Mental Meditation?
Upon hearing Mitsunari's words, Oni and Irie were both stunned. Their first instinct was to think he was lying to them.
"Tennis... has something to do with meditation?"
The two exchanged glances, both seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
However, they quickly recalled what Mitsunari had said earlier—this was about cultivating the mind. And meditation was a method to strengthen one's spirit.
"Sit down and close your eyes," Mitsunari said sternly. "Focus your mind, relax your body, and don't let external distractions interfere. When you reach this state, it means you've found the entrance to the Path of Asura!"
"Mm."
Both of them nodded in unison.
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Following Mitsunari's instructions, they closed their eyes, held their breath, and concentrated. They relaxed their bodies as much as possible and soon entered the desired state.
After all, both of them possessed strong mental strength, so achieving the first stage Mitsunari mentioned was relatively easy for them.
"Screech!"
But just then, a sharp cry echoed from the sky.
The chaotic sound disrupted their focus. Oni and Irie found it hard to maintain their calm and opened their eyes. They saw that Mitsunari's trained hawks, now without tasks, had started playing around.
The hawks' cries were already piercing, and with several of them squawking at once, it was like a cacophony that made it nearly impossible to concentrate.
However, when Oni and Irie looked at Mitsunari, they noticed his indifferent expression. It was clear he was allowing this to happen on purpose.
"Meditation isn't as simple as you think," Mitsunari said, his voice deep. "Meditation is about entering the deeper layers of consciousness and unlocking the hidden power within. Both of you have strong mental willpower, but you're still only scratching the surface."
"Mm."
Irie's expression shifted slightly.
He knew Mitsunari was right. If cultivating the mind were truly this easy, then the Path of Asura wouldn't be accessible to only a select few.
"Take it slow," Oni said from the side. "First, calm your mind and don't overthink things."
"Yeah."
Irie nodded.
He thought that the past few days of training had already calmed his mind. But when faced with the gateway to the Path of Asura, he realized he was still too restless.
However, as Oni said, they just needed to take it step by step.
After all, considering how seriously Mitsunari was treating this and how he had explained the history of tennis, it was clear how difficult this was. Even a genius like Oni couldn't completely block out distractions... Huh?
Swish!
Suddenly, as if struck by a thought, Irie turned his head sharply to look at the spot next to Oni.
There, he saw Ishikawa sitting cross-legged on the ground, his eyes lightly closed, appearing completely undisturbed and at peace.
"No way...?"
Even the usually composed Irie couldn't help but let a hint of disbelief seep into his voice.
Since when had this been happening?
He hadn't even noticed Ishikawa's presence!
"Coach," Oni whispered, "Ishikawa, he..."
"Yes," Mitsunari nodded. "He's entered a deep meditative state, reaching the deeper layers of consciousness."
At these words, both Oni and Irie's eyes widened in shock.
How was this possible?
How had he done it so quickly?
"His mental strength is unique," Mitsunari explained, seeing their confusion. "Both its resilience and intensity surpass that of an ordinary person. His mental world must be incredibly powerful."
With that, Mitsunari suddenly whistled.
"Screech!"
Responding to the signal, one of the hawks in the sky, its eyes gleaming sharply, dove down in a steep descent.
Whoosh!
A strong gust of wind swept past.
Oni and Irie's expressions changed.
They both looked at Mitsunari, but he remained calm and composed. Meanwhile, the hawk showed no signs of slowing down.
Danger!
The two of them screamed internally.
Because of Mitsunari's presence, they didn't act, but they were ready to step in and save Ishikawa at any moment.
Swish!
But then, Ishikawa moved.
He instinctively gripped the pure lead racket beside him, picked up a small stone with his other hand, and stood up in one fluid motion.
"Screech?!"
In that instant, the diving hawk seemed to sense something terrifying. Its eyes flashed with fear, and with a sharp cry, it abruptly changed direction, flapping its wings as if fleeing, and flew off in another direction.
"Ishikawa?"
Irie couldn't help but call out.
A hint of doubt flickered in his eyes. He hadn't expected that Ishikawa's previous state might have been a facade.
"No need to call him. He can't hear you," Mitsunari said, shaking his head. "If I'm not mistaken, this kid has shut off his five senses."
"What?"
"Shut off... his five senses?!"
"Don't believe me? Look closely at his eyes."
"His eyes?"
Irie focused on Ishikawa's eyes and noticed that his pupils were unfocused. His expression shifted.
"How is that possible?!"
"That's just how it is," Mitsunari said, shaking his head. "He's using some method to block his vision, hearing, touch, and other senses. He can't hear a word we're saying right now."
"He can do that?"
Oni and Irie were both astonished.
They never imagined Ishikawa had such an ability.
"He's indeed very clever," Mitsunari said, watching Ishikawa stand there, holding the pure lead racket with one hand. "By shutting off his five senses, he's able to concentrate his mind and enter the deeper layers of consciousness."
"True."
Even Irie couldn't help but praise him. "He's the most talented newcomer I've ever seen."
"Mm."
Oni nodded heavily.
After all, two years ago, when he and Byoudouin had entered U-17, their epic battle had cemented Oni as the undisputed strongest in U-17.
And yet, Ishikawa, who had just joined U-17, had defeated him, the strongest player two years later.
This level of talent was something even he and Byoudouin couldn't match!
"A newcomer?"
Hearing their assessment, Mitsunari raised an eyebrow, a playful smile tugging at his lips. "Do you two really think he's just some ordinary newcomer?"
"Huh?"
At this, Oni and Irie frowned.
Mitsunari's words clearly carried a deeper meaning.
Irie instinctively asked, "He's not a newcomer?"
"Well, he is," Mitsunari said, shaking his head. He looked at the slightly youthful black-haired boy in front of him and smiled. "But not the kind of newcomer you think he is."
"The kind we think..."
Oni and Irie fell into thought.
In their eyes, Ishikawa was a newcomer. Like Mouri and Genichirou, he had just entered high school and joined U-17 in the fall. That was all, right?
"Wait!!"
Suddenly, as if realizing something, Irie's pupils contracted sharply.
"Coach," he said, looking up at Mitsunari, his voice trembling slightly. "Don't tell me... he's a middle schooler?!"
A... middle schooler?
Oni was dumbfounded.
He also turned to look at Mitsunari. When he saw the faint smile of confirmation on the coach's face, his heart skipped a beat.
Swish!
Then, he turned back to look at Ishikawa, his expression as if he'd seen a ghost.
"This guy... is just a middle schooler?!"