(Just taking up a little space to address power-level concerns—author's notes can't fit this much, but rest assured, the actual chapter word count won't be reduced!)
(More and more characters are reaching 10-star power levels, and some readers are worried if Nanjirou's 20-star rating might not hold up. But there's no need to overthink it—I've planned the entire book's power scaling carefully, and it won't spiral out of control. Besides, Nanjirou is a permanent 20-star.)
(I've mentioned before that as star ratings increase, the gap between levels widens exponentially. Most ATP top-20 pros cap at 18 in their stats, with 19 being extremely rare. Stats (goryoku) are also a way I convey power scaling.)
(In the original series, Volk defeated the world No. 1 at just 17. Nanjirou retired before even reaching that pinnacle. So the gap between 19 and 20 stars is the "gate" I've been foreshadowing—a chasm as vast as the sum of all previous levels combined. No need to fret.)
(Also, don't worry about filler—this chapter will be longer than usual. I don't cut corners.)
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Ding-a-ling!
Seigaku.
Training grounds.
A phone rang. Yoru checked the screen—the caller ID read "Oni Juujirou."
It was Oni calling.
Before leaving last time, Yoru had left his number, telling Oni to contact him in case of emergencies. It'd also make it easier to visit the kids later.
Yoru answered. "Yo~ Oni, what's up?"
But the voice on the other end wasn't Oni's—it was a sweet, childish tone. "Yoru onii-chan?"
"…Sakura?"
Yoru recognized her instantly.
Why? Because Sakura had left the strongest impression on him that day—the undisputed IQ queen among the kids.
"Eh?!"
"Yoru onii-chan remembers me?! Yay~!"
Sakura cheered but quickly remembered her mission. "Ah! Onii-chan, I stole Oni's phone to call you! Two bad guys came to the home and challenged Oni to a match!"
"Two bad guys?"
Yoru's eyebrow twitched.
Who'd dare pick a fight with Oni Juujirou? At this point, barely anyone could rival him. Why would Sakura even need to call?
"What do they look like?"
"One has blond hair and a headband! The other wears a blindfold!"
"The blond one's super scary! He hit a glowing ball that exploded and killed fish in the lake!"
Byoudouin Houou.
Blond hair. Headband. Glowing tennis balls. That was literally Byoudouin's signature aesthetic.
"Where are they playing?"
After getting the address, Yoru hung up.
He handed Seigaku's team duties to Yamato and rushed off with QP in tow.
Along the way, Yoru wondered if this was a butterfly effect. Originally, these two shouldn't have met until U-17's first-year matches.
But logically, it had to be the butterfly effect.
Having pieced it together, Yoru grumbled internally: "Goddamn butterfly effect—why can't it bring me Liu Yifei instead?"
[System: …..]
"Yo~ Giving birth again?"
[System: I do have wife-reward quests in my permissions. Just figured you're too young. Want me to issue a child bride quest now?]
"Tch. What else are you hiding? Got an Athena? Y'know, the Saint Seiya one."
[If you want someone normal, I'll issue the quest. If you're wishing on a star, just reincarnate and pray for a better system.]
"Would I even reincarnate?"
[Unlikely. If you die, I'm out of a job too.]
"Then why even bring it up? Skip the quest—I'm not into dating kids. Maybe when I'm older."
[System: …..]
After teasing the system, Yoru's mind shifted to the match.
Would this fight trigger Oni's Samurai's Pledge reset? If so, he might actually gather all three Lights before QP returned.
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Okayama Town
Okayama Tennis Park
The kids followed Oni Juujirou to the arranged location.
Fuwa Hitoshi was already perched on the referee's stand, while Byoudouin sat cross-legged at the baseline, waiting.
"Took you long enough."
Byoudouin stood, dusting off his pants. "Ten-minute warm-up."
"..."
Oni didn't respond. After settling the kids, he began stretching.
That glowing ball earlier proved Byoudouin wasn't some amateur. He might even be on par with QP.
As for Yoru…
Oni still had trauma from that match. He'd genuinely thought he was gonna die.
---
"Serve!"
Once warm-ups ended, Byoudouin spun his racket.
"Heads!"
Clack. The racket landed—tails.
Byoudouin to serve.
"Game start!"
No formalities. Fuwa's voice cut through the air.
---
Service box.
Byoudouin didn't bounce the ball. He pinched it between his fingers.
Then—light erupted.
A tiny sun shot skyward as he tossed it.
"That glowing ball again…"
Oni tightened his grip, muscles coiling.
Byoudouin leaped, racket flashing like a blade.
"Starting with Glowing Shot?!"
Fuwa's breath hitched.
He knew Byoudouin took this seriously—but this seriously?
Opening with his ultimate technique?
BOOM!
A deafening explosion rocked the court.
The kids flinched, stumbling back.
"Careful. This ball kills."
Byoudouin's eyes burned with madness.
A pillar of light tore through the court.
Before the ball arrived, the shockwave hit.
Oni's clothes whipped violently. His skin screamed in protest.
"Let's see how strong you really are!"
Pain ignited Oni's fury.
With a roar, he charged forward, driving through the shockwave.
Both hands on the racket, he jumped—
Center of Gravity Vertical Jump Smash!
Full-body power collided with the Glowing Shot.
On impact, Oni's arms shook.
Heavy.
The Glowing Shot wasn't just raw force—it carried monstrous spin.
The racket's strings groaned, fraying visibly.
"RETURN IT—OOORGH!"
Oni's bellow shook the air. His already terrifying strength surged.
CRACK!
The ball rocketed back at Byoudouin.
"WHAT?!"
Byoudouin's mind blanked.
His technique—never countered head-on before—was just swatted back?!
The delay cost him. The ball blurred toward his face—
Byoudouin barely twisted aside in time.
KABOOM!
The back fence caved inward, steel screeching.
At the same time—snap!
The kids gasped. "O-Oni… onii-chan?"
Fuwa whipped around—and choked.
Oni stood gripping a shattered racket, the other half lying meters away.
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