Queen of The Suits

by Scarlette Shizuru

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - They thought only the boys' middle school team was a revolution in tennis. But what other abilities do the girls have? What makes them tick really? "Being clean is not a clinical psychological disorder!" CHP 79 up! I don't own Prince of Tennis! Only the OCs! Chapter 2 - rewritten!

33. Demon Versus Demigod's Angel

(I don't own Prince of Tennis!)

Chapter 33 – Demon versus Demigod's Angel

Mai, fixing her hair and racquet strings, glanced at the scoreboard as Konan started tying up her hair.

I can't believe it, Mai smiled inwardly to herself. They actually did it...!

Rin and Haruka sat on the bench panting heavily while Hitomi handed them each a bottle of water. "You guys were great out there. That's quite a new level of Synchro."

"We wanted to hide it," Haruka smirked while taking the bottle gratefully. "But, I guess we shouldn't have."

Rin whined while stretching her legs. "My body aches..."

"No duh," Haruka shook her head disapprovingly. "I mean – they did work us to the ground even if it was for a short while."

"Game and match, Hikifumi-Shimohi: six games to four!"

Shizuru returned with Oshitari while looking at the score. "Congrats, you guys won."

"Heh," Haruka sniggered while washing herself down. "It was hell out there..."

Kiyone nodded vigorously while looking at the wet court. "You guys made plants grow out there!"

"If we could grow trees with sweat," Haruka snickered while leaning back as she dumped a towel on her face. "Global Warming would have ended two years ago."

Rin groaned while leaning against Haruka's shoulder. "I'm poofed..."

Shizuru smiling sheepishly then changed into a serious expression when Mai got on the court with Konan licking her chops. The senior's eyes followed Mai's every movement while stepping onto the court, checking out a few things here and there.

"Don't lengthen the battle, Konan," Naomi curtly noted to the silver haired girl. "Mai-chan's not the one you should take lightly."

Konan grinned, licking her chops. "I battle the way I want, Kotetsu. You stay out of this!"

Unlike most of the members, Konan could scare anyone into forfeiting. Her fox-like crimson eyes gleamed while her silver hair streaked with red lines fell at chin length, revealing a more ferocious look. Konan had two piercings under her lip while seven silver ear-cuffs hung loosely on each of her ear lobes. Twirling her racquet, Konan grinned wolfishly while staring Mai down.

"Its go time," Konan snickered causing Mai to slightly shudder.

Naomi glanced at both sides. "Singles Two will now begin: Hyotei High School's Ichigetsu Konan versus Hyotei Middle School's Nagisaki Mai. Game start, Ichigetsu to serve!"

Konan bounced the ball, watching Mai swing left and right. She glanced at Naomi who folded her arms while watching the match between the two of them. Sniggering to herself, the silver haired girl tossed the ball and slammed it towards Mai who reacted with a fast forehand. Konan slid over and sent it on a straight line shot towards her again. Mai managed to run it down but Konan sent it to the corner while forcing the tensai to run to the other end.

"Ichigetsu always liked prolonging battles," Gakuto leaned against the fence. "She was like: Let's see some carnage or something..."

Konan sniggered while watching Mai narrow her eyes at her. She dashed to one side bringing Mai in for a volley which then she countered with a baseline.

"Come on," Konan continued hitting left and right. "What's the matter with you, can't keep up!"

Mai, holding her nerves together, sliced the ball which sent in spiralling into the air. Konan raised her eyebrow until the ball bounced right next to her.

"Love – fifteen," Konan eyed the ball carefully.

Mai laid her racquet on her shoulder. "Are you alright? I thought you saw it before."

"Ha-ha," Konan chuckled darkly. "That was quite a technique... you sliced it up straight in the air to make a solid spin. That was your first technique wasn't it?"

Mai narrowed her eyes while Konan gave her a maniacal grin. "Well, my turn to show some stuff huh? But," –she shrugged while turning to the baseline. "That's gonna take out all the fun."

Naomi resisted the urge to face palm. "Konan, take her seriously for the love of God! You're not going to get anywhere!"

"Shut the hell up," Konan cast a withering glare at the captain, causing the Espada to slouch a bit. "I don't need some goody-goody faced princess to tell me what the hell I need to do!"

Mai winced at the tone. "If I were her captain, I'm sure I would've thrown her out the window by now."

Shizuru's gaze darkened while Kiyone hid behind Haruka. "Haruka-nee, why does Shizuru-buchou look like she's going to tear Ichigetsu-san apart?"

Haruka glanced at Shizuru whose crimson orbs burned with something else. Not with the seriousness of facing Naomi, not even excitement and Haruka recalled everything she knew about her sophomore captain. The brunette's fist curled up tighter considerably while her stance and gaze hardened.

It's like, Haruka hugged her body. It's like the whole court's temperature dropped a few degrees...

Rin gulped while hiding behind Hitomi. "Hitomi-chan, Shizuru's ready to reveal her fangs or some sort..."

Naomi noticed her protégé burning up a bit on one side. Hmm, I've never seen you this angry before...

Mai, breathing heavily, returned to the baseline while waiting for Konan's shot. Her amber eyes centred themselves on the court, seeing possible points of attack as well trying to find where Konan would move. Jumping a few times, the red haired tensai watched the ball leave Konan's racquet and dashed for it. With a light shot, she quickly moved towards the net whereas Konan decided to bash the shot straight at Mai and sent the tensai backwards.

"Mai," Rin jumped out of her chair but froze when Shizuru stuck her hand in front of her. "Buchou, what gives?"

()()()()0000()()()()

"Argh," Ayane fell on the ground as she narrowly missed the ball. "What the hell is wrong with you, Atobe Keigo!"

Atobe watched Ayane slam her fist into the ground as she tried to get up after missing the last Jack Knife he had fired. His arm hung loosely while his icy eyes followed her every movement but somehow, he couldn't help but look at what cushioned her fall first.

Get a grip, ore-sama is not like that, Atobe mentally slapped himself.

What's the matter, can't handle a little sweat, a devilish voice cackled deep in his mind.

Atobe, biting his lip, growled inwardly at himself. Do you mind keeping your mouth shut?

Well then, you should've sided with the Angel now shouldn't you, it continued to taunt him. Look at her; she's a real piece of work.

Atobe rolled his eyes inwardly. "Ore-sama would like to have his mind back."

Ayane stared at him awkwardly. "What the hell? You've been talking to yourself all day, Atobe! What's wrong with you?"

"Ore-sama's just occupied with something," Atobe raked his fingers through his hair. "Well, don't just sit there Ayane – we're not yet done."

Ayane struggled to get up as she faced him down again. Sweat poured down her face while her grip tightened on her racquet whereas Atobe simply glanced at her and let out slight cough. His icy blue eyes met her burning emerald green ones as Ayane readied herself for another serve.

"Give me your best shot, Atobe," Ayane gripped her racquet tightly, glaring him down despite her shorter stature.

Watching the first year from the other end, Atobe couldn't help but smirk. He loved seeing her so riled but every time those "assets" had a little movement, Atobe bit his lip to calm himself down.

No wonder the boys kept referring to her as a "watermelon".

"Will you stop staring at me," a sharp voice caused Atobe to snap away from his thoughts and narrowly dodge the tennis ball that zipped past his face.

Atobe found Ayane, flushing madly and gripping her racquet tightly. "Ore-sama was just wondering how strong Aragaki -san would actually be."

Ayane stared at him for a moment as Atobe showed her a few cracks on the wall. "Do you see these cracks? This is exactly the same place Kabaji crashed when Aragaki-san played him."

()()()()0000()()()()

Momo doused herself with water, standing next to the silver haired tall regular. "Tell me Isane: how do you think we're gonna beat Midoriyama and Ferero?"

Isane glanced at her hands before washing her face again. "Honestly Momo, I don't know..."

Unlike the others, Momo bit her lip, thinking sourly. Ferero was probably the sanest one despite her erotic mind.

"I never knew that Kotetsu-san would try to destroy her own protégé," Isane glanced at the picture in her wallet. "It doesn't make any sense."

Momo scoffed while drying her hair. "Anything Kotetsu does doesn't make any sense. What makes you think she'll start now?"

Isane sighed while leaning against the sink, staring into the afternoon sky. "Honestly, I don't think we're gonna win despite how well we get together."

"We're playing against two doubles experts asides from Osakada," Momo spun her racquet around on the floor. "Osakada's a moron compared to Midoriyama."

Isane stared aghast at Momo. "Momo, we shouldn't say that about our senpai!"

"They're not our senpai anymore, Isane," Momo's dark eyes glared down at the ground while the purple haired Shinigami curled her hand into a fist. "They're nothing more but mere shadows of the past."

"Exactly, which gives you more reason to beat them," a firm tone came from the other side.

When Momo looked up, she found Shishido and Ohtori standing in front of them. "What are you two doing here?"

"Simply put," Shishido caught his racquet from balancing. "We're gonna help you guys."

Isane's eyes widened as a faint blush tinted her cheeks. "Ummm, r-really, y-you g-g-guys are g-gonna help?"

Ohtori smiled while scratching his head. "That's if – you guys don't mind... playing against us..."

Momo pat Ohtori on the back. "Alright, Chou-chan – give it your best shot. I don't expect less from the Silver Pair."

Shishido smirked while walking towards and empty court. "You shouldn't have in the beginning, Sanada."

()()()()0000()()()()

"Game, Nagisaki: two games to love!"

Mai took a breather whereas Konan snickered at where the ball had landed.

"Well, well, well," Konan's crimson eyes glittered gleefully while she glanced at the marks created by Mai's attacks. "You're goin' all out offensive t'day now are ya? It's kinda rare for a prodigy like ya to get so riled up, ne? Then again," – a maniacal grin appeared on her face. "It's so nice – that rosy red that makes your hair the way it is."

Mai narrowed her eyes as Konan raised her racquet. "Shall I paint you in that lovely red, little girl?"

Despite the threat, Mai remained silent and lowered her stance. She cautiously watched Konan's right foot as the silver haired former regular launched the ball high into the air. The tensai placed her racquet in front of her as the ball came crashing down but bouncing away from where she stood and instead, pummelled her into the ground.

"Mai," Rin stood up while Shizuru's glare hardened.

Recovering from the hit, Mai felt something thick dripping down and found blood trickling from her lip. Wow, her shots are still as hard as ever...

"I don't understand," Konan grinned. "You could take hits from that Shinigami but not from me! I wonder why..."

Mai dusted her skirt while wiping the blood from her lip. Alright, the power from her serve comes from her high launch and full-body throw. The spin comes from the slice that she does at the last minute but the question is – how does she maintain all that power?

However, Mai found herself victim to her serve again as it slammed into her jaw.

"Hahahahaha," Konan gleefully began twirling her racquet around, licking her lips. "What the hell was that, Nagisaki? Is that all you got!"

Haruka turned to Shizuru. "Buchou, are you going to let...?"

However, Haruka stopped midway when Shizuru's eyes started glittering differently. If her face showed no expression, Momo always told them to look at Shizuru's eyes.

"Ichigetsu's gonna die if Shizuru goes in, kuwee~," Rin pulled Haruka back, shivering while pointing to the silver haired regular. "I've never seen Ichigetsu so violent, kukuwee~!"

Shizuru felt her blood boil while trying to figure out a method for Mai to come out in one piece. Glancing at Ichigetsu, the brunette recalled all the past matches they had when she and Mai had first entered the team. Ichigetsu hadn't made her debut due to Momo's overthrow but Shizuru took note of all the rumours that were floating around the former regular.

Her desire for blood and battle is legendary. I heard she can outdo Inuzuka any day...

Shizuru bit her lip, trying to remember anything else mentioned back then. There wasn't much really...

"Thirty – love," Mai stumbled back but managed to hold her stance.

Konan scoffed while throwing tapping her racquet on her shoulder. "Man, you're a total pain in the ass."

Mai glared back at her, trying to regain her composure. Konan on the other hand, simply blew against her nails with a yawn. Everyone stared in awe as Konan easily broke through Mai's defences while the tensai had no other choice but to allow the ball to pass her. Rubbing her wrist, Mai could barely feel any movement coming from it. She managed to flick it up but with a slight wince.

"Are you gonna hold back still," a snigger caused Mai to whip around and face her opponent.

Konan licked her racquet while grinning maniacally. "So, you're supposed to be the genius yet you can't even beat me? Maybe Kurenai would have been a better match then!"

Mai gripped her racquet tighter, glaring at the senior at the other side. "Really, let's see about that."

Naomi leaned back against the chair, playing with a small strand of hair. So, she's finally snapped. What's this true potential of a genius everyone keeps talking about?

Taking a fast serve, Mai repelled it with a volley forcing Konan to come up front. However, the tensai danced around with a new rhythm which forced Konan to follow her movements. Mai's amber eyes followed Konan quickly as she increased the rhythm while sometimes bringing the dance to a sudden halt.

"Hohoho, what's this," Konan slammed the ball towards Mai's left side. "This is something new! Come on, keep at it!"

Mai clucked her tongue while volleying it over to the line while Konan managed to backhand it deep into her side. Running the shot down, the red haired tensai watched Konan attack the ball voraciously while moving with insane speed. Mai watched Konan's form as the ball flew from her racquet.

Wait a minute, Mai stared aghast. She's not even using her whole arm...!

Konan chuckled while slamming it back Mai. "Hora, hora, hora, come on! Ya can hit better than that, ya freakin' pansy!"

"Boy, she's out for Mai's neck," Haruka shivered while turning to Hitomi. "By the way, why did Mai look like a ghost came out from Konan's mouth?"

Hitomi pointed at Konan's arms. "You notice that she's being a bit sluggish for a former Regular?"

Rin piped up from behind the pink dragon. "She's lazy and sick?"

Hitomi shook her head and pointed to the jacket Konan was wearing. "Ichigetsu Konan is known to hold back on her opponents just to prolong the match. She hates short matches and is easily excited by stronger opponents."

"Under those sleeves," Kiyone gulped while hiding behind Haruka. "Are those weights?"

Rin tugged her collar while looking at Shizuru who had not moved from her spot. Oh boy, I've never seen her so angry in my life. The last time I saw that face was during the game between her and Hoshimura Florence. It's like – Death came to stare us back in the face.

Konan noticed Shizuru's expression. "Hehehe, that's a face I like," –she spun the ball towards Shizuru. "Bring it on, you little corpse!"

Shizuru prepared herself to catch it but Mai cart wheeled towards her and deflected the shot for a cord volley.

"Thirty – fifteen," Konan whistled while licking her chops.

"Interesting show you put up," Konan grinned while waiting for a reaction from the two girls. "So, what's next for you two?"

However, Mai didn't respond only to reveal a dark gaze followed by Shizuru's corpse-like glare.

Lulu chuckled while lazily playing with her racquet. "Well, well, well, it looks like the Phantasm Pair's still alive. They make a cute pair – I just wonder who's the nine and who's six."

Nanako whacked Lulu upside down. "Why do you keep trying to pair them up anyway?"

Unohana snickered while leaning against the rail. "You have to admit though; they are a cute pair."

Nanako resisted the urge to drug them both. "I should've just brought more morphine to knock you guys out."

"That's only a sedative dahling," Yuri rolled her eyes while patting Nanako on the back. "You know – you don't have to be so straight."

Nanako shoved Yuri's hand away in disgust. "Come on, you're supposed to be a better example than that."

"I'm kidding dahling," Yuri chuckled sheepishly. "Besides, you were the first."

"I was drugged," Nanako glared, snapping defensively. "Besides, what kind of idiot would scar their own kohai?"

Yuri folded her arms. "Hmmm, let's see – I know, you?"

"Shut up," Nanako threw her arms in the air in total disgust.

"Thirty – all," Mai smashed the ball straight down on Konan's court.

Sighing while rubbing her temples, Naomi signalled. "Time out, seniors gather up!"

Shizuru called for the others while Naomi had the former regulars surrounding her.

"God, you're getting wasted out there," Naomi pinched the bridge of her nose. "What in the world are you doing? Shou, Osakada, I thought you had it all sewn up!"

Unohana shrugged while blowing up a bubble. "We did. We just didn't expect them to do whatever they did awhile ago."

Naomi winced at Konan. "What are you trying to accomplish out there? You're letting Nagisaki toss you around like a ping pong ball!"

"Shut up ya whiny skank," Konan grabbed Naomi by her collar. "Ya can't fuckin' control me, ya whiny little bitch. Why don't ya go then kiss up to your sweet little corpse princesssa?"

Nanako split the two apart. "Guys, this isn't helping! We have to work together! This is something we can't afford to keep playing around in. Naomi, for the love of God – pull yourself together!"

Naomi, breathing heavily, threw a withering glance towards the middle school players. "Keep your composures, all of you and don't let them win."

Watching Naomi walk away, Nanako hung her head while bitterly smiling. It is not us I'm worried about – it's you, Naomi. How long will you hold against the pressure?

On the other hand, Mai wiped herself up while Shizuru handed her a bottle of juice. "Guys, is it just me or...?"

"There's a 99.9 percent chance that the girls can no longer handle what Kotetsu expects from them," Hitomi sighed while writing down the figures. "This whole match shouldn't have started in the first place. After all, like what Momo once said: They are nothing but shadows of the past."

Shizuru folded her arms while leaning against the wall. "But we can't ignore that they were the ones who moulded us into who we are today. They made us fight for what we believed in because deep down – we knew that they were wrong. This game isn't just a match but it's a test to see if we can justify and defend what we believe in."

"Shizuru's right," Haruka glanced at the other side. "Yuri-senpai didn't seem pressured at all. In fact, she seemed happy that Rin and I won."

Kiyone swung her legs while sitting on the chair. "You know – maybe deep down, Kotetsu-san may not be so bad."

"Yeah," Shizuru's voice trailed away. "But now that I look at her, something inside her just... snapped..."

Mai picked up her racquet. "Well, whatever it is – we can't stop here. I might win or might lose but it doesn't matter to us. We stay true to ourselves and to everyone."

()()()()0000()()()()

Slumping against the wall, Ayane gasped for air while looking at the court. She stared at the marks made by her and on her side were Atobe's shots. The tangerine haired vice-captain wiped the sweat off her face while contemplating on how fast Atobe's shots sped by. Her hand continued to tremble when she tried to pick up her racquet and staring at the court caused her to hyperventilate. While hugging her body, Ayane felt a soft cloth drop on her shoulders and found Atobe standing behind her.

"You improved today," Atobe smirked while taking a seat next to her. "You're truly extraordinary for a banshee, Kobayagi."

Ayane snorted while closing her eyes. "I would've beat you up for that comment if I weren't so tired, mole diva."

Glancing at Ayane, Atobe then noticed that the girl slowly leaned over in another direction. I guess the training took a lot out of her.

Poking her a bit, Atobe then smiled to himself while tugging Ayane slightly to bring the girl's head against his shoulder. While the vice-captain knocked out on his shoulder, Atobe leaned a bit against her but growled the moment his phone began vibrating in his pocket especially when he found out that the caller was someone his phone didn't recognize.

"Atobe Keigo," his voice restrained the volume as much as possible. How dare this commoner interrupt ore-sama's time with Ayane!

"Seems to me you're making your move a wee too late, Atobe," a sly voice came from one end.

Atobe rolled his eyes. "Ore-sama is not that stupid, Niou. Ore-sama can tell Sanada to double your training menu next week."

"Nope, I'm not him," the voice cheekily replied. "Guess again, Atobe."

Who else would have business with ore-sama, Atobe sighed until realization hit him like a lightning bolt. "Marui Bunta, am I right?"

"Yep, the one and only," –Atobe could've sworn he heard a bubble pop in the background. "Sanada-fukubuchou told me that you wanted to tell me to stay away from Ayane-chan."

How dare he call her 'Ayane-chan', Atobe restrained his yell when he noticed Ayane stirring, causing him to hold her a bit closer. "Ore-sama hates people touching his," –he seethed through the phone, "queen. You're from Rikkai Dai, go find someone from there."

"Well, hate to burst your bubble, Your Highness," a dark chuckle came from the other end. "But that isn't going to happen."

Atobe scoffed while restraining the volume of his voice. "You cannot beat ore-sama in Singles. You're a Doubles player."

"A true genius knows how to play in both situations," –Atobe could imagine Marui's huge smirk. "Let's do it this way – if you can make Hyotei meet Rikkai Dai for a little practice session, I'll ask fukubuchou to place me in Singles so we can see who really deserves her."

Ore-sama would never lose to a Doubles player like you; Atobe smirked while checking his watch. "The match would be in one month, Marui. Be prepared; ore-sama no bigi ni yoina."

"Yeah, yeah," Marui nonchalantly shrugged it off. "Save it until you're sure you can beat me, Your Highness."

After the line went dead, Atobe smirked while glancing at Ayane who hadn't been disturbed by the whole conversation. She slightly leaned in but that's the last thing Ayane did before completely dozing off. A small smile made its way to Atobe's face while he moved a strand of hair away from her face.

I could only hold time for so long...

()()()()0000()()()()

"Not too shabby," Shishido balanced his racquet on his finger. "Sanada makes up for Uchiha's fear of the net."

Isane bit her lip. "I'm not afraid of the net! I just... well, prefer staying her at the baseline is all!"

"But if you're going to be a doubles partner," Shishido pointed his racquet straight at Isane. "You'll have to do both. At one moment, Sanada will get stuck in the back – what will you do then, Uchiha?"

Isane stared at the ground for a moment until her body started glowing a bit. In Shishido's and Ohtori's eyes however, the silver haired regular started changing form. From the lanky and short haired female regular, Shishido stared at the object of his jealousy.

"Well, let's get this game moving shall we," Niou smirked back at Shishido.

Momo gaped at the silver haired Rikkai Dai Regular. God, what did that insane man do to her?

Shishido dashed for the next serve "Niou" sent at him while Ohtori covered the front. Momo on the other hand smashed the ball straight at Ohtori who deflected it with a volley. As it zoomed past Momo, the silver haired male positioned himself for one of his own famous techniques.

"Laser Beam," Niou smirked as the ball zoomed right in between Shishido's feet.

Shishido stared in shock as he glanced back at Isane. "How did...?"

"It's an unspoken rule in Rikkai Dai," Niou absentmindedly brushed his hair back. "We cannot hold back on our opponent no matter what the occasion, puri~."

Momo wanted to slap herself. She can practically copy this guy's mannerisms, how the heck did she do that!

Shishido gripped his racquet tighter while staring at the face of Isane's somewhat "object of affection". His eyes steeled themselves while lowering himself in front of the net as Ohtori started the serve. Deep in his mind, the capped regular could feel the desire to murder Niou and resurrect him just to do it again.

I hate that jackass' guts, Shishido glared at the Rikkai Dai regular. I'm going to crush him so hard that...!

"Shishido-senpai," a sheepish voice snapped Shishido out of his murderous thoughts. "I think you scared Uchiha-senpai..."

Shishido noticed Isane shivering a bit after dropping her image of Niou. Her face paled and her racquet rattled on the floor causing Momo to catch the lanky silver haired regular before anything else.

"What the hell is wrong with you," Momo glared daggers at Shishido.

Shishido averted his gaze from Momo while trying to calm himself down. Seeing Niou made his blood boil and having Isane go out with him seemed to push him to the limit. Naturally, he wouldn't care but seeing Isane laugh with the Rikkai Dai trickster caused him to shudder and imagine himself with a knife while walking towards the Rikkai Dai campus. The capped regular racked his brains for ideas on how to keep Niou away but he boiled down to one conclusion.

Niou was just too smart for him.

He even taught Isane the Laser Beam, Shishido bit his fingernail while watching Momo calm down a frightened Isane. "Sorry, I was just thinking of something."

"Yeah, more like how to kill a certain trickster am I right," Momo raised an eyebrow towards him.

I hate you, Sanada, Shishido grumbled to himself. "Of course not, so hurry up! You guys are Doubles One! I bet Singles Three is happening right now!"

Momo shrugged while finally getting Isane all calmed down. "Oh well, suit yourself. Let's have Isane change back into Niou, shall we?"

Shishido grumbled inwardly as he knew how spot on Momo was. The capped regular felt his nails cut into his palm while noticing how pale his knuckles were. Tossing the ball high into the air, Shishido served towards Isane who changed her position again and shot the Laser Beam right in between the Silver Pair.

"One thing's for sure," Shishido snorted while picking up the ball. "As long as you use that thing in the right time, the pair won't be able to counter the attack properly."

Isane smiled and bowed. "Thanks for helping us, Shishido-kun."

"Don't mention it, Uchiha," Shishido snorted while facing away to hide the tint of red on his face.

Momo grinned evilly. "He's just jealous because there's a certain someone who's now taking you away from him."

"Sh-Shut up, S-Sanada," Shishido threw a punch but Momo caught it anyway.

Seeing how far Ohtori and Isane were ahead of him, Momo changed into her serious expression. "Hey, if you really want to lose her to Niou – then, don't do anything. Besides, I'm sure she's better off with someone who could make her come out of her shell."

Shishido bit his lip. "Do you know what he's known for?"

"A bad boy I know," Momo rolled her eyes. "I've been Rikkai Dai and I've known that moron ever since I was grade school."

Shishido seethed through his teeth. "That's not all!"

"I know – he has this tendency to lead girls on," Momo sighed while shoving Shishido's fist roughly. "But, that's for Isane to decide. I'm sure once he finds someone – he's gonna cross the fires of hell forward and back for her. Niou's not an idiot, Shishido. You yourself should know that."

Shishido remained silent as Momo began to walk away. "Sanada... what would you do?"

The Shinigami stared at him quizzically. "What do you mean 'what would I do'? If I were you, I'd try to take Isane back – that's what. Most of all, I'd start right now."

()()()()0000()()()()

"Game, Nagisaki: four games to love!"

She's biding her time again, Mai bit her lip. "If you keep toying around, I might as well just beat you and be done with it."

Konan snickered while sneering maniacally, rolling up her sleeves as she did so. "Ya think that's the limit? Screw that!"

"Holy cow," Haruka gaped at Konan's arm. "Those are...!"

Hitomi's expression changed into a more business-like one. "Those are made of solid gold. There's another player who has adapted that method but not from our group."

Shizuru winced while holding a serious expression. "As long as those things are on her arm, Konan's power decreases significantly by at least half her normal strength. But with the increased amount, she's playing only at ten percent of her strength."

Kiyone gulped while hiding behind the brunette captain. "You're not joking, buchou?"

"I wish I was," Shizuru felt her whole hand shaking. I still remember that day...

Mai noticed the look on Shizuru's face. You're not the only one, Shizuru. I remember the day clearly too...

"What's the matter," a sniggering voice called out. "Weren't ya a conceited little bitch before?"

Mai's amber eyes steeled themselves, her voice lacing itself with venom. "What did you say?"

"Ya weren't much fun when I last played against ya," Konan drawled while tapping her chin. "Ya bragging won't get ya squat!"

Mai gripped her racquet tighter. "You have no right to tell me what I'm not!"

"Hahaha, let's see about that," Konan grinned while tossing her racquet in the air, catching it by the handle.

Leaning forward a bit, Mai watched Konan toss the ball into the air. Alright, surprise me.

The ball zoomed towards Mai with abominable speed, causing the tensai to lose her grip on the racquet. "What the...?"

"Still think you're the greatest," Konan spun the racquet on the floor, leaning on it like a golf club. "I think not."

Feeling her body tremble, Mai glanced at how far her racquet flew while trying to feel out her wrist. Running towards the shot and deflecting it is the best bet. The problem is – how well can my wrist hold?

"I'm sure your body still remembers that day," Konan snickered. "What the mind forgets the body will remember. I should know," – she pointed her racquet menacingly at Shizuru. "I remember what that little corpse did to me that day!"

Haruka turned to her captain. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Hitomi bit her lip while glancing at the current captain. "It happened when Shizuru and Mai first entered the club."

Mai closed her eyes, sighing bitterly. "Yeah, I remember all that..."

Flashback

Hyotei Gakuen – One Year Ago

"Oi, Shizu," a red haired girl jumped behind a brunette, startling the slightly taller girl. "You're going for the tennis team right?"

Shizuru twiddled with her thumbs. "I-I-I'm not q-quite s-sure, Mai..."

"Come on," Mai slapped the girl's back, causing Shizuru to cough. "We have to show them that we're the best there is! I've seen you play!"

Shizuru shook her head vigorously. "A-A-Actually, I-I-I w-w-wanted t-t-t to write for the Newspaper Club."

"For the love of God," Mai swat the timid girl's head, causing the brunette to slightly wince. "Come on, let's do something dynamic! Let's take the tennis world by storm!"

Before the brunette could say anything, Mai dragged her to the tennis courts.

Flashback End

"That time was also the same time Ichigetsu had held her position as a regular for the last five months," Hitomi checked the records of the members. "That was the same time... Momo had made her debut as a Hyotei Regular. Three of you alone shook the foundation of the team..."

Haruka nodded, biting her lip. "Wait a minute, you're telling me that Mai faced her long time ago?"

Kiyone looked up to the bespectacled blonde Mastermind. "Then what happened?"

Hitomi shivered at the thought. "It's something that many shouldn't have seen..."

Flashback

Hyotei Gakuen – That Same Day

"Damn it," a silver red streaked haired regular hissed. "How the damn did ya get past me that easy? That was fun though..."

A first year Nagisaki Mai controlled her breathing while raising her racquet to her face. "Of course, tennis is meant to be a fun sport," –she grinned at Shizuru. "Right, Shizu?"

Shizuru nodded while twiddling with her thumbs. "Y-yeah..."

Smirking, Mai pointed her racquet at the fallen silver red streaked haired regular. "After all, a tensai always wins against brute force."

Gripping the ground angrily, the senior lunged over the net while grabbing Mai's neck. "You little brat, I'll show you...!"

Trying to wriggle free, Mai couldn't pry off her fingers but was let go when Naomi walked up to the senior.

"Now Konan," Naomi smiled her 'motherly' smile. "I don't think we're supposed to treat children like that right?"

Konan scoffed. "Don't give a shit; let me squeeze the life out of her!"

"I'm saying this for your own safety," Naomi smiled while beckoning to the brunette who stood behind Mai.

Konan threw Mai aside but Shizuru managed to catch the girl. "Hmph, screw that! I don't give a damn whether or not this kid managed to beat me."

Naomi sighed while shaking her head. I don't think it's Nagisaki-chan you have to fear...

A few moments later, the red haired first year came out of the locker room when some of the first years tugged her shirt. "Nagisaki-chan, take a look at what your friend did!"

Shizuru, what could she have done? Mai waved it off. "Honestly, she's not capable of killing anyone."

"Trust us," the first years chorused frantically. "Please come with us!"

"What's going on here," a kind voice caused the first years to jump and run.

"Kotetsu-buchou," one of them tugged her regular's jacket. "There's something you need to see!"

Soon, a second year Isane ran with Vice Captain Ferero Lulu. "You might want to see this," the normally lazy vice captain's expression became serious.

Ruriko came running to her as well, trying to calm a hysteric Hitomi. "Kotetsu-buchou, there's a ninety percent chance that what I saw awhile ago was something that I shouldn't have seen."

Seeing how crazy the situation got, Naomi went to the courts but found herself gaping and staring. "Okay, what... the..."

On the floor, Konan lay sprawled out while Shizuru stood emotionlessly at the other side. Tennis ball marks were all over the court and skid marks led to where Konan laid. What caught the captain's attention was how Konan managed to get bruised up and beaten by a first year girl. Naomi gaped; leaving the first years to cower behind her while Mai couldn't believe what took place. The red haired first year pushed past Naomi while grabbing Shizuru's arm.

"Hey," Mai shook her arm vigorously. "What gives...?"

"Gomenasai," Shizuru softly whispered.

Mai stared at her quizzically. "I'm sorry? For what and most of all, what did you do?"

However, Shizuru glanced back at Mai with tears and corpse-like eyes. "Gomenasai..."

Flashback End

"Shizuru's corpse-like personality hid under that stuttering innocent girl we all came to know," Hitomi closed her notebook. "After running a background check, that personality of hers came to life due to another incident. Many of them happened due to a loved one getting hurt."

Rin gulped while hiding behind Haruka. "She's a time bomb, kuwee~?"

"No," Haruka bit her thumbnail. "That 'thing' we always saw back then was just something to cover up the brutality she was really capable of. Mai happened only to be the catalyst to set that 'thing' loose. As long as no one tries to hurt Mai, it doesn't release itself."

Hitomi noted with relief. "However, Momo managed to purge it during the match between us and Jyosei Shounan so the chances of Shizuru having a personality shift again are down to ten percent."

"But what's this got to do with Mai," Haruka raised an eyebrow.

Hitomi pointed at the court. "The farther Mai pushes Ichigetsu into a corner – the more violent Ichigetsu gets. The more violent, the higher the risk of Mai getting hurt and..."

"Shizuru-buchou becoming a monster," Kiyone gulped while hugging Shizuru even tighter.

"I won't become like that," Shizuru smiled while patting Kiyone's head gently. "I'm done playing like that."

Haruka smirked while whacking Shizuru, causing the brunette to wince slightly. "Yeah or we might have to take you to a hypnotist."

Mai turned to Shizuru, giving her a thumbs up. You cool?

Shizuru nodded while taking a seat. It's all yours, Mai.

Konan glared at Mai. "You two are so damn strange. Even if I live to be a hundred fifty, I'm never gonna understand you two."

"That's because you're too busy making disgusting comments is why," Mai moved into the court. "You were a bit slow on that area anyway."

Konan fired another shot without warning but Mai deflected it thus sending the shot with the same amount of power towards the older silver haired regular. Dashing towards it, Konan exploded the shot but Mai gave it a slice which forced the senior to come forward. Konan forced herself to get the ball over the net while Mai slammed it over. However, Konan snickered when she appeared right where the tensai had fired the shot which gained her the point.

"Thirty – love," Konan licked the side of her racquet, pointing it at Mai.

"You're going down," a maniacal grin played itself on the girl's face.

Mai bit her lip while another serve zoomed towards her, knocking her racquet out of her hand.

"Forty – love," Mai sauntered over to pick up her racquet.

Naomi leaned back against the referee's chair, relaxing a bit. Finally, it's about time – Konan. Finish her off...

"See ya later," Konan fired a fast serve which bounced towards Mai's face thus, butting her to the ground.

"Game, Ichigetsu: one game to four!"

Hitomi wrote down on her notebook. "With her gold band off, Ichigetsu now has increased her chances of winning from twenty percent to eighty percent."

"Darn, got any idea," Haruka turned to Hitomi who sighed when she shut her book.

"Only time can tell," Hitomi ruefully looked at the match as Konan deflected Mai's shot and sent the dancer spiralling to the floor. "Mai, be careful!"

Well, it's time to bring out that, Mai shook herself out of the daze. "Yeah, sorry – didn't see that one coming."

Walking towards the baseline, Mai began her serve with Konan exploding the shot again. The red haired tensai sprinted off while sliding over to neutralize its power. Feeling the strain on her wrist, Mai spun around which placed her body weight on her shot. The ball zoomed towards Konan who returned it with one swipe. Mai ran down the shot, cursing inwardly when she saw the shot lob over. Grinning, Konan jumped into the air and brought it down which exploded past Mai.

"Love – fifteen," Mai winced at her wrist while gripping it tightly.

Konan rested her racquet on her shoulder. "Well what now, tensai? You got any moves left?"

"You're using a tight tension on your racquet and not only that, your weight training causes you to double your power," Mai glanced at the racquet Konan used. "My best guess is that your racquet won't last the next four games if you keep attacking me with that kind of power. I don't think you're very good in compensation either."

Konan bared her teeth. "What did you say?"

Mai bounced the ball, watching her carefully. "Let me show you instead..."

Konan grinned wildly. "Well, show me what you got then, Nagisaki Mai!"

Mai served the Sazanka Serve, causing Konan to volley it over and bring Mai to lob it straight into the air. Searching for it, Konan squinted as the sun went into her eyes which allowed the ball to drop right next to her. Turning around slowly, Konan found the ball rolling lightly next to her foot. Instead of shock, a beastly smile made its way to her face.

"So that's the genius you've been hiding," Konan licked her lips while raising her racquet. "It's about time!"

Gripping her body tightly, Mai bit her lips as she stopped herself from sinking to her knees.

I can't feel my body anymore, Mai shivered a bit. The tensai couldn't bring herself to look Konan straight in the eyes while the silver haired senior's crimson eyes gleamed with battle-hunger. While trying to calm herself down, Mai noticed the court swirling around while her body throbbed badly to get her off the court. She tried to stand up but ended up shrinking again.

Her aura's too powerful to handle, Naomi sniggered inwardly. Konan's known for her intimidating presence to the point her opponent can't stand anymore.

Nanako glanced at Shizuru whose expression started to contort with concern. No matter how strong you are, Konan's presence alone could paralyse you with fear. She's also known as – Hyotei's Demon.

"You thought that Kirihara-kun was the only one who could hit Devil Mode," Konan licked her lips while revealing her bloodshot eyes. "It's my turn now! Where do you think that brat got it?"

Mai hissed through her teeth. "You didn't invent the Devil Mode!"

"I know," Konan cracked her knuckles. "But, if Hitomi told you my history – you should know!"

Mai smirked, cracking her knuckles. "Just because you have some history with Kirihara-san doesn't mean you gave him the Devil Mode!"

"Hmph, you just figure it out," Konan took off her cuff links one by one. "But then again – I will show you what I mean when people call me a 'Demon'."

Mai lowered her stance. I guess her devil mode will extend her power by at least three fold. In ten minutes time, that Devil Mode will cause her plan to backfire.

"You seem confident," Konan rested her racquet on her shoulders. "Don't you care that I'm gonna paint you in a lovely red, little girl," –she licked her chops. "After all, this would only take ten minutes."

Biting her lip, the amber eyes tensai gripped her racquet tightly as she watched Konan's bloodshot eyes scan her carefully. "I think the correct statement would be that you only have ten minutes left."

Konan drew back while Mai calmly explained. "While you're in the Devil Mode, you slowly lose to the monster inside you. The Devil Mode brings out your darkest emotions and turns those into a vicious force by making the body think that it's in danger. The Devil Mode may enhance you physically but how long will your brain hold?"

Konan growled as she tossed the ball into the air. "Shut up, you whiny brat!"

Mai returned the ball with a volley while Konan charged to the net with a hard smash. Mai uncoiled as the ball lobbed into the air, forcing Konan to run back. The impact took a chunk out of Mai's wrist as the ball left her racquet, leaving Konan to make it more destructive than before. Mai danced to control the rhythm as Konan forced herself to play by her own style. Konan dashed to the other side, feeling her body stretch out. Sweat poured down both players faces as they kept the ball zooming back and forth.

I can't believe it, Naomi inwardly hid her shudder. Nagisaki is... evolving still! I thought I stunted her growth!

"You're going down, brat," Konan exploded her shot towards Mai. "You're just that little wimp from yesterday!"

Mai could feel her calves hurting but she managed to spin and crack at the baseline. Remaining silent after Konan's comment, Mai followed Konan's movements for the next shot but the ball spun away thus colliding into Mai's stomach and sent her tumbling backwards.

"Fifteen – all," Konan noticed the ball roll towards the net.

Keh, she managed to make it reach the net, Konan spat while turning around. "I'm gonna crush you so bad – you'll bleed to death, brat!"

Shots came from Konan, sending Mai's racquet flying or sending the tensai herself rolling.

"Game, Ichigetsu: two games to four!"

Hitomi tilted her glasses, holding her breath. "Here she comes... The Demon's Counterattack..."

Konan brought down another smash on Mai's court, "Love – fifteen!"

Mai managed to narrowly dodge another shot that slid past her eye, "Love – thirty!"

"This is becoming so one sided," Kiyone shivered behind Haruka. "What are we going to do?"

Shizuru hung her head. "We can't do anything; the only thing we can do now is wait for the ten minutes to elapse."

"Game, Ichigetsu: three games to four!"

Rin whined as she hid behind Haruka also. "Kuwee~, she's catching up so fast!"

Mai wiped the sweat from her face. Prolonging it is the best way to finish her off but how to deflect a fast shot is the problem. Instinctively, the body would flick only the wrist to attack the fast shot but that's not gonna be enough. I'll smash my wrist that way.

"If you can't hit her with strength, use her own strength against her," a voice snapped Mai out of her thoughts.

Hey, Mai snickered to herself. "I like it when you speak in riddles."

Konan scoffed as she tossed back her hair. "What's the matter now? Gettin' cold feet, brat?"

"No," Mai smiled sardonically at Konan. "I'm just planning how I should torture you."

Haruka twitched a bit. "Do all tensai think that way?"

"Is Yukimura-san a tensai," Hitomi raised an eyebrow at the pink haired girl.

Rin shrunk behind Haruka. "N-no he isn't one, kuwee?"

"Hence, your proposition is false," Hitomi pointed out to the Dragon Pair. "Not all tensai are sardonic. They just don't have a life, that's all."

Sighing to herself, Kiyone then found Atobe hauling Ayane over. "Wow, you actually managed to carry her?"

"She's not that heavy," Atobe raised an eyebrow to the sandy blonde girl but stared at her quizzically as she walked up to him. "What do you want now?"

Kiyone stuck her tongue out before glaring at him. "You better take care of her!"

Atobe glanced at an unconscious Ayane while smirking. "Ore-sama never had any intention of harming her."

"You better be true to your word, Atobe," Kiyone seethed through her teeth.

Shizuru glanced at Atobe but the older captain knew exactly what the junior thought.

"Ore-sama not an idiot, Kurenai," Atobe returned the intensity of her gaze. "Let it never be mentioned that ore-sama harmed a girl."

The conversation however cut short when they heard a call and a loud wail from the court. The players could only stare in horror as Mai flew to the wired fences of the bleachers and stuck there while Konan licked her racquet. Atobe couldn't hide his disgust well enough, Kiyone and Rin shivered while they shrank behind Haruka who barely managed to stop herself from trembling, Shizuru's eyes started to burn differently while Hitomi's trembling hand prevented her from taking good data.

"M-M-Mai-chan," Gakuto managed to let out a stutter.

Hiyoshi only managed to rub his eyes; no one had sent Mai towards the bleachers before. "She's a monster..."

"You don't have to say that twice," Taki dropped his jaw as Mai's racquet clattered on the floor.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER," Konan cackled while swinging her racquet around. "C'MON, C'MON – GET OFF YOUR ASS AND FIGHT ME!"

Mai slipped uneasily off the bleachers and landed face first into the ground. Ignoring her fear, Kiyone ran past Haruka until Shizuru grabbed the collar of Kiyone's jacket. "Wait, don't move."

Horrified, Kiyone continuously began to tug until Mai started clambering to her feet.

"If I were a moron," Mai snickered while wiping the dirt off her face. "I would've thought your brother was Gazille!" (A/N: Gazille/Gajeel is from Fairy Tail. He's an Iron Dragon Slayer.)

Konan coughed with a snort. "Hmph, you're nothing but a piece of trash I need to throw! I'm gonna finish you off big time!"

Mai returned her cough with a sardonic smile. "I hope you make out of this alive. It's not just me you're gonna deal with."

Konan threw her head up, laughing. "That's shit, what makes you think I'm scared of your corpse of a captain?"

"Shizuru's actually more benevolent than me, bitch," an annoyed voice came from the bleachers and found Momo cracking her knuckles. "I think the wall's about to have your print on it."

Konan grinned at Momo. "Bring it on, Shinigami!"

"Ignore her, Momo-senpai," Mai readied herself for Konan's service. "I've already seen her weakness."

Konan's crimson eyes gleamed hungrily. "Oh, you did now? Bring it on then!"

Isane gulped while hiding behind Momo. "Are you sure it was a good idea to threaten her?"

"If she gets a bleeding nose, I'm happy," Momo smiled evilly. "Besides, I'm the Shinigami. No human or demon can defeat Death."

Konan chortled while serving hard. "Well, let's see how well your little Spade can hold up!"

Hiyoshi couldn't help but wince as the tensai placed effort in returning the shots by deflecting. He noticed the sweat pouring down her face when the Enbu ace then found his captain dialling a few numbers on his cellphone.

"Hello," Atobe's lips formed a big smile. "It's Atobe. Nagisaki's getting her butt kicked around, Yukimura."

Hiyoshi gulped as he heard his captain's tone of saying his sentence especially the word 'Yukimura'. When he turned to the court, Mai suddenly started moving faster than ever and taking one point easily from Konan causing the silver haired girl to fall back.

"Love – fifteen," Konan growled when she noticed the tensai's eyes become a dull yellow colour.

"What the hell is that? Hey, say something – will you!"

Naomi squinted her eyes while leaning forward from her chair. Interesting... is she using her Muga no Kyouchi now?

Mai gripped her racquet tightly as her voice became a low feral snarl. "I will not lose to you, especially not what after Yukimura-kun has told me!"

Momo face palmed. "Oh my goodness, she's using him as a reason again."

"We can only be thankful that Atobe made that call," Hitomi turned to Atobe. "However, there was a ninety nine percent chance he wanted to do that to piss Mai off."

Atobe smirked at the data gathering manager. "Ore-sama is very well aware that Nagisaki has feelings for that devil in disguise."

Kiyone chuckled while raising a 'v' into the air. "Yeah, I bet when she finds out that this girl plans to beat Yukimura into a pulp!"

"WHAT," Mai glared venomously at Konan who then started to stare in shock. "YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANYWHERE NEAR HIM, YOU GOT IT! SENIOR OR NOT, NO ONE TOUCHES MY FRIENDS!"

Momo rolled her eyes while Shizuru giggled softly at the Shinigami's comment. "More like love interest if you ask me."

Mai let out an icy glare as she started attacking all sides of the court. Konan started struggling as she started letting out a beastly growl, letting Mai smirk at her.

"Well, you're time is almost up," Mai grinned as she watched Konan fall over. "After your Devil Mode starts, it causes your mental state to rapidly deteriorate. Unlike you, Kirihara-kun only achieved it when he was in first year. You however have been relying it every time you play."

Konan felt her leg stop as she started falling to the ground. Mai, heavily breathing, tried her best to keep up with her shots as she started throwing them all over the place.

I have no other choice, Mai winced as the ball managed to draw her forward. The best way is to...

However, her trail of thoughts was cut off as Konan grinned evilly in front of her by the net.

"Hyeehahahahaha," Konan slammed the ball into Mai's racquet causing the girl to dig into the soles of her shoes. "Is that all you have?"

The tensai managed to deflect it as the ball zoomed past Konan.

"Love – thirty," Mai's eyes steeled themselves against Konan's beastly ones.

"I'm not down for the count yet," Konan howled as she stole a point from Mai.

Mai dashed to the other side for a strong forehand as the ball zoomed past Konan again. Just two more games! I can... huh?

Konan all of a sudden started blubbering as her eyes stared into the sky. Walking over slowly, Mai went over to tap her until Konan cracked her neck.

"Just kidding," Konan smiled psychotically.

This girl's a monster, Hitomi nearly dropped her pencil if not for her fast reflexes. All her data is completely messed up.

Ruriko noticed the astounded look on the blonde girl's face. "Nanako, how long do you think that girl will last?"

"Nagisaki won't last long if she prolongs the game," Nanako turned to the dark blonde data master. "Any chance she'll make it out without broken bones?"

Ruriko slightly revealed her eyes. "Her chances are slim to none but tensai do have the ability to alter probabilities."

Lulu tilted her head a bit. "Did you know that Mai seemed more to handle the whip than the handcuffs?"

"Why must you associate everything with something," Nanako twitched while fighting down the blush that crawled up her face.

"She meant that Mai's better off on the offense than defense, dahling," Yuri drawled while leaning against Unohana. "Besides, I think you're more green than her. You violently react to it each time."

Nanako flared up, glaring at the light blonde girl. "S-Shut up, it's just that she would choose such indecent things to say!"

"Game, Ichigetsu: five games to four!"

Kiyone gulped while turning to Shizuru. "Was she always like this?"

"Not that I know of," Shizuru noted while looking at the court. "But Mai does have a point; how can she last long with that kind of mentality? It might as well erode her true personality unless; it was never there to begin with."

That's it, the tensai's face brightened up when she heard Shizuru's theory. "That's because whatever she showed back to us and to the team then was never real. That's because the Devil Mode has always been her true personality."

Kiyone stared at the tensai "You have to be joking!"

"When I played her," Mai shuddered slightly at the memory. "She held back at the first few games until she started turning all weird and all. Though her skin is not supposed to be blood red with her hair turning white but, that's the only explanation I have unless you have a better theory to why she hasn't been reduced to a catatonic blubbering organism."

Glancing at the silver red streaked haired senior, Mai bit her lip. Actually, that theory does make a point. That's the only explanation to why she can play like a monster.

"Well, what do you know," Konan licked her lips. "The dancer and the corpse finally figured it out!"

Naomi sighed while shaking her head. Of course both of them would see that, I didn't accept them into the team without reason.

Lulu whistled while shrugging her shoulders. "Well, they sure figured it out quickly."

Chihiro sniggered while glancing at the sleeping vice captain. "Even if that monster loses, I'll beat the crap out of their powerhouse with no problem."

Tsunami swung her legs while stretching a bit. "Hmph, they have a pipsqueak now. But doesn't mean she's faster than me."

Kiyone glared while snapping her jaws. "Why I oughta give them rabies...!"

"You can bite her later," Haruka held back Kiyone; why of all times did Atobe knock her out? "I'm sure you need to save your fangs for later."

Kiyone snorted while Shizuru pat her head gently. "Don't worry; you'll have your chance."

Naomi smirked while leaning back. Well, you're training her pretty well. Hope she lasts against Tsunami otherwise – all your hardwork would be going down the drain.

Mai inhaled deeply while feeling her legs get lighter. Alright, outrun her. If I can't out power her, I'll have to hit a shot she can never return.

Serving the Sazanka Serve, Mai found Konan dashing for the ball and smashing it down which forced the tensai to move forward to uncoil. With a lob, Konan jumped high into the air for a smash when Mai stood all the way at the baseline.

"I'm comin' for ya, bitch," Konan screamed while hanging her tongue loosely like a snake. "Ya better hope ya damn body can take it before I crucify ya like a corpse!"

Mai all of a sudden smirked as she faced Konan. You can't beat her physically then, break her down mentally. Return... return every shot...

Soon, the shot kept sailing over to Konan's side as the demon-like girl started to panic. "Why won't you just lie down and die already!"

Realization then struck Naomi as she saw Mai smirking at her. "Konan, don't return the shot anymore! You're going to...!"

"Aaargh," Konan stumbled over and crashed into the net.

"Fifteen – love," Mai breathed in sharply as Konan clambered up to her feet.

How does Yukimura-kun do that, Mai shook her head out of the daze. Deflecting this girl's shot is like trying to stop a sumo wrestler from sitting on your hand.

Konan wobbly stood up and waited for the next shot. "Hora, hora, bring it on!"

Mai shrugged while tossing it in the air. "Okay, you insist."

As the serve flew over, Konan waved her racquet around as much as she could but never realized that the ball simply rolled to her feet.

"Thirty – love," Naomi curled her hand into a fist as she begrudgingly let out the score. How did she do that! Only Seigaku's Souma Fuuka and Rikkai Dai's Yukimura Seiichi can do that!

"It can be easily performed if you're that good," Shizuru smiled as Mai served fast each time. "Additionally, Ichigetsu-san's state of mind isn't exactly all there."

Konan slammed her racquet on the floor. "Damn it, why the hell can't see anything!"

"Game, Nagisaki: five games all!"

Mai sighed as she handed the ball to Konan. "Alright, here you go. Good luck though."

Konan snatched it from her as she tried to serve.

"Fault," the ball dropped on the ground.

Mai relaxed her stance as she recalled her time with Yukimura. "It's not going to get over."

Flashback

"Yukimura-kun," Mai sat next to him. "Can I ask you a favour?"

The blue haired demigod stared quizzically at the red haired tensai. "What is it, Mai-chan?"

Mai smiled cheekily. "I hope you don't mind playing a small round with me."

Yukimura chuckled lightly. "It's not bad for me. One game only though; the doctors might throw a fit."

The game didn't last very long as Mai collapsed after the third point.

"Wow," Mai managed to gather her breath. "How did you do that?"

Yukimura helped her up while shaking his head. "I can't tell you my secret though."

"Aww," Mai made a puppy face. "Please, I won't tell anyone."

Yukimura sighed as he pat her on the head. "In a battle, what do you do?"

Mai raised an eyebrow; what was that for? "No duh, defend the frontlines."

"Tennis is a battle you can't lose," Yukimura's expression became more serious. "That's why – no one should get past you. You are undefeatable; as Hyotei's Queen of Spades."

Mai sat down, tapping her chin. "Wow, if you put it that way – yeah. Thanks Yukimura-kun."

"Anytime," Yukimura smiled while he ruffled her hair. "You should come back here sometime; I enjoy our talks together."

Flashback End

I can't let him down now; Mai steeled herself for another serve attempt, thinking about his words. He worked hard with me; I will not let Seiichi's work go to waste.

"Game, Nagisaki: six games to five!"

Naomi stared in shock but hid the horror pretty well. I don't believe it; she pulled it off! Impossible, that girl doesn't have enough talent to pull it off!

"Yukimura must've given her details," Momo watched Mai start her service. "The look in her eyes is somewhat similar to his now."

Isane glanced at Momo. "Honestly, did you think she can do that?"

"With proper tutelage, I don't see why not," Momo snickered a bit when Konan got smacked in the head. "Now I know why Naomi split them up..."

Hitomi bit her lip. "She didn't want to recognize the possibility of Mai of being able to overthrow her."

"Not only that," Haruka glanced at Shizuru and Mai. "To stunt their growths, she rocked the foundation that made them so strong: trust."

Rin whimpered behind the Pearl Dragon. "Without trust, there is no strength, kuwee~."

"Without trust," Isane hung her head. "There is no chance for freedom..."

Hearing their words, Shizuru gripped her tennis skirt as she heard someone fall on the floor.

"Game and match, Nagisaki: seven games to five!"

()()()()0000()()()()

Me: I'm sorry for the late update! No one's really reviewing anymore so I kinda slowed down. Not only that, I've been reading Fairy Tail but I'm not going to desert this fanfic just yet! Also, "What Makes One A Monster" is coming soon! As soon as this is finished, that one will be making its debut! Stay tuned for the next chapter – doubles two is coming up!

Kiyone: You can't miss our fight!

Ayane: Zzzz...

Haruka: Atobe did a number on her didn't he?

Momo: That man always overdoes things. *face palms*

Isane: How do we wake her up now?

Rin: *jumping up and down* I know, I know!

Kiyone: *grinning evilly* Yeah... *takes a deep breath* ATOBE'S GONNA KISS YOU!

Ayane: Zzzz...

Mai: *shaking her head* You have any way to wake her up, Shizu?

Shizuru: I don't think a tank from World War Two will wake her up.

Me: Don't worry, the Diamond Pair won't forfeit! We'll wake her up! By the way don't forget to...

Hyotei Regulars: Please review!