First Battle Against the South African Representative Team
Looking at Mitsuya, and at the fact that no one else seemed to notice this Asian man in America, Muneyoshi was somewhat speechless.
How was this data collection done?
They actually ignored the most terrifying person?
If he hadn't known Ryoga's background, wouldn't sending someone else into a fire pit be like pushing them there?
And how Echizen Ryoga is currently in the team for the exchange match?
Could it be because of Echizen Nanjirō's arrival, and also because my butterfly wings have been fluttering so much?
Muneyoshi was a little dizzy, and he didn't hear any more information from Mitsuya after that.
A variety of emotions surged from the depths of Muneyoshi's heart; he wanted to fight Echizen Ryoga!
If the other party hadn't shown up, that would have been fine, but now that they have, how could they possibly let it go?
Otherwise, he wouldn't even know when the next time they meet would be.
"I wonder what Echizen Ryoga's strength has reached now? He should be at the Stage Two, right..."
Thinking of this, Muneyoshi's body began to emit a ghostly light, but he suppressed it in sequence.
Excitement, tension, trembling, fighting spirit...
He was filled with a variety of emotions, but fear was not among them.
This time, he was one of the team's key players in the match against America.
Oni Jūjirō's main responsibility is to fight Reinhardt; if Reinhardt doesn't play, then Oni Jūjirō won't play either.
Therefore, Muneyoshi has the right to decide when to play.
"Now that we've met, no matter which position you're in, I'll personally face you!"
"Echizen Ryoga!"
At 9:00 a. m. sharp, all four teams entered the stadium simultaneously.
After exchanging greetings and pleasantries, the drawing of lots began.
"Our first-round opponent is the South Africa national team! After our match, it's Australia's turn to play America."
Shortly after, Kurobe Yukio and Saito Itaru, who had gone to draw lots, came in and told everyone their opponents for the first round.
"Now, let's arrange the players for the match against the South Africa team."
After saying that, Kurobe took the list handed to him by his assistant.
Because the rules of this exchange tournament are the same as the World Tournament, every match must have a junior high school student on the field, so Kurobe consulted with the head coach before coming.
With a wave of his hand, he ordered the troops to be trained!
Even in a three-on-one situation, the Fuwa the Iron Man.
Doubles 2, Hirazeni and Hara Tetsuya.
Singles number two, Kite Eishiro.
Doubles 1, Suzuki Kazumi, and Mokuo Issa.
In Singles 1, Tezuka Kunimitsu.
This formation seems extremely risky, but considering that the South Africa team is not very strong, their former star player and most of the players who participated in last year's World Tournament have left.
In the current team, apart from the main player Shapoka Golfer, the rest are either newcomers or former substitutes.
Their strength has declined significantly.
However, when the Kurobe's formation was announced, it still caused quite a stir.
This is especially true for junior high school students, who suddenly feel immense pressure.
Tezuka, in particular, never imagined that the first opponent he would encounter in his interactions with the world would be the commander-in-chief of a nation.
Although he was just the captain of a South Africa team, the weight of being the captain of a nation still made his usually composed mind waver somewhat.
Seeing them like this, Muneyoshi didn't go up to offer any words of comfort. These were things that one had to face if one wanted to set foot in the world.
Moreover, he had more important things to do at the moment than to comfort these people.
Pushing open the door, Muneyoshi walked in the direction where Kurobe and Saitō had left.
"Coach Kurobe, Coach Saitō!"
Seeing the two people in front of him, Muneyoshi called out to them.
"Oh, it's Muneyoshi. What's up?"
Seeing Muneyoshi chasing after them, Kurobe and Saitō exchanged a glance, somewhat puzzled.
"Coach Kurobe, I know it will be difficult to propose changing the roster now, but I still want to change the match time!"
Muneyoshi stated his desire directly. "I'd much rather play against America than against Australia tomorrow!"
"Please, both coaches, switch my position with Irie and let him deal with Noah from Australia. I think his Mental Power Path is the most suitable for him."
Looking into Muneyoshi's determined eyes, Kurobe saw no selfish desire in them and pondered to himself.
Actually, switching Irie and Muneyoshi's positions wouldn't have a significant impact on the strength of the two teams.
"Kurobe, since Saeki -kun wants to face America, then we agree!"
Compared to Kurobe's somber demeanor, Saitō was much more flexible.
"Alright, Muneyoshi, we agree! And you retain your command rights!"
With Saitō's persuasion, Kurobe readily agreed. However, as he finished speaking, he gave Muneyoshi a deep look and said:
"I don't know what you're planning, but if Reinhardt shows up, you can't just rush in and hand him over to the devil!"
"Uh, don't worry, Coach!"
When Munehiko saw that Kurobe and Saitō thought he wanted to fight Reinhardt, Muneyoshi didn't correct them.
He knew that his current strength was definitely inferior to Reinhardt's, but compared to Reinhardt, Echizen Ryoga, who was the same age as him, was his biggest target.
Moreover, compared to Reinhardt's restraint, Echizen Ryoga is probably the most dangerous player in this exchange match.
When Muneyoshi returned to the Japan Team's rest area, the first match of the exchange tournament, a singles game against the South Africa team, had already begun.
Meanwhile, as the competition began, the cheers and discussions in the venue became even more enthusiastic.
"Is this the atmosphere of a world-class tennis match?"
Tezuka Kunimitsu glanced at the densely packed audience in the hall and felt a surge of excitement welling up inside him.
"Yes, compared to that, our previous National Tournament seem insignificant."
Yukimura and Sanada also came up together. Hearing Tezuka's remark, Yukimura continued the conversation.
"Tezuka, congratulations on playing on your first day, and against the opposing captain no less! Good luck!"
Sanada also greeted Tezuka. They had been rivals at their respective schools, but now, as fellow Japan, they were teammates.
"Yes, don't worry!"
Tezuka was aware of the pressure he was under, so he kept his eyes constantly on the game.
"Oh, so you've all been here!"
After changing the participant list, Muneyoshi returned to the rest area and saw the group of them gathered together, so he joined them.
"Tezuka, this is just an exchange match. The atmosphere during the real world championships will be truly captivating!"
After greeting the others, Muneyoshi glanced at Tezuka beside him and said...
The group now knows about what happened to Muneyoshi last year. When they were still freshmen, he had already participated in the World Tournament with his senior high school students.
Thinking about this, they were all very envious.
However, after their initial envy, their eyes were filled with fighting spirit.
"Don't worry, Muneyoshi, we won't let you stay ahead for long."
Yukimura and Sanada were surprisingly in agreement at this moment, and Tezuka felt the same way.
Having fallen so far behind a peer, and now that they've both received the same training and improvement opportunities, how could they not strive to catch up?
"Alright, I'm waiting for your challenge!"
Muneyoshi readily agreed.
Just as they were having a pleasant conversation, the singles match on the court finally came to a conclusion.
"Game over. Japan's Fuwa the Iron Man team wins, score 6-3."
"In the first round of the Four-Nation Exchange Tournament, the South Africa team Fuwa the Iron Man the Japan team in singles match 3 with a score of 7-5, 4-6, 6-3, winning two and losing one."
As soon as the referee's whistle blew, the entire stadium erupted in thunderous cheers.
Japan! Japan!
Japan!
Everyone underestimated the popularity of this Four-Nation Exchange Tournament held in Japan, which truly revitalized Japan tennis after more than 20 years of dormancy.
In the stands, countless people were shouting at the top of their lungs, and the entire stadium shook like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing.
The cheers for the Japan team echoed through the sky.
This scene put immense pressure on the junior high school students present.
However, none of this made any difference to Muneyoshi, who was currently imparting his insights and experience on the points to note in world competitions to the people around him.
P. S.: "Please vote with monthly tickets!"