(Note: Adjusted the earlier setting for Ryoga's talent—changed from "cannot affect 2-star or above" to "cannot permanently affect 2-star or above." Upon reviewing the plot, even Nanjiroh was briefly impacted by the ability to strip techniques...)
[Congratulations! You have obtained 'Swift Strike Rune'!]
[Swift Strike Rune]: All club members gain increased swing speed during matches.
- Regular members: +5%
- Regular players: +10%
- Owner (Yoru): +15%
Well, well.
Kirihara was about to get a major buff.
Paired with his Superspeed Series, this rune was practically tailor-made for him.
But before activating it, Yoru needed to lay the groundwork.
The boost wasn't insignificant—so a little misdirection was in order.
And when it came to deception? Yoru was a master.
Turning to the team, he announced: "After we get back to school, no one leaves. I'm teaching you a little trick—consider it a reward for your hard work in the matches. A method to increase your swing speed."
"Seriously?!"
The club members erupted in excitement. QP, not fully understanding, remained indifferent—but Kirihara's eyes lit up.
He'd been struggling to enhance his Superspeed Series.
The moment he heard "increase swing speed," he was practically vibrating with anticipation.
---
As they prepared to leave, a large group approached from the opposite direction.
Leading them was an elderly man, followed by a squad in yellow-green tracksuits.
"Yamabuki, huh."
Yoru's gaze locked onto a young man near the back.
Dude was wearing pitch-black sunglasses. Can he even see the road?
"So it's him. Didn't expect to see him at Yamabuki in middle school."
A quick scan of Yamabuki's lineup confirmed they were stronger than Hyotei.
- Toshinari Doh
- Kisshou Tanigakubo
- Yoshimasa Banda
- Chikahiko Matsudaira (older brother of Hyotei's Matsudaira Chikao)
And the sunglasses-wearing guy beside the old man?
"Nakagauchi Gedou."
A former U-17 First String member, infamous for landing 300+ consecutive sideline shots in a single match.
Yamabuki's roster outclassed Hyotei's.
Tanigakubo and Banda were mediocre (5-star), but still stronger than Kawasaki & Co.
Doh and Matsudaira Chikahiko? Solid 5-star players, upper-tier for their rank.
Nakagauchi? 6-star, though stats-wise, he fell short of Tsukimitsu.
As the two teams crossed paths, the old man—Yamabuki's coach, Kaneyama Kiyotake—smiled.
"Seigaku, is it?"
Yamabuki halted.
Yoru ignored him, leading Seigaku past without breaking stride. Pointless small talk bored him—especially with a fossil like Kaneyama.
The rest of Seigaku followed, minds already fixated on the promised "swing speed trick."
Only Yamato offered an apologetic nod.
Kaneyama's smile froze.
"You've got some nerve, ignoring Coach like that."
Nakagauchi scowled, grabbing Yoru's arm—
Snap.
The temperature plummeted.
Nakagauchi's vision warped.
He was suddenly inside an ice cavern, massive glacial blocks crashing down around him.
"AAGH—!"
His sunglasses fell as he screamed, knees buckling.
Logically, he knew it was an illusion—but his senses screamed otherwise. The cold, the impact, the suffocating pressure—all real.
Trembling violently, Nakagauchi collapsed to the ground.
"Gedou?!" Yamabuki's team rushed forward.
Kaneyama's smile vanished. "That was uncalled for. We merely wished to greet you."
Flick.
Yoru brushed his sleeve where Nakagauchi had touched him.
"Know your place. Since when do I owe you a response?"
"Is this how you treat an elder?" Kaneyama's frown deepened.
He'd known Ryuzaki Sumire and had heard of Seigaku's new captain.
This level of arrogance, however, was nothing like Seigaku's usual demeanor.
"If you're that desperate to die, go ahead—but don't waste my time playing the age card."
Moral blackmail?
Yoru rolled his eyes and walked off, Seigaku in tow.
Thanks to Nanjiroh's history, he'd never liked Kaneyama anyway. The old man's "friendly schemer" act reminded him too much of his former boss.
(Not that Kaneyama was a bad person. Yoru just couldn't stand the type.)
---
Once Seigaku was out of earshot, Nakagauchi staggered up, glaring at their retreating figures.
"That bastard… He ambushed me!"
Had he known Yoru had mental techniques, he'd have been prepared.
"We'll settle this tomorrow. But don't underestimate them."
Kaneyama patted his shoulder.
Yoru's precision with psychological warfare was alarming.
Nakagauchi had innate mental resilience—yet he'd still been overwhelmed.
---
Back at Seigaku.
Yoru gathered the entire club at Court 1.
"Listen up. This 'trick' will temporarily boost your swing speed."
He raised his arm.
"Lift your dominant arm like this. See this line under the armpit? Massage it for 10 minutes to relax the muscles."
"Then rise on your toes and drop naturally—this improves blood flow."
"Try swinging after. The effect is immediate."
"Do this daily for 1-2 weeks, and it becomes permanent."
"Follow the steps exactly. One mistake, and it won't work!"
Deadpan, Yoru spun this complete nonsense with absolute conviction.
(For QP's benefit, he even repeated it in German.)
In reality?
The "massage technique" was just basic muscle relaxation. The toe-raising? A move from Baduanjin (a traditional exercise).
In short—he'd repackaged common health tips as a "secret method."
Yet everyone practiced earnestly.
Even QP, though skeptical, assumed it was some ancient Daxia pressure-point knowledge.
Murmurs spread:
"Is the captain messing with us…?"
"No way. Everything he's taught us so far worked!"
"My grandpa studied Daxia medicine. These points don't connect…"
"You think you know more than the captain? He's from Daxia!"
"Good point."
---
Ten minutes later, members began test-swings.
Gasps erupted.
"It—It actually works! My swing is faster!"
"Mine too! I can feel the difference!"
"The captain's a genius!"
"Hell yeah! With this, maybe I can—"
"Dumbass! What are you thinking?!"
---