WebNovels

Chapter 278 - Chapter 277: Breaking Through Limits

Thud!

The tennis ball hit the ground.

Ishikawa stood frozen in a defensive stance, watching helplessly as the ball whizzed past him at high speed.

"15-15!"

The black-clad Ishikawa spoke, a faint smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

Mushin! 

Ishikawa's heart sank.

This was the combat state that Akutsu had once entered in the original story.

In battle, people often strategize. Some fear their opponents, while others are overconfident. These psychological reactions arise unconsciously, affecting the fragile parts deep within their hearts.

The senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and consciousness—all are influenced.

However.

The eighth consciousness, Mushin, is the only one unaffected by inner fragility!

And the pinnacle of Mushin is the profound technique mastered by Byoudouin—Alaya-vijnana (a transliteration issue).

Just now.

The black-clad Ishikawa had instantly executed six different attacking stances, including his original form. The sheer terror of it had reached a professional level.

Yet, Ishikawa was certain he hadn't mastered Mushin.

"So... where did he learn it?!"

Staring at his doppelgänger, Ishikawa fell deep into thought.

"What's wrong?" 

Seeing Ishikawa's expression, the black-clad Ishikawa sneered, "Are you scared, rational mind?"

It was a cheap taunt.

But Ishikawa knew that against another version of himself who had mastered Mushin, he had no choice but to face him head-on.

Thud!

Without hesitation, Ishikawa sent the ball back.

Swish! 

Swish! Swish! Swish!

On the other side.

The black-clad Ishikawa instantly split into five afterimages. Along with his central form, six stances simultaneously charged at Ishikawa.

All six movements were real.

Until the ball was struck, every possibility of a shot existed.

Therefore.

Ishikawa heightened his focus, trying to lock onto all six figures at once.

"1!"

"2!"

"3..."

Ishikawa strained his vision to the limit, instantly observing five of the stances.

But the sixth figure remained elusive.

Thud!

The next moment.

The ball landed at his feet.

Yet, with every ounce of strength, Ishikawa swung his racket.

"The sixth one!"

Whoosh!

The racket sliced through the air.

The immense pressure slowed the ball's speed momentarily, and Ishikawa's racket connected, sending the ball flying back.

"He returned it?!"

The black-clad Ishikawa was stunned. "He actually countered the Mushin of six stances without accessing those powers?"

Instantly.

He grew wary.

Thud! Thud!

The black-clad figure sprinted toward the ball. His speed was astonishing—Ishikawa estimated it to be at least a 5.0 level.

Enhanced by Mushin, it was truly terrifying!

Buzz!

However.

As he approached the ball, a sharp, menacing light erupted from the black-clad Ishikawa.

Thud!

With a swing of his racket.

The ball shot out like a beam of light.

Crack!

When Ishikawa tried to intercept, his racket visibly split in two.

Boom!

The ball continued its trajectory.

After hitting the ground, it carved a two-finger-wide crack before ricocheting away.

"15-30!"

The black-clad Ishikawa announced.

His sharp aura intensified, and Ishikawa thought he saw a sword-wielding deity of destruction looming behind him.

"The Path of Asura?"

Ishikawa's pupils contracted.

Why?

How did he, besides Mushin, also master the Path of Asura derived from swordsmanship?!

"Surprised?"

The black-clad Ishikawa's smile widened.

"As I said before, you know far too little about the power of this body."

Buzz!

In an instant.

His aura shifted.

The sharpness faded, replaced by a swirling black-and-white light. He became enigmatic, almost impossible to read.

Swish!

Suddenly.

The black-clad Ishikawa opened his eyes, and when his gaze swept over Ishikawa, his body trembled.

"This feeling..."

For a moment, it felt as if all his secrets had been laid bare.

"Is this the Path of Asura derived from Go?!"

Staring at his other self, Ishikawa finally lost his composure. Techniques and profound skills he hadn't even mastered were being effortlessly wielded by his opponent.

And the moves he did know, the other had complete command over.

Did he even stand a chance in this match?

For a moment.

Ishikawa felt lost.

"That's right."

Seeing his state, the black-clad Ishikawa smirked. "You're too weak to control this body. After this match, I will be the true Ishikawa Shin!"

Buzz!

As he spoke.

A fierce red light erupted from his body, like flames so intense they seemed to melt everything in their path.

"The Path of Asura—the power to destroy everything: Extreme Path!"

The black-clad Ishikawa declared.

His aura had reached a terrifying level. In front of him, Ishikawa seemed as insignificant as an ant.

But.

He didn't give up.

Instead, he tossed the ball and launched another attack.

However, against the overwhelming power of the black-clad Ishikawa, the match quickly turned into a one-sided domination.

Thud! 

Thud! 

Thud!

As time passed.

Ishikawa kept losing points, quickly falling to 0-5, with his opponent holding match point.

"Finally... it's over."

The black-clad Ishikawa held the ball, looking at him with pity. "As expected, the rational mind should never have existed. Without your weakness, the new Ishikawa Shin will only grow stronger!"

Whoosh!

With that.

He tossed the ball, unleashing the terrifying aura of the Path of Asura's Extreme Path. His racket swung down with devastating force.

Bang!

A deafening crack echoed.

The ball tore through the court.

Boom!

Before it even landed, the sheer pressure of the shot sent dust exploding in all directions.

Ishikawa, standing at the center, was the target.

By now.

He was utterly exhausted.

The intense rally had pushed him to his limits. Facing a version of himself with four Paths of Asura and Mushin felt like a battle against an insurmountable force.

"Am I going to lose...?"

Ishikawa's mind wavered. "Was it all just the system's help that got me this far?"

Without the system, was he just like everyone else, powerless to change the outcome?

Swish!

In that moment.

Like a flashback, scenes from his journey in this world played before his eyes.

He saw himself rejoicing after obtaining the system.

He saw himself defeating Oshitari, becoming the center of attention.

After that.

He rose to become the strongest newcomer in Hyotei, defeating numerous opponents and earning the title of a national-level player.

In the regional tournament.

He defeated Kyushu's lion, Tachibana Kippei, saving Hyotei at a critical moment. He tamed the beast Akutsu, crushed the genius Fuji, and solidified his position as Hyotei's second-in-command.

In the Kanto tournament.

He overpowered countless strong opponents.

He battled Keigo, clashed with Atobe, defeated Sanada, and became Hyotei's strongest player.

Finally, in the national tournament.

He fought harder than ever, sweeping through the competition and even crushing the original protagonist, cementing his status as the nation's top player.

All of this, for someone who had once been a tennis novice, felt like a dream.

So.

Was it all just the system's doing?

Swish!

But then.

Another scene appeared.

At 6 a.m., he was on Hyotei's courts, training.

During lunch breaks, he was still on the courts, sweating.

At night, when everyone else was asleep, he was still there, pushing his limits.

While others chatted, he trained.

While others trained, he trained.

While others slept, he still trained.

Yes.

His growth was partly due to the system.

But.

Reaching this level was also the result of Ishikawa's relentless dedication, making training a part of his life, a habit.

Thinking this.

The doubt in Ishikawa's eyes faded, replaced by his usual determination. The images of him training under the scorching sun and pouring rain appeared behind him, merging into his being.

Step!

The next moment.

Ishikawa took a firm step forward.

He raised his racket, not using any special techniques or unleashing any powers.

He simply swung, as calmly and confidently as he had during all those training sessions.

Thud!

The ball, infused with the terrifying power of the Path of Asura's Extreme Path, was sent flying back the moment it touched his racket.

"He returned it?!"

The black-clad Ishikawa looked shocked. "I underestimated you. But in your current state, how many more attacks can you handle?"

Swish!

With that.

The black-clad Ishikawa swung his racket, the aura of the Path of Asura's swordsmanship glowing around him.

"Let's see if you can return this—the power to cut through everything!"

Thud!

Racket met ball.

But then, the black-clad Ishikawa's confident expression turned to one of shock.

"This power... how?!"

Crack!

The next moment.

His racket was pierced.

The seemingly ordinary ball, undiminished in power, shot straight toward the black-clad Ishikawa's chest.

Boom!

With a deafening explosion.

The figure was sent flying like a broken kite, crashing into the wall before shattering into glowing particles that flowed back into Ishikawa.

In an instant.

Ishikawa, who had felt his body reaching its limit, now felt an overwhelming surge of power!

(End of Chapter)

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