Ten minutes later...
After warming up, Ryoga stepped onto the court with Yoru.
QP climbed into the referee's chair—he was the only one qualified to officiate this match.
Yoru calmly observed Ryoga as his data panel appeared:
[Name]: Echizen Ryoga
[Age]: 13
[Techniques]:
- Personal Five Dimensions (Lv. 10)
- Basic Tennis (Lv. 10)
- Twist Serve (Lv. 10)
- Two-Sword Style (Lv. 10)
- Light Ball Strike (Lv. 10)
- Violent Drive (Lv. 10)
- +221 additional techniques (folded)
[Talents]:
- Devour (Controllable: 20 min)
- Surging Might
- Breath of the Waves
- Boundless Vigor
- Flourishing Growth
- +6 additional talents (folded)
[Combat Power]: 12 Stars
[Devour]:
- Ignores Five Dimensions and fundamentals.
- Gradually consumes everything from opponents, including talents.
- (Note: Cannot devour talents from opponents with 3+ Stars higher combat power. Also cannot permanently absorb techniques or playstyles.)
Over 200 techniques. 10 talents!
Yoru was shocked.
He had expected Ryoga to grow significantly after gaining control over Devour, but this was beyond ridiculous.
Techniques were one thing, but 10 talents? That was no joke.
These talents covered boosts in Five Dimensions, technique refinement, and even developmental growth—no wonder Ryoga had reached this level at just 13.
"Damn, I should've bound him as a disciple earlier."
"But this kid's ruthless… he must've crippled at least nine people."
Yoru frowned.
"12 Stars, huh?"
Though there was a 3-Star gap between them, Yoru didn't dare let his guard down.
At full power, Ryoga could likely hit 13 Stars.
His Devour talent was simply broken—no level restrictions, only limited by time and opponent strength.
"Scary stuff."
Back in his past life, Yoru vaguely remembered Ryoga telling Nanjiroh he wanted to "devour" his techniques. At the time, it sounded horrifying.
Now, knowing Nanjiroh's true strength?
"Yeah… no way. Devour that? Not a chance."
---
"Big bro, I'm ready!"
Ryoga swung his racket and took his position at the baseline.
"Alright."
Yoru stepped onto the court.
The moment he moved, an overwhelming pressure erupted, suffocating the entire arena.
Ryoga's breath hitched.
"This aura…!"
He tried to steady himself, but the more he struggled, the heavier the pressure grew—his vision even blurred slightly.
Aura.
The mark of a true powerhouse.
For someone like Yoru, whose mental fortitude was beyond human limits, his control over aura was monstrous.
Ryoga's newfound confidence shattered in an instant.
---
Outside the court:
Ryoma: "What's wrong with him?"
Tezuka: "That's aura. You'll learn to wield it someday—or at least resist it."
---
"Big bro, you serve first!"
"Huh?"
"I prefer being on the defensive~"
Yoru rolled his eyes.
"Makes sense with Devour, but that phrasing…"
---
SWISH—!
Without hesitation, Yoru tossed the ball high and leaped, smashing it down with a fierce swing.
The Twist Serve.
Ryoga recognized it instantly—he could use it too, but never as well as Yoru.
Suppressing his urge to Devour, he locked onto the ball.
BANG!
The shot tore across the court, spinning violently yet flying straight—deceptively fast for a spin serve.
At the bounce, it reversed direction, shooting back toward Yoru.
"Big bro's Twist Serve is still terrifying… but not this time!"
In a flash, Ryoga blurred into position, intercepting the ball mid-reverse.
"Nice counter."
Yoru smirked.
Ryoga had just used a high-speed movement technique—proof that despite absorbing hundreds of skills, he integrated them seamlessly.
This was the first time Ryoga had ever directly countered his Twist Serve.
"Good. If he couldn't even handle this, the match would've been boring."
With 200+ techniques, Ryoga's combat potential far exceeded 12 Stars—13 Stars, easy.
And that was without Devour.
This wouldn't be a match Yoru could afford to underestimate.
Originally, he came to the U.S. to face Ralph.
Who knew Ryoga would be a hidden boss?
But the stronger Ryoga was, the more excited Yoru got.
"Next 'Fated One' card I get, I'm binding him for sure."
---
On the court:
Ryoga spun 360°, slinging the ball back with a whip-like motion.
BAM!
The return shot exploded across the net.
"That's how you counter a Twist Serve?!"
QP's eyes widened.
As someone with supreme analytical skills, he instantly grasped the genius behind Ryoga's move—the rotation absorbed the spin, allowing a clean return.
"Incredible…!"
The Seigaku team stood frozen.
They'd never seen such an unorthodox yet effective return.
Yoru vanished, reappearing at the landing point—but just as his racket connected, the ball's spin intensified, making it disappear mid-air.
His swing met nothing.
"Interesting."
"With 200+ techniques, every return is unpredictable. You've gotten stronger, Ryoga."
Yoru grinned.
"But you're still too green."
ZZZT—!
A crackling vortex erupted around Yoru, dragging the vanished ball back into visibility.
"The 'Zone'… created off a single serve?!"
Ryoga's breath caught.
For a moment, he felt like a kid again—facing Yoru's overwhelming pressure.
Meanwhile, the Seigaku players were stuck on one thing:
"T-Two hundred techniques?!"
"No way…"
"How can anyone master that many?!"
Eiji and the others stared in disbelief.
---
Yoru's racket flared with light.
"This is a technique I've been holding onto. Let's see how you handle it."
As he swung, the very air warped.