Although he did not go to return this ball.

But he knows that the following balls will not require him to return them.

……

"Bang!"

Echizen leaps high into the air, his body spins in the air, and he smashes the tennis ball with force.

It is still the Tornado Smash.

Having successfully hit this ball, Echizen's gaze follows Takahashi's movements closely.

Yet he discovers that Takahashi is standing in place, not moving at all, and even his racket is in a naturally hanging state.

Did he give up on returning the ball?

Could he have been frightened by the power of the Tornado Smash?

Just as Echizen is confused, the umpire's voice announcing the score reaches his ears.

"15-15!"

"Takahashi scores!"

Echizen is very confused.

How did he lose the point?

As if reading the expression on his face, Takahashi holds his tennis racket and points toward the baseline.

Echizen sees a dark ball mark appearing clearly outside the white boundary line.

It turns out to be an out-of-bounds ball.

He raises his hand to press down on the brim of his cap.

He did not expect himself to make such a low-level mistake.

……

Rikkai rest area.

"It is exactly as I thought."

Marui chews the bubblegum in his mouth and speaks.

"It is Metsu Gokan, right!"

"I didn't expect Takahashi to have learned it too."

Yanagi Renji speaks.

Kirihara feels very confused and says, "How did you guys tell?"

"I just saw that the master has been suppressing his own strength."

Marui ruffles Kirihara's hair and says, "Ever since Takahashi put on Yukimura's jacket, I felt like it was Yukimura playing the match."

"This is because Takahashi has been imitating Yukimura's playing style."

Sanada nods.

Indeed, Takahashi's playing style today is very much like Yukimura's.

Is he trying to let Yukimura, who cannot play due to illness, also display his brilliance on the court?

"Echizen has been hit by Metsu Gokan; the match will end soon."

Sanada says.

……

The match on the court is just as Sanada guessed.

Echizen's mistakes become more and more frequent; one moment it is a net cord, the next it is an out-of-bounds ball.

……

"I advise you, it is best to just give up, so you don't lose too ugly."

"You have been hit by my Metsu Gokan; from now on, your sense of touch, sight, hearing, taste, and pain will be lost one by one."

"You should have already lost your sense of touch by now."

Takahashi's calm words ring in Echizen's ears.

Echizen widens his eyes and looks straight at Takahashi.

"What did you say?"

"What kind of... trick did you use?"

Echizen spoke with a tremble, unable to believe Takahashi's words.

Lost the sense of touch.

How is that possible?

But his heart told him that this might be true.

After all, with his ball control, how could he keep making such low-level mistakes?

However, no matter what, one must not give up the match until the very last moment.

This is the consistent style of Echizen Ryoma.

He forcibly suppressed the unease and panic in his heart, held his racket, and continued the match.

"Bang!"

Echizen moved his feet rapidly, swinging his racket with force at the tennis ball's landing spot.

This feeling?

Echizen gripped the tennis racket in his hand with disbelief, only to find he could not control it.

Has he really lost his sense of touch?

At the same time, the tennis ball Echizen hit was also flying crookedly through the air.

"Plop!"

The tennis ball hit the net and landed on Echizen's side of the court.

"30-15!"

"Takahashi scores!"

"Bang!"

"Score 2-0! Takahashi scores!"

Seigaku rest area.

"What is going on?"

"How could the little guy make such a mistake?"

Kikumaru asked loudly.

Inui pushed up his glasses and said, "Judging from Takahashi's words just now, this might be the special move of the former Captain of Rikkai, Yukimura Seiichi—Metsu Gokan."

Momoshiro was incredulous and said excitedly, "Metsu Gokan, how is that possible? How could such a thing be achieved by playing tennis?"

Inui continued, "Although it is absurd, Echizen's state explains everything; otherwise, how do you explain Echizen's consecutive errors?"

Momoshiro fell silent all of a sudden.

Beside him, Oishi frowned, his face looking very grim.

At the same time, he thought of a possibility.

Perhaps it was because Takahashi learned this move from the former Captain Yukimura that he was able to successfully become the new Captain of Rikkai.

If that were the case, then Coach Ryuzaki's pre-match speculation was completely wrong.

The Rikkaidai Tennis Club was not at all as the coach described, suffering from chaotic management and complacency.

And Takahashi, as a first-year, relied entirely on his own powerful strength to sit in the position of Captain.

Then is Echizen Ryoma still the strongest first-year?

Do they, Seigaku, still have a chance?

On the court.

Echizen felt that the light was also moving away from him.

His own world was left with only darkness.

Even so, he still would not give up.

Even if he had lost his sense of touch and his vision, the tennis movements he had practiced since childhood were firmly remembered by his body.

Relying on muscle memory and sound, he, Echizen, could also continue to play tennis.

"..."

His ears suddenly became completely quiet as well.

What is going on?

Could it be that he will really lose his Five Senses one by one?

Having lost his Five Senses, can he still win the victory?

Will he lose this match?

Lose, no, he does not want to lose.

Seigaku has already lost two doubles matches; if he loses this one too, Seigaku will have no way out.

Can his pride allow him to lose here?

No, he does not allow himself to fail.

But, wanting to beat Takahashi is really so hard!

He is truly too powerful!

Is playing tennis actually this painful?

"Playing tennis is a happy thing, Ryoma!"

In the pitch black, Echizen seemed to see his father standing in a patch of white light, smiling as he spoke to him.

Echizen also seemed to see his childhood self, holding a tennis racket, running toward him with a happy face, and saying in a milky voice: "You still have a long way to go!"

……

Takahashi looked at Echizen's figure collapsed on the ground and slowly turned around.

He knew that everything was over.

It seemed the match had ended even faster than he had imagined.

"Tennis……"

A faint voice sounded from behind Takahashi.

"Tennis is fun!"

"I will never hate tennis!"

Echizen stood up with difficulty and said to Takahashi.

"Playing tennis is extremely fun!"

Echizen firmed his resolve and shouted loudly at Takahashi.

At this moment, a sudden change occurred.

As Echizen said these words, a blinding white light suddenly erupted from his entire body.

The dazzling white light illuminated the entire Court.

The spectators could not help but cover their eyes.

After a long while, the white light gradually dissipated.

And at this moment, Echizen was enveloped from head to toe in a layer of white radiance.

Echizen's eyes regained focus, staring intently at Takahashi.

Outside the court, there was dead silence.

After a long time, a voice broke the tranquility.

"Is this the final gate of the Selfless State, the limit of Peerless Perfection?"

Fuji's face was filled with shock.