Ryōga's sudden appearance left everyone stunned. Of course, Akashi had already noticed. That was why he hadn't moved to save Ryōma earlier—his Emperor Eye had already seen both Ryōga and Oni making their moves the moment Tokugawa unleashed his Glowing Shot.
Yes, if Ryōga hadn't stepped in first, Oni would have intervened, even if it meant breaking the training camp rules. On court, Tokugawa had been injured by Ryōga's counter, but the impact snapped him back to rationality, forcing him to put away his Alternate Dimension.
Ignoring Ryōga's words, Tokugawa immediately looked to Ryōma. Seeing that he was battered but not seriously hurt, Tokugawa let out a deep sigh of relief before shifting his gaze toward Ryōga.
"Who are you? Why did you interfere in my match!" Ryōma, finally catching his breath, demanded loudly.
"Huh?! You've gotta be kidding me! Brat, don't tell me you don't recognize your own big brother? That really hurts my feelings!" Ryōga stared at him in disbelief, then dramatically pulled back his hood to reveal his face.
Ryōma froze, staring blankly. His mind flashed with faint memories buried deep within—two small figures climbing trees together, playing, even falling into a pit side by side.
The images grew clearer. The other figure's face overlapped perfectly with Ryōga's. Ryōma finally remembered—he had an older brother.
"Good... looks like you've remembered, brat! But now isn't the time to catch up. First, I'll take care of him for you!" Ryōga, seeing Ryōma's eyes shift, knew the memories had returned. He turned, his gaze sharp and dangerous as it locked onto Tokugawa.
"What are you doing, Echizen Ryōga!" Two voices rang out at the exact same time, from different directions, but with identical words.
Everyone turned toward the sources. At some point, both Akashi and Byoudouin had stood. They exchanged surprised looks—neither had expected the other to intervene.
"I've already told you, haven't I? Without my permission, you're not allowed to fight whoever you please!" Byoudouin spoke first, after glancing at Akashi. His tone was heavy with warning and threat.
"You're telling me to let go of the guy who almost seriously injured my little brother?" Ryōga's face darkened, meeting Byoudouin's glare without fear.
"Interfering in a match like that, even if Ryōma is your brother, you're far too arrogant, Echizen Ryōga!" Akashi stepped forward, coat draped over his shoulders, his strange pupils glowing as his aura surged upward.
"Oh? From the start I thought you looked familiar. Haven't we met somewhere before?" Ryōga asked casually, but his expression was tense, edged with wariness and a hint of dread.
Akashi wasn't fooled. Back in France, he'd spared Ryōga only because Nanjirō stepped in. And Nanjirō would definitely have told Ryōga exactly who Akashi was.
"Don't play dumb, Echizen Ryōga. Since you've stepped out on your own, I won't hold back. Nanjirō's face only saved you once." Akashi's voice grew colder as his eyes locked onto Ryōga.
Ryōma stood behind Ryōga in complete confusion. He'd just remembered that Ryōga was his brother, and now suddenly his senpai Akashi and his own brother were about to fight as enemies.
"That guy's tennis is dangerous, Akashi brat! This isn't your place to butt in!" Byoudouin had already moved to the court, stepping in front of Akashi.
"Move. Or I'll take you down too, Byoudouin Houou," Akashi's voice was calm, but the danger was suffocating.
"Enough!!! All of you, shut up!" Mifune suddenly stormed up beside them, his roar shaking the air. "Echizen Ryōga... you know damn well you broke the training camp rules! So pack your things and get the hell out!"
Ryōga blinked at first, then shrugged carelessly. He turned, flashing Ryōma a faint smile before walking straight off the court, clearly ready to leave the training camp altogether.
Just as Ryōga stepped onto the stairs, a blazing golden tennis ball crashed down beside him, blasting shards of rock into the air. He dodged them all with ease, then turned back. Akashi's pupils crackled with crimson lightning as his chilling voice rang out:
"Did I say you could leave, Echizen Ryōga?"
Ryōga's face darkened. He pulled a tennis racket from the bag on his back, clearly ready to fight Akashi directly. But before Akashi could finish off this trouble once and for all, two large hands pressed down firmly on his shoulders.
Mifune and Byoudouin had stopped him together. Mifune acted for Nanjirō's sake, while Byoudouin, knowing Ryōga's danger, chose to intervene as the U-17 leader—even if he himself disliked Akashi.
"I'm really sorry, Akashi-senpai! I don't know what happened between you and my big brother, but he interfered in the match just now only to save me!" Ryōma rushed to Akashi's side, trying to cover for Ryōga.
Akashi looked at the three around him, then at the middle schoolers on the bench. The lightning in his eyes finally faded away. He knew that even if he fought Ryōga now, he likely couldn't settle things for good.
Besides, Ryōga's act of putting away his racket showed he had no intention of fighting Akashi here. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Ryōga headed toward the training camp gates. He tore the badge from his collar and tossed it straight to Byoudouin.
Seeing this, Ryōma bowed quickly to Akashi, then hurried after Ryōga—he had too many questions for his suddenly reappearing brother. Akashi watched their retreating backs, his eyes growing darker. He would just have to settle accounts at the World Cup.
"Remember this. There won't be a next time. No matter who it is, I won't let them go. Not even you two." Akashi turned slowly, the full force of the Emperor Eye radiating from him as he spoke coldly to Mifune and Byoudouin.
"Heh! Looks like I'll have to crush you myself, Akashi brat!" Byoudouin barked out a laugh, but his face was filled with killing intent.
Mifune, however, simply took a silent swig of liquor and walked back to the bench. He had already given Nanjirō enough face. Akashi's rising fury was no longer something he planned to meddle with.
"I'll be waiting for your challenge in the final singles match, Byoudouin," Akashi said as his tone cooled again, casting him a flat glance.
"Since Echizen Ryōma has forfeited, the Japan Team wins. The total score is 2-0!" The umpire quickly announced, eager to calm the atmosphere.
When Akashi returned to the bench, everyone pressed him with questions about Echizen Ryōga. He only gave a brief explanation of Ryōma and Ryōga's relationship, leaving the rest for after all the Shuffle Matches were finished.
Thus, the Shuffle Matches for the bottom half of the First String concluded. The middle schoolers had impressively won five matches. Apart from the Mutsu brothers and Tokugawa, everyone else's ranks had been replaced.
Though many questions about Ryōga remained, the upcoming matches promised to be even fiercer, and those doubts were pushed aside. Atobe and Sanada had already risen to their feet, clearly ready to begin their own match.
"Attention, all members! We are about to begin the Shuffle Matches for the top ten of the First String. As you all know, news of the World Cup has been confirmed, so the matches from here on will follow the latest doubles rules of the tournament!" Kurobe's voice boomed through the microphone.
"During one side's serve, the opposing pair must take turns receiving! Two balls per turn! For example, if A serves, C must receive two balls, then D will receive the next two, and so on. Did everyone understand?" Kurobe announced firmly.
Hearing the new rules, both the middle schoolers and the high schoolers nodded thoughtfully. If the World Cup truly used this format, then strategy would be far more versatile, and players' ability to analyze on the spot would be tested even more.