When Ryoma woke up, the conversation between the two had already ended.
"Father...?"
Ryoma blinked in confusion.
Hadn't he just scored the final point? Why was his father suddenly standing in front of him?
Teleportation?
Echizen Nanjirō spoke calmly, "Ryoma, you've already lost."
Lost?
"That's impossi—"
Before he could finish, Ryoma noticed Yoru nearby, casually wiping down his racket—completely unfazed, as if the earlier struggle had never happened.
Yoru slid his racket into his bag and smiled softly. "Looks like you really gave me a beating, Ryoma."
An illusion?
The sharp-witted Ryoma quickly realized what had happened.
Remembering Ryōga's past experiences, it suddenly clicked—everything had been fake.
Yoru walked over and, unable to resist, ruffled Ryoma's smooth, dark green hair.
I always thought the hair colors in Prince of Tennis were dyed...
But after coming here, I learned they're all natural. This really is a unique world.
With a grin, Yoru said, "Ryoma, this is my innate ability. I call it 'Ten Senses Control.'"
Ten Senses Control?
Ryoma frowned in confusion. At his age, he didn't understand what "ten senses" meant.
Yoru didn't bother explaining further, simply watching him with amusement.
"So... I still lost?"
Ryoma's expression darkened as he stared at his palm—then froze.
A faint glow still lingered on his body, his senses sharper than ever. "This feeling... it's like..."
"Like the state you entered in the illusion, right?" Yoru cut in.
Nanjirō shot Yoru a reproachful look, as if blaming him for disrupting his plans.
Ignoring him, Yoru continued, "This is the 'Muga no Kyōchi' (Zone of Self-Actualization). It allows you to react instinctively, bypassing conscious thought, and even replicate moves you've seen from other players. Only those who surpass their limits can reach this state."
"Activating Muga no Kyōchi temporarily boosts your five physical dimensions (Five Stats), but the downside is extreme stamina drain."
"Muga no Kyōchi... stamina drain?"
As the glow on his palm faded, a wave of exhaustion crashed over Ryoma. His knees buckled, and he gasped for air, sweat dripping from his brow.
The backlash of deactivating Muga no Kyōchi had hit him hard.
Yoru patted his shoulder. "Consider this my parting gift. Reflect on it."
Thanks to Yoru's intense training and Nanjirō's guidance, Ryoma had already met the conditions to awaken Muga no Kyōchi at his age.
Yoru had merely given him a push, using Ten Senses Control to force the breakthrough.
In his eyes, letting Ryoma experience higher realms early wasn't a bad thing.
After all, this version of Ryoma was far stronger than his original counterpart—Nanjirō's old methods no longer suited him.
"Alright, you two. Go clean up, then come eat!"
With things already settled, Nanjirō could only sigh and lazily scratch his chin before heading inside.
Though Echizen Rinko wasn't in the U.S., the house had a hired maid to handle meals for the three of them.
At the table, Nanjirō, Ryoma, and Yoru wolfed down their food like starving wolves.
Between bites, Yoru opened his system notifications—and grinned.
"Just as I thought!"
[Detected: Ryoma Echizen has awakened Muga no Kyōchi (Lv. 1).]
[Multiplicative Return: You have acquired Muga no Kyōchi (Lv. 3)!]
Yoru frowned slightly.
"What level do I need to unlock the Three Doors of Muga?"
[The Three Doors are independent state skills. Muga no Kyōchi's level only affects activation ease, not direct access.]
"Then what's the point of leveling it up?"
He'd pushed Ryoma to awaken Muga no Kyōchi precisely for those doors!
[Higher Five Stats amplification, lower stamina cost.]
"...Fine."
The next morning, Yoru and Ryoma arrived at the All-American Junior Tennis Tournament.
The stands were packed.
Despite the U.S.'s mediocre tennis strength, the sport's global popularity ensured a roaring crowd.
"Ryoma, warm up properly. After you win, we'll feast—the old man gave me extra cash today."
"Feast~"
Ryoma's eyes sparkled, but then he shrugged. "The finals opponent is weak. I'll finish it in ten minutes."
"Oh? Confident, aren't we?"
A deep voice rang out behind them.
They turned to see a boy with ash-blond hair and a rope headband walking over.
Yoru smirked. "You competing this year?"
The boy shook his head. "Since you didn't sign up, I didn't bother. No one else interests me."
"Only playing you makes me stronger."
"Using me as an EXP farm?" Yoru rolled his eyes.
The boy was Ralph Reinhardt—future captain of the U.S. U-17 team.
In every All-American Junior Tournament Yoru had entered, Ralph had been his finals opponent.
Though Ralph always lost badly, each match triggered a massive leap in his strength.
His terrifying talent allowed him to evolve mid-match, patching weaknesses in real time.
He was the only player Yoru knew whose base level exceeded his Five Stats.
Now, no one but Yoru could push him further.
"Time flies. Ryoma's already in the junior tournaments," Ralph mused.
Thanks to Yoru, Ralph had known Ryoma since childhood.
Yoru scoffed. "You're only 15. Stop acting like an old man. If you're not competing, why are you in L.A.?"
Ralph shrugged. "You mentioned entering Ryoma, so I came to watch the finals. Maybe squeeze in a match with you."
"After Ryoma's match," Yoru agreed easily.
Ralph blinked in surprise.
Normally, Yoru would grumble about "wasting training time."
"I'm heading to Japan soon," Yoru explained. "Consider this a farewell match."
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