belamy20

111-115

Added 2025-08-04 14:31:34 +0000 UTC

Chapter 111: Devour; The Tenth Sense

"Since when?"

Nanjiroh wasn’t surprised by Yorus question.

He already knew Yoru had the ability to see through others’ talents. "It’s been a while. I just didn’t mention it earlier since you were busy with the Kanto Tournament."

"......"

QP listened to their conversation in confusion.

Yoru brows furrowed tightly.

Just moments ago, the data for the two Ryomas had appeared before him.

Ryoma hadn’t changed much.

But Ryoga...

[Name]: Echizen Ryoga

[Age]: 12

[Techniques]: Personal Five Dimensions (Lv. 7), Tennis Fundamentals (Lv. 7), Twist Serve (Lv. 7), Two-Sword Style (Lv. 7), Bullet Serve (Lv. 7), Violent Drive (Lv. 7); 121 other techniques folded.

[Talent]: Devour (Out of Control)

[Combat Power]: 8 Stars

[Devour]: Ignores Five Dimensions and fundamentals. Gradually consumes everything from opponents, including talents. (Note: Cannot devour talents from opponents with 3+ Stars higher combat power. Permanent devouring also fails against such opponents.)

"So it’s evolved into the same ‘Devour’ from the original story..."

Yoru took a deep, cold breath.

He never expected that after evolving from "Plunder," it would become this terrifying.

Ignoring Five Dimensions and fundamentals was one thing, but now it could even steal talents.

He’d always found it strange.

In the original storyline, during Ryoga’s match against Ralph, Ralph lost his talent—*"Weakness Correction"*—and could never play tennis again.

Then, in the U-17 arc, when Phoenix tried to hit Ryoga with his "Lightning Strike Ball," Ryoga returned it.

Instead of catching it with his racket, Phoenix used his bare hands, willingly injuring himself.

Because he knew—if he returned that shot, he’d never be able to use the Lightning Strike Ball again.

Given these events, Yoru had always wondered why Ryoga’s original talent, "Plunder," didn’t seem strong enough to explain those feats.

Now he understood—it simply hadn’t evolved yet.

"Wait… if Ryoga’s talent can evolve, what about Ryoma’s?"

A flicker of curiosity rose in Yorus mind.

But right now, the priority was dealing with Ryoga’s out-of-control ability.

According to the description, anyone who played against Ryoga would suffer—even Nanjiroh himself.

The skill explicitly ignored Five Dimensions and fundamentals.

Nanjiroh cut straight to the point. "I called them back for two reasons. One, it’s their vacation. Two… I wanted to see if you had a solution."

"It’s difficult. I still can’t manipulate ‘consciousness’ yet." Yoru sighed.

[Tenth Sense Manipulation]: Can control the ten senses of a selected target.

(Unlocked: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell, Taste, Premonition, Time Sense, Spatial Sense // Locked: Consciousness, Thought)

"Right now, I can manipulate the five senses, the sixth sense, and even time and space perception. But ‘consciousness’ is still out of reach."

Nanjiroh’s expression shifted slightly, looking at Yoru like he was staring at a monster.

This kid’s talent is even scarier than his mother’s.

Nalane could only manipulate six senses, but her control was far more brutal.

Nanjiroh had experienced it firsthand—even he couldn’t resist it in his normal state.

But Ryoga’s situation was critical.

If left unresolved, everyone who played against him would become ‘disposable’—losing their talents and potentially their ability to grow.

Unless Ryoga embraced the same self-destructive nature he had in the original story.

After a long silence, Nanjiroh finally asked:

"Yoru… how does your talent grow?"

"Growth? ...I don’t know."

Yoru shook his head.

It wasn’t that he didn’t know—he just couldn’t explain it to Nanjiroh.

He’d asked the system before.

The answer was: "Unlocking new senses requires reaching certain mental thresholds, but it stops at spatial perception."

He couldn’t explain how he knew this.

When Nanjiroh first asked why he called it "Tenth Sense Manipulation," Yoru had dodged the question, saying he could "feel the next sense" every time he unlocked one.

But lies required more lies to cover.

He didn’t want Nanjiroh digging deeper, so "I don’t know" was the safest answer.

"So… you can feel that ‘consciousness’ is the next stage?"

"I can sense it. But it’s… close yet far. Different from before."

Yoru nodded.

According to the system, consciousness and thought required his own efforts to unlock—or waiting for a reward like an "Talent Evolution Card."

But the system had no idea when such a mission might appear.

That’s why Yoru always told Nanjiroh he was "just a step away."

What he really lacked was that damn card.

Yet before the mission could arrive, Ryoga’s talent had already spiraled out of control.

"So that’s how it is..."

Nanjiroh took a deep breath, remembering how Nalane had described hitting a bottleneck the same way.

He never found out how she broke through.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

QP, sensing the gravity of the discussion, quietly excused himself to resume training.

After a long silence, Nanjiroh finally spoke again—this time with unusual seriousness.

"Yoru… do you want to know about your mother?"

"What?"

Meanwhile… U.S.A.

U-17 Training Camp – Junior Division

"Captain, why are we going to a wasteland like Japan for an exhibition match?"

The speaker was a dark-skinned player with a natural afro. The one he called "Captain" was none other than Ralph Reinhardt.

Not long after Yoru left, the U.S. U-17 had restructured its program, establishing a junior division.

Ralph was its undisputed leader, having handpicked every member.

After months of grueling training, only four elites remained—Ralph included.

Recently, the coaches had proposed an overseas exhibition match—ostensibly for show, but really a test of their strength.

They let Ralph choose the location.

Most expected him to pick Switzerland, Germany, or France—tennis powerhouses.

Instead, he chose Japan.

To many, Asia was a "tennis wasteland."

Was he afraid of facing real competition?

That was the only explanation the afro’d player could think of.

But Ralph just laughed, his voice bright and confident.

"I’m going to meet an old friend. And I want him to see just how strong I’ve become—hahaha!"

Chapter 112: Lineage and Talent

"So... I’m a bastard after all."

Yoru fell into silence.

Just moments ago, Nanjiroh had laid out the truth about his parents. There was no epic love story—just a straightforward affair. His biological father had been his mother’s manager, and as the saying goes, "the closer you are, the easier it is to take advantage." After years of effort, he finally won her over.

That woman was "Joanna Longman"—originally named "Nalan Longman"—the current queen of women’s tennis.

Their passionate affair happened just as Nalan Longman had earned her pro license. But in the heat of the moment, Yoru was conceived.

At the time, Nalan was 18, and his father was in his early 20s—the same age as Nanjiroh. "Gotta love anime logic—kids having kids," Yoru mused.

His father, holding traditional values, refused to consider abortion. And since Switzerland outlawed the procedure, the two decided to secretly give birth .

Even before turning pro, Nalan Longman had been a renowned genius in tennis. So when news of her pregnancy broke, it sent shockwaves through the tennis world.

About a year later, swayed by a new manager, Nalan—still clinging to her dreams—decided to reinvent herself. She re-registered as a pro under the name "Joanna Longman" and returned to the circuit. By then, Yoru was just two years old.

The rest unfolded as he already knew.

His father raised him for a few years before passing away. With his grandfather also in poor health, Yoru was eventually entrusted to Nanjiroh.

The weight of this revelation hit Yoru hard. His emotions shifted rapidly—rage melted into calm in mere seconds.

His anger stemmed from the resentment of being an orphan in two lifetimes, all of it now directed at Nalan Longman.

But then he thought of everything he had now—his adoptive parents, his siblings—they’d already filled the void of his past lives.

"She’s just a stranger who shares my blood," he concluded.

"So that’s it. My talent comes from her."

A self-deprecating smile crossed his lips.

According to Nanjiroh, his Sensory Manipulation ability was inherited from his mother. He’d assumed it was a unique gift from his reincarnated soul, but no—it was just genetics.

Joanna Longman had also once hit a bottleneck in her talent’s growth, though she’d somehow overcome it.

Nanjiroh’s body trembled slightly. "I’m sorry, Nan. No excuse can justify my selfishness in telling you this now. But please believe me—to me and Rinko, you’ve always been our real son."

Though Nanjiroh didn’t say it outright, his words hinted at one thing: Joanna Longman held the key to breaking through talent bottlenecks.

The guilt was crushing. Asking his adopted son to seek out the mother who abandoned him—for the sake of another child—made Nanjiroh feel like a monster. Regret flooded him the moment the words left his mouth.

What if Yoru leaves us?

A decade of living as a family—to him, Rinko, and Ryoma, Yoru was irreplaceable.

Seeing Nanjiroh’s hollow, aged expression, Yoru’s heart ached.

The Nanjirohs saw him as their own son, and he felt the same.

"Oi, old man." Yoru "accidentally" stepped on the tent pole beside Nanjiroh. "Quit looking like you swallowed a fly. I can’t stand that face."

"OW! That hurts, brat!" Nanjiroh clutched his crotch, wincing.

When their eyes met again, after a beat of silence, both broke into laughter.

No words were needed.

"Thanks for telling me about her. Don’t blame yourself. Even if I’d found out another way, it’d be the same. Hell, I might’ve been mad at you for not telling me."

"I’m not blaming myself— " Nanjiroh sighed. "—though it sounds hypocritical, I truly mean it when I say you don’t have to seek her out. With your talent, you’ll find a way. Maybe it’s good to let Ryoga suffer a little."

"Ryoga’s my brother too. I care about him just as much as you do!"

Rolling his eyes, Yoru turned toward the rustling trees. After a long pause, he murmured, "...I want to see her."

[Ding! Special Quest Triggered: Meet Joanna Longman. Reward: Talent Upgrade Card!]

"System... you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"

[Hey, I don’t control this! I’m just an employee!]

Yoru stood up. "Guess I’ve got no choice now."

Wimbledon Championships – Quarterfinals

Joanna Longman (No. 1 Seed) vs. Linda Meredith (Dark Horse Rookie)

Best of Three Sets

First Set: 6-0, Longman.

Second Set: 5-0, Longman leading.

Current Game: 40-0!

"This is the ‘Rookie of the Year’? Pathetic."

BANG!

Her serve—only 200 km/h—sliced past Linda Meredith effortlessly.

"Game, set, and match to Joanna Longman! Final score: 6-0, 6-0!"

The crowd erupted. Joanna’s matches were infamous for their lack of spectacle—most opponents fell to Sensory Manipulation within the first game, turning the rest into a one-sided slaughter.

Yet her tickets sold out instantly, with scalpers marking them up 200 times their value.

Why?

People would pay anything to witness the Queen of Tennis.

After a curt wave, Joanna casually batted the match balls into the stands before striding off.

Player’s Corridor

Her smile vanished the moment she left the court. Ignoring reporters, she headed straight for the locker room.

Her portly manager scurried over. "Jo— Nalan! Brilliant match today!"

"That was the ‘talented dark horse’ you hyped up?" She tossed her bag at him.

He forced a laugh. "She’s one of the strongest newcomers in years! You just... didn’t give her a chance after two games."

"I gave her two games. Her fault for wasting them."

As she turned to shower, she paused. "Oh, right. I got a call last night—Nanjiroh’s son wants to watch the finals. He’ll land an hour before the match. Arrange everything."

"The son of ‘Samurai Nanjiroh’? Consider it done!"

Chapter 113: Mission Complete, Leaving Without a Word

The next day, Yoru and QP boarded a plane to Wimbledon, England.

Given the sensitive nature of the trip, neither Yoru nor Nanjiroh revealed the true purpose to Rinko—they simply claimed they were "going out for a change of scenery." QP tagged along purely to avoid sitting through another round of family drama, which he considered torture.

But secrets never stay buried for long.

After their departure, Ryoga—sharp as ever—noticed something was off. After relentless questioning, Nanjiroh finally cracked and revealed the real reason for Yoru’s trip to England.

"No wonder Big Bro didn’t let me come! Do you have any idea how cruel this is for him? You bastard!"

Ryoga’s fist collided with Nanjiroh’s face. The older man didn’t dodge, taking the blow squarely. A bruise immediately bloomed around his eye.

"If I’d known Big Bro would have to do this... I never would’ve come back."

The punch seemed to drain Ryoga of all strength. He slumped to the floor, curling into himself as silent sobs wracked his body.

Nanjiroh placed a hand on Ryoga’s back and sat beside him, equally defeated. "I regretted saying it the moment the words left my mouth. But Nan... he said he’s your brother."

"That’s exactly why I didn’t want him to suffer for me!" Ryoga lifted his head, eyes hollow. "To me, Rinko, you, and Auntie... you’re my real parents. And Big Bro, Ryoma... they’re my real brothers."

"When my parents died, it wasn’t abandonment. But for Big Bro..."

He couldn’t even imagine the pain Yoru must be feeling—meeting the woman who discarded him, all for the sake of helping him. The guilt crashed over Ryoga like a tidal wave.

In his eyes, Yoru’s situation was worse than his own. At least Ryoga knew he hadn’t been abandoned.

Silence stretched between them.

Finally, Nanjiroh spoke softly. "To Nan, you and Ryoma are his brothers. The only thing you can do now... is remember that."

As they stepped inside, Rinko—midway through slicing fruit—paused at the sight of Nanjiroh’s swollen eye. "What happened to your face?"

"Ah, well—"

Ryoga cut in smoothly. "The old man was browsing adult dating apps. I caught him and punched him."

"Eh?!"

Before Nanjiroh could process the betrayal, a slender hand seized the back of his hair. In the blink of an eye, he vanished—only his wooden geta remained, suspended mid-air for a split second before clattering to the ground.

"SHINEEEEEE!!"

Rinko’s war cry echoed through the house, followed by rhythmic thuds and Nanjiroh’s increasingly pitiful wails.

Ryoga slipped into the backyard and dialed Yoru’s number.

Airport, Pre-Flight

Yoru glanced at Ryoga’s caller ID and sighed. "He knows."

The moment the call connected, Ryoga’s strained voice confirmed it: "...Big Bro."

A single word, heavy with guilt.

Yoru exhaled. "Unreliable old man..."

In the background, Rinko’s furious shouts made him tense. "Does Mom know?"

"No. I just—" Ryoga quickly explained the adult app cover story.

Yoru’s eyelid twitched. That’s a death sentence. Rinko would turn Nanjiroh into a human punching bag.

"...Sorry, Big Bro."

"Don’t be stupid. Who else is gonna look after you if not me?" Yoru chuckled. "Gotta go—plane’s taking off."

He hung up.

First-Class Cabin

"Rich people really live differently," QP mused, reclining his plush seat to maximum comfort.

After a pause, he added, "So your mother is Joanna Longman. No wonder you inherited Sensory Manipulation."

"Correction: birth mother." Yoru adjusted his sunglasses. "My only mom is Rinko."

He felt no connection to the woman who’d abandoned him. If not for Ryoga—and the system’s quest—he’d never have sought her out.

Still, part of him did want to see her. Not for reconciliation, just... to know.

QP didn’t press further. As another child of abandonment, he understood.

His attention soon shifted to the plane’s luxuries. Last time, he’d been too reserved to explore. Now, he poked at buttons curiously—

Click.

A hidden compartment slid open, revealing a row of designer sunglasses.

QP blinked. "...Huh."

Wimbledon Airport – 1:00 PM

One hour until the women’s finals.

Yoru and QP stepped off the plane, shades on, exuding icy coolness. A vintage luxury car awaited them, its polished exterior gleaming under the midday sun.

A plump, overdressed woman scurried forward. "Welcome! I’m Marian, Joanna’s manager. The match starts soon—please, this way!"

Yoru’s gaze turned glacial.

This "Marian"—according to Nanjiroh—was the one who’d convinced Joanna to abandon him. While the primary blame lay with Joanna herself, this woman was no innocent bystander.

QP, sensing the tension, gave Yoru’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze before nodding at Marian. "Thanks."

The car ride was suffocatingly silent.

Marian, ever the professional, forced a smile. "We’ve prepared a VIP suite for you—fully stocked with refreshments. Just let the staff know if you need anything!"

"Mm." QP handled the replies, sparing Yoru the effort.

Despite the short distance, traffic stretched the trip to thirty minutes. Upon arrival, Marian hurriedly ushered them to their suite.

"The match is starting—I must return to the locker room. Enjoy!"

She left without looking back.

VIP Suite

Yoru’s eyes locked onto the figure stepping onto the court.

Joanna Longman.

Up close, the resemblance was undeniable—the same sharp jawline, the same piercing gaze. Yet the woman radiating cold dominance bore no trace of maternal warmth.

A notification chimed in his mind.

[Quest Complete: Meet Joanna Longman. Reward: Talent Upgrade Card x1!]

Without hesitation, Yoru stood. "Let’s go, QP. Back to Japan."

"...What?"

Locker Room Hallway

Marian froze mid-step. A shudder ran down her spine as a horrifying realization struck her.

Her face paled. "That boy... his eyes...!"

Too late.

The car was already gone.

Chapter 114: Talent Upgrade; Blue Bird, I Really Want to Play Tennis

The Wimbledon finals were disappointingly dull.

The match lasted just an hour, with Joanna Longman effortlessly securing victory with three straight 6-0 sets.

A completely expected outcome.

With this Wimbledon title, only the U.S. Open in August stood between her and her tenth Grand Slam.

For today’s match, the organizers had requested she at least play one proper set—just to make the spectators feel like they got their money’s worth.

Otherwise, the match would’ve ended half an hour earlier.

"This tennis world… is so boring."

Joanna Longman was already considering retirement.

The sport had become lifeless—there were no rivals, no one who could push her.

Even at her peak, the absence of a worthy opponent left her disgusted. None of her victories brought her any sense of achievement.

And with her longing for her child growing stronger, she wanted to leave the tennis world behind and return to the warmth she once knew.

After enduring the tedious award ceremony and press interviews, Joanna finally retreated to the players' locker room.

The moment she opened the door, a foul stench assaulted her senses, followed by a shrill scream:

"Close the door! Who told you to open it?!"

Joanna recognized the voice—it was her agent, Marianne. She sounded terrified.

Worried, Joanna covered her nose with a towel and stepped inside—only to freeze at the sight before her.

Marianne was collapsed on the floor, surrounded by a pool of excrement, which was still actively spreading.

Snapping back to reality, Joanna shut the door and walked over, clicking her fingers beside Marianne.

Almost instantly, Marianne’s body stopped expelling waste—but the dehydration had already taken its toll, leaving her unconscious.

"So it really is Sense Manipulation..."

Joanna showed no surprise, only deep confusion.

Because she had done this before.

Once, when Marianne had been caught scalping tickets behind her back, Joanna had used Sense Manipulation to send false signals through her nervous system, leaving her incontinent for two days.

"Who the hell…?"

Her frown deepened.

BANG—!

The door burst open as another assistant rushed in.

"I’ve sent Mr. Nanjiroh’s son to the airport as requested. You— WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED HERE?! "

The assistant’s scream cut off as the stench hit her.

Seeing Marianne’s state, realization dawned—and she immediately flinched back, staring at Joanna in terror.

Joanna ignored her reaction, coldly demanding:

"You said you sent Nanjiroh’s child to the airport. Did they not even watch the match?"

"I-I don’t know! They… they left shortly after arriving. I just followed orders!"

The assistant trembled, terrified she might be next.

"Clean this up."

Joanna strode out of the locker room, her mind racing.

Sense Manipulation used on Marianne.

Nanjiroh’s son visiting—then abruptly leaving.

She had called Nanjiroh countless times, begging for news of her husband and child—only to be rejected every time.

Then, out of nowhere, he called a few days ago, saying his son wanted to watch her match.

She agreed immediately, hoping to mend bridges and finally get answers. She even had Marianne personally arrange everything.

"Could it be…?"

A chilling thought struck her.

She slammed the door open, shouting at the assistant:

"GIVE ME THE CAR KEYS!"

"Y-Yes!"

The assistant didn’t dare refuse, hurling the keys toward her.

Minutes later, a car rammed through the VIP parking gate, speeding toward the airport like a bullet.

Joanna floored the accelerator, weaving between lanes, scraping past other vehicles without a care.

She ran every red light, her mind screaming one name:

"Was it you… Yoru?"

But just one intersection away from the airport—

CRASH—!

A car T-boned her from the side, airbags exploding as her vehicle spun to a halt.

The impact jolted her back to reality.

The Echizen family’s private jet had priority clearance worldwide. By now, Yoru was long gone.

Joanna staggered out of the wreck, blood trickling down her forehead.

Gazing up at the sky—where a plane might or might not be his—she whispered hoarsely:

"Yoru…"

Then her nose gushed blood, and the world went black.

The other driver, initially furious, turned pale when he recognized her.

"OH SHIT—OH SHIT!!"

"FUCK! WHAT THE HELL?!"

He knew exactly who she was—and if she died here, his life was over.

Fumbling, he dialed for an ambulance.

Above the Clouds

As the plane leveled off in the stratosphere, QP finally broke the silence:

"Why did we leave so suddenly? Weren’t we supposed to ask about breaking through talent bottlenecks?"

Yoru shook his head. "No need. It’s already resolved."

QP shivered.

Yoru had never hidden his Tenth Sense Manipulation from him—including its current limits.

"Did seeing his mother trigger something…?"

QP could guess, but he wouldn’t ask. As a fellow orphan, he understood that pain all too well.

A mother who abandoned you, living her glorious life elsewhere—the thought alone was suffocating.

"I’m going to rest."

"Alright."

Yoru closed his eyes, silently commanding:

"System, use the Talent Upgrade Card."

[Please select a talent to upgrade: Tenth Sense Manipulation, Perfect Copy, Super-Perfect Quality.]

"Tenth Sense Manipulation."

[Tenth Sense Manipulation has been upgraded!]

[Tenth Sense Manipulation]: Can control the ten senses of a selected target.

(Unlocked: Sight, Hearing, Touch, Smell, Taste, Premonition, Time Sense, Spatial Sense, Consciousness // Locked: Thought)

With this upgrade, Ryoga’s problem could finally be solved.

Yet Yoru felt no joy.

Truthfully, he hadn’t left because of the reward—but because the moment he saw Joanna Longman, his instincts screamed at him to run.

Before the trip, he’d rehearsed a hundred things to say.

But when he actually saw her, every word died in his throat.

Maybe this was for the best.

He could keep living as the eldest son of the Echizen family, watching Ryoma and Ryoga grow, occasionally facing a challenging opponent.

Life was short. Why dwell on pain?

"Blue Bird."

QP paused, surprised.

Yoru had always called him QP—this was the first time he’d used his real name.

"I suddenly… really want to play tennis."

Yoru smiled—a smile of true release.

Chapter 115: Resolving Devour; The Golden Guy is Coming

(Gathering info: Aside from Byoudouin and Tetsuya, are there any other canon high school characters from Rokkaku? If not, I’ll start making stuff up.)

After returning to Japan...

Yoru used Ten Sense Manipulation on Ryoga.

However, he had underestimated the sheer terror of Devour. Even with Consciousness Control unlocked, he couldn’t fully seal or dominate it.

At best, he could grant Ryoga a degree of self-restraint.

Whenever Ryoga played tennis, he could now suppress Devour on his own.

For a limited time, Devour would remain sealed—but not for long.

Based on tests conducted by Nanjiroh, the suppression lasted about 15 minutes.

The good news? As Ryoga grew older and stronger, his control over Devour would improve.

Perhaps one day, with the foundation of Yoru’s Consciousness Control, he could fully master it.

Of course, there was another way: the final stage of Ten Sense Deprivation—*"Thought."*

By altering Devour at the conceptual level, its effects could be completely rewritten, eliminating all risks.

But reaching that point wouldn’t be easy. Yoru would have to wait for another "Talent Upgrade Card" quest to appear.

Even so, Ryoga was thrilled.

At least he now had 15 minutes of normalcy.

His talent status also shifted from "Out of Control" to "Controlled (15 min)."

But to be safe, Ryoga still wasn’t allowed to play against Ryoma—only Yoru and Nanjiroh could face him.

Not even QP was permitted to try, let alone little Ryoma.

Worth noting:

Not long after returning to Japan, news broke about Joanna Longman getting into a car accident.

It happened during dinner.

Everyone’s eyes were on Yoru, but to avoid worrying Ryuzaki Sumire, he played dumb.

"Even a world champion should follow traffic rules," he muttered casually, brushing it off.

Time together was always fleeting, but each parting left deep longing.

With Ryoga’s issue temporarily resolved, he had to return to the U.S., though Ryoma could stay a bit longer.

Time passed steadily.

The National Tournament was still some time away.

Seigaku resumed its usual training.

Even though it was summer break, their victory in the Kantō Tournament had the team fired up.

Notably, two new figures had joined the training grounds:

Tezuka Kunimitsu and Ryoma.

(Shūsuke had finished his surgery, and Sanada had returned to Kanagawa to play babysitter.)

Tezuka and Ryoma had met three years earlier than in the original timeline. The gears of fate had begun turning.

From the moment Tezuka saw Ryoma, he felt a strange sense of duty—just as Yoru had taken him under his wing, Tezuka now took a keen interest in little Ryoma.

Especially when it came to teaching him "Zone" techniques.

Ring ring~

A phone call interrupted Yoru’s supervision of practice.

The caller?

"Hey, Golden Guy. What’s up?"

"FUCK, Yoru. I hate that nickname. Call me ‘Handsome’!"

"I can’t call someone with golden chest hair ‘Handsome.’"

"That’s a sign of a mature man! You have no taste!"

"Zero interest in understanding. Why call now? It’s nighttime there—did you just ‘reward’ yourself?"

The caller was Ralph Reinhardt, Yoru’s first real friend.

"I’m boarding a flight soon. Heading to Japan to see you."

"Huh?"

Yoru paused. "Seriously?"

"Of course! Why else would I waste money on an international call? Here’s the deal..."

Ralph explained that the U.S. U17 team wanted to conduct overseas training matches.

"Arena battle"

"Yeah. Four of us, four Arena. Interested?"

Yoru processed the idea.

He had initially assumed it’d be like the original timeline’s "Kevin Pursues Ryoma" arc.

If so, he wouldn’t have represented Japan.

But Arena match? That sounded fun.

"When do you arrive?"

"Tomorrow, around 5 PM. The matches will be at Tokyo Tennis Park the day after. Bring your teammates—there’ll be media coverage."

"My teammates too?"

Yoru instinctively glanced at QP, who was still training.

He didn’t know who Ralph was bringing, but if QP played, Ralph would probably have to step in personally.

But Ralph’s underlying message was clear:

He wanted to test the team he’d trained against Yoru’s.

And Yoru wasn’t about to back down.

This was the perfect chance to humble his team before Nationals.

"Got it. We’ll be there."

"Big Bro, is Ralph coming?"

A childish voice piped up behind him.

Ryoma had snuck over, a sly grin on his face—as if saying, "I knew it."

"Did he mention this before you left?"

Ryoma nodded. "Yeah, but I didn’t think it’d be this soon."

"Why didn’t you tell me? Playing mind games with your own brother? Wanna ‘practice’?"

"I’ll go train!"

Ryoma bolted back to the courts, terrified Yoru would use "practice" as an excuse to whoop him.

QP, having finished training, walked into Court 1 to rest.

Yoru approached.

"There’s Arena competition at Tokyo Tennis Park the day after tomorrow. The U.S. U17 is sending four players. Let’s take our own four and check it out."

(The four being Yoru, QP, Kirihara, and Yamato. The others weren’t ready for this level.)

QP replied calmly, "U17? So even the U.S. is preparing early now."

Yoru shrugged. "The trend’s inevitable."

Only Japan was lagging behind, still oblivious while other countries groomed their middle schoolers.

"Any strong opponents?"

Yoru hesitated.

That was tricky. He wasn’t sure how much Ralph had grown since they last met.

Given Ralph’s rapid development phase, his physical stats were likely peaking.

With Yoru’s prior training, Ralph was probably at least on QP’s level—maybe stronger.

"Yeah. Their leader’s around your strength. He was already solid before."

QP’s eyes flickered with interest.

If Yoru said that, this opponent was no joke.