Chapter New Prince of Tennis Chapter 322, 323 and 324 Discussion

Kaoz · Feb 6, 2021

Chapter 322
Chapter 323
Chapter 324

Thanks to @Waterlinkedgirl for contributing to the summary.

Golden age 322: 10 Seconds Rule

Siegfried wins the opening game. As Kirihara pants, kneeling, Kirihara comments that his body suddenly stopped moving.
Yanagi comments that because Kirihara holds his breath and moves anaerobically, it seems he can push his concentration to the maximum. However, 10 seconds should be the limit for that. Another player says that he'll have to end the rally with a point within 5 or 6 shots that way... In order to win against TnK, he needs to take all points within 10 seconds.
Kirihara says that having to decide each point within 10 seconds is right as he wants it, and starts off his own service game with a Knuckle Serve. Siegfried immediately knows Kirihara is aiming for his knee and hits the ball back, but Kirihara's follow
up attack is too fast. Kirihara declares that 10 seconds are more than enough to score.
Kirihara stays on the offensive during Japan's next service game, as the score moves to 2-2. Kirihara confidently tells Tanegashima he'll take this set, and Tanegashima leaves it to him. Kirihara shouts he'll crush Siegfried with his bursting power. Yukimura comments that Kirihara reminds him of Sanada.
Siegfried is getting flustered by Kirihara keeping up with him. Just then, Bismarck asks why Siegfried is falling into Japan's pace, and that all he has to do is to stretch the rally for 10 seconds to win. Bismarck says that if Siegfried loses here, he'll just be no. 2 again. But, if Siegfried wins, he'll be no. 1.

Golden age 323: The Talent to be Second Best

The chapter starts off with a flashback. Siegfried thinks about how he only ever achieved second place. Even though he was recognised as talented from a young age, he always fell one place short of first. Just when the expectations of the people around him diminished, he was called to the German selection camp as a candidate for the middle school representatives.
Siegfried thought it was his last chance to prove himself, and fought tooth and nail to finally become number one. In the German camp, members were ranked by their win
loss record. After 36 wins and 0 losses, Siegfried achieved the no. 1 ranking. But, he wasn't the only one. Frankensteiner had the exact same record and tied Siegfried for the top spot.
When Siegfried finally faced off against Frankensteiner, due to Frankensteiner's cyborg
like precise playstyle that left no gaps, Siegfried made mistake after mistake and lost as a result. Once again, he found himself in second place.
After the match, Bismarck approached Siegfried. Bismarck said it's actually an amazing talent how Siegfried always does so well that he ends up as no. 2. He told Siegfried that it's not easy to take the number two spot regardless of the conditions he's under, and that players like Siegfried are vital in team competitions.
Bismarck's words inspired Siegfried to keep trying for a representative spot. Germany needs at least 3 middle schoolers. Bertie, who was already a pro at age 14, is guaranteed to be in, and Siegfried desperately showed himself off to take the number 2 spot. But then, Tezuka arrived. Siegried immediately realized Tezuka was an immense talent, and envied him. At this rate, he would end up falling to third... Tezuka's unconcerned attitude towards him and Tezuka's face lit a fire under Siegfried.
Every night, Siegfried would play against Tezuka, the guy he hated so much, desperate to find weak spots in Tezuka's defences, in order to become second place. But in the end, he had no choice but to tell Tezuka he acknowledges Tezuka's skills and that the German team needs him. However, Siegfried also notices Tezuka had at one point started to put ice on his knees after playing against Siegfried. Tezuka acknowledges Siegfried back, telling him he always burns his fingers on the strength of Siegfried's defense, and that Siegfried should have more confidence in his playstyle.
Siegfried challenges Frankensteiner again, telling him that he had lost sight of his own style of tennis by trying to show off to the coaches, but that's he's different right now.
The night before the semifinals against Japan, Siegfried gives his cheers to the selected members and tells them to get 1000-fold vengeance for the pre-World Cup exhibition matches in his place... but to his surprise, he finds out he has been selected for the semifinals instead of Frankensteiner. Frankensteiner reported to the coaches Siegfried had unlocked the Light of Pride, and willingly gave up his place for Siegfried.
In the match, Siegfried changes strategies. Rather than matching Kirihara's pace, he focuses only on defending for the first 10 seconds of each point. Then, when Kirihara's concentration is exhausted, Siegfried goes on the attack. Tokugawa says that he has a bad premonition about where the match is headed.
The German bench acknowledges how much Siegfried has grown up in a short period of time as a result of gaining a rival.

Golden age 324: An Immutable Fate

Siegfried continues to play a smart game, using lobs to run out the 10 seconds clock. Kirihara gets frustrated by the lobs, and Yagyuu and Jackal note Kirihara's eyes have become bloodshot, spelling trouble. Siegfried breaks Kirihara's serve to go up 4-2, taunts him that he'll always kill him the second 10 seconds have passed. Shiraishi comments on how well Siegfried is playing - aside from taking the points Siegfried is also damaging Kirihara's spirit. By irritating Kirihara and making him impatient, Siegfried won't let him play his usual game.
Siegfried remembers something, and says that "the match won't end that easily, you seaweed-headed bastard." This sets off Kirihara and he enters Devil Mode.
The Japanese team is puzzled by the actions of the German team. Why would they deliberately trigger Kirihara's Devil Mode? As Siegfried takes hits from Kirihara, Bismarck explains in a flashback that the middle schooler he is up against is weak to provocations, just like Siegfried. In this flashback, Bismarck tells him that when Siegfried and Kkirihara go at it in singles, Siegfried should pretend he's done in by Kirihara and use his defensive tennis to whittle down Kirihara's stamina. They'll put him to sleep in the first set.
Bismarck explains that Volk is wary of the doubles matches, as Tanegashima's ability to nullify any spin on a ball as strongest defender on the Japanese team might resonate with Kirihara's fast and offensive tennis. Preventing that is the mission entrusted to Siegfried.