Shuffle Match

"How is the situation? What did the head coach say?"

Seeing that Kurobe Yukio he put down the phone, Saito Itaru and Takuetsue Ryuji quickly asked.

"Starting tomorrow, we'll arrange Shuffle Match for Saeki Muneyoshi, aiming to get him into the top five, and then..."

Kurobe paused, took a sip of his coffee, and continued, "Then, before the First String heads to France, we'll conduct First String Shuffle Match them!"

"What? But the U-17 tournament is about to start!"

Even the usually composed Saitō's voice trembled slightly; he hadn't expected the head coach to make such a decision.

Shouldn't we play it safe before a major competition?

The arrival of the Byōdōin had already made the third-year students very unhappy, and now that a middle school student has come, the third-year students in the First String are probably going to go crazy.

Once those guys get going, it's not so easy to calm them down.

It's important to understand that a Shuffle Match within a single First String means that indiscriminate challenges can be conducted within that First String to earn badges.

In First String conflict, if they really fight, it's quite possible that someone who is wounded could be bedridden at their base for one or two months.

With the U-17 tournament about to begin, injuries will have a huge impact on the team's strength.

Suddenly, Saitō seemed to have thought of something.

"Byōdōin will be back too, right?"

Kurobe nodded upon hearing this. Mifune Nyudo had already explained to him over the phone that Byōdōin's training was over, and he would return when First String returned.

"I see--"

The meticulous Saitō thought even deeper than Kurobe. This decision was not only a test for Saeki Muneyoshi, but also a test for the First String.

It is also a test for Byōdōin Hōō and Oni Jūjirō.

They had already heard about the results of this expedition. Although Oni Jūjirō was powerful, as a true commander, he was no match for Byōdōin.

The expedition's success has made some people, especially the upperclassmen, a bit complacent, and they seem to have formed a gang to target the first-year students.

Of course, with Oni Jūjirō around, they wouldn't dare go too far, but this definitely wouldn't be a good thing in the long run.

A thorough reform is also a crucial matter for the First String.

"Wait a moment, I'll announce it then."

Having figured this out, Saitō prepared to get up and leave, but paused at the door and smiled at Kurobe.

After dinner.

Saito Itaru's message was like a bombshell, leaving many people in the top five stadiums somewhat dazed.

But what followed was an unstoppable excitement and longing.

Entering the First String means that you will be able to go to the world stage.

Such an attraction is hard for high school students who come here to resist.

"First String Shuffle Match of the army..."

After returning to the dormitory, Muneyoshi greeted Ochi Gekko and Mitsuya, then went back to his room.

Muneyoshi recalled what Saito Itaru he came to his door earlier.

If a team can break into the top five courts within the next two weeks, they will be eligible to challenge for the current top 20 to 11 spots.

Reaching the top three courses gives you a better chance to challenge for First String.

We must seize this opportunity!

Without much thought, Muneyoshi immediately realized that this was the best opportunity to confront the students of the First String High School.

Whether it's Oni Jūjirō, Tanegashima Shūji, Kaji Fūta, or any other third-year high school student, this is definitely an opportunity to enhance their strength.

Moreover, Oni Jūjirō's current strength is no weaker than Byōdōin's.

Both of them are capable of being captains in countries other than the BIG4.

Muneyoshi seemed to have seen an opportunity for him to make breakthroughs in speed, skill, mental strength, and physical strength through them.

He doesn't care about the U-17 first team spot now, because in today's international competitions, unless the team's head coach allows it, it's another matter whether junior high school students can even play.

Of course, this standard will be lifted after this year, apparently because of Zeus.

Therefore, considering the need to improve his own strength, he must seize this opportunity to challenge.

Using strong opponents to test your progress, whether you win or lose, you can learn from them and improve yourself.

Just thinking about such a wonderful thing made his blood boil.

The next day.

Before dawn, Muneyoshi arrived at the court with a hint of anticipation.

He already knew in advance that he would be facing Shuffle Match in the coming period.

With his arrival, Muneyoshi noticed that the atmosphere was noticeably different from yesterday.

The atmosphere was noticeably more somber, especially among the players on the first five courts, with everyone wearing serious and focused expressions.

The coach's message stated that only the top five courses were eligible to launch a challenge, so maintaining that qualification became their most pressing concern.

However, Muneyoshi didn't care about any of that. Instead, he found the court marked with his name and took his racket and went there.

"Match ended! Saeki Muneyoshi won, score 6-0."

"Due to the rules of the Shuffle Match, Saeki Muneyoshi was promoted to Court 9, Matsui Eki was demoted to Court 10."

Kurobe Yukio's voice came over the radio at just the right moment, and the defeated Matsui Eki looked dejected.

Saeki Muneyoshi put down his racket, stood up, glanced casually at the senior high school student kneeling in front of him, and then turned and left.

A heated discussion broke out at the scene after Saeki Muneyoshi left.

"Wow... that's amazing!"

"Is this his true strength?"

"They completely overwhelmed Matsui, and this guy is only a middle school student?"

"Hmph, this kid's only been here two days, and the coaches are already putting him in Shuffle Match. That's against the rules."

"Ha, you're talking about rules? If you can beat Matsui 6-0, you don't have to follow the rules either."

"In this training camp, strength is the only rule!"

The high school student, whose face turned red after being refuted, stared resentfully at Muneyoshi's departing figure.

After the conversation, the high school students watching from the No. 10 court felt a strange sense of fear as they watched Saeki Muneyoshi walk away.

These were the thoughts that couldn't help but linger in their minds.

"Just who is this guy who's only a first-year middle school student?"

Inside the coaches' small, dark room.

"The data we collected today has been updated again..."

Kurobe pressed a button, and Muneyoshi's Five Dimensions Data Fluctuation Graph appeared on the screen. Each new graph overwrote the previous analysis data.

"Not surprising..."

"It's clear that Saeki is still holding back quite a bit."

"Furthermore, given the strength that Saeki has shown so far, it's likely that only the players on the first few courts can pose a threat to him."

Saito Itaru casually glanced at Muneyoshi's data analysis, paying it no mind.

Kurobe and Saitō's keen eye for talent is undeniable, given that they were appointed as the Strategy Coach and Mental Coach coaches at the U-17 training camp.

Although they didn't know Muneyoshi's exact strength, they could easily estimate the lower limit of his strength.

"Keep arranging suitable opponents for him!"

In the days that followed, Muneyoshi was scheduled to participate in Shuffle Match and Court Ranking Battle every day.

His ranking is also rising at an astonishing rate.

On the third day, he stabilized his ranking on Course 9, and on the fourth day, he challenged the Course 9 manager and became the number one player on Course 9.

On the fifth day, they won the Shuffle Match against their opponents at Court 8.

Then came the battle to stabilize the rankings and the competition with the team leader...

The entire training camp was spurred on by Saeki Muneyoshi's unstoppable rise to the top.

Under the triple stimulus of the First String Shuffle Match, the battle for challenge qualification, and Saeki Muneyoshi's identity as a junior high school student.

The training camp became fiercely competitive again.

Everyone feels that the people around them are their rivals.

Of course, Muneyoshi was unaware of all this. His true strength had now surpassed the regular National Level and reached the level of a formal player in the U17 Training Camp.

Aside from the first few courts, he didn't take the players on the later courts seriously; he could easily dominate them with his Basic Tennis skills alone.

His ranking on the court also improved rapidly within two weeks.

P. S.: I can't write about these minor competitions.