Homecoming

Inside the meeting room, the sound of papers being turned could be heard constantly.

He drew out the candidates that Muneyoshi deemed suitable one by one.

Although it wasn't difficult for him to do this, you have to remember that he was brought back right after getting off the plane, then had a meeting, and started working again.

"Honestly, they don't let people rest at all..."

After drawing the last suitable candidate, Muneyoshi shook his head with a wry smile. He had just finished an expedition and hadn't rested for a moment.

If it were at Fudomine, these things would be handled by specialists, so he wouldn't need to put in any effort.

In fact, the coaching staff had collected quite comprehensive information, and many of the people actually made it into the training camp later. Muneyoshi was just selecting the first batch of invitees.

It didn't take long before Muneyoshi left the meeting room.

After dealing with these matters, he also needed to rush back to Fudomine. Although the first round of the Fudomine tournament had ended and the second round was still two days away, his long absence as the club president still had some impact.

Just as Muneyoshi was preparing to go back to his dormitory to pack his luggage before leaving the training camp.

"Boom!!"

A loud explosion came from the First String's dedicated stadium not far away.

Then, such sounds kept ringing in Muneyoshi's ears, clearly indicating that someone had started the competition and was using their strength.

"Such a commotion... Is it Oni Jūjirō? Or Byōdōin? It can't be that the two of them are fighting again!"

Faced with such a commotion, Muneyoshi temporarily abandoned the idea of packing his things and turned to walk towards the court used by the First String.

In the current training camp, only a handful of people can use the courts here. Besides Oni, Irie, Tanegashima, and a few others, there are only him and Byōdōin, who just returned.

However, as Muneyoshi approached, he realized that there were more than just the two of them competing at that moment.

It's not singles, it's doubles!

"Home run!"

"Black Hole!"

"Black Tomahawk!"

"The Duke's Homerun!"

The commotion on the court was immense, and the biggest commotion was created by Duke and Oni Jūjirō.

The two of them are currently on teams with Irie Kanata and Tokugawa Kazuya, and are facing off on the field.

"I never expected that the move that Tokugawa only managed to figure out a little bit of during the expedition tournament would be mastered by him right after he got back, under pressure from Senior Duke!"

He wasn't surprised to see Duke there, but Muneyoshi's approving voice caught the attention of Tanegashima and Byōdōin.

"Muneyoshi! You overestimate him. Duke didn't even use his full strength, otherwise, who would it be?"

Having weathered some storms, Byōdōin's increasingly mature face revealed a hint of disdain.

"You little brat, sneaking in like this, trying to scare the senior, huh!"

Tanegashima, however, couldn't maintain his Byōdōin as well as Byodoin. Seeing Muneyoshi approach, his face lit up with a smile, and he put his arm around him, saying, "I've heard about the expedition. You did a great job leading the team!"

"It could have been so much easier. If only I had drugged Tanegashima -senpai and sneaked him onto the plane!"

Muneyoshi nimbly dodged Tanegashima's grasp and teased him with a smile.

"You idiot, you need to forget about such dangerous ideas as soon as possible!"

Tanegashima was annoyed when he heard that Muneyoshi had once again set his sights on him.

After a brief playful exchange, the two turned their attention back to the court.

"It seems that Tokugawa was greatly stimulated by Byōdōin- senpai's sudden return, and he has digested everything he learned under the tutelage of the three of you."

Muneyoshi watched Tokugawa, who was becoming increasingly relaxed on the field, and Duke and Oni, who were only using the most basic power to fight. He then glanced meaningfully at Byōdōin to the side.

Byōdōin made no comment on this, and he always looked down on those he had defeated.

"Tokugawa is a very talented and hardworking fellow. This time, accompanying you on the expedition, he must have encountered many opponents from other countries, but..."

Tanegashima didn't finish speaking; instead, he turned his gaze to the same direction as Muneyoshi.

However, the opponent that Tokugawa Setsuki wanted to defeat was simply too strong!

He's so strong that even Saeki Muneyoshi has no chance of defeating him now.

The match on the field was stopped by Oni Jūjirō when it reached Tokugawa's limit.

"Duke senior, it's been a long time! Welcome to Japan!"

Muneyoshi's long, powerful right hand clasped Duke's massive, fan-like hand, and he immediately felt the immense power within that body.

"Saeki, it's been a long time!"

Duke gave a good-natured smile, his eyes narrowing into slits, looking very happy.

"Now that we're in the First String, I've always wanted to learn a thing or two from my seniors!"

"No problem, I can also sense that you've become much stronger, Saeki."

Watching Muneyoshi's departing figure, Duke, who had been squinting, smiled faintly, "Boss, you're right, Saeki will definitely become a reliable pillar..."

Without disturbing anyone else, after speaking with the First String members and coaches, Muneyoshi left the training camp again.

When Saeki Muneyoshi stood in front of the Fudomine gate again, many students passing by couldn't help but look at him.

His long, silver-white hair, cold and aloof face, and the gloomy, ruthless aura of a superior that had not yet been concealed due to the expedition.

Standing in the sunlight, Saeki Muneyoshi was particularly eye-catching, as if he were radiating a halo, drawing the attention of everyone around him.

Many students at Fudomine recognized him, as his image had been tarnished by previous violent incidents.

However, after a brief period of silence, he made a triumphant return, leading Fudomine to the Kanto Championship and gradually earning the Saeki Muneyoshi of "Number One in the National Middle School".

His appearance at this moment can be described as a complete replica of Atobe at the Hyotei Academy.

Muneyoshi ignored the stares of those around him and walked straight toward the Tennis Club without stopping.

Step... step...

"I wonder if their skills have improved during the time they've been trained by Coach Hanamura."

As he drew closer to the Fudomine Tennis Club, a different kind of feeling arose in Saeki Muneyoshi's heart. He suddenly longed to see his friends.

Bang!

Bang!

Before he had even gotten quite close to the court, Muneyoshi heard a loud thud. As he approached the court, he saw Tachibana Kippei and Keith in the middle of a match.

"Tachibana Kippei, your Beast Aura technique is indeed very versatile and powerful, but this kind of move that can't decide the outcome in one strike is useless against me..."

As Keith finished speaking, he pushed off the ground, leaping into the air. His right hand moved forward in a wide arc, while his left hand gripped his racket tightly, and he shouted:

"Since you can't defeat me, then I'll defeat you, Universal Gravitation!"

Boom... Boom...

With a loud thud, the tennis ball transformed into a wave of light blue air, sweeping towards Tachibana Kippei.

Call out!

"Trying to defeat me, Keith? In your wildest dreams! Beast Aura —Condense! Mighty Lion Chokehold!"

A blood-red lion tore through the air barrier, its racket catching the tennis ball Keith had hit.

Under the blinding crimson light, the tennis ball was hit back again. The ball was extremely fast, leaving an orange-yellow trail in the air before passing over the net and falling heavily beside Keith.

However, Keith was prepared; his feet had somehow moved to the left side of the baseline, precisely in the direction Orange would return the ball.

"Ju, I've seen through your move too. You've used this ultimate move three times in a row; you probably can't use it a fourth time!"

"Universal Gravitation!"

Bang!

The shockwave swept across Tachibana Kippei's half of the field like a torrent, washing everything away cleanly.

After a dull thud, it flew out of bounds.

"Match ended, score 7-6, Keith wins."

After announcing the score, Hanamura Aoi, sitting on the referee's chair, couldn't help but show excitement in his eyes.

Meanwhile, a fierce battle is taking place on another court, a singles match between Ibu Shinji and Kamio Akira.

Bang...

"Game score 7-5, Ibu Shinji wins."

After the match, Kamio Akira wiped the sweat from his face and then Regular to the Fudomine beside him, "The captain has been gone for over a month now, I wonder if he'll still be able to make it to the National Tournament?"

"It should be soon. I find it unbelievable that he can register for the National Tournament even before the minister has returned, but since he's already registered, he'll definitely make it to the later stages of the competition."

Ibu Shinji, standing nearby, chimed in, also hoping his captain would return soon, as Fudomine would have a pillar of support with him around.

Just then, a familiar voice reached their ears. "It seems you all miss me."

Swish...

When the voice rang out, all the Regular turned around and saw a handsome young man with silver-white hair standing outside the arena, smiling at them.

"Minister... Minister..."

"Muneyoshi..."

Muneyoshi looked at his companions and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

"Friends, long time no see. It seems you've all improved quite a bit."

P. S.: "I'm taking a break today, so I'm adding an extra chapter for everyone. I wrote some last night, and I'll continue writing today. I might add more tomorrow too! Please support me with your monthly votes."