"Persistent, aren't they? Not necessarily a bad thing, though."
Leaving the coaching office, Yoru walked back to the courts, slightly annoyed.
Hanna could've just said Ryuzaki Sumire hired her. Instead, she had to mention Joanna, ruining even his appreciation for her long legs.
Then again, it made sense.
What kind of pull did Ryuzaki have to recruit a recently retired German tennis prodigy? Even if Hanna Eissenschirm (a pro who lost to first-year Ryoma in the original series) wasn't top-tier in men's tennis, the gap between men's and women's tennis was massive.
Joanna, the No. 1 women's player, only had 15-star stats—nowhere near Nanjiroh's level.
But according to Nanjiroh, Joanna was already the pinnacle of women's tennis history, just shy of the "Realm of Gods." In today's terms, she'd be the equivalent of the ATP world No. 1.
---
Yoru stopped by the school store, bought a giant baguette, and munched on it as he headed back to the courts.
Maybe it was puberty, but his appetite had skyrocketed—almost rivaling Oni's.
During break, he'd stayed at Nuan Nuan's orphanage for a week. Meals with Oni Juujirou were served in large metal basins (the kind used for washing vegetables).
Now, he was perpetually hungry.
"How can you eat that?"
QP frowned at the rock-hard baguette in Yoru's hands. He'd tried it once—nearly chipped a tooth.
Though QP was also hitting a growth spurt, his appetite was nowhere near Yoru's 10-pound-per-meal insanity.
"Hunger makes anything edible."
Yoru shrugged.
"Enjoy. I'm heading to practice. The new member orientation will cut into training time later."
"Got it."
QP jogged off.
The tennis club had resumed regular drills.
Except for those handling new member logistics, everyone was training intensely.
Worth noting:
- All second and third-years were now 4-star players, with only a few stragglers at 3-star.
- Their base stats had grown to 5–6 from physical development, but their fundamentals (3–4) capped their potential at 5-star max.
These players shared one trait: hardworking but talent-starved.
Yoru had tweaked the rune effects—only training boosts applied to non-regulars. No point wasting resources on benchwarmers.
---
"So this is how a championship team trains..."
Oishi Shuichirou (black-haired, diligent type) gulped as he watched.
For ten straight minutes, Seigaku's players drilled without breaks—running laps at a terrifying pace.
"Since Captain Yoru took over, this intensity became standard. We'll be doing the same soon."
A cool voice cut in.
Oishi turned to see a handsome, bespectacled boy.
"Uh—h-hi! I'm Oishi Shuichirou!" He nervously extended a hand.
The boy shook it. "Tezuka Kunimitsu."
"Whatcha talking about? Can we join~?"
A redhead and a flaxen-haired boy approached.
"Name's Kikumaru Eiji!"
"I'm Fuji Syusuke. Pleased to meet you, Oishi, Tezuka."
Tezuka and Oishi nodded. "Likewise."
"Oh! I recognize you, Tezuka!"
Eiji leaned in, eyes sparkling. "I saw you talking with the captain this morning! You guys close?"
Tezuka's voice held reverence. "I was fortunate to receive his guidance last year."
To him, Yoru was an idol—a living legend.
"The captain's personal training? Impressive. You must be quite talented."
Another voice joined—a glasses-wearing boy with a notebook, his lenses glinting. "I'm Inui Sadaharu. Greetings."
After introductions, Tezuka recalled Yoru's words from earlier:
"Remember these guys. They'll be your core—Seigaku's future. Get to know them."
Yoru's ability to spot talent was absolute.
And just as predicted, the group had naturally converged.
---
"MOVE!"
"S-sorry!"
A clumsy freshman collided with a sprinting upperclassman, sending both tumbling.
The group rushed to help.
The upperclassman scowled. "Don't loiter in training areas!"
He stormed off without waiting for apologies.
Oishi shuddered. "The senpais are... intense."
"Per my data," Inui adjusted his glasses, "post-Yoru's leadership, Seigaku's regimen became brutal. Completing daily drills is an achievement itself."
He turned to the clumsy boy. "That collision disrupted his pace. Anger was inevitable."
"Ah..." The group nodded.
Fuji smiled gently. "You okay?"
"Y-yeah... Thanks. I'm Kawamura Takashi."
As they exchanged names, the PA system blared:
"ALL MEMBERS, REPORT TO COURT 1!"
---
What happened next stunned the freshmen.
Like a well-oiled military unit, the upperclassmen immediately halted training and sprinted to Court 1—flawless discipline.
The first-years scrambled to follow, their formation messy in comparison.
Yoru scanned the crowd and barked:
"First-years! Line up by height—shortest to tallest!"
QP shot him a look. "Since when do Japanese describe height like that?"
The freshmen shuffled into a wobbly line.
Yoru's gaze lingered on Tezuka, Oishi, Eiji, Fuji, Inui, and Kawamura.
A thought crossed his mind:
"Seigaku's golden era... starts now."
---