JC: Rikkai Dai's Bunta Marui was definitely a treat to write. I'm really captivated with his character, and I love his tandem with Sakuno-chan. I'm so pleased with the reviews I got for the MaruixSakuno shot. Now I give you another prince from Rikkai Dai, Akaya Kirihara! KiriSaku is a rather popular pair around here, and I can understand why. They're the typical bad boy-good girl pair who brings so much spice into the hearts of fans. I hope I did the pair justice here.

Note: The story takes place during Sakuno's second year of middle school. I've based her character more in the manga where she is a promising player for the women's team.

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis. All rights belong to Takeshi Konomi.

The Devil's Angel

The unsuspecting Angel descends from heaven…
And meets the lonesome devil bound to darkness

0000

It was a bright, beautiful Sunday Morning—a start of such a fine day.

Yup, it was going to be a fine day indeed.

"Fine day my ass!" Akaya Kirihara grumbled to himself, kicking the pavement beside the school gate of Seishun Gakuen. "Fine day to get stranded!" He scratched his head in frustration. He was totally late for practice. To think he was the team captain now! What kind of captain would miss his stop and get off at the last stop in TOKYO?! His school, Rikkai Dai, was at Kanagawa Prefecture! It was no picnic ride all the way there.

Damn, he wanted to bang his head on the wall. Why can't he stay up for the whole freaking ride? He figured that old habits die hard, but still this was no excuse to be late. What would his teammates say?

Well, there was no use crying over spilled milk. Since he was already there he thought of paying the Seigaku Tennis Team a visit.

"Maybe I should challenge Viper."

But his hope for a match was shot down when he saw no one playing in the courts. Was Seigaku this lenient with Sunday training? The district tournament was coming up soon. He found it ridiculous if they wouldn't use this precious day for extra work.

"They're getting sloppy."

He was about to make his way back to the gate when he heard the sound of a tennis ball being hit. So, someone was playing? Curious, he followed the sound and found a girl rallying against a wall. The first thing he noticed was her two long braids whipping around as she rallied. He raked a hand through his sea green hair. How do girls manage their hair? He'd considered long hair as a nuisance in sports. But the girl moved with no trouble at all. She also had good form and accuracy, judging from the way she hit the ball. The dark spot on the wall only meant that she had been hitting the very same spot for a while now.

He noticed two female tennis players passed by. Their attire was simple and plain compared to the pigtailed-girl. He guessed that she must be a Regular. The girl's Regular jersey was similar to the boys, except for the blue mini-skirt with blue undershorts underneath. The collar of their shirt was white and the red trimmings trailed along the blue color. Of course, the Seigaku name was printed on the left chest part and on the bottom edge of the skirt.

"Seems like only the girls are here," he muttered, feeling disappointed. "Time for me to go."

Just then, as he was turning on his heel, the girl screamed, "WATCH OUT!" as a tennis ball hit him square on the back of his head. The impact was a bit strong that he got down on one knee.

His poor head! When will his bad luck streak end?

"I-I'm so sorry!" He could hear the girl running up to him. "I-I didn't—"

"And here I thought you had perfect control," he said in a dark voice as he stared up at her.

She gasped in surprise. "Y-You're Kirihara Akaya-san from Rikkai Dai," she said, pointing at him.

He stood up, grabbing the tennis ball, as he shrugged. "It's rude to point, you know," he said.

She blushed in embarrassment and bowed her head, shaking in fear. "I apologize for my rudeness, Kirihara-san, and for hitting you with that ball."

"It's fine. It's not like you hit me on purpose."

She hugged her racket against her chest. "Ah…y-yeah…you're right."

A red racket? Somehow it reminded him of a certain cheeky little rookie.

"Ryuuzaki-san!" A bespectacled girl called out to her from a distance. She was waving her racket. "It's your turn to play!"

"Hai, senpai! I'll be there in a moment," the braided girl replied.

Kirihara raised a brow. The girl's name was Ryuuzaki, he mused, trying to recall someone.

"Umm…"

He saw the girl fidgeting in front of him. She held her head down, probably afraid of making eye contact with him. Who could blame her? He was notorious for being the devil in the court.

"Are you here to see Kaidoh-senpai?" she asked him.

"Huh? Well, I was itching for a match, but no one was at the court."

"Obaa-chan had them do a lap around the neighborhood."

Her grandmother? It took a few second to process before he realized who he was talking to. "Ryuuzaki-sensei, huh?" He adjusted his tennis bag on his shoulder. "I knew you look familiar. You're Ryuuzaki-sensei's granddaughter."

"Y-Yes, I am."

She sure stuttered a lot, he noted, but he didn't mind it. She seemed to be a nice girl—completely different from her lioness of a grandmother.

"Kirihara-san, the boys will be back any minute now," she explained, looking towards the women's court. "But I don't think my obaa-chan would like it if you challenge Kaidoh-senpai. They have a strict training regimen for today."

And here he thought Seigaku was taking it easy. Seigaku was doing their best as usual. However, his hope for a match against the so-called Viper of Seigaku was flushed down the drain. Oh, well, there was nothing he could do. He wasn't stupid enough to face the wrath of Coach Sumire Ryuuzaki.

"Umm…Kirihara-san, I have to go now," she said, bowing deeply. "And I apologize again for hitting you."

He shrugged. "Stop apologizing already. It was an accident."

She straightened up and gave him a shy smile "I-I know, but still…" Her teammate called her again. That was her cue to leave. "Please excuse me." She turned on her heel and walked away. She reached a good distance before she peered over her shoulder to look back at him. "Kirihara-san..."

He gave her a puzzled look.

"Seigaku…is looking forward to face your team again." A sincere smile was etched on her face. He found it sweet. And the way her eyes seemed to gleam made him feel tingly inside. "Good luck!" With that said, she ran off to the courts.

He was left there, stunned and speechless. He thought she was just some bashful lass, but clearly she was more than that. He turned to the wall she was practicing on a while ago. The black spot was as clear as day. The girl definitely has skills. He figured that it probably ran in the family since Coach Ryuuzaki was an amazing player back in her day.

"Seigaku against my team…" And the girl even wished him good luck.

He let out a depressed sigh. He had not been himself lately. Getting promoted to captain was a great achievement for him. His teammates had no qualms about it, despite his reputation, and they were all doing their best. Rikkai Dai was determined to win back their title in the Nationals. "But I…" It was shameful to admit it, but he, as the captain, lacked motivation to pursue victory. He had never told anyone about his feelings. His team may think that he was a big sissy or something.

A hole was left in his heart ever since his seniors graduated to high school. Rikkai Dai was not the same without them around. "I haven't even beaten those three monsters yet." He wanted to beat them so badly, but they had proven to him that he still had lots more to work on. They were his motivation to strive harder. But they were in high school now. It felt so different not seeing them in school anymore.

He wanted to laugh at himself. Maybe challenging the Viper was a way to relieve stress for him, a way to vent out his frustration over his lack of motivation. He could have taken another bus back to his school, but he decided not to because deep down he hated all this uneasiness. Whenever he was with his team, he would just feel discouraged, disturbed and upset.

"Seigaku is looking forward to face your team again."

Her voice rang in his head.

Seigaku was doing their best. His Rikkai Dai team was doing their best. On the other hand, he, the captain, was doing things halfheartedly. What would his seniors say? They'll be very disappointed in him. They left the team in his hands and this was how he would repay them just because he no longer had motivation? He felt like a brat. No, he had always been a brat, he thought. He was a spoiled little brat, but his seniors had always tolerated him.

He looked at the ball in his hand. It made him think of the girl again. "Guess I better return this to her."

He made his way to the women's court and found her playing against a senior. The current score was 4-2. The senior was leading. He decided to stand by and watch. He was a bit curious to see how good Coach Ryuuzaki's granddaughter really was.

It was Ryuuzaki's turn to serve. She was in position, gripping the ball firmly in her hand. She looked different somehow. Her eyes were full of fire, but her overall appearance was calm and collected. Was this the same bashful girl a while ago?

Before he could even wonder further, the girl served the ball. Then everyone around them became quiet. The senior was the most confused.

"T-The ball…vanished?" Kirihara heard a girl say.

"Ryuuzaki-san, that serve…" The senior was obviously at loss with words.

He had encountered it before. It was a special kind of 'cut-serve'. Ryuuzaki spun the ball as she dropped it to perform her underhand serve. It wasn't a powerful serve, but many players were often caught off guard. The serve gave the illusion of disappearing as it abruptly cut to the left.

A smirk came to his lips. "Hmmm…Not bad…." He certainly stumbled upon something interesting here.

He pulled out his phone and dialed. "This is your Buchou. Sorry but I can't come to practice today. Something came up."

"The Disappearing Serve…"

She flinched as he heard his voice. Slowly, she turned her head. Her auburn eyes met his eyes. "Ki-Kirihara-san, y-you're still here?"

He had followed her to the water fountain after her match. He had witnessed her outstanding performance against her senior. The match had ended in her favor with 6 games to 4. Her subsequent service games had been a breeze with the Disappearing Serve. Everyone was amazed, even her captain. But that serve wasn't as simple as it looked.

"Where did you learn that serve?"

She closed the faucet and wiped her mouth with her towel. "I…I learned it from a senpai," she replied timidly.

"Fuji Syusuke, right?"

Her eyes widened a bit. He knew he was right. He could never forget a serve like that, not after his defeat in the hands of Syusuke Fuji.

"Play a match with me."

She stood there frozen for a second. "M-Me against you?!" She shook her head vigorously. "I'm no match against you."

There was fear in her eyes. This girl had seen him play. No doubt she was afraid of his playing style. Or maybe she was afraid of the devil within? Either way she knew he was dangerous. However, he wasn't about to let her walk away that easily. He wanted a match with her. He wasn't sure of the reason himself, but he felt like he had to check something out. There was something about this Ryuuzaki girl that caught his interest.

He let out a sigh. "I'm not going to go devil on you."

She lowered her gaze. "I know."

It was his turn to be surprise. What did she mean by that?

"I-I don't think I'm capable enough…t-to put you under extreme pressure…during a match."

If that was the case, then why did he sense fear from her?

"I don't care. Just play a match with me."

She swallowed. "I'm scared."

So, she was scared… But he already told her that he wasn't going to go devil on her. Plus, she said it herself that she won't be able to put him under high pressure. He doubted she could even injure him or pushed him to the point of anger.

"F-Fuji-senpai told me...You have a habit of aiming the ball towards the opponent's body, t-thus making it harder for them to return the balls," she explained. "I-I…I don't think I can return your shots, Kirihara-san. I'm afraid…that I'm just going to waste your time since…I'm not good enough."

His jaw dropped. Was this girl for real? He couldn't believe it. She was afraid of disappointing him all this time. "You're something else." He brushed a hand through his hair, chuckling lightheartedly. "How about if I go easy on you?" He wasn't going to stop until he convinced this girl to have a match. She was definitely interesting.

She stared up at him, her big brown eyes slightly glaring, much to his surprise. "That's unacceptable!" she said in a firm tone. "I don't want anyone going easy on me just because I'm a girl." She was almost pouting.

For some odd reason he found it rather cute. This shy girl can speak out her mind when needed.

He watched her lowering her gaze. It seemed like shyness was taking over again. That was quite amusing. "So, you're saying that you accept my challenge?"

"I…I want to challenge strong players… but I don't want to disappoint you," she muttered, grimacing.

He was not going to take no for an answer. Grabbing her wrist and her racket leaning against the fountain, he dragged her away. "I'm pretty sure you won't, so come on!"

"Eh?! B-But…But…Wait!" she squeaked, trying to keep up with his strides. "K-Kirihara-san!" She shut her eyes tight. "What about my practice?!"

"You lost another game," Kirihara said sadly, a deep frown had been etched on his face.

The girl dropped her racket and slowly fell to the ground. She was badly hurt, and he felt guilty. He shouldn't have listened to her. He should have gone easy instead. But she didn't want any special treatment. She had hesitated stepping into the court with him at first. She had doubts about herself. She was afraid of being treated as substandard by an experienced player like him.

He had told her an interesting story before they played—a story about a stubborn freshman challenging the 3 monsters of Rikkai Dai. He didn't spare any detail. He had even admitted how weak he was before. Despite his defeat, he had pushed himself harder to surpass his limits in order to beat the 3 monsters one day.

After hearing his story, the girl had come up to the court. The shy girl had transformed into a determined player again.

"Kirihara-san is not afraid to take on challenges…" He recalled her saying before the match. "That's why you're strong. If I want to become better, then I mustn't hesitate. Kirihara-san, don't hold back. I want you to play like usual."

Every time he had hurt her she would tell him not to stop. In spite of the damage to her body, she had played her best. She was able to adjust to his returns after getting hit a couple of times. It was impressive that she was able to return some of his difficult shots. But the damage he has done was too great for her body. And now she was lying on the court, not moving an inch. She must have lost consciousness.

"I'm going to get in trouble for this…" He wondered what Coach Ryuuzaki would do if she'd find out.

"Ki-Kiri-ha-ra-san…"

His eyes grew wide in shock. The Ryuuzaki girl was moving.

"T-The match is not over yet…" Her voice was so frail. She looked so weak.

"You're in no condition to play anymore."

She shook her head as she got up on her knees. "I-I can still play…" she breathed out. She grabbed the racket and stood up. "I can still do this, Kirihara-san…"

"Don't be reck—" He stopped himself from saying it. Was he really going to tell this girl to stop being reckless? He was the one who was always reckless. He was the one who would usually get all violent and uncontrollable. He has no right to tell others off, especially not to this girl.

"Kirihara-san, please…"

The determination in her eyes, the drive to improve, to get stronger—those eyes made him remember. As they played again, he caught her smiling. The ball traveled back and forth at a steady pace. It was surprising to see how she moved. There were times she would almost get hit, but she managed to adjust her body and swings. Even with the damage she took earlier, Ryuuzaki was enjoying herself. He could see how much she loved tennis.

He felt pathetic for sulking all this time. The Rikkai Dai team was his responsibility. It was up to him to lead them to victory in the Nationals. He was going to show his seniors that he was strong enough without them. He was going to show them that he was worthy of being captain. And after the nationals, he was going to challenge the 3 monsters again. That was his goal and it would never change.

He had the girl to thank for making him realize all that. Her determination inspired him. He once again found what he had lost.

"Let's see your smash," he said, lobbing the ball into the air.

Ryuuzaki dashed forward and jumped as high as she could. It was at that moment that Akaya Kirihira saw something unbelievable. Everything seemed to slow down as his eyes focused on such a sight. He didn't think it was possible for a devil like him to witness that.

Then the smash happened. He didn't return it.

"Kirihara-san," she said between her pants, "what's the matter?"

He rubbed his eyes. Was it an illusion? But they seemed so real. "I got something in my eye. You still up for another round?"

"Yes, please," she replied enthusiastically. "And don't hold back."

He was on his way back to Kanagawa on a bus. He was seated beside the window with a gaze so distant. He was thinking of her—from the way she played to her sunny smiles. He lifted a hand to his swollen cheek, flinching at the memory of how he got it. He guessed he deserved it for physically hurting her throughout the game.

She had collapsed during their final game because her body couldn't handle the stress anymore. As he was about to help her, a ball came flying toward him. It hit his left cheek dead on. He felt like getting punched.

Her knight in shining armor came for her. Kirihara could still remember how those pristine blue eyes looked at him. And the tone of his voice was icy cold when he spoke. The knight would not let him touch the girl.

He had decided to play the bad guy. It was a crazy thought, but he felt like his old self again.

The knight had warned him, but he had simply taunted him more. After that, he had left the court.

"Fuji Syusuke…" he muttered under his breath. "You've got a good protégé there."

Missing his stop was a blessing in disguise, because he wound up meeting an unexpected person. It was indeed a worthwhile experience. She was a special girl, he thought, and he believed that she was going to be a star in the future, especially after seeing her sprout her wings during their match.

"Yup, they were definitely wings of an angel…"

0000

She was his pure, polar opposite,
Innocent yet strong…
Forbidden feelings now grow,
As the Devil found his light…

JC: And the Devil found his match…How's that for Kirihara? Compared to the Devil Akaya, Sakuno is an angel with wings who will continue to soar as she grows. There isn't much of a romantic implication here. Though I initially wanted to put some shoujo clichés here, I decided to take a different route and dwell into Kirihara's character more. He had always been so keen on defeating the 3 monsters of Rikkai Dai that it got me thinking of his life after they've graduated to high school. In this shot, Kirihara lacked the proper mindset and determination to lead his team. However, he managed to rediscover his motivation thanks to Sakuno.

Okay, that's 2 from Rikkai Dai and 1 from Seigaku. Who's it going to be next? Well, it could be anyone! Don't forget to review. No flaming!