After the match between Team Japan and Team Switzerland ended, the players lined up for the post-match handshake. Amadeus slowly walked toward Byoudouin, staying silent for a moment before speaking in a somewhat complicated tone.
"Congratulations, Byoudouin. But your next opponent is Team Germany. Are you sure you're ready for that?"
"Ready? I've been prepared to stake my life on this ever since the World Cup began!" Byoudouin gave a cold smirk, his voice radiating dominance as he replied.
"A battle fought with one's life on the line, huh? No wonder your Japan team made it this far. I'll make sure to be there to witness your defeat in the semifinals," Amadeus said self-mockingly before turning around to leave.
"Hmph! You'll never get the chance to see that! Germany…" Byoudouin's gaze burned fiercely as he watched Amadeus's back disappear, a storm of fighting spirit surging from him.
Akashi had been watching their exchange from the sidelines, but he didn't interfere. It was their personal business, and he had no interest in getting involved. His mind was focused on one thing—the lineup against Germany. In his view, Germany's strength was roughly on par with Spain's, so the team needed to send out their strongest possible formation.
As for Team USA, Akashi wasn't too optimistic. Even if they had beaten Greece, they were unlikely to be a real threat to Spain—unless Ryōga stayed with them. But judging from Akashi's last conversation with him, it was almost certain that Ryōga would follow Nanjirō to join Team Spain.
The Swiss players didn't linger. After their defeat, they quickly left the arena—perhaps unwilling to watch Japan's celebration, which for them would only deepen the sting of loss.
The Japanese players held a brief but cheerful celebration before gathering their things. With less than two days until the semifinals, they had to start preparing immediately.
When they returned to the hotel, the coaching staff gathered for a closed-door meeting to discuss the semifinal lineup. Even Akashi and Byoudouin weren't called in this time, leaving them uncertain about the coaches' decisions.
It wasn't until dinner that night that the coaches finally emerged from the conference room, but judging by their expressions, the final lineup hadn't been settled yet. The players could only hold back their curiosity and quietly begin eating.
Meanwhile, at Team Spain's castle-like hotel, Antonio da Medanoré walked into the meeting hall, leading Ryōga inside. The rest of the Spanish players exchanged confused looks—after all, the man now wearing Spain's uniform had just been representing Team USA not long ago.
"Although I think most of you already know who he is, allow me to officially introduce our new member—Echizen Ryōga," Medanoré said calmly.
"What's going on, Antonio? Wasn't he a member of the American team?" Julio asked in confusion.
"It means exactly what it sounds like. In the semifinal against the USA two days from now, he'll be playing for us—Team Spain," Medanoré replied, his tone still calm and unwavering.
"You've got to be kidding!!! How can a traitor like that be allowed to play in such an important match?!" Rodrigo shot up from his seat, his tone sharp with anger.
"This is the head coach's decision. Do you have a problem with that, Rodrigo?" Medanoré replied indifferently, brushing off Rodrigo's protest with cold authority.
Everyone frowned at that. They might question Ryōga's sudden defection, but no one dared challenge the head coach's decision. After all, that man was a living legend.
'Echizen Ryōga… Echizen, huh? Interesting. Looks like Uncle Nanjirō's planning something none of us know about,' Mares thought to himself as he looked at Ryōga, who still had his hood pulled up.
"Even so, I can't accept this—unless he beats me first!" Rodrigo said stubbornly, his voice filled with defiance.
"Oh? You want to play against me? I heard you call yourself a tennis sniper. Sounds interesting. How about we play right now~?" Ryōga smirked, his tone playful yet dangerous.
"Don't forget our agreement, Echizen Ryōga," Medanoré said before Rodrigo could respond, his sharp eyes locking onto Ryōga's.
"Hey now, you saw it yourself—it was him who challenged me. I'm just being polite enough to accept," Ryōga shrugged, feigning innocence.
"The matter's settled. Ryōga will play in the semifinals. No one is allowed to object," Medanoré declared flatly, his voice echoing through the room.
———————————————
The next morning, Kirihara the "little seaweed head" was at it again. Sneaking around, he roped in Momoshiro and Jirō, planning another "investigation mission." After last time's failure, the three were determined to succeed in gathering intel this round.
By noon, Sanada and Yukimura realized Kirihara had vanished, and a bad feeling crept over them. When Fuji and Atobe came by to report that Momoshiro and Jirō were also missing, all four of them could only sigh, black lines forming across their faces.
While those three troublemakers went off on their antics, over at a nearby park next to the hotel, Tanegashima and Zeus were having a relaxed chat—with a koala clinging to Zeus's shoulder, making for a strangely adorable sight.
If Akashi had seen this scene, he would've been amazed by the absurdity of the timeline. The two had never even faced each other in a match, yet somehow they'd become friends already. Perhaps that was simply the magic of kindred spirits.
At a café on the other side of the city, Mares sat across from John, the captain of Team Australia, sipping coffee. If one ignored Mares's gender, the two of them almost looked like they were on a date.
"What a pity~ Australia still couldn't make it out of the group stage," Mares said, her tone carrying a hint of regret.
"There was no helping it. We were unlucky enough to end up in the group of death! Who could've imagined before the World Cup started that Team Japan would be this strong…" John sighed, still stunned by how far Japan's dark horse run had gone—they'd actually defeated Switzerland and made it into the semifinals.
"Japan, huh? Yeah, they really caught everyone off guard. But that's what makes it interesting, isn't it? Maybe it's about time the BIG4 spots got shaken up~?" Mares smiled meaningfully as she stirred her coffee.
"How confident are you about tomorrow's match against Team USA? I'll be there to cheer you on!" John asked, steering the topic toward the upcoming semifinal.
"Of course~ If you'll really come to watch, I'll be happy. Thank you, my friend~" Mares smiled dazzlingly, and a few passersby who caught sight of her couldn't help but blush.
Neither Mares nor John noticed that, across the café, Chris, Milky, and Mac were peeking at them from behind a newspaper, grinning mischievously.
"Hee~~~~~ As expected of Captain Fitzgerald, Australia's number-one playboy!" Mac said in mock envy, his tone dripping with jealousy.
"This time, I have to learn from him how to get women to like me!" Milky whispered determinedly, clearly inspired by John's effortless charm.
Meanwhile, at Team USA's hotel, Ryōma was once again trying to call Ryōga, but the call wouldn't go through. Worry gnawed at him—why had Ryōga suddenly gone silent? Just as he was thinking about heading out to find him, Rocky came running into the room, panting heavily.
"L-listen… I just checked Spain's official roster for tomorrow's match—you'll never guess whose name I saw!"
"Ryōga Echizen, right?" Reinhardt said calmly before anyone else could react.
The others turned to their captain with wide eyes, some half-joking, others half-concerned. Even Ryōma looked confused, wondering if his captain had gone crazy from the stress. But the next second, Rocky's response left them all frozen.
"Eh? Captain, you already knew?!"
"What?!!" Everyone shouted in unison, their disbelief echoing through the room.
"That's impossible! There's no way he'd just suddenly join Spain! I'm going to find out what's going on!" Ryōma yelled, bolting for the door before anyone could stop him. He was already sprinting toward the Spanish team's hotel.
Reinhardt reached out to stop him but was too late. He immediately signaled Kiko with a glance, and the latter nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry, Ralph~ I'll keep an eye on Ryōma!" Kiko called out before dashing after him down the hall.
While chaos erupted between Team USA and Team Spain, that night at Team Japan's hotel, Kirihara's latest antics had finally earned him divine punishment. When Bismarck brought him back with Momoshiro and Jirō, Sanada completely lost his patience and delivered a love-filled iron fist to Kirihara's head.
Momoshiro and Jirō didn't fare any better—Fuji and Atobe each dragged them away with unnervingly calm smiles. Judging by the looks on their faces, the two were in for a long, painful night. But honestly, they had it coming.
As everyone laughed at the trio's misfortune, Coach Mifune entered the hotel lobby with the other three coaches. In his hand was a single A4 sheet—clearly the finalized roster for tomorrow's match against Germany.
"Alright, I'll now announce the player lineup for tomorrow's match against Team Germany," Mifune said loudly, stepping forward. "First, the player for Singles 3—Tezuka Kunimitsu!"
"Yes, sir!" Tezuka stepped out from the group, his expression firm and unwavering.
"For Doubles 2—the pair will be Ochi Tsukimitsu and Mōri Juuzaburō!"
"Yes!" "Understood~" Ochi and Mōri exchanged a brief glance and nodded in unison.
"Next, the player for Singles 2—Akashi Seijurō!"
"Singles 2, huh? Got it~" Akashi replied calmly, meeting Mifune's gaze. He understood perfectly—Mifune was positioning him as the team's stabilizing core.
"For Doubles 1—the pair will be Tanegashima Shūji and Tōyama Kintarō!"
"Yay!!! Finally, I get to play again! I've been waiting forever! Match~ match~ match~!" Kintarō cheered, hopping excitedly around the lobby until Krauser's deliberate cough froze him mid-step. Tanegashima just laughed quietly at the sight.
"Ahem… And for Singles 1—Byoudouin Houou!"
"Your opponent is the world's current No.1, Team Germany. Even if you die on court, you will win. Got it?" Byoudouin's fierce aura flared as his gaze swept over the chosen players.
"Finally, the substitute—Tokugawa Kazuya! That's all!" Mifune read the last name, then turned sharply and left the hall with the other coaches. The rest of the night would be left for the players to discuss strategy among themselves.