Tokyo Metropolis, Fudomine Academy Tennis Club.
At four in the afternoon, after finishing the day's classes, all the students once again threw themselves into their club activities.
This regional preliminary tournament had already come to an end for Fudomine's Tennis Club.
This first-round exit did not bring any changes to the coach or the Regulars.
If the initial draw had gone smoothly and they had encountered a few weaker schools, they might have had a chance to scrape by.
However, losing to Seigaku, which had been stronger than them to begin with, was not something difficult to accept.
Besides, they had gone the full five matches against Seigaku before narrowly losing in the end.
Such a result was already enough for Tony Oki to boast about endlessly.
At that moment, he was planning how to polish up this match report and inform the academy principal of the noble character Fudomine had displayed under his leadership—fighting defeat after defeat and never giving up.
He hoped to move the academy leadership with this and secure more funding for the Tennis Club.
Therefore, he had not even arranged the day's regular training, handing everything over to club captain Ohashi Miku while he hid in his office to write his report.
Creak!
The Tennis Club's doors were slowly pushed open, and Saeki Muneyoshi walked in with a tennis bag slung over his back.
What greeted his eyes was an incomparably messy court, tennis balls scattered everywhere, and groups of third-years chatting happily.
As well as the few first- and second-years who did not dare make a sound and could only silently pick up balls.
The loss in the regional preliminaries did not seem to have affected Fudomine's Tennis Club in the slightest. They appeared to have grown completely accustomed to such defeat.
Moreover, since they had battled Seigaku for all five matches this time, they felt they could already publicize it as a victory.
Saeki Muneyoshi, the lone first-year Regular, stood out sharply from the chatting crowd of third-years.
With his tennis bag on his back, Muneyoshi wore a relaxed expression and indifferent eyes. He swept his gaze over the entire Tennis Club before heading toward the Regulars' training area.
Bang!
Bang!
The sound of balls being struck rang out without end.
After watching along the way, Muneyoshi could not stir up the slightest emotion over their training.
There was a reason why Fudomine's middle school players before Tachibana Kippei had been so poor in the original work.
Especially after joining the Tennis Club for over a month and experiencing it firsthand, he had truly realized just how hopeless they were.
Even calling them trash fish would have been giving them too much credit.
"Who is that?"
"Don't know. A newcomer? But it looks like he's wearing a Regular's uniform."
"No way. He's so young. Didn't they say only third-years at Fudomine could become Regulars? How could there be a first-year Regular?"
"Why not? Did you forget? That guy the upperclassmen complained about not long ago—the one who got in through the back door!"
"Uh... now that you mention it, I seem to remember. But after becoming a Regular, hasn't that guy never attended a single school training session?"
"He hasn't even attended training? How can the coach tolerate a brat like that staying here?"
"Enough, who cares about him? Hurry up and pick up the balls, or Captain Ohashi will see us and punish us again..."
The first- and second-years silently picking up balls were quite surprised to see Muneyoshi appear.
However, they did not talk for long before someone who looked like their leader stopped the conversation and urged the others on.
But when the leader saw Muneyoshi walking straight toward the Regulars' training court, he did not pay any further attention.
After picking up balls at Fudomine for two years, he no longer had much emotional reaction to such things.
His only wish now was to wait one more year, then become a Regular.
Once that happened, it would be his turn to enjoy all these privileges.
But before long, his fantasy was interrupted by a fierce argument and the sounds of chaotic fighting.
Shouts of abuse from upperclassmen and the sounds of scuffling continuously came from the Regulars' court.
As he walked over,
Muneyoshi naturally heard plenty of discussion, but he did not take it to heart.
After being exploited by Fudomine, this group had changed from being aggressive at first to becoming conservative. By now, their hearts had even begun to grow numb.
That change put him on guard, and it also made him deeply displeased.
With this school's system, with the current Regulars, with the coach...
Along with the negative, violent emotions that had been piling up inside him for who knew how long, everything surged forth at this moment, nearly bursting free.
Traces of dangerous, dark aura radiated from him. As his steps drew closer, several familiar sounds soon reached his ears.
Bang, bang.
It was the sound of tennis balls being struck again and again.
"Perfect. Ohashi Miku is here too!"
The aura around him grew increasingly agitated. Muneyoshi tightened his grip on the tennis bag strap over his shoulder with one hand, slightly raised his chin, and suddenly kicked open the doors to the Regulars' training court before swaggering in.
His utterly brazen posture and actions quickly drew the attention of the other Regulars practicing on the court.
"Stop! Brat, don't you know the Tennis Club's etiquette?"
Seeing Saeki Muneyoshi's arrogant appearance and obvious troublemaking attitude, the third-years' expressions immediately darkened.
The Fudomine Regulars, who often used dirty tricks and underhanded methods on the court, were highly sensitive to the dark aura Muneyoshi was giving off. It was the prelude to an imminent eruption.
Furthermore, although Muneyoshi was wearing Fudomine's Regular uniform, they had never seen him before, nor had he ever trained here.
Now he had suddenly come here, and with such a provocative manner at that.
These already delinquent Fudomine Regulars quickly realized it.
Saeki Muneyoshi had come looking for trouble!
Ignoring everyone else's stares, Muneyoshi looked toward Ohashi Miku in the middle of the court.
"Senior Ohashi, I heard you're pretty strong. Come play a match with me!"
Muneyoshi's tone was exceptionally mocking. The others, who could hear that there was hardly any respect in his voice, slightly changed expression, while Ohashi Miku immediately frowned.
But before Ohashi Miku could react, his lackeys moved first.
"Hey, kid, how dare you address the captain by name like that!"
"What right does a kid who got in through the back door have to challenge the captain?"
"Exactly. A guy who got in through the back door actually became a Regular just like us. Captain, you should strip him of his Regular status."
"And watch your tone! Otherwise, we wouldn't mind teaching you a lesson."
Indignant voices continuously rang out from the crowd.
No matter how awful Fudomine's system was, as its current beneficiaries, these third-years were still very willing to uphold such authority.
Many of them had long been dissatisfied with Muneyoshi, this Regular who had been parachuted in through the back door.
"Oh? What, are you scared?"
"Ptooey!"
"If you're scared, then hand over the captain's position already..."
Seeing Ohashi Miku remain unmoved, as if he were ignoring him, Muneyoshi continued to provoke him.
"Asshole!"
"You damned bastard, who do you think you are?"
Ohashi Miku still did not answer, but his tacit approval enraged the Regulars who heard those words.
Telling Ohashi Miku to give up the position of Tennis Club captain was like kicking a hornet's nest.
Several of them even pounced forward, wanting to personally teach this guy who did not respect his seniors a lesson.
But their movements were not even comparable to Akutsu's. How could Muneyoshi possibly take them seriously?
Muneyoshi easily evaded their attempts to seize him, then used several simple shoulder throws to slam them heavily onto the ground.
His movements were extremely rough. Even after throwing them down, he planted his foot on their bodies.
"Enough nonsense. Since Ohashi Miku isn't willing to come, then..."
At that moment, Muneyoshi no longer suppressed his sharp edge. He let all the malice and violent emotions he had held in for so long rise up, releasing them with the support of his mental power.
The once-noisy court instantly fell silent. Everyone looked uneasily at Saeki Muneyoshi, as though they had seen some ferocious beast.
Drawing out his racket, just as Muneyoshi was about to take things a step further, a cold voice came from the court.
"It seems you really want to compete with me."
"Then I'll grant your wish and teach you a lesson!"
"Hmph, good..."
Muneyoshi narrowed his eyes. This was exactly what he had been waiting for.
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