"GAME! 7-0! Winner! Akashi Seijūrō!"
"You're just too weak, Echizen Ryōma," Akashi said coldly, a red arc flickering in his pupils as he stared indifferently at Ryōma, who was kneeling on the ground.
"GAME! 7-1! Winner! Fuji Shūsuke!"
"Kaidō! You're still not strong enough right now. Keep working hard and catch up!" On the other side, Fuji smiled at the stunned Kaidō as he spoke.
"GAME! 7-4! Winner! Tezuka Kunimitsu!"
"Tōyama! Remember to give it your all in training when you get there," Tezuka said with a serious expression on the rough court, leaving Kintarō completely confused.
"GAME! 7-0! Winner! Yukimura Seiichi!"
"You didn't even use the illusion… looks like you already figured it out, Niō," Yukimura said softly as he looked at Niō, whose five senses had just been sealed.
"Busted, huh? Puri~" A second later, Niō snapped back to normal with a sly smile.
"A devil should bear the cross and be damned to hell forever! Crucifixion!" Krauser turned away coldly as he spoke. Behind him, Kirihara was battered and embedded in the wall.
"GAME! 7-2! Winner! Liliadent Krauser!"
"As the future captain of Hyōtei, let me see your resolve, Hiyoshi Wakashi! Final Movement of Annihilation!" Atobe shouted mid-air at the opposite side, then smashed the ball down with force.
"GAME! 7-0! Winner! Atobe Keigo!"
Across the various courts, some match results were already clear. But many pairs were still locked in close contests—some because of evenly matched strength, others because they knew each other too well. Of course, there were also pure newbie slap-fests, like…
"No way! My super tennis actually doesn't work?!" Kadowaki Satoru shouted in disbelief.
"In my script, nothing is impossible!" Mizuki Hajime replied confidently.
This life-or-death showdown deciding who stayed or left went on for quite a while. Some pairs were clearly going easy on each other, trying not to eliminate their partner. But once Akashi warned that anyone slacking would be sent away together, those players had no choice but to start going all out in pain.
With the final match concluded, the list of the 25 remaining middle schoolers was finalized. The rest would be "eliminated" from the training camp. At that moment, a staff announcement echoed from the broadcast system:
"Players who lost their matches, please return to the dorms to pack your belongings. The return bus is waiting at the base entrance."
Ryōma lay on the ground, blankly staring at the sky. He still couldn't believe it. Just yesterday, he had been full of energy, eager to challenge strong opponents on the world stage—and now he'd been ruthlessly eliminated by Akashi-senpai.
Just then, a tall figure blocked his view. Looking up, he saw it was mental coach Saitō Itaru. Saitō smiled down at him and said teasingly:
"Echizen Ryōma! You'll catch a cold lying there like that, you know? It's about time you got going—if you still want to get stronger, that is!"
Ryōma blinked in surprise at Saitō's words, then seemed to understand something. He gave a small smile, immediately stood up, and followed the group heading toward the base entrance. Meanwhile, the rest of the remaining middle schoolers silently watched their former teammates depart—including Kamio, Shinji, Ishida Tetsu, and Fuji Yūta.
"Looks like Echizen will enjoy his time on the Cliff of Heart," Fuji said with a soft smile, walking up beside Akashi.
"As the son of Nanjirō-san, I'm sure Coach Mifune will give him some special attention," Yukimura added, also smiling warmly as he came over.
"Niō should be about ready for his final step, right? I hope this special training Mifune prepared helps him cross that last line," Akashi said calmly.
"If Niō really succeeds, I think the training camp's about to get a lot livelier," Yukimura replied, his smile growing even brighter as if imagining something fun.
"Oh? Sounds like something's going on behind this king's back!" Atobe said smugly, raising his voice.
"Alright! The next mission is to take full control of Court No. 5. Once they're all back, we'll start a group shuffle match against Court No. 1. Got it?" Akashi glanced around at the others and spoke up.
"Hmph! I've been waiting for this!" Akutsu said first.
"Ha? Who do you think this king is? Just Court No. 5, that's nothing!" Atobe sneered.
"Quiet, all of you! Most of you are familiar faces, so I won't waste time. Hurry up and check today's training tasks! If you can't complete them, I doubt you'll enjoy Mitsuya-brand onigiri!" Takushi Ryūji stood atop the platform, shouting loudly at the remaining middle schoolers.
Everyone's faces darkened at once, except Akashi and Fuji who remained perfectly calm. In the next moment, everyone but Akashi rushed toward the bulletin board to check the training assignments.
Akashi calmly walked toward the exclusive training ground for Court No. 1. When he arrived, Oni and Irie were already there waiting. Although neither was currently part of Court No. 1, everyone knew those two could make it back anytime they wanted.
"Those brats have already gone to the Cliff of Heart?" Oni asked as soon as he saw Akashi.
"Yeah. Get ready. I'll be having the middle schoolers completely replace Court No. 5. Of course, you're the exception," Akashi replied calmly.
"Looks like little Akashi is ready to make a move. I wonder if I can still drop down to Court No. 5 in time," Irie joked with a smile.
"Do whatever you want. As long as you make it back into Court No. 1 in the end. You're a key player for the world tournament," Akashi said flatly, giving Irie a brief look.
"Ara~ Little Akashi sure holds me in high regard! But honestly, compared to you and Oni, my strength is nowhere near," Irie said, playing dumb as always.
Meanwhile, the bulletin board in the central plaza displayed today's random rotation match roster. To everyone's surprise, another middle schooler's name had appeared, leaving Shiraishi and the others a bit stunned—because the name was: Ishida Gin!
"Oh? It's my turn today? Perfect. Let's see the result of all these years of hard work," Ishida Gin said calmly.
"Sensei's opponent is… Nakagauchi Sotomichi! From Court No. 5. Looks like Sensei will be the first to enter Court No. 5!" Shiraishi said happily. He'd played practice matches with Nakagauchi before and had a good idea of the guy's level.
Soon, everyone followed Ishida Gin to the match court. Nakagauchi was already waiting inside. If Akashi had been present, he would've been surprised—because in the original timeline, Nakagauchi was a Court No. 3 player.
Nakagauchi Sotomichi.
"Getting into Court No. 5 isn't that easy. Even geniuses are no exception," Nakagauchi said seriously, looking at Ishida Gin.
"Please take care of me in this match. I hope you'll help me find my weaknesses," Ishida Gin pressed his palms together in a monk's gesture and bowed slightly.
"I won't hold back against any of you," Nakagauchi replied, eyes filled with caution as he stared at Ishida Gin.
"Match start! Ishida Gin to serve!"
Ishida Gin walked to the baseline. He removed the weights on his wrists and ankles, then took off his top, unclasping the strength harness strapped across his body. After removing everything, he tossed the weights behind him. A loud boom followed, kicking up a cloud of dust from the ground.
"You've gotta be kidding! What the hell kind of weight is that?!" a nearby high schooler cried out in shock.
"Figures… these middle schoolers are all monsters!" another high schooler muttered, shivering.
Seeing Ishida Gin's bare upper body, Nakagauchi broke into a cold sweat. That muscle definition was shocking, even to him—and he'd always pushed himself brutally in training.
"Let's go, Sensei!" The Shitenhōji players on the sidelines shouted encouragement.
"I can't lose this match. Let me greet you with this move!" Ishida Gin suddenly pictured Akashi in his mind. Subconsciously, he gripped the ball tighter and murmured softly.