From last time…
'I'm not going to give up to a freshman!' Kaido thought. 'I still have something.'
Kaido hit and returned to the baseline. He got in position, waiting for the next ball.
'What is he planning to do?' Ryoma wondered.
"Kaido is going to use it," Kikumaru said. Ootori, Shishido, Marui, Niou, Kirihara and Oshitari nodded.
"Mamushi is Mamushi. You cannot take the Snake away from him," Momoshiro said.
.
Kaido made a full circle with his racket, using all his arm, from the shoulder to the wrist. He received the ball in the sweet spot of his racket. He half spined his upper body to add more power into the ball. He returned the ball with a slight curve from the wrist.
'It's not a normal shot!' Ryoma thought. The ball made a perfect curve around the pole and landed in her court, right on the line of the single court.
"Ah!" Ryoma exclaimed.
'Wha-… What was that…?'
She was impressed. She never saw such a refined Buggy Shot before.
"5-3. Kaido," the referee said.
"Oh! Boomerang Snake! Sugoi!" someone said.
'Huh?' She looked at Kaido. 'So this is the Boomerang Snake…' Ryoma thought.
.
"Now, what will you do, Echizen? One point more and Kaido wins," Yukimura said.
.
Bounce. Bounce. Bounce.
'I must find a way back!' Ryoma told herself.
Serve and hit. Hit. Hit.
Boomerang Snake. Mark.
"15-love."
'I need to observe it again.'.
Hit. Hit. Hit.
Boomerang Snake. Mark.
"30-love."
'Just one more time,' Ryoma thought. She took her place, preparing to receive. 'Show me the Boomerang Snake just one more time.'
Hit. Hit. Hit.
Full arm swing. Wrist curve. Boomerang Snake. Mark.
"40-love."
'That's it!'
Ryoma triomphly smiled. She found two weaknesses in the Boomerang Snake. Two people saw her smile.
'Interesting,' Yukimura and Fuji thought.
Kaido aimed to the left corner. Ryoma charged and replied by sending the ball to Kaido's right side. And she immediately ran to the left corner.
'Echizen-kun, I admit, for a freshman, you're an amazing player,' Kaido thought. 'But this game is already mine! This is the end!'
For this last ball, which will make his victory, Kaido put all what he had into that Boomerang Snake.
'Just as I expected! A Boomerang Snake!' Ryoma thought.
The ball arrived on Ryoma's left side. She ran to the extreme left of the court.
"He will make it. Echizen will reach the ball in time!" someone said.
"But how will he return the ball? It's coming from his left side!"
"That's true! How will he return it? He will have to do a backhand shot."
.
Inui flipped through his notes and read over his data on Ryoma.
"Regarding his last games, Echizen has a very weak backhand," Inui said.
"Yes," Yanagi remarked. "But to be able to return the Boomerang Snake from Echizen's current position, it's a backhand which is needed."
"How will he do it?" Oshitari asked.
"He cannot not hit a backhand to the left with his right hand!" Ootori said.
"If Kaido have this point, it will be his win," Niou said.
.
Ryoma heard them. She smiled.
'Backhand is not the only possibility, Inui-senpai, Yanagi-senpai!' Ryoma thought, smirking.
The Boomerang Snake curved around the pole. She jumped on her right foot.
Hop!
She changed her racket to her left hand. And,
Smash!
"15-40. Echizen."
The crowd was silence.
'Wha-…' Kaido couldn't believe what he just saw.
He wasn't the only one. Everyone was dumbstruck.
"Wha-… What…?" someone said.
"H-how…?"
"How did he do that…?"
"He… He changes his racket to his left hand…"
"Su-… Sugoi sugiru(1)…"
"But the most impressive is…"
"That Echizen… he returns Kaido's Boomerang Snake…"
"What kind of monster is he… Echizen Ryoma…?"
'Ho-… How did he return my Boomerang Snake?' Kaido wondered, in shock.
He watched Ryoma with frightened eyes.
'It… It must be a fluke…'
.
"Kaido…" Oshitari said.
"He is in shock," Gakuto said.
"It's normal… He just saw a freshman defeating his Boomerang Snake," Ootori said.
"But that's not the only thing that shock Kaido," Niou said.
"When Kaido set the Snake trap to make Echizen lost his stamina, he found himself falling in Echizen's trap. That was already a rude psychological shock," Yanagi said.
"But now, adding the by the shock of seeing his best move being returned so easily by Echizen…" Marui said.
"It's too much shock for such a short period of time," Inui concluded.
"And to think that was the last ball for Kaido's victory…" Yagyuu said.
"The shock must be three time to stronger for Kaido," Kirihara said.
They looked at Kaido.
.
'Just as I thought,' Ryoma thought. 'The Boomerang Snake is used when Kaido-senpai is on the side of the court.'
She watched Kaido.
'Kaido-senpai! I won't let you win this game! It's my coming back from now on!' Ryoma smiled as she changed her racket back to her right hand.
.
'No… It… It must be a fluke…' Kaido though. He took a deep breath and gathered himself back. 'I have to mark but one more point, one point only!'
Hit. Hit. Hit. Run.
Another Boomerang Snake to the left side.
Ryoma gave a push on her right foot. Hop! Racket to the left hand, and,
Smash!
"30-40."
"Woooooooooooooohhhhhh!" the crowd cheered.
.
"Echizen found a weakness of the Boomerang Snake," Yagyuu said.
"He purposely makes Kaido use his Boomerang Snake by aiming to the side of the court," Yanagi said.
"Meanwhile, he runs to the same court side, anticipating the arriving of the Boomerang Snake," Inui continued.
"But because Kaido is on the baseline, he doesn't have enough time to come to the frontline, where Echizen smashes," Oshitari finished.
"What a fearful player, that Echizen," Ootori said. Kirihara, Marui and Niou nodded.
"Hmm. I want to play Echizen too," Jirou said.
"Ah! Jirou, you're awake!" Gakuto yelped. Jirou only smiled, but his eyes were fixed on the court, particularly on Ryoma.
'Show me what else do you have, Echizen-chan…' Jirou thought, smiling.
.
Hit. Hit. Hit.
Boomerang Snake.
Racket switch hand and smash.
"4-5. Echizen."
Ryoma smirked.
'It… It's not a fluke…' A cold sweat ran down Kaido's neck. He gulped. 'He… He can return my Boomerang Snake.'
.
'Next, I'm going to seal your Boomerang Snake, Kaido-senpai,' Ryoma thought.
"Kaido to serve."
Hit. Hit. Hit.
Boome…
'What?' Kaido eyed Ryoma.
She smirked. Kaido hit a normal shot.
.
"Hey, Kaido didn't hit the Boomerang Snake," someone said.
"I wonder why…?"
.
"Kaido cannot hit a Boomerang Snake," Inui said.
"As long as Echizen aimed in the middle of the court," Yanagi completed.
"How come, Inui-senpai?" Momoshiro asked.
"The Boomerang Snake requires that Echizen aims at the side of the court," Inui began.
"But now, Echizen aims only in the middle," Yanagi continued.
"If Kaido does a Boomerang Snake from the middle of the court, it will not be efficient," Yagyuu continued.
"It will be out," Oshitari finished.
"More than that, Echizen aims low ball at Kaido's feet," Jirou said. "It's the most difficult place to reach for Kaido because of his long legs and arms."
"Because of the low ball, Kaido have to retract his arm against his body in order to return the ball. With that stance, Kaido cannot put topspin into the ball. Thus, he cannot perform a Boomerang Snake," Fuji said.
"In other words," Marui added.
"Echizen seales the Boomerang Snake," Niou completed.
"Uso (2)…" Ootori said.
"Osoroshii (3), Echizen…" Kirihara said.
"Mamushi…" Momoshiro said. "What are you going to do now?"
.
"5-all," the referee called.
.
"Ochibi is making a coming back," Kikumaru said.
"But will he be able to win? Kaido have to mark but one ball and he will win," Gakuto said.
.
"15-love."
'I'm not giving up yet!' Kaido thought. 'I can still continue!'
"15-all."
'Kaido-senpai is sure persistent! But so am I!' Ryoma thought.
"30-15."
The both of them were breathing heavily.
"30-all."
.
"I can't no longer detach my eyes from them," Kikumaru said.
"I know what you mean," Gakuto said. "If I blink, I would probably miss something."
.
"40-15."
'Just one more ball! Just one more ball!' Kaido thought.
"40-all."
Kaido gripped his racket with his two hands, half bended his knees, and swung up with a spin of his body.
'Ah! What?' Ryoma got caught off. 'A two hand Boomerang Snake?' Ryoma ran to the left side of the court. 'That's right! With two hands, the Boomerand Snake will have enough power to be in!'
She caught the ball just in time. But its power was a little bit to much for her.
'Urgh!' Ryoma grinned her teeth. The ball was heavy, very heavy. 'Come one! Do it! Do it!'
A last effort, she succeed to launch the ball. But she lost her stability and stomped. However, the shot wasn't high enough. The ball hit the net, flipped up and felt on the net. It bounced a little bit on the net, then stood there, not moving. The whole tennis court went silence. All the eyes were fixed on the ball, which was staying with a precarious stability on the net.
'On which side it will fall?' everybody wondered.
Ryoma lifted her eyes from the ground to watch the ball, like everyone.
'Come on! Fall in the other side! On the other side!' Kaido and Ryoma desperately prayed.
But the space time stop running, frozing everything and every motion.
Fuji opened his cerulean eyes and the wind gushed in Seiyou tennis court, sending the leaves dancing in the sky. The ball ran a few centimeters on the net. Then, it felt… in Kaido's side of the court.
"WOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the spectators cheered.
"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" the girls squealed.
"Game set. Won by Echizen. 7 - 5," the referee called.
"That was amazing!" someone said.
"I never saw such an exciting match!"
"It was worthy to come to watch!"
"This first year is incredible!"
"And he's so cool!" girls squealed.
"I've heard that he is free, no girlfriend. I'll try my chance with him!"
The people who came to see that first year were happy to see such a good performance. They understood now why that Echizen Ryoma was given a special permission to join the ranking tournament.
"He won! He won! He won!" Kirihara and Kikumaru danced in circle like clowns.
Kaido and Ryoma sighed. Kaido, because he admitted his defeat. Ryoma, because she forgot to breath while watching the ball on the net. She lay her head on the ground. She needed a short break, to take back her breath. Now! She don't care about the place where she was or the people around. Suddenly, she was lifted up by three people.
"Ah!" Ryoma exclaimed.
"Yahooooooooooooooooo!" Niou screamed.
"Way to go, Echizen!" Marui said.
"You sure hold my breath!" Ootori said. Marui, Niou and Ootori then threw her in the air.
"Yay!"
"Hey, wait! Senpai! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! What are you doing? Put me down! Put me down! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"
But Marui, Niou and Ootori continued to throw her up and down, cheering.
"Yay! Yay! Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!"
"That was an amazing game, Echizen!" Kirihara said.
"Wonderful!" Niou said.
"You deserve your cake!" Marui said.
But Ryoma don't care about their comments. Right now, only one thing mattered to her.
"I don't care what you're saying. Just put me down! Put me down damn it! Put me down now!"
But the excited boys were deaf to her request.
'Very good, Echizen-chan!' Jirou thought, laughing silently.
"Isn't that good, Sakaki? It was worthy to break the rule for him," Ryuzaki-sensei said, smiling as she watched the crowd around Ryoma. Sakaki-coach nodded.
.
Back to where Ryoma was.
"Ahhhhhhhhh! Senpai! Put me down! Put me down, damn it!" Ryoma continued to yell. But Ootori, Marui and Niou continued their game, laughing.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
"Echizen, this is a victory salutation! You should not complain!" Kirihara said.
"Shut up, Kirihara! And put me down now, damn it!" Ryoma roared. She was starting to feel nauseous.
'That's it, I'm going to puke!' Ryoma thought.
Suddenly, two hands caught her from under her shoulders. Next, she was gently set on her two feet. Ryoma turned around to see Yukimura, who was smiling to her.
"Ah… Arigatou, Yukimura-senpai," Ryoma said.
"Dou itashimashite," Yukimura answered.
Ryoma walked to the net, where Kaido was waiting. Ryoma gave him her hand.
"Kaido-senpai, this time it was luck. If it wasn't because of the wind, maybe I would have lost this game. Next time, I will beat you with my own power," Ryoma said. Kaido took her hand.
"Don't think that I will aloud you. Next time, it's me who will win," Kaido replied.
"Anytime you want," Ryoma said. And she smirked.
'He is too cocky for his own good,' Tezuka, Sanada, Yagyuu and Oshitari thought.
'What a brat!' Atobe thought. Yet he cannot help himself as he smiled too.
Kaido and Ryoma shook hands and separated.
"Mamushi, you got beaten by a first year. Did you got weaker?" Momoshiro taunted.
"Uruse (4)," Kaido replied. They looked at the crowd around Echizen.
"Marui-senpai, where is my cake?" Ryoma asked.
(1) sugoi sugiru: it's too awesome;
(2) uso: lie, it can't be true, you're jocking;
(3) osoroshi: scary;
(4) uruse: from "urusai", means "Shut up!"