(I don't own Prince of Tennis!)

Chapter 7 – The King of Hyotei versus the Queen of Diamonds

"Wow, I never knew I would live to see the day." Ayane watched her captain suit up while Atobe was waiting on the court with his usual arrogant smirk.

Silently picking up her racquet, Shizuru walked towards the court with her usual faint smile. Her hair, tied up in a pony tail, flowed gently with the wind and everyone could already feel the intensity of the match and it hadn't even started yet. Shizuru too knew what to expect from Atobe. If it's something he has more than her then, it's something that people call 'experience'. She had heard many things about Atobe's prowess about beating many people who believed to be beyond his calibre. She was happy; she was always looking for people who were stronger than her and Atobe fit in that category.

"Thank you for playing this match with me," Shizuru bowed politely. "Atobe-senpai."

Atobe flipped his hair back. "Just think of this as a gift from ore-sama, Kurenai. Begin your service."

Gently bouncing the ball, Shizuru watched Atobe move from one side to another. He was waiting for her service and she knew that she can't keep him waiting. "Here I come, Atobe-senpai!"

The ball sped fast from her racquet and Atobe returned it with a Jack Knife while Shizuru managed to return it with a singe handed backhand.

"Wow, so cool~! Shizu-nee and mole diva are really duking it out!" Kiyone jumped up and down.

Haruka sighed while raising an eyebrow at the smaller girl. "Kiyone, how come you keep doing that?"

"Keep doing what," Kiyone gave her wide crystal eyes.

Haruka gently chided the younger girl, making sure she wouldn't spring a leak. "Kiyone, you have to remember names. You can't keep giving nicknames to people - especially those who are not that close. They may not appreciate it."

Kiyone pouted while folding her arms. "But I wanna! Why are you - mpf!"

Whipping around, Haruka stared aghast at Momo who was standing behind her after shoving a sweet bun into Kiyone's mouth. "Momo, why did you do that! You could've given her indigestion!"

Momo shrugged nonchalantly. "Well, she was about to spring a leak."

"I'm glad that I told my mom I'm coming home late," Ayane looked at her watch, "if I didn't, I'm skewered and I'm chicken yakitori before I know it."

Oshitari smirked while Shizuru gave Atobe a run for his money. "Naturally, I thought Naomi would have picked one of the upcoming seniors but instead she got her. She only became captain at the start of the year. Naomi-senpai handed it to her before she graduated and even announced it to the school body. I understand why though – she's powerful in tennis, she has the whole team backing her up and not to mention that she has a very good sense of judgement. But, how does she managed to do that will all that pressure? There will come a time that she will be forced to let someone carry her burden with her..."

Oh yeah, what makes you think she'll let you?

Oshitari let out a sigh; he realized that Shizuru doesn't get the signals of when a guy wanted her for other implications. Shizuru's mind was solely focused on her studies, tennis and some other things but she considered other things such as romance as not important. The first thing he remembered about her however was how blunt she was towards Atobe; that was a killer punch to the boy's ego. He remembered meeting her back in second year when she newly arrived as a first year with Mai.

(Flashback)

"Hey, Mai-chan, are you going to join the tennis team this year? I heard they have three open slots!" A brunette whispered to a red haired girl excitedly.

Shrugging, the red haired girl watched the girl's team play. "Yeah, I think these guys need to know how to play real good tennis! The tennis they're playing now won't even get them to the Nationals!"

"Arn~, ore-sama didn't know that first years were allowed at this area." A deep and arrogant voice spoke to them.

The two raised their heads at an icy eyed boy who had a taller boy walking behind him and a bespectacled second year walking next to him. "I didn't see a sign anywhere," Mai retorted fiercely.

"Well, we're not exactly scolding you. You didn't have to raise your voice like that." The bespectacled boy spoke calmly to her.

Mai was about to slug him until the brunette stood in front of him with a stoic look. "I'm sorry," –her voice was very soft yet polite, "please excuse us for coming here, we were on our way to our classroom and we kind of got lost. We also heard tennis balls being hit and we thought it was okay for us to take a peek."

"But Shizuru, we can't let them talk down to us!" Mai was aghast at what the brunette had done.

Shizuru turned towards the red head. "I know you're not the type to take things lying down but Mai, I don't think we should have been here in the first place. I think its best that we leave now."

The boy tossed his head up with a haughty laugh. "Yes, you should both know when to follow ore-sama!"

"I wasn't exactly following you." Shizuru whispered in a low voice.

The boy stood there aghast and he glowered at her. "Do you know who I am?"

Shizuru nudged Mai. "D-D-Do you know who he is, Mai?"

"Don't know; I've never seen him among the hallways. I think he's just a walking statue that the people made in the Science Lab." The first year girl snickered at her brunette friend.

Holding in his laughter, the bespectacled boy couldn't tell whether or not Atobe was going to lash out the brunette or maybe even faint but the latter did otherwise. "I am Atobe Keigo. Learn to remember that name because ore-sama is the king of Hyotei."

"You're the King of Hyotei?" Mai stared at him incredulously. "I don't remember this school going monarchical. Did they announce this awhile ago, Shizu-shizu?"

Shizuru shook her head timidly. "I-I-I don't think they said anything about Atobe-san being king."

"And I don't remember being told to lick his shoes and listen to his every command!" Mai hissed at the boy.

Atobe however remained calm during the entire situation. "It would have been nice though. A first year and a girl to boot licking ore-sama's…"

Oshitari put his hand in front of Atobe. "I'm sorry. My friend tends to be a little arrogant sometimes. But – I don't think you're causing any commotion here so, you guys better run off."

Shizuru bowed politely. "Thank you, um…"

"Oshitari," the blue haired bespectacled kansai boy extended his hand, "Oshitari Yuushi. What's your name?"

The girl had a cheerful smile on her face while she shook his hand. "I'm Kurenai. Kurenai Shizuru,hajimemashite dozo yoroshiku!"

(End of Flashback)

Oshitari laughed at that memory because he saw Atobe lose his composure in front of her. Shizuru could be a little blunt sometimes but she always spoke the truth when it came to opinions. Its no wonder how the girl brought the team to the top. Naomi was the captain when Shizuru newly entered the tennis team and the girl was already phenomenal when she entered the team and most of the regulars were ashamed to lose to her. The one whom she had taken down first was Hikifumi Haruka, the girl was second year at that time and she was in no mood to give up her position and then, there was also Nagisaki Mai, the prodigy of their group. No one had ever displaced Sanada Momo until she came. These two were the storms of the first year batch; to think they were only from Ohtori and Hiyoshi's batch.

He never realized that the girl, which he had once thought that she was nothing more but a new student, was now one of the most talented female tennis players in Hyotei or maybe in the whole Kantou region. Not only that – the girl was a man magnet and his kohai to boot. Oshitari watched her begin the attack against Atobe and made sure he had no way of retaliating.

"Kurenai Shizuru, second year student of Hyotei and one of the most phenomenal players in Japan has now created the biggest turning point in female tennis history. How she does it is simply beyond me."

Shizuru always gave it her all; no matter who her opponent was, she didn't waste time toying with them.

"There it is, the Gliding Dragonfly!" (Subera Kagerou)

The ball had rolled towards the net with a sharp curve and Atobe didn't bother returning it anymore, "15 - Love!"

Flipping his hair back, the king of Hyotei hid his fear of facing Shizuru's techniques. "That wasn't so bad now, arn~? Ore-sama likes it when his opponents don't hold back."

Readying her service once more, Shizuru didn't change in expression. "I won't hold back anymore, Atobe-senpai. I don't like putting too little of my ability either."

The service flew again and Atobe returned it with his version of the Jack Knife. "You may be able to return Ayane's Jack Knife but do you think you can return ore-sama's technique?"

Side-stepping, Shizuru moved back and the shot with much ease. "I don't think your technique will be much of a problem. Most likely – I will be able to return all your shots anyway."

The Jack Knife flew towards Atobe again who in return blocked it with a forehand while Shizuru began volleying. Running towards one side, the icy eyed teen volleyed it to Shizuru's left side but a forehand flew past him but he was able to return it again. Atobe couldn't believe that someone who was a year his junior was actually giving him a run for his money and she was a girl. Echizen Ryoma was pretty understandable; he didn't want to lose though to any of them. He was king and he wasn't going to sit there and let them take over! "Ore-sama will not be defeated by someone like you, Kurenai!"

Shizuru had no intention of losing either. "I don't plan to let you win either, Atobe-senpai. I always take my games seriously."

A one handed backhand flew towards the left line which Atobe lobbed into the air by accident. "There it is! It's a chance ball!"

"Take the shot, buchou!" Ayane watched her captain jump high into the air and gracefully send it down.

However, the ball had flown high into the air heading towards the baseline.

"Is that what I think it is," Mai stared agape at what Atobe had done.

"The Higuma Otoshi," Oshitari turned away, "how did he pick it up so fast? Did I really use it that much?"

Gakuto watched Atobe smirk at Shizuru. "Geez, he actually did the Higuma Otoshi. Is it that easy to do or is it just me?"

Shishido gave him a droll stare. "It's just you. Besides, the only ones who can do it are Fuji, Oshitari and now, Atobe."

"Don't forget cherry head," Hiyoshi muttered in annoyance. "She does have a brain there somewhere."

Mai's amber orbs glowered at the mushroom shape headed boy. "Watch it, you baka. You're not going to know what hit you if you keep that up!"

Kiyone watched Shizuru fire another forehand right down the line. "She's not going to let Atobe-senpai win now is she?"

"If she did," Haruka shook her head with a placid smile, "she'd regret it and run even more laps than the last time. She usually triples her training whenever she finds someone stronger than her."

Rin watched Shizuru pull other techniques that seemed to be impossible. "She is someone whom we all strive to beat. She will be the one to lead us to the Nationals."

Atobe fired another backhand towards Shizuru who returned it with the same technique she used before. "Subera Kagerou…"

"30 - 15," Atobe was already heavily breathing. No girl had pushed him this far before let alone no one had pushed him this way except a few people like Sanada and Tezuka. "This girl is beyond Sanada's level, she's a perfect opponent to keep training against. It seems that Naomi-senpai has a good sense of precognition then."

"You seem to be holding back, Atobe-senpai." Shizuru's mouth twitched into a smirk. "I don't like it when my opponent does that. Please go full out or you will let Kobayagi-san have the pleasure of laughing in your face."

Those words seemed to hit home because the moment Shizuru's next serve came, Atobe got on the offensive right away. He fired a heavy backhand towards her and Shizuru was left with no choice but to lob it. "Here it comes!"

Atobe smirked at the younger captain, "Ore-sama no bigi ni yoina, Kurenai!"

Hitomi watched Atobe's icy blue eyes follow the ball to Shizuru's wrist. "Hamutsu e no Rondo, the unbelievable smash that targets the opponent's wrist is going to be used here and now? Every move has its weaknesses, Atobe-san. The one problem is that you're up in the air and if it's returned straight down - you won't have time. Another is when..."

The moment he let out the smash, Shizuru was fast enough to lower her racquet to avoid her wrist from getting hit and with a flick, she sliced down the ball despite its heaviness. After smacking the top of the net, the ball leapt over forcing Atobe to move closer and volley it and this time, Shizuru was prepared. "I'm not going to let you get past me, Atobe-senpai. I am the Queen of the Tennis team and I will maintain my place."

The Subera Kagerou once again made its appearance and Atobe found the ball rolling towards the net. "So, you're also holding back as well, Kurenai?"

Everyone gaped at what Atobe was saying. "What do you mean she's holding back? You're just bluffing!"

Mai's grip on the fence tightened. "She's not using 'it' yet. I remember seeing her use that move against Souma in the finals."

"What move are you talking about?" Kiyone turned to the red haired tensai.

Mai bit her lip while Shizuru picked up the ball and prepared for her service. "Shizuru has a move that no one has ever beaten. Problem is – it's been sealed up for almost two years now. I don't know if her body can still handle it. If you thought Shishido-senpai and I were fast, wait til you watch her get serious. It takes a heavy load out of her legs though."

Isane somehow knew what Mai was talking about. "Was it the Tsuuro…?"

"Yeah, that's right. The famous move that no girl has ever broken before," Mai gulped upon the memory, "but Shizuru nearly destroyed her chances of walking because of that move. Only that Souma girl from Seigaku was the only one who made her bring it out. Not even Yukimura's sister can force out that technique from her. I call it her last resort because it's rarely seen but with the way this is going, Atobe-san's going to make her bring it out soon."

"It's amazing how you can still run like that, Kurenai," Atobe fired another shot towards her aiming for the corner, "despite the injury you had in your knee, it doesn't bother you the way it normally would. The only thing intact are your morals, you remind ore-sama of someone he knows. But I don't think your team wants you to strain too much now do they?"

Shizuru ignored what he was saying and pulled out another fast one. "I'm sorry but, my health is secondary to the team. My main concern is making sure they fulfill their promises to their senpai and also taking them to the Nationals. That is their dream and I will make the team's dream a reality."

Atobe watched the next shot fly in next to him. "Game, Kurenai: One game to love!"

Oshitari had a smirk plastered on his face. "Well, she's going all out. She won't hold back on Atobe, that's for sure."

Kiyone began whistling. "Take down, mole diva, buchou!"

Ayane punched the air. "Show him what it means to be Queen of Hyotei!"

Ignoring the sounds in the air, Shizuru kept her eyes on the yellow ball that made its way across the net each time. Because of the speed, the rally was no longer seen and the only thing evident was the rippling of the net. The two were running around but the ball had disappeared instantly and the audience could only hear the hollow sounds of the ball leaving the racquet.

"They're playing that fast?" Gakuto swore that his jaw hit the ground.

Hiyoshi stared in shock. "Gekokujou…"

Shishido saw Shizuru's speed increase bit by bit. "Hand it to him, Shizuru-chan!"

Ohtori kept exchanging glances. "I don't know who to root for! They're both equally good and I don't know where to start!"

Jirou was snoring peacefully on Kabaji's back while Taki was taking down data through a video camera. "This is something we have to record! We might need this for future reference!"

Her footwork was extraordinary in the eyes of others but to Oshitari, the skills were simply breathtaking. He felt his body freeze the moment she got very intense in the game and Atobe was also giving the latter a good run. "Her tennis is basically on another level - the only one who I can name from Seigaku who's strong enough to fight her is Souma Fuuka."

"Yeah then we can't forget Rikkai Dai too," Hiyoshi managed to mutter.

Shishido bit his lip. "Yeah - if we thought she was scary, what more Souma Fuuka? That girl gives a whole new meaning to brutal."

Ohtori held back his fear with a gulp. "I don't think I want to know what happens when they face each other."

Haruka tapped Isane's shoulder. "Did anyone notice that he has short hair now?"

"His hair is cut like that because he wanted to get back on the team and because the coach wanted proof, Shishido-san cut his own hair." Isane remarked ruefully. "But, it does suit him more that his hair is short at the same time – it's a lot more sensible."

Hitomi began scanning her notes. "You're only saying that because you like him, Isane-chan."

The taller senior blushed madly in front of the data girl. "N-no, you guys! You have it all wrong! He was ranting about it the other time and he's just my classmate, that's all!"

"As if," Haruka snickered to her doubles partner.

Rin couldn't help but snicker as well, "Isa-chan, face it - you're always in denial."

Atobe began his service which exploded from his racquet and nearly knocked out Shizuru's racquet if not for her idea of throwing her body weight instead. The shot flimsily flew over the net and Atobe volleyed her straight out, "15 – love!"

Smirking at the score, Atobe raised his hand with a snap, "Ore-sama no bigi ni yoina!"

The tennis team members (mostly girls from the club) were squealing at the sight of Atobe while the boys from the Hyotei tennis club were drooling at the sight of Shizuru. "Ahem," she cleared her throat.

The whole crowd became silent and Ayane shrugged. "That's buchou's power alright. Nothing's going to…"

Mai watched Shizuru raise her hand, smirking. "You guys don't know her the way I do..."

Shizuru had her own line with her faint smile. "I will show you… what it means to dance amongst the diamonds."

It was a huge uproar; the whole crowd broke into a wild frenzy and including the boys chanting. "Shousha Kurenai! Shousha Kurenai! Shousha Kurenai!"

Atobe couldn't believe that Shizuru managed to command them with a snap of her fingers. "Arn~, and ore-sama thought you weren't the power tripping type."

"Drastic times call for drastic measures," Shizuru readied herself for Atobe's service again.

Ayane shook her head, waving her hands into the air frantically. "God, biologists should be here to take this down! It's a new virus called the "Narcisstic Virus"! The ones with the antibodies are Atobe and that brat from Seigaku and not only that - it's contagious! Once hit, you will become a crazy narcisstic zombie!"

Rin gulped while hiding behind Haruka who face palmed. "Th-there's no cure yet, kuwee?"

Kiyone grinned while punching the air. "Hey, this reminds me of the Resident Evil Saga!"

Everyone stared at her. "What the hell was that about?"

Rin continued to shiver. "What are we gonna do now?"

Haruka sighed while trying to explain it to the two. "Nothing because there is no such thing!"

Exchanging glances with each other, the team knew that there were not many people who were better than their current captain except maybe some from the boys' rankings. "If you're talking only girls," Hitomi checked her notebook, "she has several threats which are known as the Grand Four: Seigaku's Souma Fuuka, Rikkai Dai's Yukimura Ai, Shitenhouji's Amakusa Natsuki and Jyosei Shounan's Hoshimura Florence. All together, they're known as the Grand Five. If you're talking about the whole of Japan, there are several: Yukimura Seiichi, Sanada Genichirou, Tezuka Kunimitsu and most likely, Atobe Keigo if he trains well enough."

Shizuru continued to rally him endlessly aiming for the corners of the singles court. Returning her shot, Atobe had a sly smirk on his face while firing a forehand cross court towards the left side. "You're aiming for the corners now are you? You're a little naughty for that, Kurenai."

"Strategy is the key to winning, Atobe-senpai. The funny thing is – you're the one who told me that." Shizuru returned his forehand with a top spin that clipped the net.

Atobe missed it by a few inches. "Arn~, then ore-sama is glad that you learned something from him."

"15 all," Shizuru lowered her stance to receive Atobe's service again, "if you don't pull yourself together now then, I think I will have the pleasure of beating you, Atobe-senpai."

Twitching at the second year's goad, Atobe tossed the ball high up into the air. "You just wait and see, Kurenai – ore-sama will have this match."

Gakuto saw the rally resume again. "Wow, how long with this match last?"

"It's a matter of will and endurance," Oshitari adjusted his glasses a little, "because in terms of skill – they're equal right now."

Kiyone had a smirk. "He's gonna get hurt," she squealed in a sing song voice.

Rin saw Atobe score a Jack Knife down the line. "Well, she's just toying with him now. She's dancing with him but I think she'll be the leader when this is over."

Isane watched Shizuru take back a point from Atobe. "Yeah, that's our buchou after all. The new Queen of Diamonds, Kurenai Shizuru has officially taken over Hyotei."

"Not just Hyotei Gakuen," Mai had a snicker, "but the entire Kantou region with her tennis skills."

Shizuru jumped high into the air to bring down a smash right next to the Hyotei King, "30 – 40!"

Landing gracefully, she brushed her hair back and resumed to returning to the baseline with a faint smile. "Atobe-san, please play more seriously. I like playing against opponents who really give me their all."

However, the way she looked at him said a few words and that's all she wanted to say.

You better give your all or I will humiliate you on the court.

Atobe didn't seem the least bit intimidated while sent the next serve towards Shizuru. "Ore-sama will win this game, Kurenai. Remember that."

Shizuru fired another under spin towards Atobe. "Au contraíre, Atobe-senpai, I think this game is tilting more in my favour."

Oshitari saw the intense rally between the two captains and none seemed to be letting off. Watching the sweat pour down both their faces, Oshitari found it hard to tell which one would win but his eyes were more on Shizuru. He recalled the time where Ohtori had to give her a piggyback ride because she pushed her legs beyond their normal limit. Oshitari shook his head - how could she become so reckless? Somehow, he wished that the girl was more sensitive to physical pain. How he knew that she didn't really feel it? Shishido accidentally threw a tennis ball at her head but she didn't do anything but keep on walking and dusted her hair. Gakuto at first called that weird and he himself couldn't understand how her sensory neurons suddenly got all stuck together. The only time a person wouldn't feel pain was if the nerves were stuck together.

After examining the two, Oshitari noted Atobe's change of style. He remembered that Atobe had often times dragged out the play on purpose or even toyed with them a bit but this time; the king's icy eyes glimmered differently. His shots were aiming at the corners and right on the line, not only that - they were sinking faster than normal. Some started spinning away from their intended direction. Atobe even started attacking her irregular shots with ground smashes.

Shizuru fired another forehand. "Now, you're getting serious. Atobe-senpai, why is it you're not using your Insight ability?"

Now for the very first time, the colour drained itself from Atobe's face. "Kurenai, what are you talking about? Ore-sama has been using it ever since -."

"I beg to differ," Shizuru cut him short while she sent him a backhand again, "if you were using your insight, you would be targeting my weak points by now. Secondly, you would be able to anticipate my shots and counter them with much ease but apparently – it seems like you're not using the power at all because you're letting even the easiest of shots get past you."

Atobe didn't know that she had figured it out that fast. "Arn~, if that's the case," –he did his trademark activation of his Insight, "then, ore-sama will let you have the honour of seeing it then."

Shizuru didn't mind his holier-than-thou attitude really; it was a miracle how she managed to maintain herself despite the arrogance Atobe has. Ayane however fumed at the sight of Atobe and even gets mad at him for simply breathing. Kiyone on the other hand wasn't too fond him either, Mai was just ignoring him as usual but what they were awed by was their equality in tennis skill. It was rare for Shizuru to find someone of equal calibre and the only ones who could match her were the boys and Souma Fuuka and Shizuru however didn't care about rivalries; she just wanted to play the game itself.

"Alright, give it all you have, Atobe-senpai."

Atobe fired another heavy backhand and Shizuru caught it but because of the heaviness of the shot, her racquet flew out of her hand. "Oops, I didn't know it was that strong."

"Deuce," Taki stared agape, "and this is only the second game!"

A small smile appeared on Oshitari's face while Atobe once again began his service. What shocked them though was what Shizuru started doing – she looked like she wasn't even moving from her spot but the shots were all going back to Atobe.

"Is she using the Tsuuro yet?" Haruka turned to Mai who now had a face of horror.

"Shizuru, using that technique in this match isn't worth it! Don't use it here! You'll bust up your legs before you even have a chance to play against Souma," Haruka started to get hysterical as she saw Shizuru's eyes gleaming in a different manner. "Once she uses this technique that means she's willing to throw out everything in this match and she's going to pull out her weapons here and now. The Subera Kagerou was just one of her most basic attacks but this one is more lethal – no one's done this to her before except Naomi-buchou and Souma-san."

"Is Seigaku that strong, Nagisaki-senpai?" Kiyone tugged on the sleeve of the resident female genius.

Shaking her head, Mai shuddered lightly. "Strong would be their understatement, what we saw before was just the dummy players because Souma was in no mood to play. This year might be hard too because Souma Fuuka doesn't have the difficulty that Shizuru has and she can move at the same speed and attack the same way. They're both all-rounders with their own style."

Hitomi opened her notebook. "Shizuru's current technique is something she based off Mai but she never bothered to give it a name because it was simply movement. She hasn't even shown one of the more lethal ones yet. Mai-chan – what do you mean she has a difficulty?"

"You notice that our feet curve inwards at a certain point?" Mai remarked offhandedly. "That's where the problem is."

Rin froze at Mai's words when she understood what Mai meant. "Shizuru's…flat footed?"

"If she plays a protracted game, she increases her chances of crippling herself. The more she uses this dash style – the more she'll use up the muscles in her arcs." Mai ruefully watched the match between Atobe and Shizuru, "sure, every person has a flaw like Souma Fuuka being well – I don't know and Shizuru's limit is her feet. If her feet lose its strength, it will climb up to her calves and then, it will shock her knee. She played badminton before and she busted her knee from it and then, she began tennis right after. However…"

Ayane knew where this was going. "Her knee sometimes has chronic attacks at the most unexpected of times. I have a question – didn't she go to the hospital for rehabilitation?"

"She did," Mai recalled the time Shizuru told her, "but come to think of it – even after the rehab, it was still bugging her. It took two months before she returned to her full state. Sure, the girl can walk after three days she busted her knee but the damage was bad. I think Shizuru was playing with her step sibling that time and because he was jealous, the guy grabbed her shirt and threw her across the court. Because of bad landing, Shizuru's knee took most of the damage and then, that's where it all started."

Momo's glare became colder at Mai's explanation. "I don't like her siblings."

"We haven't even met them yet and they're already sick." Ayane hissed in annoyance while Shizuru gained another point with a top spin.

Atobe jumped high into the air with a smirk, "Hamutsu e… no Rondo!"

The ball shot down unbelievably fast and Shizuru was left with no choice but to dodge it instead, "Deuce!"

Before Atobe could begin his service, he noticed Shizuru wincing in pain. Her leg basically was swollen and when he faked a serve, Shizuru bolted forward only to fall on the floor with her racquet clattering next to her.

"Buchou," the whole team scrambled towards her.

"STAY WHERE YOU ARE," Shizuru smiled faintly at them, causing her team to freeze in place. "This match is not over yet and this is my battle. I will deal with it on my own terms."

Mai glared venemously. "Shizuru, this match isn't worth risking your ability to walk properly and career."

"Do you wish to lose your chance to enter the Nationals because of a weak captain," Shizuru fired back at Mai, silencing the genius.

Ayane saw the intensity burn between the two as she noticed Shizuru's eyes glaring holes into them. "If you take at least one step," –Shizuru's voice darkened. "I will make you guys run laps until you cannot even lift yourselves from the bed, understand?"

The team backed up into the bleachers while Momo sighed while keeping a calm glare. "It's your funeral."

"This is the second deuce they had. Hopefully, it doesn't extend too long," Gakuto watched Atobe begin his service again and Shizuru use the Subera Kagerou against it again.

Atobe watched Shizuru running around and saw that she did have a weak point. "You're doing pretty well, despite you running at that speed."

Shizuru knew now that he was using his Insight. "It took you that long to figure it out? Atobe-senpai, you should have used your insight at the start of the match then."

Atobe fired another Jack Knife towards her and Shizuru as forced to lob it up and Gakuto slapped his forehead. "Good grief, that's the second chance ball she's given him!"

"She has no other choice, Gakuto," Oshitari analysed the situation calmly, "Shizuru doesn't have Ayane's brute strength so she doesn't have the ability to block heavy balls like that."

Mai looked at the kansai prodigy with a smirk. "Then again, you don't know everything about her so how sure are you that's everything that Shizuru has?"

"You look like you know much more, pray do tell." Oshitari had a twinkle in his eye.

Shishido saw Shizuru flash from one place to another. "We've both been trying to find a way how to increase our speed. Ohtori's Scud Serve caused us both to develop our own dash movements like her Flash Step thing and my dashing style. I've got to admit – Ohtori's serve does help you move faster."

Moving to the edge of the fence, Ohtori didn't know for whom he should be supporting because Shishido looked like he was supporting Shizuru. The silver haired underclassman knew why; when he asked Shishido who he would support, Shishido answered straight out that Shizuru earned his vote. Not only because she was a friend but heck, Atobe had the worst personality in the world and he thought he was a sad case. Watching another forehand fly from Shizuru's side, Ohtori could only gape in awe. "Wow, I've never seen Shizuru-chan play so fiercely in a match, the last time she played like this was when she was in the Nationals."

"Yeah," Isane had a huge smile on her face, "the only ones able to bring out this kind of power were the captain of Shitenhouji, Seigaku's Souma Fuuka and maybe some guys. I don't think that Yukimura Ai can handle the power Shizuru's hiding. I just don't get why she hasn't used it yet. I mean – she could have finished the game two hours ago."

Oshitari watched her and then he noticed a faint smile curve up on her lips. "I guess she's having fun. It's not everyday that you find her smiling like that," –he pointed out to the team.

Though it was barely noticeable, the style of play was good enough for them to tell that she was having fun. She didn't mind pressure and how she blocked it out was one of the wonders because she only started playing Singles One during the Nationals when the former buchou had taken Singles Three to take down Shitenhouji's vice captain.

"Yeah," Ayane saw the faint smile and the joy in Shizuru's eyes, "buchou was known for her calm demeanor but when you know how to read her eyes, you can actually tell what she's feeling."

Shishido let out a low mumble. "If she smiled more often then, more guys would have been ambushing her from every side."

Despite it being slightly inaudible, Ohtori laughed a little. "Yeah, then we'd have to hide her in a janitor's closet, right, senpai?"

Shizuru fired another backhand towards Atobe. "I didn't know I would have this much fun in playing against you, Atobe-senpai."

Scrunching his nose a little, Atobe fired a forehand back at her. "It's not everyday that you find someone much better than you at ore-sama's calibre, arn~?"

The vice captain just loathed Atobe's arrogance. "Your calibre my foot, buchou's playing at Yukimura's calibre by now!"

"Actually," she admitted meekly, "I'm not. It will probably take me a couple of years before I can play at his calibre because to return every ball with ease, that's a lot of skill and talent mixed in."

Kiyone pouted. "You don't have to be so humble especially in front of mole diva! Make him look like he's a bug! Finish him off!"

Momo couldn't help but agree with the younger girl. "With the way you're going, you're making my cousin look like he's king of the world. I don't think I wanna imagine what that looks like. The whole world will be doomed to look like him because he's such an uptight idiot."

Isane smiled at the younger captain. "There was someone who inspired you to become at your best, just imagine him in your head."

"Imagine him in your head?" The teams stared at Isane as if she had grown three heads.

The taller one nodded while she saw Shizuru prepare for a drop shot. "Here it comes, the technique that took her many days and weeks to master."

With a graceful and fluid motion, Shizuru sliced the ball down right over the net and the moment it dropped, the ball didn't bother bouncing but it rolled towards the net. "It's the Z-zero shiki…" Shishido's eyes widened every moment he saw the ball roll away from Atobe.

"Tezuka's Zero Shiki Drop Shot," Atobe brushed back his hair with a smirk, "your racquet was a bit too low however. You won't be able to use that same technique against ore-sama twice."

"Advantage: Kurenai," Shizuru walked towards the baseline with a small smile. "I know that, I just wanted to see if I memorized it properly."

Atobe hated it when Shizuru toyed with her opponents like that. It was simply unnerving to the latter. "Arn~, then let ore-sama take this other game from you then."

Shizuru positioned herself again to receive his service. "I'm sorry, Atobe-senpai. Your arrogance and charm is really a big turn-off."

The capped regular stifled a laugh. "Whoa, that was a straight hit home."

Oshitari couldn't help but laugh at his favourite kohai. "I'm so proud – she finally graduated from being polite to being very blunt with him."

Serving at a fast speed, Atobe readied himself for Shizuru's assault of top spins which came in the form of her Subera Kagerou. However, this time before it dropped to fly to the net, Atobe returned it with a top spin and it successfully jumped over the net. "Ore-sama would also like to advise you not to keep using the same technique again and again. It gives the opponent the chance to return it."

"Who said that my Subera Kagerou was going to be the only technique used?" Shizuru clipped the ball with another top spin which flew past Atobe and this time, this one didn't bounce. It rolled on the ground with an awkward curving motion. The king stared at the ball for a few moments when he saw that the queen of Hyotei now pulled out something new from her arsenal. "What in the world was that? That wasn't Tsubame Gaeshi so, what is it?"

"Game, Kurenai: two games to love!" Everyone stared agape at the second year student who was taking down Atobe with much ease by using only two of her techniques.

Shizuru smiled while picking up the ball lightly. "My personalized version of the Tsubame Gaeshi – this is what they call the Ayame Gaeshi." (Iris Return)

Kiyone jumped up and down while tugging Mai's jacket. "Cherry-senpai, how did she do that?"

"The technique relies more on the timing and form of the user," Mai explained to the smaller girl. "Each time the ball returns, there is an additional amount of spin applied. However, because the Subera Kagerou was returned - the spin is stronger than normal thus making this technique posible. She can't use it if it's a sinker because it won't go over the net at all if she does."

Hitomi thus began her explanation. "This is used when her Subera Kagerou is returned. The Ayame Gaeshi does an extreme spin on the ball thus making the ball awkwardly turn in different directions. In this move, she slices the ball extremely and clips it at the same time thus making the shot more awkward looking and literally it 'returns' to her in a curved motion."

Ayane stared at her captain and looked at Kiyone for a moment. "This is why Kiyone became her protégé, it was because she knew that Kiyone could do things that she could if given enough training but at this rate – Kiyone's nowhere near her skill calibre but in terms of control, Kiyone has the upper hand over her captain. In terms of strength, I'm physically stronger than her but I'm so much slower. Mai-senpai on the other hand is fast but she has average control and strength. The funny thing is, I've never seen them play against each other in a ranking match or have they already…?"

"You noticed also, didn't you, Ayane-chan?" Hitomi came up from behind her with a notebook in hand.

Terrified by the sudden appearance of the data master, Ayane nearly fell off the fence. "Geez, don't do that, Yamaguchi-senpai! But getting back to the point," –Ayane's expression became rueful, "yeah, I did notice that. I mean – I've never seen them play against one another."

Shizuru overheard their conversation from the court while she returned another shot from Atobe. "We did, two years ago or maybe even three. I remembered that time when Mai and I were seeing who was better off taking Singles One. Kotetsu-buchou was the one who set up the game and I remembered that time, I won by default and it's because Mai had a handicap – she had a fever and," –she shook her head out of that thought, "what matters now is that I live up to my reputation as captain of this team. I need to remain strong; my personal thoughts are secondary now."

Atobe noticed that Shizuru's shots were getting a little shallower than normal. "Arn~, what's with you, Kurenai? How long will you space out like that?"

She fired a deep backhand towards Atobe. "I'm sorry, just reminiscing on the past. Why? Are you eager to face the Ayame Gaeshi again?"

Atobe remained arrogant despite it all. "Ore-sama is waiting for it then."

Slicing it extremely with a clip shot, Shizuru fired her Ayame Gaeshi towards Atobe who failed to return it again, "15 – love!"

"How to return a ball that curves away," Atobe began pacing a little bit, "Kurenai's really putting her all into this game. I've only seen that technique a few times to know what it does but not enough to know how to counter it. Ore-sama might need a few more times just so he could counter it."

Shizuru changed her position again and lowered her racquet for a slice. "Oh, I'd like to see that."

Atobe scoffed as he noted her position. "You're using the Zero Shiki again? Kurenai, how long will you keep doing…?"

Instead of the Zero Shiki, Shizuru did the Subera Kagerou again, "Thirty – love!"

"I just noticed now," Mai recalled the positions for the two techniques. "The position for the Zero Shiki Drop Shot and the Subera Kagerou are almost alike except for the racquet height. If she can conceal it, then, it would be much easier to use against people. Then again, people would soon see the pattern behind the shot despite the concealing."

Atobe smirked while lowering his body to receive Shizuru's service. "This is your choice, Kurenai. Don't crack if you lose."

Shizuru fired her service wordlessly while Atobe returned her shot with a backhand which forced her to run to the other end of the court to send it back. Atobe soon began attacking the corners and the latter did the same thing. The two kept firing it cross court, down the line and sometimes forced each other to the net and then went back to the baseline again. The rally could have been extended for a very long time if this kept up. Atobe finally ended it with a smash going down, "Thirty – fifteen!"

Shizuru however paid Atobe back with a top spin that bounced away from him, "Forty – fifteen!"

Firing a Jack Knife down the line, Atobe knew that Shizuru wouldn't pursue it if the shot was too heavy for her, "Forty – thirty!"

"I swear if they end up in another deuce," Mai shook her head with disapproval, "we might as well postpone the match. By the way, did you guys get the message about the awarding ceremony for the block matches?"

Ayane gaped at the thought. "Oh my goodness, I forgot about that! When is it?"

Shaking her head, Isane let out a sigh. "Luckily, it's tomorrow. Shizuru told you about it remember, during lunch time?"

"She did?" The vice captain had completely forgotten all about it.

Kiyone let out a sigh. "You have CFS, Yane-chan. So, it's a combo!"

"CFS," Ayane raised an eyebrow at the little girl. "What's CFS?"

The control specialist had a smirk on her face while she told them. "Completely Forgotten Syndrome, first, Ayane-chan has COS which means Completely Oblivious Syndrome and now with a mixture of CFS, she has completely lost a lot of things. I think we can point Yane-chan's forgetfulness because of mole diva-san?"

Ayane grabbed the little girl while shaking her roughly. "Why I oughta…!"

Haruka split the two apart before Ayane could do anymore damage. "That's enough, both of you. Kiyone, quit smart talking people and Ayane, you're the vice captain! Be more mature about it will you? The last time I saw something like this was when Momo tried to strangle Aragaki-senpai!"

Pouting like a child, Ayane faced away from the smaller control specialist while Mai watched her former doubles player take on the king of Hyotei. Apparently, Atobe was now having a game of a lifetime because Shizuru was pulling out only two of the techniques and the girl didn't seem the least bit rattled when he had used the Hamutsu e no Rondo against her. "Arn~, ore-sama is glad that you're taking this game seriously, Kurenai. Problem is though – how long will your performance last?"

Shizuru fired back the forehand that Atobe had sent towards her. "It depends; how long would you like to keep running?"

"Cocky words from someone who's going to lose," Atobe had a smirk on his face while sending it back with his backhand.

Ayane cheered on for her captain. "Wipe the floor with his smirk, buchou!"

"Finish him off, Shizu-nee," Kiyone jumped up and down from the other side.

Feeling a sudden twinge of pain in his heart when he heard Ayane's words, Atobe promptly missed the ball that came next to him. "Game, Kurenai: three games to love!"

Shizuru noticed that Atobe had froze in his tracks and motioned to her vice captain. "Kobayagi, thirty laps around the courts. Now, both you and Kiyone need the exercise anyway."

"Huh? We didn't do anything!" Kiyone protested to the captain until she saw a blazing glower aimed at her.

Shizuru decided to send them all off. "All of you run a hundred laps around the courts for slacking. That includes the boys if they don't mind joining the girls."

Gakuto's jaw dropped. "Hey, why are we included?"

Oshitari just grabbed Gakuto's regular's jacket. "Never mind, just start your laps."

All the other people also dispersed and Shizuru turned back to Atobe. "Now, with very little distractions, we can now play at our best."

"T-thanks," Atobe muttered though it was very inaudible but he quickly covered it up with his arrogance again. "Of course, ore-sama would like to make sure that he's at his very best."

Shizuru let out a sigh in defeat. "Atobe-senpai, I know people may call me a romance retard because I know nothing about romance but it's quite obvious that you enjoy seeing her expressions because you believe it makes her look cute. It's not in that Shishido way that you know, he makes people get mad at each other and then he starts scowling at everyone else. But don't you think it's weird that all she does is insult you? But don't you notice that she speaks to you most of the time?"

Atobe didn't want to admit it though. "Kobayagi only speaks to ore-sama when she wants to insult him, Kurenai."

"If that's what you want to believe," Shizuru handed the ball to Atobe. "I believe your service starts now."

Taking the ball from Shizuru, Atobe walked towards the baseline. "Ore-sama will show you how it's like to be humiliated."

"I don't think with your personality you know the meaning of 'humility'," Shizuru lowered her center of gravity to return Atobe's service.

Snorting at the arrogance of the younger, Atobe fired his service towards Shizuru and all of a sudden, the younger captain lost her footing and fell to the ground, "15 love!"

"Buchou, are you alright!" Ayane called out from the side.

Hissing softly at the pain, Shizuru shakily stood up. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just want you guys to keep running your laps."

Atobe then noticed Shizuru's weakness. "It's your foot because it can't handle the speed that you have, right?"

A faint smile appeared on the younger captain's lips and Shizuru readied herself for another shot. "Don't worry, it's nothing. Continue the game, Atobe-senpai."

Though he now knew Shizuru's weakness, he didn't choose to use it against her. "You better play properly, Kurenai!"

The next few shots however proved otherwise because her foot was aching, Shizuru couldn't plant herself properly. Serves followed one after the other making a mark on Shizuru's court. "Game, Atobe: three games to one!"

Now fuming, Atobe pointed to the bench. "We're going to put this game on hold. Your foot's not working properly."

"I can still play," Shizuru wheezed a little because of fatigue.

Shaking his head in defeat, Atobe handed her the ball. "It's your funeral. But – I don't think your team would want you crippled."

Shizuru tossed the ball into the air. "Don't worry about me because I can look after myself just fine."

The ball flew over the net while Atobe pursued and fired it back with heavy Jack Knife and Shizuru sliced it down. "Looks like, I have no other choice but to try…"

Shizuru put a heavy top spin on the ball thus forcing it to bounce away from Atobe to prevent her from running around too much. However, the plan backfired on her, "Thirty love!"

Another Jack Knife slid past her, "Forty – love!"

The whole crowd soon gathered to where they were playing again when they heard the next score. "Game, Atobe: two games to three!"

Ayane gaped at the both of them. "He's catching up!"

"Of course, he has to live up to the name of being the king of Hyotei," Oshitari noticed that Shizuru was now limping, "looks like Shizuru's crippled."

Gakuto gaped at his doubles partner. "You say as if it's a good thing!"

"It may at least get her more physically sensitive to her needs," Oshitari pinched the bridge of his nose while watching her knee take a beating. "The more she limps the lower her consistency - she would notice that more than the pain."

Shishido grumbled while shoving his hands into is pockets. "It's been more thirty minutes - this game's going to be going down hill from now on."

The rally however continued with Shizuru struggling with her muscle cramps. The girl managed to fire a top spin towards Atobe who returned it again with a forehand which was followed up by a drop shot. "So, think you're going to fall now, Kurenai?"

The girl remained stoic during the whole time. "I'm not going to stop moving forward, Atobe-senpai. I will bring my team to the Nationals!" With this, she fired another Subera Kagerou towards Atobe who lunged forward to catch it before it touched the ground. However, the only way for him to return it was for him to top spin it and that's exactly what Shizuru wanted. "This is where the Ayame Gaeshi shines, Atobe-senpai. I'm sorry – but we'll be making our mark in the nationals."

While the Ayame Gaeshi curved behind him, Atobe gave Shizuru his usual arrogant smirk. "You're not going to be the only one there, Kurenai. You have many more opponents going after you."

"I know," Shizuru sprinted forward to block another shot to send it back towards one of the singles court corners. "I just want to make sure I can prove my point."

Another Subera Kagerou made its way in towards Atobe, "Love 15!"

Atobe fired his Jack Knife past Shizuru this time, "15 all!"

Shizuru managed to jump high into the air but not without much difficulty and smashed it down, "Fifteen – thirty!"

Backhanding another shot, Atobe made sure he kept up with the younger captain, "Thirty all!"

Taki stared at what was going on between the two of them. "Will this game ever end?"

"It's a game of wills now," Oshitari however was more focused on Shizuru. "Hopefully, she can last for seven games. Her feet can't take it much longer. She'll collapse before she knows it."

"Game, Atobe: three games all!" The icy eyed king was breathing heavily and Shizuru was trying to keep her composure, showing no signs of weakness. "You sure have a lot of willpower to keep standing like that, Kurenai."

Shizuru controlled her breathing. "I have to be strong otherwise – what good will I be to the team?"

Seeing that Shizuru did have a point, Atobe waited for Shizuru's service which maintained its consistency. The brunette quickly began moving with her speed once more and that caught Atobe off guard. "Arn~, ore-sama is impressed that you can still move at that speed, Kurenai."

Shizuru fired another top spin and forced Atobe forward and she managed to volley him a shot cross court, "15 love!"

Isane watched Shizuru score another point with her insane speed and noticed that her legs were getting swollen. "I hope she's going to be alright."

Ayane worried over her captain as well. "Buchou can't afford to kill herself over a game like this. I'd rather have her lose than crippled."

"But," Mai passed a look to the vice captain, "Do you think she'd want that?"

Kiyone shook her head while Shizuru scored another point with the Ayame Gaeshi. "I just hope she doesn't destroy herself…"

"Game, Kurenai: four games to three!" Shizuru was trying her best to control her breathing and keep her composure properly. "I'm glad there is someone out there who can bring out the best in me."

Atobe stood up with a smirk on his face. "Ore-sama always makes sure that he brings out the best in his opponents."

"But this isn't your real style isn't it?" Shizuru looked him straight in the eye.

Startled though prideful, Atobe didn't show that he was shocked that she had figured it out. "Of course not, this has always been ore-sama's style."

Shrugging as she stood up, Shizuru walked towards the baseline with a faint smile. "Suit yourself then. I'm not going to push the issue but if you do wish to bring out your true style then feel free to do so."

Picking up the ball, Atobe watched Shizuru lower her stance to receive the next ball. His icy blue eyes found her weak point already and he was sure that if he just did the right strategy, Shizuru's body wouldn't be able to take it. But, in doing so, he would disable her and the girls won't be able to go to the Nationals. Ignoring her weakness, he decided to play against her head on without any exploitation. Firing his service, Shizuru then returned it to him with a forehand while he portrayed a very beautiful backhand return which the younger captain fired another down the line backhand and Atobe sent it cross court. "This is it, ore-sama no bigi ni yoina!"

Shizuru dashed to one end of the other court. "Don't be so quick to assume, Atobe-senpai."

The ball flew past Atobe's cheek landing directly on the baseline, "15 – love!"

Another shot flew past him again and this time, Shizuru was in no mood to let her guard down, "Thirty – love!"

Atobe this time returned the favour with a heavy backhand namely the Jack Knife, "Thirty – fifteen!"

Jumping high into the air, Shizuru smashed it straight down doing a cord smash on purpose, "Forty – fifteen!"

Isane watched the two begin their rally again; they were never going to stop. Rin's eyes widened every time Shizuru returned another shot. "Wow, she's lasting more than eight games. Are you sure she's going to be alright?"

They heard the ball crack down on the court. "Game, Kurenai: five games to three!"

Hiyoshi watched his batch mate start increasing in speed and power. She was actually slowly recovering from her muscle cramps and Atobe was now playing for his fourth win in hopes of managing to take her down. Several rallies occurred when there were furious returns with and with the Hamutsu e no Rondo, Atobe got his first point, "Fifteen love!"

Shizuru lunged forward to give him a top spin but he did an under spin which slipped past her, "Thirty love!"

Feeling her muscles tighten badly, Shizuru forced herself to slow down and Atobe scored another backhand against the younger one, "Forty – love!"

Oshitari knew pretty well how to read poker faces and Shizuru may have been the best at cloaking her emotions but if it's one she couldn't cloak – it was pain. "Your leg can't take it anymore, Shizuru. Stop it before you cripple yourself." The girl however continued playing, "you may be one of the best players in the girls' division but everyone has a limit, even someone like you has one."

"Game, Atobe: four games to five!" Hiyoshi stared at the score board with awe and shock.

Gakuto didn't know who was really better out of the two of them. "Wow, Shizuru's no fan girl nor is she just a slacker; she really put her all into this game. I can see her legs, their red and their tightening up fast. I don't think she'll last another rally if she tries something again."

Another rally ensued this time with Shizuru serving and like all her other service games, her serves flew in fast and smooth. Atobe returned it with ease while Shizuru sliced it with a backhand and Atobe began his volley against her but Shizuru was fast enough to send the volley far behind him with a forehand, "15 – love!"

Atobe however repaid her with a Jack Knife which made a mark on the left Singles Line, "Fifteen all!"

Shizuru soon felt her body faltering badly when she found her arm frozen, "Fifteen – thirty!"

Noticing that, Atobe knew that he could snatch this game from Shizuru, "Fifteen – forty!"

Closing her eyes, Shizuru knew she had no other choice but to drop this game. "I'm sorry, everyone. My body's a little frozen, give me a few moments."

"Game, Atobe: five games all!" Ayane stared agape; no one could just push Shizuru to her limit like that.

Gakuto looked at the orange haired vice captain. "You mentioned something about her never exceeding six games in one match and you might want to retract that though."

Mai's grip on the fence tightened while she watched Shizuru fix up. "With that leg of hers, Shizuru's forced the compensate by weakening her power and accuracy. Atobe said that he wasn't going to exploit it but subconsciously - he's driving her into a corner and if she loses this one, she'll be forced to play a tie breaker."

Shizuru however noticed the worry on the prodigy's face. "It's alright, Mai. I can manage until tie break."

"I hope so," the prodigy murmured, "we can't have you disabled now can we?"

The latter laughed with a small smile. "Yeah, you're right. I'll take him down as fast as I can."

Atobe on the other hand began reflecting on the shots that were taken. Shizuru not once had changed in terms of consistency. Her strength still remained the same and her speed increased a little bit but her tactics were getting better and so wad her sense of control. "Ore-sama will win this match. He will not lose."

The two resumed their match almost immediately and the shots once again were so fast that they disappeared. Shizuru and Atobe played more aggressively this time and the king of Hyotei was making sure that this game was his. Jumping high into the air, Atobe prepared for the Hamutsu e no Rondo. "Ore-sama will finish you here and now, Kurenai!"

The ball shot down knocking out the girl's racquet and the next smash came down instantly, "Fifteen love!"

Tired, Shizuru failed to block Atobe's heavy Jack Knife, "Thirty love!"

The younger captain then used the Subera Kagerou twice to get two points from him straight, "Thirty all!"

Atobe however wasn't the type to back down; he fired a forehand which went cross court past Shizuru, "Forty – thirty!"

Despite Shizuru's effort to deuce him, Atobe managed to end it with a perfect backhand smash coming down, "Game, Atobe: six games to five!"

Ayane gaped at what she was seeing. "I can't believe it, she's actually losing."

"This is the first time to see her lose this far," Mai's eyes widened with shock.

Momo however remained quiet. "I know you can do it, Shizuru-chan. Show this team that you're truly the Queen of Diamonds."

Shizuru saw the look on Isane's face and she knew what her senpai had wanted to tell her; she was not letting them down. "I will keep winning and keep my place as captain. I won't let anything stop me!"

Jumping high into the air, Shizuru brought down a smash right down at Atobe, "Fifteen – love!"

Atobe this time didn't know how Shizuru could recover that fast while she grabbed another point again. "She's learning and getting better. No wonder people from other schools always scout for her."

Shizuru now used a consecutive attack of top spins against Atobe namely the Zero Shiki Drop shot which he managed to return and the annoying Ayame Gaeshi. "Game, Kurenai: six games all, tie breaker will now begin!"

"Wow," Ohtori stared agape at the two National Calibre players, "I can't believe that they've forced each other into a tiebreaker."

Gakuto watched Atobe begin the service. "Hopefully, they can decide who the winner is because it's near dinner and I'm hungry."

As soon as the service cracked off, Shizuru fired it back with a backhand which was returned with the Jack Knife and Shizuru sent back a top spin, "One love!"

Atobe however followed up with another Hamutsu e no Rondo that slammed next to Shizuru, "One all!"

Now beginning with his service, Atobe fired a powerful serve which would have knocked out Shizuru's racquet if she didn't move back far enough. The rally ensued with Atobe firing a heavy forehand towards her while she returned it again with an underspin which forced Atobe to move forward. Accidentally lobbing it, Atobe then realized that Shizuru now fired a smash right next to his left side, "One – two, Kurenai lead!"

Shishido watched Atobe fire a forehand towards Shizuru. "Wow, I didn't know they were going to last that long."

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, Oshitari watched Shizuru retaliate and gain another point from Atobe. "Shizuru, how long can your leg last?"

Picking up a couple of sodas, Hiyoshi didn't know that he lacked this much to get on to the Nationals. "Gekokujou…"

Jirou was startled awake when he saw Atobe and Shizuru going through an intense rally. "Wow, I've never seen such an intense rally like this before!"

Gakuto saw that Shizuru's leg was already swollen from the match but she kept at it. "Shizuru-chan, wow, she really doesn't give up. She's one of the few girls who can even get Atobe to seven games let alone go through a tiebreaker with him."

Ayane saw Shizuru now taking the lead over Atobe. "Go for it, buchou! Finish off Atobe!"

Promptly after Ayane's cheer, Atobe tripped over his feet and the ball was high in the air. That was the worst possible situation to be in. "No!"

Feeling the numbness in her legs wasn't helping her either; Shizuru managed to jump for a smash but the ball slid down at her side.

"Game and match, Atobe: seven games to six!"

-That's chapter 7! Sorry for late update! Please review!