A/N: A writer's gotta write.

Disclaimer: I caught Takeshi Konomi reading Tokyo Ghoul. Oh the betrayal for Prince of Tennis (Random-nonsense)


Chapter Ninety Three

That split second she drifted off the game Kirihara got her. She didn't expect him to hit her so her first reaction wasn't to dodge the ball. And with a sudden increase in speed and power she would never have focused on it in time to move. An unexpected pain hit her on the side of her head. She staggered back, lost her balance and fell over. Her racket scattered down beside her.

Those from her school called out her name in concern. Her hand was already covering the spot that was hit, her arm covered over her eyes. Her left ear started to ring loudly. She couldn't hear anything for a moment. After taking a couple of deep breathes she began to understand that he hit her deliberately.

What kind of tennis was this? There was no doubt in her mind that he did it purposely. She couldn't be too upset, had she been paying attention she could have moved in time. Maybe it would have just grazed her ear. With her left hand she searched around for her racket. Once it was back in her possession she stood up and took two steps back.

"Fuji-chan, you can't! That's enough!" An shouted out to her.

An was over shadowed by Hanamura-sensei who had walked onto the courts to see if she was okay. She picked up the ball along the way.

"This is my fault. I should have at least warned you of his playing style. Do you want to end it here?"

And quit in front of 'him'? "No. Why would this stop me?"

"Fuji-chan, you got hit in the head. You'll no doubt be disorientated by the blow."

"I'm fine." She now opened her eyes and saw everything as a blur.

She blinked and wiped her eyes and still couldn't see clearly. Could the blow have tampered with her vision? Why now of all times? She sighed deeply and asked sensei for the ball.

"It's in front of you, take it."

She couldn't see the brightness of the ball. Sensei had to guide her hand.

"You're hurt, aren't you?"

Fuji grabbed the ball out of sensei's hand. "I said I'm fine."

Sensei held onto her shoulder. "What's wrong with your eyes? Something's wrong."

"I can still play."

"Why? This game is meaningless to you. What do you have to prove by playing against him and hurting yourself further?"

"You don't understand." For Fuji there were many reasons why she couldn't walk away from this match, but she only shared one. "I don't want to appear weak in front of him."

"Fuji-"

She wouldn't listen to reason and positioned herself.

"Sor-ry. I thought you'd move out of the way." Kirihara said, as an excuse.

She couldn't see him. Her ears still rang and her vision blurry. She didn't know how long this would last. Her only other option was to close her eyes. How long had it been since she played like this? Year 8? She didn't have a choice.

She closed her eyes. Nariko and Yokoishi had played like this before. She could do it, but Fuji would have to adjust. Luckily for her, her opponent had enough energy for her to detect him.

Everything was so much louder, their murmurs and breathing and his she could hear them when before she didn't take any notice of these noises. She could feel them and remember this sensation from way back when. She could hear the thuds and stretching of Kirihara's shirt, the force of his arm against the wind as he put the ball in play. She didn't try to follow it. Not on the first attempt. She wanted to listen to hear it zoom towards her, brushing the tarmac and reflecting back into the air to her left.

A smile appeared on her lips. No wonder Nariko and Yokoishi played like this when they could. It was such a refreshing feeling, not having to concern herself with the worried expressions on the spectators faces or who was watching her. She could focus on her space and her body, where it should be and how quickly she would move. More importantly she sensed everything stronger than before.

She let three more points slip pass her to get use to a safe darkness behind her eyes. On the third shot Kirihara had caused the ball to hit into her again. She knew it was coming but had to allow it to happen, to test the sounds. It hurt but she could manage the pain by rolling her shoulder.

The girls who called out were still concerned. Their voices were so loud in her ear that she was tempted to tell them to quieten down.

"Is she okay? I wish she wouldn't play." An worried.

"Have a bit more faith in Fuji-senpai. She's stronger than you think she is." Miko encouraged her.

"Yeah, but is she strong enough to beat him?" Momoshiro interrupted. "That guy's a serious contender."

It wasn't only their voice's Fuji heard, all those who stood around the court aired their view and she heard it all. She squeezed her closed eyes to blocked them out and focus on her game.

Once the two were ready to continue Kirihara served the ball, with the same power as before. She didn't think he would calm down. Because she couldn't see, she could never be prepared for his kick-serve. She only knew something different had happened by the 'swishing' sound of the air twisting around the ball that landed close beside her and hit in the same spot on her shoulder. That hurt. That really hurt, but she wouldn't show it. She wouldn't place her hand over it to ease the pain or cry out. She didn't want to worry those watching or give sensei anymore reason to stop the match. Equally she didn't want her opponent to have pity on her.

"Are you all right senpai? Being a part of Seishun academy, I thought you'd be able to predict my moves."

She took his excuse. Whatever helped him justify his actions. Whatever helped this game to continue. She'd play along. Having taken the blow, it may have hurt but it allowed her to recognise the sound of the kick-serve. When he hit it again, she was able to return it, but it meant she had to lose several points until she got the feel and the sound of his returns. Though, her adjusted style didn't help the pain on the side of her head, left shoulder and now her right elbow. This one she couldn't ignore and had to place her hand over it. It gave her time to catch her breath. Her eye sight slowly returned but still awkward when she tried to keep them open. She had to carry on with closed eyes. On her 4th serve, she was able to claw a set back, now making the score 3-4 to Kirihara.

"How is she even playing after all this?" An cried now, she remembered what happened to her brother and now seeing the same thing happen to Fuji.

The Seishun girls' comforted her. Echizen watched but said nothing as did most of the others, only because Tezuka said nothing. They could see he was bothered but they didn't know to what degree.

It was now Kirihara's 4th service, his confidence was slowly fading. He put the ball in play, hitting it close to the middle of the line. He didn't expect her to be behind the ball before it hit the ground. Whatever, lucky shot, he told himself. But with each of his shots: the awkward ones, the ones with heavy spins, the deep shots and the volleys – she returned them. Unlike him, she hadn't unleashed her demon, that white beast. She hadn't relied on that hidden power and somehow she was able to level the score.

When the ball hit the net he had to wonder what was happening. Where was her strength coming from? He knew she couldn't see. He'd hit people on the side of their head's before and they staggered about in fear to soon end the match. Yet she carried on. She levelled the score somehow. And then to continue when he hit her shoulder and arm. Something wasn't right. Was she someone special? Couldn't be. She wasn't like his monstereous senpais' in his school. He would never put her in the same category as Yanagi-senpai, Sanada-senpai or Yukimura-buchou. She was a nobody, nobody important, relevant or note worthy...

...yet, here he was still fighting to win with the score at 4-4. She won back two points...

It was her serve and she comfortably put it into play much to his confusion. Again he tried to mix things up and throw her off, but he was the one being pushed back and missing points, giving her the 5th game.

He couldn't lose again. He wouldn't be defeated like this.

She heard his anger and felt his temper and wasn't prepared for the sudden disappearance of his demon. What she used to win back the point she could no longer rely on and caused the scores to level out again to 5-5. It was deliberate and it gave her a moment to realign her technique, still unable to see clearly through open eyes. The score became 6-5 to him. What a beast, She thought. Had any other of her matches been this ruthless? No! The girls were never physical. Their style came from the energy within merged with techniques. Kirihara was furiously playing to win.

Fuji nearly got dragged into the thrill of playing an intense game. But she wouldn't forget the point of it. She wouldn't go without proving the original aim of this match.

She won the next point. Before Kirihara served the ball she called out to him.

"Oi."

He glanced up, grimace and all.

"Why are we playing so seriously? Is this a real match that we have to prove ourselves?"

He didn't say anything and straighten up.

"Didn't you come up to me because you wanted to see something? To refute a statement I made? To beat you outside a match?"

She opened her eyes. She had to fight all the pain she was feeling to allow the energy to pour out. Because the pain was strong only a portion of it wanted to come out. It was more than enough.

"You are an amazing tennis player Kirihara-kun, but we girls play a little differently. Consider this a great honour. You'd be the first boy to witness this."

Suddenly a red curtain shot up along the preliminaries of the court. Only those with strong spiritual awareness could see the curtain. Those like Yokoishi and Jinhana. And that was the reason for it. Some things were meant to remain a secret. It stopped those who had that stronger awareness to not see beyond the curtain. Ordinary eyes saw a normal match.

The boys didn't see the curtain. The year 7 girls didn't see the curtain. Only the two stood within it. He shuddered. His eyes grew bloodshot again, his hair turned white and his skin turn red. His full power had been provoked. That demon behind him reappeared.

"Welcome back." She greeted.

"What-how-what are you doing?"

His eyes widened when he saw something standing beside Fuji. It wasn't clear – it was a blurred image but he recognised that razor sharp feeling from before.

"I won't tell you her name, but she's very temperamental after 'someone' took her left ear."

"What is that thing?" What are you going to do?"

"Serve the ball and I'll show you."

He hesitated. He could only see a silhouette of it and it over towered her, swinging what could have been a tail back and forth. Kirihara didn't understand how or what was happening to him. He could hear his teammates telling him to do something. They couldn't see the thing standing with her. He took a few seconds to think about it. With everyone calling out – he could only hear them – he couldn't let this match go.

"How did you drag him out?" he spoke about his own demon. He didn't summon him.

"It's easy when you know how. Come, on. Let's play to the end."

She readied herself and he served.

The white beast readied itself to move. When Fuji ran behind the ball and returned it, the beast went with it. The ball traveled so fast Kirihara didn't see it. He didn't have time to move... or did he?

He didn't realised one could control their demons, make them move at will, harass other players. He didn't know that that thing would become more visible the closer it was to him. It's true nature petrified him. He couldn't move. He felt the heat of it. He felt it's fur, it's weight and it's teeth when it bit it's hand.

The racket fell from his grip and the ball rolled out of play. Her aim was off because of the missing ear. Fuji had hoped to hit him in his head. For now that would have to do.

At that both demons retreated, the curtain fell away. She couldn't quiet fully close her eyes. The pain made it a short appearance.

Kirihara held onto his wrist. Attacking someone's soul would hurt more then any physical pain. There was no way to sooth it or treat it unless you had someone like Yokoishi or an opposite like Tezuka to counteract it. Like a night terror he couldn't move.

Fuji didn't expect a spasm to knock her to her knees. She fell onto her racket and couldn't move. It has been a long while since revealing that thing inside her. She forgot how exhausting and draining it was to use. She was out of practise.

Now seeing that the match was over, others piled onto the court to help them both. An ran up to Fuji and told her off for being so reckless. Those from his school tried to help him but he was still paralyzed with fear.

With the help of Ohshi and Iwara, they carried Fuji over to the bench. Oishi checked over where she was hit and put a cold press over each bruise. Momoshiro and Sakura were beside Kirihara with a first aid box.

"That really was breath taking Fuji-chan." Oishi said. "Sometimes I don't know how you do it."

"I had to go all out... I won't be able to play when I get back."

Hanamura-sensei loomed over Fuji. There was no grin on her face and her arms were crossed.

"I had only heard baseless rumours. But today I saw it with my own eyes." Fuji turned to her. "Red curtain of concealment, huh? I may have to start paying attention to the girls if they have the same potential as you."

Hanamura-sensei turned to the spectators and ordered them to clear off. They only had 35mins more to eat, then it was back to the grind. She turned back to Fuji. "No more, Fuji-chan. Take the afternoon to sleep this off."

She didn't argue.

"Oh, and, congratulations for winning. You left them dumbfounded."

Hanamaura-sensei left the few of them to tend to Fuji. She heard her call over to Sakaki-sensei and Tezuka. She had no choice but to obediently wait under Oishi's care.

...tbc...


A/N2: Yeah, some madness in the mix... typical of me. Somewhat rushed. There's nothing to suggest that Fuji won (other than inside my head) I will change it to make it more clear that she won... later...

Also, in the anime, Fuji does get hit in the head but they don't show it, he kinda just gets up and carries on, yet in the manga there's more detail about how it affects his vision so I took that approach. :)

Chapter 94: It's the last day, time for a 2nd good bye.