Their Respective Opponents

"I'm here, Oni Jūjirō, are you ready?"

A deep and domineering voice came from the tall figure in the shadows, and as his words fell, he once again stood in the sunlight.

It's you!

"Byōdōin, you're back!"

Upon seeing the newcomer, Tanegashima Shūji and Irie Kanata were startled. This time, their expressions were completely genuine, without any pretense of acting.

It was truly astonishing. After their defeat at the training camp, Byōdōin, who had disappeared without a trace, had actually returned once again.

And once again, they encountered a ghost.

Byōdōin's gaze swept over the group, finally settling on Oni Jūjirō.

Now, he exudes no aura, neither showing off nor being decadent or depressed; all he possesses is composure and calmness, supported by his inner confidence and self-assurance.

He has returned, and he will surely reclaim everything he has lost.

At that moment, the demon lowered his arms from his chest, turned around, and looked directly into Byōdōin's eyes.

"Byōdōin, if you wish to go to hell again, I can grant your wish!"

Byōdōin was confident, and even Oni Jūjirō was not afraid.

Having experienced the trials of the world, he has become more composed, and the demeanor of a national team captain has begun to take shape in him.

"Very good!"

Having received a reply, Byōdōin said nothing more, but instead looked at the familiar figure on the other side.

"Kid, looks like you've had a good haul too. I knew those small fry couldn't stop you..."

"Hey, I didn't expect to run into Byōdōin here again. My strength is nothing compared to yours..."

Seeing the domineering Byōdōin from their memories now speaking to a very young contestant in a friendly manner, the three were somewhat moved.

"Byōdōin's temperament has changed."

The thought flashed through the minds of the three of them instantly, and at the same time, they became curious about Muneyoshi's identity.

The other person was so young, and they weren't familiar with them, so it could only be...

"Cough!"

After finishing his exchange with Byōdōin, Muneyoshi looked at the high school group he was most familiar with from the original work, the one that was also the best for junior high school students.

"Fudomine, a first-year junior high student, Saeki Muneyoshi, has met several seniors."

Muneyoshi smiled, his manners impeccable. His handsome face and perfectly timed smile instantly made the others feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

"It really is him!"

Upon hearing Muneyoshi's self-introduction, the three nodded in acknowledgment, and at the same time, they matched the information they had learned in the training camp with the person in question.

"Wow, Saeki -kun is only a first-year middle school student and he's already here. That puts us all to shame."

Irie Kanata stepped forward and praised Muneyoshi with a smile.

"You flatter me, senior. My skills are far inferior to yours."

Muneyoshi was not pleased by Irie's praise, nor did he become arrogant knowing the true strength of these people.

At this moment, Tanegashima Shūji glanced at Byōdōin beside him, then looked at Muneyoshi and asked in confusion:

"Saeki -kun, what is your relationship with Byōdōin?"

"You can just call me Muneyoshi, senior. My acquaintance with Byōdōin was purely by chance."

Upon hearing Muneyoshi's reply, a strange light flashed in the eyes of the three.

They knew very well what kind of person Byōdōin was; he wouldn't really take casual acquaintances seriously.

"So, what's the purpose of your visit?"

Tanegashima Shūji glanced at Irie Kanata and Oni Jūjirō beside him.

This is a crucial time for Shuffle Match the First String; he doesn't believe the other side is genuinely just here to get to know him.

Hearing Tanegashima ask this question, Muneyoshi's smile deepened.

"I'm here for no other reason than that I feel my skills have reached a bottleneck, and I'd like to ask the seniors for some guidance."

Really!

Tanegashima Shūji and Irie Kanata stopped smiling, and even Oni Jūjirō turned to look at him.

"There are three of us here. Who are you looking for?"

Irie Kanata's eyelids twitched. He had already noticed that although Saeki Muneyoshi's gaze was on them, it was clear that he spent more time on him.

"Of course it's you, Irie- senpai."

Muneyoshi met Irie's gaze and stated his purpose directly.

"Oh, why me? And do you know us? I don't recall us introducing ourselves just now?"

Knowing that the other party was after him, Irie only paused for a moment before returning to normal.

"The Demon Senior is now someone else's prey, and I probably can't beat this Tanegashima Senior, so I can only ask him for guidance..."

He paused, then the smile on Muneyoshi's face faded, replaced by a cold expression. "As for how to get to know each other, I believe tennis is the best communication tool!"

"Alright, now that we've chosen our opponent, let's go! Ghost, it's time to settle our scores!"

"Let's go, Byōdōin!"

After saying that, the two walked directly towards an empty sports field.

"Why!"

Tanegashima Shūji was torn; he wanted to see his friend's duel, but he also didn't want to miss Byōdōin's revenge drama.

After thinking for a moment, Tanegashima patted Irie the shoulder and then walked towards the court where the two men were playing.

Compared to Muneyoshi's side, the allure of Oni and Byōdōin was definitely greater for him.

Muneyoshi wasn't surprised, but knowing the result, he had no curiosity about the match between the two.

They are now far stronger than him. The time he'll be able to face them both in tennis is the time he's most looking forward to.

Irie Kanata watched the direction the group had gone, a hint of curiosity flashing across her face.

After all, Byōdōin was fighting a demon again, but if he wanted to watch the match, he needed to deal with his opponent first.

The two arrived at a relatively secluded court, with few people around. Apart from the coach, who was a fan of using surveillance cameras, they weren't worried about being discovered by others.

"Saeki -kun, why did you come to me? I'm only No. 20, the lowest in the First String. If you want a badge, with your strength, you should be looking for someone else, right?"

Standing in front of the net, Irie asked the last question that had been lingering in her mind.

"Intuition, I trust my intuition. I believe my senior can offer me guidance... As for the badge, I don't care about it."

After saying that, Muneyoshi took out two badges from his pocket.

Upon seeing this, Irie smiled, and with her baby face, the smile became even brighter.

"Oh, I see. So even the number 8 badge got to Saeki -kun. I'm kind of looking forward to the upcoming matches..."

"Okay, then I'll leave the rest to you, senior!"

A glint of light flashed in Muneyoshi's eyes, and he smiled happily.

He finally piqued Irie's interest; at least she shouldn't be being faked, right?

Muneyoshi picked up his racket, ready to guess who would go first.

"Saeki -kun, don't be shy, you can serve first!"

Looking at Irie's gentle smile, Muneyoshi nodded. Since Irie was confident in letting him serve, it meant that he had a lot of faith in his abilities.

So he didn't insist, walked to the baseline, and took out a tennis ball.

P. S.: Requesting monthly votes for the new week!