The Ice Emperor is nothing more than a stepping stone.

"They're really in good shape. Let's keep up this momentum and win the Tokyo Tournament in one go—be brave, stay evergreen, and never fear hardship!" Shisaori, holding the video camera and recording the state of Naruki Matsubara and the others, couldn't help but be moved.

"Oh! That's Hyotei over there. They're here too," suddenly remarked Mamoru Inoue, his eyes lighting up as he caught sight of a group approaching in the distance.

"Eh?" Shisaori, still holding the camera, made a surprised sound at his words.

"Hyotei Academy is one of the top contenders in this Tokyo Tournament, likely to advance to the Kanto Tournament. The one in front with the neatly parted hair is Keigo Atobe. On his very first day, he gave a speech that shocked the entire school, then defeated both second and third-year regulars as well as the captain, becoming Hyotei's new captain himself. His manner is quite noble and aristocratic," Inoue explained.

"Seriously? He looks like a rather cute first-year, but the way you describe him, he sounds so full of himself..." Shisaori said, a bit speechless.

Inoue just laughed and pointed to the bespectacled, long-haired boy with blue hair beside Atobe, continuing his introductions. "On the left is Yuushi Oshitari, a genius player whose cold eyes hide a burning passion. His playing style, like his gaze, is a blend of stillness and movement—a fiery bond. His talent is in no way inferior to Seigaku's Shusuke Fuji."

"This boy with glasses doesn't seem as much of a playboy as Keigo Atobe. In fact, he seems rather serious," Shisaori murmured as she looked at Oshitari.

"By the way, Inoue-senpai, the tall one to Atobe's right... Is he also a first-year?!" Noticing Takahiro Kabaji, Shisaori couldn't help but open her lipstick-painted lips in astonishment.

"Well... strictly speaking, he's only in sixth grade," Inoue replied with a sheepish laugh, rubbing his head as if unsure.

"What? Sixth grade?" Even with all her poise, Shisaori nearly swore. Are boys developing this fast nowadays? Sixth grade and already over 180 centimeters tall? She had thought Seigaku's Akutsu was already an outlier, but Kabaji was something else entirely...

"You're not alone. I could hardly believe it myself when I first saw him at Hyotei. According to Atobe, Kabaji was as tall as his mother at seven, as tall as his father at nine, and by twelve, he was already like this..." Inoue said with a wry smile.

"And apparently, Takahiro Kabaji and Keigo Atobe are very close. No matter where Atobe goes, Kabaji is always with him. They’ve known each other since childhood," Inoue added, recalling something.

"But... if he's only in sixth grade, doesn’t he need to be in class?" Shisaori asked in disbelief.

"You may not know this, but ever since Keigo Atobe enrolled in April, the Atobe Foundation became Hyotei’s strongest backer. Kabaji, who was attending a royal elementary school in England, was also transferred to Hyotei’s elementary division by the Atobe Foundation. So, there’s nothing to worry about,” Inoue explained.

"The Atobe Foundation, huh..." Shisaori had heard of this conglomerate, and couldn't help but sigh at the capriciousness of the wealthy.

"But if Keigo Atobe is such a strong captain, the vice-captain must be nearly as strong, right?"

"No, quite the opposite. This year, Hyotei doesn’t have a vice-captain."

"What? No vice-captain? What’s with that?"

"I asked Atobe about it. He and Coach Sakaki Taro both said the same thing: with Atobe leading, Hyotei has no need for a vice-captain. The position is just for show," Inoue explained.

"Tch... Whether it’s the captain or the coach, they both have this air of arrogance," Shisaori said, unimpressed.

"Hey, Atobe," Inoue called out as the three drew near.

"Hello," Atobe replied with a nod, recognizing Inoue from previous interviews.

"So, Atobe, how are you feeling right now?" Inoue asked.

"No matter what, I won’t lose. Neither will Hyotei. It doesn’t matter who our opponents are," Atobe answered with calm confidence.

"Right, Kabaji?" he added, glancing at the towering Kabaji beside him.

"Yes," Kabaji replied with an expressionless nod.

"That's some confidence, but you’d better watch out for the rising dark horse this year—Evergreen Academy. They pulled a major upset against Seigaku and then took down another seeded school, Kurofumi," Inoue warned, seeing that Atobe was in good spirits.

"Even so, we’ll still defeat them," Atobe said with a smile, closing his eyes as if the matter was beneath his notice. "Just wait and watch the show."

With that, Atobe led Kabaji and Oshitari away.

"That guy... not only does he have a deep voice, he’s even more arrogant in person than he looks," Shisaori said, her opinion of Atobe dropping further.

"I suppose... that's the dignity of a king on his throne. If you desire the crown, you must bear its weight. Keigo Atobe has earned that right," Inoue said with a smile, not at all offended by Atobe’s pride.

...

Outside the court, Naruki Matsubara and the others were warming up. Sadaharu Inui, adjusting his glasses, noticed the three approaching and said, "Oh? It's Hyotei."

Hearing this, Kunimitsu Tezuka, Naruki Matsubara, and Ryo Shishido each reacted in their own way.

"King of the mountain, huh," Matsubara remarked with a soft chuckle as he noticed Atobe, Kabaji, and Oshitari.

Tezuka calmly cast his gaze in their direction. Atobe Keigo...

Shishido’s reaction was the strongest. He’d never liked Atobe’s arrogance since the freshman ceremony in April, when Atobe, as the representative, boldly declared his intent to become Hyotei’s emperor. Though Shishido was no longer a member of Hyotei, his opinion of Atobe hadn’t changed at all.

"Tezuka..." Atobe slowed his stride, his gaze settling coldly on the short-haired boy at the front.

"Atobe," Tezuka replied quietly, facing him.

"I'll defeat you, no question. But... that’s only if you can catch up to us," Atobe said, fingers twisting a lock of his wavy hair, his smile unmistakably provocative.

"Don’t speak too soon. Even if we don’t cross paths just yet," Tezuka replied without a hint of fluster. "As for whether we can catch up, that depends on whether our opponents can stand in our way."

Without another word, Atobe strode on. As Oshitari passed by Shishido, he glanced at him and said flatly, "Coward."

"What did you say?!" Shishido immediately bristled at Oshitari’s taunt, but Matsubara stopped him in time. "Let it go, Shishido. There’s no point in arguing with people who rely on words. Their mockery only shows they fear us. True strength needs no empty boasts."

"That kid..." Oshitari frowned slightly, clearly annoyed by Matsubara’s incisive retort.

Atobe was well aware of Shishido’s transfer, and already regarded him as a weak loser—someone Hyotei, the ruler of the court, had no need of, especially not someone with the eyes of a beaten dog.

Now that Shishido had transferred away, Atobe looked down on him even more. Without turning, he said to Oshitari, "Let’s go, Oshitari. There’s no need to waste words on a stray dog."

"Those two..." Shishido clenched his teeth, fists tightening so hard his knuckles turned white as he watched Atobe’s retreating back. Matsubara, however, just shrugged and smiled, "Don’t worry, Shishido. We’ll face them sooner or later. Hyotei is just another stepping-stone on our road to the National Tournament."