Title: Why
Summary: The story of how the reign of the Emperors, Rikkaidai, fell at the hands of the Peasant, Seigaku.
A/N: Okay, this is, like, really bad. Whatever. Review please. Dedicated to Sugar for being so nice to me. And to Melanie for coming back at last.
Akaya found himself wondering.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
They'd given so much, shed so many tears, bathed in each other's sweat, so why did they lose?
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
They trained, trained, trained, trained, trained. And trained more. After the loss at the Kanto Tournament, each of them made a silent promise to crush Seigaku at the Nationals.
So why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
They threw themselves at tennis, gave themselves to tennis, became tennis.
Why? ...Why?
When in a competition, the strong wins. That was victory's unbreakable rule.
So why on earth, on this merciless, cruel earth, had they, the Emperors, lost?
As Yukimura-buchou trudged each step back towards the team, they felt their loss sink and engrave deeper and deeper into their hearts.
Why?
When in a competition, the strong wins. That was victory's unbreakable rule.
They were strong. Rikkaidai was the strongest. They were strong, so why were they not the victors?
The only logical, intelligible reason was that: their opponents were stronger.
But that was not logical.
Yanagi-senpai had told them before the competition that he was sure that, according to his stats, Seigaku was not as strong as Rikkaidai, as it was now. That was what had given all of them the motivation and confidence, to strive on without letting their guards down. Because, they all felt it in their hearts, they truly felt strong.
Why? Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?
Akaya thought back to their matches. They had a good start by winning both Singles 3 and Doubles 2. And everything had went downhill from Singles 2.
So why?
Akaya recalled Sanada-fukubuchou's match against Tezuka-san. He remembered the shock he felt when he saw that it was Tezuka-san, not that freshman rookie, or the guy always with his eyes closed.
The decision of the lineups was not strategical. For them, they had carefully placed Sanada-fukubuchou at Singles 3, to bring the momentum to them at the start. Even Yanagi-senpai was surprised that Tezuka-san was playing Singles 3.
Akaya recalled his doubles match with the snake guy and the wannabe Yanagi-senpai. He remembered how the snake guy had went into Devil mode, and how the wannabe Yanagi-senpai kept standing back up even after Akaya beat him to the ground.
Honestly, it sort of pissed him off.
Then, there was the shut-eye bastard who'd beaten him in the Kanto Tournament. He was impressed with Niou-senpai's psychological attacks. Until now, Akaya had not been able to contemplate why that shut-eye guy had won.
And the Synchro pair. Those fluffy bastards, with their stupid happy-go-lucky attitude, saying how they had bonds with the rest of the team and blah blah blah.
Finally, with the infuriating cocky brat. The stupid Pinnacle of Perfection. Placed at Singles 1 when he clearly still had ways to go before he could go against Yukimura-buchou.
Then one day, it clicked.
The rule of victory had not been broken; Seigaku was strong.
Yanagi-senpai's data was not incorrect as well. In terms of skill and technique and stamina, or any kind of strength required in tennis, Rikkaidai was leagues above Seigaku.
For so long, Akaya had been asking the same question. Why, why, why, why and why. But the real question was how?
Rikkaidai was strong beyond means, the strongest in the middle school circuit.
Seigaku was strong in another way. They may not have been physically stronger, but the blithe ease of how they put their faith in each other overpowered the emperors.
Like peasants, each of them had bonds void of words.
Emperors were strong, but there could only be one throne, and for that throne, there was silent antagonism.
How?
Seigaku was strong, and for the first time since Akaya entered Rikkai Dai Gaku Fuzoku, he felt weak and undone.