Nothing Says 'I Love You' More than a Ball to the Face
There was a mutual agreement amongst the clansmen that no one was to talk about the events they heard and saw last night, though it was hard to look at either of the two the next morning. For the past six or so hours, they could hear groans, cries, and various other things being called out as the two would wake up several different times and start making love again. The walls weren't paper-thin, but they weren't made of soundproof material either.
The Blue clansmen were traumatized the most in this situation. In all their years of knowing Fushimi Saruhiko, they had never seen him once show interest in the opposite sex—or even the same sex for that matter. Although cold as the arctic tundra, no one could deny that their second-in-command was a complete bombshell, and all of her subordinates—with the exception of Fushimi, would steal occasional glances at the voluptuous body. He simply appeared to be someone who would choose solitude and celibacy over having to touch another filthy human being.
Saruhiko's subordinates wanted nothing more than to continue believing that their cold-hearted, anti-social superior was really asexual, and that all the moans and dirty talk they heard last night through the inn walls were truly but a figment of their imagination. The thought that Scepter 4's third-in-command could elicit those kinds of erotic and sensual reactions from someone was quite disturbing. It made it even more difficult for them when they ran into the blue-eyed man at the men's bathrooms—who was ready to take a shower, as they saw Fushimi's back covered with deep nail scratches and bite marks on his shoulders.
Having to deal with both their awkward, intimidating Captain and now this, many of the members questioned their need for some sort of psychiatric therapy when they went back to the headquarters.
"Ahhh! Kanamoto! Where were you last night! I noticed you and the Silver clansmen never came back!" Yata asked. The crow was completely unaware that the portly man knew about what happened last night.
Before Rikio could reply, he saw Fushimi giving the death stare out of the corner of his eye, and he swallowed hard. "Oh! Umm…since it was our last full night here, we figured we'd just party all night instead!"
"Heeehhh…I see. Oh well! As long as you guys had fun!" Misaki was unusually cheerful this morning. As they left the dining area, they noticed the elderly manager from the first night in front of them. He bowed and stated, "Good morning, I have a message to you from the owner of Midoriyama. I was wondering if I could speak with the leaders of your parties."
To bring a close to their fabulous weekend at Midoriyama Hot Springs and Inn, the owner announced to the three clans that they were going to hold a special farewell party for their guests in one of the outdoor recreational areas. A short hike away from the actual inn, it sat at the base of the lush, green mountainside. It was an open camp area with barbeque grills and a mini cooking station. The field area surrounding the camp was covered in beautiful wildflowers and numerous trees. It was far away from the sounds of any vehicles, commercialization, or industry that filled the air in downtown Shizume. It was a much welcomed sight to see, as the three clans would be returning to the busy streets later that night.
They weren't quite ready to go back to reality yet though. Away from work, rival gangs, and responsibilities, this was their last chance to really enjoy freedom from their duties—especially for the Blue clansmen, whose lives were closely intertwined with strict rules, order, and professionalism.
As much as the Scepter 4 members resented the fact they had to do those awkward team strengthening activities created by Munakata, in the end they were glad to have had the chance to get away from social mores. The smell of barbequing meat drifted towards the clansmen as they reached their destination. Various recreational activities were set up around the site.
The Blue King had originally suggested that all the three clans should do team unity building exercises by doing human pyramids, but this time with the Red and Silver clansmen as well.
"Rejected," everyone said flatly.
"How disappointing," Munakata said, still smiling.
In the end, it was decided that they would play a game of dodgeball. In order to accommodate for all those who wanted to play and still be fair, the clansmen put their name into a bucket. All in all, there would be twelve names total—six teammates to a side. After the name drawing, the two teams were announced.
On Team One: Awashima Seri, Yata Misaki, Yatogami Kuro (a certain mischievous Cat Girl had put his name in), Munakata Reisi, Isana Yashiro, and Kanamoto Rikio.
On Team Two: Suoh Mikoto, Yukizome Kukuri, Fushimi Saruhiko, Neko, Kusanagi Izumo, and Kushina Anna
"Wait, before we begin, we need better team names than just Team One and Team Two. It's too lame."
Team One first got into a huddle. "Okay, anyone got a suggestion?" Shiro asked. Simultaneously, four of the members instantly replied.
"Team Anko on Shaved Ice."
"Mikoto-san's Army!"
"Team Barbequed Meat."
"'Do not judge the cold, without first knowing the warmth of the shining sun'—By Ichigen-sama."
"…"
"What the hell? Heartless Woman, what is with your fucking obsession with sweet red bean? I heard from Kusanagi-san that you eat it with everything!" Yata exclaimed.
Kanamoto gave an exasperated reply. "Yata-san, what's with your team name too? Mikoto-san isn't even on our team. He's on the ENEMY team!"
"Team Barbequed Meat? Is food the only thing you ever think about, Red clansman?" Kuro scowled. "My team name is obviously the best, as these are the poetic words spoken none other than by Ichigen-sama himself!"
"Creepy," the team replied in unison.
"Do you want to die?" Kuro began to prepare for a fight until he felt the Silver King grab onto his arm, pleading for him to calm down.
"Well…why don't we let the Blue King pick, since he didn't say anything yet," Kanamoto said as he scratched the back of his head.
The five turned towards Munakata with hopeful faces. "Oh? It is my choice? Well then, the name I shall choose for our team is…Team Virgin Maiden's Heart."
An awkward silence hung over the entire camp site. Trying to contain his anger, Misaki said through clenched teeth, "why the hell did you pick a name like that?"
Reisi smiled as he replied, "Because I wanted to see the kind of reaction I would get from all of your faces."
The Scepter 4 members standing on the sidelines gave out a long sigh. Once again their captain had gone out of his way to make people feel uncomfortable, while relishing in all of the emotions he could incite from others.
Shiro attempted to smile as he felt sweat drip from his forehead. "Sooo…what is Team Two going to be?"
"We're Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already'," Fushimi said curtly. He was already furious that he and Misaki were on separate teams.
"Okayyy…so, why don't we begin?"
Akagi Shouhei had volunteered to be the referee for the match. He cleared his throat as he began to announce, "Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the first Tri-Color Dodgeball Tournament! Today's match up is Team Virgin Maiden's Heart versus Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already.' Each team will start off with three balls."
One of the staff members approached each team and handed the balls over. The amber-eyed man stopped a moment to ponder.
"Aren't we at a disadvantage from the start though?" Yata asked.
"What do you mean, Red clansman?" Kuro replied.
"We have the fatty on our team, and he's pretty much a walking target!"
"Well…our team has Anna on it! She won't be able to throw it at you guys!" Izumo called out.
"Yeah, but she could easily dodge the balls, Kusanagi-san!"
"Well, if that's the case, it shouldn't be a problem, Yata-san."
As the crow turned to look at Kanamoto, his eyes began to widen. There stood Kanamoto-summer version beside him. For those who didn't know Rikio, they would have assumed he was an entirely different person. As Totsuka Tatara had once explained to the new Red clan members, during the summer time, the portly man of HOMRA loses all of his weight and somehow transforms into an extremely handsome, physically fit man. He continuously has flocks of girls chasing after him during those weeks, which of course annoys the hell out of some of the Red clansmen.
"Uhhh…doesn't it usually take you a few weeks to lose all that weight? How the fuck did you manage to lose the weight in just a few minutes?"
"Hmmmm, who knows?" Rikio said while giving a seductive wink to some of the female inn workers at the cooking station. "Don't worry though Yata-san, I'll make sure to protect you."
For some reason, Saruhiko became very irked by the summer-version Kanamoto. Not only did his appearance change, but he somehow became more of a refined gentleman.
The two teams stood within their assigned areas of the field, ready for action. Upon the first sound of the whistle, Kusanagi took the initiative and threw his ball towards the vanguard of HOMRA. Misaki made a skillful dodge to the side, but as he tried to dodge the second ball thrown at him by Kukuri, he lost his balance and began to fall over.
"Whoa there Yata-san, are you alright?" Kanamoto had caught the crow in his arms.
Misaki smiled as he said, "Yeah, thanks Kanamoto."
Suddenly, a ball that must have traveled at least 100mph went straight at the two, causing them to split apart quickly. As they turned their attention back to the enemy team's side, they saw a certain Blue clansman looking absolutely furious.
"Oi, you shitty monkey! Are we really going to play it this way?"
The thought of another man touching his Misaki that close made his blood boil like fiery hot lava—ESPECIALLY since the man was taller and more charming than he was. Fushimi clicked his tongue. "Are you afraid, Mi-Sa-Kiiii? You can surrender at any time, you know." A twisted grin appeared on the blue-eyed man's face.
"SHUT UP! You're going down!"
Six balls had suddenly looked like sixty as they were tossed quickly back and forth. With cat-like reflexes, Neko dodged all of the balls being thrown at her with little difficulty.
"Wow, Wagahai-chan! You're really good at this!" Kukuri said to her fellow teammate.
"It's 'cause I'm a cat!"
"It's really true though, Neko. It looks like you're working hard. I'm proud of you," Shiro said with a gentle smile.
"I love when Shiro tells Neko how much he cares for Neko!" the Cat Girl called out happily as she suddenly jumped across the field to hug her arms right around Isana's neck.
"…Neko. You know you just broke a rule by coming over here right?" Kuro was shaking his head in disapproval.
Shouhei quickly blew his whistle and shouted out, "Neko-san is out! Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already' is down by one member!"
"Ahhhh! I didn't even get to use my super sure-kill technique!" Neko jumped off the field to where the onlookers were sitting.
Continuing on with the match, the blonde woman of Scepter 4 jumped into the air to spike down balls at her opponents. Being the well-endowed woman that she was, the Red and Blue clansmen couldn't help but to cheer whenever she leapt, as her heaving bosom would soon jiggle and follow after her.
"Dude, your superior has an amazing rack on her," Chitose said as he nudged Domyouji. "Do you know what her three sizes are?"
"Haha, none of us ever had the courage to ask her or find out. You can see how she acts normally," the green-eyed Scepter 4 member replied.
"You should see her when in a bathing suit!" Fuse chimed in, recalling the Scepter 4 beach day event.
Suddenly, two balls whizzed right by Chitose's head and smacked into both Domyouji and Fuse's faces. The two both got knocked back upon the contact. "I'd appreciate it if you'd stop sexually harassing me." Seri's expression was colder than a blizzard at the North Pole.
"Ummm…Seri-chan, you're supposed to hit the people in the game, not on the sidelines," the blond bartender of HOMRA teased. "This is why you're always going to be the Heartless Wo—gwah!"
A third ball smashed directly into Kusanagi's face, making his purple glasses fly off in the process.
"Shut up. I told you to stop calling me that name," Awashima said as she began cracking her knuckles.
"Kusanagi-san is out! Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already' is now down by two members!
"Tch, why do I have to be stuck on the team with idiots," Fushimi muttered to himself.
Before they knew it, Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already' had already lost another player, as Kukuri wasn't able to dodge Yata's attack.
"Hey Yata! You're a jerk for throwing a ball at a girl!" one of the Red clansmen called out.
"Seriously, Yata-san. You don't know how to treat a woman at all!"
"This is why you're going to be a virgin forever!"
Misaki's tightly clenched fists shook as he began to shout, "SHUT THE FUCK UP! THIS IS HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO PLAY THE GAME!"
The crow tried to throw the ball at Saruhiko, but his aim was completely off as his anger made him lose concentration. His eyes opened wide as it flew straight towards Anna.
"Anna! Watch out!" Misaki cried, not wanting the little strain girl to get injured.
Inches before the ball hit her face, a hand suddenly stretched out and caught the ball. Anna slowly looked up and saw Mikoto beside her. Without saying a word, the Red King remained expressionless until he finally threw the ball with all his might.
It was like seeing a bullet flying through the air. Unable to react, Shiro realized that he was in direct line of the ball. The ball smashed against the Silver King's chest with a loud sound that echoed throughout the entire campsite. The Silver clansmen could do nothing but watch in horror as their king was flung at least ten feet into the air before landing on the ground. A medical time-out was called as Isana laid completely still upon the grass.
"Shiro! Are you okay, nya?" Neko quickly ran over beside the Silver King.
"Oi! Are you still alive?" Kuro asked.
Wincing in pain, Shiro slowly opened his eyes and looked up at his two clansmen, who had worried expressions on their faces. With a little laugh he managed to choke out, "Don't worry. I am the Immortal King after all…" From there, the Silver King went to the land of unconsciousness.
"Shirrrooooo!"
His body was moved over to a bench to allow him to rest. "Silver King is out! Team Virgin Maiden's Heart still leads by two!" Akagi shouted.
Continuing on, Mikoto had a fierce look on his face as he gazed towards Kanamoto's direction.
"Oi Kanamoto! Get ready to dodge soo—" Misaki gasped out.
Somehow, Rikio was standing there as his plump-old self again. He was standing in the field eating a plate of beef, with food stains all over his shirt.
Not even bothering to try to help Kanamoto, the rest of the team simply stood there and watched the ball smash right into Rikio's belly. Even the cushioning of his fat was no match for Suoh's fury, as he and his plate of food were flung away into the air.
"Kanamoto-san is out! Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already' is only one down!"
"I would not be able to live without shame if I could not take revenge for my king." Yatogami's normally calm face had a look of anger. "Shiro, by the honor of my blade, Meitou Kotowari, I will avenge—gwah!"
The next thing Yata saw was the Black Dog being blasted away, landing right beside his king.
"OI! KURO INU!" Yata shouted out. Yatogami had also been knocked unconscious, as the ball hit him square on the chin.
"Yatogami-san is out! Teams are now even!"
"T-T-TIME OUT!" Awashima cried out.
The three remaining members of Team Virgin Maiden's Heart huddled together. Mikoto was a deadly match-up, and they would need to find a way to stop those attacks. "Hey Blue King! You've been just standing there doing nothing since the beginning of the match! Can't you do something already? Is this all that the Blue clan amounts to?" Misaki barked.
"Quiet, Yatagarasu. The Captain has probably been trying to calculate a perfect strategy for us," Seri said coolly.
"And when is that going to be!? Next week from now? Don't fuck with me!"
"Yata-kun, fear not. For I have finished formulating my plan. We will keep all eyes and ears on the task ahead of us to claim victory. I shall take care of Suoh myself." The Blue King placed a reassuring hand on Misaki's shoulder and smiled.
"Alright! Your time is up Team Virgin Maiden's Heart. Please continue with the game!" Shouhei informed the trio.
For the first time in the game, Munakata moved from his original position and stood right up front. "Here we are again, standing face-to-face, Suoh."
The Red King remained expressionless as he stared blankly at the violet-eyed man in front of him. Reisi continued on, "I had hoped for a time where the two of us would be standing side-by-side in battle, but I guess fate has a funny way to keep us apart. If a King destroys the balance and causes violence against the innocent, it is the duty of another King to bring justice to those who had fallen. Therefore, I am ready to come at you with all that I have. Do you have anything to say before I begin?"
"…I'm tired. I'm going to nap."
"Eh?" Everyone stared at the Red King, completed mystified by what he had just said during the heat of battle.
"Sorry Anna, I won't be able to show you that beautiful red (in game on the field) anymore," Mikoto said as he walked over to a shady spot under a tree and began to nap.
"MIKOTOOOOOO!" Anna cried out with her little fists clenched. "…Okay. That's fine." The blank look on her face returned as she followed him off the field and curled up beside him.
Everyone stood there quietly for a minute. The gentle breeze rustled through the leaves on the trees, creating a very peaceful atmosphere.
"Uhhh…" Akagi was the first to talk. "I guess Mikoto-san and Anna-chan are out. Fushimi is the only one left for Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already.'"
"Tch, seriously why was everyone on my team so worthless."
Saruhiko clicked his tongue as he stood in front of his two superiors and Misaki.
"Hmmm? Fushimi, if you'd like to step down now while you can still maintain your dignity, I won't mind." Seri had a smug look on her face.
Suddenly, the second-in-command felt a hand upon her shoulder. "Awashima-kun."
"Yes, sir?" Seri replied.
"As a man of honor and equality, I believe that the two of us should step out of this fight. Both Suoh and the strain girl have removed themselves from the game—not through the playing of the sport, but due to personal circumstances. We should leave our trust in Yata-kun to carry our team to victory the honorable way." Munakata wouldn't feel satisfied if he had some sort of unfair advantage in the game. A game was only fun if he earned that victory fair and square.
"Alright, I understand. Yatagarasu, you heard the Blue King. We will entrust this victory to you."
Both Seri and Reisi walked off the field and stood by their fellow clan members.
"Ummm…okay well this no longer feels like a game of dodgeball, but more like some sort old-fashioned samurai battle or something…but anyway! Both the Blue King and Awashima-san are out! Only Yata-san and Fushimi are left!"
The two stared into each other's eyes.
"Oi Saru, it's just down to you and me. I hope you've already said your prayers." Ball in hand, Yata was ready to go on the offensive. There was a fiery glow in the crow's eyes.
Saruhiko approached the line closer so the two were pretty much only a few feet apart from each other. "…Misaki?"
"What is it?"
"…Don't look to your right but for some reason there is a naked woman standing there."
Yata instantly turned a deep red color as he covered his eyes and ducked down. "Kyaaaa! T-t-t-that's not something that should be looked upon by a man's eyes so easily!"
Misaki could feel a soft thump on his head as a ball was dropped directly above it. Yata looked up and saw Saruhiko above him with his token smirk on his face.
"Just kidding, idiot. Looks like I win the game."
The entire crowd stood there in silence with a dead expression on their faces.
"…Fushimi just won by using cheap tactics, right?"
"Going after Yata-san's weakness…he really is a despicable guy."
"Wow…there really is nothing likeable about him."
"What horrible sportsmanship—even after Captain and Lieutenant stepped out of the game to make it even."
"I'm glad he left HOMRA for Scepter 4. We don't have to deal with his poor attitude anymore."
Realizing that refereeing for a match as intense and stressful as this one was more than he could handle, Akagi finally let out a deep sigh as he concluded, "Yata-san is out. Team 'Shut Up and Play the Game Already' wins…"