Sorry for the super late update because my computer crashed. My Wi-Fi chip module broke and I couldn't update. I did chapter 27 until they reformatted my computer including Drive D! X-( Also, I don't own Prince of Tennis!

Chapter 27 – Inspired

Seeing Rin snore, Mai placed her towel aside as she walked forward for the Singles Two match. She glanced one moment at her captain who continued smiling at her teammates. How her captain managed to maintain that facade she had no idea but Mai felt her blood boil every time she saw Shizuru smile like that. Her knuckles turned white while her amber eyes glinted angrily before she turned to face the court.

"Glaring isn't going to get her closer," a voice came from behind. "It's normal for captains to be aloof after all."

Mai turned around to see a smirking Tousaka Umeyumi with her racquet resting on her shoulder. "Hmph, that's because you never made the effort to be a good friend to your captain."

"Who are you in your place to say," Umeyumi chuckled darkly before heading to the courts. "Let's dance."

Mai flipped her racquet around. "Alright, you better show me what you preach then."

"Singles Two will now begin: Jyosei Shounan's Tousaka Umeyumi versus Hyotei Gakuen's Nagisaki Mai! Game start, Nagisaki to serve!"

Gripping the ball tightly, Mai began bouncing it as she stared her opponent down. Umeyumi rolled her racquet back and forth as she slightly jumped for a sprint. Mai fired a top spin serve while Umeyumi dashed for it. Despite the low bounce, Mai managed to forehand it back to her opponent causing Umeyumi to fumble a bit. The said girl however backhanded it back to the red haired tensai but Mai danced back to slice it right over the net. Seeing Umeyumi wince, Mai looked at the girl's footwork before the next shot came lobbed at her.

Her right side is weaker than her left so, Mai jumped up and smashed right on Umeyumi's left side. "Obviously, you won't be able to defend your left side."

"Fifteen – love," Umeyumi wrinkled her nose at where the ball had landed.

Interesting, Umeyumi readied herself for the next shot. "Well, let's see how strong that theory would hold."

Mai lowered her stance as she went for another serve. Umeyumi dashed forward with a slice which forced Mai to dance back a bit. With a deep forehand, Mai reappeared at the net while Umeyumi trapped herself at the baseline. Mai volleyed it to the corner on her left side, causing Umeyumi to stumble.

"Thirty – love," Umeyumi clucked her tongue as Mai readjusted the strings on her racquet.

You're not the only one carrying the burden, Mai picked up the ball as she began her service. "I'll show you that you're not the only one bringing us to the Nationals!"

Haruka whistled. "It's rare for Mai to be this furious."

"She's not furious," Isane glanced at Mai's glistening amber eyes. "Rather, she looks frustrated. I know that look anywhere. It's how... Momo used to look when..."

Momo clenched her fist. "That was when Midoriyama went crazy. But, somehow – the situation's different."

"Instead of trying to get away," Haruka glanced at Shizuru who watched the match calmly. "She's been trying to get through Shizuru's barriers."

Hitomi flipped open her notebook. "Hence, Mai's grudge against Kotetsu-senpai began. Ever since Shizuru had joined the team, Kotetsu-senpai had eyed Shizuru and taken her under her wing. Mai never had a mentor unlike most of us. Momo had Midoriyama-senpai, Ferero-senpai coached Isane-chan and Osakada-senpai had Haruka and Rin while Shizuru had Kotetsu-buchou. Because of her reputation as a "prodigy", Mai never had that deep connection. The only one who was there for her was..."

By then, Shizuru had strayed away when Kotetsu-buchou took her under, Haruka found Mai high in the air, smashing at Umeyumi's left side.

"Forty – love," Umeyumi stood there shocked by the impact of Mai's smash.

Florence folded her legs as Mai walked back to the baseline. The golden brunette glanced at the dark chocolate haired girl who shifted her position without even showing a hint of shock or concern. She noticed Umeyumi missing Mai's shots terribly as the blue haired girl returned to the benches to wipe up the sweat.

"Game, Nagisaki: one game to love!"

Umeyumi returned to the bench while wiping the sweat away from her face. Taking a seat, Umeyumi noticed a water bottle hanging in front of her face.

"You should stop fooling around," Florence raised an eyebrow. "Nagisaki is still considered an Angel if you have forgotten."

Umeyumi shrugged lazily. "I'm still collecting data. Shuriki, do you need any more?"

Matsuri began skimming her notes. "Nagisaki Mai has not revealed any of her special techniques yet so you might have to press her a bit harder."

"Hmmm," Umeyumi tapped her chin while walking to the court. "I think I know just the image that will tick her off."

As the two players met, Mai handed the ball to Umeyumi who gave her a Cheshire grin. The tensai knew that Umeyumi could send a man running for the hills and back but what made her so dangerous? Mai stretched her arms, yawning as she did so. Umeyumi took a deep breath, blinking at the tensai at first. The red haired Hyotei regular raised an eyebrow until she couldn't believe whom she was seeing. A tall dark chocolate haired girl stood there with her usual faint smile.

"Shall we play," 'Shizuru' lowered her stance, "Mai?"

()()()()

"Wow," Jirou bounced up and down towards Fuji. "Your service is so cool! Your style is so cool! You didn't even let me hit my Magic Volley even once!"

Chuckling, Fuji placed his racquet in his bag. "Well, I was afraid of it actually."

Jirou pouted childishly. "But you didn't even let me hit it! I wonder – is there anyone stronger than you?"

Fuji smiled even wider as he looked at the taller brunette walk down. "Yes, there is."

Tezuka plucked off his jacket while laying it on the side. With his racquet in his left hand, Tezuka already started emitting an aura that said 'do-anything-stupid-or-say-anything-stupid-or-get-laps' and 'if-you're-that-stupid-you're-running-until-I-say-stop'. Everyone knew Tezuka never swore or wasn't even the type to start cussing but his aura did the talking for him. Seigaku erupted into a loud cheer which actually put Hyotei to shame. Soon, many of the Hyotei students began murmuring amongst themselves until Atobe took a step forward for his match.

"Ore-sama hasn't lost his match yet," Atobe raised his hand into the air for a snap. "Ore-sama no bigi ni yoina!"

Loud cheers filled the court which easily out powered Seigaku as their chants became increasingly loud.

Shousha Atobe, Haisha Tezuka! Katsu wa no Hyotei! Makeru no Seigaku! Katsu wa no...!

"Eep," Kikumaru bit his nails. "I didn't know they could be that degrading, nyah~!"

Oishi glanced fearfully at Tezuka. Tezuka, please don't do what I think you're going to do.

"Whoa, look who it is," one of the Seigaku students called out. "All the champions are here!"

A team in a red uniform appeared from behind, watching carefully at Tezuka's match with Atobe.

"What the hell," –one of the guys stared in shock. "It's the number three seed of Kanto, Rokkaku Chuu from Chiba!"

Another guy pointed at a yellow and black team. "No crap, Rikkai Dai's here too!"

Swivelling his head towards the bleachers, Tezuka found Sanada with his arms crossed. Sanada, what's he doing here?

Many teams had gathered for the match between Atobe and Tezuka. Yamabuki and Fudomine had taken their seats nearby, wondering what the outcome could be. Tachibana glanced at Tezuka first and then at Atobe who smirked at the crowd as he tossed his jacket in the air.

"The winner will be me," Atobe smirked as he snapped his fingers.

The whole Hyotei crowd wildly began chanting again as Atobe and Tezuka approached the net.

"Are you satisfied now?" Tezuka extended his hand for the courtesy handshake.

Atobe smirked as he shook Tezuka's hand firmly. "Of course, let's begin the match."

As they took their places at the baseline, Atobe picked up the ball while staring down at Tezuka.

"Game start, Hyotei to serve!"

"I've never played against you before," Tezuka quietly noted as Atobe smirked.

"That's because you kept avoiding me, right?"

Bouncing the ball, Atobe smirked at the Seigaku captain. This is what happens when you avoid me all the time, Tezuka.

His serve came down hard and fast but Tezuka repelled it easily with a backhand which Atobe was forced to run for it to go for another cross court. Atobe dropped it off which Tezuka was forced to slightly lob the shot in which Atobe found an opening for a drive volley.

"Fifteen – love," Tezuka slightly glanced at where the ball had made its mark.

The whole crowd stared in shock as the two captains stood face to face against one another. Tezuka remained stoic despite Atobe's ability to snatch the first point. As he waited for the next shot, Tezuka lowered his stance while Atobe sent a fast serve. Tezuka returned it with a forehand, forcing Atobe to go a bit long.

"That's naughty of you to attack the corners like that," Atobe snickered as Tezuka attacked the other corner again.

Rokkaku and Rikkai Dai weren't the only ones there but even Yamabuki showed up with St. Rudolph and Fudomine. Many of the players could only stare in awe at the speed the two played which continuously kept them at the edge of their seats.

"Tezuka-san sure is something," Dan nudged Muromachi and Sengoku.

"He's not just hitting the balls left and right," Muromachi noted as Tezuka slammed the ball towards the other end. "All of his shots are barely in and they move outwards after bouncing."

Sengoku couldn't help but note Atobe's talent. "Yeah but Atobe's no small fry either. He's returning all those shots and not even breaking much. When I was in the Junior Sanbastu Camp, Atobe really blasted all of them. His skills are that of almost perfect all-rounder."

"Yeah even his attitude," Nitobe nodded weakly.

"Let's not forget his narcissism," Kita snickered with his seatmate.

Dan shook his head, reprimanding them like a mother. "You're not supposed to insult people like that, Nitobe-senpai, Kita-senpai!"

Shaking his head, Sengoku turned back to the match. "Yeah, not only that – Atobe's Insight to see his opponent's weaknesses is incomparable."

()()()()

Seeing Shizuru proved to make Mai twitch a bit as she lowered her stance for the next shot. Bouncing the ball, 'Shizuru' calmly glanced at the red haired tensai as her service cracked off. Mai dashed forward for a drive volley while 'Shizuru' managed to return it with a sliced drop shot. Mai lobbed it in the air slightly while 'Shizuru' brought it hard down for a devastating smash which threw the tensai off guard.

"Fifteen – love," Mai glanced at where the ball had landed and then back at 'Shizuru'.

Perfect timing, Mai lowered her stance while watching 'Shizuru' bounce the ball. I was just going to beat the living daylights out of you for hiding so many things from me!

"You don't seem stunned," 'Shizuru' raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Mai chuckled lightly. "Mada mada dazo, Tousaka-san." (It's her variation of "Mada Mada Dane".)

"Oh," 'Shizuru' raised an eyebrow. "Has the sight of me made you tremble, Mai?"

Mai pointed her racquet at her. "I'll show you why."

'Shizuru' shrugged while serving quickly. Mai returned it with a backhand which caused 'Shizuru' to retaliate with a slice. Dancing towards the ball, Mai forehanded the shot towards the deep left side which the Jyosei Shounan regular returned easily. Running down the shot, Mai lobbed it slightly over the net which caused 'Shizuru' to back up a bit for a smash. Seeing it come down, Mai uncoiled her body which repelled the smash into a lob.

"The Adonis Drop," Kiyone jumped up and down excitedly, scaring the sleeping Rin into a fit.

"Waaah, a hot man's attacking me," Rin jumped up and clung on to Haruka. "Oh, hi Haru-chan."

Haruka tried prying off the black haired acrobat. "Geez Rin, any girl would want a hot man attacking her!"

Tch, 'Shizuru' moved all the way to the baseline. "Well, you're getting faster."

Mai didn't respond as she watched the ball fly over the net towards the left corner. Dancing over, Mai began taking a different rhythm which 'Shizuru' countered with the Shunpo. With a weak backhand, 'Shizuru' forced Mai to come up front as she centred herself at theservice court. Mai slapped the ball which made 'Shizuru' cut it from below.

Damn, the Subera Kagerou, Mai bent a bit lower to lob it slightly.

Seeing it jump, 'Shizuru' sidestepped and drove it down the line right next to Mai.

"This is where things get interesting," Florence folded her arms. "Shuriki, how much more time do you need?"

Matsuri pressed a few buttons on a calculator. "Mai's predictability shortens the time by twenty minutes."

"That shouldn't be long then," Florence nodded while casting a glance to Umeyumi. Toy with her a bit, will you?

"Devious," 'Shizuru' snickered. "I like that."

Mai glanced at where Florence had taken her seat, wondering what could have been so important. However, 'Shizuru' began with a strong service which forced Mai to move back. The Jyosei Shounan regular fired a left backhand towards Mai while the tensai managed to forehand it with a top spin.

"You know – I constantly wonder," Momo placed a finger on her chin. "How is it that Mai came to play Singles when she was a doubles player to begin with?"

Hitomi flipped open her notebook. "As soon as Shizuru became Naomi's protégé, Mai estranged herself from her."

Haruka shook her head sadly. "Naomi-buchou may have been one of my favourite senpai but what she did to them was unforgivable."

"What did she do, Haru-chan?" Rin loomed over Zhujiang from the bleachers.

Haruka looked at her wallet and pulled out a picture. "Did you know Mai and Shizuru could eat in Synchronized motion before?"

"What," Hitomi began scribbling it down. "Where did you get that idea?"

Haruka snickered before explaining to Hitomi. "Well, it was before you joined the team, Hitomi. As a doubles expert, it's easy to come up with that. Simply put, Shizuru and Mai were so tight that whatever Shizuru eats – Mai eats too. After that, even their chewing becomes a musical beat. Naomi-buchou noticed that Shizuru had this bored expression on her face every time she played doubles and so, she figured what if there was a doubles pair that could wow her a bit."

"That's when Midoriyama-senpai and I started playing her," Momo bit her lip as she recalled the match. "The score could probably rival the face of a dead fish."

Hitomi recalled the matches as she flipped through the pages of her notebook. "The matches were 6-2, 7-5 and the last one Midoriyama-senpai and Momo won because of the fatigue. They blew all their stamina at the first part."

"That's true," Haruka tapped her chin. "But, did you see how defensive they got when one was threatened?"

Momo nodded her head vigorously. "Damn, that was a hell-hole."

"But that's where it all started," Hitomi sighed bitterly. "That was the beginning of Shizuru's and Mai's journey solo."

Mai returned the next drive volley but 'Shizuru' slapped it down allowing her to score a cord smash.

"Thirty – love," Mai bit her lip as she glared back at 'Shizuru'.

Tilting her racquet a bit, 'Shizuru' smiled faintly before returning to the baseline. Mai stood there, glowering slightly before returning to her position.

Well, I guess this gives a meaning to 'be careful for what you wish for'; Mai chuckled before facing her with a grin. "So, you think you got everything jotted down now do you?"

"You shouldn't be so cocky at a time like this," 'Shizuru' bounced the ball, smiling faintly as she prepared for her service.

Hitomi began scribbling down notes. "Tousaka Umeyumi has learned to project illusions fairly similar to Isane's except... she's much more... flawless."

Momo gaped at the Hyotei data manager. "Are you kidding me!"

"I'm afraid not," Isane shook her head ruefully. "I have a hard time copying Shizuru's style as is but this girl is doing it as if it were a part of her."

Haruka bristled at the thought. "Mai's in for it if she doesn't figure out other techniques."

()()()()()

"Another net ball," the trio exclaimed as Atobe fell to the ground to lob it a bit.

"Ch," Atobe winced at the sloppy shot as he found Tezuka right at the net.

"Tezuka's good! He plans to return the shot in the same way!"

However, Tezuka's drive volley flew back when Atobe caught it with a backhand.

Kikumaru dropped his jaw. "No way, he returned even that!"

"That was my Jack Knife just now," Momoshiro bit his lip as he watched Tezuka get pressured by Atobe.

Atobe snickered as he forehanded it towards Tezuka. "This is too easy!"

Soon, the chants got louder which could have pissed off the Seigaku captain but the latter didn't show a hint of annoyance on his face.

This isn't going to end pretty, Fuji opened his eyes, glancing at Tezuka every once in awhile.

"I'm going to end this," Atobe forehanded the shot towards Tezuka.

Much to Atobe's dismay, the ball flew straight towards Tezuka. Soon, each time Atobe shot a cross court swerved back to Tezuka as if it was attracted to him.

"There it is," Inui tilted his glasses a bit. "It's the Tezuka Zone. All shots that have a spin will return to him as if they are attracted to him."

"Fifteen – all," the shot cracked past Atobe, shocking the crowd.

Gakuto's jaw hung loosely. "Are you telling me that Atobe is being forced to hit wherever this guy wants him to?"

However, the bigger shock came from Atobe's maniacal laughter which accompanied news that would throw Seigaku off guard.

"You're doing well," Atobe smirked after using his Insight. "...with that arm of yours..."

Everyone stared at Atobe first as if he had lost his mind. However, the beads of sweat dripping profusely from Oishi's face just proved how right Atobe was.

"That arm? What is he talking about?"

Soon, whispers erupted from around the court and even the team had their jaws slightly hanging. Echizen, who usually didn't give a damn, sat up straight while trying to confirm the news. Kikumaru couldn't stop his jaw from hanging, Momoshiro and Kaidoh didn't even let out a single snort or insult while Fuji and Oishi remained quiet but albeit worried.

"Huh?" Atobe continued analysing Tezuka. "Your left arm's taken quite the beating... Right Tezuka?"

Oishi shook his head defiantly. "You're wrong; Tezuka's elbow is fully healed!"

Everyone stared at Oishi as Atobe snickered at the Seigaku vice captain. "So, it's the elbow..."

"Oishi-senpai," Momoshiro turned to his pale faced vice captain. "What happened to buchou?"

Oishi turned away, hanging his head guiltily. "Two years ago, Tezuka's elbow took a hit from a jealous senpai. At first, it only seemed to be a bruise and despite the injury – he always outdid them. That gained him so much popularity and made him what he is today."

Despite the vice captain's low tone, Tezuka picked up every word that Oishi had said. That day became the very stone of his hard work. From a stepped on freshman, Tezuka recalled every ranking match that he had played with both hands. Dominantly, the left side would have finished the match but Tezuka thought it would be very humiliating for his senpai to lose to a score of 6-0.

However, it didn't occur to him that both of sides were equally powerful.

After that, Tezuka remembered the time that Takesue slammed the racquet against his arm. He recalled all the rage and words that just flew out of his mouth. Even his own best friend had a gaping jaw and his most respected senpai, Yamato couldn't help but chuckle at him.

Become the pillar of Seigaku, Tezuka. I've already given you a foundation – it's up to you on what you want to do with it.

Tezuka glanced at Atobe who bounced the ball to begin his service. Wincing at the slight itch in his left arm, Tezuka decided to lower his stance as his response.

Seigaku will go to the Nationals no matter what.

()()()()()

"Game, Tousaka: three games to one!"

Mai, breathing heavily, collapsed on the floor while staring at the sky. She looked at the marks created by 'Shizuru' which could have brought anyone into an analeptic shock. Skid marks came from her shoes and her racquet strings were full of fuzz. Sweat poured down her face as her heart beat pounded heavily in her ears. In front of her stood her captain but Mai couldn't feel any will to lift her racquet.

She's exactly like her, start to finish, Mai breathed in sharply. The tensai had taken list of all the moves and even the mannerisms made Shizuru look like she had a twin sister.

"This is what the Nationals are like now," 'Shizuru' pointed her racquet to the fallen tensai. "You can't keep playing with that kind of calibre if you only have those techniques. I've seen the Sazanka Serve from last year. The Adonis Otoshi also and even the Jazz Tennis is something we've all seen. What's there not to see?"

Mai squinted a bit at the glaring sunlight. She's right; right now – I'm doing things at the top of my head...

Kiyone tilted her head to the side. "Wow, she's really good..."

"Mai got taken out after one game," Momo twitched, disgruntled. "If their Singles Two is this powerful, how far did Hoshimura go?"

Shizuru turned her head towards the Jyosei Shounan captain who smirked at her.

"Nagisaki's been slacking," Florence folded her arms. "Or is it that you decided to destroy everything your senpai had worked for?"

Haruka stood in front of Shizuru. "That's low – Hoshimura!"

"I'm stating the truth," Florence threw her hair back. "What the queen won't see, the Nightingale will."

Rin jumped over Shizuru and glared at Florence. "Stop talking in such cryptic words!"

All of a sudden, Shizuru stood up and walked towards the court.

"Hey," Momo watched her approach the red haired tensai who lay flat on the floor.

Shizuru glanced at Mai whose amber eyes glared back at her. "What? Are you going to hit me again?"

Being slightly taken aback, Shizuru flicked her nose with a small smile. "You should stop fooling around."

Mai twitched her nose while creasing her eyebrows. "Geez, I guess I overdid it huh?"

"What do you think?" Shizuru extended her hand to help her friend up. "Unless you get yourself together, a kick is not the only thing you'll get."

Shaking her head, Mai finally stood up. "Hey, Shizuru..."

When the captain turned around, Mai slapped her across the face teasingly. "That's what you get for kicking me, sister."

Shizuru giggled a bit before heading back to her seat. "Alright then, show me what you got."

Mai smirked before returning to her match. "Hell yeah I plan to."

"Now you're getting serious," 'Shizuru' clicked her tongue as she changed back into her original form. "You're telling me Shizuru won't work on you anymore?"

Tossing her red hair back, Mai shook her head. "Maybe at some point she will but... you still have a lot of work to do."

Umeyumi didn't reply as Mai explained. "You may have figured out her looks but your eyes are different. Momo-senpai once quoted to me: 'The eyes are the doorways to the soul.' For that, I'm very grateful. Shizuru doesn't have that devious expression – heck, she can't even do it. When she gets excited, Shizuru's eyes glisten differently. You on the other hand make her look like she's some sadistic pompous brat that can't pull it off."

Umeyumi, hanging her head, slowly began chortling and hugging her sides. "Man, you really have a serious face! I just can't stop laughing!"

What the hell? She can't even take a simple serious expression properly!

Mai raised an eyebrow before turning to her teammates. "Guys, do I look that ridiculous!"

Haruka shook her head. "No, you look fine."

Kiyone stuck her tongue out. "She's a weirdo, Mai-Mai! Crush her!"

Stifling her laughter, Umeyumi changed back into her serious expression. "You got some nasty words, brat. I hope you can back it up."

Whoa, talk about Schizophrenic, Momo twitched her nose a bit. "So are you done yet?"

"Yeah kgrnnk," Umeyumi puffed up her cheeks to stop her laughter. "We should get started then."

God, Mai lowered her stance as Tousaka started her service. Taking a forehand, the tensai dashed to the other side for a cross court while Umeyumi glanced at Matsuri who nodded at her.

"Well," Umeyumi clipped the ball. "I think I've taken enough information out of you."

Mai raised an eyebrow as Umeyumi smacked the tensai's wrist. Damn, what was that!

"Mai-Mai," Kiyone pointed at the air. "What does it look like to you!"

The Hamutsu e no Rondo, Mai lunged for her racquet as she uncoiled quickly to repel the smash. "Where did you get that move?"

"I've been watching Hyotei's games and Kajimoto-san has been telling me all about it," Umeyumi went for another smash. "You don't even know your senpai's moves? How distasteful."

Mai furrowed her eyebrows. "Of course I know what they are! You're just doing a bad imitation of the Hamutsu e no Rondo!"

Umeyumi dashed to the left side as Mai sliced the ball for a cord.

"Love – fifteen," Mai twirled her racquet.

Mai shrugged as she waited for the next service. "My turn to swipe a couple of games from you."

()()()()()

"Tezuka's elbow has been injured until recently," Oishi offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry but he told me not to tell you guys. I guess he didn't want us to worry while we were aiming for the National Tournament."

The cheers increased in noise as Tezuka took in shot after shot. Atobe resisted the urge to wipe the sweat off as he continued running around. Tezuka fired at the corners while he forced himself to play defensively. However, the Hyotei captain knew that the only way to take out Tezuka was a game of endurance. Focusing on Tezuka's movement, Atobe smirked to himself.

My bet is that you can last only an hour with that arm, Atobe forehanded the next shot. Unfortunately for you, I am your dance partner so...

I will make this dance last more than an hour and a half!

Tezuka on the other hand noticed what Atobe's challenge was. However, his body started hesitating but some other part forced him to play. Watching his shot fly to another corner, Tezuka couldn't help but try to figure out on what was pushing him to such extent.

"Two years ago," Oishi bit his lip as he slowly explained it to his teammates. "When Tezuka first entered middle school, the third year senpai had no chance to begin with."

Flashback (Seigaku Two Years Ago)

"Game and set, Tezuka: 6-2!"

The opponent shakily extended his hands as murmurs echoed throughout the courts.

"Man, this first year is really something!"

"It's like it's in his blood!"

However, the bespectacled boy didn't pay much heed to it as he responded with a slight bow. "Thank you very much, Sugiyama-senpai."

After practice, Tezuka walked home with his best friend, Oishi who seemed more of a worrywart compared to what most people thinks.

"I can't believe it," he chuckled lightly. "You beat five senpai in a day! You're really something but – don't you think it's a bit too much? Some of the senpai might do something bad to you or something..."

Tezuka slightly halted in his steps. "Does it really matter?"

Oishi sighed dejectedly. "Well, for four years going five – the Seigaku Tennis club couldn't even reach the Prefectural tournament. But as long as Tezuka-kun is here, the Kantou tournament shouldn't be a problem at all!"

Kantou? Tezuka's head slightly shot up as he thought about it. "Oishi..."

"But the rules say that the freshmen can't become Regulars 'til summer," Oishi quickly explained. "I just wonder..."

"I don't mind that at all," Tezuka nodded stiffly. "But... Oishi-kun..."

Oishi stared slightly ajar as Tezuka flashed a small smirk. "In our time, let's lead Seigaku to the Nationals."

The Nationals? Tezuka-kun might want to take it easy first, Oishi sheepishly shrugged. "Huh, how troublesome..."

After a few moments, Oishi looked up into the sky. "By the way, Tezuka-kun, are you right handed?"

Tezuka hung his head slightly. "I'm a lefty..."

Oishi stared agape. "Huh? But wait a minute – you were playing against our senpai with your right hand!"

"Hn," Tezuka didn't say anything as he reached for the gate. "You better go, Oishi. It's getting late."

"Ah-ha," Oishi sheepishly scratched his head. "Yeah, see you in school tomorrow."

End of Flashback

"I guess Tezuka was using his sense and acted kindly towards our senpai in his own way," Oishi smiled a bit as Momoshiro and Kikumaru exchanged grins.

Momoshiro snickered. "That reminds me of a certain someone... hehehe..."

Kikumaru ruffled Echizen's cap as the younger boy snorted in response. "Nyah, they're so alike!"

"Who are you talking about?" Echizen nonchalantly brushed off Kikumaru's hand.

Oishi hung his head sadly again. "But there were some senpai who didn't think that way..."

Flashback

"Stop screwing around, Tezuka," a loud yell came from the tennis court.

Tezuka nonchalantly shrugged. "You're the one who wanted a tennis match."

"Damn it," one of the seniors slammed the racquet against the net. "You bastard, you were using your right when you're actually a southpaw! I see now – it seems like you don't even need your dominant hand at all!"

"Hey Takesue enough," one of the other seniors tried to grab him but he threw them down anyway.

Takesue raised his racquet. "You all shut up," –he turned to Tezuka. "I can't stand this anymore! If you don't need that left hand of yours then, I'll just do this!"

Silence filled the court as Oishi ran to Tezuka. "Tezuka-kun!"

No one said anything but Tezuka stumbled back a bit but took back his racquet. "Stop screwing around."

Oishi stood back as Tezuka glared at them. "HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN PLAYING TENNIS! RACQUETS AREN'T USED TO HURT PEOPLE! IF THIS IS WHAT KIND OF CLUB THIS IS...!"

The seniors couldn't move a muscle as Tezuka bent down to reclaim his glasses. "I'm sorry, Oishi-kun..."

Oishi shook his head. "No, Tezuka-kun, you can't..."

"I quit," Tezuka's voice was low but everyone didn't even want to stop him from leaving.

End of Flashback

"WHAT THE HELL," The trio gaped in unison. "Tezuka-buchou chose to quit the tennis club before!"

Oishi shook his head. "No... At that time... Someone else managed to convince him to stay..."

Flashback

"Now, now, now," a voice came from the doorway. "What's with the entire ruckus?"

Everyone turned around only to see the captain of Seigaku, Yamato Yudai. "That would be a hundred laps around the court, everyone. Come on," –he beckoned them out the door. "It's a group punishment. Now now, if you don't run the sun will set!"

"But... a hundred laps are unheard of, buchou!"

While the others left, Tezuka picked up his tennis bag and brushed past Yamato. Even if it was for a short time...

"Hey, hey," Yamato hooked his finger onto the freshman's shirt, causing Tezuka to nearly choke. "You're a member too right? Now go – hundred laps."

Tezuka hung his head as he avoided being choked again. "But... I quit the team."

Yamato raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You did? But, you haven't turned in your resignation form yet. Run those hundred laps first and then I'll take your form."

Seeing that there was no way out, Tezuka decided to run as many started lagging behind. Oishi trailed behind the other senpai but couldn't help but be amazed by Tezuka's ability to keep up. Despite only staying for a short while, Tezuka quickly outran the others and started catching up with the lead.

Tezuka didn't only fix his skills but trained himself for it; Oishi wiped the sweat away from his brow. "He's just so great..."

Oishi then decided to stop in his pace and stand in front of the stoic first year, causing the other seniors to nearly bump into them.

"Tezuka-kun," Oishi inhaled deeply. "IF YOU'RE GOING TO QUIT THEN, I WILL TOO! But," –he recalled the images of Tezuka being determined to bring Seigaku to the Nationals. "If you're going to give up over something like this, what are you going to do?"

Tezuka bit his lip in order to stop himself from saying anything until Yamato appeared behind Oishi. "Because of you, your friend is about to quit..."

"Yamato-buchou," Oishi stared up in shock as he stood behind.

Yamato sighed before scratching his sheepishly. "There is not much I can do as captain. I even lost to you yesterday," –chuckling inwardly. "But never did I lose the dream of bringing Seigaku to the Nationals. That's why – Tezuka-kun, I want you to be the pillar of the Seigaku tennis club."

However, the only reply he got from the freshmen was a dead-on stare. "Huh?"

End of Flashback

"That's when Tezuka-buchou returned to the club right?" Momoshiro pointed out. "What happened then?"

Oishi inhaled sharply. "By then, we thought that there was no lasting damage but... his training menu was almost borderline insane. His workload was twice more than that of everyone else's. The Zero Shiki Drop shot and combined with that old injury, Tezuka made the damage permanent. Before, there was a point he couldn't play..."

Kikumaru then recalled something about Tezuka being accepted by a high ranking club. "So, that's why he rejected the Senbatsu Camp last year..."

Momoshiro hung his head a bit. "So, the Tezuka-buchou we've been playing against was actually..."

Kaidoh slammed his fist on the rail. "Yeah..."

The whole Seigaku team fell silent as Echizen smirked and glanced at them. "But he's better now, right?"

Oishi nodded. "Yeah, he got an ok from the doctor in the hospital and there shouldn't be anything holding him back."

Momoshiro brightened up. "That means Atobe's just lying!"

"That's right," Kikumaru punched the air. "You're worrying too much, aibou!"

I just hope that's the case, Oishi sighed in relief. But this is Tezuka we're talking about...

"There it is," one of the students yelled. "It's the Zero Shiki Drop Shot!"

The Hyotei students stared in awe as the ball rolled towards Tezuka except it was blocked by the net. Atobe stared at the ball that had slightly clipped the net which now lay tauntingly by the net.

"Game, Tezuka: one game to love!"

Even with that arm, Atobe stopped midway as Tezuka resumed his position.

"Don't hold back, Atobe," Tezuka slightly smirked. "Come at me with all you have!"

()()()()()

Damn, she's coming up with new tricks every time, Umeyumi found herself running towards all the corners.

Mai on the other hand found the Subera Kagerou flying towards her again but sliced it down below. "You should have never used Shizuru against me."

"Pray do tell why," Umeyumi slyly smiled as Mai's sardonic grin equalled hers.

"That's because she's my doubles partner," the red haired player closed her eyes as she ripped it towards the baseline.

Umeyumi fired it back with a backhand as Mai's eyes fogged up a bit. "Oh, what's this?"

The tensai pointed her racquet at Umeyumi. "Mada mada dazo, Tousaka."

Almost giggling at the sudden change, Umeyumi lowered her stance and got ready to knock down Mai. You're using the Muga no Kyouchi a bit too early, don't you think?

Florence watched Mai slice the ball and flash in all sorts of directions. However, she took more notes on how much sweat poured down Mai's face. The redhead's speed forced Umeyumi to run from left to right while the tensai didn't even notice how parched her face looked. The captain of Jyosei Shounan glanced at Shizuru who gripped her skirt tightly.

She knows, Florence smirked before looking at the match. "Matsuri, how long does the tensai last before her stamina runs out?"

"According to my calculations," Matsuri looked at her watched and then put her finger in the air. "I'd say in the next ten minutes – she's down."

Hitomi began scribbling down furiously. "Mai's getting reckless; the Muga no Kyouchi will leave her in the open!"

Shizuru swivelled her head towards her former doubles partner as the tensai started hitting Ayane's shots. Her speed had tripled and the strength she was hitting at drained every ounce of her willpower. Standing up, Shizuru motioned to the referee for a timeout as Mai scored the next point.

"Game, Nagisaki: two games to three!"

Umeyumi, breathing haphazardly, dragged herself to Florence while Mai emotionlessly wobbled towards Shizuru. Isane handed Shizuru a bottle of water but the captain decided differently.

SPLASH.

Mai's eyes cleared up as she shook her head like a wet dog. "Hey, what gives!"

"You're going to exhaust yourself before the match even ends," Shizuru handed her the bottle. "Tell me, what's your idea of winning?"

Mai raised an eyebrow as she downed a bottle of water. "Well, it's exhausting every method there is."

"A determined player would do that," Haruka leaned against the rail, wagging her finger. "But a smart player would know how to use it to her advantage. Every decision is a double edged sword."

The tensai stared at Zhujiang queerly. "The Muga no Kyouchi is only a way to secure the win. I can recover the other points after that. I know Tousaka is a National Level player but she won't do much after this. Let alone – she's just tossing things around."

"That's the scary part," Momo watched the body language of Umeyumi and Florence. "She got data from you for Shuriki. Prove them wrong, Mai."

Hitomi's eye glasses glinted. "Mai, be careful. What you'll see after this timeout is the real Tousaka."

Mai snickered to herself. "The Muga no Kyouchi played its part already. Time to bring her down the old fashioned way."

Rin bit her lip. "I'm worried for her, kuwee. Remember our senpai couldn't get past her?"

"Who got past her that time anyway," Haruka turned to Momo who hung her head.

"Only Midoriyama-senpai did..."

Mai lowered her position as she began her service. Despite it being a T-serve, Umeyumi jumped for the shot as Mai slammed it with a backhand to the other corner. Umeyumi backhanded it the same way as the ball flew to the other side. Watching the Jyosei Shounan regular's movement, Mai quickly sprinted with a dance step as she returned it with a floating drop shot.

"Fifteen – love," Mai glared at Umeyumi.

"Grrnk," Umeyumi held her sides to contain her laughter. "My God, you're so serious! It almost cracks me up! Hahahahaha!"

Haruka shook her head disbelievingly. "Geez, that's totally strange."

Momo shrugged with a snicker. "Well, at least Genichirou will be laughed at if he comes across this girl."

Isane shook her head disbelievingly. "I can't believe she can still think like this in a middle of a match."

Umeyumi lowered her stance, smirking at Mai. You're going down here, Nagisaki.

On the Jyosei Shounan side, Shikako leaned back on her chair with her usual smile. "Wow, she's getting riled up."

"It's been awhile since she's last fought a tensai," Florence sighed, dejectedly. "You know – I wonder if people are aware of why Umeyumi's vicious..."

Hikaru tilted her head to the side. "Wait a minute; I thought it was only the illusions!"

Florence shook her head. "Aren't you aware of her title?

Yes, it's something that Midoriyama would have told Momo, the Jyosei Shounan captain bit her lip at the thought. Question is – why doesn't Mai know it? Aren't they both tensai in their own levels?

Hitomi turned to see Florence biting her lip. "Mai doesn't know does she?"

Isane raised an eyebrow at her doubles partner. "Uh, what do you mean?"

"Tousaka-san's real title," Momo winced at the memory. "Her illusions are nothing..."

Haruka gulped while looking at the blue haired girl. "Oh yeah... her name is..."

"The Awakened Angel," Rin cowered behind Ayane.

The vice captain wrinkled her nose. "Huh? What's so scary about that?"

Kiyone began shivering while holding on to Shizuru's sleeve. "It's horrible..."

"Huh?" Ayane glanced at her doubles partner who clung onto Shizuru's sleeve tightly. "I don't get it!"

Shizuru's eyes narrowed. Here it comes...

Umeyumi breathed in sharply as she turned to face Mai. "I know everything about you now."

Mai glowered at the blue haired Jyosei Shounan player. "Try me."

Attacking with a fairly fast serve, Mai forehanded the next shot sent to the left corner as Umeyumi curved the shot outwardly. Seeing it swerve, Mai quickly volleyed it which caused it to smack the net.

"That was the Habu of St. Rudolph's Madoka," Ayane dropped her jaw. "What the hell?"

"Fifteen all," Mai picked up the ball while recalling the pathway. Odd, I don't remember them facing St. Rudolph before.

Umeyumi shrugged before returning to the baseline. "Is that it? Is that all you can do?"

Mai furrowed her eyebrows a bit as she readied another serve. Watching it fly from the tensai's racquet, Umeyumi darted forward with a volley which forced Mai to come forward. The ball slipped faster and faster, disappearing the moment it crossed the net. Mai danced towards Umeyumi's rhythm often times, throwing Umeyumi in a different direction. However, Umeyumi slid over from any shot fired at her.

She's doing acrobatic play, Mai cringed as she returned the shot. But, she never faced Rin before! Rin's one of the best in Kantou!

Florence smirked as she turned to Shizuru and back at Mai. "To stop the mental game Nagisaki often plays with her opponent, Umeyumi posed as the perfect weapon. After all – she can use any technique as long as she has encountered it."

"Wait a minute," Ayane gasped as she turned to Hitomi. "Can't Kabaji-senpai do the same!"

Hitomi nodded as she glanced through her notes. "The only difference is that Kabaji-kun clears his mind again as soon as the match is over. Tousaka is called the 'Awakened Angel' because she can use the experience of any match she has gone under."

"In other words," Momo stared aghast. "She's using the Muga no Kyouchi?"

Haruka shook her head as she watched Umeyumi's eyes glance left and right. "No, she's...not..."

"If she did," Isane noticed Umeyumi's slowed breathing. "She would be sweating buckets by now."

"Which she isn't," Hitomi began running through her notes again. "Rin, can you use your Insight please?"

Rin shook her head, sighing sadly. "Already did and I can't find anything, kuwee~."

"No weakness or anything," Momo gaped with her hands in her hair. "Please tell me you're joking!"

Rin shook her head while Haruka glanced at Mai. She better find a way out of this, fast!

()()()()()

"Change court!"

Tezuka headed towards the bench while Atobe shrugged it off as he made his way to the other side.

"Geez, not a word or whatsoever," Kikumaru watched Echizen sip his Ponta while Tezuka wiped the sweat off his face.

However, Atobe didn't get any reaction from his teammates except a gape from Ohtori, Gakuto snorting, Oshitari winced slightly while Jirou simply slept through everything. Atobe snickered a bit to himself as he stopped right in front of the coach's bench.

"The opponent is attacking at the start, Atobe," Sakaki pointed out which only earned him a smirk from the Hyotei captain. "His plan is to hit the corners and tire you out by making you run left and right. He seems to be hurrying a bit."

Atobe shrugged it off. "That just proves how much he fears himself, right coach?"

"Atobe," Sakaki sighed defeated. "Don't let your guard down at all! It's about time you took control of the game. That is all..."

Atobe brushed his hair back with his icy blue eyes glittering with arrogance. "Don't worry; ore-sama already has control over the game."

On the sidelines, Yanagi blinked in realization to Sanada. "Genichirou, you noticed anything strange? That Atobe hasn't used the move that he showed us during Junior Camp."

Sanada smirked while looking at the two. "That's right; it's that crazy smash of his."

Soon another rally ensued with Atobe and Tezuka throwing cross courts at one another. Chants from the bleachers became louder while many of the spectators couldn't help but comment on the rally.

"This rally's... amazing!"

Tezuka bent down for a low shot but lobbed it high enough for Atobe to go for a smash.

"Too easy, Tezuka-san hit a lob," Kirihara peeked from in between Atobe and Yanagi.

Yanagi nodded stiffly, despite the loudness of Kirihara's voice. "He's going to hit it."

However, Atobe smirked as he volleyed it down towards the other end of the service court. Forcibly returning the volley, Tezuka nearly stumbled which allowed Atobe get ready for a backhand. Despite the speed of the shot, Tezuka managed to run it down.

Fuji opened his eyes. "This match is bad..."

Atobe smirked as he ran for a forehand. "It may be true that your elbow is all better, Tezuka. If your elbow was hurt, there's no way you could hit a drop shot like that!"

But you're so careful about your elbow that you've forgotten about your shoulder, Atobe snickered to himself. It seems even you haven't noticed that.

Watching the forehand go cross court, Atobe went for a down the line shot which Tezuka easily ran down.

This would have ended twenty minutes ago if it were a Regular match, Atobe ran down the next shot again. What makes you think you can last a drawn-out match? If you keep at it, you're dancing towards your own destruction. Thirty minutes would be boring; it's no fun if you just win right?

"I'll make you dance with me for a minimum of two hours," Atobe smirked as he backhanded his shots to the corner. "That goes along with the destruction of your shoulder!"

()()()()()

Mai, lying on the floor, inhaled sharply as she stared into the blue sky. Umeyumi stood there with a smirk while Hyotei couldn't help but stare at the fallen red haired girl. The ball lay on her side of the court, rolling weakly towards Mai after a furious volley.

"Game, Tousaka: five games to three!"

Isane drew back horrified. "She's really tossing Mai around as if..."

"Midoriyama-senpai knew how to deal with her before she went nuts," Hitomi sadly hung her head. "Mai was never a Singles player after all."

Shizuru shook her head, smiling kindly. "It's not that she was never a Singles player. Mai's just too used to Doubles play."

Mai heard her captain as she sat up, sighing to herself. With that kind of play, where will we go?

"The Nationals would never accept a person like you," Umeyumi smirked before tossing her hair back. "A self-proclaimed genius like you isn't going to get anywhere."

Mai stood her ground, gathering up more energy for another round. "Let's see how long you can last after this rally."

"I just need one more game," Umeyumi shrugged. "After all, this is the power of Jyosei Shounan's Unpredictability."

Kiyone swivelled her head towards Hitomi. "Wait, so each school has their own attribute?"

"Technically," Hitomi nodded as she flipped towards a chart. "The school is based off by their players' styles. For example, Seishun Gakuen is known to take things by brute force therefore giving them the attribute of power. Rikkai Daigaku Fuzoku Chuu's level of Control is almost insane. Kiyone, it's like having seven of you in their team."

Ayane drew back horrified. "No way, they bite people!"

"I meant in terms of control," Hitomi sighed, face palming. "Shitenhouji has something in their arsenal and I just don't remember what. Rikkai Dai beat them last year with Inuzuka Miaka as their ace card along with Yukimura Ai. Hyotei Gakuen narrowly snatched the victory from Seigaku when Souma Fuuka and Kurenai-buchou played it out. Shigetsu Kaori had taken down Naomi-buchou by then and we had to gamble on Shizuru. Actually, we also have Mai to thank Shizuru's recent improvement in abilities. After all, they are doubles partners."

Hmph, what can Nagisaki possibly come up with, Umeyumi swiped the ball for the Habu until it zoomed back at her.

"Fifteen – love," Umeyumi stared at Mai who inhaled sharply.

Mai stared her down with her racquet pointed at the Jyosei Shounan player. "Kousoku Yaribana..."

Florence raised an eyebrow while Shizuru smiled a bit at Mai whose expression glared a bit at Umeyumi. "I'm going to take the next four games from you."

"Alright then," Umeyumi smirked, tossing her hair back. "Show me what you got."

Florence glanced at Mai. She's come a long way. Umeyumi better not get cocky despite the lead. Nagisaki is no self-proclaimed genius...

Matsuri turned to the Jyosei Shounan captain. "So, how will her genius show now?"

"I absolutely don't know," Florence glanced at Shizuru. For what reason did you send out Nagisaki if you knew that Tousaka played Singles Two?

Hitomi bit her lip. "You knew that Tousaka would play Singles Two? You could have sent in Isane instead!"

"I had suspicions," Shizuru watched Mai position herself for another shot. "I didn't know Tousaka would really take the spot."

Haruka thought things through. "Actually, this would do Mai some good."

"Do explain," Momo raised an eyebrow.

Hitomi nodded as she glanced at Mai's record. "Mai always won against her opponents but they never thrilled her. No victory has ever thrilled her."

Ayane shuddered at the other players. "I can't believe it! You guys had to play these monsters last year!"

"If you think these guys are monsters," Momo shook her head, chuckling nervously. "Seigaku's worse."

Rin shivered at the thought. "Yeah, I remember that girl who always stared down at me."

"Mouri Enma and Tadashiko Midori are not exactly what you call 'Seigaku's Golden Pair'," Isane folded her arms while recalling her match. "Ferero-senpai and I had a hey-day."

Shizuru shook her head. "It's not them we should be worried about. It's the top three we have to be afraid of."

Hitomi pulled out a notebook. "Souma Fuuka also known as "Seishun Gakuen's Bloody Rose" is known for her ruthless style of taking out her opponent. Her style is beyond aggressive. Jerrard Vera is known as the "Heartbreaker" and Shibuya Rangiku... is very well known in the Junior Tournaments as," –gulping fearfully, "... the "Wraith Child"."

"That's not a nice nickname," Rin and Kiyone whimpered as they hid behind their respective playmakers.

"Shibuya Rangiku isn't a doubles player isn't she?" Isane loomed over Hitomi to check her notes. "All her matches were in Singles Three..."

Shizuru placed a thumb on her lip. "It's probably because she's never faced anyone stronger than her. Singles Three is usually what they call as the 'warm-up' match. With Shibuya Rangiku in that line, Souma-san doesn't need to worry and would easily put the momentum to Seishun's advantage."

Seeing another Habu shot flying at her, Mai grabbed the shot and terminated the spin again.

"Game, Nagisaki: four games to five!"

Here it comes, Florence watched Umeyumi go for her service.

"Tch, so that's it," Umeyumi tossed the ball. "You're in for it now!"

Seeing a fast serve, Rin gaped while hanging on to Haruka. "Hey, isn't that the Roadrunner Serve of Habernägen Cynthia!"

Looks like I'll have to bend low, Mai lobbed it slightly into the air as Umeyumi volleyed it faster.

"That's Hitomi's Sonic Volley," Isane dropped her jaw a bit.

Mai snickered. "Hitomi's volley is nothing compared to what Kiyone hit at me!"

Kiyone clapped her hands with delight. "Yay, I'm actually doing something right!"

"You've always been silly," Ayane flicked the smaller girl's forehead. "I'm sure Mai-senpai's gotten much faster!"

Mai jumped high in the air as she went for a smash. I am not going down, not here!

"Love – fifteen," Umeyumi stumbled over while taking a glance at Mai.

Now you're showing your colours, Umeyumi brushed her hair back, sighing. "You should have done that awhile ago."

Mai, heavily breathing, tossed back her red hair. "Well, it takes a lot to wake me up. I'll give you that."

Umeyumi glanced at Matsuri who had pulled out a new notebook. Alright, this is where things get messy.

Serving the Roadrunner Serve, Umeyumi sent it near Mai's foot but the girl immediately danced away for a slight volley which slapped off the tip of the net. Umeyumi ran forward while Mai cornered her with a deep shot to her left. Though her body had sweat dripping from every side, Mai simply skidded around while recalling the shots sent at her. She carefully analysed the other girl's foot pattern while going for a backhand volley.

"Love – thirty," Umeyumi clucked her tongue as she watched Mai return another one of her shots.

Now she's getting serious, Umeyumi snickered to herself. It's rare to see the tensai so riled up.

Haruka nodded with a balled fist. "Alright, take her out – Mai!"

Shizuru glanced at the Jyosei Shounan side. No, there's something wrong. It's as if they deliberately did this to...

Mai ripped the Roadrunner shot as she sent the shot straight into the air.

"Aki no Counter: Kurosakuraso," Mai turned away as the ball limply fell on Umeyumi's side of the court.

"Game, Nagisaki: five games all!"

Umeyumi scratched her chin. "Hou~, this is something new..."

"It's something I've improved on," Mai winked as she went for the baseline. "This game's mine!"

Umeyumi chuckled darkly at the tensai. "I guess that's what you Hyotei brats are known for – your immeasurable arrogance!"

()()()()()

"Game, Tezuka: three games to two!"

Atobe stared in shock as Tezuka returned back to the baseline. He could see the determination in Tezuka's eyes but he never expected the latter to take it this far. Was this his way of accepting Atobe's challenge? No one knew except a handful of Seigaku students who knew Tezuka too well.

"He's going to do it," Oishi gripped the rail mutely. "There's nothing I can do to stop him now."

Kikumaru glanced at Fuji. "Nyah, Atobe's purposely drawing out the match? But why would he do that?"

"He plans to crush Tezuka's arm in a battle of endurance," Fuji bit his lip as he watched Tezuka play.

Fuji's eyes remained peeled open as Horio tapped his shoulder. "Can't Tezuka-buchou rush this match?"

"That's exactly what Atobe wants," Inui tipped his glasses a bit. "He's waiting for Tezuka to make a mistake by pressuring him into a protracted game."

Fuji shook his head. "Besides, he's a National Ranked player. There's no way he's going to let up just like that."

Echizen sighed to himself. "Hn, buchou's really going to get in trouble..."

Arai slammed his hand on the fence. "Damn, this guy's playing dirty! Fight...!"

"Shut up!"

The other Seigaku members turned to Kaidoh who hissed his usual. "Can't you morons cheer silently?"

Watching the rally, Fuji shut his eyes slightly. "This is what a serious match looks like."

Tezuka and Atobe did nothing but exchange cross court shots, causing each other to run back and forth. Atobe nearly stumbled but managed to backhand the next shot towards Tezuka who managed to volley it over. Chants of either Hyotei or Seigaku screamed all over the place, pressuring both captains to keep on playing. Atobe smirked inwardly while firing the forehand over.

I commend you for pressuring me, Tezuka, Atobe cross courted a forehand. However there's something you forget...

Oishi grit his teeth as he watched Tezuka and Atobe trying to bait each other to make a mistake. He knows that Tezuka won't hurry in attacking! If he plays a protracted game like this, it's going to be fatal!

Atobe, sensing the anxiety surrounding Seigaku, smirked as he drove it in. I completely control this game! Come and get me, Tezuka!

As Tezuka returned the forehand, Atobe managed to get a glimpse of Tezuka's eyes.

I won't back down, Atobe.

Sengoku whistled as he watched the two players start attacking one other. "Tezuka Kunimitsu, he's a frightening man..."

"Over his arm, he has chosen the victory of Seigaku..."

Oishi couldn't help but feel numb at Tezuka's choice. However, he knew stopping his friend right there and then would be suicide.

"Tezuka plans on taking on the battle of endurance!"

()()()()()

"Game, Tousaka: six games all! Tie breaker will now begin!"

Mai and Umeyumi felt their bodies breaking a new limit. Sweat poured down their faces as the sun beat down on them. Umeyumi shrugged at the tensai as the two of them began glaring at each other like wild cats. Mai's amber eyes beadily analysed Umeyumi's movement as the bluenette strode carefully back to the middle watching Mai's movement from drastic to twitching. Umeyumi tossed the ball up, feeling the pressure out. Mai dashed immediately giving her an advantage while forcing Umeyumi to dash to the other side to take out Mai's blind spot.

"I'll crush you," Umeyumi snickered. "The same way your captain will get crushed by Florence!"

However, Mai sliced Umeyumi's drive shot which caused it to bounce awkwardly and slide past her.

"This technique was initially experimental," Mai ruefully smiled. "I was saving this technique for the National Tournament."

Rin yelped while hiding behind Haruka. "She put a heavy spin by slicing it over and over again. But, even with the amount of times – it wouldn't be enough!"

Haruka shook her head. "Umeyumi's drive shot still had leftover spin so; she must've used that to propel her shot over."

"Isn't that like the," Kiyone snapped her fingers. "It's the Tsubame Gaeshi of Kyoushou-san!"

Ayane raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell is... oh, it's Fuji-san."

"Please address older people by their proper name, Getsugan," Shizuru ruffled the hair of the smaller girl, causing Kiyone to put impishly.

"I don't wanna," Kiyone folded her arms. "After what he did to Mai-Mai, he's better off being known that way!"

"Two – zero," Mai performed the 'trick' again.

Umeyumi tousled her hair as she wagged her finger. "Now, would you be so kind to tell me what that technique is?"

"You seem pretty cocky," Mai rolled her eyes as she became more serious. "It's the Hofuku Yamaonna."

"The Crawling Akebia," Hitomi scribbled down. "Interesting, these flowers grow as vine plants. Although, I never knew that Mai would hide a technique from us."

Haruka shrugged. "Maybe she wanted to master it first before showing it off. She's usually like that."

Umeyumi watched the ball roll by her feet. "Interesting, it's still experimental and you've gotten it this far? Quite the technique, I must say but unfortunately..."

Mai raised her eyebrow as Umeyumi crouched down with an evil grin.

"I will crush that technique within seven points."

-That's chapter 7! Geez, Atobe and Tezuka really know how to destroy themselves! I wonder what would happen to Mai. Anyway, I'm going to put a poll later. It's about Rin okay? Please answer it and review!