The First Match

The next day.

By the time Mifune and Kurobe got up, the Japan Team's players were already ready.

The high schoolers wore uniforms with red as the base color, accented with black and white, while the middle schoolers wore jackets with white as the base color, accented with black and red.

The inner uniforms were the same as the high schoolers'.

They were all carrying their tennis bags and waiting in the hotel lobby.

Mifune and Kurobe were pleased to see how spirited everyone looked.

"Remember our goal: victory! And here's one more thing I want you to do—show the world your strength!"

"Now, move out!"

Mifune Nyudo swept his hand through the air and, barefoot, boarded the bus to the venue first. Byōdōin, Muneyoshi, and the others followed in an orderly fashion, and the group set off for the exhibition match.

The venue was already surrounded by crowds. As a warm-up for the World Tournament proper,

Germany's appearance had perfectly matched the spectators' expectations and whetted their appetites.

On the bus, the Japan Team members were in different moods, but most of them were excited.

"Will Tanegashima make it in time for the official World Tournament matches?"

Muneyoshi seemed to suddenly remember something. Their team was still one player short.

"Don't worry, Saeki. I heard Tanegashima's ship will be arriving here soon!"

Irie Kanata chuckled.

They already knew Tanegashima's habits, and this time the journey wasn't as long as it had been two years ago.

Once Tanegashima arrived, he'd be able to compete instead of having to recover from an illness!

As they chatted along the way, the bus slowly pulled into the parking lot outside the venue hosting the exhibition match.

After getting off, Muneyoshi and the others looked around. Quite a few players from different countries had