91-95

Chapter 91: The Joy of Tennis—"Aoi Hikari"  

"That big brother is amazing! I’ve never seen anyone push Oni-nii this far!" 

"Right?! The ground’s shaking, and he’s still returning everything!" 

"But Oni-nii’s still a step ahead." 

"They’re both insane!"  

The kids buzzed with excitement as the match intensified.  

Thanks to Oni Juujirou’s influence, they had high standards—yet QP’s performance was shattering them.  

But for the two on the court, the real battle was just beginning.  

QP fully activated his focus, entering a state of hyper-concentration. Every muscle, every reflex sharpened to its limit.  

BANG—!  

Oni’s serve tore through the air, the ball flattening mid-flight from sheer force.  

Yet before it even bounced—  

Whoosh!  

QP materialized at the landing point, racket raised.  

"Too fast!" Oni’s pupils contracted.  

QP’s movement speed had spiked. Unlike before, he was leaning forward preemptively, optimizing his momentum to reach the ball earlier—giving himself extra milliseconds to prepare.  

The ball rebounded.  

QP’s body coiled like a spring—knees bent, torso twisted 160°, weight shifted forward. In one explosive motion, he channeled his entire kinetic chain into the swing.  

CRACK!  

The ball reversed course instantly, as if Oni’s monstrous power meant nothing.  

This return was smoother, faster, deadlier—landing at the farthest corner of Oni’s baseline.  

"......!"  

Oni’s expression darkened.  

The moment QP’s aura shifted, he’d sensed danger—but not this. His full-power serve had been neutralized effortlessly, and now QP was dictating the rally.  

The ball blurred across the court.  

Oni barely reached it, his return weak and off-balance.  

Despite his bulky frame, Oni’s vertical agility was elite—but lateral movement? A trade-off of his power-focused style.  

PANG!  

QP pounced like a predator.  

He intercepted at the net, slicing a drop shot that died at the sidelines—untouchable.  

"15–0, QP leads!" Yoru announced, eyeing Oni.  

According to his stats, Oni only had Center of Gravity Jump and Aoi Hikari in his arsenal.  

Black Axe and Golden Jackknife—techniques he’d later develop—were still absent.  

"How will you handle QP at full throttle, Oni...?" Yoru mused.  

Something else intrigued him:  

Oni had unlocked *"Pinnacle of Perfection" (Aoi Hikari)*—yet his profile showed no trace of Muga no Kyōchi (Zone of Self-Actualization).  

Can someone awaken "Pinnacle" without first mastering "Muga"?  

In the series, Muga and its three gates were pioneered by Echizen Nanjirou—but Pinnacle predated them.  

The answer probably lies with Nanjirou himself.  

BANG! "30–0!" 

BANG! "40–0!" 

BANG! "Game, QP! 2–2!"  

Seizing momentum, QP blitzed through games, his precision and speed overwhelming.  

But he didn’t relax.  

Yoru’s warning echoed: "Oni possesses Aoi Hikari. Push him further, and he might even tap into Gouki (剛毅光輝)."  

"Oni-nii’s losing...!" 

"Come on, Oni-nii! You’re the strongest!" 

"Shut up! He won’t lose!" 

"But... the score..."  

The kids’ anxious voices reached Oni.  

He grinned—feral, unshaken.  

"Don’t worry. This match is just heating up."  

Turning to QP, his voice boomed: "Sorry, QP. I can’t disappoint them."  

SHING—!  

Light erupted.  

Not the misty aura of Muga—but a radiant, multicolored glow enveloping Oni. The air itself hummed with undeniable vitality.  

QP flinched.  

An invisible pressure suppressed his reflexes, dulled his focus.  

"Aoi Hikari...!" Yoru’s eyes narrowed.  

Oni’s combat power now read: 9.8 Stars—brushing 10-Star territory.  

By contrast, QP’s stats dropped by 0.3 Stars.  

A net 1.1-Star swing in Oni’s favor.  

"Aoi Hikari—the light of earnest love for tennis," Yoru muttered. "It doesn’t just empower the user... it weakens opponents by sharing that joy."  

BANG!  

QP served, a golden streak piercing the court.  

Oni’s return was a thunderclap—the ball vanishing mid-trajectory.  

Whoosh—BOOM!  

A tree splintered behind QP.  

"Too... fast..."  

QP’s hands trembled—not from fear, but exhilaration.  

He was feeling it now.  

The true weight of Aoi Hikari.  

Chapter 92: The Cheat Code Arrives—"I'm Here, Dammit!"  

BOOM—!  

Second serve.  

QP managed a single step—but couldn’t intercept.  

"Oni Juujirou scores! 30-0!"  

...  

Third serve.  

QP swung—but whiffed completely.  

"Oni Juujirou scores! 40-0!"  

...  

Fourth serve.  

QP finally made contact—but the monstrous force wrenched the racket from his grip, sending it flying out of bounds.  

"Oni Juujirou takes the game! 3-4!"  

...  

Four serves. Four points.  

QP was adapting—he’d even landed a return.  

But the raw power behind Oni’s strikes now dwarfed anything before.  

Even his Vertical Jump Smash paled in comparison.  

This wasn’t just the "Light of Love" amplifying Oni’s strength—it was suppressing QP’s performance.  

Rumors of the aura’s dampening effect were true.  

"Now I’m curious about the 'Light of Fortitude'..." Yoru mused.  

Each Pinnacle of Perfect Harmony variant had unique properties.  

In the original series, Oni had unlocked the "Light of Fortitude" at the last moment—but time ran out before its effects were fully shown.  

Knowing the author’s habits, that plot thread would likely remain unresolved.  

Game 8: QP’s Serve.  

The moment the ball left his hand—  

Oni blasted it back.  

No technique. No finesse.  

Just pure, unfiltered force—fast, heavy, and utterly joyous.  

Like a child rediscovering tennis, swinging with abandon, every shot a full-bodied celebration.  

That unbridled happiness radiated outward, eroding QP’s win-focused mentality—  

And crippling his execution.  

BOOM—!  

"Oni Juujirou scores! 4-4!"  

...  

BOOM—!  

"Oni Juujirou leads! 5-4!"  

...  

Resistance was futile.  

QP could muster fleeting counters, but sustaining them was impossible.  

The sheer speed left him no time to brace with both hands.  

Single-handed returns?  

His racket kept flying.  

The frame was visibly dented—forcing him to switch to a heavier model, which only handicapped him further.  

"So this is the 'Light of Love'..."  

QP gasped, sweat-drenched, fingers white-knuckling his racket.  

He’d understood the *"Light of Solitude"*—its fleeting brilliance, its mastery of the critical instant where all elements aligned for a transcendent return.  

By internalizing that battle’s lessons, he’d learned to seize those moments himself.  

Now, he glimpsed the essence of the "Light of Love."  

It wasn’t just power—it was joy.  

A state where the player’s euphoria tricked the brain into unlocking untapped physical potential—while draining the opponent’s resolve through sheer emotional osmosis.  

"Overwhelming."  

QP’s return was a desperate lunge, memories flashing like a strobe light.  

His first encounter with the Pinnacle of Perfect Harmony had revealed the core truth:  

"The ultimate evolution hinges on heart."  

Back then, his opponent—another "Light of Solitude" user—hadn’t been this formidable.  

He’d lost the first set but clawed back in a best-of-three match.  

This was different.  

Single set. No room for error.  

Oni wouldn’t give him time. He had to steal it—prolong the match, absorb the "Light of Love" through sheer force of will.  

SWISH—!  

With a roar, QP hurled himself at the incoming ball—  

Both hands on the racket, every muscle straining—  

Only for Oni’s "Vertical Jump Smash" (now supercharged by the aura) to obliterate his stance.  

The impact launched him airborne, sending him crashing beyond the baseline.  

"Oni Juujirou scores! 15-0!"  

Three points left.  

Even if QP didn’t unlock the "Light of Love" in time, the match would end.  

Watching QP struggle to rise, Yoru grimaced.  

"Damn. Should’ve made this best-of-three."  

He’d assumed their post-cleaning fatigue and the late hour called for shorter sets.  

A quick match. System rewards. QP’s epiphany. A clean triple-win.  

Perfect, right?  

Now? QP was on the brink—with no guarantee he’d break through in time.  

"Goddammit, QP—hurry up and ascend already!"  

Yoru’s fists clenched, his nerves fraying.  

He wasn’t even playing, yet this was torture.  

BANG—!  

QP’s serve—a vicious topspin to keep the ball low, denying Oni’s smash setup.  

Against the "Light of Love", that technique was unreturnable.  

Especially with Oni’s natural brawn—and the physical gap between them.  

"Hey, QP... you’re one hell of an opponent."  

Oni’s voice was almost reverent.  

Even now, QP’s play was flawless—no panic, no deviation.  

Just cold, relentless precision.  

It’d been years since Oni faced someone this unshakable.  

This match was electric.  

BOOM—!  

A casual return—yet the power behind it was obscene.  

QP barely parried it, leveraging every "Light of Solitude" insight to redirect the force.  

But the return was weak—no threat.  

Oni knew QP was chasing something.  

So he kept his shots straight, no tricky angles.  

The rest was up to QP.  

BANG! BANG! BANG!  

The court trembled with each impact, dust pluming from the cracks.  

QP’s hands failed again—his racket spun into the fence.  

BOOM—!  

"Oni Juujirou scores! 30-0!"  

BOOM—!  

"Oni Juujirou at match point! 40-0!"  

...  

One. More. Point.  

The children hushed, the match’s intensity beyond their comprehension.  

"Is there even a chance left...?"  

Yoru’s sigh was heavy.  

Then—his head snapped toward QP.  

"Oh? OH—!"  

A grin split his face.  

Because of course.  

This was Prince of Tennis—where the deeper the despair, the bigger the plot armor.  

On the court, QP’s eyes closed.  

His expression stillened—like a monk entering zen.  

Anyone who’d ever watched shounen anime knew:  

The cheat code was fucking HERE.  

[DING!...]  

Chapter 93: QP's Evolution—Yoru Takes Flight!  

[Ding! Detected QP has unlocked Aoi Hikari match experience. Multiplicative feedback activated: Your "Super·Perfect Quality" has unlocked a second Pinnacle path! Practical combat amplification ratio increased!]  

"Hell yes!"  

If the match weren’t still ongoing, Yoru might’ve sprinted onto the court and kissed QP right then and there.  

Oni Juujirou had unwittingly become the stepping stone for QP’s ascension.  

Unlike Oni’s blazing radiance, QP’s aura now shimmered with an eerie, subdued glow.  

"The love for victory—that’s my tennis."  

All emotion drained from QP’s face.  

Yoru’s system screen flickered.  

QP’s combat power, previously suppressed by -0.3 Stars, now surged to +1.0—a 1.3-Star swing, catapulting him neck-and-neck with Oni.  

"This world’s insane. It’s not even about skill anymore—just who’s got the better hacks."  

Yoru chuckled darkly.  

The match reignited.  

Though QP’s raw stats still lagged slightly, rune enhancements and Aoi Hikari’s absorption bridged the gap.  

BANG! "5–5!" 

BANG! "5–6, Oni leads!" 

BANG! "6–6! Tiebreak!"  

At 6–6, the set escalated to a tiebreaker—alternating serves, first to 7 points (with a 2-point lead).  

BANG! "23–21! Game, set, match—Oni Juujirou!"  

Oni clinched the tiebreak, but QP walked away the true victor: Aoi Hikari assimilated, his evolution complete.  

Given time to refine it, a rematch would be anyone’s game.  

"Yay! Oni-nii won!" 

"That was crazy! That other big brother almost had him!" 

"Kinda wanted to see Oni-nii get wrecked, though~" 

"Oh? Who was sweating bullets when he was down 2–5?" 

"N-Not me!" 

"Oni-nii’s glow is so pretty!"  

The kids mobbed Oni, who laughed as they clung to his legs.  

QP, meanwhile, exited the court stone-faced.  

Yoru raised an eyebrow. "No disappointment?"  

"Why would I be?" QP blinked. "It’s an unofficial match. I gained more than I lost."  

"Damn. Can’t argue with that."  

Yoru recalled QP’s backstory—his ruthless climb through defeats to reach the top. Losses were just data points to him.  

[Ding! Quest complete: Observed QP vs. Oni Juujirou. Reward: Skill Evolution Card unlocked!] 

[Detected evolvable techniques. Use now?]  

"Use it on Reverse Domain!"  

[Error: Reverse Domain cannot evolve independently. Requires 2 Evolution Cards to synchronize with Standard Domain for combined advancement.]  

"Huh?!"  

Yoru’s jaw dropped.  

He’d assumed it’d upgrade straight into *"Supreme Domain"*—the nightmarish composite spin from the original series. Turns out, fusion was mandatory.  

"Fine. Save it for now."  

Aside from his Domains, none of his other techniques warranted the card.  

Muga and Hyakuren were states, not skills—ineligible.  

Oni’s Aoi Hikari glow began fading.  

"NO! Stay in the zone!" Yoru bellowed, sprinting onto the court.  

The kids jumped. Oni’s aura flared back to life.  

"Jesus—warn a guy!" Oni sighed, then grinned at the children. "One more match, then playtime. Deal?"  

"Okay~"  

As they scampered off, Yoru laid out terms: "One game. Alternate serves. You’re exhausted; I’m not a monster."  

"Deal."  

Oni crouched, racket poised.  

Fatigued or not, his momentum was peak. QP had been a titanic challenge—what did that make Yoru?  

"Don’t mind if I start."  

Yoru smirked.  

Super·Perfect Quality—Activate! 

Muga no Kyōchi: Hyakuren—Activate!  

Dark radiance erupted—denser than QP’s—while his right arm swirled with white mist.  

QP choked. "That’s... my Aoi Hikari resonance?! But stronger?! And why’s Hyakuren layered on?!"  

Oni’s throat went dry.  

Were it not for the kids, he’d have screamed: "WHAT KIND OF ELDRITCH ABOMINATION ARE YOU?!"  

Aoi Hikari sharpened his senses—and what he felt now was pure dread.  

"This power... unreal."  

Yoru’s stats blazed:  

[Combat Power: 10 → 11 Stars]  

QP’s +1.0 at 8-Star base paled next to this. Ten-Star amplification operated on another plane entirely.  

Hyakuren’s contribution was minimal—this was Super·Perfect Quality’s second-stage awakening.  

Eleven. Freaking. Stars.  

For the first time, Echizen Nanjirou felt within reach.  

WHOOSH!  

The toss. The leap. Unnaturally high.  

QP’s eyes widened—that stance... the copied serve from the Metropolitan Finals!  

BANG-BANG-BANG!  

Three sounds merged into one.  

Oni froze. By the time his neurons fired—  

CRUNCH!  

A tree splintered somewhere in the distant woods. The ball? Gone.  

Oni’s racket clattered to the ground.  

Silence.  

Chapter 94: Power Boost; The Legendary "Documentary" Incident  

(Author’s Note: Can’t please everyone. Some plot points were planned early—like joining Seigaku to fix regrets from the original series and crush a certain old hag. As for the "system," I never specified multipliers, only "doubling effects," to avoid breaking the balance.)  

(About the hag: Her personality isn’t changed. The reform arc made it clear—she wanted Yoru as a scapegoat. If reforms failed, she’d cling to her rules. And let’s not forget the Nanjirou connection. No one else would get this treatment.)  

To catch the last train,  

Yoru didn’t give Oni Juujirou room to breathe. The final three points?  

Ten Senses Overdrive.  

Oni was obliterated before he could react.  

[Ding! Quest completed: Match vs. Oni Juujirou. Reward: Skill Upgrade Card unlocked!]  

"NICE!"  

Yoru mentally fist-pumped. "System, I could kiss you."  

He’d worried exploiting the "four-point rule" would void the quest. Turns out, it counted.  

[This time, I’ll pretend I didn’t see it. Next time, play a full set.]  

"Roger that. Hearts~"  

Excited, Yoru pulled up the card’s details:  

[Skill Upgrade Card]: Permanently syncs one skill to your base level (Note: Scales with base stat growth. Cannot be used on core attributes.)  

"Holy— This is OP!"  

Yoru’s eyes sparkled. He’d expected a basic "+1 level" card, but this was a free max-level pass!  

"Use it on Zone! Go all out!"  

[Not saving it?]  

"Hell no! If not for the temptation of ‘Supreme Zone,’ I’d have used that Evolution Card too!"  

[System: ...]  

[Ding! Zone upgraded to Lv. 9!]  

[Ding! Reverse Zone upgraded to Lv. 9!]  

(Evolution Card binds new techniques to original skill levels.)  

"Ahhh, that upgrade high~"  

Yoru shuddered in bliss, then checked his updated stats:  

[Name]: Yoru 

[Age]: 12 

[Techniques]:  

• Core Stats (Lv. 9)  

• Tennis Fundamentals (Lv. 9)  

• Twist Serve (Lv. 8)  

• Zone (Lv. 9)  

• Reverse Zone (Lv. 9)  

• Muga no Kyōchi (Lv. 8)  

• Pinnacle of Hard Work (Lv. 7)  

• Sharp Angle Drive (Lv. 8)  

• Super Speed Vertical Serve (Lv. 8) 

(Collapsed: 2 lesser skills) 

[Power]: 10 Stars 

[Talents]: Ten Senses Control, Perfect Copy, Ultra-Perfect Quality (2/3 Auras Unlocked)  

"Broken. Absolutely broken."  

Before he could celebrate, QP tapped his shoulder.  

"What?"  

"Release Oni."  

QP gestured ahead.  

Yoru turned—and choked.  

Oni’s face was flushed, his expression a mix of rapture and mortification. A trickle of blood threatened to escape his nose.  

"Oni-nii! What’s wrong?!"  

"He’s not responding! Is he sick?!"  

The kids panicked, tugging at Oni’s sleeves.  

QP frowned. "What did you make him see?"  

"A legendary documentary—Tian Boguang and Zhu Yingtai’s Forbidden Love."  

"…What?"  

"Kids shouldn’t ask. You’ll understand when you’re older."  

"You’re younger than me."  

"…"  

Bickering aside, Yoru snapped his fingers in front of Oni.  

Reality shattered the illusion.  

Oni gasped, sucking the blood back into his nose. He quickly soothed the kids: "I’m fine! Just… distracted."  

A seasoned player, he recognized a mental technique—but the vividness had trapped him.  

Once the kids calmed, Oni stormed toward Yoru.  

QP’s hand flew to his racket.  

Oni’s hulking frame radiated menace—like an oni wielding a battle-axe.  

"Move."  

His English was rough but clear.  

QP tensed, but Yoru waved him off: "Let him through."  

Oni seized Yoru’s hand—  

"Brother."  

"Brother."  

"For life."  

"Absolutely."  

"Can I… visit you often?"  

"Anytime~"  

QP nearly snorted his own sinuses out.  

Post-Match Shenanigans  

With night deepening and trains nearing their final runs, Oni insisted on escorting them to the station.  

"Okayama’s unsafe after dark—especially near Okayama Oku. Plenty of delinquents shaking kids down for ‘protection money.’"  

True to his word, shadowy figures lurked in alleyways along their route. Yoru rolled his eyes at memories of cherry-blossom-obsessed travel bloggers.  

"You’ll be safe once you’re on the train," Oni mumbled, scratching his nose awkwardly. Not exactly proud of his hometown’s rep.  

Studying Oni, Yoru felt a pang.  

This version of Oni—goofy, kind, a little ugly-cute—was far better than the broken man post-Match vs. Ryoma.  

The thought sparked an impulse: "Hey, Oni. Transfer to Seigaku. Let’s win Nationals together."  

"Another championship…"  

For a second, Oni’s eyes burned—then dimmed. "Nah. The kids need me more."  

"Mm."  

Yoru expected this. After today, he got it.  

"Then visit us at Seigaku. Bring the kids."  

"You come back too. They adored you."  

A beat. Then Oni leaned in, cheeks pink:  

"And, uh… bring more of that… documentary."  

Chapter 95: The Arrival of Tezuka and Sanada  

The train was painfully slow.  

By the time the two of them returned to Seigaku, it was already midnight.  

As soon as they stepped inside, Ryoko Echizen approached them with concern. "You’re back so late—have you eaten?"  

"We ate. Grabbed something on the way back."  

"Don’t come home this late next time."  

As she spoke, Ryoko took a tissue and gently wiped the sweat from Yoru’s forehead.  

Yoru didn’t resist, a warm smile spreading across his face. Ryoko’s kindness always comforted him.  

The tender moment made QP slightly uncomfortable. In broken Japanese, he muttered, "I’ll go take a bath first."  

"Sure~"  

Realizing something, Yoru pulled back slightly and chuckled. "Ryoko-mom, I’ll go find the old man first. Where is he?"  

"Backyard."  

"Got it~"  

He strolled to the backyard, where Nanjirou lay sprawled as usual, flipping through a risqué magazine.  

Sometimes, Yoru couldn’t understand it—Japan’s entertainment industry was so vast, with plenty of movies and other distractions. Why was the old man so obsessed with these magazines?  

Shaking off the thought, Yoru gave the small tent a light kick.  

"Ow—owow! You little—!"  

Not letting him finish, Yoru cut in first: "Old man, let’s play a match. I feel insanely strong right now!"  

"Made some progress?"  

Rubbing the sore spot, Nanjirou wore his usual unbothered expression.  

Over the years, Yoru—who hated training—had always grown stronger in bizarre, unpredictable ways, often reaching absurd levels despite barely putting in effort. Even his so-called "training" was just a lazy two-hour session of half-hearted drills.  

Hearing about another improvement was nothing new.  

The two grabbed their rackets and headed to the court.  

Seeing Nanjirou wielding that old wooden racket again, Yoru scoffed. "Who do you think you’re underestimating? Turn up the heat today—I don’t want people thinking I’m some weakling."  

"This confident, huh?"  

Nanjirou raised an eyebrow. It was rare for Yoru to act so cocky. Normally, he’d demand Nanjirou hold back before agreeing to play.  

Had he finally broken through that door?  

Well, if Yoru insisted, Nanjirou dusted off his long-unused carbon-fiber racket.  

...  

Three minutes later.  

"Hey, kid! You alive? Don’t die on me!"  

"Please don’t drop dead—Ryoko will murder me if she sees this!"  

On the court, Yoru lay flat on his back, eyes closed, face eerily peaceful.  

A panicked Nanjirou knelt beside him, shaking him desperately.  

The old man’s expression was pure despair—if Ryoko walked into the backyard now, he was done for.  

"You barely improved and still talked big! Wake up, brat! Your mom’s gonna come out here any second!"  

......  

Life returned to normal.  

By early July, just one week remained before the Kanto Tournament.  

After nearly a month of intense training, the entire tennis club had leveled up in different ways.  

• The three background players had all reached 5-star ability.  

• Yamato crossed the threshold into 7-star.  

• Although Kirihara’s star rating hadn’t changed, he’d successfully developed his "Hyper Speed" state—a unique ability tailored to his playstyle, drastically boosting his combat effectiveness. 

Most notably—  

Perhaps due to the adrenaline from his match with Oni Juujirou, QP’s base stats had surged to 8-star!  

His fundamentals weren’t fully polished yet, though, so he’d been grinding nonstop to balance his attributes.  

Of course, QP hitting 8-star meant Yoru’s all stats were now maxed at 10-star.  

But this time, he didn’t go provoke Nanjirou again.  

The memory of nearly dying last time was still fresh.  

Court No. 1  

Yoru stood drowsily on the court, about to attempt his secret technique—sleeping while standing with eyes open—when a voice called out:  

"Captain! There are two kids at the gate asking for you. One of them looks like that glasses-wearing boy who came before."  

Glasses-wearing boy?  

Tezuka?  

Yoru blinked, then said, "Bring them to Court No. 1."  

"Yes, sir!"  

The club member scurried off. Soon, Tezuka and a black-capped boy approached.  

That iconic look made it unmistakable—*"Sanada"*.  

Yoru greeted them first. "What brings you here?"  

Both replied in unison: "Good afternoon, Yoru-senpai!"  

Sanada seemed stiff, while Tezuka was more relaxed—after all, this wasn’t his first visit.  

But wait—weren’t Tezuka and Sanada supposed to be rivals at this point?  

Yoru eyed them curiously.  

Tezuka, sensing the question, explained: "My grandfather took me to meet an old friend..."  

Turns out, their grandfathers were longtime acquaintances.  

This reminded Yoru of a New Prince of Tennis subplot—the Tezuka and Sanada families were old friends, with the grandfathers being competitive yet fond of each other.  

Yoru frowned. "Hold on. If your families are close, why did you only meet at the JR Tournament?"  

Tezuka coughed awkwardly. "We actually knew each other as kids but hadn’t seen each other in years, so... we forgot."  

Ah.  

Yoru shrugged. Just another trivial plot point.  

"So why’re you here? Don’t you have school?"  

Tezuka: "Elementary school’s on break."  

Break?  

After dedicating himself to tennis, Yoru had almost forgotten that Japan had a *summer vacation (July to September 1st)*—similar to China’s.  

"Um..."  

Sanada, who’d been hesitating, finally spoke up: "Yoru-senpai... could you... please train me?"  

Train him?  

Yoru glanced at Tezuka for context.  

After some explanation, it all made sense:  

After his crushing defeat at the JR Tournament, Sanada had spiraled into self-doubt. Back then, Yukimura had comforted him and trained with him.  

But thanks to Yoru’s warning, Yukimura had detected his illness early.  

Luckily, it was still in the mild, treatable stage. With surgery now having a 100% success rate, he wouldn’t suffer like in the original timeline.  

Naturally, Yukimura was now hospitalized.  

Watching Sanada grow increasingly despondent, his grandfather grew worried and arranged a trip with an old friend—Tezuka’s grandfather.  

The rest was history.  

Hearing about Sanada’s struggles, Tezuka suggested seeking guidance from Yoru—the person he saw as untouchably skilled.  

"I see."  

Training Sanada wasn’t an issue.  

Yoru already knew his future development path. With a few pointers, Sanada could unlock "Fire" and "Mountain" earlier—maybe even "Shadow" and "Thunder" ahead of schedule.  

But first, he needed to test the waters.  

Besides, he had nothing better to do.  

Strengthening Sanada now would just mean better "fertilizer" to push Ryoma’s growth later—which ultimately benefited him.  

"Alright, let’s play a match first. I’ll gauge your current level."