### Makinofuji
After a month of threats, bribes, and relentless persuasion, Byoudouin "Phoenix" Houou and Tetsuhito Fuwa finally managed to recruit some strong players.
First was Atsushi Tohno from Aomori.
Tohno was… a special case. Obsessed with some kind of religious ideology, he made Phoenix go through hoops—buying Bibles, procuring torture tools—before finally being convinced after getting blasted by a barrage of Lightning Strikes.
Next was Ryuji Oshitari from Gunma Middle School.
His recruitment was surprisingly easy—just a bowl of dandan noodles and a taiyaki was enough to lure him in. Cheaper than a girl swayed by malatang.
To counter Seigaku's overwhelming singles strength, Phoenix paired Oshitari and Tohno as a doubles team, letting them sharpen their synergy.
Their playstyles complemented each other perfectly.
Tohno's brutal Execution Tennis relied on relentless offense, but it left gaps in defense. Oshitari, however, specialized in defensive counterattacks, covering those gaps with his Two-Sword Style and wide-range retrievals.
Then came the doubles duo from Kyushu—Danjiro Date and Rikiya Ban, a traditional powerhouse pair.
Their original school was too weak to make Nationals, so after wasting two years, they jumped at Phoenix's offer for a shot at glory.
With that, Makinofuji's roster was complete.
Phoenix swiftly kicked out the weaker original members. Some protested, but after witnessing Tohno and the others in action, they shut up fast.
This new Makinofuji was stronger than ever—more dominant than last year's team.
The only regret?
Failing to recruit Jujiro Oni. If they had him, their singles lineup would've been unstoppable.
Still, there was a silver lining.
After that crushing defeat and severe injury, Phoenix hit rock bottom—only to rise again, stronger than ever. His body had matured, and his skills had sharpened.
---
### Shitenhouji
A green-capped teen and another with bangs hanging over his forehead walked to a shady tree—where a certain idiot was napping.
They exchanged glances, then hoisted him up and sprinted toward the school's only swimming pool.
The jostling woke the sleeper.
"Eh?!"
His eyes widened as the pool grew closer. "Captain?! Tetsuya?! What are you—YAMEROOOOO!!!"
Ignoring his screams, the two raised him high, their expressions as solemn as soldiers on a mission.
Green Cap (Captain): "Sorry, Mouri. Nationals are coming, and I'm under pressure. This is the only way to wake you up."
"Tetsuya—FULL SPEED!"
"YES, SIR!"
Eyes burning with determination, they sprinted faster, then—
SPLASH!!!
All three plunged into the water, sending waves everywhere.
Two minutes later, they floated belly-up—three drowning idiots.
Luckily, the swimming club was used to this. They fished them out, dried them off, and dumped them back at the tennis courts.
By the time Mouri Koshiro woke up, he was furious.
"You could've just asked me to train! Why drag me into the pool?!"
Enraged, he delivered a "Crow Takes Flight" straight into the captain's gut—
"BLARGH—!"
Captain: "M-Mouri… you traitor…!"
Mouri: "Who's the traitor?! You can't even swim!!"
Captain: "T-Tetsuya… help…!"
But Tetsuya Hiroshi lay peacefully on the ground, already in the afterlife.
The rest of Shitenhouji's team barely blinked. Some even placed white flowers beside them before continuing practice.
Meet Shitenhouji's Big Three:
- Yukimura Seiichi (Green Cap): The (unhinged) captain.
- Hiroshi Tetsuya: The (often unconscious) vice-capt.
- Koshiro Mouri: The (lazy but OP) sleeping ace.
Since the seniors graduated, the second-years had to carry the team. Though new coach Watanabe Shu helped keep morale high, the gap in strength was obvious.
Mouri, their strongest player, hated training and hid to nap daily—hence the "pool wake-up calls."
Nearby, Coach Watanabe turned over in his sleep, completely unfazed.
---
### Maiko Academy
"Atsushi Tohno, Ryuji Oshitari, Danjiro Date, Rikiya Ban…"
"These are Makinofuji's new recruits."
The bespectacled teen closed the report and sighed. "Shuuji… we're screwed."
Shuuji Tanegashima, pale-haired and slightly tanned (which, unfortunately, dulled his otherwise sharp looks), propped his chin on his hand.
"They reinforced before Nationals… we didn't think of that. But let's be real—no one would join our broke school anyway."
Tanegashima Shuuji and Kanata Irie—Maiko's two pillars.
But beyond them and Kaji Kazuya, the rest of the team was weak.
Tanegashima yawned. "Winning Kansai was enough. At least we're graduating with something. Did you see the news from Kanto?"
Irie nodded. "Seigaku's sudden rise was unexpected. Rikkai's lineup last year was mostly second-years and first-years, so they shouldn't have weakened…"
"I wonder if we'll face them at Nationals. Not that we can win, but fighting strong players sounds fun. Rumor says they even have a German prodigy transfer!"
Though they'd won Kansai, Maiko's team had glaring weaknesses. Their victory relied heavily on luck—like Irie slotting Kazuya into doubles and avoiding Phoenix in singles.
But luck wouldn't take them to Nationals glory.
Thankfully, Tanegashima and Irie were chill. Even Kazuya, the library committee member, was zen about it.
No obsession with championships here.
---
The Nationals were coming—and every school was making their final preparations.