Chapter 25: The Final Game Part II
GROUP 5
(The 'Serious Guys' group)
Inui Sadaharu, Kaidoh Kaoru and Tezuka Kunimitsu of Seigaku, Ibu Shinji of Fudomine, Oshitari Yuushi, Shishido Ryou and Kabaji Munehiro of Hyotei, Shinjou Renji of Jyosei Shonan, Ishida Gin of Shitenhouji, Yanagi Renji of Rikkaidai, and Kisarazu Ryou of Rokkaku all stared at each other with their serious eyes.
Nanako Meino smiled at them. She volunteered to watch this group's match.
"Let's start our games," Tezuka said, straight to the point.
"Let's head to the courts now," Shinjou said with serious eyes.
"Fshuu," Kaidoh hissed, his eyes glaring, "Let's decide on who'll fight who first."
"Agreed. And we must finish our games before 20:30. There's a 67% possibility that we'll finish our games by 15.67 minutes early if we organize a good gaming strategy," Inui muttered.
"Wrong, Sadaharu," Yanagi said, "It's not 67%. It's 66.99%."
"According to my data, it's exactly 67%," Inui defended.
"It's highly sufficient for you to re-do your calculations. There's a 98.2222% prospect that you missed a vital part of the equation. And it's 78% possible that it's when you divide x by y to the power of sixth times the square root of 002." Yanagi monotonously said.
Inui checked his notebook. After a few scribbling, he raised his head up to look at Yanagi. "You were 98% right. But the right answer is still not 66.99%. It's 66.998% exactly."
Yanagi nodded. "You're 99.23% correct. I mentally calculated again the probabilities. The right answer was 66.998% possible."
The two nerds nodded. Not really knowing that their answers were all just the same if they estimate it.
Shinjou cleared his throat. He was about to say something to the nerds when Inui spoke, "Shinjou Renji, according to my data, you have a crush on your coach, Ms. Hanamura."
Shinjou blushed. He glared at them.
"He's not denying it, Sadaharu," Yanagi said.
Inui nodded.
"Ii data," they both muttered.
No one else dared to say something else to the blackmailing nerds.
Kisarazu cleared his throat. "How are we going to decide the players?"
Then, they heard group 4's noises. They covered their ears indifferently while still looking at each other with serious and narrowed eyes.
Deciding to just ignore the other group's noises, they went back to negotiating.
They looked like businessmen in a meeting in a 50-storey building inside a gray and dull office filled with… office supplies…
*Shivers*
Oshitari sighed. He was already tired of being the straight and serious man surrounded by other straight and serious men.
"Yukimura only gave us until 8:30 to finish this. Let's go with his 10-minute limit per game," Tezuka suggested in monotony.
Ishida said, "Let's just start the elimination round."
They nodded in agreement.
First match: Court L, Singles match between Kisarazu Ryou and Yanagi Renji. Court M, Singles match between Ishida Gin and Kabaji Munehiro. Court N, Singles match between Shishido Ryou and Shinjou Renji.
Tezuka, Kaidoh and Inui were the chosen umpire for the first game.
"Court L, Yanagi to serve," Tezuka said in his usual authoritative voice.
"Court M, 100 percent possibility for Kabaji to serve," Inui said while writing something on his ever-present notebook.
"Fshuu. Court N, Shinjou to serve," Kaidoh glared (looked) at Shinjou.
The three servers for each court nodded and started the game.
After ten minutes…
"Game, Yanagi/Ishida/Shishido!" the umpires announced.
Second match: Court L, Singles match between Kaidoh Kaoru and Inui Sadaharu. Court M, Singles match between Shinji Ibu and Oshitari Yuushi. Court N, Singles match between Court N's previous winner, Shishido Ryou and Tezuka Kunimitsu.
Tezuka adjusted his glasses. "You're not tired yet, are you?"
"Getting tired that easily is gekidasa daze!" Shishido smirked.
This time, the umpires were Yanagi, Kisarazu and Shinjou.
The second match started. They did their very best as soon as it started, since they only had ten minutes to prove what they can do.
In the end, it was obvious who won: Kaidoh, Oshitari and Tezuka.
Shinjou cleared his throat. "There are five players left."
Third match: Court L, Singles match between Kaidoh Kaoru and Tezuka Kunimitsu. Court M, Singles match between Ishida Gin and Oshitari Yuushi. Court N, Single match between Yanagi Renji and whoever will win between Kaidoh and Tezuka.
"It's hard to distribute the players when the numbers are odd," Inui said as he adjusted his glasses. They nodded in agreement.
After ten minutes…
"Game, Tezuka/Ishida," the umpires announced.
Fourth match: Court N, Yanagi Renji versus Tezuka Kunimitsu.
After ten minutes…
"Game, Tezuka!"
Fifth and final match: Court L, Ishida Gin and Tezuka Kunimitsu.
"This calls for trouble, on Tezuka's part at least," Inui said.
"What makes you say that?" Kisarazu asked the data man.
Shinji answered, "Ishida's a power player. Tezuka-san just recovered from his injury. If Ishida plays with his hadoukyuu, Tezuka-san's injury might return."
"I see," Kisarazu said and turned back to the game.
"Demo…" Oshitari said, earning his group mate's gazes, "Tezuka's a pretty stubborn and determined player. Besides…" he took a glance into Ryuzaki Sakuno's general direction, "I got a feeling that something important to him is at stake with this final game."
Shinjou nodded. "The final game that Yukimura planned leaks suspiciousness."
After ten minutes… the winner was declared. It was obvious who would win, but still, it was a close call. Considering his injured arm and his almost-impossible strength.
"Game and match, Tezuka Kunimitsu!"
He was wearing samurai clothes, like Echizen, Yukimura, Shiraishi and Atobe.
"Everyone! Gather up!" Yukimura announced.
:||~ThEfInAlGaMe~||:
GROUP 6
(The 'Ignored Guys' Group)
Kite Eishirou, Shiranui Tomoya and Aragaki Kouichi of Higa, Akazawa Yoshirou of St. Rudolph, Daichi Kiriyama and Kakeru Oota of Jyosei Shonan, Shudou Satoshi of Rokkaku, Ishida Tetsu of Fudomine, and lastly, Higashitaka Masami, Kita Ichiuma and Nitobe Inakichi of Yamabuki were this group's members.
Higashitaka sighed very, very deeply. He whined. "I bet you, all viewers and readers of this had no single clue of who we are and what our purpose in the anime is."
His group mates nodded.
"I'm pretty sure even the author had no idea on who we are or which school we came from," Shiranui said while massaging his temples.
His group mates nodded.
"And rennomiya had to search for us to find out which schools we came from," Shudou said while shaking his head disappointedly.
His group mates nodded.
"Frankly, sometimes, even I think that I'm only some sort of filler for a school's team," Kakeru said irritatingly.
His group mates nodded.
"The fans only go for the good looking ones," Nitobe said.
His group mates nodded.
"And the worse fact was that those good looking ones were coincidentally players with good techniques… to make them noticed," Shiranui added.
His group mates nodded.
"Che," Aragaki snorted, "If it weren't for us, then those good-looking guys will be disqualified for the insufficient number of players in their team."
His group mates nodded.
"Well, on the plus side, we get to have our very own screen time. Most of us had little, if not, none at all, fanfics in the Prince of Tennis Community," Higashitaka said.
His group mates nodded.
"I just wish that Konomi-san won't forget about us," Daichi said.
His group mates nodded.
"Maybe he already did…" Shudou said sadly.
His group mates feared the thought.
Then, they looked at Kite, Akazawa and Ishida.
They sighed. Those three were somehow recognized unlike them.
The three aforementioned cleared their throats. "Should we get our games started?"
Their group mates nodded unenthusiastically.
"Let's just make sure they won't ignore us this time," someone said.
First match: ?
"And the winner for Group 6, Kite Eishirou of Higa!" somebody announced.
"EH!" the whole group yelled.
Kachiro and Katsuo were the unacceptable players who were watching this group. The two freshmen sweat dropped.
"Even in this fic, we're ignored! How dare you!" they yelled.
No one would've read how the games were played anyway. And so, someone out there fast-forwarded the time when they were playing and returned the normal time pace to when they finished the game.
"Hey, wait! Turn back time! This is our only screen time! Turn it ba—"
"Everyone! Gather up!" Yukimura announced.
"I said wait! Don't ignore us, you… you b—"
Kite Eishirou, the winner for the ignored group, was also wearing samurai clothes.
:||~ThEfInAlGaMe~||:
GROUP 7
(The 'Assorted Guys' Group)
"What does that name even mean?"
Sanada Genichirou of Rikkaidai, Kai Yuujirou and Chinen Hiroshi of Higa, Morii Tatsunori and Sakurai Masaya of Fudomine, Kaneda Ichirou and Nomura Takuya of St. Rudolph, and, Muromachi Touji, Nishikiori Tsubasa and Minami Kentarou of Yamabuki were the assorted men.
"Again, what does that even mean?" Kai grunted as he rolled his eyes.
"It means, you guys are the only ones left and had nothing similar to each other," rennomiya answered.
"Oh, I see," Nomura smiled. "At least I'm not in the 'ignored' group," he laughed.
"Actually, some of you guys had personalities suited to other groups (and most of you are suited at the 'Ignored Guys' group anyway). Except every group was already filled up so I had to put you in the left-out group. Oh! Why didn't I think of that! Let's change your group's name!"
*AHEM*
GROUP 7
(The 'Left-Out Guys' Group)
Sanada Genichirou of Rikkaidai, Kai Yuujirou and Chinen Hiroshi of Higa, Morii Tatsunori and Sakurai Masaya of Fudomine, Kaneda Ichirou and Nomura Takuya of St. Rudolph, and, Muromachi Touji, Nishikiori Tsubasa and Minami Kentarou of Yamabuki were the left-out men.
"On second thought, the former sounded much better," Sakurai said.
"I thought Yukimura was the one who distributed us? Why is the author interrupting?" Kaneda questioned.
. . . Anyway . . .
"I, the GREAT Horio, with TWO years of tennis EXPERIENCE, had picked out this group's number! Be amazed by my knowledge!" Horio boasted.
Sanada walked towards him and…
SLAP
"Shut up," the Emperor warned the freshman. Then, he returned to the courts without so much as a word.
Horio had tears coming out of his eyes as he held his cheeks, with a handprint already marked on it.
"Let's start our games!" Sanada yelled.
Before anyone could speak… rennomiya already interrupted them.
First match: Court R, doubles match between Minami Kentarou-Nishikiori Tsubasa (Yamabuki players) pair and Kaneda Ichirou-Nomura Takuya (St. Rudolph players) pair. Court S, doubles match between Kai Yuujirou-Chinen Hiroshi (Higa players) pair and Sakurai Masaya-Morii Tatsunori (Fudomine players) pair. Court T, singles match between Sanada Genichirou (Rikkai player) and Muromachi Touji (Yamabuki player).
The group will use Yukimura's proposed ten-minute limit per game.
"Since there is no other players left to judge the games, I, the GREAT Horio wi—"
Someone (you guys should already know) walked towards him and…
SLAP
"No. This would be self-judged," he said.
That someone returned to the courts. Horio sulked in a corner.
After ten minutes of a not-so intense tennis game…
Court R winner: Yamabuki (the school's specialty is,in fact, doubles).
Court S winner: Higa (since they're pretty violent).
Court T winner: Rikkai (it was obvious -.-)
Second match: Court R, singles match between schoolmates, Yamabuki vs. Yamabuki, Minami Kentarou and Nishikiori Tsubasa. Court S, singles match between schoolmates, Higa vs. Higa, Kai Yuujirou and Chinen Hiroshi. Court T, none at the moment.
"Hah! I suppose you guys would need a GREAT TWO-YEAR experienced TENNIS GENIUS to judge the game now! I, the AWESOME HORIO—"
SLAP!
Sanada was standing next to him (since the Emperor currently had no games to play… yet). Horio sulked in another corner again.
After ten minutes of so-so intense tennis game…
Court R winner: Nishikiori Tsubasa (no one knows who this is, but who cares).
Court S winner: Kai Yuujirou (he somehow proved himself).
Third match: Court R, singles match between Kai Yuujirou and Sanada Genichirou.
Horio stepped out proudly. "You don't need to ask! I, the GREAT Horio, would help you judg—"
SLAP
"Shut up," the Emperor said.
After ten minutes of heart-pounding tennis game…
Court R winner: Sanada Genichirou (he was already a national-level player, duh!)
Fourth and final match: Court R, singles match between Nishikiori Tsubasa and Sanada Genichirou.
"…"
Sanada turned his head to look at him.
"…"
Sanada glared intensely at him.
"(gulp) I… t-the g-g-g-reat H-Ho…ri…o, w-with t-two—"
SLAP
Sanada walked back to the courts.
His opponent, Nishikiori, sweat dropped. "The guy's not going to speak anymore and yet you… I never knew you were a sadist too…"
Sanada answered, "Who are you again?"
"Huh? I-I'm—"
SLAP!
Nishikiori fainted.
"Wow, you knocked him out!" Nomura said as he poked the fallen Nishikiori with a stick.
Kaneda nodded wisely, as if proud of what Sanada did. "And you didn't even hit the ball with you racquet. I'm quite impressed."
"Sanada's in the mood to slap people today…" Morii whispered to Masaya.
The winner of group 7 (no one complained on how the final match turned out), Sanada Genichirou.
'Everything's still according to Yukimura's plan,' Sanada thought proudly.
"Everyone! Gather up!" Yukimura announced.
Of course, Sanada was wearing Samurai clothes all along.
SLAP!
SLAP!
SLAP!
:||~ThEfInAlGaMe~||:
"The final game finally ends…" Sakuno said as she let out a sigh of relief, "Nothing inappropriate happened, thank God…"
Tomoka grinned. "But this is just the beginning of then end, Sakuno."
Sakuno looked at her with a weak smile. "I-I guess you're right, Tomo-chan…"
"Hime," Atobe suddenly popped out behind them, startling both of Tomo and Sakuno, "Ore-sama knows that deep inside, you wanted to watch ore-sama's game, but was forced to watch the brat's game instead. So, to compensate for your horrific loss, ore-sama shall spend his remaining time with you."
Sakuno sweat dropped. "W-Well… a-anou… y-you don't need to A-Atobe-san… Thanks anyway…" she said unsurely.
Atobe held both of her hands and stared deeply into her eyes. "Our deep love for each other surpasses all kinds of hardships."
"AH!" Marui yelled after they saw them and immediately ran towards the aforementioned deeply-in-love-lovers. "What the hell do you think you're doing with my wife? Get off of her!" he pointed an accusing finger to the King and began pulling him from Sakuno.
"WHAT?" Kin-chan's head suddenly popped out of everyone's view. "Oi, Crying Mole!" he called Atobe and ran towards him, "Get away from my Sa-chan!"
"Argh!" Marui glared at Kin-chan. "It's you again!"
Kin-chan pointed a finger to him. "You too! Get away from my cutie Sa-chan!"
"Tsk, commoners. How low," Atobe muttered and turned back to Sakuno while the two redheads began bickering with each other again. He let out his most charming eyes and stared at Sakuno with his usual you-should-be-honored-to-have-stolen-ore-sama's-heart look.
"Yarou!" another suitor of the braided girl, Kirihara, appeared too. "I'll CRUSH you!"
He pulled Sakuno away from Atobe. The King glared at him. "How dare you ruin ore-sama's love scene!"
Kirihara unconsciously pushed Sakuno to his side while he quarrels with Atobe. Meanwhile, because Kirihara pushed her aside, add the fact that she had the worse coordination among all of them, she tripped over her own foot and landed…
… Safely on her onii-sama's arms.
"Sakuno," Tezuka said, "It's good that you got out of there unharmed."
"O-Onii-sama!" Sakuno blushed embarrassingly. "G-Gomen… I-I was too clumsy…"
And smelling (yes, smelling!) his lifetime rival nearby, Atobe quickly ignored Kirihara's retort to their bickering and turned dramatically to Tezuka. He sparkled as he approached his greatest rival of all. "Ah, Tezuka. So you're here. Ore-sama heard you won for your group. That means you still have a chance to fight against ore-sama in the last step of the final game! [Insert evil laugh here] Be honored!"
Tezuka rolled his eyes. Before he could answer, he did not notice that someone already took Sakuno from his hold.
"Nya, Saku-chan! Come, come!" Kikumaru whispered to Sakuno while pushing her closer to Echizen.
"K-Kikumaru-senpai, anou…"
"Hush, hush! Tezuka and the others might hear you!" he whispered again and gave one last energetic push on her back. She stumbled forward and stopped just in time before bumping to Ryoma. "Good luck, nya!" Eiji cheered and hid behind a bush, to spy, probably. Only his mission impossible wasn't that much of a secret anymore.
Ryoma looked at her with his usual bored look.
Sakuno blushed and fidgeted with the hem of her skirt. She turned her head sideways to avoid his gaze. "A-A-Anou… c-congratu… lations…"
"I haven't won yet," he simply said.
Sakuno flushed redder. This time, with embarrassment. "Oh yeah… g-gomen…"
The two kept on facing each other with nothing else to say.
After a few minutes…
Yukimura appeared in front of them and cleared his throat.
"Yukimura-san!" Sakuno said with wide eyes.
Yukimura smiled at her genuinely. "Hello there, Sakuno-san. I apologize for what happened. I heard you lost your last VIP game…"
Sakuno blushed and weakly nodded.
The demigod patted her head lovingly. "Don't worry…
Everything will be fine," he said as he smiled reassuringly, "I'll protect you no matter what."
Sakuno looked at him confusedly.
Ryoma glared at Yukimura. And an unusual suspicion with the demigod building inside of him. 'What the hell is that guy thinking?'
After Yukimura's gentle and kind conversation with Sakuno, he turned to the VIP gamers. He glared intensely at them, which is a first for some of those who are not close to him. "I said gather up. What part of it can't you understand?"
Some VIP gamers gulped in fear with the look on the always-smiling Rikkai captain and immediately ran towards the middle of the tennis courts. Some gamers simply lazily obeyed him.
:||~ThEfInAlGaMe~||:
At last, the final game officially ended. Yukimura thanked everyone for participating in the VIP game. Yukimura centered himself at the middle of the tennis courts, just like his entrance before. Everyone stayed (and because Yukimura indirectly forced them to do so) to see what the winners get, since Yukimura left them wondering what the winners of the final game will get.
"Anyway, those people who I'm about to call, please step forward," Yukimura asked gently as he was about to announce the winners.
Everyone gulped. What's the captain up to?
Ryoma stared indifferently at the guys in the middle. He opened his can of Ponta and drank its contents from it.
"I wonder what this last step in the final game is about?" he heard his Kikumaru-senpai asked loudly. Behind the prince were all of his senpai-tachi, the ichinen trio, Sakuno, and Tomoka.
Momo answered his senpai, "This final game is different from the 'Most Important Game'. But I wonder… which has a lot more points?"
"The final game decides on who'll win the VIP game in general. All of our hardships depend on this one last game," Oishi said seriously. "Unfortunately, only seven were chosen."
"But our score from our other games still count, right?" Taka asked timidly.
"Yeah, but the seven winners will definitely have a lead," Momo said.
"Kunimitsu Tezuka," Yukimura called.
Tezuka's glasses beamed and everyone around him looked at him. He walked towards where the Rikkaidai regulars were and stood in front of Yukimura. "What is it you want me to do?"
Yukimura smiled at him and asked him to stand aside first.
Atobe looked at Tezuka with a little hint of jealousy. Out of all the things he hate is being second to Tezuka… even if its just names being called.
"Atobe Keigo," Yukimura called. Atobe smirked and walked towards Yukimura but not before stopping next to Tezuka. He gave a triumphant smirk at his rival; as if telling him that he's not going to lose to him in the VIP game. Tezuka just stared back.
"What is it now? Ahn?" Atobe asked with his usual prideful voice. Yukimura asked him to stand at his far right side, opposite of where he asked Tezuka to stand.
"Next, Shiraishi Kuranosuke," Yukimura called again.
"Me?" Shiraishi pointed charmingly at himself. His teammates just gave him a pat on his back. He knew he won his games but the 'Bible of Shitenhouji' just thought that Yukimura will forget him. He walked towards Yukimura, who just asked him to stand beside him. Yukimura now was in the middle of Tezuka and Shiraishi.
At that time, Yukimura's teammates began dissipating. They disappeared inside their club room mysteriously.
"Of course, Genichirou," he looked at his fuku-buchou who just nodded and stood behind him, closer to Tezuka.
"Kite Eishirou," Yukimura called again.
Kite stepped in front, looking at Yukimura the same way they stared at each other earlier. "What are you planning?"
"You'll find out." Yukimura asked Kite to stand next to Sanada behind him.
"Last," Yukimura smirked at everyone, "Echizen Ryoma."
"Woah! O'chibi, he called you!" Eiji said excitingly as he pushed the freshman in front.
"Of course he'll call him. He won all his games," Taka said timidly. "And all at once, too. He's amazing."
Ryoma sighed and walked towards the guy he had the most hard time fighting with during the nationals. "Uissu," he greeted with a bored look.
"Please stand a little next to Atobe," Yukimura asked as he smiled gently.
"Hn" Ryoma surprisingly obeyed and stood to where Yukimura asked him to.
The VIP gamers stared at them wide-eyed, and a little frightened.
"It can't be," Sakuno whispered to herself. She gazed at Yukimura worriedly.
"Hai," Nanako nodded. Ryoga appeared next to her as she spoke, "Yukimura-san gathered all of them… as his final trump card… He knew the seven of them will win their games."
Ryoga crossed his arms behind his head and added, "It's all planned out. It's to finally destroy Nathan."
Sakuno shifted her worried gaze to Ryoga. "W-What!"
"Yukimura-san… had finally gathered the infamous… Ikemen Samurai (1)" Nanako explained further.
"Now," Yukimura said, "I think you all know what to call us." (2)
Ryoma and the other people involved looked at each other. They noticed that they were the most fearful ones in the tennis world. Atobe smirked and muttered an arrogant 'eh', Sanada closed his eyes, Tezuka turned his head to the gamers, Ryoma murmured something inaudible, Kite sighed, Shiraishi scratched his head and Yukimura kept on smiling.
It seemed like Yukimura purposely separated them from each other in the elimination round. The seven of them are absolute.
:||~ThEfInAlGaMe~||:
The other regular members of Rikkai gathered inside their clubroom. There were wires set up almost everywhere. A person not paying attention would trip over and over again because of the thick cables scattered around the floor. Those thick cable wires were all connected to different computer units. And each unit had one Rikkai regular using it. Niou had his headphones on as he looked at the computer screen in front of him. Marui blew his green gum and it reflected the video that was displayed on his own monitor. The redhead glucose-addict stared seriously at the screen, where it showed the blueprints of their University.
"You did great, Yanagi," he complimented.
"I suppose you managed to hack the school's database successfully," Niou smirked at him.
Yanagi nodded.
"Now, it's up to them to save Saku-chan," Kirihara muttered as he got into his position. He switched a button on and somewhere in the University's auditorium, a hidden camera turned on. "Camera 1: initiated" he said.
Niou turned his head back to his screen, "Camera 2: initiated." A hidden camera on the school's rooftop made a soft moving sound.
Marui printed seven copies of the school's blueprint and typed something on the keyboard. After a few seconds, he said, "Camera 3: initiated." Outside the University's auditorium, behind a tree's branches, a hidden camera's lenses focused on a guy with blonde hair.
His green gum popped.
"And target, sighted."
To Be Continued!
A/N: This chapter turned out to be light-read. Anyway, leave your comments. I promise a better chapter ^^ Oh, and sorry if I made Sanada a bit OOC there… Truth was, he was like that when I listened to his image song with Tezuka. Konomi's playing with the Emperor XD Don't forget to point out grammatical errors and misspelled words ;) I could use the improvement ;D
(1) The song group of Tenipuri, consist of Kite, Tezuka, Yukimura, Sanada, Atobe, Shiraishi and Echizen. They're the ones who sang 'Dear Prince~Tenisu no oujisama tachi e~', the ending song for the OVA.
(2) Their costumes would be the exact same ones as the CD cover of 'Dear Prince~Tenisu no oujisama tachi e~'. Just google it and type at images 'Ikemen Samurai' you'll see their pictures in their samurai costumes.
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Next time: The Ikemen samurai got into position. They initiated the perfect ambush. But will it succeed? Or will Nathan catch them?