A Limit?

"Senior Inoue Mamoru, what is the State of Selflessness? Is it powerful?"

"The State of Selflessness was first attained by the Samurai, Echizen Nanjirou."

Seeing Tezuka enter the State of Selflessness, the members of Hyotei began discussing among themselves.

"What do we do? Can the Captain win?" Oshitari asked.

"Are you kidding me? How could Chiba lose? If anyone's going to beat him, it'll be me! He won't lose to anyone before I beat him, understand?" Akutsu shot back at Oshitari. His fierce expression made Oshitari swallow nervously.

"Tezuka isn't an ordinary player either. No wonder the Captain had to take the court himself!" Shishido Ryo said from the sidelines.

Hearing their words, the others turned their attention to the court.

Tezuka stood on the court like a war god clad in white armor, his aura growing even more powerful.

Tezuka had activated one of the three gates of the State of Selflessness: the Limit of Thousand Forgings!

Once this gate was opened, a player could concentrate all their strength in a single part of their body. It doubled the power of their shots and returned every shot from their opponent with twice the power, spin, and speed!

This was no longer ordinary tennis. It belonged to another level entirely!

Neither the Limit of Thousand Forgings nor the Limit of Seamlessness was a state that ordinary people could reach.

On the court,

Tezuka's gaze sharpened, and his aura surged once more!

Seeing the change in Tezuka's eyes, the Seigaku team cried out in surprise.

"Tezuka's going all out!" Fuji said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Go, Captain Tezuka!" Momoshiro exclaimed excitedly, raising both hands.

"Tezuka, Seigaku..." Ryuzaki Sumire watched Tezuka on the court, leaving her words unfinished.

Bathed in white light, Tezuka tossed the ball up with his right hand. Then he swung his left arm sharply, his racket leaving a string of afterimages as he struck the ball with blinding speed!

Boom!

A crisp impact rang out, and the ball shot away amid a powerful rush of air!

No one could see its trajectory!

A single thought filled everyone's minds:

How could it be so fast?

Watching Tezuka serve, Atobe's eyes changed color once more, then suddenly contracted.

"Did the ball disappear?"

The spectators around them couldn't see the ball either!

The ball became a streak of light moving at extreme speed. In the blink of an eye, it reached Chiba Yun Chuan's side of the court and landed.

Thud!

It struck with a loud bang,

kicking up a cloud of dust!

Although none of the spectators could see it, Chiba Yun Chuan could.

He pushed off with his right foot and vanished, then reappeared in front of the ball. As it bounced up, he swung his racket at it!

"Tezuka, your serve still disappoints me! It's just too slow!"

With that, Chiba Yun Chuan swung his racket hard with his right hand.

Thud!

With a sharp impact, Tezuka's serve was sent back!

"How did he get to where the ball landed? He looked like he disappeared! Just like Atobe did earlier!" Kikumaru exclaimed in astonishment.

"He actually... actually hit it back!" Momoshiro said, unable to believe it.

Ryuzaki Sumire hadn't expected Chiba Yun Chuan to return Tezuka's serve so easily. How was that possible?

She knew better than anyone just how powerful a serve backed by the Limit of Thousand Forgings was!

Unbelievable!

Tezuka watched the ball fly back toward him and made a slight movement before striking the fast-approaching ball again!

Thud!

Another tremendous impact rang out. The ball flew toward Chiba Yun Chuan's side of the court with twice the power, spin, and speed.

As it traveled, it made a scraping sound against the air!

In almost an instant, it reached Chiba Yun Chuan's half of the court!

Even Atobe could only roughly make out the ball's trajectory!

It was simply too fast!

Chiba Yun Chuan felt a powerful gust rushing toward him, but the ball still seemed too slow in his eyes!

"Tezuka, is this the return you've empowered with the Limit of Thousand Forgings?"

He swung his arm and struck the ball with pinpoint accuracy. Then he put some force into it—

Boom!

Chiba Yun Chuan sent the ball back with ease once more!

"I knew it! The Captain really is strong!" Chotaro said, no longer worried. Chiba Yun Chuan was powerful!

"What were you all making such a fuss about earlier? Don't you know how strong Chiba is?

Just watch the match," Atobe said at last.

"Yes!"

The Hyotei team turned their attention to the match, watching intently.

Seeing Chiba Yun Chuan return Tezuka's shot, which had been doubled by the Limit of Thousand Forgings, Ryuzaki Sumire was even more shocked—and curious.

Who exactly was Chiba Yun Chuan?

That was a return empowered by the Limit of Thousand Forgings! Its power doubled with each hit, yet Chiba Yun Chuan returned it with such ease.

Tezuka watched the ball flying back toward him and prepared to return it with the Limit of Thousand Forgings again!

He stepped to the left, then swung his racket at the incoming ball.

The moment the ball touched the racket, he sensed something was wrong. His expression changed at once!

A tremendous force surged through his arm, making him want to let go of the racket!

The ball continued spinning violently against the racket, making a whirring sound.

"I won't give up!"

With that, Tezuka gripped the racket with his right hand as well, then let out a low shout!

"Ah!"

The white light around Tezuka flickered fiercely. This was clearly the strongest shot he could make with the Limit of Thousand Forgings activated.

The ball was sent back with twice the power once more!

The ball had grown so hot from friction with the air that it smelled scorched! Trailing wisps of smoke, it shot toward Chiba Yun Chuan like lightning!

The faint smoke was barely visible in the air, but the sight was still astonishing.

"What kind of return is that?"

"The ball's smoking!"

"That's amazing!"

"Yeah! He can't hit it back this time, can he?" Seeing Tezuka return the ball again, Momoshiro shouted happily.

"Tezuka really is strong," Fuji said with a smile.

In the corner of the court, Tachibana An clutched her clothes, her expression tense as she watched Chiba Yun Chuan with concern.

"What should I do? Can he return it? Come on!"

At the same time, she prayed for Chiba Yun Chuan in her heart.

Watching the ball fly toward him with a sonic boom and a wave of air, Chiba Yun Chuan didn't look worried at all.

"Tezuka, I'll show you another one of my limits!"

As soon as he finished speaking, white light began to radiate from Chiba Yun Chuan's body!

He looked just like a god clad in white armor!