Beat Them to a Pulp

Kurobe led Muneyoshi and his group forward until they reached a small path leading to the back of the mountain. From here, they wouldn't have to go through the trouble of rock climbing.

Muneyoshi followed the main group to the top of Heart Cliff. Mifune Nyudo was still the same as before, leisurely training the toy in his eyes.

"Head Coach!"

Upon seeing Mifune Nyudo again, Saeki Muneyoshi bowed respectfully to him.

"Hmph! You finally arrived, kid. Judging from your appearance, you shouldn't have been ruined by the low-competition environment of junior high school, right?"

Mifune Nyudo glanced at Saeki Muneyoshi; he had never actually stopped paying attention to Muneyoshi.

However, the competition among junior high school students was still too weak, and he didn't know how far Muneyoshi had progressed.

However, this time South Korea's offer is actually an opportunity for them to see if Saeki Muneyoshi's abilities have declined.

"You all come with me!"

The three coaches, along with Oni, Irie, and Tanegashima, arrived at the nearby woods with Muneyoshi.

Seeing Mifune Nyudo's attitude, it's clear that it's not just about the challenge from South Korea, but that he has something else to say.

"We've received word that the world tennis community has pressured the tennis association to change the rules for next year's U-17 World Cup."

Mifune Nyudo's words carried a hint of disdain; Germany had dominated the youth tennis world for far too long, to the point that it had aroused the dissatisfaction of too many countries.

Since Germany's three consecutive World Championship titles, every year there have been nations uniting to put pressure on those in the World Tennis Association.

And those people, under pressure from various countries, have been constantly making changes to the rules. Mifune Nyudo certainly knows what their purpose is.

These countries clearly knew that they could not defeat Germany in terms of hard power.

So they wanted to destroy the invincible Germany dynasty by adding or removing other restrictions.

In particular, Germany completed its ninth consecutive title defense last year, and will be aiming for its tenth consecutive title next year.

Everyone was immediately on edge.

Since they couldn't compete with the Germany U-17 team using the normal methods, they decided to change the rules once again.

If the changes are drastic enough, Germany's weaknesses can always be discovered.

The emergence of junior high school students like Saeki Muneyoshi and Zeus last year, who demonstrated exceptional competitiveness, opened up new avenues of thought for this group.

Their malice was made no attempt to conceal.

Aren't your Germany U-17 players very strong?

Then make it mandatory to include U-14 teams in the World Cup squad, and make participation a mandatory requirement.

Mifune Nyudo shared the new information with everyone present.

The Kurobe members, who were hearing the news for the first time, looked slightly serious, but their tension eased after they looked at Saeki Muneyoshi.

"Head Coach, if junior high school students are required to participate, it would be a huge advantage for us!"

Kurobe Yukio picked up the conversation, noticing the curious glances from Oni Jūjirō and Irie Tanegashima, and continued:

"While we were keeping an eye on Muneyoshi, we also discovered several promising junior high school students. These students have grown rapidly under Muneyoshi's deliberate provocation and suppression, and two of them have even reached the minimum requirements for the First String!"

"Oh?!"

Hearing Kurobe say this, the three of them showed surprise, but they didn't take it to heart.

Reaching the First String entry threshold in the second year of junior high school is impressive, but real competitions rely on top-tier combat power.

They don't need to pay attention to things that haven't reached this stage.

"Hmph, with Muneyoshi acting as a catfish, this was to be expected."

Mifune Nyudo was certainly aware of what Kurobe had said, which was one of the reasons he was willing to let Muneyoshi go back.

Muneyoshi smiled slightly but didn't say anything more.

Mifune Nyudo didn't pay much attention to this matter; he seemed indifferent on the surface, but he knew the truth in his heart.

The changes made by those in the world of tennis this time have given the Japan Team a huge boost.

With Saeki Muneyoshi on the team, the junior high school students are certainly not inferior to those from other countries.

Moreover, Mifune Nyudo is quite aware that with this rule being introduced so early, Japan will likely be in turmoil for the next year or so.

"You three's next task is to keep an eye on those seeds who are receiving special attention from Muneyoshi. I'm afraid the entire world of tennis won't be too peaceful in the coming days?"

With that in mind, Mifune Nyudo immediately gave orders to the three members of the Kurobe.

"Yes, head coach!"

The three immediately accepted the order, and then Saitō asked thoughtfully, "Does the head coach think that some people will come to Japan to poach players? Or are they planning to do something underhanded?"

"Hmph! They're not just planning some underhanded tactics, they're already doing it. Look, this is an invitation from America's Tennis Association to Japan, inviting Japan to join Australia, South Africa, and the other two countries..."

"We're organizing a World Cup qualifying tournament, and it's even going according to the brand new World Cup rules, to see the strength of our new generation of Japan and to serve as a platform for exchange. Isn't our intention clear?"

Seeing the points exchange match form that Mifune Nyudo pulled out, the three coaches didn't care about anything else and quickly started reading it.

"Hey, head coach, should we refuse?"

"What are you refusing for? They've already come to our door through official channels!"

Mifune Nyudo chuckled, then looked at Muneyoshi and the others. "Kids, are you scared?"

"Head Coach, I couldn't be happier!"

Muneyoshi's eyes shone even brighter, his lips curled up, and his entire aura fluctuated.

"Being able to communicate with America and Australia would benefit our strength, so of course we'd be willing."

A bright smile appeared on Irie Kanata's baby face.

Tanegashima Shūji and Oni Jūjirō were even less afraid, especially Tanegashima Shūji, who loved competitions that didn't require traveling abroad or taking a plane.

"Hmph, good that you're not afraid."

Mifune Nyudo was very satisfied with the attitude of the others, and then looked at Muneyoshi:

"Kid, now that the world of tennis has decided on the new rules so early, we have time to prepare. When do you think would be a good time to let those middle schoolers experience this firsthand?"

Muneyoshi pondered for a moment and said, "This kind of thing should be decided by the head coach and the three coaches."

"Then we'll wait until the National Tournament ends and summer vacation begins. You go on the expedition with Byōdōin, and I'll start getting the junior high students into the training camp for a month or two to get used to it."

Mifune's voice began to turn cold. The early determination of the rules of the world tennis arena gave him a full year of buffer time. Next year will be the most promising year for Japan.

"Yes!"

The three coaches, including Kurobe, also agreed.

"Head Coach, about the South Korea challenge coming in a little over an hour..."

At this point, Kurobe finally asked about their biggest purpose for this trip, but before he could finish, he was rudely interrupted by Mifune Nyudo.

"Don't bother asking me about such trivial matters; you can handle it yourselves!"

After taking a swig of sake, Mifune Nyudo became extremely impatient. "I only have one request, beat them to a pulp!"

Oh, and when you leave, take that guy with you too; he's been here long enough.

After descending from the back of the mountain, Muneyoshi and his group were joined by one more person: Tokugawa Kazuya.

"For Tokugawa -senpai to gain Coach Mifune's approval, it seems his skills have improved considerably."

Along the way, Muneyoshi smiled and put his arm around Tokugawa's shoulder. He had only just learned that Tokugawa had been at the training camp for more than a month and had spent almost all of his time living in the back mountains.

"I never expected that your strength would have changed so much since I last saw you..."

Having been exploited by Mifune Nyudo for so long, the sudden release left Tokugawa, who was used to everything before, somewhat dazed. However, as they interacted, his energy began to return.

He was like a sharp sword, exuding a sharp aura.

"Tokugawa -senpai's strength is not bad now, and we can now conquer the world together!"

Muneyoshi was not surprised to see Tokugawa's progress, and Tokugawa's addition this time made it easier for them to face South Korea and launch short-term expeditions to countries such as Siam.

After all, I definitely won't be going to the Tanegashima Siam.

"World!"

Upon hearing Muneyoshi's words, Tokugawa's gaze also showed a hint of longing.

P. S.: "Let's take things one step at a time. Let these guys practice a bit more, Ryoma, hit them with your head!"

Everything happened a little ahead of schedule, and the changes were subtle. The plot is actually quite clear now, with some new elements added. Please support me with monthly votes!