The Youth Edition of the Winners' Bracket and Losers' Bracket

After recovering, Tachibana Kippei frowned, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, and the mole between his eyebrows seemed to become congested with blood.

A look of frustration appeared on Shiraishi's face; in the previous match, he had been used as a weak point by Keith and Hara Tetsuya.

The feeling of being defeated by Muneyoshi one moment and then by Keith and his teammates the next was something that even he couldn't calm down with quickly.

"Alright, the outcome is now decided. The Loser's Bracket, please step forward to receive your punishment!"

Watanabe Osamu clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

Tread...

The four groups who failed stepped forward, their expressions somewhat unpleasant.

"Vice Minister, Minister Shiraishi, why are you running so fast? Wait for us!"

Bang!

"Kamio, you're so fast, can you give me a ride... Haru, why are you pulling down my pants?!"

Zaizen Hikaru's pace faltered as he ran forward with all his might, nearly causing him to fall flat on his face. After regaining his speed and rhythm, he roared at the Konjiki Koharu behind him.

"Wow... I mainly saw how cool you looked running Zaizen, Zaizen, but you look even cuter when you're angry."

Upon hearing Konjiki Koharu's voice, Zaizen Hikaru felt goosebumps all over his body. He didn't say a word and rushed forward desperately.

At that moment, all he wanted was to get as far away from this person as possible.

"Stop arguing, run! Don't forget, only the first person to complete the punishment task is eligible to challenge us!"

At this moment, Shiraishi, who was at the front, turned around and said something. Even though he was gentle, he was holding back his anger.

After Shiraishi spoke up, they stopped making a fuss and quickly started running forward.

Hearing the ghostly howls behind him, Kamio Akira, who was moving through the jungle, revealed a slight smile.

Besides him, the other members of Fudomine also felt a sense of familiarity with this punishment.

Having experienced the training led by Saeki Muneyoshi in the Metropolitan Tournament, they readily accepted this off-road punishment exercise.

Although they were carrying extra weight, the rackets they used were standard, so overall, the Fudomine players performed better than the Shitenhoji.

That is indeed the case.

These punishment subjects were compiled by Hanamura Aoi after reviewing Muneyoshi's various training plans.

She removed some of the demands that were inhumane for them now, but also added some items that Muneyoshi hadn't included last time.

Last time, Muneyoshi took them to the mountains, but this time they're at a club with outdoor facilities.

When the losing team reached a perfectly straight dirt road, the ball-serving machines hidden on both sides of the road began to operate.

"Attention, losers! You will now be able to either return the ball or dodge the tennis balls coming from either side of the road. A successful return will earn you 10 points, a successful dodge will earn you 5 points, and being hit by a tennis ball will deduct 10 points."

Ultimately, scores will be awarded based on the first runner to cross the finish line, with the highest scorer qualifying to challenge for a spot in the winners' bracket.

"What!!"

"There are even checkpoints?!"

The group, who were almost at the finish line, were caught off guard by the announcement, but they didn't have time to complain.

Whoosh!

"Oops!"

Shiraishi and Tachibana Kippei, who were running at the front, were startled as two mustard-yellow tennis balls shot out from the bushes on either side at great speed, flying straight toward their bodies.

"Drink up! That won't stop me!"

Tachibana and Shiraishi reacted incredibly quickly. At the last second, they perfectly coordinated, facing the direction of the incoming ball and bending their arms to hit the tennis ball back with their rackets.

Bang!

Bang!

Two muffled thuds were heard.

"I never expected that I would need to dodge or return tennis balls, and these tennis balls are all very fast!"

"Shiraishi, let's keep going and see who gets there first."

Without pausing, the two continued running forward.

However, while they handled it so easily, those behind them were not so lucky.

Moreover, as the finish line approaches, the tennis balls fly faster and faster, and each time there is more than one ball in the air.

Bang!

Bang!

The sounds of running and hitting balls echoed continuously through the dense forest.

This punishment is a good test of leg strength, stamina, reaction speed, concentration, and willpower.

Those who fail to complete these penalty tasks on time and whose score is zero at the end will have to continue until the penalty is completed.

However, only the winner of each punishment can be challenged, and there are two chances each day.

The club's field control room.

Hanamura Aoi and Watanabe Osamu quietly watched all the team members train while drinking tea.

The disarray of the losing group contrasted sharply with the composed and methodical winning group.

Hanamura Aoi's attention was mainly drawn to the Loser's Bracket. Watching these young players use all sorts of methods to deal with the punishments, she couldn't help but admire Muneyoshi's cunning ideas.

These methods conflict significantly with the elite training methods she learned abroad, but they are highly effective at stimulating everyone's potential.

Evening...

After a day of struggling in the losers' group, the group returned to the familiar court.

Looking at the already prepared winners' bracket.

No one spoke; a grim and cruel atmosphere enveloped everyone in the winners' bracket.

In just one day, the smiles on the faces of both Fudomine and Shitenhoji disappeared, especially among the Shitenhoji members, who had lost their usual playful interest.

At this moment, all they wanted was for these winners to experience the cruelty they had suffered.

Apart from Muneyoshi, the training for the winners was also quite demanding, with the training volume almost half that of the basic training in the training camp.

For these junior high school students who have never experienced high-intensity training.

This kind of training is too brutal.

"Cough cough..."

Watanabe Osamu coughed lightly twice, reminding the listless group, then looked at Hanamura Aoi beside him.

Hanamura Aoi nodded, took a step forward, and said:

"Today, apart from Shiraishi and Tachibana Kippei, who completed their punishment tasks, no one else in the Loser's Bracket did. Therefore, only those two are eligible to challenge."

"Step forward!"

Shiraishi and Tachibana emerged looking disheveled, their gazes fixed on the faces of the winners.

"Excuse me, Coach Hanamura, who will be playing against Captain Shiraishi with Shiraishi -kun? Is it a doubles match?"

Seeing the two people staring at him, Oshitari Kenya couldn't help but raise his hand and ask.

"No, this time it's singles. As for the participants, it's simple, we'll draw lots again. Let's begin." Hanamura Aoi smiled gently, gesturing for Watanabe Osamu to take out the lottery box again.

"Come on, Shiraishi, Tachibana, these are the names of the winners. Whoever you draw will be your opponent..."

Tachibana and Shiraishi exchanged a glance, both seeing the fire in each other's eyes.

"The results are in: Shiraishi will face Lin Xiu, Tachibana Kippei will face Hara Tetsuya. Go and prepare!"

Thirty minutes later...

Bang!

With the final ball hitting out of Tachibana Kippei Hara Tetsuya's baseline, Tachibana Kippei returned to the winners' bracket.

Almost simultaneously, on the other side, the match between Lin Xiu and Shiraishi also came to a conclusion, with Shiraishi ultimately proving superior and securing a spot in the winners' bracket.

"Tachibana Kippei wins, Hara Tetsuya advances to the Loser's Bracket!"

"Shiraishi Kuranosuke wins, Lin Xiu advances to the Loser's Bracket!"

Watanabe Osamu announced with a smile that Hara Tetsuya and Lin Xiu could only head to the Loser's Bracket at this moment.

They will be facing a new round of loser challenges.

In this constant, fiercely competitive environment, everyone is growing and maturing.

Furthermore, the significant difference in diet between the winners' and Loser's Bracket fueled a strong motivation among the Loser's Bracket to pull the winners down...

However, after the third day of Muneyoshi's training, everything came to an end.

Because he was drafted!

Without delay, he explained the reason to Hanamura Aoi and left Osaka, setting foot in that place once again.

P. S.: "The separate chapter describing the Byōdōin on the back mountain was to echo the current plot."

The current timeline should be a little over a month after Byōdōin decided to lead the expedition, after Tokugawa had undergone a month of training in the back mountains, and nine days after Byōdōin and his men left the training camp.

I'll start writing another main storyline tomorrow, but it won't be for too long. Since it involves returning from the National Tournament, it's not the next semester's expedition; it's just a transition. After all, it would be a waste for the protagonist to train with them, and it also lays the groundwork for the plot after the National Tournament.