Akashi stared at the system panel and let out a deep breath. He quietly thought to himself:
'Looks like my physical stats really are abnormal thanks to the system's modifications. This five-dimensional total isn't just strong for a middle schooler. Even among high schoolers, it's top level. It might not even be far off from some pros. It's time to consider completing that side mission. If I remember right, this Tokyo Youth Tennis Open is where Tezuka, Sanada, and Yukimura first met and faced off!'
Thinking that, Akashi didn't hesitate. He immediately called the butler and told him to sign him up for the Tokyo Youth Tennis Open. The butler bowed and left to get it done without delay. Akashi muttered softly to himself:
"Tezuka, Yukimura, and Sanada… we're about to meet soon. I really wonder how strong you are right now. Hope you don't disappoint me."
Time passed quickly. Soon, it was the day of the Tokyo Youth Tennis Open. In front of the tournament stadium, a luxury Toyota sedan slowly pulled up to the entrance.
Then, under the escort of the driver and the butler, a boy stepped out of the car. He had short, light red hair and sharp eyes that not even long bangs could hide. His face was elegant, and he carried an air of nobility and refinement from head to toe.
After stepping out, Akashi gave the butler and driver a calm glance and said slowly:
"You two go find somewhere to rest. Come pick me up when the match is over."
"Yes, young master!"
The butler and driver responded in unison. They bowed and drove off. At the same time, a rare trace of excitement flashed across Akashi's face. It was faint—easy to miss if one wasn't paying attention. He slung his tennis bag over his shoulder and began walking toward the stadium.
Because of the tournament, the stadium was much livelier than usual. Not only were there tons of tennis fans in attendance, but even some professional tennis scouts had shown up. They were hoping to discover one or two talented prodigies, which would be a great asset to their tennis clubs.
At the registration desk, staff were busy recording players' info and organizing match schedules. Akashi walked up to one of the desks. The staff member asked out of routine:
"Name?"
"Akashi Seijurō."
"Age?"
"Twelve."
"Information verified. Please take your number card and head to the player waiting area as soon as possible!"
The staff handed Akashi a number card with 78 printed on it and pointed out the direction to the waiting area. Akashi thanked them and walked over calmly.
The players' waiting area was large. There were lots of participants this time, mostly boys. Akashi noticed that most of them seemed to be a year or two older than him—likely middle schoolers. Even though this tournament allowed youth aged twelve to under fourteen, there were very few who had just turned twelve like Akashi.
He glanced around. There were a lot of people, but using the Emperor Eye's sharp observation, Akashi quickly spotted his targets.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu. Yukimura Seiichi. Sanada Genichirō. So we finally meet. Let me see what you're made of."
At the same time, in the waiting area, a brown-haired boy with glasses sensed someone staring at him. He turned his head and saw a red-haired boy openly observing him. Tezuka didn't react. He just kept warming up with a blank face. But deep inside, a hint of alertness quietly rose.
On the other side of the waiting area, a black-haired boy with a serious face and a deep blue-haired boy with a calm smile both noticed Akashi's gaze. When they locked eyes with Akashi, they both felt something unusual deep inside.
"Sanada, looks like coming to Tokyo for this open wasn't a mistake. There are strong players here after all~"
"Hmph! Good. That way it won't be boring and we didn't come for nothing. But I believe, the final match will still be between us. This time, I'll definitely beat you, Yukimura!"
"Is that so? I'm really looking forward to your performance, Sanada~"
After that, Yukimura and Sanada exchanged a smile and looked away. They began their warm-up. Seeing their reactions, Akashi also smiled faintly and started stretching.
There were quite a few participants in this tournament. So the organizers divided the matches into eight brackets. The preliminary rounds were held simultaneously, and the top player from each bracket would move into the final top 8 knockout stage.
On the court, Akashi calmly sent the ball back across the net. The tennis ball landed near his opponent's feet and shot past out of bounds.
"Match over. Score 6-0, Akashi Seijurō wins!"
As the referee announced the result, the opponent collapsed to his knees in disbelief. He couldn't accept that he had been defeated so easily by someone who looked much younger. Except for his serves, he hadn't even touched the ball during the match. Their skill gap was huge.
With this match over, Akashi had cleared his bracket and entered the final top 8.
At the same time, similar scenes played out on three other courts:
"Match over. Score 6-0, Tezuka Kunimitsu wins!"
"Match over. Score 6-0, Sanada Genichirō wins!"
"Match over. Score 6-0, Yukimura Seiichi wins!"
Tezuka Kunimitsu, Yukimura Seiichi, and Sanada Genichirō all easily defeated their opponents and advanced into the final top 8 knockout stage. Soon after, the organizers made an announcement over the speakers. The eight final players moved to the main court to fight for the last top 4 spots.
When Tezuka, Yukimura, and Sanada saw Akashi again, the looks in their eyes confirmed what they had suspected. That trace of alertness in their hearts grew stronger. But their confidence in winning the tournament didn't waver at all.
Maybe the organizers had noticed that the four of them were far stronger than the others. To preserve the excitement for the semifinals and finals tomorrow, none of the four were matched against each other in this round.
It was a perfectly "coincidental" outcome. And just as expected, Akashi and the others all cleanly took down their opponents and became the final four. They would compete in tomorrow's semifinals and final.
As they left the stadium, the four of them exchanged subtle nods. Then they began to go their separate ways. Just as Tezuka was about to leave, Akashi walked up beside him and said quietly:
"Don't be late tomorrow. I'm looking forward to our match."
After saying that, he got into his luxury car and left. Tezuka watched him in surprise.
Meanwhile, sitting in the car, Akashi felt more and more excited for tomorrow's match. To face Tezuka and the others, he had even reminded Tezuka not to be late. After all, in the original story, Tezuka missed the Tokyo Youth Tennis Open title because he was late.
Even though he later challenged Yukimura and Sanada privately—crushing Sanada and suppressing Yukimura—that was still behind closed doors. This time, Akashi wanted to defeat Tezuka and the others with everyone watching.