The two players on the court began to glow white. They faced each other across the net, like two war gods.
"What!" Tezuka's pupils contracted sharply as he stared at Chiba Yun Chuan, whose whole body was glowing white!
"No way! Chiba Yun Chuan can use the Limit of Thousand Forgings too? Is he even human?" Kikumaru's exaggerated voice rang out again!
"This is truly incredible. Chiba Yun Chuan has already opened two gates of the State of Selflessness. Based on the information we have, Tezuka has a twenty percent chance of winning," Inui said. Even that estimate was based on the possibility that Tezuka had some hidden techniques!
"Another gate... and he's only a first-year..." Ryuzaki Sumire had risen from her chair and cried out in shock.
All of Seigaku's players turned to look at her.
Then she regained her composure and sat back down.
"Captain really is amazing! He can even use the Limit of Thousand Forgings!" Shishido's voice was already numb with shock.
Chiba Yun Chuan had surprised them more than enough already!
"Captain never used these techniques when he played against us, did he?" Oshitari said slowly from beside him.
"Uh..."
"Chiba, how many more tricks have you got up your sleeve? Just how strong are you? Where's your limit? I refuse to believe these are all you can do!
"I'll have to keep watching closely!" Atobe thought to himself as he looked at Chiba Yun Chuan, surrounded by white light on the court.
The spectators around them were completely bewildered.
They'd certainly seen plenty today.
"What's going on? Why are they glowing?"
"I don't know, but they're so strong! The tennis ball's even smoking!"
"Yagami, you can do it! Yagami's the best!"
Chiba Yun Chuan swung as if wielding a war god's weapon, smashing the ball that came flying toward him trailing black smoke.
Bang!
A thunderous sound rang out from Chiba Yun Chuan's racket.
The impact echoed across the entire court!
Then the ball seemed to appear out of nowhere in Tezuka's half of the court, slamming into the ground!
It left a clear dent before bouncing out of bounds!
A trail of smoke followed the ball as it flew, along with a faint smell of burning!
"Ice Emperor scores. The score is 40–0," the referee announced.
Every spectator was now watching Chiba Yun Chuan on the court.
Suddenly, Atobe stretched his right hand upward and snapped his fingers in the air.
Pop!
"Yagami's the best! Ice Emperor will win!"
"Yagami will win! Ice Emperor will take the title!"
"Yagami's the strongest! Ice Emperor's the strongest!"
The sudden cheering startled Chiba Yun Chuan. He looked back at Atobe, who had his hand raised. Of course, it was him again!
Maybe he should ask Atobe for some pointers on how to show off. Now that was how you did it!
If Atobe had a system, wouldn't he be able to conquer the whole galaxy?
On the court.
Tezuka looked at Chiba Yun Chuan, then at the dent the ball had just left. His expression was somber.
He hadn't expected Chiba Yun Chuan to know the State of Selflessness, let alone have already opened two gates.
It was truly incredible.
But Tezuka's expression grew more serious.
"So you're strong. I won't give up! Seigaku has to make it to the National Tournament!"
The main reason Tezuka was giving it his all was to test Chiba Yun Chuan's strength.
He just hadn't expected Chiba Yun Chuan to be so strong. Even now, he still couldn't tell where the other boy's limits lay.
Looking at Chiba Yun Chuan across from him, smiling and relaxed, Tezuka felt a kind of respect for someone for the first time.
It was respect for his skill. Chiba Yun Chuan had earned Tezuka's recognition.
At that moment, Chiba Yun Chuan looked at Tezuka across from him, his expression utterly relaxed and his gaze full of admiration.
Playing against someone like Tezuka was a pleasure!
It wasn't just about fulfilling a wish. More than anything, it was rare to find such a strong opponent. Chiba Yun Chuan was already thinking about going to the U-17 Training Camp.
Now that he had reached another dimension, he wouldn't fear facing Byodoin Hōō or Oni Juro!
"Did you see that, Saori? Ice Emperor's Captain, Chiba Yun Chuan, can use the Limit of Thousand Forgings too!
"And I have a feeling this isn't even the best Chiba Yun Chuan can do. I wonder how much he'll make Tezuka bring out.
"I'm really looking forward to this match."
Inoue Mamoru's voice was full of praise for Chiba Yun Chuan. Shiba Saori could only shake her head at his words.
"Yes, Senior Inoue. Chiba Yun Chuan really is very talented!"
It was match point now. Tezuka stood at the baseline.
A flash of light appeared in his eyes.
White light shimmered around his body once again.
He tossed the ball into the air again. The racket in his left hand gathered tremendous force and became a blur.
In the blink of an eye, the racket struck the ball with all its might.
Bang!
Another crisp sound rang out. The ball, empowered by the Limit of Thousand Forgings, shot toward Chiba Yun Chuan like a bolt of lightning.
"Tezuka, your ball still isn't fast enough!"
In the blink of an eye, Chiba Yun Chuan vanished once again.
He had put away the Limit of Thousand Forgings, so it wasn't affecting his speed.
He reappeared in front of the ball. As soon as it bounced, Chiba Yun Chuan swung his racket rapidly at it.
With a muffled thud, the racket struck the ball hard!
Chiba Yun Chuan drove the ball straight back.
Whoosh!
The sound of the ball cutting through the air rang out. Almost instantly, it landed to Tezuka's left!
Tezuka's gaze was intent. He bent his knees slightly and swung straight ahead.
Bathed in white light, Tezuka used the Limit of Thousand Forgings again, doubling the effect once more.
With the sound of a strike—
Bang!
The ball flew toward Chiba Yun Chuan, carrying twice the power, spin, and speed!
"That was amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
"Is this really just the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament? Why does it feel even more exciting than the Kanto Tournament?"
"Both sides are so strong! Incredibly strong!"
Chiba Yun Chuan didn't panic as he watched the ball fly toward him.
He stepped to the left and raised his racket high with his right hand.
His right foot slid slightly backward.
The Ice Emperor players were very familiar with Chiba Yun Chuan's stance!
"It's coming! Captain's Light Bullet!" Chotaro shouted.
"Yeah, it's finally coming! I bet they'll be stunned!" Oshitari chimed in.
After Chotaro's shout, Seigaku's players looked puzzled. But when they saw Chiba Yun Chuan on the court, their faces immediately filled with disbelief.
Chiba Yun Chuan's racket slammed into the ball, and golden light radiated from the point of impact!
It dyed his hair and face gold!
Light Bullet!
Chiba Yun Chuan's arm suddenly tensed with force.
Boom!
The impact sounded like a firecracker exploding, sharp and deafening.
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