Returning to Hyotei, Ishikawa practiced several sets of ancient martial arts routines before finally going to bed.
Over the next few days, his life followed a strict routine of studying, training, and practicing ancient martial arts.
While it might have seemed monotonous to others, Ishikawa found joy in it. Every day, he could feel himself growing stronger.
Five days later, after completing another set of ancient martial arts routines, a sudden realization dawned on him. He sensed a special energy within his body, and his ancient martial arts skill successfully leveled up to Level 2.
The improvement in his secondary profession made Ishikawa noticeably more agile and explosive. However, his five-dimensional attributes on the character panel remained unchanged.
Based on his experience, Ishikawa understood that this was because tennis and ancient martial arts were not directly connected. Since the mini-game he was loaded into was primarily focused on tennis, the five-dimensional attributes only reflected his tennis abilities.
In simpler terms, if he were on a tennis court, he might not be a match for professional players. But if he swapped his racket for a wooden sword, he would instantly become one of the world's top kendo masters.
Still, Ishikawa could feel the internal changes brought about by his breakthrough in ancient martial arts. Although his increased agility and explosive power weren't reflected in his five-dimensional attributes, he knew they were there.
To fully utilize the advantages of ancient martial arts in tennis, Ishikawa needed to deeply integrate the two. And he had both the patience and the talent to do so.
Before he knew it, another ten days had passed.
Living his three-point life and making training a part of his daily routine, Ishikawa finally reached Level 30.
With this level-up came 3 skill points and a precious secondary profession point. Combined with the 2 points he had saved earlier, he now had 3 secondary profession points at his disposal. His skill points had also accumulated to a comfortable 63.
"With my current base strength, I should be at the peak of the Kanto level!"
Sitting on a bench in the Hyotei tennis club's rest area, Ishikawa looked at his data panel and pondered.
Kanto level, national level.
In the original story, there was no clear boundary between the two. What exactly defined a national-level player?
Since defeating Ōshitari, Ishikawa had been thinking about this question.
Five-dimensional attributes and techniques were undoubtedly part of a national-level player's arsenal. But Ishikawa believed there was more to it.
In the original story, aside from Ryoma Echizen, Kintarō Toyama, and the exceptionally talented but underdeveloped Akutsu Jin, there were only eleven players who could be considered national-level.
From Rikkai Dai, there were Yukimura, Sanada, and Yanagi, as well as Yagyū, who could mimic Tezuka and Shiraishi, and even use two types of Muga no Kyōchi.
From Seigaku, there was Tezuka and Fuji, who later evolved his triple counter and even developed quintuple and sextuple counters.
From Hyotei, there was Atobe.
From Shitenhōji, there was Shiraishi Kuranosuke and Chitose Senri.
From Fudomine, there was Tachibana Kippei.
And from Higa, there was Kite Eishirō.
These players were undoubtedly the cream of the crop among middle schoolers of their era. Each had their own unique style of tennis, representing the national level in their respective fields.
"So..."
As images of Tezuka, Yukimura, Sanada, and others flashed through his mind, Ishikawa's eyes slowly narrowed. "To break into the national level, I must forge my own path!"
With this realization, Ishikawa's mind cleared.
He picked up his racket and headed to the training area.
*Tap! Tap! Tap!*
In a secluded corner, Ishikawa lightly bounced a tennis ball, pondering what kind of tennis style suited him best.
Offensive?
Defensive?
Strategic?
Or perhaps all-around?
And if he were to base his style on one of these, what should he integrate?
Kendo?
Chess strategy?
Or ancient martial arts?
*Tap!*
Catching the ball in his hand, Ishikawa's eyes gleamed with determination.
He then hit the ball against the wall, watching it rebound. Holding his racket as if it were a wooden sword, Ishikawa focused on the incoming ball.
At that moment, his aura changed completely.
It was as if he had transformed into a master of kendo. To him, the tennis ball was no longer just a ball—it was an enemy's blade coming straight at him.
*Whoosh!*
In a flash, Ishikawa's racket accelerated, its edge slicing through the air like a sword.
*Bang!*
The moment the racket made contact with the ball, the ball caved in at the point of impact.
Ishikawa's racket, now as sharp as a blade, cleanly split the ball in half.
*Tap! Tap!*
The two halves of the ball fell to the ground.
Ishikawa frowned. "As expected, simply applying kendo techniques to tennis isn't compatible."
Over half a month ago, during his match with Ōshitari, Ishikawa had used kendo techniques to counter the Bear Hunt. But even then, he hadn't used his full strength.
Now, it was clear that simply being stronger in kendo didn't directly translate to greater tennis prowess.
There was a fine balance to strike.
He needed to find the perfect intersection between kendo and tennis to fully unleash the potential of kendo in his tennis.
And so, Ishikawa continued experimenting.
He adjusted his strength, refined his techniques, and worked to seamlessly blend kendo's grip and movements with his tennis strokes.
With each attempt, his shots became faster and more precise, and the balls no longer split.
This made Ishikawa realize that there was a deeper interplay between strength and technique.
Brute force and finesse, when applied to tennis, produced entirely different results.
Brute force was crude and violent, seemingly powerful but only superficially so. It lacked depth and could easily be absorbed or neutralized.
Finesse, on the other hand, was transformative. When strength was refined by technique, it became more stable and precise, leading to a qualitative leap in the speed and power of his shots.
*Bang! Bang! Bang!*
In the corner of the court, Ishikawa repeated his strokes over and over.
At first, the onlookers were intrigued. But as time passed and the routine grew monotonous, they gradually left.
As the sky darkened, Ishikawa was the only one left on the court.
*Whoosh!*
Once again, the ball rebounded off the wall.
Drenched in sweat, Ishikawa tightened his grip on his racket, his eyes locked on the incoming ball.
After countless repetitions, the connection between kendo and tennis in his mind grew clearer. Something was on the verge of breaking through.
"Kendo... tennis!"
As the similarities between the two flashed through his mind, Ishikawa's eyes grew brighter. His focus and mental energy reached unprecedented levels.
"Now!"
*Hum!*
As Ishikawa swung his racket, a silvery light emanated from the racket, and a starlike glow surrounded him.
*Bang!*
With a crisp sound, the silvery light and starlike glow infused the tennis ball. Empowered by this immense force, the ball shot forward at an unprecedented speed.
*Whoosh!*
In an instant, the ball crossed dozens of meters, leaving a silvery trail in the air.
*Boom!*
The next moment, the ball slammed into the wall. The force within it exploded, creating a ten-centimeter-deep dent. Cracks, as thick as fingers, spread across the wall.
*Sizzle...*
Inside the dent, the ball spun violently, sparks flying as it continued to rotate without stopping.
**[Ding!]**
At that moment, a system notification sounded in Ishikawa's mind.
**[Player has fused kendo and tennis, creating a special ability: True Intent of Kendo.]**
**(End of Chapter)**