Atobe hadn't expected Ishikawa to break the awkward tension between them so directly and decisively at this moment. But then, he smiled.
As the captain of Ice Emperor, he had been acting hesitant and emotionally unstable. That kind of image hardly suited a leader of their caliber. Ishikawa's straightforward words snapped him out of it.
"Alright!" Atobe agreed without hesitation.
Not far away, the others had been watching their conversation closely. They didn't dare to approach, so they stood at a distance, trying to gauge the situation from their reactions.
"Huh?" Shishido suddenly exclaimed, noticing something unusual. "Atobe's acting strange. What's going on?"
Just moments ago, he had sensed a shift in Atobe's demeanor. For the past while, Atobe had been gloomy, a far cry from the confident, charismatic leader he once was. But now, it was as if the dark clouds had lifted. Atobe had regained his confidence, and that sharp, commanding presence was back.
"What did that guy say to him?" Shishido wondered aloud, shaking his head.
The gap in their abilities had widened so much that Shishido no longer held the same superiority complex he once had toward Ishikawa. In fact, the usually aggressive and fierce Shishido now felt a deep sense of respect—and even a bit of fear—toward the new vice-captain.
Especially after yesterday.
Ishikawa's terrifying display of power, breaking what was thought to be an unbeatable *Zero-Shiki Serve*, had elevated his reputation to new heights. Shishido clearly remembered overhearing other team members discussing Ishikawa after the match. They said his skills were on par with Seigaku's hospitalized captain, Yukimura, and even gave him a nickname: the *Demon King of Ice Emperor*.
It was a bit of an over-the-top title, but it perfectly captured Ishikawa's dominance and status. Just as Seigaku's Yukimura was known as the *Child of God*, Ishikawa was now the *Demon King*.
And to Shishido and the others, Ishikawa truly lived up to that name. He was ruthless to his opponents, relentless in his training, and showed no mercy on the court. His playing style was nothing short of demonic.
Now, it seemed that the *Demon King* and the *Emperor* of Ice Emperor had engaged in some secret negotiation. Shishido, Mukahi, and the others were burning with curiosity.
"Everyone!" Ishikawa called out as he approached. He glanced at the group, their eyes flickering with questions, and smiled. "Atobe and I have discussed it. To ensure our victory in the upcoming Kanto Tournament, we'll be heading to Atobe's countryside villa for a special training camp."
"What?!" The group exchanged surprised looks. They hadn't expected their captain and vice-captain to team up and spring a training camp on them.
"What's wrong?" Ishikawa chuckled, his gaze settling on Shishido. "Senpai, are you not planning to join?"
"N-no, of course not!" Shishido quickly shook his head, avoiding eye contact. In that moment, he was absolutely certain: this seemingly harmless boy was indeed the *Demon King* others had described.
The others nodded in agreement. It wasn't just Ishikawa's intimidating presence—anyone who wanted to play in the upcoming matches wouldn't dare skip the training.
"Um, Ishikawa-kun," Oshitari, ever the straightforward one, asked curiously, "what did you and Atobe talk about earlier?"
"Nothing much," Ishikawa replied with a smile. "Just the training plan. After all, we're up against Seigaku, the strongest team in the nation. Even without their captain, we can't afford to let our guard down."
He then turned to Oshitari, who had his right hand bandaged. "Atobe mentioned that we'll have professional medical staff at the camp. He hopes you'll recover before the finals."
"I'll do my best," Oshitari said earnestly, nodding before heading off to practice his swings with his left hand. As a serve-focused player, maintaining his touch was crucial.
The others dispersed as well, each finding a spot to train.
Only Oshitari remained deep in thought. Having listened to Ishikawa's explanation, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. If Ishikawa had simply been discussing the training plan with Atobe, there was no need for such secrecy. And given Atobe's recent erratic behavior, it was unlikely that a simple training camp would have snapped him out of it.
"He's not telling the whole truth," Oshitari muttered, watching Ishikawa walk away. His instincts told him that the conversation between Ishikawa and Atobe had been about something far more significant—something they didn't want anyone else to know.
---
**Two days later...**
The Ice Emperor tennis club had been training as usual. True to their word, Atobe and Ishikawa had selected four players from the second string, along with the eight regulars, to form a special training squad.
On the third morning, a bus arrived at the Ice Emperor campus. As the driver urged them on, the group boarded and headed out of the city toward the countryside.
"Wait a minute!" Mukahi suddenly exclaimed halfway through the trip. "Atobe and Ishikawa aren't on the bus, are they?"
"What?!" The group quickly realized that neither Atobe nor Ishikawa was among them.
"What's going on?" Hiyoshi asked, baffled. "Did they forget about the meeting time?"
"No way," Shishido scoffed. "It's obvious. They sent us ahead while they went somewhere else."
"But…" Oshitari glanced at Kabaji, who was sitting at the front of the bus. "Kabaji's here. Why would Atobe leave him behind?"
"That's the question," Shishido said, shaking his head. "What could be so important that Atobe would even leave Kabaji out of it?"
The group fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Even Akutsu, who usually had no interest in team activities, and the perpetually sleepy Jiroh looked intrigued.
"Excuse me, driver," Oshitari approached the middle-aged man at the wheel. "It seems like two of our teammates aren't on the bus."
"Don't worry," the driver replied without turning around. "Atobe-sama and the other player went ahead to the destination."
"I knew it!" Oshitari's eyes gleamed with realization.
The others, even the usually oblivious Oshitari, sensed that something was amiss.
"No doubt about it," Shishido said, staring out the window. "Those two probably went off to have a match."
The group's eyes widened at the thought. A match between Ishikawa and Atobe—the two strongest players in Ice Emperor? Just imagining it sent shivers down their spines.
Unfortunately, the two had made sure to leave everyone else behind, including Kabaji. No one would ever know the details of that match—unless Ishikawa and Atobe chose to share them.
---
Meanwhile, Atobe and Ishikawa, who had taken a helicopter early that morning, had already arrived at the countryside villa. Now, rackets in hand, they stepped onto the court.
"Captain," Ishikawa said, cutting straight to the point. "The reason I wanted to play you is simple: I want the singles 1 position."
To be honest, Ishikawa wasn't interested in becoming the captain of Ice Emperor. While the position might offer additional benefits, he no longer felt the need to grind for experience. Whether he was captain or vice-captain made little difference to him.
But he didn't want Ice Emperor to lose to Seigaku in the upcoming match.
That's why he needed the singles 1 spot. With Yukimura hospitalized, Ice Emperor had the upper hand against Seigaku. However, based on his knowledge of the original storyline, Ice Emperor's doubles matches were far from guaranteed wins. In fact, there was a real possibility they could lose both.
If Atobe were to face Sanada in singles 1, Ice Emperor might very well lose the Kanto finals. This was evident from Sanada's挑衅 after their last match. Ishikawa suspected that Seigaku's strategist had devised this plan after analyzing Ice Emperor's performance against Seigaku.
It was a simple tactic, but one that played perfectly into Atobe's pride and competitive nature.
To eliminate this uncertainty, Ishikawa had to secure the singles 1 position. At the same time, this match would resolve the underlying tension between him and Atobe.
"The singles 1 position, huh?" Atobe didn't overthink it. In his eyes, Ishikawa's challenge was a power move. But he didn't mind. In his view, the leader of the team should be the strongest player.
Tennis issues were best settled on the court, and that was exactly what they were about to do.
With a swift motion, Atobe raised his racket and pointed it at Ishikawa. "The position is right here. If you want it, you'll have to prove yourself!"
At that moment, all traces of doubt vanished from Atobe's eyes. All that remained was pure, unbridled determination. Facing Ishikawa's challenge, he felt like the confident, ambitious young prodigy who had returned from England two years ago, ready to conquer the tennis world.
**pat-reon: belamy20**