As evening fell on Court 5, everyone was gathered to discuss tomorrow's shuffle match against Court 3. The lineup request they submitted earlier that morning had already been approved by the coaches. Now, they just needed to finalize who would play.
"I won't be playing in this shuffle match, so it's all up to you guys." Oni glanced at the group of middle schoolers beside him, his tone calm and steady.
"Heh~ If even this kind of match needs Oni-senpai to step in, that'd be seriously pathetic, right, Kabaji!" Atobe said confidently—only to forget that Kabaji was still stuck on Court 6.
"The rules for tomorrow's match are the same as our nationals: it starts with Singles 3. So, does anyone want to take the first spot?" Yukimura asked with a gentle smile.
"Sounds fun just hearing about it. Why don't I go first~" Fuji replied, smiling as always.
"In that case, Chitose and I will spice things up in Doubles 2!" Tachibana said with a cocky grin.
"You guys really aren't planning on giving the senpai any mercy, huh~" Shiraishi spoke up from the side, sounding a little sympathetic.
"As for Irie-senpai, I'd say he's most likely to show up in Singles 1, so I'll take Singles 2. We should consider Irie-senpai's feelings—maybe he doesn't even want to play~" Yukimura smiled again, but his words gave everyone a sudden chill.
Even Oni couldn't help raising an eyebrow when he heard that. He was already looking forward to Irie's expression tomorrow—most likely a fake one as usual.
"Then why not let Atobe and Sanada take Doubles 1? You two do have some doubles experience after all," Chitose said with a hint of amusement.
"Hah? You want me to play doubles? What kind of joke is this?" Atobe sneered.
"I don't want to team up with this guy either. He's way too sloppy!" Sanada voiced his disapproval too.
"Sounds like you're asking me to freeze you solid, Sanada~" Atobe, who had only been a little annoyed, suddenly glared at Sanada, a cold glint in his eyes.
"Try it if you think you can! Atobe!" Sanada shot back without flinching, lightning sparking faintly around him.
"Enough! Shut it, both of you! You're Doubles 1, and that's final! Shiraishi, you're taking Singles 1!" Oni barked impatiently.
"Tch." "Hmph." Atobe and Sanada both turned their heads away with a huff, clearly unhappy but unwilling to argue with Oni.
"Singles 1, huh? Looks like I won't get much action. Seriously!" Shiraishi sighed in exasperation.
Once the lineup was set, everyone left the court and headed back to the dorms to rest. Oni watched their backs as they walked off, clenching his fist and muttering under his breath:
"This time, the Japan Team will shock the whole world! I wonder what you'll think of this, Byoudouin…"
Meanwhile, Ryōma and the others had fully adapted to the training in the mountains. Kintarō was sparring one-on-one with Ryōma. But it wasn't just any rally—it was a multi-ball drill with a whopping 12 balls in play at once. And judging by their pace, it wasn't even their limit. The high schoolers watching nearby were trembling in fear.
"This place is just way too fun! Right, Koshimae!" Kintarō shouted happily between shots.
"It's alright. But yeah, this place is pretty good for leveling up!" Ryōma replied, trying to sound aloof.
Not far from them, inside a small cave, Niō was sitting cross-legged, brows tightly furrowed like he was going through something painful. Across from him, Mifune sat sipping sake, his sharp eyes fixed on Niō the whole time.
"Kid! Don't waste your special talent. Take that last step! Do that, and you'll shock the whole damn world!" Mifune muttered after another sip.
For this mountain training, Mifune had clearly focused most of his energy on Niō. That phantom-copying talent of his was something Mifune had never seen in his entire life. He doubted even Nanjirō had witnessed anything like it.
Sure, there were plenty of mimic-style players in the world. But one like Niō—who could completely substitute in, nearly one-to-one—was one of a kind! And more than that, he wasn't limited to just a few players. Anyone who had played him was fair game for his illusions.
"I wonder which path you'll end up choosing, kid…" Mifune muttered as he glanced one last time at Niō, then stood and walked out of the cave, leaving that single line behind.
The next day, nearly every player in the training camp had gathered at the central plaza. Even the few remaining First-String members had shown up—after all, this team shuffle match was the first major event in a while.
Inside Court 3, near the center, Irie stood smiling with his strongest lineup, waiting for the challengers to arrive. Behind him stood six players—Yamato Yūdai, Matsudaira Chikahiko, Miyako Shinobu, Suzuki Shun, Washio Issa, and Takei Toshio.
Before long, a group approached the entrance of Court 3, led by none other than Yukimura Seiichi, wearing a U-17 jacket. Behind him were a visibly irritated Atobe and Sanada, followed by Tachibana, Chitose, and the rest, with Oni bringing up the rear.
At the moment, the strongest among them was Yukimura. Even Atobe and Tachibana didn't dare say they could beat him, so in this power-oriented training camp, it was natural for Yukimura to lead the team.
Once everyone had arrived, both sides stepped forward to the net and exchanged brief formalities. Then Irie, smiling as always, spoke up:
"I figured it might happen, but I still didn't expect you guys to come after us so soon. Court 4 is still right there, you know~"
"You're too kind, Irie-senpai. We still need to leave some room for those folks on Court 6," Yukimura responded with the same gentle smile—but his words were sharp as ever.
"Enough with the pointless chatter. Let's start the match already. I'm out of patience!" Atobe said irritably.
"No need to rush, Atobe. You might not even get to play," Fuji said softly beside him, revealing a glimpse of his dark humor.
Sure enough, as soon as Fuji spoke, both Miyako Shinobu and Matsudaira frowned slightly. Matsudaira even looked like he was about to say something provocative, but Miyako Shinobu held him back. They both knew—these middle schoolers had earned the right to speak like this.
"Oh? Looks like Fuji-kun's pretty confident~" Yamato suddenly joined in with a smile, breaking his silence.
"That voice… Captain Yamato?" Fuji looked at him uncertainly, clearly surprised.
"What's wrong, Fuji? Can't recognize me without my sunglasses?" Yamato grinned in his usual laid-back way.
"Uh… it's been a while, Captain Yamato!" Even Fuji couldn't help twitching a bit at the corner of his mouth.
Outside the court, other middle schoolers who had known Yamato Yūdai also looked stunned—especially Oishi, who was downright frozen. He simply couldn't reconcile the image of the Captain Yamato he remembered with the senpai standing in front of him now.
After all, Yamato looked like a completely different person from his middle school days. His once green hair—similar to Ryōma's—was now a soft ash-blonde, and his hairstyle had completely changed. Even his aura felt different.
Yamato Yūdai
"It really has been a while, Fuji. I should thank you—for leading Seigaku into the Nationals twice in two years and making it to the semifinals!" Yamato replied kindly.
"As Seigaku's captain, it was my duty. And I couldn't push Seigaku even further." Fuji's voice carried a tinge of regret.
"Don't say that. Compared to when I was captain, you've done way better!" Yamato kept his warm tone and even patted Fuji on the shoulder.
"Looks like you and Fuji have some catching up to do. Since you're both in Singles 3, why not settle things in the match?" Irie said with a cheerful smile.
"Ah~ I was thinking the same. Fuji, let me see how much you've grown over the years. Don't hold back—come at me with everything you've got!" Yamato's expression turned serious.
"Everything I've got? If that's what Captain Yamato asks for, I won't hold back!" Fuji opened his eyes, replying with a determined tone.