Prince of Tennis: The Emperor's Eye

Chapter 97: Chapter 97: The Upcoming World Tournament

When the umpire announced the end of the match, everyone from Fudomine couldn’t help but cheer loudly. They had achieved their goal of becoming national champions—Fudomine was now the new king!

The members of Rikkai looked dejected once the result was clear, but there was also a hint of relief on their faces. They had lost to Fudomine once again, and this time it was even more decisive.

Yukimura stared blankly at the scoreboard, unable to snap out of it for a long time. It wasn’t until Sanada walked over and called his name with guilt in his voice that he finally came to his senses.

”Sorry, Yukimura! I lost again. I couldn’t hold on to even the slightest chance for Rikkai,” Sanada said with his head down, voice full of frustration.

”You already gave it your all, Gen’ichirō! We really do still have a big gap with Fudomine. All we can do is train even harder and challenge them again next year,” Yukimura replied calmly. He had accepted the outcome of their defeat but hadn’t given up hope.

”I understand, Yukimura! I’ll work twice as hard from now on and won’t slack off even for a moment!” Sanada said with determination.

Meanwhile, the regulars from Fudomine gathered around Akashi. Smiles appeared on everyone’s faces, even on Tezuka and Akutsu. Thinking back on how they’d been doubted all the way to standing at the national summit, only they knew the effort it took to get here.

At that moment, the organizers announced over the speakers that the awards ceremony would soon begin. In the stands, Kurobe Yukio and Oni stood up to leave—Oni was preparing for the overseas expedition, while Kurobe needed to quickly report everything he’d observed today to the head coach.

Irie and Mitsuya, however, planned to say goodbye to Akashi and the others before departing. Soon, the organizers finished setting up the awards stage. Under the gaze of all the spectators, the Rikkai team went up first to receive their runner-up medals and trophy.

Then the members of Fudomine took the stage. Colorful streamers and confetti exploded all around, creating a festive atmosphere. Once the excitement settled, the event’s officials came forward to shake hands with everyone and place championship medals and flower garlands around each player’s neck.

Finally, with everyone watching, Akashi stood in the center of the regulars, lifting high the trophy that marked them as this year’s national champions. The media present captured the moment perfectly on camera.

While everyone celebrated, Irie and Mitsuya found Akashi and informed him of the decision from the International Tennis Federation and the world tournament organizers. Akashi wasn’t particularly surprised; he’d already expected it. If he’d been in Germany, perhaps the organizers would’ve turned a blind eye, but unfortunately, he was in Japan, ranked outside the top thirty in the world.

After telling Akashi the news, Irie and Mitsuya said their goodbyes and headed back to the U-17 training camp. Before they left, Mitsuya handed Akashi a small slip of paper with U-17 head coach Mifune’s contact information—Kurobe had asked him to pass it along.

As Akashi looked at the note in his hand, new ideas began to form in his mind, but he needed to contact Mifune first to confirm his plans. It was still too early to act.

That whole day, Fudomine’s members partied wildly, singing and dancing without a care. Akashi didn’t stop them; after all, they had just won the national championship. Today, they deserved to celebrate freely.

Meanwhile, Yukimura, Atobe, Fuji, and a few others found Akashi and asked whether he would hold another training camp. Akashi didn’t answer immediately and told them to wait a few days while he confirmed something first.

The next day, after everyone had gone home, Akashi took out the contact information and dialed the number. He had been a bit skeptical, since the place where Mifune stayed didn’t look like it even had a phone.

But before long, Mifune’s powerful voice came through the line, and Akashi didn’t think much more of it. After all, this world was full of things that didn’t make sense—why worry about one more?

”Akashi-kid! Contacting me so soon—are you calling about the world tournament?”

”I’ve already heard about that. To be honest, it didn’t surprise me. Today, I wanted to ask you for a favor,” Akashi replied politely.

”Oh? You, a kid like you, asking me for something? Let’s hear it,” Mifune said curiously.

”It’s like this: I believe you already know that our current group of middle schoolers has many exceptionally talented players. I want to take advantage of the break to send them to you for some intense training,” Akashi stated directly.

”So that’s what this is about? No problem. Even if you hadn’t asked, I planned on it anyway. But are you sure you want to send them to me? Not the training camp?” Mifune asked with interest, curious why Akashi would want them sent to him, given his mountain was known as a hellish place even among training camp veterans.

”Yes, exactly to you. While the training camp’s scientific methods are the best, I believe they won’t help these players much anymore. Your unique training might give them an experience they can’t get anywhere else,” Akashi replied seriously.

”Hmm~ you’ve got a good eye, kid. Alright, send them all over. How many are there?” Mifune asked with satisfaction.

”Thirty in total. I’ll leave them in your care, head coach,” Akashi answered after thinking for a moment.

”Thirty, huh? Quite a number. Fine! You know the address anyway, just bring them here directly!” Mifune agreed without hesitation.

The two exchanged a few more words before hanging up. That’s right—Akashi wasn’t planning to organize another training camp this time. He would send everyone straight into the hellish training in the U-17’s back mountain. Saying it was life-risking training wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Akashi had already realized that Tezuka, Yukimura, and Krauser had hit a bottleneck. Even with his perfect training plans, it would take considerable time for them to break through to the world-class level. So he decided to send them to Mifune, hoping it might better stimulate their growth.

But before that, he needed to let the Shitenhōji group adapt for a few days. When they parted that morning, Akashi handed the training program he had spent an entire afternoon compiling to Watanabe Osamu, who, after reading it through, thanked Akashi with utmost seriousness.

A week passed, and Akashi decided it was time. He contacted Banjii, Sakaki Tarō, Watanabe Osamu, and Ryūzaki Sumire to inform them about sending the players to U-17. Except for Watanabe, who was a bit surprised, the other three had more or less mentally prepared themselves.

Ryūzaki Sumire had already come to terms with it. Although she hadn’t admitted directly that her earlier approach was wrong, she no longer restricted the first-years’ growth. When Akashi said he wanted to send Fuji and the others to U-17, she agreed happily.

A day later, all the players Akashi had chosen gathered and boarded the bus he had arranged, heading toward the U-17’s back mountain. On the bus, Shiraishi, Ishida Gin, and Oshitari Kenya were hearing about the U-17 for the first time, leaving them a bit bewildered.

The others were calm—they knew Akashi had been to U-17 before and figured it was thanks to him that so many of them got the chance to go.

This time, Akashi selected: all Fudomine regulars except himself; the full roster of Rikkai regulars; all Seigaku first-years; all Hyōtei first-years; Yamabuki’s Sengoku, Minami, and Higashikata; and Shitenhōji’s Shiraishi Kuranosuke, Ishida Gin, and Oshitari Kenya—thirty people in total.

As for others, the third-years would likely be recruited into U-17 after graduation, so Akashi didn’t worry about them. Those with lesser talent probably couldn’t even make it onto Court 1; sending them would be pointless.

When the bus arrived at the base of the nameless mountain, everyone followed Akashi off. Even Tezuka looked a bit tense, but Akashi wasted no time, immediately leading them toward the back mountain.

After passing through the tunnel Akashi had once taken, they again heard Mifune’s rough yelling from ahead. Everyone except Akashi froze at the unexpected sound, but seeing Akashi stride forward unfazed, they had no choice but to follow.

As they stepped out of the cave, the scene shocked them: a group of high school students lay scattered all over the ground, covered in cuts and bruises—it was beyond miserable.

Akashi ignored their shock, smiling as he went to greet Mifune. Mifune, seeing everyone had arrived, impatiently waved his hand, signaling Akashi to leave.

Of course, only Akashi, who understood Mifune’s personality, could take this attitude calmly. Otherwise, he might’ve hit him with a Glowing Shot—though with Mifune’s strength, he’d probably shrug it off entirely.

After all, in the original story, this guy jumped from a helicopter in wooden clogs without a scratch. His physical prowess wasn’t inferior to top-ranked pros.

Still, Akashi leaned in to whisper a few words to Mifune before departing. Mifune fell silent for a moment after hearing them, then began shouting orders at the newly arrived middle schoolers—a hellish period was about to begin for them.

Meanwhile, Akashi made his way back along the path and arrived at the training camp. With the first-string team still away on their expedition, as No. 3, Akashi was effectively the top figure in the camp.

Tanegashima Shuji was still there—his fear of flying already apparent. Akashi planned to see if there was any way to help him overcome it; if not, it might delay the world tournament if he had to travel by boat. While he’d made it on time in the original timeline, nothing was guaranteed now.

Later, the three coaches came out to greet Akashi, granting him complete freedom in the camp as long as he didn’t break any core rules—a privilege given to the strong.

Over the next half month, Akashi enjoyed a rare period of leisure, chatting with Tanegashima, watching changes on Court 1, and checking on the situation of the middle schoolers training in the back mountain.

It wasn’t until Oni returned with the first-string team from their overseas expedition that the training camp became lively again, because everyone knew a new round of first-string shuffle matches was about to begin. This time, the results would also decide who could appear in the world tournament.

Meanwhile, on the back mountain, Mifune gathered all the middle schoolers and two high schoolers in front of him. Those two high schoolers were Ito and Yamada, who had stayed in the back mountain for training ever since they were defeated by Akashi and Oni.

They had become much more obedient and understood the situation—they realized the upperclassmen had completely lost, and they no longer had any authority in the training camp. So they didn’t provoke the new middle schoolers who had arrived earlier and just pretended they didn’t exist.

Mifune threw two black U-17 uniform jackets he had prepared to Ito and Yamada, telling them to put them on and go down the mountain to the camp, where someone would instruct them on what to do next.

After more than half a month of grueling training, all the middle schoolers’ auras had undergone a huge change, especially Tezuka and Yukimura, who had both faintly stepped into the half-step world-class level, though they hadn’t fully stabilized yet. Krauser also showed signs of breaking through.

Mifune’s training methods were undeniably dangerous, but they could push a player’s accumulated potential to the limit in a short time. The downside was they were rough enough to risk leaving hidden injuries or aftereffects if not handled properly.

Luckily, Mifune’s experience was profound, and none of the middle schoolers suffered such consequences. Everyone efficiently packed their belongings, then went to a dirt mound to dig up their racquets and headed down the mountain together.

Soon, the battle for the last ten spots in the first-string began at the training camp. Tezuka and the others were told to wait for now, as there would be a special arrangement for them later. Ito and Yamada went straight to compete for first-string spots.

An hour later, the competition ended with little change in the last ten of the first-string, except for the addition of Ito and Yamada. Everyone knew the real highlight would be the top ten shuffle matches the next day, so they all returned to their dorms to rest.

Even the middle schoolers were given dorms by the camp. Only now did they realize the place they’d been staying before wasn’t the real U-17 camp—this was it. Atobe was already complaining about Akashi.

But although he grumbled, everyone felt grateful to Akashi deep down. Over their time on the back mountain, they’d learned Mifune’s true identity as U-17’s head coach. The fact that Akashi could send them straight to him for training clearly meant he pulled some serious strings.

The next day, the U-17 camp was buzzing again as everyone looked forward to the day’s first-string shuffle matches. Even Tezuka and the others arrived early around the courts to watch.

At that moment, the first-string top ten finally appeared before everyone. When the middle schoolers saw the familiar figure standing in the No. 3 spot, they were all stunned.

Of course, it wasn’t Akashi’s first-string status that surprised them—they already knew that. It was the fact that Akashi was only No. 3. How strong must the top two players be?

Unfortunately, they didn’t get to see No. 1, Byoudouin, who was still traveling the world. There were even rumors that Byoudouin had been struck by lightning recently; whether true or not, only Akashi knew it was real. It seemed Byoudouin had already run into Amadeus.

The shuffle matches began soon after, and the fierce battles opened the eyes of all the middle schoolers, especially the playing style of Toono Atsuki, which many found simply unacceptable.

But Akashi told them that this was common on the world stage—many players would deliberately injure their opponents to secure victory. The world was far crueler than they had imagined.

Akashi’s words left Tezuka and the others silent. They’d thought Krauser and Akutsu were already brutal, but compared to Toono Atsuki, they seemed almost gentle.

The shuffle matches quickly concluded. Ito and Yamada both re-entered the top ten, thanks to their undeniable strength, taking the No. 5 and No. 10 spots respectively. Meanwhile, Ochi fell to No. 11 and Irie dropped to No. 20.

Ochi had lost to Ito, while it was obvious to everyone that Irie had thrown his match on purpose. Given that the coaches arranged for Irie to face Yamada, it was hard to say whether Irie himself requested it.

It was also worth noting that the challengers for No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 all gave up, especially those facing Oni and Akashi—when they forfeited, their voices were trembling as if they were up against prehistoric monsters.

With that, except for Akashi, the entire lineup for Japan’s team at the world tournament was set. Although the roster had already been submitted earlier, it was a list of thirty candidates—many of whom would never actually get to play.