SPOILERS [NEW PRINCE OF TENNIS] CHAPTERS 181, 182, 183, 184, 185
Here’s just a brief summary of what happened if you’re interested in knowing in advance. Note that i summarized it from the CHINESE translations, so if there’s any discrepancies here, don’t take up issue with me. I don’t mind if you post my summaries elsewhere, but please credit me for it, that’s all i ask. I have also done all the previous untranslated chapters, you can find it somewhere on my tumblr, or just message me.
Tsukimitsu’s serves shock the crowd and he brings the score to 30-0. Akaya exclaims that the opponent’s bench is all silent and says that “the cold and cool sempai is really something”. Facing Tsukimitsu’s serve, no one can move even a step. The serve is described as exceeding that of even professional players. 40-0. The opponents recognise the fact that they can’t stop his first serve, so they decide to only aim for when he fouls and has to serve for the second time.
The rest of the Japanese players are watching on a TV inside the locker room. Byoudoin: “Speaking of which, has anyone seen that guy serve twice?” He implies that Tsukimitsu’s serves never foul, which is pretty damn awesome.
Current game score stands at 1-1 after Tsukimitsu finishes with a game of perfect serves, bringing himself and Oishi to equal standing with their opponents.
Tsukimitsu: “Although the current situation is still unfavourable… but it’s already slowly changing…”
Oishi makes a derp face and there’s all sparkles around him as he thinks: “So… so cool! Such a dependable person!” Thanks to his sempai, he realises that because he was nervous before, he overlooked the fact that one of their opponents is also a middle schooler.
A rally starts and the Japan team begins to attack. The Japanese team (Kamio and Shinji are shown in the frame but it could be anyone talking) say that Oishi has finally recovered his composure.
The third game ends at 2-1, Japan team at a one game disadvantage to Greece after the opponents play an illusory trick where one player jumps for a smash in front of the sun and the other hits it instead while the opponents are blinded in a time differential.
Shishido says that if Tsukimitsu could serve every time their game would be absolutely secured, probably wouldn’t lose. Tachibana tells him not to run his mouth. Chitose comments that in a doubles match, Tsukimitsu can only serve once every four rounds. “In the end, if they lose points in their next serve game…”
Oishi agrees, thinking that they definitely can’t lose points on his serve game.
Drunken coach Mifune appears, saying: “Do you think attacking them head on will lead you to victory? You trash… you are a cockroach!”
Horio: “What is Japan’s coach doing? He’s just a drunkard right?”
LMAO and the Greek coach is sitting posed like one of those statues of ‘thinkers’ in their traditional culture.
Mifune: “When facing a lion, eagle and snake head on to decide victory, what will be the end result? Cockroaches should use a cockroach’s way of battle!”
Break is over, and right after Oishi serves, he and Tsukimitsu switch places. Oishi is now at the front of the court and Tsukimitsu has moved to the back. It’s [Oishi’s territory]. He decided that since it’s difficult for them to keep his serve, they’ll use unpredictable tactics to attack—that is their answer! By being at the front of the net, Oishi limits the areas to which the opponents can hit.
The opponent lobs, saying that Oishi can’t possibly hit that ball, and Oishi leaps, but it’s a fake out and Tsukimitsu smashes it in for 15-0.
Byoudoin: “That egghead—” with a proud look on his face.
The opponent realises that it was all a setup so that Tsukimitsu could use his Mach Serve as a smash in a game where he isn’t serving.
Set count: 2-2. Oishi: “Tsukimitsu-sempai, nice ball!” He tries to give him high-5, which Tsukimitsu declines: “I’m not used to people getting so close!” Oishi is flustered for a second but Tsukimitsu taps on his butt with his racket and Oishi knows it’s all good. That was kinda cute especially because of their huge height difference XD
The set points go from 3-2 to 3-3 to 3-4 to 4-4, neither team can break away.
The crowd begin to think that Japan has a chance of winning, but at this moment, the senior opponent starts laughing and says that he’s becoming more and more excited!
Oishi is nervous again and looks to sempai for reassurance, and sees Tsukimitsu move to the net. Tsukimitsu faces the laughing opponent, who looks like he’s gathering his ‘aura’ for some big move and says: “It looks like there will be a full moon tonight!” This is a play off his own name: Tsukimitsu means ‘moonlight’ and Ochi means “more knowledge”, so “Knowledgeable moonlight”.
Tsukimitsu’s ‘aura’ also gathers and you finally get to see both his eyes, his hair blown back. I swear he reminds me of Niou so much.
Both he and the opponent turns their back on each other at the net and begins walking back to their place on the court while the caption reads: “A quiet venture into the fervour of the battleground, who will the Goddess of Victory smile at?”
Koharu and Yuuji (Shitenhouji doubles team if you recall) say that the atmosphere is definitely dangerous on the courts, and also take issue with the dazzling aura which the older Greek player is emitting, which translates from Chinese into [Olympic White-Silver Light].
Tsukimitsu’s aura is dark eerie line-drops sort of like when mangas depict rising heat, it’s very subtle and sparse but ominous nevertheless.
Tsukimitsu orders Oishi to keep his eyes shut, and Oishi stands still, but every shot aimed towards him by the opponent somehow did not hit him.
Akaya: “This is awesome! Good thing it isn’t Atsukyō-sempai playing!” He’s joking around because Atsukyō Tōno is known as the executioner of the courts.
Shiraishi rebukes him: “Kirihara-kun, you can’t say that!”
The chapter ends with Oishi standing still with his eyes shut unmoving while Tsukimitsu plays against the opponents, winning a game at the end after an intense rally; the middle schooler on the opponents’ side keeps his eyes open but cannot follow, and it is essentially a 1v1 game now.
Score stands at 5-4 to Greece, then immediately 5-5 to Japan on the same page. The Greek middle schooler is frozen, eyes open and unable to enter into the fray while Oishi stands eyes closed, also unable to enter into the contest between two players who are obviously much too superior in skill.
Tsukimitsu taps Oishi on the butt again with his racket (this is going to be an ongoing thing I can see it already) and says: “It’s fine now, Oishi… open your eyes and return to your former position!”
Oishi opens his eyes and realises it’s the middle-schooler opponent’s serve so he gets ready to receive it. He’s thinking about how uncommonly fierce the battle was between Tsukimitsu-sempai and the Greek player and how even with his eyes clothes, he could still feel the fiery contest. He gets a little down and thinks that no matter how much someone like him tries, it would be difficult to fight in that impossible to enter plane.
Just as he’s thinking this, the middle schooler on the other side fouls twice with his serve. The sempai Greek tells his kouhai to just serve successfully and leave the rest to him. However, no matter what he does, the Greek middle schooler can’t serve successfully. Oishi looks shocked too. However, Tanegashima Shūji explains the [Mental Assassin]; Tsukimitsu only needs to stand there and look at the opponent to put extreme, growing pressure on him.
Now it’s 40-0. The opponent is pissed and swinging his racket, and Oishi says: “Tsukimitsu-sempai… he…” Tsukimitsu replies: “Just maintain this [situation]”.
The sempai opponent finally realises that this is probably why Tsukimitsu made Oishi keep his eyes shut and acknowledges that he was completely tricked.
Tsukimitsu: “Oishi… serve well.” Hands him tennis balls on his racket.
Oishi: “Yes!” All happy like.
Cheers for Japan in the stadium.
Oishi closes his eyes, thinking that if he doesn’t, things won’t be good. Just as this happens, all of a sudden the opponent hits him with a ball—I totally saw that coming—on his shoulder, and in true PoT fashion he gets knocked back as if he was the victim of a car crash. Everyone is shocked, particularly Eiji, Kawamura and obviously his doubles partner.
Byoudouin: “This is what it means to go into battle carrying the pride of your country!”
The Greek player: “Forgive me, young boy!” Tears falling down his face too.
I frickin hate cliffhangers.
