Three days had passed.
The three of them seemed like completely different people now.
Irie had matured, his once frivolous demeanor replaced by a calm and composed presence. His eyes now carried the depth of a wise man.
As for Ishikawa and Oni, they too had become even more enigmatic.
Especially the latter.
Oni, with his steel-like physique, exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure just by standing there, like a demon god.
Early in the morning, the three of them, as usual, prepared to go down the mountain to fetch water.
"Ishikawa."
Just then, Mifune called out to Ishikawa, his voice low and serious. "Stay behind. I need to talk to you."
Oni and Irie exchanged a glance but didn't linger. After a brief pause, they quickly made their way down the mountain.
Ishikawa approached Mifune. "Head Coach, what is it?"
"How's your training been going?" Mifune got straight to the point. "Have you managed to break through one of the paths?"
"No," Ishikawa shook his head.
His mental focus had grown stronger than before, but it still wasn't enough to break through the thick mental barrier. He believed the path he was on was more challenging than most, and breaking through wouldn't come easily.
"Is that so?" Mifune frowned slightly.
It seemed the barrier Ishikawa faced was even thicker than he had anticipated. Following the usual training regimen, it would be difficult for him to make a breakthrough in a short time.
Moreover, Ishikawa's unwavering confidence was both a strength and a potential weakness. If he were to face failure, the impact on his psyche could be devastating.
As the head coach of U17, Mifune naturally didn't want to see that happen.
"Your situation has surpassed my expectations," Mifune said after a moment of thought. "If you want to break through this barrier, I can recommend someone to you."
"Who?"
"My teacher."
At this, Mifune's stern face showed a rare hint of reverence.
"Your teacher?" Ishikawa feigned surprise. "You mean the one who developed the path of [Mental Cultivation]?"
"Exactly," Mifune nodded, a clear sense of pride in his expression.
It was obvious that he held deep respect and admiration for his teacher.
A short while later, when Oni and Irie returned with the water, they saw Ishikawa, now wearing his Hyotei jacket, preparing to leave with a cloth bag slung over his shoulder.
"Senpais, I'll be going ahead," Ishikawa said, bidding them farewell before heading down the mountain.
"What's this about?" Irie was puzzled.
Oni narrowed his eyes, his tone heavy. "Next time we see him, he'll probably have reached a new level."
"Hmm."
Irie shuddered slightly.
Oni's words reminded him of Ishikawa's identity. It was hard to believe that a middle schooler had already come this far—and was still rapidly pulling ahead of them.
"I've made up my mind," Irie said firmly. "I won't leave this mountain until I've broken through the path of Asura."
"Same here," Oni nodded solemnly.
He felt the weight of Irie's determination and silently vowed the same. He wouldn't leave until he had advanced further in his own Asura path.
Meanwhile, despite still wearing the weights Mifune had given him, Ishikawa moved swiftly down the mountain.
In just an hour, he reached the U17 parking lot. Without delay, he boarded a bus and headed straight back to Tokyo.
From there, he didn't even return to Hyotei. Instead, he went directly to Chiba City in Chiba Prefecture.
Following the information Mifune had given him, he arrived at a coastal area.
In the distance, he could see a group of people gathering shellfish on the beach. His eyes quickly locked onto a few boys among them.
"Hello," he greeted them in a friendly tone.
"Huh?"
The boys, who had been focused on their task, looked up. One of them, a handsome boy with blue hair, was visibly surprised. "Ishikawa from Hyotei?!"
The others immediately turned their attention to him.
"Ishikawa?"
"You're in Chiba?"
"Did the rest of Hyotei come too? Are Hiyoshi and Ootori here?"
The boys were members of Rokkaku Middle School, the strongest tennis team in Chiba.
"Guys, I need some information," Ishikawa said with a smile. "Do you know someone named Magahara around here?"
"Magahara?"
The boys exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions turning slightly odd.
"Of course we know him," said Rokkaku's captain, Taro Kaji, with a grin. "What do you need him for?"
"I've hit a wall in my tennis training," Ishikawa explained. "I heard he's a remarkable person. If you know where he is, could you take me to him?"
"Sure thing," Saeki nodded.
The other Rokkaku members, however, looked even more amused, some even stifling laughter.
What they didn't know was that Ishikawa was already aware of the true identity of this mysterious "Magahara." That's why he had sought out the Rokkaku team.
With that, the group abandoned their shellfish gathering and led Ishikawa to a small hill nearby. After climbing a stone-paved path, they arrived at a temple.
There, an elderly man with a hunched back, dressed in a red short-sleeved shirt, was sweeping the temple courtyard.
"Old man, we're back!" Kaji shouted excitedly as they approached. In contrast, Saeki, Kurobane, and the others were much more reserved.
As they entered the temple, the group quieted down. Even Aoi, who usually loved to joke around, stayed silent.
"Welcome back," the old man—Rokkaku's coach, known as "Old Man"—greeted them with a smile.
But when his gaze fell on Ishikawa, a glint of recognition flashed in his cloudy eyes.
"It's you," the old man said, his smile widening.
In a way, he and Ishikawa shared a connection. During the Kanto Tournament, it was the old man who had taught Ishikawa the basics of yoga, which indirectly led to Ishikawa unlocking his fourth sub-profession.
And during the Nationals, Ishikawa had stepped in to protect the old man from being harmed by the players of Higa Chuu.
Now, following Mifune's advice, Ishikawa had sought out the old man once again.
Yes, this "Old Man" of Rokkaku was none other than Mifune's teacher, the legendary Magahara, the one who had pioneered the path of [Mental Cultivation].
"This is our second meeting, isn't it?" the old man said, his eyes twinkling as he observed Ishikawa's growth. "Young man, you've done well."
"You're too kind," Ishikawa replied with a smile. "Actually, if we're counting, this would be our third meeting."
"Third?" The others looked confused.
Even the old man seemed surprised.
Only Ishikawa knew the truth. Between the Kanto Tournament and the Nationals, during a team-building trip with Hyotei, he had encountered the old man's presence on a small, unnamed island.
Though the old man hadn't been physically present, Ishikawa had found traces of his teachings—specifically, the stone carvings that had once guided the samurai, Echizen Nanjiro.
From those carvings, Ishikawa had gained deeper insights into his own power.
And now, guided by Mifune, he had returned to seek the old man's guidance once more, determined to break through the barriers of his Asura path.