A/N: I'm sorry for the late update. This week was particularly hectic for me. I had interviews, appointments, concerts and examinations pilled up from one day to another. But here finally the chapter 47 for you.

Sorry for the lateness, thank you for your patience and enjoy the reading!

From last time

"Wha… What do you mean… Yukimura-senpai…? Trans… Transferring…? N-now…?"

"Genhoujii is aware that they cannot win against us because we have Yukimura. The only way to ensure their victory is to have Yukimura on their team."

"Yukimura is being coerced to win the National for Genhoujii or his family business will really fall into bankruptcy."

"Here I go, Echizen-chan!"

Jirou threw the ball and served, immediately running to the net.

'Damn it! He's already at the net!'

Ryoma sent back his ball in a lob. He had gotten her to lob.

'Just what I want!' Jirou thought. He jumped and…

Smash!

'No way am I going to let you, Jirou-senpai!'

Ryoma replied to the smash. Body bent. Racket swift from the left shoulder to the right. 180 degree turn. Centrifuge force on the right knee. And arm spread out to send the ball from behind the back. From the sweet spot of her racket, the ball lobbed high in the air, out of the reach of Jirou, and landed behind him on the baseline.

". . ."

Silence.

No one on the court made a sound. They all looked at her, gaping.

"Hi… Hi…" Momoshiro stuttered.

"Higuma…" Kaido gasped.

"…Otoshi…" Hiyoshi trailed.

"Higuma Otoshiiii?" Gakuto exclaimed.

"Higuma Otoshi!"

"That's Higuma Otoshi!"

"And Moon Volley too!"

"Fujiko, Ochibi-chan did your Higuma Otoshi! And the landing of the ball on the baseline is exactly like Ooishi's Moon Volley!" Kikumaru said, excitedly astonished.

"It's a very interesting combination, Higuma Otoshi and Moon Volley," Inui mumbled as he scribbled down in his notesbook.

But that wasn't all. Ryoma still had other surprises up her sleeves. Ryoma returned Jirou's ball and faced him at the net.

"Hey! That's the stance of Zero-Shiki Drop Shot!" Kirihara said.

Indeed, Ryoma hit a Shiki Drop Shot.

"Jirou is in front. He can return the Shiki," Oshitari commented.

But the later portion of the Shiki wasn't anything like a Shiki. Everybody watched her ball. It was as if the ball was walking in the air to the net. It made a cord ball… and ran on the net from the right to the left before rolling down the net on Jirou's court side. It was impossible to return the ball without touching the net.

". . ."

Silence reigned again.

"Zero…" Kaido started.

"Shiki…" Kawamura said.

"Drop Shot…" Ootori completed.

"A perfect one this time, compare to her first attempt…" Inui said.

"And… Tightrope Walking…" Marui stuttered.

"A combination of Zero Shiki and Tightrope Walking…" Yanagi said.

"Game and set. 6-4. Echizen Ryoma," the referee called.

But Ryoma wasn't happy. Her arms slumped against her body if front of her. She turned on her feet and left the court alone, not saying a word.

'Echizen-chan…' Jirou thought, worried.

Kirihara tried to run after her but Fuji caught him by his shoulder.

"Kirihara!" Fuji called, stopping him.

"But Fuji-senpai, she…" Kirihara said.

"No," Fuji said firmly, shaking his head. "I know how you feel Kirihara, but she wants to be alone right now."

"How can you know that, senpai?" Kirihara asked.

"I cannot explain how… I just know…" Fuji simply said, his eyes fixed on Ryoma's back. "But for now, just grant her her wish, Kirihara."

". . ." Kirihara turned his eyes to Ryoma's retreating form, watching her in silence. "Hai…"

On the way back from school, in his private car.

Yagyuu took out his cellphone and flipped it open.

"Ryuu, it's me," Yagyuu said.

Ryoga watched Ryoma in silence. Worried. Very worried. Especially after Yagyuu's call.

The girl was in the back yard, standing in front of a tree. Ryoga could no longer tell how long she had stood there, fixing her gaze on the trunk without blinking once. The tension surrounding her, her closed fists, her immobility - everything screamed out the raging and boiling turmoil currently inside her. But what worried Ryoga the most was that she had not punch the tree yet.

Ryoga wasn't the only one who was worried. Everyone in the house could feel the anger Ryoma was emitting. Nanjirou wasn't reading his newspaper. Rinko wasn't chopping the vegetables nor stirring the miso soup. Nanako stopped setting the table. And Karupin. Karupin wanted to run to her and comfort her, but he also knew that his mistress wanted to be left alone for now. No one made a move nor a sound. They all looked at the silent girl outside, extremely worried.

Ryoma still hadn't move and the unsafe aura around her grew darker and thicker.

'She must releases out her anger now!' Ryoga thought. 'She can't keep it inside and nourish it like this!'

Ryoga took her racket when someone held out his for him to take.

"Oyajii…" Ryoga trailed, his gaze explaining more than his words could.

Nanjirou simply nodded, still looking at Ryoma but not saying a word. Ryoga took his racket from Nanjirou's hand and carried the two rackets outside.

"Chibisuke!" Ryoga called, throwing her racket to her.

By reflex, Ryoma turned around just in time to catch it with her left hand, surprised.

"?"

'W-what…?'

Ryoma blinked, watching Ryoga who was walking to the tennis court. Without saying a word, Ryoga took out a ball. He bounced it repeatedly, eyes fixed on Ryoma.

"What do you…?" Ryoma asked.

Ryoga still glared at her, not blinking while still bouncing his ball. Then he stopped bouncing it. Ball in hand, he took the pose of a server, eyes still fixed on her. Ryoma went to the other end of the court and took the position and pose of a receiver. Ryoga served.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

A No-touch-ace Twist Serve.

"Ah!" Ryoma yelped, caught by surprised.

"15-love. Ryoga," Nanjirou called as he took the position of a referee.

'He is really playing seriously!' Ryoma thought.

Ryoga took out another ball and served again. This time, Ryoma didn't let him make another No-touch-ace Serve. She responded.

"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh!"

She replied by putting all her anger in the shot. Just like Ryoga and Nanjirou hadhoped she would. Just like they wanted her to do.

That night.

Rinko silently opened Ryoma's door. Silently again, she walked to Ryoma's bed and sat on it, watching her daughter's sleeping face.

'Ryoma…'

She caressed Ryoma's face, moving her hair from her forehead. Today, Ryoma didn't eat a lot like she used to do. And she didn't talk during supper. It had been like this for two days now. Rinko was worried.

"Don't worry," Nanjirou whispered. He was standing next to her. He had seen Rinko going in Ryoma's room and had decided to follow her. "She'll pull through it. She is not an Echizen for nothing. She is our daughter after all. She has your blood and mine in her."

Rinko nodded. She bent down and tenderly kissed Ryoma on her forehead.

'Sleep well, my little girl.'

"Watch over her sleep, Karupin," Rinko whispered to the cat next to Ryoma's pillow.

"Meow…" Karupin answered, earning a scratch behind the ears from Rinko.

With one last glance to Ryoma, Rinko and Nanjirou left Ryoma's room.

Germany. Night time. In Tezuka's room.

Tezuka read the email Ooishi sent him. Ooishi often diligently gave reports to him regarding about everything in the tennis club, and particularly about Seigaku: what did they do, who and how progressed what as well as also giving him news about people in Hyotei and Rikkaidai. Tezuka knew about Yukimura's transfer. Ooishi told him from the very first day. Today, Ooishi wrote him a very, very long, long mail, saying a lot on the mood - heavy - of everyone. Tezuka fixed the screen, his face impassive like always. Yet, in his head, he was worried, very worried for everyone.

'Minna (1)…'

He just read a passage about Ryoma. Ooishi particularly emphasized on her change of behaviour. Tezuka became especially worried for her. She was his most inexperienced subordinate. From Ooishi's email, she was likely the one who was the most disturbed by Yukimura's transfer. And his absence certainly didn't help her.

'Tezuka, since your departure, Echizen has thoroughly held her responsibilities as the Pillar of Seigaku. You can be proud of her. She made a lot of progress. Today, she perfected the Zero Shiki Drop Shot, exactly like yours. Inui said that she had corrected her prior mistake of making it 30 cm too high on her first attempt. She even recreated my Moon Volley, Fuji's Higuma Otoshi and Marui's Tightrope Walking. She makes everyone want to become stronger because she grows so fast. She's really a wonderful Pillar. Not only has she made Seigaku members want to become stronger, she's also made Hyotei and Rikkaidai want to grow stronger too. Now, she is not only Seigaku's Pillar, but she also became Seiyou tennis club's Pillar. Tezuka, I'm so proud of her. We are all proud of her. However, she is taking too much burden on her shoulders. She is still our youngest one in the team. Up until now, she was doing fine. But with what happened to Yukimura, she…'

Ooishi didn't finish the last sentence, but Tezuka could tell what Ooishi meant.

Tezuka fixed his eyes on one sentence.

'…she is taking too much burden on her shoulders…'

'Echizen…' Tezuka thought.

A small window popped up on his screen.

'You have a new message,' it said.

It was from Yukimura.

1) minna: everyone.