(Last call! Germany, the U.S., Switzerland, or Spain—where do you want the story to go next? Voting ends tomorrow night. The majority wins! O(n_n)O~)
### The Golden Era Begins
This was the era when Seigaku truly began to rise—the generation led by Tezuka and his peers, the ones who would carry the school to Nationals.
The freshmen stared curiously at Yoru and the other two standing on the platform.
Yoru spoke sternly: "Thanks to everyone's hard work last year, we won the National Championship. As captain, I want to say—thank you!"
"This new semester, we have a small goal..."
He raised the national championship banner high.
"I want this banner—the symbol of Japan's best—to stay at Seigaku forever!"
The crowd collectively sucked in a breath.
Keeping the banner meant winning Nationals three years in a row—something no school had ever done.
But the team's blood burned at the thought.
Yoru had always drilled into them: "Don't think just because you're not a regular, the championship has nothing to do with you."
"Without your effort pushing the regulars forward, they'd grow complacent. Every one of you is part of this victory."
"CAN WE DO IT?!"
"YES!"
The club roared back.
Three consecutive championships.
An unprecedented feat. If they pulled this off, their middle school legacy would be unmatched.
"Good."
Satisfied, Yoru handed the banner to Oishi.
"With the new school year, we have new members. Let me reintroduce myself—I'm Seigaku's captain, Yoru. This is our vice-captain, Oishi Yuudai. And this—" He gestured to QP. "—is our strategist, QP."
The title "strategist" felt a little cringe, but Yoru figured QP needed something official.
QP's eye twitched slightly. (So embarrassing...)
"Now, a new rule: Regular spots are increasing from 7 to 9!"
"WHAAAT?!"
The club erupted.
"Nine regular spots?!"
"Does that mean we actually have a shot?!"
"This is amazing!"
"CAPTAIN'S THE BEST!"
Yoru smirked. "With Kawasaki-senpai and the others graduating, we need to fill the gaps. More spots mean more security."
Some of the older members exchanged glances.
"That kid the captain brought last year—remember him? He wiped out everyone but the regulars."
"Oh yeah, Tezuka Kunimitsu! The captain's personal student. He's definitely taking one spot."
"But that still leaves five openings!"
Both new and old members buzzed with excitement. More spots meant more chances.
"SILENCE!"
Yoru's aura flared.
A crushing pressure descended, instantly muting the crowd.
The members stared, stunned.
"Good."
Yoru nodded. "The regional prelims are coming up fast. Starting today, we'll have three weeks of intensive training. Two days before the prelims, we'll hold the Regular Selection Matches!"
"After that, no more selections until next year's enrollment season."
"Current regulars won't participate in the prelim matches. But once selections are over, they can be challenged. Unless there's a valid reason, they can't refuse. Each regular can be challenged up to three times a day."
"Winner takes the spot."
"HUH?!"
The freshmen gasped—except for Tezuka and Inui, who already knew Seigaku's "wolf-pack" system.
This rule meant one thing: Earning a spot wasn't enough—you had to keep it.
Yoru gestured to the side. "Now, introducing our new coach—Hannah Einsenhauer!"
"Hello~"
A smooth, melodic voice rang out as Hannah stepped forward.
Long legs, striking figure—half the club suddenly found the ground very interesting.
"I'm Hannah Einsenhauer, your new coach. From now on, I'll be assisting Yoru in managing the team."
She emphasized "assisting"—making it clear Yoru was still in charge.
(Two paychecks, zero headaches. Perfect.)
"Thank you, Coach Hannah."
Yoru faced the team. "All members, resume standard training. Newcomers, follow Vice-Captain Oishi—he'll walk you through the drills."
"Give it your all. 'Can't finish' and 'won't try' are different. If you're not willing, leave now."
"DISMISSED!"
The club scattered.
Oishi led the freshmen to the courts, explaining the training regimen as they ran.
With each new detail, their faces paled. By the end of the day, nearly half would quit.
But that was a story for later.
---
### Court 1 – Yoru vs. QP
Their rally was blisteringly fast.
QP's base stats had just crossed the Lv. 9 threshold, hitting Lv. 10.
But Oni Juujirou's growth rate was slightly faster (decimal points mattered), so he still held the primary combat position.
At this pace, Yoru might break Lv. 15 before Nationals.
With the "Shared Growth" system, his progress was now three times faster than before.
(Ryoma's stats haven't changed much, though.)
Yoru had pushed him too hard too soon—before his growth spurt, further improvements would be tough.
"Talk."
QP's voice snapped Yoru out of his thoughts.
"About what?"
"Those six kids. We know Tezuka. What about the other five?"
Yoru snorted. "The brown-haired one—Fuji Syusuke. Talent-wise, he's on par with Tezuka. He'll be one of Seigaku's core pillars."
QP's eyebrows shot up.
That was high praise. Tezuka's genius was rare even in Germany—comparable to QP's own younger self.
And Fuji matched that?
"Talent ≠ skill," Yoru clarified. "He's got a long way to go."
"Next—the kid with glasses. Inui Sadaharu."
"Him? Heh."
"He's Mitsuya's grand-disciple."
"…What?"