Chapter 2:Enemies.
Throughout practice that morning everyone noticed the eight regulars and Inui acting strangely. They were always looking over their shoulders and listening to everything around them. It was only when it came time for afternoon practice did they settle down. They came to the conclusion that Ryoma had been right from the beginning, once again settling into their routine.
That was until 'it' came.
After Practice
Once practice was over only the regulars remained in the clubhouse changing and talking lightly to each other. Their former feelings from that morning almost completely forgotten in their sense of normalcy. Momo and Kaido were fighting, Eiji was talking animatedly with Oishi, Fuji listening to Inui's new juice recipes, and Tezuka standing with Ryoma watching their team mates complete change in attitude. They were surprised to say the least that those feelings of foreboding had just dissipated in the length of a few hours.
"Ne, senpai-tachi," Ryoma called them all staring out the window, "what do you think that thing is?"
With that those discarded feelings were back and they all slowly turned to stare at what the baby of the team was looking at. The sight that froze the blood cold in their veins, even Fuji frozen in fear.
There standing in the middle of the tennis courts facing the clubhouse were over a dozen odd looking creatures; coal black eyes that seemed to glow with the fire from hell, and burning fur swirling around there bodies ready to ensnare and destroy anything in it's path – or out of it – a ruthless murderer. Simply put Hell Hounds. Not far from the blood thirsty beasts stood what look like a flaming man; his hair a more vibrant red than Eiji's, but still flaming, his eyes were red as well with tints of black and green streaked through them looking deathly and full of anticipation for what they all thought of as something truly unpleasant. On his back he wore a long sheath with a long sword, telling only one thing – he came to fight.
"I know you're all hiding in there, you might as well come out and give me what I want." He called making them all freeze. His voice melodic, yet so commanding that they found themselves moving, willing their feet to stop and run the other way, but to no avail. His gaze burning over them all one by one, searching, as they walked towards the courts. The regulars stopped moving, ending up in a line, in full view of the hellish creatures itching for their blood and flesh.
"Well now that wasn't so hard now was it?" he said mockingly looking them all over once again.
"Who are you?" Tezuka finally managed to ask, "what do you want with us?" Though he was giving his best glare at the time it was just ignored causing panic among the tennis stars.
"Oh, slow down, isn't it more polite to introduce your self first?" the man taunted smirking.
"Tezuka Kunimitsu."
"Syuichiroh Oishi."
"Syuusuke Fuji."
"Eiji Kikumaru."
"Sadaharu Inui."
"Kaoru Kaido."
"Takeshi Momoshiro."
"Takashi Kawamura."
"Ryoma Echizen."
When they finished they could clearly see the look of triumph in his eyes before he blinked it away and answered their questions.
"My name is Riam, I work for the powerful lord of the underworld, and what I want is…" he paused a wicked grin pulling his face into a twisted mask of malice and pleasure at his next words, "you." He finished whispering the last word while staring at none other than the baby of the team, who stood frozen in terror at the look that this 'Riam' was giving him.
The last intelligent thought going through Ryoma's head was 'I should have stayed in bed today; I knew it was going to be hell, literally.'