The Hunt Begins

Creak...

The sound of a dry branch snapping was extremely jarring in the dense forest.

Kiriya, Kimijima Ikuto, Tōno Atsukyō, Ōmagari Ryūji...

The group stood quietly high in the dense forest, looking at the parking lot and watching a dozen powerful figures with fluctuating auras get out of the cars.

"Call!"

"The feeling of launching a challenge and then seizing victory is truly wonderful!"

Ōmagari Ryūji took a deep breath of the mountain air, a look of relief on his face.

"I've already chosen my opponent, I'm off..."

After saying that, Ōmagari Ryūji picked up his racket and walked towards a secluded court.

Seeing that Ōmagari Ryūji had left first, the others didn't say anything, but instead kept checking their opponents.

"Ahem, everyone, this change in the rules of the Shuffle Match is our best chance to rise, we must seize it."

At this moment, Kimijima Ikuto stepped forward and clapped his hands to encourage his teammates of many years.

"Hmph, Kimijima, we've been teammates for so many years, you don't need to use your little tricks on us anymore. My prey has appeared, let's go..."

Seeing its target appear, the silent Kiriya greeted him and disappeared into the dense forest.

Kimijima Ikuto smiled inwardly at his former teammates' sabotage; he had already noticed that the players who were ranked higher were not there, but had been kept behind by the coach.

He's only number ten in the sequence now, but he's not satisfied with that and wants to expand his influence.

"The coaching staff notified us in advance about this Shuffle Match to boost the activity at the training base, giving us great flexibility to choose our own opponents!"

He paused, then looked at the two people remaining beside him, a slight smile appearing in his eyes:

"Of course, I prefer to call this so-called shuffling 'hunting mode'!"

Upon hearing this, Tōno Atsukyō's eyes lit up, and he licked his lips lightly, saying, "Hunting? I like it!"

Without saying goodbye, he walked straight towards a sports field.

"So, Saeki- kun, have you found your opponent yet?"

Muneyoshi had been hiding in the shadows of the dense forest, emerged and calmly looked at the various courts where the matches had already begun, saying:

"Senior Kimijima, go find your prey. I'm going to look around..."

"Oh? First String Shuffle Match, where you can freely hunt in the top five courts and challenge anyone inside?"

On the main road leading into the training camp, Kurobe Yukio explained the rules of this First String -tier Shuffle Match to the top-ranked individuals.

The ghost was somewhat surprised, and the others also seemed tempted.

Seeing everyone's state, Kurobe Yukio's expression was quite smug.

This new, more proactive and authoritative model is a redesign he made after incorporating the head coach's philosophy.

The previous Shuffle Match had unknowingly become somewhat rigid and inflexible.

Especially for First String, they can only provoke a small number of people.

This is why the second and third years had become stagnant; it was only the arrival of Byōdōin and Oni that revitalized the entire training camp.

They were naturally happy to make things easy for the first-year students.

He believes that the First String will definitely undergo a major reshuffle this time.

Upon receiving confirmation from the Kurobe Dōmoto Shingo and Natsume Ryūichi's expressions changed drastically.

As representatives of the second and third grades, how could they not know what this represented?

Dōmoto Shingo instinctively wanted to object, but having already participated in the U-17 World Tournament once, he knew very well that many of the current third-year students were simply not up to par on the World Tournament.

However, if the first-graders are allowed to challenge them, then the third-graders will lose their voice.

Caught between a rock and a hard place, Dōmoto Shingo and Natsume Ryūichi suddenly sensed a burning gaze.

But after glancing at the first-year students, his gaze shifted away.

This further enraged them, and some first-year students turned their attention to them.

It's either Tanegashima Shūji or Kaji Fūta.

However, they had no evidence, and the two individuals themselves were extremely powerful.

In particular, Tanegashima Shūji Taneshima's strength during this expedition even made Dōmoto Shingo somewhat alarmed.

Immediately, Dōmoto Shingo looked at the baby-faced man who had been smiling to the side:

"So this Shuffle Match should be a great thing for Irie, right? Your No. 20 ranking should move up a bit."

Upon hearing this, Irie did not respond, but instead shook his head.

"You flatter me, senior. My strength is not great to begin with. Obtaining a badge of 20 was already extremely difficult, and there's no possibility of advancing further. But I can go and cheer you on..."

Irie finished speaking, everyone except Oni, who still had a serious expression, looked strange, and Tanegashima looked like he had been defeated.

As a teammate he'd played with since junior high, he knew Irie very well.

Irie's obsession with concealing his true abilities and his acting skills has reached a point of fanaticism.

Meanwhile, on various courts nestled in the dense forest, most of the matches had already entered a heated phase.

Ōmagari Ryūji, Kiriya, Hakamada Izō, Ban Rikiya Date Otori, Mutsu Yūma, Yuma Mutsu, Mutsu Yūho have all found their opponents, whether in doubles or singles.

At that moment, a sharp sound broke the silence and reached Muneyoshi's ears.

"Hehehe, die!"

At the end of a forest path, a series of somewhat eerie bursts of laughter echoed.

Muneyoshi recognized the voice very well.

Tōno Atsukyō.

After a slight pause, Muneyoshi walked toward the direction from which the sound came with a hint of curiosity. He also wanted to know just how strong the opponent Tōno Atsukyō had chosen was.

"Hehehe, I've finally been waiting for you!"

"The person I came to this training camp with the most intention of getting rid of is you. There can only be one executioner, and that is me, Tōno Atsukyō. Before that, I will execute you first."

A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Tōno's eyes, and with a thud, he hit the ball directly at his opponent's abdomen.

It was one of his Thirteen Execution Methods: seppuku!

This was the first time Muneyoshi had seen Tōno Atsukyō take action; his use of Execution Method made him far more dangerous than the Demonization Kirihara Akira.

Even in the future, none of those who lose to him will emerge unscathed.

However, his opponent was no pushover either; the aura emanating from the opponent made even the mentally sensitive Muneyoshi sense a blood-red shadow.

The opponent was also an executioner, and easily dodged Tōno's attack.

"Hmph, quick reaction, but this is just an appetizer. How do you plan to dodge next? The second move of the Thirteen Execution Methods: Execution by Firing Squad."

"The third method: Burial Alive."

"Fourth move, Iron Pear Blossom."

"Fifth style, the Colombian Necktie!"

The only sound on the entire field was Tōno Atsukyō's excited shouts.

Once this guy starts his executions, he becomes extremely agitated and temperamental. Sometimes, he's so cruel that he gets called for a foul by the referee.

Of course, this is also why his mental strength is a major weakness among the five dimensions.

Watching Tōno's aggressive playing style, Muneyoshi felt no discomfort. On the contrary, as the match progressed, he could feel that Darkness was becoming more active.

A wave of dormant negative emotions began to rise, and the desire for destruction and competition surged.

He needs to find an opponent.

P. S.: "Please vote with monthly tickets~~"