Me: Thank you for all the reviews so far! They've been highly encouraging! I don't own Prince of Tennis – if I did, the girls would have been less on the fan girl side and there would be some sensible ones aside from Tachibana Ann (who I personally think is one of the better females so far).

Chapter 35 – My Pride

"Doubles One will now begin: Ferero Lulu and Midoriyama Nanako of Hyotei Gakuen High School versus Sanada Momo and Uchiha Isane of Hyotei Gakuen Middle School!"

Nanako glanced at the scoreboard. Wow, they found a pretty good set of first years. Many of the first years are surpassing the normal expectations of the captains.

Lulu tapped her shoulder. "So, this is it?"

"I guess so," Nanako smiled ruefully. "It's time we brought this thing down to a close."

Momo adjusted her ponytail while stonily glaring at Naomi.

You've gone too far – even as far as to manipulate your own teammates and most of all... How dare you even hurt Nanako-senpai and Shizuru!

A hand dropped lightly on Momo's shoulder. "No," Isane's green eyes narrowed at the former captain. "She didn't just hurt Nanako-senpai... she hurt all of us..."

"Treason is against the law," Momo gripped her racquet tightly while steeling her gaze towards her former senpai. "That's why..."

Isane locked in her racquet. "There is no room for mistakes..."

Lulu and Nanako nodded at each other before taking their places on the court. Nanako tossed back her green hair while checking the others on the side. Her eyes narrowed at Shizuru, who sat down normally as if nothing wrong was going on. Mai leaned against the wall while Hitomi stood there taking down as much data as she could. Ayane had Kiyone sitting on her shoulders while Rin tried to climb up Haruka's. Shaking her head, the doubles genius turned to Momo and then to Naomi.

Her brain wouldn't wash because I taught her... perhaps – I should've taken them both under me...

Yuri glanced at Haruka for a moment. "You know, Haruka and Rin have been such dears to one another. It's quite sweet."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Unohana blew up another bubble. "But then again, I want to know where this 'marionette' of Naomi's comes to play."

Chihiro licked her fangs. "Well, I wouldn't mind tearing her into pieces..."

"Chihiro, you can't possibly go around tearing people left and right," Tsunami wagged her finger in front of the powerhouse. "It isn't ladylike."

Chihiro banged her fist on the bench. "That little corpse right there was the one who tore me up!"

"You lost to an inanimate object," Tsunami scoffed while tousling her hair. "Truly, you aren't the brightest creature on the planet."

Chihiro glared while grabbing Tsunami by the shoulders. "You're going down, bitch!"

"Enough," a voice caused both to stop which had everyone staring at Naomi.

Naomi chuckled darkly. "Shouldn't we be good examples to our middle school students?"

Nanako scoffed under her breath. You're not exactly the best either, you psycho.

"Shall we get this game moving," Lulu drawled while twirling her racquet. "Nanako, how are we going to do this?"

Nanako stared down the other while lowering her stance. "Like we always do, we do this with our racquets."

"Game start, Uchiha to serve!"

Isane bounced the ball a few times, seeing that Lulu stood at the receiving end. "Here it comes!"

The serve zoomed right towards Lulu's left side causing her to miss.

"Fifteen – love," the former vice captain clucked her tongue.

Nanako stared at the speed of the serve. "That came out to be a bullet."

"Of course, it's her specialty," Lulu dismissed it lazily. "Isane-chan is known to be the girl with the fastest serve in the district."

Momo turned to Isane who nodded lightly. The purple haired Shinigami noticed her green haired senpai stare beadily at Isane's stance while Lulu swung her legs left and right.

"Isane," Momo nodded at the server. "Get ready..."

Isane tossed the ball up into the air and aimed straight for the middle. Nanako sidestepped and returned it with a double fisted backhand while Momo forehanded it towards Lulu who drunkenly returned the shot towards Isane. The silver haired regular blasted at the corner which forced Nanako to run down the ball.

"God, these guys are really doubles partners," Chihiro flipped her lighter open. "Midoriyama and Ferero got this one in the bag."

Yuri wagged her finger at the smoking powerhouse. "Don't be too sure, did you know that these two were supposed to be the ones to take over the team?"

Unohana stared at her doubles partner for a moment. "Wait a minute, you're telling me that Naomi originally picked them?"

"No," Yuri glanced up at Naomi who stonily gazed at the middle school students. "She never did. In fact, she tried to get rid of them. Holding a ranking match three times a month was insanity; we had to fight for our positions all the time. Soon, I got displaced and so did you. You were displaced by Haruka-chan right, dahling?"

Unohana shrugged. "I have to admit – she did get me with her insane stamina. Do you know how long we've been playing and she barely started to sweat?"

Yuri chuckled lightly. "That's true, dearest but we have to remember our ulterior motive here."

Unohana and Tsunami stared at the Maestro while she glanced at the middle school students. "We have to make them awaken. They're still in a dream in which Naomi still has a grip over them which is why the one who needs the hardest slap is Shizuru. As the captain, she has to create her own identity. Not take on the identity of the other..."

"Momo, here it comes," Lulu watched the ball float into the air.

The Shinigami stared it down while flipping her racquet. "Nullify like Metal, Tetsu!"

Lulu smashed it down which allowed Momo to quickly react with a smash to nullify the speed. As the ball zoomed towards Nanako, the Doubles Genius forehanded it away towards Isane who brought the shot back up with a backhand. Lulu dropped it over, bringing Momo to the front.

"Smash like an Avalanche," Momo sliced the ball, creating multiple shots going towards Lulu, "Nadare!"

Lulu swung her racquet, only to have it land behind her.

"Thirty – love," Naomi started gripping the rails on the chair. What are these two doing?

Nanako glanced at the mark the ball made. "Lulu, I know you were able to see the ball. Why did you miss?"

Lulu bent her back until everything turned upside down. "I don't know. I just wanted to."

Nanako nearly face palmed. Again, I am left wondering how this girl became my best partner.

"Midoriyama-senpai," Momo gripped her racquet tightly. "I don't have any personal grudge against you but..."

Nanako stared in amazement as Momo's eyes started flickering differently. "I'm going to have to use everything I have including that."

Isane gulped while staring at the Shinigami. "Momo, are you sure...? You haven't..."

"It's been awhile but this is my true style," Momo chuckled darkly with a smirk. "I just never used it because I thought that the Anti-FuuRinKaZan could do it for me. But... if I want to squash Naomi then, she leaves me no choice. Isane, if you're going to hold back – I might as well play Singles with these two."

Isane smiled lightly. "Well, if you're going to use that then I shouldn't be so lenient either..."

Nanako narrowed her eyes. Is that what I think it is...?

Isane tossed the ball for a light serve which Nanako easily returned, causing Momo to smirk even wider.

"Reveal the shadows," Momo pulled back her stance while watching the ball zoom towards her. "This is the Sharin no Hikari!"

A ray of light shone into Nanako's eyes, resulting to her missing the return while the ball land against the wall behind them.

"Forty – love," Nanako and Lulu stared at the shot that had passed them.

Shizuru smiled lightly. "The sixth and the last form – Hikari or what she calls the "Wheel of Light"..."

"In this technique," Hitomi jotted down the notes. "She reflects the light of the sun or spotlight onto her racquet to blind her opponent temporarily and spin the shot over. By doing this, the opponent will have no other choice but to miss the shot."

Haruka folded her arms. "The only thing is – it's not applicable to Tachiwara from Jyosei Shounan..."

"That is the only downfall," Hitomi tilted her glasses. "It doesn't work on people who are blind or who have bad eye sight. The blinding light wouldn't be as bad as on a person who has enhanced eye sight. Particularly, like Rin, Mai and Ferero-senpai..."

Lulu winced away from the light as another shot passed through their defences.

"Game, Sanada-Uchiha pair: one game to love!"

Nanako stared at the ball that had zoomed past her while taking a look at Momo's stance. Chuckling lightly to herself, the green haired doubles genius bounced the ball while watching the silver haired receiver's movements. She aimed straight in between Isane's legs which the regular quickly returned with a weak volley. Lulu came down with a smash which Momo nullified again with her Tetsu. Nanako glanced at the sky for a moment before firing the shot.

The sun is moving away now which means, Nanako fired it towards Momo's left side but the Shinigami released a vacuum near her ear.

"Light strikes first but sound always makes up for what it misses," Momo spun her racquet after the shot landed on the baseline.

Isane nodded as Momo and her switched places. "Momo, what are we going to do? The sun's going down..."

"It's alright, as long as you keep your serve – I still have my back-up," Momo bit her lip. "The first act: the Grim Scenery..."

Haruka raised an eyebrow at Hitomi. "The Grim Scenery...?"

"Momo never proved to be a good doubles player," Hitomi sighed before closing her notebook. "Particularly, she was good in setting up and using other people to set up for her attack. That's what saved her in Doubles. Without it – she'd be only half a player we have."

Momo slid over while forehanding the shot. "Do you want to know why Isane and I work well together, senpai?"

Nanako raised an eyebrow as Momo sidestepped to reveal Isane behind her. "That's because – we were really good in pinpointing the next target of attack."

"Love – fifteen," Lulu narrowly missed the silver haired girl's smash.

Momo chuckled lightly. "You're getting better at the net. What did you do?"

Isane twiddled with her thumbs. "Well, it was when I went out with Niou-kun the other day..."

Momo raised an eyebrow. "Hou~, what did he do?"

Isane scratched her head. "Well, we did a lot of things..."

"Did that involve using Kirihara as target practice and using eggs as tennis balls," Momo shook her head distastefully.

Isane stared straight at her. "How did you know...?"

"I've been his classmate before," Momo rolled her eyes at his antics. "I know how his brain works."

Isane laughed a bit while sighing at her partner. "Rikkai Dai can show you a lot of stuff, huh, Momo?"

She hasn't seen Niou and Marui trying to blow up the Science lab, Momo scoffed while turning to face the two seniors. "You think that's madness? You've seen nothing yet."

"You seem to have gotten better trainers," Lulu noted as Isane stood in front of the net. "Considering that the Isa-chan I remember got scared of the net and the Momo I knew didn't know how to play good doubles, mind referring us?"

Momo dismissed her words with a wave of her hand. "Do you think they'll actually train you? As a Shinigami, it's my job to make sure nobody figures out the way we train and how we get there. Isane, I have no idea how she learned close range volleying but she still needs a lot of work."

Isane flipped her racquet around a bit while giving off a mischievous grin. "Puri, shall I make you lose to your junior then?"

Momo stared aghast at her partner. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"They still need a lot of work," Isane's voice became more drawl-like as another silver haired regular came into play. "After all, there's a reason why... I'm called the Trickster of the Court."

Haruka gaped at Isane's new form. "She chose Niou? What's he for?"

"Niou's an all-rounder," Hitomi lifted notes from her book. "Considering that he has also been hanging out with Momo and her before, it only proves that he's the best choice for this match."

"Niou" ran his fingers through his hair while getting ready behind Momo. "Do you mind taking the back seat for awhile, Momo?"

Momo narrowed her eyes at "Niou". "Honestly, of all people – you had to choose him."

"Niou-kun does have nice qualities," Isane despite being in the male Trickster's form managed to blush. "He helped me..."

Momo shook her head with a sigh. "Just make sure he doesn't lead you around. I don't think any of your reasoning will stop me from gelding him from where he stands if Niou hurts you."

"You don't have to be so serious about killing him, Momo," Isane laughed sheepishly. "He's really nice towards me..."

Momo shook her head. "The only time the words "Niou" and "nice" are in the same sentence is when the word "isn't" is in between it."

Lulu whistled a bit. "It seems to me that there's a lovers' spat going on. I mean – don't they look adorable?"

"It's n-n-not a lovers' spat," Isane blushed furiously while trying to concentrate. "I mean," –she cleared her throat. "It's hard to figure out whether or not I should use it is all."

Lulu raised an eyebrow at "Niou". "Oh and what would that be?"

Seeing the ball fly towards him (or her), "Niou" smirked while changing his position. "You shouldn't be so cocky. You haven't seen the Laser Beam yet, haven't you?"

The ball zoomed past Nanako and Lulu right in the middle of the service court, stunning the two at his position.

"Love – thirty," Nanako glanced at the mark before turning towards Isane/Niou.

A high speed technique huh, Nanako bit her lip. It's the perfect technique for someone who's a sniper by nature but...

Momo lowered her stance as she got ready to receive the next shot. "You figured out the shot yet?"

Nanako chuckled; Momo's eyes were watching her every movement – like always. "Your sharp observation skills never cease to amaze me, Momo."

"If I didn't have it," Momo narrowed her eyes at Nanako. "I wouldn't have been who I am today."

In fact, Momo bit her lip while looking at her racquet for a moment. If Naomi weren't here, we wouldn't be who we are... She kept us all on our toes because she hated our guts...

"Yet, you believe that if she," –referring to Naomi, Nanako folded her arms. ""If she didn't exist, your captain would be more truthful. You all would have met on different instances."

"Niou" stroked his chin. "The team we have come to love wouldn't have existed either..."

Momo curled her hand into a fist, lowering her stance. "We should stop wasting time then."

Nanako clucked her tongue. "Heh, you were always focused on the task at hand."

As another serve cracked off, Momo whacked the ball for a hard left which forced Lulu to run for the ball and lob it. "Niou" smashed it straight towards Nanako's legs but the girl simply stepped away and returned it with a high volley. The Shinigami eyed the ball carefully as she slammed it back towards Nanako.

Sharin no Hikari needs a lot of setting up then, Nanako glanced at "Niou" and Momo. "Alright, then you leave me no choice..."

Momo reflected the light off her racquet. "Reveal the shadows, Sharin no Hikari."

Nanako squinted her eyes a bit to avoid the light, sidestepping to slap the ball. I only have one shot at this...

Momo forehanded it until Nanako stared the shot down. "You thought the Laser Beam was the only high speed shot there is?"

The shot zoomed past Momo and Isane, landing on the right corner as it did so.

"Fifteen – thirty," Lulu and Nanako gave each other a high five.

"Niou" whistled before changing back into Isane. "Wh-what was that?"

Momo bit her lip hard. "It's reputed to be the fastest shot in the girl's division asides from the Sniper Serve – the Shinso." (Shinso means "Divine Spear")

Nanako twirled her racquet around with a slow smile. "Sorry Momo-hana, I really have to win now."

Shuddering at her nickname, Momo steeled her glare at the two. "Isane, Niou's completely useless in this situation. Do you have anybody who can counter it?"

"My illusions can only go so far," Isane twiddled with her thumbs. "I don't really have motion sight."

Momo tightened her grip on her racquet. The Shinso was Midoriyama-senpai's most feared technique. It would speed past you and you wouldn't even see the ball fly unless you have motion sight or you had the ability to slow it down. The only one who could return it was Mai and Rin. Other than that, even Hitomi couldn't catch how fast it flew.

"What? Are you scared already," Lulu lazily drawled. "Can we pick up the pace? I won't hurt you that bad, sweetie."

Momo swallowed hard. "I wish I didn't hear that."

Isane lowered her stance to return. "Alright, my turn..."

Nanako tossed it high and sent a normal serve towards Isane who backhanded against the left side. Lulu flanked the shot with a volley, forcing Momo to come up closer.

Every time I strike back, Nanako watched Momo slide towards the other side. She couldn't help but smile at Momo's progress compared to the others. Though Isane wasn't doing too badly, Nanako glanced at the current team while assessing each of their performances. Ayane and Kiyone progressed rather quickly for a bunch of first years, Haruka and Rin rediscovered their dance and Hitomi's doing pretty well with her data collecting. Mai's progress is unbelievable however – the other one still remains a problem...

Lulu whacked the ball high into the air. "Her growth's pretty much retarded right now."

"You can say that," Nanako half-heartedly slammed the ball towards the service court. "As long as that wedge exists, her teammates will surpass her."

Lulu chuckled darkly. "Can you say Momo has?"

"No," Nanako noted almost immediately. "There's that dark side we haven't seen yet. The side of her that refuses to face the truth..."

Lulu turned her head towards Naomi. "You mean – kinda like that World of Blades that Naomi has?"

Nanako nodded stiffly. "It's something they both had in common. Naomi does have her ugly side too."

That's exactly what we need to get rid of, the Doubles Genius sighed to herself while glancing to the team. "Let's have a little walk to remember then..."

Momo narrowed her eyes as Nanako grinned evilly at the Shinigami. "So, what's this little walk we're going to have then?"

Nanako tossed the ball into the air. "It's going to be... your worst nightmare!"

Seeing the serve, Isane quickly altered her stance. "Momo, watch out...!"

Momo stared in shock, failing to disguise the horror written all over her face. "What in the world...?"

Naomi folded her arms with a smirk plastered on her face. Well, Nanako – you're making a replay of Momo's nightmare. The day she had to play against Inuzuka and Jaëger alone...

"This is the Inuzuka Wild Fang," Nanako's grin suddenly became more maniacal as she sent it towards the middle school doubles pair.

Seeing the speed, Isane tried to counter it but got blown back hard causing blood to drip slightly from the cut on her cheek. The ball however unlike the normal Knuckle Shot – this exploded with enough force to send the Sniper against the wall.

"Thirty – all," Naomi folded her arms. This is going well...

"What's the matter," Nanako swung her racquet, rolling her tongue out. "Are you nothing but a coward, Momo-hana?"

However, the Shinigami stood still for a moment before turning around. "You're pitiful..."

Nanako raised her eyebrow as Momo's glare hardened as the Shinigami raised her racquet at her. "You're nothing but trash under my foot. Shall I make you see the difference between you and me?"

On the bleachers, Atobe glanced at Naomi who had a small smirk while Nanako started grinning maniacally. Her ability to replay the past is uncanny – how did she bring out Inuzuka's personality so fast?

"Hey, what's with you," Ayane stared straight at him. "You've been spacing out since awhile ago!"

Atobe raked his fingers through his hair. "It's a little surprising to why Nanako would push Momo this far. However – what I'm wonder is to how she managed to walk properly despite her limp."

Lulu glanced at Nanako. "You took a lot of painkillers. How many bottles did you chug down?"

Nanako shrugged while swooning left and right. "It's none of your concern... I just want to see my Momo-hana~."

"Or is it – you took a heavy dose of Ketamine* to reawaken your legs," Lulu smiled slowly. "Then again, you were always this crazy."

Momo hardened her gaze as she noted the bag on the side. "Isane, you have sharp eyes. How much did she take?"

Isane winced at the sight of the bottle. "Those are at least 500 mg each pill. If she downed an entire bottle, wouldn't that...?"

"It would kill the receptors badly including the ones in the Central Nervous System to the point that the mind would become unstable," Momo narrowed her eyes at the bottle. "My aunt started using it before but only once a day. Ayane, if I remember right – you've seen that drug before."

Ayane nodded weakly. "My uncle had that in his shelf – he said it was only given to patients who suffered extreme trauma or severe pain."

"That would be the only reason to why she can walk," Momo lowered her stance. "Wait a minute; are her legs what I think they are?"

Isane glanced at Momo as the Shinigami stood up while squinting. "She's moving too fast to be human legs. Are your legs...?"

Nanako lifted her pants with a grin, revealing metal joints. "That's right – I have biometric legs now. Considering my dad's a scientist, he made these for me."

Isane gulped while hiding behind Momo. "That's really creepy..."

"Biometric legs or not," Momo remained unfazed. "I will show you the difference between you and me. Physically – there is a difference but I'm sure even a year can take a heavy toll on you."

Nanako twisted her neck to loosen it, beginning her service. "Well, let's see how far you've gone – brat."

Momo returned it easily as Nanako suddenly vanished and appeared at the corner. Lulu on the other hand had stepped out of the court, shrugging at the tallest Regular.

"This is going to be a Singles Match between them now," Lulu lazily drawled while sitting at the edge of the court. "You might want to get off, Isa-chan."

Isane slowly inched away as Momo exploded the next shot towards the right side to which Nanako jumped towards it easily. The Shinigami then lightly dropped it over the net as Nanako reappeared in front and slammed the ball straight at Momo's face. However, training with Sanada proved to help her as she raised her racquet just in time to deflect the shot towards the left side of the court. Nanako then zoomed towards the back and sent it towards the baseline.

"Shinso," she grinned evilly as the ball zoomed towards Momo.

Momo sidestepped and placed her racquet far behind her. "Smash like a storm, Arashi!"

With the speed of the Oto and the lethality of the Nadare, the ball zoomed towards Nanako who simply caught it once more.

"You evolved your technique," Nanako swayed a little, dulling her eyes a bit. "Interesting but a storm can never stand up to the power of a god!"

Despite having the Shinso coming straight at her, Momo forehanded the shot back towards Nanako. "There is no such thing as a mortal able to ascend to becoming a god. There's only one and that's that."

"Tell me Momo-hana," Nanako grinned, causing Momo to shudder slightly. "Do you fear death?"

Momo slammed the ball back cross court. "Naturally, I do. But there are many aspects of death – definitely, you're not one of them. After all, why should a Shinigami be afraid of what it can control?"

Nanako chuckled darkly. "Aww, you're so enigmatic! I would just like see you do that after I'm done with you~!"

Lulu leaned against the wall with a sigh. "Well, she's always been the seme after all."

Isane turned into a wild red colour. "W-w-what's that?"

"Well, come to think of it," Lulu tapped her chin. "Momo's always been this "don't-touch-me" uke. Don't you think they look cute together?"

Isane stared at the former senior incredulously while restraining herself from screaming. H-How does she think of things like that in a time like this?

"Ferero-senpai has always been gross," Mai shuddered while glancing at Shizuru. "Hey, are you alright?"

Shizuru nodded while trying to focus on the match. She watched Momo bring out every form of the Anti-FuuRinKaZan as Nanako countered each and every one of them. The brunette bit her lip hard while gripping her skirt tightly. Her heart pounded her ears as sweat trickled down her face. The air around them thickened until she felt a cap drop on her head.

"Hey, you're going to be fine!"

Shizuru looked up to find Shishido with a snicker. "Kotetsu won't know what hit her. This is your year – you can't just let some shadow of the past pull you down now."

"You can't always have her hanging over you," Mai took a seat next to her. "Shishido-senpai's right – you have to pull yourself together."

"Forty – Thirty," everyone turned their attention to the court as Momo stood on one knee while trying to catch her breath.

Nanako twirled her racquet. "What – that's all you're capable of? You're so boring. You can't even entertain me, Momo-hana~?"

Momo gripped her racquet tightly, glaring hard. "I'll make you regret making me drop down on one knee. This is where all the charades end..."

Nanako noticed the air become cold as Momo stood up again. "Oh what do you call this...?"

"First Act," Momo lowered her stance. "The Grim Scenery..."

Nanako chuckled darkly. "I'd like to see you sink into despair, Momo-hana. You look so cute when you cry."

Momo shook her head with finality. "Not today – not ever, the last time I shed tears for you was long time ago."

Shizuru smiled lightly at the situation. "Momo-senpai has finally climbed over the obstacle that hindered her strength."

"Her attachment to Midoriyama really created an obsession for her," Hitomi began taking a look at papers. "I have here a list of transactions pertaining to everything that involves rabbits. Particularly, gray coloured dwarf rabbits."

Haruka sighed while nearly face palming. "I guess that's Midoriyama's favourite animal."

Soon, they heard the ball crack as Rin jumped on Haruka's shoulders. "Hey – check it out! Momo's kicking butt out there, kuwee~!"

Nanako froze as the ball zoomed past her, creating a mark on the court.

"Deuce," Isane stared in shock as Momo's dark eyes glared holes into Nanako.

Kiyone hid behind Ayane. "Yane-chan~, she's getting scary..."

"The place's getting cold," Gakuto started shivering. "Yuushi, you have an extra jacket?"

Oshitari winced at the bitter cold. "Sorry, I don't."

When was the last time she used this technique?

"Can you feel it," Momo's voice became softer as the wind started to howl.

Nanako chuckled as she began her service. "You always had this ability to turn things into something so evil~. I like that, Momo-hana~."

Momo lowered her stance as the ball came spiralling towards her. "You really don't know what this thing does do you?"

As soon as Momo hit it, the ball zoomed towards Nanako causing her to freeze in place with a small cut oozing out some blood from her left leg.

"My buchou hates violence," Momo smirked at Nanako. "That's the only reason why I don't use this technique. I would use any means possible to win but not to the point I have to destroy you. However, that Ketamine overdose of yours is leaving me no choice."

Nanako served hard again but Momo's return cut past her once more.

"Game, Sanada-Uchiha: two games to love!"

Isane walked over to Momo while lightly dropping her hand on the Shinigami's shoulder. "Momo, are you sure you want to...?"

"It would be disgraceful for a Sanada like me to lose to someone like her," Momo coldly brushed away Isane's concern. "Regardless of who she is or who she was then, Midoriyama Nanako is dead and she'll remain that way. The moment she got hit by Inuzuka's Wild Fang proved that she would never be the same."

Nanako chortled while swinging left and right. "You said you hated being a Sanada! Not only that – you wished to overthrow Shizuru before, didn't you?"

"I won't deny that," Momo coldly turned her head towards the insane Nanako. "But I understand why she was chosen – first of all, she has a gentle heart. She's willing to bend her back just to save the people she cares about at the risk of her own happiness. I don't expect you to understand. I thought you were something great but in the end, you were just a big fat bug."

Nanako placed a finger on her lips. "Aww, Momo-hana's being all cold again~."

Momo took the ball from Nanako, taking her place at the baseline. "With your ability, it would be impossible for you to force me to use the second and third act."

Isane gulped as she took the front when Lulu took the moment to serve. "Momo, are you sure you're alright?"

"Finishing off an idiot quietly," Momo tossed the ball into the air. "Isn't that more of a sniper's job?"

Isane gulped while averting her eyes from the Shinigami's cold ones. It's even worse than Shizuru-chan's when she's in her Shikabane Hime form...

All of a sudden, Haruka got on the court with a sigh. "Honestly, I thought I would never do this but..."

Momo stared at her for a moment until the Pearl Dragon pinched her ear lobe, causing Momo to snap out of her seriousness.

"Ow ow ow," Momo started struggling against Haruka's pinch. "Haruka, your nails – did you even bother cutting them?"

Haruka shook her head. "In times like these, I'm glad I forgot to cut my nails. Momo, isn't this a little overboard?"

Momo twitched slightly. "Do you mind – not cutting my ear and giving me a new piercing? I like my ears the way they are."

Naomi chuckled while glancing at Hitomi and Ruriko. Soon, it will be a battle of the minds... Interesting...

Finally letting go of Momo's ear, Haruka folded her arms. "God, were you trying to plunge Hyotei into an everlasting winter or something? I mean – I know you're angry and..."

"A winter is better than a graveyard," Momo twirled her racquet up and down, loosening her wrist. "This insane human," –referring to Nanako, "doesn't seem to understand the difference between us."

All of a sudden, the Shinigami felt something latch to her leg only to find out it was the sandy haired blonde volleyist. "Are you done yet? Murasakiiro-senpai, you're taking so long and then – mpf!"

Momo instantly shoved a coffee bun into her mouth. "I know. You're making me waste my time by chatting away. Chew first before you talk."

Kiyone, pouting childishly, sauntered away while Rin handed her a bottle of soda. "Kiyo-chan, I got an orange soda kuwee~!"

"Yay," Came Kiyone's muffled yell from the coffee bun shoved into her mouth.

Isane stood next to Momo. "Momo, maybe I should start now."

"No," Momo glared frigidly at the Sniper. "This is my shadow... I'm going to take it out before it takes out anyone else."

Isane drew back with her thumb against her lip. "But this is..."

"I can't imagine a world without my friends," Momo bit her lip while hardening her gaze. "That's how much you guys mean to me. I may have transferred in the middle of the year but – if getting rid of the senpai I once held dear to me would keep us the way we are then, I have no regrets even if I have to cut all ties with her. She may have taught me everything I know now – but that thing, is not her anymore. It's just a monkey trying to reach the moon."

Nanako scoffed at the Shinigami. "You're a joke, Sanada."

"I have already shown you," Momo narrowed her eyes at Nanako. "You and I are – the levels are comparable to the distances between heaven and hell. How many times do I have to point it out to you? I may have thrown away my Anti-FuuRinKaZan yet here I am – standing and in the lead."

Shizuru folded her arms. "Alright Momo-senpai, show her what you have."

Ayane punched the air. "Go for it, Momo-senpai!"

Soon, Momo served the shot towards Lulu who returned it towards Isane who finally got on the court. Oshitari watched the ball fly back and forth until he noted a glint in the Doubles Genius eyes.

Midoriyama's just playing around. She's trying to tell them something. It's involving Kotetsu Naomi, I'm definitely sure of that.

Rin shivered a bit, clinging on to Haruka. "Do you think Momo's going to be okay? I mean – she's facing someone from her past and heck, she don't look happy, kuwee~!"

"She will be," Shizuru smiled at the Black Dragon. "Momo-senpai's strong in terms of fighting even if it must be her past."

Hitomi tilted her glasses. "She said so herself – "the levels between them are comparable to the distances between heaven and hell". The moment Midoriyama submitted to the drug – her ability drastically decreased despite having biometric legs."

Kiyone jumped on Ayane's shoulders. "Yay, yay, yay, murasakiiro-senpai – kick her butt!"

Momo nearly fumbled due to Kiyone's cheering. However, the Shinigami kept a straight face as she continued going on the offensive against Nanako and Lulu.

"Wow," Jirou gaped while jumping excitedly. "Did you see that, Atobe? Look at the speed they're playing!"

Shishido blinked a few times while turning to Shizuru. "Are you sure Sanada's not on coffee or anything caffeinated today?"

Atobe raked his hand through his hair as he pulled out his cellphone. Sanada should get a wind of this...

After a few rings, the Emperor of Rikkai Dai answered. "Atobe, do you have anything better to do rather than...?"

"Arn, you should be grateful ore-sama even bothers to call you," Atobe sighed as he placed the phone on video camera mode. "Your cousin's fighting her shadow pretty well."

The purple haired captain of Hyotei heard a grunt. "It was only a matter of time that she got over that person."

"She's very determined to protect her captain," Atobe chuckled. "Is that present in all Sanada family members?"

Sanada growled through the phone. "It's a strong sense of loyalty. That's something that should be present in people under a captain."

"Does a sense of arrogance go with it," Atobe chuckled. "Did you hear what she said?"

Sanada smirked while letting out a small chuckle. "You're the one to talk, Atobe."

Hiyoshi leaned against the rail. "Momo-senpai is another person to gekokujo..."

Nanako smirked as she fired the Shinso, taking the point from them.

"Fifteen – all," Momo winced as Nanako gave a high five to Lulu.

Nanako raised her racquet towards Momo and Isane despite acting slightly insane. "I think we should wipe the floor with them! You better not hold back, Ferero!"

Lulu nodded lightly. "Sure, why not. After all, it would be nice to make them lose to the same person twice."

Nanako switched with Lulu whispering to her. "You know who Isane is scared of."

"I know," Lulu chuckled. "By the way..."

Nanako raised her eyebrow at the former vice captain who smirked. "Nice acting – did you ever consider going into Hollywood?"

"Shut up," Nanako plainly snorted while changing back into her insane self. "So, shall we get started – Momo-hana?"

Momo tightened her grip as she felt blood ooze out from her palm. "You're really testing my patience."

Soon as another serve cracked off, Momo forehanded it as Nanako came closer to keep Isane from leaving the baseline. However, Lulu hit towards the other end which brought Isane forward and allowed Nanako to move back to counter Momo in any case. However, as Isane managed to volley once – the ball slightly lobbed and Lulu smashed it straight down right in between the Sniper's feet.

Isane nearly reeled back. No, no, no, don't let that same trick work thrice!

"Fifteen – Thirty," Isane stumbled backwards, causing her to drop her racquet.

Kiyone tilted her head to the side. "Why's giant-senpai still scared?"

Rin nodded while trying to act like a detective, only to get nudged by the Pearl Dragon. "It should be impossible and most of all – isn't she used to the same trick?"

"It's because there's a wedge in her mind," a soft voice came from the bench as Shizuru narrowed her eyes at the smashes that kept coming at Isane.

Mai leaned against the wall. "As long as Isane-senpai has that wedge, she won't get over the fact that she's scared of the net. Though she can volley now, smashing for her proved to be impossible because of that wedge that the game with Shitenhouji and Yuugetsu Chuu created."

Hitomi grabbed a bottle from her bag. "She should at least have a swig before playing."

Haruka stared at the bottle Hitomi began chugging down. "Hi-Hitomi, how much alcohol does that thing have?"

"Ten percent," Hitomi stopped drinking as she glanced at the bottle. "Isane's not going to survive in Las Vegas if ever we go."

Ayane stared at the Mastermind drinking an entire bottle by herself. "You know, my brother said that's going to kill your liver."

"No it won't," Hitomi took out another bottle. "As long as I have my other concoctions, nothing bad's going to happen."

Haruka snatched the bottles from Hitomi. "No way am I having you get hepatitis!"

Hitomi's glasses suddenly glinted. "Would you like to try my latest experiment, Haruka?"

"If it means getting the bottle away from you," Haruka placed it behind her bag. "Then, bring it on!"

"Fifteen –forty," another Shinso cracked on Momo and Isane's side of the court.

Isane winced as a smash zoomed past her. "Game, Midoriyama-Ferero: one game to two!"

Ruriko chuckled while adjusting her racquet strings. "Now, the slaughter begins..."

"Fifteen – love," Lulu jumped high into the air and smashed again, this time – far behind the Sniper.

Despite using the Grim Scenery, Momo missed the Shinso by a huge gap. Nanako pile drove the Shinso past their lines, gaining points one after the other.

"Game, Midoriyama-Ferero: two games all!"

Kiyone pouted while leaning on Ayane's shoulders. "Mou~, can't giant-senpai transform into anyone?"

"She can but it will be useless," Mai pointed out to the younger. "She can only copy their techniques – not their inborn traits."

Rin gulped while biting her nails. "What are they going to do now, kuwee~?"

Hitomi managed to snatch back the bottle. "Momo and Isane are used to battles that involve pressure. Besides, there are only twenty minutes left."

"Yeah, h-hey," Haruka grabbed the bottle back from Hitomi, sputtering and jabbing her finger at the Mastermind. "You seriously need to go to rehab!"

Hitomi gave her a business smile. "I wasn't kidding when I asked you if you wanted to try my latest concoction."

Haruka gulped, hiding her fear as best as she could. "I can handle it! I think..."

Nearly face palming; Momo hung her head as she managed a fast forehand. Haruka doesn't know what she's asking for.

"So tell me," Nanako dashed with her biometric legs making her more superhuman. "Why are your eyes glaring at me that way? Are they saying that you won't forgive me? That you are going to cut me down? That you are going to judge me? Don't you understand that it's all empty pride?"

Momo scoffed while returning the shot. "When did I say that I was beating you because you were my opponent? If you want to know the truth then, I shall give you my reason. You seek to destroy my pride and that's all there is to it."

Rin raised an eyebrow while turning to Hitomi. "Wait, what's she saying?"

Hitomi turned to Shizuru who the plucked out her racquet to hear the ringing sound of the strings. "She... no, we are her pride."

Everyone stared at Hitomi for a moment as Kiyone jumped off from Ayane's shoulders while clapping cheerfully. "Grape-senpai, beat the lady cyborg!"

Momo inwardly chuckled at Kiyone's humour while returning the ball. "How you manage to come up with nicknames on the spot never ceases to amaze me."

()()()()()()000000()()()()()

Meanwhile, Seigaku had its own problems. While Sakuno proved to improve each and every time, Fuuka found her too slow and too weak compared to Hyotei's junior ace: Getsugan Kiyone. If only she were like Shibuya Rangiku, things would have been much easier. Then again, Sakuno's style complements Vera's aggressive attacking well compared to the much smaller and meeker first year.

"Souma-buchou," Sakuno shivered while approaching the short haired captain. "How are the line-ups going to be?"

Fuuka pursed her lips while turning to the smaller girl. "Obviously, I'm not putting you in Singles. You'll probably die against Rikkai Dai's Sarah Jaëger or Hyotei Gakuen's Sanada Momo or Yamaguchi Hitomi. Vera would be issuing most of the commands during your doubles game so listen carefully to her instructions. Rangiku-chan would most likely be in Singles Two..."

Soon, the capped tensai came into the clearing. "Are you sure you want her to face Hyotei so soon?"

Fuuka found Atoli popping a bottle of iced tea open. "Rangiku's the best card we have against Sanada and Jaëger. Do you really think you can handle Sanada?"

"I know Nagisaki's my alley," Atoli pointed out as she gulped down some of the iced tea. "You might want to ask Karin about the line-ups first. Considering that we have the Tadashiko-Mouri pair to counter the Hyotei's famous Twin Dragon pair and the Heartbreaker pair to take down the Diamond Pair of Hyotei, I don't think you need to worry about the doubles. The singles wouldn't be much problem either – I take Singles Two because of Nagisaki Mai, I'm sure you want to settle your score with Kurenai Shizuru and Singles Three, I think Karin-chan should take it."

Fuuka folded her arms. "Alright, state any evidences you have."

"We're not in a court room, Fuuka," Atoli sighed while shaking her head. "Rangiku-chan is wild. Did you see what she did to the subs? Most of them are traumatized. Good thing that Karin can do first aid easily. But, that's not the point – if Rangiku faces Sanada, will she able to take it? Sanada is highly more experienced than she is. Jaëger is most likely going to get her butt kicked by Rangiku anyway but Sanada is the card we have to worry about. What would be bad is if Kurenai ends up in her slot – Rangiku would feel the wrath of the Shikabane Hime for the first time. She's not going to take that kindly."

Fuuka sighed while pulling out her towel. "I'll think about it. I'll be doing my laps."

Seeing the red haired captain leave, Sakuno turned to Atoli. "Where do you think she's going?"

"Obviously to the man she respects and loves," Atoli chuckled. "She'll be fine. Words from him usually matter more than mine."

As Seigaku's tensai went outside, Atoli found Vera instructing the other subs to pick up the tennis balls. Midori and Enma started crossing notes despite the green haired acrobat getting freaked out by Enma's Goth doll which kindly sat on her lap. Karin on the other hand tried to control Rangiku's rage as she blasted a few more subs into the wired fence.

This is going to be a long day, Atoli sighed to herself as she found Fuuka at the other side talking to both Tezuka and Ryuuzaki-sensei. I figured just as much.

Fuuka on the other hand watched the boys' tennis team practice. Momoshiro smashed straight at Fuji who returned it with the Higuma Otoshi. Despite the counter, the dunk smash nearly took off the tensai's thin arms. Kaidoh released the Boomerang Snake against Kawamura who exploded it back with the Hadokyuu. Tezuka on the other hand, despite his busted shoulder – he managed to oversee practice along with Oishi who started training again with Kikumaru.

"Tezuka-kun," Fuuka, being one of the very few people who could get away with it, sat next to him. "What do you think of the Hyotei team?"

Tezuka raised an eyebrow. "They're a strong team... Atobe's very gaudy when it comes to entrances..."

Fuuka laughed while wiping a tear from her eye. "Although that is true, I didn't mean that. I meant the girls' team. You guys managed to play them before. How did it work out?"

Tezuka didn't say anything at first as he recalled how his match got interrupted by the rain. He recalled how slippery the court became, how his racquet nearly flew out of his hand and why he suddenly started skidding across the court. However, one thing remained vivid in his mind: the gracefulness of his opponent and the determined face she had. Fuuka had that kind of attitude but hers was more of an obsession to defeat Shizuru than anything else.

"Tezuka-kun," Fuuka started snapping her fingers in front of his face. "Well, how was it?"

Tezuka twitched at her snapping but let out a small sigh. "It was a good game."

However, Fuji managed to get a word in while he trained with Momoshiro. "If it was just a good game, why then did you start smirking during the game?"

Tezuka restrained himself from yelling at Fuji. "Fuji, eighty laps. Momoshiro, go on a water break."

Momoshiro stared in awe; the man barely gave him any breaks. "Uh... thanks buchou."

Fuji clucked his tongue. "Saa~, you're being mean, Tezuka."

"You brought it upon yourself," Tezuka's eyes flashed at the tensai who simply shrugged as he began his laps.

Fuuka sighed while laughing softly. "You had that much fun didn't you?"

"More or less," Tezuka monotonously replied while watching his teammates play against one another. "Souma-san, you came here regarding Shibuya?"

Fuuka mentally slapped herself for forgetting. "Oh yeah, would it be better if I placed her in Singles Three or Reserves?"

"That would depend," Tezuka glanced at her side of the court. "How stable is she?"

BANG!

Fuuka found Vera running towards her. "Fuuka-buchou, Tezuka-sama, Rangiku's attacking the subs again!"

Tezuka raised an eyebrow at the red haired captain. "Does that answer your question, Souma-san?"

Fuuka sighed while hanging her head. "I guess so..."

()()()()000000000()()()()

"Game, Midoriyama-Ferero: four games all!"

Momo slowed her breathing while Lulu and Isane were on the verge of falling. Nanako on the other hand didn't seem bothered until she started to shriek. Momo didn't show a hint of concern as Nanako fell to the floor, gripping her leg in agony.

"That's the problem with biometric legs," Momo bitterly gazed at Nanako's state. "The metal supports drive hard into the bone forcing the muscle to exert more effort resulting into cramps and pains..."

Lulu tried to help her up. "Look, it's not as if she asked for this..."

"Then how did this happen," Momo stared darkly at the former vice captain.

Nanako winced at the pain. "It was when I was in the hospital... the drugs reacted badly and drained the calcium from my joints. After that, it all became downhill..."

Momo nodded stiffly as the green haired girl smiled weakly at her former doubles partner. "Momo, this may be my last game."

The stolid stare didn't change as Nanako managed to prop herself up. "You were right; the Ketamine is used to kill pain receptors but let me tell you something – this is my first time using it..."

"So, why take an entire bottle," Momo folded her arms. "You were a fool to think that the effects would stockpile."

Nanako chuckled lightly. "I guess... But, I would like one thing from you..."

Momo raised an eyebrow as Nanako smiled weakly. "Set them free..."

Isane glanced at the Shinigami who simply turned around. "We should stop wasting time then."

Naomi folded her arms while chuckling. "That's no way to treat your former senpai after not seeing her for so long, Momo-chan."

Momo twitched at Naomi's voice while coldly replying. "What makes you think you're any better example to us, your kohai? Is it not that the younger learn from the older or the other way around?"

Wincing at the Shinigami's cold tone, Naomi glanced at the two former candidates for captaincy and vice captaincy. It seems they've grown up. They're watching over Shizuru now.

"There's one thing I want to know," Momo stood still at her spot. "Before Isane and I start decimating your doubles pair, I want to know how much Shizuru meant to you."

Naomi remained silent for a moment. "Would you understand the relationship of a captain and her subordinate?"

"No," Momo remained stolid while turning away. "Not in your context that is..."

Naomi laughed softly as Momo took her position at the service line. I wonder... if you're able to convince Shizuru otherwise of your belief.

"Momo," Isane bent her knees a bit at the baseline. "What will we do now?"

The Shinigami smirked while readying her racquet. "What we always do best of course, do you expect them to drop dead by themselves?"

Isane smiled sheepishly. "I guess they wouldn't."

Rolling her eyes, Chihiro sat down while licking her fangs. "Geez, now the Shinigami is trying to act all tough. It's fuckin' irritating."

"It's not that she's acting," Tsunami nudged the spiky haired girl. "Can't you see how mad she is? Oh wait, I forgot – your brain doesn't work so you don't notice these things."

Chihiro grabbed Tsunami by her collar. "Go to hell, Kirijo!"

"Hey!"

Naomi cast a warning glance to the arguing doubles three pair. "Both of you, keep quiet."

"Che, who cares," Chihiro snorted while Tsunami kicked her shin. "What the hell is your problem!"

Tsunami glared at her. "Don't answer our captain that way!"

"I answer her in any way I want!"

Ayane sweat dropped at the sight of the two. "Is it just me or do they fight on a daily basis?"

"When they were in the team," Hitomi shook her head. "They were the reason why the principal nearly disbanded the club."

Haruka smiled sheepishly. "I guess I should be glad that Ayane's the only hot-tempered one here."

"Yeah yeah," Rin jumped up and down. "Kiyone-chibi and she always agree on the same thing!"

Oshitari snickered while overhearing the Twin Dragon pair. "Yeah they agree on everything especially when it's about beating up Atobe."

Atobe glared at the capped regular. "Oshitari, shut up."

"Sure," came the kansai prodigy's good-natured reply.

Shishido shrugged while glancing at the Diamond pair. "He does have a point, Atobe."

"Arn~," Atobe raked his hair while biting his lip. "Ayane always has this tendency to attack people."

Ayane spun around, glaring. "I do not, it's because of comments like that I do!"

Atobe folded his arms. "Ore-sama thinks that if someone told you a wall insulted you – you'd try to break it."

"I'm not that stupid," Ayane screamed while folding her arms.

Kiyone popped up with a coffee bun in her mouth. "Yane-Yane, are you gonna beat him up again? Can I watch?"

"I can't hit him here," Ayane snorted while slumping down on the bench. "It's going to be all over the newspapers. Besides, I have a bet going on with him."

Kiyone tilted her head while grinning impishly. "Then squish his head like a lemon~!"

"Are you crazy," Ayane felt a vein pop until she thought about it. "Actually... that may be a good idea!"

Haruka shook her head, sighing. "I wonder how Kiyone became so sadistic."

"She's innocently sadistic," Hitomi glanced at the doubles pair playing. "As soon as this is over, I'll be doing my match."

Haruka glanced at Hitomi. "Are you sure you can handle it despite the liquor you just took?"

"The alcohol content was only ten percent while the fruit content was 89.9 percent," Hitomi picked up her racquet. "The other 1.1 percent comes from the sugar."

Rin hid behind Haruka while slightly shuddering. "How can she drink that much alcohol and survive, kuwee~?"

Haruka scratched her head with a shrug. "A strong liver I guess?"

"Game, Sanada – Uchiha pair: five games to four!"

Nanako started breathing heavily while glancing at the Shinigami. "You've grown up so much..."

"I had a lot of thinking to do," Momo coldly noted. "Obviously, I wouldn't lose to fools who believe they can control people like puppets."

Nanako chuckled as the serve went to Isane. This is it... Isane's serve can end the game with four shots.

"Momo," Isane shuffled towards the Shinigami. "Are we going to...?"

Momo glared frigidly at the two of them before turning to the former captain. "Put them out of their misery."

Mai whistled while slightly wincing. "Ooh, nasty."

As soon as the four serves cracked off, Isane and Momo nodded to one another before giving each other a high five.

"Game and match, Sanada-Uchiha pair: six games to four!"

Nanako grit her teeth as Lulu helped her off. The Doubles Genius couldn't fight back the smile she had as Momo returned to her team with a smirk. Isane got pounced on while Momo nodded at the younger captain who simply smiled in approval. As soon as she got to her crutches, Nanako leaned against it before taking her seats.

"What's going on with you out there," Naomi raised an eyebrow. "I thought you guys said you could handle them."

Nanako narrowed her eyes at Naomi. "This game was never about winning, Naomi."

"Oh," Naomi chuckled darkly. "I know that."

Nanako froze while the former captain turned away from the doubles genius. "No matter what you do, admiration is the farthest from understanding. Nanako, you yourself should know that."

"The thing is," Ruriko glanced at the other side. "She now has Sanada to snap her out of it."

Picking up a small pebble, Naomi grinned evilly. "Not as long as I crush her resolve and her personality... after that, everything will fall into place."

Nanako forced herself to stand up. "Naomi, this has to stop! Crushing her resolve would..."

"Not her resolve to play tennis," Naomi chuckled while having a dark smile paint itself on her face. "Did you really think that I would have her stop playing? Of course not, all I need to do is just to revert her back to the way she was."

Tsunami watched Shizuru and Mai laughing together. "I don't think that's possible anymore."

On the other hand, Rin jumped on Isane while ruffling the taller regular's hair. "You did it, you did it!"

Kiyone jumped up and down while waving her hands in the air. "Yay, giant-senpai and purple-senpai managed to beat the cyborg lady and the crazy weirdo!"

Momo sighed while shaking her head. "Can't you remember anybody's name for once?"

"Yeah," Kiyone stared at her innocently.

Momo folded her arms. "Alright, name me at least five people."

Kiyone started counting her fingers. "Shizu-nee, Yane-chan, Ummm... Purple-"

"No nicknames," Momo smirked while wondering. How come she never remembered anyone's names properly?

Kiyone pouted while sticking out her tongue. "Hmph, there's Shiraishi-san,Oshitari Kenya-san and..."

Haruka stared at her for a few moments. "Wait a minute, she barely met them and she already knows their names!"

Shizuru and Mai exchanged glances with one another. "Wait, how's that possible?"

"She probably likes Shiraishi-san," Mai chuckled lightly causing the smaller girl to inflate her cheeks. "He's the only guy she probably remembers asides from Oshitari Kenya-san."

"That's not true!"

Haruka pointed out. "Not only that, we barely even met these guys."

"It's usually during her shopping trips when we're not with her," Hitomi opened her notebook entitled "Getsugan Kiyone". "Shiraishi-san saved her from being crushed by a shelf full of pet supplies. He also saved her from getting bullied and another would be when she wandered off – he brought her back home. The only distinct thing probably of Oshitari Kenya-san would be his pet iguana named Yoshi."

Kiyone flushed into a bright pink colour while puffing up her cheeks. "You're mean~."

Before everyone could break out into a laughing fit, an announcement blared.

"Singles Two will now begin: Yamaguchi Hitomi of Hyotei Middle School Division and Suzumiya Ruriko of the Hyotei High School Division, please come to the court!"

Hitomi wiped her glasses against her shirt, nodding firmly. "I guess it's my turn to bury my past..."

-That's chapter 35! I hope their personalities are more dominant here! Also, would it be better to use the four girls from Queen of the Suits in my What Makes One A Monster story or new characters? I'd like to hear your opinion about the matter! Thanks! Please don't forget to review!

*Ketamine is a drug that is used in analgesia or anaesthetics. In one of the episodes of House, House took Ketamine after he got shot. He then started seeing images of him walking and stuff. In this case, Nanako's legs suffer severe pains hence she has to stay on a crutch. But by taking the Ketamine – she kills off her pain receptors for a short while.