That night.
The Seigaku team happily boarded their flight.
When they found out it was the Echizen family's private jet, everyone was stunned.
They already knew Yoru's family was wealthy, but they never imagined this level of wealth—private jets included.
Just like QP when he first rode on one, the team couldn't resist exploring every inch of the plane, fascinated by the novelty of it all.
Yamato sighed in admiration. "The overwhelming stench of money..."
"You're welcome to skydive out right now," Yoru retorted, rolling his eyes.
"No, no, I'm good!"
Ignoring Yamato, Yoru walked to the front of the cabin and clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"The main purpose of this trip is to show you the strength of the world stage. I've arranged a match against the U-17 team from the States—everyone will play."
"Losers have to complete 20 extra training sets before the Kantō Tournament. Fail to finish, and you'll be drinking Inui Juice!"
The team paled at his words.
The most horrified of all was Inui Sadaharu himself.
A few days prior, Yoru had demanded his most lethal Inui Juice recipe. At the time, Inui assumed it was for Yoru's own training—only to realize now it was a death sentence in disguise.
Fuji smiled faintly. "U-17… the so-called final stepping stone before going pro, right?"
Hearing that, Oishi and the others gulped.
They were supposed to play against future pros?
Wasn't that an automatic loss?
Soon, the entire cabin erupted in despairing wails.
No one expected Yoru to lure them onto the plane just for this.
Yoru chuckled. "Don't be so pessimistic. The matches will only take one day. After that, I'll give you spending money to enjoy yourselves—just don't wander too far."
"Let us off the plane! Captain, this is basically kidnapping!"
"Your only option is to jump~"
"Yamerooo~!"
Since there was no way out, they reluctantly accepted their fate.
Trying to lighten the mood, Oishi and the others turned their attention back to the plane's luxurious amenities, distracting themselves from the impending doom.
But energy has its limits. After an hour of excitement, everyone gradually dozed off.
A 10+ hour flight was exhausting, after all.
---
The next afternoon, the plane landed in Los Angeles.
As they exited the airport, Nanjiroh's assistant was already waiting, arranging a shuttle bus to take them to a five-star tennis-themed hotel.
The hotel housed a renowned tennis club frequented by pro players, making it a hotspot in the area.
Still adjusting to the time difference, the team ate lightly before crashing for the night.
They slept straight through until the next morning.
Ring ring!
The phone buzzed while Yoru was brushing his teeth. A glance at the screen confirmed it was Ryoga calling.
But when he answered, it was Ryoma's voice on the other end:
"Aniki, you awake? Guess where we are~"
Since Yoru had resolved Ryoga's talent issues, the two brothers hadn't gone years without meeting like in the original timeline. Instead, Ryoga often took Ryoma out during breaks.
They'd also been informed about this trip in advance.
"Room 3202. Come on up."
"Boring~ Aniki guessed right away."
After hanging up, QP—now dressed—asked, "Ryoga and Ryoma?"
"Yeah, they're on their way."
A few minutes later, the doorbell chimed.
Yoru opened the door—
"SURPRISE!"
Two figures lunged at him. The hallway was too narrow to dodge, and Yoru was promptly tackled to the ground.
Not stopping there, Ryoga and Ryoma went straight for his weak spot—his ribs.
"Pfft—HAHAHA! S-Stop it!"
Tickling had always been Yoru's Achilles' heel.
As kids, whenever the brothers lost to him in matches, they'd ambush him afterward. Over time, Yoru learned to stay vigilant—but with both of them attacking at once, even he couldn't defend perfectly.
"You little—!"
Seeing no sign of them letting up, Yoru activated Muga no Kyouchi – Ten'i Muhou (Zero-Shiki Tennis: Teni Muhou).
Instantly, the two collapsed into deep sleep.
Two minutes later, they woke up—
Ryoga groaned, rubbing his head. "Aniki, that's cheating. Using Muga right away?"
Ryoma blinked. "I had a dream where I beat Ryoga, Aniki, and the old man!"
"Then it was just a dream. Also—I'm your older brother too!"
"You're just a shady orange freak. I refuse to call you nii-san!"
"Want a beating?!"
After some playful bickering, the trio settled down.
Ryoma and Ryoga then turned to QP. "Long time no see, QP-senpai."
QP nodded. "Yes. It's been a while."
Though not their first meeting, QP still struggled to open up around anyone besides Yoru and Rietz.
"Has Ralph arrived yet?" Yoru asked.
Ryoga pulled out an orange, peeling it lazily. "He said they'd be late. They're out for morning drills."
Yoru nodded. He'd tried calling Ralph earlier, but no one picked up.
Since the brothers had more contact with Ralph, they'd naturally have updates.
"Alright, come on. I'll introduce you to my team."
---
Time passed smoothly.
After introducing his brothers to Fuji and the others, Yoru set up two courts for regular practice.
Once training wrapped up, Tezuka immediately challenged Ryoma to a match.
Their intense rally left Kikumaru and the others in awe—no one expected Ryoma to be this strong.
Even Inui, initially indifferent, soon pulled out his notebook to analyze.
Both players activated Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami (Pinnacle of Hard Work), their Zones clashing spectacularly.
Of course, Ryoma was no match for Tezuka in this regard. Once his Zone was broken, Hyakuren became useless.
Seemingly guiding him, Tezuka then activated Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami (Pinnacle of Wisdom), pushing Ryoma into complete disadvantage.
The match ended 6-1 in Tezuka's favor.
But Ryoma wasn't discouraged—if anything, he looked exhilarated.
Having grown up losing constantly, he'd learned to thrive on defeat, using it as fuel to improve.
Clap clap clap—
The team applauded from the sidelines.
Though Tezuka might've held back, Ryoma's performance surpassed most of Seigaku's regulars.
"Aniki, how about a match?"
This time, it was Ryoga who spoke.
Yoru's eyes narrowed slightly.
Truthfully, he wanted to play Ryoga—to gauge his growth.
Stat-wise, Ryoga had improved drastically. But that Devouring talent was terrifying. If Yoru wasn't careful, he might lose his skills—at least temporarily.
If things get dangerous, I'll just activate Muga.
"Fine by me. But if I sense something off, I'm pulling out Muga immediately."
Ryoga grinned, tossing an orange into the air.
"Bring it on, Aniki!"