(I don't own Prince of Tennis!)

Chapter 14 – Drawn Out Beast

Mai, swinging from side to side, took one glance at Fuji who was calmly adjusting the strings on his racquet. He was smiling but Mai knew what that meant – she was in for a world of pain. Her body racked with fear and bewilderment. Mai took a look at the bleachers and saw Oshitari glancing at Fuji from time to time. For him to get Oshitari's attention, this meant that Fuji was hell bent in making them pay. Unfortunately, Mai was at the receiving end of his fury. "Hopefully, I'll live. Then again – why do I feel so… terrified? It's like there's this voice in my head that's telling me that I'm about to die."

"Are you alright," Fuji smiled angelically from the other side, "Nagisaki-san?"

Mai shivered at Fuji's tone. "Y-yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking about something."

Haruka watched her kohai face Fuji and it was clear: Mai was scared out of her mind. Glancing at Hitomi, she nodded. "You have any information about this guy?"

Hitomi flipped through her notebook. "Unfortunately, no, I don't. Many data masters can't get precise data about Fuji-san and now that he's facing Mai, she'll have to hit blind."

Watching the ball fly up into the air, Mai gripped her racquet tightly as Fuji sent a fast one. Mai luckily was fast enough to react and Fuji did a top spin but the female tensai sent it straight down the line. Fuji forehanded it towards her again but Mai did a top spin and sent the ball awkwardly to Fuji. Taking a step back, the team knew what was going to happen next. "Here it comes," Momoshiro fixed his jacket, "the Tsubame Gaeshi." (Swallow Return)

The ball flew over the net and descended quickly without even bouncing but Mai managed to sprint towards it and sent it cross court. However, Fuji fired it straight up in the air. Mai got ready to jump until she froze; something told her not to smash. Fuji continued to angelically smile but Mai retreated to the baseline to top spin it again towards him. Fuji expected this; Mai was playing right into his hands. "She doesn't know what her teammate just got her into. Poor girl, I wonder what will happen next…"

Fuji aimed the next shot right at Mai's body but the ball flew up in the air, "Kuro," Mai inhaled sharply, "sakuraso." (Black Primrose)

Seeing it as a mimic, Fuji smashed the ball right at her but Mai uncoiled like a spring. "That wasn't the end of it."

Fuji, despite being mid-air, managed to twist his body and smashed right at her knee. "Fifteen – love," Mai wobbled while trying to gain balance. "Wow, you're pretty accurate."

The tensai said nothing while walking towards the baseline with his eyes flashing. "You're going to be the one paying for your senpai's mistake."

Momo curled her hand into a fist. "Mai wasn't involved in any of it," she spat while resisting Haruka's restraint.

Fuji didn't reply while he did his usual ace service. Mai backhanded a cord ball while Fuji did a top spin. She increased the top spin but Fuji countered with the usual. "I wouldn't keep doing that if I were you. Don't you know what makes the Tsubame Gaeshi perfect?"

Mai did an under spin to neutralize the Tsubame Gaeshi. "You use the opponent's top spin against them."

Fuji smiled maliciously. "That's right, how long did it take you to figure it out?"

"As soon as," Mai did another under spin, "I learned how to do under spins!"

The Tsubame Gaeshi limply flew over the net and Fuji didn't have enough time to return the shot. "Fifteen –all," Fuji winced at the shot, "hmm, impressive. Although I want to ask – how long will you be able to keep that up?"

Mai shivered at the intensity of Fuji's gaze. The two tensai showed a long exchange of rallies with an alternating pattern, "Thirty – fifteen!"

Soaring up into the air, Mai sliced the ball towards Fuji, "Thirty – all!"

Fuji backhanded the ball again. He glared momentarily at Momo while recalling the match between her and Echizen. "Sanada Momo," Fuji smiled ghostly, "your kohai is going to pay for your mistake. Hurting Echizen is something we Seigaku won't let go."

Momo bowed down, gripping her skirt. "Mai, I'm so sorry."

Mai inhaled deeply while doing a forehand the ball right at Fuji. The brunette backhanded it back while Mai did another cord ball. Rushing towards the net, Fuji lobbed it into the air. "That was silly of me," Fuji lowered his gaze from the ball.

Mai smashed the ball straight down, "Forty – thirty!"

Fuji smiled while pointing past Mai. "Take a look behind you."

Mai found the tennis ball bouncing at the baseline's edge. Also, she found Fuji standing at a lowered position. "Triple Counter: the Higuma Otoshi," Fuji smiled slyly at the Hyotei tensai.

Momoshiro gulped when he saw Fuji's cerulean orbs pierce through Mai. "This is scary; Fuji-senpai is really going all-out on her. There's no way we can stop him after he's seen what Sanada-san did to Echizen," the black haired dunk smasher turned to Echizen. "You didn't get hurt did you?"

The capped prodigy downed another Grape Ponta. "No, I just rolled backwards. So?"

Oishi winced at Fuji who let out all his lethal moves. He was playing her; everyone knew that. Fuji was the type to bring them high only to crash his opponents hard in the end. Mental destruction was more of Fuji's style and Mai was going to get a heavy load of it. Though their playing styles were very similar, Mai had speed while Fuji relied on strategy. "Tezuka, don't you think Fuji is going a bit too far on this?"

Tezuka remained silent but noted that Oishi did have a point: Fuji often did things excessively, especially when one of the team members get hurt. He could recall many times Fuji got called into the principal's office for beating up a couple of seniors, particularly the ones who busted his shoulder. Also when someone threatens Fuji Yuuta, Tezuka barely shuddered at the memory. "Fuji," –his voice was low but commanding, "I don't want to see any violence on the court."

"I know," Fuji smiled innocently, "I won't be getting verbal anyway. It will be fairly easy to break this one."

How Fuji became a sadist no one knows. However, his style changed into a more aggressive style and forced out Mai's Jazz Tennis. "This is the first time I used Jazz Tennis at the start," Mai backhanded the ball to the corner of the Singles Line. "Then again – this is Fuji Syuusuke we're talking about; he's no ordinary cookie."

Fuji fired another forehand towards Mai who floated the ball into the air again. "Kurosakuraso," Mai smirked at the cerulean eyed tensai.

Taking steps back, Fuji was ready to run towards the baseline but it slid down the net and rolled towards him. "Deuce," Fuji exchanged glances with her and the ball.

"So, by applying a combination of top and under spin," Fuji turned away to serve again. "I see – it's very similar to a move I've been working on."

Mai shook the uneasiness off while she waited for Fuji's service. Holding back wasn't in her vocabulary but Fuji was hiding something. She couldn't tell what it was though; her body shivered violently at the thought of having this tensai for an enemy. His service cracked off again while she sped forward to make sure it wouldn't bounce. The two forced each other into an intense volley, forcing Fuji to use the Tsubame Gaeshi. "How long will you keep doing this?"

Mai fired the ball straight up. "Until you go blind from looking at the sun, this will have to do!"

Fuji closed his eyes immediately and waited for the ball to drop. Jumping up, Fuji timed his smash straight at Mai who uncoiled her body again, "Advantage, receiver: Nagisaki."

Clucking his tongue, Fuji knew that he couldn't keep doing this otherwise; she was going to beat him. The tensai was usually laid-back in most of the matches but this one was different, this was personal. After watching Sanada Momo give Echizen Ryoma a beating, Fuji was going to make sure that the team suffered defeat. "You're not going to escape this, Nagisaki Mai. You're going to see what happens when someone close to me gets hurt."

Fuji began targeting her body more and even tried aiming low. Luckily, Mai contorted around to dodge and repel all of Fuji's shots. Her form was becoming more and more strained, sweat poured down her face while Fuji was exploding shots from his side of the court. "So, you're getting a little more vengeful now. Alright – time to kick it up a-!"

Before Mai could retaliate, the ball smacked her stomach and propelled the tensai back. Pivoting around, Mai volleyed it towards Fuji again while he lobbed it again. "He's going to use the Higuma Otoshi again? Doesn't this guy have any originality?"

Fuji, instead of using Higuma Otoshi, took several steps back and backhanded the ball towards her. "Tch," clucking her tongue, Mai pile drove it towards the Singles Corner. "You nearly threw me off back there. Now, I'm…"

"Deuce," The ball floated and slid down the net. Mai's eyes widened in horror, did he just copy the Kurosakuraso? "Wait, wasn't that my…?"

"Kurosakuraso," Fuji angelically smiled, "was something similar to what I was working on. Copying it won't be a problem, Nagisaki Mai."

Shivering slightly, Mai retreated to the baseline, trying to calm herself down. "I don't believe it, are my techniques that easy to copy? Kabaji-kun is understandable but this guy…"

"What's the matter? You want to forfeit?" Fuji's voice laced with venom.

Mai gripped her racquet tighter. "Fuji-san won't stop until he's completely avenged Echizen-san. I should know – tensai have the same mentality: we have the tendency to become sadistic against the people that hurt our loved ones. Although, I've learned something: never release your anger on the innocent. This guy doesn't know what that means apparently."

Fuji's eyes became more serious while serving the ball. "I hope you can keep up, Na-gi-sa-ki Mai-chan~."

That was the exact way how she taunted Motomiya in the Tokyo Prefectural Games.

Mai remembered that day and now, she was at the receiving end. This was the fear people experienced in facing tensai; no one could tell how or what they were thinking. For the very first time, Mai was at the receiving end of someone who thought like her. Her knees buckled, sweat trickled down, the heartbeat echoed in her ears and the racquet slipped out of her hands. "What's the matter," Fuji's smile became more evil, "scared already?"

Mai wanted to slump onto the floor but she remembered: this wasn't the first time that a tensai was her opponent. However, Fuji's aura aroused fear that could make people pee in their pants. Stiffening at the sound of his voice, Mai shook her head. "Unfortunately for you, I'm not easy to break, Fuji Syuusuke."

"That's a lie," Fuji's smile widened, "you dropped your racquet just a few minutes ago. Your heartbeat is echoing in your ears, sweat is trickling down, your mouth is dry – the three signs of fear."

Mai didn't understand how he knew that but the thought was creepy. His cerulean blue eyes pierced through her and Mai could feel everything becoming dark. Shaking it off, Mai continued to rally against him with a hard forehand towards the baseline. "Yeah right – tell that to someone who cares!"

Fuji knew that Mai wouldn't be easy to break but he didn't expect her to last this long. Mai backhanded another shot towards him while Fuji lured her with a lob. "You know – I'm kinda aware on how to deal with that kind of shot. Sorry about that, Fuji-san."

Doing a cord smash, the ball spun awkwardly when Fuji did the Higuma Otoshi, "Out! Advantage, receiver: Nagisaki."

Fuji, clucking his tongue, went to the sidelines first to get a drink. "Fuji," a commanding voice came from the bleachers.

"Ah," Fuji resumed back to his usual mask, "what is it, Tezuka?"

Tezuka rubbed his temples, sighing. "Don't pull off another vengeance spree, this is a friendly match."

"She hurt Echizen, Tezuka," Fuji's eyes flashed, "are you going to let her get away with that?"

Tezuka knew he couldn't argue with that. "Fuji, two wrongs don't make a right."

"True," Fuji's eyes gleamed sadistically, "but I think a few tweaks here and there may prevent other bad things from happening, ne?"

Again, another point Tezuka couldn't argue with but he was wondering what Shizuru was telling Mai. The tensai from Hyotei was shivering intensely while trying to stay calm. "I can't believe what the heck is happening. He's going through me as if I'm just a worthless bug."

"This is Fuji Syuusuke we're talking about," Haruka folded her arms. "This guy's dangerous; if we get him even more riled, who knows what will happen?"

Rin glanced at Fuji who was talking with Tezuka. "Man, can't we forfeit the match?"

Mai stared at her aghast. "No way, I will never redeem myself if that happens!"

"There are times wherein you have to accept defeat," Ayane shivered at the intensity of Fuji's gaze. "I think now is one of these times."

Shizuru handed Mai a towel. "Wipe your hands. I have to agree with Kobayagi though – Fuji-san is making this match personal after what had happened between Echizen and Momo-senpai. He won't let this rest; think if you were in his position. What would you do if one of us gets hurt?"

"I'd tear their confidence into bits," Mai tossed the towel aside sullenly.

Shizuru smiled faintly. "Sure you will but, what happens when you're facing someone with the same principles as you?"

Mai realized that her captain had a point; once again, the tensai was in a battle against oneself again. Standing up, Mai walked towards the court with grinning goofily at her captain. "I know what to do now – thanks a lot, Shizuru."

Shizuru took her seat at the coach's bench below while Oshitari watched Shizuru twitch inconspicuously. "She's scared for Nagisaki; Shizuru knows what's going to happen if Nagisaki doesn't keep herself focused. Fuji is no ordinary opponent and he will crush anyone… who stands in his way."

Fair enough, Fuji began his service again effortlessly crushing Mai in the first game with two Tsubame Gaeshi. "Game, Fuji: one game to love!"

"I can't believe one game took that long," Rin stared at her kohai.

Gakuto shook his head at Oshitari. "Is Fuji that dangerous?"

"Are you that brainless?" The kansai prodigy gave him a droll stare.

Atobe brushed his hair back. "As long as someone who is close to Fuji is injured, the tensai will make sure that whoever hurts that person will pay. I picked it up from one of the matches Seigaku had."

"With St. Rudolph," Oshitari recalled Atobe using the subs as the regulars at that time.

"Fuji Yuuta was taught how to do the Twist Spin Shot by Mizuki," Atobe recalled hearing rumours about the match. "Hearing this, Fuji humiliated Mizuki in the match by letting him win five games straight and taking seven out from him instantly. He's quite the wildcard, this Fuji Syuusuke."

"Cherry head won't be far behind," Hiyoshi muttered. "She's not the type to back down either especially – when she finds an opponent who will not toy with her."

Mai jumped into the air smashing right in between Fuji's legs, "Fifteen – love!"

Fuji backhanded but Mai sliced it twice causing his shot to hit the net, "Thirty – love!"

Feeling his hand become numb, Fuji lobbed the ball by accident allowing Mai to do another cord smash, "Forty – love!"

"Something's wrong with you," Mai rested her racquet on her shoulders. "You're holding back or you're scared, which is it?"

Fuji smiled innocently. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mai shrugged while returning to the baseline. "Suit yourself, girly boy. I'm not going to be the one crying after this."

Fuji liked a good challenge and not many people were good enough to give him one. Not only that – the tensai always gave it his all when someone he loved got hurt. Echizen, being one of them, became Fuji's reason for plastering Mai all over the court. Though it wasn't the tensai's fault, she was still a friend of that person who had hurt Echizen. "Game, Nagisaki: one game all!"

Mai forced herself to bring out her best otherwise – Fuji was going to beat her to the ground. Dragging her body, Mai struggled to keep her eyes open while trying to lay out another plan. Fuji's attacks directed itself more to her body and nearly gave heavy impacts. His cerulean eyes were screening her every move and Mai heard her heart beat resonate loudly. "This… this is the tensai's real power? Ever since awhile ago, there's been this tingling feeling in my spine that's been telling me that I'm about to die. Is this what it meant?"

"How long will you stand there?" Fuji's cold voice cut through her thoughts.

Shuddering at the iciness, Mai returned to the baseline to receive Fuji's service. The two tensai battled it out again, exchanging rallies with forehands and backhands. Mai's footwork increased inexplicably and Shizuru saw what was going to happen. "At the fifteenth shot, Fuji-san will not return the shot properly."

Her teammates watched the prediction come true; Fuji's shot went straight up into the air giving Mai a chance to smash, "Love –fifteen!"

Mai bounced from left to right. "Well, looks like you can't keep up with my Jazz Tennis then."

Fuji continued to smile. "Well, I guess we should try that again and see what happens, ne?"

Oshitari shivered a bit at Fuji's smile. What was the tensai planning now? Mai never faced someone of this calibre; the only one who could draw her out this much was his senpai, Midoriyama Nanako. Fuji could equal a lot of players if he wanted but Oshitari could tell: the tensai was playing with her now. Mai was stuck in a web and only Fuji knew how to break it. "He's going to break her down piece by piece," Oshitari tilted his glasses, "Mai-san won't make it."

"How can you tell, Yuushi?" Gakuto bounced over to his doubles partner.

Atobe brushed his hair back. "Tensai think alike, Gakuto. Fuji will not stop until whoever hurt the kohai is dead. In this case – Nagisaki is at the receiving end of all his fury."

Shishido's lips curled while his fist turned visibly white. "Damn, he's going to massacre Nagisaki on the court and she had nothing to do with Echizen's damage to begin with."

Ohtori poked his classmate. "Shizuru-chan, aren't you going to stop Mai-chan?"

"If I stop her," Shizuru lowered her head, "how will she learn how to face stronger opponents? Mai had always been looking for stronger opponents to defeat. This might be one of the very few asides from Midoriyama-senpai. I know it might be mentally damaging but if it gets bad – then, Fuji-san will be a dead man."

Rin shivered at her captain's words because the younger girl had one principle that was always upheld: tennis is not a tool for war. Mai and Shizuru were very close and that's what complicated the matters. If one of them gets hurt – the attacker faces the entire team. Fuji was going to get a beating from Shizuru if he doesn't stop his style now. "Shizu-buchou, I think you should stop the match. Mai can barely keep herself calm and Fuji will use that to his advantage."

"I know," Shizuru tightly gripped her racquet. "Even if she loses, hopefully, it won't be as horrible as we all expect it to be."

Fuji fired a lob straight into the air with Mai smashing it straight down. "Thirty – fifteen," Mai watched the ball land on the baseline again.

Straightening up after the Higuma Otoshi, Fuji smiled innocently at her. "So, don't you feel scared yet?"

Mai, sweating profusely, shook her head while stopping herself from trembling. "I'm not scared; I'm just trying to warm up!"

"Sure you are," Fuji's eyes pierced through her, "I don't think this game will even last thirty minutes."

Mai didn't like the tone of Fuji's voice. His every word cut through venomously and his shots were more lethal too. She knew how to counter the Higuma Otoshi but Fuji countered every one of her strategies without much effort. Another backhand flew past the redhead, burying itself into the overgrowth at the wired fence. "Forty – fifteen," Fuji walked back to the baseline.

Momo hung her head, with tears overflowing. "I'm sorry, Mai. I didn't mean to bring this on you."

Isane bit her lip while Hitomi continued taking down information. It annoyed the data master to lack data about certain people but Fuji wasn't an easy person to get data about. Not even her friends or Inui had a clue on what Fuji's true style was. Nobody had lived to see what Fuji's real tennis style is and the only one who could probably bring out that kind his real strength was Tezuka. "Fuji Syuusuke, tensai of Seigaku and probably one of the most mysterious, his style is Aggressive Baseliner like Nagisaki-chan but his is more lethal. His favourite food is Wasabi and likes taking photos. Fuji Syuusuke was born on February 29 and has two siblings…"

"We don't need any of that," Momo waved her hand dismissively. "We just need how bad he's going to drag out this game!"

Hitomi, shaking her head sadly, pointed at the court. "I don't think I need to tell you how bad it's going to be."

Mai slid on the floor while the ball rolled past her. "Game, Fuji: two games to one!"

The boys were fine with giving it their all but Fuji was on overkill. The tensai sadistically played with Mai's style while even making sure she wouldn't score. "You know – the team doesn't care whether or not you come home with cuts and bruises," Fuji smiled slyly. "They just want you to win, that's all there is to it."

Mai shook her head. "Now you're trying to fill my head with lies? Good luck with that!"

"Every captain thinks that way," Fuji handed the ball to her. "Kurenai-san must be even more lethal than Tezuka. She thinks that you're just a tool for the Nationals."

The tensai backed up while shutting her eyes. "You…"

Fuji noticed her grip becoming tighter. "You know nothing about buchou. Don't claim that you know the way she thinks."

"Souka," Fuji tapped his chin. "I guess the other method needs to be used."

Fuji looked at her eyes flicker angrily at the insult. With a sadistic smile, Fuji returned Mai's service with a backhand. The female countered with a top spin followed by Fuji's Tsubame Gaeshi however, Mai knew how to return it this time. "The Tsubame Gaeshi works only on top spins to make it a sure fire shot. However, once nullified – there's nothing you can do about it!"

Mai twisted her body like a pirouette and the ball zoomed past Fuji right at the Singles line. "Kosouku Yaribana (Speeding Spear Flower)," Mai inhaled sharply. "Think of it this way: you double your top spin, I don't need to make another spin just to score."

"By nullifying his spin," Hitomi began scribbling down. "Mai made sure he cannot do another Tsubame Gaeshi again because it would be easier to return by lowering your centre of gravity. Not only that, she already can counter the Higuma Otoshi after seeing someone from Yuugetsu Chuu. In other words – she has sealed all his counters and her odds of winning have increased to eighty percent."

"I don't think you should base it on data alone," Shizuru focused on Fuji's shots. "This guy is still holding back; he's waiting for the right time to strike."

Rin gulped. "The higher they are, the harder they fall."

Mai pile drove a shot down the line, "Thirty – love!"

Fuji backhanded the shot while she sliced it down, "Forty – love!"

Oishi noticed another pattern; Fuji was doing it again. The tensai was holding back and he was having fun doing it. The fuku buchou couldn't understand but Tezuka had a slight idea why Fuji was doing this. "Fuji-senpai," Echizen lowered his cap down, smirking, "mada mada dane."

Fuji continued to fire heavy shots at Mai while pin pointing her every weakness. "Her Jazz Tennis can't last forever – I might as well cripple Nagisaki while I'm at it."

The tensai from Hyotei watched his shots make her hand tremble while trying to keep up the rhythm. Mai knew that it would put heavy strain on her legs but this game required everything. Fuji's aggression increased and her racquet nearly slipped out several times. His top spins were getting faster and Mai felt her eye lids become heavy. "No, I can't stop here! Fuji may be a tensai but that doesn't mean I'm not one!"

Feeling lightheaded, Mai shook off the nauseous feeling while returning one of Fuji's Tsubame Gaeshi. "Wait a minute, because he's so angry – Fuji-san can't formulate a proper plan. Every angry person leaves openings in their attacks so," Mai saw a small spot in between Fuji's legs. "This is worth the shot."

Seeing the Tsubame Gaeshi come at her again, Mai pirouetted and sent the shot in between Fuji's legs. "Game, Nagisaki: two games all!"

Kikumaru gulped. "Wow, they're playing such a close game, nyah!"

Oishi shuddered at Fuji's aura. "Fuji won't stop until he's decimated her. Fuji's only playing with Nagisaki until she completely runs out of battery."

Tezuka remained expressionless but if people knew him better – they would have noticed the anger in his eyes. Fuji sometimes made things too personal and often got himself into a trouble that was unredeemable. Fuji fired the Tsubame Gaeshi towards the service line while Mai rushed forward to get it. "Fifteen – love," Fuji smiled while walking towards the baseline.

Mai shuddered a bit while trying to regain her breath. "God, this man is making me run miles. Thing is – I don't think this is even his real potential yet. That smile's hiding it and the chances of winning are kind of slim. How do I take down a guy this strong?"

"You look a bit afraid," Fuji's eyes stared down at the tensai. "Are you sure you don't want to back out?"

Kikumaru bit his lip. "Nyah, Fujiko-chan's becoming scary! What do we do, Oishi?"

The vice captain watched Fuji bring down a smash at Mai who recoiled her body again. Counters from both sides flew back and forth but Fuji was gaining the upper hand. Mai may have motion sight but that's what chewed up most of her stamina. Mai trudged a bit while Fuji's rhythm continuously increased. "Thirty – love," Fuji adjusted the strings, "if you don't get up soon, you won't be able to walk after that, Nagisaki-san."

Mai knew that behind the innocence, Fuji was ready to kill her. She felt her knees buckle up and everything began swirling around. Wobbling uncontrollably, Mai tried to look him straight in the eyes only to feel weak again. Her body trembled violently with sweat pouring profusely all over her face. His shots sped past her right away with no obstruction. "Forty – love," Fuji smiled sadistically at her. "You should start doing something, Nagisaki-san."

Trying to move, Mai heard her heart beat pound while nothing came out. She couldn't speak and sweat trickled down even faster; Mai was completely numb. "Why, why can't I move? It's as if – I can't lift a finger against him anymore."

"The yips," Hitomi shook her head. "This is one of the worst times to have it – then again, it is acceptable since Fuji is no ordinary player."

Shizuru bit her lip; this was one of the very few times Mai gained the yips. Despite being one of the best players, Mai never faced a tensai who could be this merciless. People would have chosen to attack Momo directly but Fuji's was different; he chose to hurt the people closest to the attacker. This was one of the most damaging styles against most opponents. "I can't move my body anymore… I can't even see where I'm going."

Fuji smiled; this was exactly what he wanted the girl to feel. "You might want to stop now," Fuji's cerulean eyes opened. "I could be very nasty when I play against people who hurt my teammates."

Momo stood up, furious. "How immature are you!? Mai never did anything to Echizen and you're making her pay for it!? It should be that's getting busted, not her!"

Gakuto pulled back Momo before she lunged at Fuji. "Wait – I wouldn't do that if I were you!"

"Give me ten good reasons why," Momo spat at the magenta haired acrobat.

"You'd ruin my pride is one," Mai stood firmly while shaking her head. "Another is that – I would never be able to redeem myself. Number three – you'd ruin the game and many more. I can give you a whole list but right now, I have to deal with Fuji-san."

Fuji, staring with surprise, gripped his racquet with a shrug. "Good luck to you then."

Lowering her body stance, Mai inhaled sharply while watching Fuji begin his service. "I need some way to at least grab some games from him."

The two began their rally with Fuji backhanding the ball towards her. Mai darted quickly and began using a wild rhythm to throw Fuji off balance. The tensai nearly stumbled allowing Mai to become more aggressive. Her movements were fluid; not a bit of energy wasted. However, Fuji developed an upper hand, smashing right at the corner of the Singles Line. "Game, Fuji: three games to two!"

Mai inhaled deeply while trying to calm down her nerves. "It's alright, Mai. He isn't going to kill you. Then again – this is Fuji we're talking about so, I'm sure he has a few tricks up his sleeve other than scaring the blitzes out of me. Okay, he's already countered the Kurosakuraso and my Jazz Tennis but there's the Adonisu Otoshi that he might have found a way against. So, it's my service now…"

Bouncing the ball lightly, Mai fired it straight at Fuji with it bouncing awkwardly. "That's it," Rin pointed excitedly, "the Sazanka Serve!"

"Fifteen – love," Fuji, seeing the ball roll past him, smiled at Mai. "Hmm, that's an impressive service for someone who's only second year. You really live up to the name then."

"Tensai no watashi wa," Mai smirked while pointing her racquet straight at him. "How do you like my genius?"

Haruka smacked her forehead. "Geez, are you sure she's not hanging around Rikkai Dai that much?"

"Well, she can't help it," Isane shrugged with a smile. "Marui-san and Yukimura-san go to the same tutor house for Pre-Calculus."

Haruka stared at Isane. "They're taking pre-calculus? We're only in Geometry!"

Mai jumped into the air and fired a cord smash towards Fuji, "Thirty – love!"

Fuji fired a Tsubame Gaeshi across the court, "Thirty – fifteen!"

Seeing the ball coming down in the form of a smash, Mai was going to do the Adonis Drop until she tripped. "N-no, wait…!"

Fuji smiled innocently, "Sayonara, Nagisaki-san."

Clutching her racquet tightly, Mai forced herself to get up until she felt something rush through her body. It couldn't have been adrenaline because soon, her mind began to fade and somewhat, Mai performed the Higuma Otoshi perfectly. Everyone stared at the ball that dropped right behind Fuji, shocking all the players, "Forty – fifteen!"

"There's a foggy aura around her," Gakuto pointed out while Mai slowly wobbled into an erect position.

Hiyoshi looked at Mai's faded eyes. "It's as if – her mind's completely empty."

Hitomi pulled out a notebook. "Under extreme circumstances, Nagisaki Mai pulls out a new ability namely the Muga no Kyouchi."

Fuji tapped his chin with surprise. "Hmm, interesting – I wonder, how far will your experience take you?"

Mai fired something new towards Fuji, catching the tensai off guard. "Isn't that," Ayane tapped Kiyone on the shoulder, "your Obana Volley?"

Kiyone's eyes widened while Mai began pulling out more moves. However, Fuji was eerily calm for someone who was facing a player who had just unlocked Muga no Kyouchi. He returned the shots with ease and didn't even panic when Kiyone's Obana Volley was used. His eyes watched Mai's movement intently and then, he smiled sweetly. "Mai-chan, you're running out of stamina, aren't you?"

Hiyoshi noticed the sweat pouring down the tensai's face. "Is this the side effect of the Muga no Kyouchi?"

"Though you will be able to tap into your past experiences," Inui explained to the dumbstruck Seigaku regulars, "it chews up a heavy amount of stamina."

Kikumaru bounded towards the fence. "No wonder she's sweating buckets, nyah!"

Haruka poked her captain. "Buchou, is there any way to keep going with that kind of power?"

"There is," Shizuru bit her lip. "There are three gates but a person needs a lot of practice and experience before you even get to master one of them."

Hitomi poked the younger girl. "Didn't you do one of the gates before?"

"It was sheer luck," Shizuru's reply was curt. "I didn't even know that my shots became double the return of the opponent."

Oshitari watched Mai snatch one game from Fuji. "She's already closing the gap. As long as she keeps this Muga no Kyouchi up then, there's no way that Fuji's going to win this."

Gakuto saw Mai soar into the air. "She's doing my Moonsault! Is she crazy!? Her body's not used to it!"

Hiyoshi saw her changing position into something more unorthodox. "My… Enbu Tennis…"

Mai fired shots faster down the line and Fuji had to sprint off a few times, "Love – thirty!"

Momoshiro stared at the second year tensai. "Man, she's faster than Eiji-senpai right now. Nagisaki can even put that guy Kamio to shame."

Kaidoh hissed while watching Fuji reach out for another corner shot. "She's really making Fuji-senpai run. Question is – how long can she keep up the Muga no Kyouchi?"

Fuji noticed that Mai was slowly losing her stance and foundation. Her shots were getting flimsier and Fuji found it easier to return. "Running out of energy already, Nagisaki-san?"

Mai felt her throat run dry while trying to keep stable. They were only in the fifth game and she was losing stamina too fast. Fuji was barely doing his true style and the red haired tensai couldn't even lift a finger anymore. The energy of the Muga no Kyouchi slowly died down while Mai tried to pace her energy. "I can't believe it, what in the world was that? I never unlocked that kind of power before. I couldn't even control what my body was doing."

Fuji smiled innocently. "You don't know what the Muga no Kyouchi does, do you?"

Mai was about to shake her head but didn't bother doing so when Fuji explained. "Your mind is in a state of emptiness when using this technique. One cannot control his or her moves when this technique is used because the body focuses on all the experience one has had. However – because the mind has to delve deeper into one's memories, it takes out a heavy chunk of stamina from the user."

The Hyotei tensai didn't really care because she didn't even listen to a word Fuji had said. Flinging herself back and forth, Mai began using all the moves she encountered including the Roundhouse Return or the Higuma Otoshi. Some were even thought to be impossible to return or do. "That's the," Isane gaped, "Subera Kagerou of Shizuru-chan."

"That's my Kotsubushi Katana," Ayane jumped excitedly. "How did she do that without busting her arms?"

Hitomi began scribbling down on her notebook. "Mai-chan has now unlocked the secret of the Muga no Kyouchi. However, she is not able to maintain her consciousness and therefore cannot monitor her stamina and when to stop the technique."

"She's gonna get bushed," Momo shook her head.

Shizuru gripped her skirt tightly. "If she didn't activate the Muga no Kyouchi, Mai would definitely lose. Fuji's just playing with her now, waiting for Mai to collapse. She has to stop the technique so at least she can conserve her strength for the next few games."

The ball disappeared, bouncing away from Fuji, "Fifteen – forty!"

The Seigaku tensai wasn't the least bit disturbed while Mai wobbled back and forth. "You're really a mess right now, how are you going to win the next games?"

The aura died out while Mai gasped between breaths. "I can manage. It's not as if I'll run out of stamina really fast anyway. I'm more worried about you!"

"Oh," Fuji's smile became sly. "You shouldn't worry about me. I can still go on but I don't think I can say the same for you."

Mai knew that her bluffing wouldn't get her anywhere but being cornered pulled out that tactic. Backhanding the next shot towards him, Mai forced out her Jazz Tennis to snatch the next game from Fuji. "Game, Nagisaki: three games all!"

Fuji nodded while getting ready for his service. "Alright, time to get very destructive."

Mai bit her lip while Atobe analysed the situation from afar. "Nagisaki has already sealed her fate. She used the Muga no Kyouchi too early."

Oshitari watched Fuji use another Tsubame Gaeshi. "Fuji's going to decimate her…"

This time, Mai bent low enough to lob it into the air. Fuji waited for it and pile drove to the baseline while Mai managed to spring back and backhand it. Fuji sent a cord ball in which Mai was also fast enough to return. Fuji saw how fast she could move despite having the Muga no Kyouchi slowing her down but Mai had second thoughts. She wasn't going to let a single technique run her down. Though Fuji may have defeated the Kurosakuraso, Mai knew that there was a strategic way to get it done. But first – she planned to wear out his legs. "Let's see how long you'll last Fuji-san, after my Jazz Tennis."

Seigaku's tensai didn't seem to care because one after the other, top spins flew past the net while Mai pile drove it with some under spins. The two tensai rallied it out with Fuji backhanding towards Mai again. Mai watched his footwork and saw that some part of it was getting clumsy. Being a dancer had its advantages, Mai sprinted on her toes immediately and pile drove the shot down the line, "Love – fifteen!"

Fuji did a spinning backhand smash, "Fifteen – all!"

Mai rushed towards the net volleying cross court, "Fifteen – thirty!"

Fuji watched Mai's movements become more lagging. A smile curved up even wider while Oshitari knew what could happen to Mai next. "He's been playing Nagisaki all this time. What she's facing now is barely half of Fuji's potential as a tennis player. Nagisaki has so much to work on if she's going to be playing against players like Fuji."

Fuji forehanded the shot towards Mai's left side. "What's the matter? You seem a little more exhausted than before."

Mai backhanded it towards Fuji again. "You know, I never really cared if my legs fell off. Buchou tends to play like that too and you know – there's this one thing I live by: play with no regrets!"

Fuji was surprised by her sudden burst of adrenaline. She sped up and Fuji found himself lagging behind. Her eyes flashed intently when Fuji did the Tsubame Gaeshi again. Returning it in high speed, Mai made sure that he won't have the chance to recover from constant top spins. Watching him do it again and again, Mai sent more flat shots towards him. "As long as my shots don't have a spin, Fuji-san's Tsubame Gaeshi won't have much of an effect and therefore cannot score. I can still lower my centre of gravity well enough to return the shot."

Before Fuji could use another Tsubame Gaeshi, the tensai felt his arm freeze. "What in the world…?"

The ball zipped past him slashed the baseline, "Fifteen – forty!"

Momoshiro tapped Inui. "Inui-senpai, why did Fuji-senpai just freeze like that? He normally doesn't…"

"It's because he's been using the Tsubame Gaeshi in succession," Inui began scribbling down. "Nagisaki must be very experienced in handling players like Fuji because not many players know that he won't be able to recover fast enough to do another. Or – she knew that repeated Tsubame Gaeshi would make Fuji freeze in place."

Kaidoh hissed. "She's not too bad for a tensai. Nagisaki is younger than Fuji-senpai."

"Most likely she won't have enough experience to deal with Fujiko," Kawamura noticed Mai pile driving the shots past Fuji again. "But, where did she get the idea that would work?"

Mai wiped the sweat from her face. "Game, Nagisaki: four games to three!"

Fuji, shaking his head dejectedly, walked towards the baseline to receive Mai's service. "Souka… it seems like you have more experience than I thought, Nagisaki-san."

Mai stared straight at Fuji while gripping the yellow green ball tightly. "I should probably dish out that serve by now."

Cracking off her racquet, the ball slid towards Fuji nearly becoming a cord ball but spun around only at the service box, "Fifteen – love!"

Fuji looked up while Mai inhaled deeply. "Think you can keep up with the Sazanka Serve?"

Isane rested her chin on her hands. "Wow, this is a new service."

"For her to come up with that level of control," Gakuto gulped while Mai sent another one. "Fuji is completely screwed."

Shishido couldn't help but nod. "That serve doesn't even bounce, it slides."

Fuji didn't seem to be worried because the moment she sent another one, he sent it back with the Tsubame Gaeshi before the ball touched the floor. "That was one of the very few ways to counter it, ne, Nagisaki-san? The ball has applied amount of super spin because the moment you serve, power must be exact to the many times that you snap and flip your racquet."

Mai stared at him, how did he know that? She hadn't showed that move to anyone except Shizuru. "How did he counter it right away? That's impossible!"

"Your service is very similar to the Tsubame Gaeshi," Fuji adjusted the strings on his racquet. "I just borrowed the spin of the service for the Tsubame Gaeshi. It's an interesting move though for someone who is only in Second Year."

Mai, trembling a bit, couldn't believe that all her techniques were returned. She lost here and there but this one was simply overwhelming. Accidentally serving it weakly, Mai saw Fuji's backhand speeding towards her while she began a rally again. The speed increased once more and Oshitari saw the shot explode past Mai, "Fifteen all!"

Fuji did another Tsubame Gaeshi that forced Mai back, "Fifteen – thirty!"

Soon, Mai could no longer feel her body. The tensai wanted to collapse but now wasn't the right place. The rally intensified almost immediately sending Mai far back to the baseline. Although she could still use her Jazz Tennis, her body wouldn't permit her anymore. "I can't do this anymore but…"

Fuji's smash zipped past her, "Fifteen – forty!"

Mai shuddered in terror while Fuji had this sweet smile. "I got you now."

"Game, Fuji: four games all!"

Hiyoshi gripped the fence. "Cherry head isn't used to dealing with someone like Fuji. Not many people are geniuses like her except Oshitari-senpai. Other than that – most of the girls she plays against are nothing compared to him. Mai-chan actually might lose…"

Atobe brushed his hair back. "So, if Nagisaki cannot conquer Fuji now – there may be some out there who will mimic Fuji and use that to their advantage."

"The only one I know who can do that well is Isane-chan," Gakuto noted. "Some people can do mimicry but not many of them can do it properly."

Jirou yawned while sleeping on Kabaji. "Mai-chan better be careful then."

Taki began looking at his watch. "Fuji's going to decimate her in at least two hours."

Hitomi couldn't believe what was happening. Mai was one of the queens and she was losing to the tensai of Seigaku. "Looks like she still has so much learning to do," the data master adjusted her glasses, "Mai-chan may be excellent in dealing with girls but when it comes to things like this – she's a goner."

"She's not as dangerous as Oishi claimed her to be," Fuji continued to backhand the shots. "Then again – I was losing to her at the first part. She's still growing but, it needs to be faster."

Mai fired a forehand towards Fuji but the tensai returned it to her easily causing her to trip. "Fifteen – love," Fuji wiped the sweat from his face.

The younger tensai never realized how strong Fuji could be especially when he was on a vengeance spree. However, Mai managed to do another Kurosakuraso that landed at the corner of the net and singles line. "Fifteen – all," Mai closed her eyes; she knew she was going to lose. This tensai as beyond her level and playing against him was the best thing she could have ever asked for. "Fuji-san is really strong but there is someone who is stronger than him. Someone…"

Fuji saw the seriousness on her face. "Hmm, she is growing but it's taking her some time."

Inui began scribbling on his notebook. "Fuji is practically and virtually undefeatable for now. However, Nagisaki seems to have caught up with him every step of the way despite the exhaustion from the Muga no Kyouchi."

Oshitari took a seat next to Shizuru. "So, you're playing against Tezuka?"

"Mm-hm," Shizuru began warming up her legs. "I'm sure it would be a great match."

Gakuto bounded over to the two of them. "Hey, don't you think you should make him pay for stealing your first kiss?"

The female captain blushed madly. "What-? Mukahi-senpai, I don't think that's necessary."

Oshitari overlapped his hand with hers. "I think you should you know."

"He was drunk," Shizuru shook her head, disapprovingly at the grudge bearing pair. "He could have kissed anyone and so happens, I was the closest thing there."

Oshitari twitched inconspicuously. "He could have at least kissed a guy instead."

"Oshitari-senpai, we shouldn't wish bad things on people," Shizuru chided while picking up her racquet.

Sighing at his very forgiving kohai, Oshitari continued to watch while Fuji smashed in between Mai's legs. "Thirty – fifteen," Fuji shook his head to rid himself of sweat. "You're doing a pretty good job, Nagisaki. I'm sorry for releasing my fury on you."

Mai gave him a droll stare. "He only apologizes now? What's wrong with this guy?"

Fuji resumed smiling normally. "Well, maybe we should have a more enjoyable game, ne?"

Mai forehanded the shot cross court. "Yeah, we should have done so twenty minutes ago!"

Fuji and Mai continued their fast rally with Fuji backhanding and doing a top spin. Mai recovered well enough to use the Jazz Tennis again and began sprinting left and right to return the ball. Both tensai noticed a shift in their playing style and Fuji started using more strategy while Mai just got much faster than before. Her top spin clipped the net falling right in front of Fuji. "Thirty all," both teams looked at their watches. "Only an hour has elapsed," Taki watched Mai again. "Be careful, Nagisaki-san."

Atobe noticed Hiyoshi handing a Dalandan Soda to Kiyone at the same time smiling a little bit. The Hyotei captain always knew that his successor had feelings for the control master after that exhibition of lowering the room temperature by a few degrees. Momoshiro and Kaidoh got a long with her pretty well but Hiyoshi wasn't the type to share either. "Ore-sama wonders – how is Hiyoshi going to talk to her and confess? As far as he's concerned, the only thing Hiyoshi says is Gekokujo."

Jirou saw Hiyoshi talking to Kiyone and glomped her from behind. "Kiki-chan, can I sleep on your lap please?"

Kiyone was a bit startled by her senpai and Jirou just ignored the murderous intent of Hiyoshi Wakashi. "Ah, I guess it's okay."

Snuggling, Jirou yawned while sleeping contentedly on Kiyone's lap. "Thankie…"

Hiyoshi resisted the urge to knock Jirou over. "Geez, I can't believe he can sleep at a time like this."

"Thirty all," Fuji smiled while letting the Higuma Otoshi drop deftly at the baseline.

Mai sprinted towards the left and sliced it under, forcing Fuji to move towards the net. This time, she sped up the volley forcing Fuji to keep lunging left and right. Both players were equally skinny but Mai was more fluid in movement because of the dancing she often did. The ball tapped the net falling on Fuji's side. "Thirty – forty," Fuji returned back to the baseline.

This time, Fuji revealed the Tsubame Gaeshi in different patterns which threw Mai off guard, "Deuce!"

Wincing in annoyance, Mai bolted towards the corners and attacked the baseline with top spins and under spins. Fuji couldn't use the Tsubame Gaeshi because of the awkward angles they were going in but soon, he managed to use one only to be countered by the Kosouku Yaribana in which became a flat shot again. Fuji noticed that she was provoking him to use the Tsubame Gaeshi repeatedly but inched closer to the net so she couldn't use the top spins properly. Mai however managed to contort and backhand the shot towards Fuji. "Nyah, she's so flexible," Kikumaru gaped in awe.

"I know but," Oishi watched Fuji play like he usually did when things were alright. "I wonder why Fuji decided to take out all his frustration on Nagisaki-san."

"Advantage, server: Fuji," the brunette smiled sweetly while heading towards the baseline.

Mai shuddered at the smile. "The last time I saw a smile like that was on Hitomi-senpai."

Shizuru watched her doubles partner deuce against Fuji again. Mai may have the skill but dealing with someone like Fuji was not really the tensai's forte. "Game, Fuji: five games to four!"

"One more game," Hiyoshi muttered while watching his classmate being clobbered by Fuji Syuusuke.

Atobe looked at the tensai and then at Shizuru. "So, you're playing against Tezuka, arn~? Good luck to you, Kurenai."

Oshitari saw Mai reeling back to backhand the shot back to Fuji until he supposedly volleyed. The shot went straight up into the air and Mai stared at him awkwardly. "Okay, what in the world was that?"

"I don't have a name for it yet," Fuji smiled while pointing behind her. "That was only a test run for that technique."

The ball landed on the baseline bouncing back to Fuji. "What in the world was," Mai gaped while exchanging glances. "That was so cool!"

Fuji shrugged. "Like I said, it's very similar to your technique, the Kurosakuraso."

Another similar shot soared into the air while Mai decided to jump and smash it. "Better hit it before…!"

"She jumped for it before the ball dropped," Hitomi began scribbling. "Interesting…"

Kikumaru pointed out excitedly. "That won't be the end of it, not for Fujiko!"

Fuji, using the centripetal force of his body, deflected the smash into the air. "Triple Counter, Higuma Otoshi."

Mai couldn't recover in time as it landed on the baseline. "Love – fifteen," Mai closed her eyes to inhale properly. "Alright, looks like I'll have to use the Sazanka Serve again in order to get through this."

This time, Fuji wasn't fast enough to react to the Sazanka Serve, "Fifteen – all!"

Mai and Fuji rallied again with Mai starting off with top spins. To counter the top spins, Fuji used the Tsubame Gaeshi consecutively each being cut off by the Kosouku Yaribana. Forced to play with flat shots, Fuji knew that Mai was trying to seal off his counters until he decided to fire the ball straight up into the air again. Seeing the same technique, Mai this time didn't jump up to smash. Instead, she retreated to the back waiting for it to come down and before it could touch the floor did a cord smash that smacked the top of the net, falling on Fuji's side. "Thirty – fifteen," Mai began with another Sazanka Serve.

Fuji countered immediately with the Tsubame Gaeshi until Mai used the Kurosakuraso instead, sending it straight up into the air. Fuji rushed forward, presuming it would land near the net instead dropped right unto the 'T' of the service box. "So, you're a tensai gifted with motion sight. That's pretty interesting though may I ask you something?"

Seeing that the Sazanka Serve was returned, Mai forehanded the shot towards Fuji. "What is it?"

"Between Tezuka and Shizuru-chan," Fuji fired another backhand towards her. "Who do you think is stronger?"

Mai didn't understand what that had to do with anything. "Well, I'd say buchou but I haven't seen Tezuka-san play yet. I'm just playing it by ear."

"Souka," Fuji smashed while Mai uncoiled her body to deflect the shot. "However, I think we might have the same perception. Shizuru- chan does have this feel that tells others that she's a good tennis player. Other than that, I too would have said that Tezuka is stronger in terms of physical capability."

"Ability and strategy wise," Mai gave him a top spin. "I think I'd say buchou might floor him."

Fuji remarked offhandedly while backhanding towards her again. "You know, Shizuru-chan is a very pretty girl."

"I noticed," Mai winced at him addressing her buchou by first name. "She's kinda slow on the pick-up lines."

Fuji glanced at where Shizuru was sitting while doing a drop shot cross court. Ayane and Kiyone were arguing something while she got stuck in between again. She even pat Kiyone on the head while smiling sweetly to the first year vice captain, causing the two to back down immediately. However, that wasn't the one that caught his attention.

Well, I think now I see why Tezuka's going crazy for her. She doesn't look half bad...

Fuji snapped himself out when Mai decided to smash at the Singles line. "Forty - fifteen," the brunette shrugged. "Oops, I forgot that was there."

Momoshiro tapped Kikumaru. "Senpai, is it just me or is he glancing at Kurenai-san?"

"Fujiko's probably looking at her fingers, nyah," Kikumaru scratched his head sheepishly. "He always told me that he liked girls with nice fingers."

Kaidoh rolled his eyes. "He probably wants them to be as sadistic as he is too."

Momoshiro, Kikumaru and Kaidoh could only shudder at what would happen when Fuji got a girlfriend as sadistic as he was. "Though I have to admit nyah, she's not cute."

She's beautiful, Tezuka bit his lip before anything tumbled out of his mouth. "What am I saying? I only met her recently…!"

Inui on the other hand was busy taking down data. "Tezuka now blushes at the mention of Kurenai-san perhaps, he has feelings for her and this now proves that he is not a rock."

Fuji noticed a sudden shift in Tezuka's gaze despite the stony expression. "Saa~, I know what you're thinking, Tezuka. But like I said, if you don't come into terms with your feelings soon, someone else will take her away from you."

Someone named Sanada Genichirou that is...

With the constant exposure Hyotei had with Rikkai Dai, Atobe had unwittingly gave Sanada more chances to talk to Shizuru and perhaps gotten more intimate with her. The tensai sighed while looking at his best friend and then looking at the Hyotei team. All the girls were very well guarded by their male counterparts especially the four queens. Nagisaki Mai however had a tongue that can slice through anyone's mind but Kiyone being the baby had the most protection. He chuckled lightly before glancing at Tezuka and shaking his head.

It's a pretty steep mountain. Would you still climb it, Tezuka?

Mai noticed that Fuji's head was no longer in the game but, he was hitting pretty well despite that. "Fuji-san, your shots are getting flat and boring…"

"Really," Fuji switched back to serious mode. "I'm sorry; I just wanted to send my friend a message."

Mai didn't understand what he meant but she too started getting distracted when the Tsubame Gaeshi rolled past her, "Forty – thirty!"

Fuji then gained the upper hand once again with two consecutive Tsubame Gaeshi moves, "Deuce!"

Mai jumped high into the air to smash while Fuji did the Higuma Otoshi. However, Mai this time managed to fling herself higher into the air and did a backhand drop shot. "Advantage, receiver: Nagisaki!"

Fuji resigned to not using the Higuma Otoshi anymore since Mai knew how to counter it already. The rally intensified with Fuji firing a Tsubame Gaeshi down the line and bringing it back to a deuce. Mai followed up with the Kurosakuraso which Fuji jumped up to counter right away. Mai saw Fuji smashing it and used the opportunity to bring out the Adonisu Otoshi again. Seeing the ball fly high up into the air, Fuji reached out to backhand it only to fall on his back. "Fujiko, nyah," Kikumaru bit his fingernails.

Mai rushed towards the net in order to make a sure fire in but only to trip as the ball clipped the net. The whole court was in silence while Kiyone rubbed her hands together. "Mai-senpai…"

"In or out," Ayane nudged her doubles partner.

Atobe smirked while running his fingers through his hair. "It's over for Nagisaki."

The ball slid down on Mai's side shocking the crowd with an epic finish. "Game and match, Fuji: six games to four!"

The brunette tensai walked towards Mai, extending his hand. "You're much more stable than your senpai."

"Ah, thank you," Mai raised an eyebrow while taking his hand. "Just remember not to release your anger on the innocent."

Fuji glanced at her and resumed his usual smiling face. "I guess that's a lesson I have to keep in mind. Then again – we might have a good spectacle later on."

Mai raised her eyebrows. "Oh, what do you mean?"

"The pillar will be lit upon by the sun," Fuji had a cryptic smile. "Get what I mean?"

Mai thought for a moment and nodded. "Ah, you mean the two captains…"

Shizuru rose from her chair while shedding off the Hyotei Regulars' jacket. "Alright, looks like I'm next. I'm not fond of tiebreakers really."

Tezuka didn't say anything but pulled out his racquet as a sign of consent. "Ah."

Fuji and Mai went to the sidelines while the red haired genius apologized to the captain. "Sorry about that, buchou. It looks like I left you with Tezuka."

Shizuru shook her head. "It's alright; I wanted to play against Tezuka-san anyway. I like having a good match."

-That's Chapter 14, please review!