At the same time,
Rikkai Dai Fuzhong.
The team that would dominate Kanto had already been decided before the new students enrolled.
In April, new students started school, and the Regional Tournament began in mid-April. By this time in previous years, every school had already finalized its regular players.
Because the tournament schedule was so tight, new students usually had no chance of competing in their first year. And this was Rikkai Dai Fuzhong, a tennis powerhouse that had won the Kanto Tournament championship for multiple consecutive years.
The foundation left by the upperclassmen was more than enough to keep Rikkai Dai Fuzhong at the top of Kanto.
But Yukimura didn't think so.
Neither did Sanada.
There was also someone else—a friend Yukimura and Sanada had met after coming to Rikkai Dai. He had an exceptional eye, too. And so the winds of change blew through Rikkai Dai Fuzhong as well.
"Sanada, it's time we made our move."
Yukimura's blue eyes glimmered faintly, and an aura of command seemed to rise from him.
Perhaps Rikkai Dai's regulars could lead the team to the National Tournament, but they certainly wouldn't be the best in Kanto. Those two had undoubtedly joined some other school in the region.
He had to bring about a revolution!
A revolution that would sweep through all of Rikkai Dai Fuzhong.
"Right!"
Sanada raised a hand to lower the brim of his cap. His dark eyes had grown more resolute. That loss a few months ago had made him recognize his shortcomings in tennis all over again.
He had trained day and night, unleashing all the potential he'd kept bottled up and carving out a path in tennis that was uniquely his own...
But it still wasn't enough...
That guy would keep evolving, too. All he could do now was give everything he had to surpass and defeat the boy who shone with the light of Muga.
"Yanagi, come with us."
Yukimura glanced at the boy standing nearby, who had a bowl cut and kept his eyes narrowed.
Yanagi Renji, a doubles prodigy renowned throughout Tokyo Metropolis, had practically swept every doubles event he'd entered.
He also had a special ability: his presence could make Rikkai Dai stronger. That would be their first step toward dominating the nation!
"Of course!"
Yanagi Renji opened his eyes—a rare sight—and a trace of coldness showed in his gaze.
He joined the revolution, too.
Meanwhile, at Seigaku.
Even without Tezuka, Seigaku carried on as usual. The older club members on the court played tedious tennis as if they were fooling around, and their training was dull and uninspired.
A senior member wearing a navy jacket shouted at the first-years on the court, "Honestly! First-years, get in there and pick up the balls!"
"You useless bunch can't even pick up balls properly. And you think you're ready to get on the court and play tennis? First-years, until next spring, you'll do as you're told and pick up balls on the court. Got it?!"
The senior was named Takei Kenshi, a name that might not sound familiar.
But mention the man who injured Tezuka's left arm in the original story, forcing him to undergo three years of treatment before it had barely recovered in time for the National Tournament.
That's right. It was him!
Takei Kenshi wasn't even a regular player at Seigaku. He looked down on the first-years and was always picking on them and putting them down to make himself feel better.
Early in The Prince of Tennis, Arai played a similar role. Guess this sort of thing gets passed down, too.
But Takei was far worse than Arai. Even when Arai lost and made a fool of himself, he wouldn't go out of his way to cripple someone's dominant hand. Takei did.
Takei was barely mentioned again later in the story. Still, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened: the school had quietly swept it under the rug. That was Seigaku's usual way of doing things.
"This sucks. Are we really going to be picking up tennis balls here for an entire year?"
Among the new students, a red-haired boy complained.
His name was Kikumaru Eiji. He'd entered Seigaku with lofty ideals, only to have the harsh reality smack him in the face.
First-years didn't just miss out on matches; they weren't even allowed to practice against anyone. At best, they were ball boys for the second- and third-years, standing behind the court to retrieve balls.
Even though he was much better than the regular players.
And yet...
He didn't even have a chance to compete and prove himself.
"Based on the data... there's only a 2% chance that first-years like us will be allowed to train, and a 0.2% chance we'll be allowed to try out for the regular team."
The bespectacled boy crouching beside Kikumaru nudged his glasses up slightly and replied in an even tone.
Inui Sadaharu would become Seigaku's strategist. Yanagi Renji had taught him Data Tennis before leaving, and after meeting Tezuka, Inui became even more convinced of the value of gathering and providing information.
Oishi, Kawamura, and Fuji, who always kept his eyes narrowed, were nearby as well.
Compared with the others, Fuji had heard a few things.
But he didn't have a strong desire to win, and he hadn't led Seigaku toward that revolutionary first step.
Perhaps Seigaku, too, would be unable to make any real changes without Tezuka.
Meanwhile,
At Yamabuki Junior High.
Cherry trees lined both sides of the campus path. A breeze stirred the branches, sending blossoms swaying in the air. Petals scattered across the path, and their delicate fragrance drifted into the air.
"Not bad... This place has a pretty nice atmosphere."
Looking at the cherry blossoms in full bloom at Yamabuki, Atobe, who was usually so particular, actually praised the scenery.
"Yeah, it's nice."
Tezuka didn't disagree and nodded in agreement.
Beside them, Mukahi couldn't help saying, "Come on, we didn't come here to admire the scenery. We're following—no, scouting what Kamikawa does after school."
"Right."
Shishido nodded. "We could still see him a moment ago. How did he disappear in the blink of an eye?"
"I'm guessing he headed toward the tennis club. Do you think he's really here to challenge them?"
Oshitari rubbed his chin as he stood by the signpost.
He wasn't familiar with how Yamabuki's campus was laid out, but there was a signpost right in front of them, with the locations of the clubs clearly marked.
Yamabuki was a tennis powerhouse, after all, so the tennis club's location was marked on the signpost. That saved them from wandering around—and getting accused of snooping for information.
"Tezuka, what do you think?"
Atobe looked at Tezuka and asked.
"Hmm..." Tezuka hesitated briefly. "Let's go check out the tennis club. Kamikawa probably went there. As for whether he's challenging them..."
Honestly, even Tezuka wasn't sure.
Kamikawa had never liked competing. He'd made an exception for the JR Tournament last time, but he hadn't even signed up for the earlier recreational events.
Still, for someone who seemed to lack any desire to win, he took competitions extremely seriously once he was in one.
Atobe waved a hand and headed toward the tennis club. "No need to overthink it. I'll take you there."
"Besides, we just played against Yamabuki's tennis club yesterday."
"True..."
Mukahi and Shishido nodded quietly, seeing nothing wrong with that.
Tezuka said nothing. Oshitari felt there was something odd about that remark.
But when no one else reacted, he kept his thoughts to himself.
Finally, here's the list of the U-17 players at the time Mori moved up to high school as a first-year.
Before you continue