[Prince of Tennis] The Crown of Days Gone By

At twenty-nine, Niou signed with Yukimura's club. Yukimura, forced to switch from singles to doubles, became his partner.

On the court, old injuries remained unhealed, and silent scrutiny hung between them. Why hadn't you fought this hard back then? Why couldn't I protect Rikkai Dai's glory?

Off the court, both had broken relationships of their own. Niou and Yagyuu had drifted apart, while Yukimura had long since parted ways with Sanada.

As phantom-like shots and the Child of God's artistry intertwined on the doubles court, and the guilt of the past collided with the ambition of the present, they gradually discovered the same fire burning in each other's eyes: an unquenchable desire to win.

"Yagyuu and I broke up," Niou said after practice. "Are you satisfied?"

Yukimura gazed at the court beneath the evening sun and replied softly, "That doesn't matter. What matters is the championship."

Notes: 1. I wanted to write an unhealthy relationship, so every character is quite self-centered. The main pairing is YukiNio, while YukiSana and YagyuuNio are former relationships. Yukimura and Niou get most of the focus. Yagyuu will have a much stronger presence than Sanada.

2. The dialogue in the blurb is my own concoction, but the feel of both the blurb and the actual story ended up being miles away from what I'd first imagined... Still, I have to put that concoction in here. That's the whole point of making dumplings!

Begins February 14, 2026. Blurb written December 5, 2025. Updates every other day.

Theme: Striving for victory is in keeping with the spirit of competitive sports