EDIT: Fixed line breaks, grammar, minor details

A/N: This chapter was the hardest chapter to write and it's almost as long as the last one. And the game starts here...hopefully it's not a total failure...T_T...

Happy Birthday Miss Sammi Potter!Thank you for your continued support!

And thank you to all my other supporters too. And my reviewers: Jadeskye79, cassie, Kals, WhiteEnsigma, lovemoonlight, elusivemelody, lovefuji, and pdfish.

I also went back to sempai since Word doesn't mark it wrong.

Disclaimer: Not mines...thank god, or there wouldn't be much tennis...not with my lack of tennis knowledge...

Kazuki was worried. He had been worried the second he found out that Fuji was playing Tezuka. It was a hundred times worse than that time Fuji had played Kitagawa, but Kazuki knew that this time, nothing he did would stop the game.

For the first time, Kazuki, Satsuya, Iwamoto, and Kitagawa saw the ever persistent smile disappear. His eyes were revealed to them for the first time. A startling blue.

~0x0x0~

"I wonder if Fuji will win this time."

"He never loses to the same opponent twice. But they haven't seen each other in a while. What will happen?"

"Nya, I'm getting nervous!"

"Aaargh! I can't stand this!"

~0x0x0~

~*~GAME 01: 0-0~*~

Fuji held the ball in his hand. He looked over at his opponent on the other side of the net. He felt a thrill from the anticipation. It had been so long since he felt it like this.

He bounced the ball. Once, twice, three times then threw it into the air. Bending slightly, reaching for the ball, a swing, a snap of the wrist, and the follow through. The ball was off. The game began.

The crowd was strangely quiet. Only a few whispers here and there.

Tezuka returns the shot easily. But Fuji's already in position.

The ball lands in. It's Fuji's point.

~0x0x0~

The crowd watches in amazement as Fuji takes the first point. Fuji moved a lot faster than they what anyone had expected. Except for the Seigaku Regulars. Fuji was playing seriously. And so was Tezuka.

"F-fifteen-Love"

~0x0x0~

Fuji got back in position, ball at the ready. He served. Tezuka was more ready this time. Each was still evaluating the other. How much has he improved?

~*~GAME 02: 1-0~*~

Fuji was relentless. He didn't let Tezuka take a point, not if he could help it. He took the first game. But he knew Tezuka would not let it go quietly. He prepared himself.

Tezuka watched Fuji intently, ball in hand. Yes, the boy moved a lot faster. Yes, the boy's returns were sharp with great control. But that wasn't all there was, Tezuka knew. He had to be careful. Yudan sezu ni ikou.

He served.

~0x0x0~

Satsuya watched in amazement. No one had expected Fuji to win a game. Every Tezuka fan was silent with shock. Now Tezuka was playing much more seriously than Satsuya had ever seen. The serve he hit much more powerful than any Satsuya had seen before. Fuji anticipated it, though, and used a two-handed return.

"Fuji's prepared this time, I see." It was the tall, thick-glasses wearing Inui who had spoken.

"What do you mean?" Kazuki couldn't see how anyone could be 'prepared' for such a hit.

"So he did a little research, so what?" Kitagawa was liking Fuji less and less. "Anyone can do that."

Inui said nothing. He watched the game intently. Notebook and pencil in hand scribbling away.

~0x0x0~

Tezuka refused to lose his service game. He took the game.

Yudan sezu ni ikou. Don't let your guard down.

He had to be careful of Fuji, he knew.

~*~GAME 03: 1-1~*~

Fuji was serving again. Nothing was going to stop him now. Tezuka had upped his game. Fuji was not going to be out done. No. Losing once was enough. Fuji smiled, right there on the court.

The ball was in the air. It sailed towards Tezuka.

Tezuka returned the shot. He was not going to wait for Fuji to attack first this time.

Fuji rushed the net. Not like Fuji's usual style. Fuji took the first point. Fuji had attacked.

~0x0x0~

"Fuji's…attacking. He's attacking…Tezuka." Kazuki and Kitagawa watched in amazement. They'd never seen anything like it. Iwamoto watched in amazement as well. Fuji played no particular style, changing it whenever it fit his fancy. Like the wind, ever changing, ever moving, never still, never predictable. Fuji flowed from one play to the next.

"Kanami-sempai. Is that really Fuji?" Sasaki was beyond surprise. He had never expected it. Delicate looking Fuji did not look delicate at all out there. No. Fuji looked strong.

"Go, Fuji-sempai! Go, Tezuka-buchou!" Momoshiro didn't know what to do with himself. The game was making him giddy. Standing still was not working. He didn't know who to cheer for either.

~0x0x0~

The third game was taking up some time. A rally broke out. Then they noticed. Tezuka was using the Tezuka zone. Tezuka did not take a step.

"Tezuka Zone! So it's Tezuka that makes the first move!" Eiji was watching a little nervously. He didn't want Fuji to lose. He didn't want Tezuka to lose either, of course, but since Fuji was his friend and confidant, he wanted Fuji to win more. Never had they been as close as those years that Tezuka had gone.

"What's that Fuji's doing?" Satsuya noticed the odd way Fuji was now returning the ball.

"Fourth Counter: Kagerou Zatsumi! Fuji counters!"

"Hmm…it seems Kagerou Zatsumi works against Tezuka Zone. Ii data."

And Tezuka Zone is broken.

Tezuka rushes the net to take the point with a smash, but Fuji is prepared.

"Is he going to—"

Fuji takes two steps back and hits the ball back before Tezuka could get into position. He hadn't quite expected a smash.

~*~GAME 04: 2-1~*~

Tezuka knew that the Dragonfly was returnable, as Shiraishi had done during the nationals. But he had not anticipated Fuji's fast reaction. Then again, Fuji always fixed any weakness he saw in his game. He had no weaknesses, as one would say.

He served.

~0x0x0~

"What's that?"

"Hyakuren Jitoku no Kiwami. He's playing seriously."

~*~GAME 05: 2-2~*~

Fuji knew it would come sooner or later. Facing the real thing is much more of a thrill than facing Niou was.

Fuji served. Tezuka returned. They enter another rally.

~0x0x0~

"Why doesn't he use that shot he used the other day?" Whispers were starting again amongst the other players.

"What shot?" Eiji asked.

"We don't know. But the ball didn't bounce."

"Didn't bounce? Was it Tsubame Gaeshi? Or maybe Houhou Gaeshi?"

"Tsubame Gaeshi? Houhou Gaeshi? We're talking about tennis here, not judo! What does that have to do with anything? We're talking about the shot I lost to, don't joke around!" Kitagawa did not appreciate the way the redhead talked.

"Tsubame Gaeshi and Houhou Gaeshi are the names of the shot you lost to!" Yuuta didn't like the way the other boy was talking about his Aniki.

~0x0x0~

Tezuka smashed the ball. Fuji took a chance.

"Higuma Otoshi! No Kirin Otoshi!"

The ball soared over Tezuka, but was sucked in by Tezuka Zone. The ball came at Fuji, and Fuji counters. Tezuka smashes again, but this time, Fuji's Kirin Otoshi hits its mark.

"Game, Fuji, Three games to Two."

~*~GAME 06: 3-2~*~

Tezuka took his position. Fuji was fighting back. He served. The ball sailed over, but never came back.

"Zero-Shiki Serve."

He saw Fuji's smile, heard the chuckle. "Not holding back, are you Tezuka?"

Tezuka did not answer. Instead he pulled back to serve again. This one was returned.

Tezuka didn't use that serve again. Not that he needed to.

~*~GAME 07: 3-3~*~

Fuji wasn't sure if he should. But he took the chance. Taking a deep breath, he spun the ball and let it drop.

"Eh? Is he crazy? An underhand serve against Tezuka?"

"Fuji's using it."

The crowd watched as the ball suddenly disappeared before their eyes, but it didn't stop Tezuka. Tezuka returned it, but before anything could happen, Fuji smashed the ball to a spot Tezuka could not reach in time.

It had worked better than Fuji had hoped. But Tezuka knew what was coming. He couldn't do it again. On to the next strategy.

~*~GAME 08: 4-3~*~

Tezuka knew Fuji wouldn't make the game easy. Or predictable. The boy changed strategies so quickly it was hard for Tezuka to keep up sometimes. Even if he did use Saiki Kanpatsu no Kiwami, he knew Fuji would overcome it.

Tezuka served. Fuji returned. They rallied. Fuji acted then. Tezuka rushed the net in order to get the ball before it bounced. The ball dropped, just inside the net, and crawled away. Fuji had evolved his Counters again. Though he wasn't in the tennis club in high school, Fuji did not slack off.

~*~GAME 09: 5-3~*~

Tezuka wasn't going to take losing his service game lightly, Fuji knew. The game was still on. It made no difference that Fuji had only one more game to go before he won. No. If he relaxed now, he was sure to lose.

~0x0x0~

The crowd was silent. Each and every one of them wanted to pull the hair out of their skull. Fuji had broken Tezuka's serve. If Fuji won this game, it would be the upset of the century for their tennis club. The Super-Freshman would lose Six games to Three.

~0x0x0~

Tezuka played as Fuji had expected. The more he was backed into a corner, the more he fought. That was the way it was for all the old Seigaku Regulars. But perhaps Fuji should not only expect the struggle but counter it as well.

~*~GAME 10: 5-4~*~

It was once again Tezuka's turn to serve. Tezuka looked fixedly at Fuji. This struggle was expected. He wasn't going to let Fuji win so easily, though.

Tezuka hit the ball, putting a tremendous amount of spin on it. Fuji saw it.

Tezuka Phantom.

He returned it. As expected, the ball landed out.

A light breeze began blowing. Tezuka paid it no heed. He hit it again. Tezuka Phantom.

Fuji was prepared for it this time. Kagerou Zatsumi negated all spin on Tezuka's hit. The ball was slow. That was fine; it just made returning it easier. And return it he did.

~*~GAME 11: 5-5~*~

They were tied. Fuji knew that if he didn't take this game, it would be over. Zero-Shiki Serve. He couldn't let that happen. Fuji had to win. He'd promised himself he would win.

Fuji served the ball. It soared over. Tezuka returned it, but Fuji was in position. Tezuka saw it.

Fifth Couter: Hecatoncheires no Monban.

Tezuka hit the ball. It hit the net and slid down.

Again. And again.

The fourth one hit the top of the net, almost making it over, before dropping silently on Tezuka's side of the court. Tezuka saw Fuji move, ready to hit a return if the ball made it over somehow.

~0x0x0~

The silence was deafening in the crowd. Not even Eiji made a peep.

~0x0x0~

Fuji was leaving nothing to chance. Fuji knew he wouldn't win the next set.

~*~GAME 12: 6-5~*~

This could be the deciding game, Tezuka knew. Fuji had sensed it in their previous play. Tezuka was going to use it again. Fuji had known and won the last game at all costs.

And Tezuka did not disappoint. There it was, Zero-Shiki Serve. Once. Twice. Three times. Then four.

"Game, Tezuka, Six games All. Seven point tiebreak."

~*~TIE BREAK: 6-6~*~

Fuji stood at the ready. Tezuka served. It wasn't zero-shiki. Fuji moved and returned the shot. They began a rally. Finally, Tezuka took the first point.

Fuji retaliated with his serve. Neither was budging an inch. Fuji tied the score.

~0x0x0~

The crowed watched in awed as Fuji tied the game.

The tie break consisted of rally after rally. Each kept their serve. No one and nothing could come between them now.

Eiji shouted at the courts to his friend, "Fuji! Go Fuji!"

Eiji's incessant shouting revived a little spirit in the crowd as the Tezuka fans cheered him on, refusing to lose to Eiji. Eiji's cheers were soon drowned by the sheer volume and number of the Tezuka fans.

~0x0x0~

On the courts, neither player heard the shouts or cheers.

Fuji was absorbed in the moment. In the game. In his opponent. In Tezuka. His mind was clear of all things that did not relate to any of those things. The noise of the crowd was no match to the noise in his own mind. Fuji was in a 'zone', so to speak.

Tezuka was likewise absorbed. Fuji was playing much better than he had when they last met. It was only expected. Tezuka had once likened Fuji to a sleeping lion, but Fuji was far from asleep at the moment. His movements were fast, his shots sharp. Non-relenting. For a split second, Tezuka felt the thrill that Fuji chased. Tezuka was not going to lose.

A/N: The conclusion of the match is in the next chapter! Muhahaha...I'm being evil again...who shall win?
Was the match between the two okay? Please tell me, I hope its okay, but I really don't know...REVIEWS...I beg thee...

Actually, in my mind, both Tezuka and Fuji have new "special moves" but since I'm not exactly knowledgeable on all things regarding tennis, I was afraid of attempting to write it. Hopefully it's still okay.

Be harsh if you don't like this chapter...I can take it...maybe.