Yoru handed the registration form to the tournament staff.
"Here's Seigaku's entry list."
After processing the paperwork, the staff wrote Seigaku's name into the second-round bracket.
Despite their past struggles, Seigaku had managed to advance last year, granting them a first-round bye as one of the district's seeded teams.
Scouting the Competition
Yoru ordered his team to observe other schools' matches—know your enemy, know yourself, and you'll never lose.
Without a data specialist like Inui Sadaharu or Yanagi Renji, they had to rely on collective scouting.
Yoru chose a familiar school to watch:
Fudomine.
According to Coach Ryuzaki's records, the district preliminaries had long been dominated by Seigaku and Fudomine.
"Fudomine shouldn't have any strong players right now."
Yoru pondered.
In the original timeline, Fudomine only rose to prominence after Tachibana Kippei dismantled their toxic upperclassmen. Right now, they were likely just another mediocre team.
Arriving at Court 3, Yoru glanced at the lineup board:
Fudomine Roster:
Furutani Masaharu Nagaoka Kaburi Usui Eri Matsuda Yukie Hisashima Kaoru Miyamoto Kan Sekine Kazuyoshi
"Hm?"
The last three names gave him pause.
Not because they were famous—but because they'd appeared as background characters in the U-17 Arc.
"So these guys are here already?"
Regardless, being future U-17 trainees should mean they had decent skills.
Yoru turned his gaze to Fudomine's players—then nearly facepalmed after checking their stats.
Sekine Kazuyoshi: ★★★★ (4-star) Miyamoto Kan: ★★★ (3-star) Hisashima Kaoru (strongest of the three): ★★★★ (4-star)
Their levels were on par with Kawasaki Junsai and Kaidou Juu.
"And these guys made U-17?"
Yoru rolled his eyes.
No wonder Japan's U-17 team was so weak before Tezuka and the others joined. If they were scraping the bottom of the barrel like this, no wonder they struggled.
An Unexpected Encounter
"Excuse me~"
A voice interrupted his thoughts.
Yoru turned to see a middle-aged man with a camera slung around his neck.
"Hello, I'm Inui Mamoru from Tennis Monthly. Mind if I ask a few questions?"
Inui Mamoru.
The narrator-journalist of Prince of Tennis, whose role was basically to hype up the protagonists' feats.
Yoru replied flatly, "What do you want?"
"Rumor has it Seigaku's new captain is a first-year. As a reporter, I'm curious—would you spare a moment for an interview?"
Inui smiled eagerly, notebook in hand.
"Not interested."
Yoru walked away without another word.
He had no patience for media distractions—and journalists loved twisting words. Even if Inui wasn't that type, Yoru instinctively avoided them.
"Huh?!"
Inui stared, baffled.
Most players leapt at the chance for Tennis Monthly coverage. Why was this kid so indifferent?
"Long time no see, Inui-san."
A familiar voice cut in.
Coach Ryuzaki approached, glancing at Yoru's retreating figure before chuckling. "Don't take it personally. That boy's… unique."
"Ah, Ryuzaki-sensei!"
Inui bowed politely. The two were old acquaintances.
*"That boy is Seigaku's first-ever first-year captain—something even Echizen Nanjiroh couldn't achieve back in his day."*
Ryuzaki's tone was equal parts pride and exasperation.
Inui's eyes lit up. "A first-year captain? His skills must be extraordinary!"
"He's Nanjiroh's adopted son," Ryuzaki revealed. "And according to Nanjiroh himself, Yoru surpasses even his own teenage self."
"WHAT?!"
Inui's jaw dropped.
Nanjiroh's adopted son? And stronger than the legendary Samurai at his age?!
As Nanjiroh's biggest fan, Inui knew how unfathomably dominant the man had been in his youth. For him to admit anyone surpassed him was unthinkable.
"So… you're saying Yoru could reach Nanjiroh's level?" Inui breathed.
Ryuzaki smirked. "I never said that. Talent alone doesn't guarantee anything—but the potential is there."
"Then what's Seigaku's goal this year?"
"The same as every team's: Nationals."
Inui scribbled notes furiously.
Most schools claimed to aim for Nationals—but Ryuzaki's confidence was palpable. Last year, Seigaku couldn't even clear the Metropolitan Tournament. Was this faith purely due to Yoru and the two new members?
"Speaking of which," Inui pressed, "I heard Seigaku gained two other strong players?"
"Yamato Yuudai and Kirihara."
"Yamato's a second-year who didn't play last season. Kirihara's a third-year transfer. Both are exceptional talents."
"Are they stronger than your former captain, Kawasaki Junsai?"
Ryuzaki merely smiled.
The answer was obvious.
The Matches Begin
Soon, the first round concluded.
Seigaku's second-round match was up.
Yoru led his team to their assigned court, issuing a single order:
"No holding back. End this quickly. We have a tight schedule."
"YES, CAPTAIN!"
The district preliminaries were a two-day gauntlet:
Today: Two matches (morning/afternoon) Tomorrow: Semifinals (morning), Finals (afternoon)
Though Seigaku skipped the first round, five matches in two days would test their stamina and focus.
High-intensity matches drained far more energy than training—especially if opponents pushed them.
Time to crush the competition.