On the day of the camp, all the regulars from each school arrived at the estate. Except for Rokkaku Middle School, everyone else easily headed straight to the dorm to drop off their luggage.
The regulars from Rokkaku Middle School, on the other hand, looked around excitedly. Hinata curled his lips in disdain, not realizing that the last time he came, he'd acted exactly like them.
Sakaki Tarō stood respectfully by Ojii's side. Even Banji and Ryūzaki Sumire were very polite toward Ojii. Though both of them were already quite old, they still acted like juniors in front of him.
Maybe Ryūzaki Sumire was just showing respect as a younger generation, but Banji and Sakaki Tarō both knew perfectly well how powerful the network behind this frail-looking old man really was. Not to mention, Ojii possessed the Shura Path training methods—even someone like Mifune wouldn't dare to offend him lightly.
Perhaps the only one currently on the same level as Ojii was Granny Sugi, but compared to Granny Sugi, who was almost on her last legs, Ojii was clearly much healthier.
After the players from Rokkaku Middle School got familiar with the camp rules, everyone gathered in the dining hall to start their meal. This afternoon's schedule was still regular training, mainly for the trainers to collect data so they could update detailed training plans.
This time, Akashi didn't plan to draft the plans himself. The previous plan was already the most suitable; it only needed slight adjustments based on current abilities. As for the players from Rokkaku Middle School—honestly, their talent was pretty average, and plans made by professional trainers were more than enough.
Actually, for everyone in the camp now, the most important thing wasn't how to train, but playing practice matches to communicate and interact better. Of course, Akashi still gave the Fudomine players tailored training plans focused on the five key attributes, mainly to lay the groundwork for breaking into world-class level. Once they reached world-class strength, their tennis skills would naturally develop further.
But breaking into world-class wasn't something that happened easily. After all, they were still just first-years. Akutsu and Tezuka might have a chance soon, but the others would need time to build their foundation.
Tachibana Kippei and Chitose Senri, as long as they mastered Beast Synchronization proficiently, should be able to reach half-step world-class in doubles, which was a pleasant surprise since they activated Beast Synchronization in a desperate situation.
While everyone was passionately training, Inui Sadaharu and Yanagi Renji were exchanging their latest research ideas. Inui was planning to further develop his green juice, and Yanagi had upgraded his bitter tea recipe. But the strange ingredients they occasionally mentioned sent chills down anyone who overheard them.
At that moment, Akashi went to find Ojii, saying he had some questions to ask. Ojii agreed without hesitation, always being very kind to juniors like Akashi.
He remembered in the original story when Ryōma asked Ojii to fix his racket. Ojii noticed the grip marks on the racket handle, realized Ryōma's grip was wrong, and took the initiative to help him correct it.
"Hello, Ojii! I'm Akashi Seijurō, captain of Fudomine's tennis club. I wanted to ask you a few questions if that's okay~" Akashi said very politely.
"I know you~ you're a fine young man. Ask whatever you'd like~" Ojii replied lightly, sipping his hot tea.
"Thank you! It's like this—I obtained the Shura Path training method through some special channels. I heard you've also taught others to master Shura Path before, so I wanted to hear your thoughts!" Akashi organized his words carefully, speaking seriously.
"Shura Path… didn't expect someone your age to know about that realm, let alone get the training method. Not easy~ I remember a little guy came to me not long ago to train in it~" Ojii said in surprise.
Akashi instantly understood who Ojii meant—Byoudouin Houou. It seemed Byoudouin had already lost to Oni Juujirou and was now looking for ways to break through his own limits. Since he'd sought Ojii's help, he probably already grasped the Shura Path—though whether he'd activated Dimensional Space yet was another question.
Dimensional Space was actually the embodiment of a player's willpower and spirit, taking different forms depending on the individual. For Japanese players, Dimensional Space usually appeared as giant phantoms, but players from other countries had different manifestations—like the French team's captain, Leopold Camus de Charpentier, whose Dimensional Space was called the Vow of Love.
After that, Akashi began asking Ojii detailed questions about Shura Path, and Ojii generously shared his insights. Akashi already knew how to activate Shura Path, so Ojii had no reason to hold back.
Just like that, three days quickly passed. During those days, the players from Rokkaku Middle School got their first taste of Inui Juice's terror, scaring them into training like their lives depended on it. Nobody wanted to experience it again.
Another thing was Mōri Juuzaburō—no one knew if it was because he didn't want to drink the penalty drinks or because he lost to Akutsu, but since the start of the camp, he had been training unusually hard.
At this moment, Akashi was a bit surprised because the butler had just handed him an invitation. It had the logo of Japan's U-17 on it, clearly showing that the U-17 training camp had sent him an invitation to join.
Akashi thought for a moment and guessed it must be because Saitō-san had come to watch the Kanto Tournament last time. Originally, Akashi had no intention of getting involved with the U-17 so soon—at least not before he could stand against Byoudouin and Oni's Dimensional Space.
As Akashi was wondering how to handle the invitation, the system voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Detected that the host has received an invitation to the U-17 training camp. Side mission updated: Become an official U-17 member (achieve a top 20 ranking) before the National Tournament. Reward: Dimensional Shard * 2!"
Akashi was stunned for a moment when he heard the system's mission. So this meant he had to go to U-17? If he completed the mission, it would mean he'd unlock his Dimensional Space. Akashi was looking forward to seeing what kind of Dimensional Space the system would grant him.
After that, Akashi called over Tezuka-kun, Yukimura-kun, Fuji-kun, and Atobe-kun, telling them he would be away for a while but would return before the National Tournament. The camp would continue as planned, so they didn't need to worry.
When they asked where he was going, Akashi didn't hide it. He took out the U-17 invitation directly. Since everyone already knew about the U-17's existence, Akashi explained that he planned to go see the situation there himself.
The others weren't too surprised or hesitant about Akashi getting the invitation. After all, Mitsuya-san was a good example, and Akashi also said he'd return before Nationals.
After explaining a few things to Tezuka-kun, Akashi got ready to leave for U-17. Yukimura-kun and the others resolved to train even harder, knowing that Akashi would definitely get stronger at U-17. Even though their training environment wasn't much worse than U-17's, they didn't want Akashi to leave them in the dust.
Before leaving, Akashi specifically went to thank Ojii again for his guidance over the past few days. Ojii just chuckled and told him not to worry about it. Sakaki Tarō and Banji also looked like they completely understood when they heard Akashi was going to U-17.
Ryūzaki-sensei looked especially surprised. Although she had heard of U-17, she didn't know the details. But she at least knew they only recruited high school students—she didn't expect Akashi, who was only a first-year, to receive an invitation.
Early the next morning, Akashi left the camp estate and set out for the U-17 training camp, having the driver follow the address on the invitation while he started recalling details about U-17 from the original story.
Although it was still two years before the start of the original plot, many familiar figures were already at U-17. But there would also be many players never mentioned in the original, like the second- and third-year players from Byoudouin's generation.
Inside the U-17 training camp's coach monitoring room, Kurobe Yukio, Tsuge Ryūji, and Saitō Itaru were discussing something. On the computer screen in front of them was Akashi's profile.
"Saitō, are you sure this kid's mental strength is as outrageous as you said? Look at those skinny arms and legs~" Tsuge Ryūji said skeptically.
"Did you train your muscles into your brain? Can you judge mental strength by someone's build?" Saitō Itaru replied, exasperated.
"Alright, since Head Coach Mifune agreed, let's just wait for Akashi-kun to arrive. But pay extra attention to those restless punks. If necessary, get rid of them immediately," Kurobe Yukio said calmly.
"I got it. But with Oni-kun keeping them in line, those punks won't be able to stir up trouble for now~" Saitō Itaru said casually.
"Speaking of Oni, the day before yesterday was really dangerous. If Byoudouin and Oni had actually fought, we'd have been busy cleaning up the mess. Luckily the head coach stepped in and sent Byoudouin off on an overseas expedition!" Tsuge Ryūji said with lingering fear.
"That's only temporary. Sooner or later, those two will have to clash. Since Byoudouin came down from the mountain, you must've felt that faint aura around him too," Kurobe Yukio said with a frown.
"Yeah! That aura has to be Dimensional Space. But what really surprised me was Oni-kun directly giving up the No. 1 spot this time. If he hadn't, even with the head coach present, Byoudouin probably wouldn't have let it go so easily," Saitō Itaru said with a sigh.
"Alright, Byoudouin being gone is actually good news for Akashi-kun. Just keep an eye on those punks. Even if Akashi-kun is strong, he's still a first-year, so we can't rule out unexpected incidents," Kurobe Yukio reminded them again firmly.
After more than two hours on the road, the Akashi family's car finally arrived at the foot of an unnamed mountain. Since there was no road built up the mountain, only a narrow path, Akashi had to get out of the car and walk up on foot.
'There's not even a road here. How do they restock daily supplies for U-17?' Akashi wondered silently as he started walking uphill.
Originally, Butler Tanaka wanted to come along, but Akashi refused. The training camp would never allow a butler to enter, and besides, Akashi was here to become an official U-17 member, not to enjoy comfort.
After walking for about 20 minutes, Akashi arrived in front of a huge iron gate. Having read the original story, he knew he had reached the camp entrance.
Looking at the tightly closed gate, Akashi didn't move at all, just stood there calmly. He believed the cameras at the entrance had already captured him, and those three coaches must be watching.
Sure enough, not long after, the gate slowly opened automatically, and a voice came from a speaker next to the gate—it was Kurobe Yukio.
"Welcome, Akashi Seijurō-kun, to the U-17 training camp. Please walk straight ahead along the road in front of you and proceed to the central plaza!"
Akashi glanced up at the surveillance camera and showed a faint, playful smile. Then he slung his tennis bag over his shoulder and slowly stepped into the camp.
Inside the monitoring room, Kurobe Yukio and the others watched the footage, quietly impressed by Akashi's composure. As expected of the Akashi family's young master, that kind of bearing wasn't something just anyone could have.
"I'm just saying, are those cheap 'welcome ceremonies' really going to be okay?" Tsuge Ryūji blurted out.
"With Akashi-kun's strength, there's nothing to worry about. We should be more concerned about how to deal with those trash players. From what I know, Akashi-kun isn't someone who shows mercy~" Saitō Itaru said with a grin.
"Let's just watch and see. Anyone recognized by the head coach won't be ordinary," Kurobe Yukio said flatly.
As soon as Akashi entered the camp, he pulled his tennis racket out of his bag. He knew very well that even at U-17, there were some stupid traditions that couldn't be avoided.
After walking for a short while, five or six tennis balls suddenly flew at him. Judging by their speed, they were going at least 170 kilometers per hour. The angles were tricky, aimed straight at his stomach, knees, and face.
Akashi's expression didn't change at all. He easily intercepted every ball with his racket, then stood still, waiting quietly. He was sure more people would attack him.
Sure enough, eight more tennis balls came flying in, even faster than before, with sharper angles—two of them even aimed straight at Akashi's throat.
While blocking them, Akashi used the Emperor Eye to lock onto the two balls aimed at his throat, memorizing the directions they came from as he kept waiting for the next attack.
Then twelve tennis balls shot toward him, this time completely reckless, all targeting vital areas of his body. Akashi blocked them all again, but his eyes turned icy cold.
In the monitoring room, Tsuge Ryūji looked curiously at Saitō Itaru and couldn't help saying, "This is what you call 'not showing mercy'?"
"Uh… maybe Akashi-kun has his own plan. Anyway, at least he's not injured~" Saitō Itaru answered awkwardly.
"No, you're both wrong. Those trash players are about to pay. Looks like we've got a real tough one this time," Kurobe Yukio said calmly.
After blocking the twelve balls, Akashi waited a moment, but when nothing else came, he casually flicked one of the tennis balls at his feet into the air and said softly,
"Is that all? How laughable. Then let me borrow a phrase you all know very well~"
The tennis ball in Akashi's hand suddenly burst into a dazzling golden light. In the bushes ahead, a group of high schoolers saw this and felt overwhelming fear rising in their hearts. Then they heard a phrase they all recognized.
"Go to hell, trash!"
A loud crack rang out as Akashi smashed the ball. The giant golden sphere shot forward with a deadly aura, blasting through the air and sending blades of grass and small branches flying.
"Run… run!" the leader of the group shouted in terror.
But it was too late. The huge golden sphere crashed straight into them, instantly creating a massive crater in the ground like a bomb had exploded.
"Trash has no right to exist," Akashi said coldly after unleashing the Glowing Shot.