Me: Thank you everyone for your very supportive reviews! I love hearing from you guys to make sure my writing skills are still tiptop shape. Another is – please tell me whether or not you guys want one-shots for these girls. Don't worry; the Seigaku Girls have their pairings. You may also send in requests. Another is – for those who want to see them – here are the pictures: http:/ sabine286. deviantart. com/ [just without the spaces] Also, I do not own Prince of Tennis!
LivesforTennis001: Yes, Kiyone's mom was not kidding. She meant 40. That was definitely not a typo. Don't worry; Aidan will be playing a bigger role in the story later on! :D I know there are some similarities to Hoshikaze Shana and Getsugan Kiyone but there will be one thing that will set them apart. Shizuru and Diva both share the same ideology except their methods will be much different. I know Momo and Sengoku do not seem likely but someone does have to help the female lighten up. She's all about "law and duty" after all. In the future chapters, each of them will be focusing on their personal lives. About Hitomi however, I haven't gotten any feedback or suggestion who they want her to be paired up with so – I don't have a clue myself really. So any suggestion would be well-appreciated!
Rayne567: Glad to hear from you! I promise to update as fast as I can!
Chapter 38 – Shogun Revenge
"Yane," Kiyone jumped on the tangerine haired girl's shoulder. "Wakey-wakey, we're next!"
Ayane slumped against the wall while letting out a sigh. "I'm still pooped, five more minutes..."
Haruka handed her a glass of juice. "Here, I made this myself. Don't worry – it's not poisonous."
Ayane gladly took it as Momo and Miaka fought it out on the court. "I don't get it – why a sudden change in the rules? Isn't Doubles always first?"
"That's what we thought," Haruka glanced at the board. "I guess they wanted to follow the boys' format also since we're becoming a big thing nowadays. After Momo, Rin and I will be taking the stand."
Kiyone swung her legs while chewing on a piece of wasabi eggplant chips. "Go purple-senpai go!"
Momo jumped high into the air and brought down a smash which Miaka ran far back for a return. The Shinigami, eyeing the shot carefully, jumped back for a far backhand only to have her racquet strings stretched far back and nearly bent down permanently when Miaka released a knuckle shot.
"Game, Inuzuka: two games all!"
Ai silently watched Miaka keep up with Momo as she narrowed her eyes slightly while keeping a serene smile on her face. She watched the sophomore bare her fangs at the Shinigami who didn't even bat an eyelash. Glancing at the other end, she noticed Shizuru restraining herself from calling for a time out. Ai sighed while pulling out the leash from her bag.
Honestly, I never thought I'd use this, Ai sighed while looking at the leash in her hand before turning to Miaka.
Shizuru glanced at Momo who nodded at her before pulling back her arm for a hard forehand.
"Daiichimakume," Momo narrowed her eyes. "Kageyoshi..." [First Act, Grim Scenery]
Miaka narrowed her eyes as she watched the ball multiply and spin with insane speed. Taking a different position, she revealed her fangs as she hit the ball straight on the frame of her racquet. With the same speed, the ball bashed through Momo's racquet – resulting to the strings to sustain more damage and snap. Momo tilted her head to the side just in time as the ball blew a hole into the hedges. Momo's eyes slightly widened as Miaka growled with wolf-like ferocity.
"It's an old assassin technique," she sneered at the female Sanada. "A technique that rips the flesh of their target..."
Momo bit her lip as a small drop of blood trickled down her forehead.
"The Piercing Fang," Hitomi took list of it while checking her notes. "In this technique, the Inuzuka use their wolf-like agility to tear through their opponents with their daggers. To make up for their lack of physical strength, they have the ferocity that matches an animal."
Rin gulped while pointing at Momo. "Yeah but Sanada are like statues, kuwee~!"
"That might come handy in the situation," Mai leaned against the wall. "After all, wolves are known for scaring their opponent. Devouring without any mercy... that's the way of the wolves."
Rin shuddered while jumping on Haruka. "Eep - Mai-chan's talking figurative again, kuwee!"
Kiyone tilted her head to one side while trying to process what Mai stated. "So, Inu-chan eats dog food?"
Everyone sweat drop at Kiyone's conclusion as Shizuru kindly tried to make it as simple as she could. "No, she meant... Inuzuka-san thinks like an animal. She's not really one, Kiyone-chan."
Kiyone looked up for a few minutes and then clapped her hands. "Yay, I have two dogs now~!"
Isane sighed, defeated while shrugging at her captain. "I don't think she's going to even try understanding it."
"Maybe it's best she thinks that way," Shizuru shook her head while looking towards the court. "Hopefully, it doesn't blow out of control..."
Momo shook away her fatigue as she faced Miaka once again. This feud ends here...
Miaka licked her racquet while grinning evilly at Momo. "Well, well, what's next for you? Has fear gripped you hard enough?"
Momo narrowed her eyes while steadying her stance, watching Miaka's every flinch and twitch. "The first act will only bring its audience to the edge as the curtain falls for the second..."
Everyone gulped as Yukimura Ai narrowed her eyes slightly yet maintaining her serene demeanour. "Sanada Momo-chan has always tried to outdo Sanada-kun and had to stand Inuzuka-kun's bullying. This match is not just a decision maker but also her only chance to turn away from the past that intensified her mercilessness. To get to the finals, Momo must learn how to defy the 'law'."
"If she doesn't defy the law now," Mai narrowed her eyes at the court. "Then, she's not going to get anywhere."
Rin gulped while glancing at the dark glare Momo cast to her opponent. "Haru-chan, do you think... Momo-chan will have to go that," –emphasizing on the word that, "far?"
Haruka exchanged glances with the black dragon and then at the court before biting her lip. She felt her whole body tremble at the eyes of both players as their auras intensified. From where she stood, the Pearl Dragon shivered slightly as Momo's left side flinched a bit while her grip on the racquet tightened. The Shinigami showed no trace of emotion on her face as her lips thinned at the sight of Rikkai Dai's Wild Dog but her eyes burned with enough meaning for Haruka to tell what was going on.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
On the other hand, the male Rikkai Dai team took their places as Kirihara Akaya took the first match of Singles Three. The black haired boy scratched his head as he mockingly tapped his racquet on his shoulder before pointing at the Hyotei team.
"Alright," Kirihara let out a cocky grin. "Which one of you sissies are coming up first?"
Hiyoshi narrowed his gaze before walking onto the court. "You're so noisy."
"Well, you're," Kirihara began to tap his chin. "You're..."
Gakuto nearly sputtered with laughter if not for Shishido's slap on the back. "He's good but at least Hiyoshi's smarter."
Hiyoshi snorted as he took his place on the baseline while watching the black haired ace's steps carefully. His eyes focused hard as Kirihara lazily strode towards the other end of the court with a ball in his hand. As the Enbu ace lowered his stance, Kirihara bounced the ball up and down with a cheeky grin.
"Well, never knew I had to face you," Kirihara shrugged lazily while tossing the ball into the air. "Anyway, time to finish you off!"
As the match started, Atobe folded his arms while turning towards Marui who sat on the bench while blowing up a bubble. His icy blue eyes narrowed while trying to focus on the match at hand although Hiyoshi managed to crack a forehand towards Kirihara and make the Rikkai Dai ace run around. Atobe grit his teeth while trying to keep his face straight while watching Sanada stare back at him.
"Oshitari," Atobe turned to the kansai genius. "You're playing against Sanada today."
Oshitari raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms, lacing his voice with his thick kansai accent. "Oh – what turned this on?"
Atobe scoffed at Oshitari's tone, focusing once again on the match. "Ore-sama figured that you needed a better training partner is all. You can't keep playing the same people all the time."
"Perhaps," the kansai prodigy tipped his glasses a little before looking at the Rikkai bench. "Another rival has challenged you?"
Atobe, scoffing inwardly and letting out a low snarl, rolled his eyes before turning towards the courts as Kirihara smashed the shot right in between Hiyoshi's legs. The purple haired Hyotei captain glanced at Sanada who raised an eyebrow at him before taking note of Kirihara's mistakes which caused the Hyotei captain's forehead to crease. How could he keep a straight face? He smirked at what he saw in his Insight – especially finding out that his rivalry with another captain has intensified even further.
Kobayagi's in complete denial while Kurenai is not sure how to react, Atobe released himself from his Insight. He took a look at his cellphone, opening a photo he received from one of his fan girls which showed Marui and Ayane walking together in the mall. He remembered yelling at the said vice captain after she had come from the super market with a grocery bag full of things. A smirk graced his lips as he turned to Marui who began joking around with Niou.
Kobayagi would never lower her standards just like that, Atobe chuckled darkly to himself. Ore-sama will make her see that the red head isn't even worth her time.
"It's about Kobayagi Ayane-san," a small reply came from one side which caused Atobe to snap his head towards his ever faithful friend.
Atobe ran his fingers through his hair while smiling wryly to Kabaji. "Arn, why should ore-sama waste his time thinking about that insane banshee?"
"Kabaji has a point, Atobe," Oshitari folded his arms at Atobe. "You've been glaring holes into Marui ever since he first stepped into Hyotei. You missed out on your insane laughing match with Sanada which you two usually have when you two cross each other on the court and you're talking vague. In shallowness, there is depth."
Jirou jumped up; awake while staring intently at his captain. "Huh – well, Marui-san is the greatest after all!"
Atobe once wondered why Sanada Momo always brought a huge bag full of coffee buns and vegetable treats only to find out later that she used it to make the smallest regular shut up. Somehow, her idea didn't seem bad but the thought and method caused him to let out a sigh. Oshitari read through him in one go although, the king had already expected this. However, Kabaji's soft reply pounded itself in his ears. He shoved his hands into his pocket while easing himself on the bench.
"Just concentrate on the match, Oshitari," Atobe averted his gaze from the kansai prodigy but didn't even bother telling off Kabaji.
The kansai prodigy continued to prod. "So, it's safe to assume that we can lose our matches if we want?"
"Of course not," Atobe snapped moodily while letting out a small huff. "Ore-sama would shoot you there and then if you fooled around with these matches."
A pride issue definitely, Oshitari smirked while glancing at Atobe's eyes. Atobe, the others may be blind but I know what this is for.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
"Game, Inuzuka: four games to three!"
Momo slowed her breathing before glancing back at Rikkai Dai's Wild Dog, holding out her stance as best as she could. However, the wolf stared back at her with an animalistic grin which caused many of the spectators to shiver. The Shinigami stood erect once again as she picked up the ball lying on her side of the court while checking all the places around them. Skid marks and some of the shots made heavy impressions on the court as the lines on the baseline were heavily scratched in.
"Dainimakume," Momo pulled her racquet out as if unsheathing her sword. "Mikazuki no Nakete..." [Second Act, Cry of the Crescent Moon]
Miaka licked her lips while playing with her bell choker, letting a smile form slowly. "That's a pretty old technique. With a sword, that technique was created to turn a shield useless and shred an opponent into pieces. How do you plan to do that with me?"
"I will show you," Momo changed her stance into a kendo stance. "This technique will show you the difference between you and I."
Miaka let out a wolf whistle while lowering her stance. "Bring it on, hypocrite."
As she tossed it into the air, Momo narrowed her eyes at Miaka's joints. She watched them move and twitch at whatever direction the ball may go as she fired it straight at the Wild Dog. Miaka leapt towards it but as she reached the ball, the shot curved up and created a wind blade that threw her off balance. As the Wild Dog could only lob the ball limply, Momo closed in on her with her eyes looking cold and dark.
"Uncontainable like water," Momo cracked the ball off her racquet. "Sui!"
"Fifteen – love," Miaka stumbled slightly as Momo landed gracefully in front of her.
Miaka scoffed as she stood up while recovering from her fall. "That was stupid; it was just a curve serve... so?"
"Like always, you are a fool," Momo turned away as Miaka walked towards the baseline.
However, as the Wild Dog reached the baseline – her whole body started trembling with sweat pouring down her face. Miaka roughly wiped her face before looking at her hand and then glaring hard into Sanada Momo. The Shinigami despite the dark glare didn't bat an eyelash as she bounced the ball again and again.
"Do you hear it," Momo whispered fiercely while staring hard into Miaka's blue wolf-like eyes. "Do you hear your body crying in fear?"
Rin gulped before turning to Haruka and clinging onto her. "I don't wanna watch anymore."
Kiyone jumped up and down with a childish grin. "Yay, go purple -senpai – beat her black and blue!"
Hitomi sucked on her finger before putting it into the air. "The wind seems to be lifting her today..."
"Mikazuki no Nakete," Mai repeated the name while recalling the ball's path. "With a whip like motion, Momo creates a strong spin which causes the ball to snap back at the opponent. Using the impact, Momo shocks the opponent thus reducing their concentration."
Isane stared in awe at Mai. "How did you see that? That was something even we haven't seen!"
"With the second act in motion, fear builds," Mai folded her arms with a small smirk. "Anxiety takes over as it reduces one to no more."
Shizuru said nothing but took note of the senior's technique. She took a look at Miaka whose face contorted in anger and ferocity while letting out a slight shudder. Many people had once cleared out of the way when they entered but not out of fear; more out of respect. When Rikkai Dai sauntered in, the world stared at them as if they could freeze them in their tracks. The wind let out a wild lash at the opponent as she glanced at Momo who held her racquet in front of her like a blade. The Shinigami positioned her racquet right in front of her as she lowered her stance while preparing for retaliation. Miaka on the other hand threw her racquet up into the air and held it backwards with a bestial smile on her face. Momo tossed the ball up for a serve with the same lash but as the Shinigami prepared for another shot; Miaka smirked as the ball slid past her as slight shock splayed itself on Momo's face.
Hitomi glanced at her notes before checking Miaka's stance. "Miaka was not feared for her wolf-like ferocity... people did not take that into consideration."
Mai folded her arms while cringing a bit. "A wolf has the choice how to take down her prey... as of now... Momo-senpai is now the hunted."
"Fifteen – all," Miaka grinned with her wolf fangs showing to everyone.
"Why does everyone think she scary," Kiyone tugged Shizuru's jacket while tilting her head to the side innocently. "She looks so cute."
Ayane stared at the smaller girl incredulously. "Are you out of your mind? She has fangs!"
"Unlike Aragaki-san's, those are real," Hitomi closed her notebook before taking another swig of her concoction. "I knew I should have given Momo the Carrot Booster 7.0."
The team turned around to see the radioactive orange liquid which started glowing and emitting some opaque orange bubbles. Haruka held in her barf while Rin yelped before knocking down Isane who covered her mouth immediately. Shizuru twitched slightly while Mai chuckled nervously however, Kiyone stared amused and interested in the colour while Ayane gaped, completely horrified.
"What is that," Ayane pointed at it, inching away from the mug. "That thing looks like it can make someone into the Thing!"
Rin waved her arms in the air before letting out a slight yelp. "Hitomi, I think you need that more. You're the one with the glasses, kuwee~!"
"I've already done my share," Hitomi smiled evilly at them. "I had one whole blender this morning."
Haruka withheld her puke before turning away from the mug. "It's a wonder how you never got diarrhea despite everything you've been drinking."
Or a damaged liver, Momo cringed slightly at the thought of the orange liquid as she returned the shot. The Shinigami didn't sprint for a moment until Miaka fired a shot deep down the line which allowed Momo to nullify the strength and drop it over. However in a quick slashing motion, Miaka jumped into the air while sending the ball flying towards the female Sanada's body which forced Momo to sprint out of the way as it cracked a hole through the hedges.
"Fifteen – thirty," Momo glared at Miaka who simply smirked.
"I will break that sword of yours," Miaka grinned evilly before walking away. "That's why the era of the Samurai ended with a failure. The assassins were stealthy and were companions with the shadows. Just like how we Inuzuka were companions to the dogs. You Sanada were slaves to the military!"
Momo stood up silently as she prepared for another shot. Miaka swung left and right as she tossed the racquet in her left hand before letting out a wily grin. Tossing it into the air, the Shinigami fired a fast serve which Miaka countered with a flashing strike which forced Momo to drive it down with a volley. Miaka jumped in the air as Momo started searching around for her blind spot. Miaka dashed to one side with her back turned as Momo let out a small smirk.
"Never turn your back against your opponent," Momo fired the shot right behind the girl but was shocked when Miaka threw her racquet into the other hand in reverse motion.
"Fifteen – Forty, triple break," the arbiter and everyone stared in shock (sans Momo) that Miaka easily twisted her body to take a point.
The Wild Dog grinned at her while pointing her racquet at her. "You're the one who should know. Never assume too soon, Sanada."
Hitomi glanced at Miaka before explaining to her teammates. "Inuzuka Miaka is the only one of the Rikkai Dai girls who can play with both hands in reverse motion while combining fast strikes like a wolf. Unlike many players who prefer playing with their opponent, Inuzuka takes them out swiftly; striking down on every weak and blind spot they have."
"Chances of winning," Haruka glanced worriedly at Momo who heavily inhaled as she recovered slightly from attack.
Hitomi closed her notebook with a sad sigh. "They're dwindling into single digits now..."
Everyone stared in horror as Momo had sweat pouring down her face while Miaka smirked at her.
"Tired already?" Miaka scoffed before turning away from the Shinigami until her body started shivering. What the world-?
"There's a reason why humans are above dogs," Momo managed to keep stable on her feet. "They are too stupid to notice some other things especially if they seep in slowly."
Miaka felt her body tremble as she dragged it back to the baseline. "What the hell did you do?"
"It was something I wasn't particularly banking on," Momo admitted darkly before glancing back at Miaka. "This is something I've noticed with speed players. They can handle fast shots that shock their opponents into staying still. However, in terms of strength – they are vulnerable. The impact created from the wind caused your body to suffer a certain shock. The more it piles up, the heavier the trauma it does to the body thus the brain cannot coordinate properly. This is the Mikazuki no Nakete."
Miaka growled while Momo took her place back at the baseline. "You can't tie me down forever!"
"This is the difference between you and I," Momo got ready to serve. "You are a stray dog; a beast that does nothing but scavenge and search for food without any meaning. You are like the stag that admired his antlers and hated his legs. The lion in the end took his life for he was too busy admiring his antlers which were the things that caused his doom."
Miaka hissed angrily before placing herself on all fours. "I'll show you... I'll make my sword touch you...! Definitely, I will break your resolve!"
"I'd like to see you try," Momo stonily glared back at Miaka. "The law of humans being above dogs... is a universal law that nobody can change."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
"Game, Hiyoshi: two games to four!"
The Enbu ace found himself heavily breathing whereas Kirihara had himself completely frustrated. The green eyed ace of Rikkai Dai gripped his racquet tightly as his sclera started turning bloodshot. With a maniacal lick, Kirihara grinned evilly at Hiyoshi before pointing his racquet at him.
"What's the matter, Piyoshi," Kirihara grinned before spinning his racquet around. "Ya givin' up already!"
Hiyoshi grunted in response while turning to face the maniacal green eyed Rikkai Dai ace. "Gekokujo... I will make sure I do that to you before I gekokujo my captain."
"Bring it punk," Kirihara taunted while changing his stance.
Atobe glanced at the score before turning back to Hiyoshi. Kirihara, despite being a bit slow, demolished Hiyoshi easily in the first four games but the Hyotei ace recovered after revealing his Enbu tennis. However, Kirihara fired the shots all over the place while forcing Hiyoshi to run all over the place.
"Piyoshi's dead in a deadlock match like that," Gakuto folded his arms with a snort. "That Kirihara's got him all over the place!"
Atobe glanced at Shishido who started making strategies with Ohtori whereas Oshitari stood next to him with a raised eyebrow.
"Don't you have anything better to do," Atobe leaned against his arms while watching the ball fly back and forth.
Oshitari chuckled before letting out a drawl. "Other than irritate you, no I don't. Then again, if I'm playing Sanada – well, you said so anyway. How about Gakuto?"
"He'll play with Kabaji," Atobe quickly replied while having Oshitari shrug.
"Marui's a doubles player," Oshitari leaned against the rail while taking note of the positions. "The one you'll have to worry about is Jackal. He's Marui's cover. If he's down then, he would have a blind spot. The thing is that..."
Atobe scoffed with his usual holier-than-thou tone. "Ore-sama knows he's the one with the longest stamina in that team."
"Gakuto's not going to last with you," Oshitari pointed out another thing. "His stamina is completely shot compared to Jackal's. It's you who has to contend with Jackal, not him. Marui's like Gakuto; they have no stamina whatsoever. Besides, you once said that doubles players are not worth being your rival yet here you are challenging Marui. It's really about that incident in the park isn't it? When he gave her that Rikkai Dai jacket to borrow while they were playing 'pop-the-other-person's-bubble' war, that's what you're miffed about isn't it?"
Unknowingly, Atobe rose up to the bait. "Who told you that?"
"I knew it," Oshitari smirked while Atobe muttered a string of curses under his breath. "Well, you have to answer one question: what does Marui have that you don't?"
Atobe snorted while turning away. "Ore-sama is everything that Marui's not."
"Yet you don't have the," –he quoted Atobe while earning a glare from the king. "Insane Banshee's attention. Marui must have something that you don't."
Atobe folded his arms with a disgusted scoff. "It's easy to buy her bubblegum."
"Atobe, that's where your problem lies," Oshitari shook his head with a sigh. "You think you can easily buy her off but Marui did no such thing. He just offered something and she accepted it. She was even laughing with him if I heard right."
Atobe's glare would have turned Oshitari into a cork board by then. "Where did you hear that?"
"The walls have ears," Oshitari shrugged nonchalantly. "Then again, this whole bet you have with Kobayagi-chan's circulated around the entire school."
Jirou jumped towards Atobe with a puzzled face. "But, Marui-kun can also play Singles! He's the tensai after all."
"Ore-sama would consider Niou the more dangerous one," Atobe checked the benches. "He's not called the Trickster for nothing."
On the other side, Marui swung his legs casually while Niou started tossing a coin into the air. "Hey Niou, you're doing Doubles One right?"
"To take down Ohtori and Shishido," Niou gave him a smirk. "I get to hand in that dash specialist's ass today."
Marui chuckled lightly. "I guess this is also for Isane?"
"Well," Niou thought it through for a moment. "Then again, it's fun beating the heck out of Shishido."
"Again, it's based off Isane," Marui grinned cheekily. "Man, you really have something for her."
Niou shrugged nonchalantly before glancing back at the court as Hiyoshi snatched another point from Kirihara.
"Game, Hiyoshi: four games all!"
"By the way," Niou raised an eyebrow. "Did fukubuchou grant your request?"
Marui shook his head sadly. "He said he'll do it if I want to die or something."
"In other words, no," Niou chuckled darkly. "So you're doubles two?"
Marui slumped deeper into his chair before letting out a snort. "I guess so. We're handling Oshitari-Gakuto most likely; to think I wanted to beat Atobe at his own game. "
Niou raised an eyebrow. "You can't even beat the brat at Singles and you're challenging Atobe? Is this a battle for the girl?"
"How did you," Marui clamped his mouth shut when he realized that Niou now had a mischievous smirk on his face. "That's not the point! A tensai does not include ridiculous things like that!"
Niou shrugged as he folded his arms. "That explains why you've been playing Singles against the brat and Jackal lately. Your stamina's screwed up, fatty. Atobe's gonna steam roll you."
Marui opened his mouth for a retort only to find out later that Niou had a point. "Well, at least you don't have a problem!"
"Shishido's a doubles player," Niou noted while looking at the other side. "It's the big boy we have to seal off. He hits harder than the moron over there."
Marui shrugged while glancing at Niou. "Don't you have Yagyuu to help you for that?"
Yagyuu glanced at the tall sophomore and at the capped senior while trying to decipher their body language. "Shishido-kun isn't exactly small fry either."
"He's always been the playmaker," Marui blew up another bubble. "The Ohtori kid can't think on his own."
Yagyuu pointed out before pulling out his own racquet. "Don't be so sure, they are known to be unbeatable because he can act independently regardless of what happens to Shishido-kun."
"Well, he used to be a former Singles player until Tachibana floored him," Niou recalled looking at the newspaper. "Shishido although has all his weaknesses covered with Ohtori around."
Yanagi pulled out his notebook while showing a lane of stats to the Platinum Pair, Marui and Jackal. "They have never lost a match and Sadaharu already tested the theory of Ohtori being independent on Shishido. It doesn't work that way; Ohtori knows to let Shishido be rather than giving up the point to help him."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
"Game, Sanada: five games all!"
Momo took a timeout as she started downing a whole bottle of water. "It took both acts to corner her. Inuzuka's only something after being fuelled by her hatred."
"Well," Haruka handed her a towel while taking a seat. "We don't exactly get the scenario. Why does she still carry this ancient grudge anyway? Did you do anything to her?"
Momo leaned against her elbows while looking at the other side. "Inuzuka was already missing a screw but never this bad. The Inuzuka have been bound by this ancient oath to forever serve the Sanada family. The two leaders even drank the sake for that as the Inuzuka leader swore his loyalty to the Sanada family."
"Any way to break it," Ayane raised an eyebrow at Momo.
The Shinigami thought everything through only to shake her head. "I read all the Samurai scrolls and nothing. There's no breakage in the contract. No matter what happens when a breach happens, the Inuzuka family is the one who deals with them. The Sanada never had that problem."
Hitomi pulled out her palm pilot and began typing on it. "Your family may not have the documents but maybe the museums have it."
"The one in Genichirou's house is the genuine thing," Momo bitterly shook her head. "It's impossible to find any other contract."
Kiyone pursed her lips as she folded her arms. "Stupid ancient people, they don't make copies of it!"
Momo stared at the small girl incredulously. "Kiyone, there were no photocopying machines there back in the Edo era."
Kiyone stuck her tongue out while placing her hands on her hips. "They're stupid people."
Hitomi read through the scrolls while letting out a small sigh. "The Sanada kept the originals. That means Momo can't break the contract unless there's some fine print we don't know of."
The Shinigami leaned against her palms while glancing at the court while turning to her teammates. Haruka's face etched itself with worry as she shook her head.
"Haruka, I intend to bring her down regardless to what others think," Momo stood up while turning to Isane and the others. "I never expected to go this far but I have to end the match here and now. I will not bring this game to seven."
Isane drew back a bit. "You're going to force a forfeit?"
"That's why I created the third act," Momo narrowed her eyes at Miaka who licked her lips in a battle-hungry fashion. "As long as there are rule breakers like her, this game would never mean anything."
Hitomi glanced at Momo who gave her a cold glare. "Momo, do you remember who beat your third act?"
"Yeah," Momo smirked before turning to her captain. "You're the only one who survived it – not once but thrice."
Everyone dropped their jaws at the thought before turning to Shizuru who continued having a faint smile.
"Your resolve has sharpened into a blade, Shizuru. That's good," Momo pointed her racquet at her before turning away. "But that doesn't mean you have shattered mine when you destroyed the third act. Continue growing strong; that's all there is to it."
Shizuru nodded lightly at Momo's words. "Do not disregard your own advice, senpai."
With a slight smirk, Momo walked back to the court with Miaka with an evil grin. She lowered her stance while watching the Wild Dog carefully however, her expression shifted slightly when Miaka placed her hands on the ground.
"That's like," Isane gulped while shivering slightly. "That's like Yuugetsu Chuu's Sunamyou Shina!"
Unfortunately for her, Miaka heard her from where she stood. "Oh – so there's a perpetrator now? Well guess what, we Inuzuka learned from the wolves themselves!"
Momo placed her racquet in front of her like a blade as she tossed the ball in the air for a serve. Miaka saw it soar in the air as Momo brought it down with a sword-like motion causing it to create sudden whiplash into the court. Miaka slammed it back as Momo backhanded the shot back towards her. With a flip, Miaka created a heavy spin that started punching a hole through Momo's racquet until the female Sanada swung it back with equal force.
"Miaka's really out to kill her," Isane whimpered a bit. "I mean – look at her eyes!"
Rin gulped after using whatever Insight she had. "Inuzuka plans to turn her into a piece of scarred tissue!"
Momo found the shot spiralling towards her as she narrowed her eyes.
"Daisanmakume," Momo glared as she sliced the ball hard. "Raijin no Tenken." [Third Act, Thunder God's Divine Punishment]
The ball screamed across the net and dug a hole into the court, cracking off in a different angle than where the Wild Dog stood. Miaka stared in horror as the ball zoomed past her face and into the little tunnel. Standing up properly once again, Momo smirked while giving her a dark glare.
"I acknowledge you for your strength," Momo turned away from Miaka who stood there, frozen into the ground. "But your intelligence leaves much to be desired."
Instead of fear, Miaka's face contorted into anger as she let out a wolf howl. Momo raised an eyebrow as the other female bared her fangs at her. Momo, though slightly taken aback, only showed a slight twitch in her lips and eyes.
"I'll tear you apart," Miaka's eyes turned dark and bloody as she gripped her racquet tight enough to have blood oozing out from her palm. "I'll make sure not even they will recognize your body when I'm done with you! Nobody – after you, I'll crush your entire team! You will watch them suffer for your arrogance!"
Momo clucked her tongue while a slight smirk showed on her face. "A wolf may be stronger than man; man however has more brains than a mutt."
Miaka hissed as she suddenly felt her whole body collapsed. "What in the world-?"
"It's about time," Momo had a ghost of a smile form at her lips. "The Second Act has now taken its toll and now the Third shall drop the curtains..."
Hitomi glanced at Momo and then at the notebook. "Wolves are known to be more ferocious when they are backed into a corner but it seems that this one has lost her fangs."
Miaka growled only to be stopped by the Third Act once again. Momo continued on the attack with the Oto streaming past Miaka, causing the Rikkai Dai girl to let out a small yelp. With a cold glare, Momo found the ball coming at her easily as she glanced at where to shoot.
"I will only use this technique once," Momo charged down the ball. "Strike like lightning, Rai!"
The ball cracked off in a ninety degree angle and combining her technique with the Mikazuki no Nakete, Momo blasted down Miaka to her knees.
"You're too early to think that you can beat me," Momo glared as Miaka fumbled every time she tried to stand. "It's game over for you."
"Game and match by," the arbiter started until he heard a clang from the court, seeing that Miaka had slammed her racquet on the floor.
"No," Miaka let out a bloody hiss. "I won't let it end this way! You think you can beat me down just because you're a Sanada? Think again!"
Momo calmly took her position again while slightly wincing at the claws Miaka revealed in her hands.
"Unlike you," Miaka revealed a wolfish smile. "We were born already with animal genes inside us. And like wolves, we will tear you down – regardless!"
Momo fired the service again, rattling Miaka further. However, the Rikkai Dai girl charged towards the ball and gave one hard drive volley which forced the Shinigami to retaliate with the Aoba. Miaka twisted her body into the air and using her weight, struck the ball as it zoomed past the net. Momo stood her ground and sent a deep forehand which Miaka easily took down.
"Why did you choose Miaka for this," one of the Rikkai Dai regulars, Sarah Jaëger turned to Yukimura Ai. "You know how her violence gets the best of her."
Ai glanced at the court with a cheerful grin. "That's because – Miaka has always held that position."
"I thought I was Singles Three," Sarah raised an eyebrow. "Before you came, Miaka-chan always held that position for one reason: to take down Sanada. You're not ready to face Sanada Momo. Even on her worst days, she'll definitely clobber you."
Sarah took a seat with XiaoLi and Tora as they started discussing their own plans for Doubles One. She turned to the left side to see Hyotei's Doubles One pair to be a freshman pair, wondering how those two managed to survive the competition. Sarah leaned against the bench as she turned to her own teammates and then at the data girl.
"What are the chances," Sarah raised an eyebrow at the girl. "Any good news, Kira?"
Amane Kira, looking through her notes, let out a small sigh before taking a seat. "Miaka has already lost..."
"You're lying right," Tora jumped on top of her shoulders, causing the girl to wince. "Miaka-chan's like the powerhouse of our team~!"
"Didn't think she knew words that deep," Sarah chuckled before earning a glare from the small girl.
"Miaka-chan threw away her chances as soon as she let her anger get the best of her," Ai smiled sadly. "That's the basic truth – with anger, your mind becomes clouded."
Momo smirked as she continued on Ai's trail of thought, exploding the next shot. "With anger, you make many careless mistakes. That is why – dogs are less superior to man."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
"Game and set, Kirihara: seven games to five!"
Kirihara stuck out his tongue impishly as he walked off the court with a cocky grin. "Heh, come try again after another hundred years!"
"As if you can still play, Bakaya," Niou smirked as the black haired sophomore lunged at the trickster who simply stepped aside and let him crash against the wall.
While Kirihara ended up sulking, Marui and Jackal stood up for the next match. The red haired tensai let out a groan as he glanced at their opponents. Much to his surprise, Oshitari and Gakuto didn't move but Kabaji and Atobe made their way down to the court. The whole Hyotei tennis club gaped in shock and Sanada couldn't help but widen his eyes. Niou let out a whistle while Yagyuu simply tip his glasses.
"Has Atobe lost his mind," Jackal raised an eyebrow. "He can barely play doubles. Well, according to my sources anyway..."
Marui chuckled at his doubles partner. "Would you source go by the name Hikifumi Haruka?"
Jackal stared at him for a minute as Marui flicked his nose. "How did you...?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Marui wagged his finger with a cheeky grin. "I just know these things!"
Staring quizzically at him for a moment, Jackal shook himself out of the daze as he went to the court. Atobe took the front line where he faced Marui whereas Kabaji stayed behind for the baseline. The purple haired captain glanced at Kabaji and Jackal before letting out a small smirk.
"I don't like that smirk," Jackal turned to Marui who had a really big grin before wrinkling his nose. "And I don't like that grin either!"
Marui spun his racquet around in his hand before facing the Hyotei captain. "Man, this guy's dead – Jackal!"
"Don't be so sure," Jackal shook his head while glancing at Atobe. "Atobe's pretty good; if he can take Sanada and we can't even take our fukubuchou together – imagine the level of skill."
Marui scoffed as he faced Atobe at the net with Kabaji taking the baseline in front of Jackal. The red haired self-proclaimed tensai narrowed his eyes lightly at the Hyotei captain as they faced off each other at the net before he started blowing his bubble. Jackal sighed while Kabaji emotionlessly stared back at him.
"Fukubuchou, are you okay with this," Yagyuu turned to the dark male next to him.
Niou chuckled while leaning back against the wall. "Someone must've given him dark chocolate to drive him nuts."
The Hyotei club member gulped as he declared the match. "Doubles Two will now begin: Hyotei Gakuen's Kabaji-Atobe pair versus Rikkai Dai's Marui-Jackal pair!"
"I'm surprised," Marui blew up a bubble with a grin. "You're actually gonna play doubles?"
Atobe scoffed at the red head. "Ore-sama knows that he can easily make a fool out of you. Kabaji would be handling Jackal after all."
Ohtori gulped, seeing the scenes unfold while he glanced at his senpai. "I don't even know what this is for."
Shishido sighed before throwing his hands up in the air. "Atobe's being a drama queen again..."
Oshitari glanced at the court while looking at Atobe's stance. His lips thinned out when he noted the slight shudder coming from Atobe who stood face to face with Marui. His icy blue eyes revealed the arrogance and confidence that taking down Marui would be a snap. However, the slight shudder noted other feelings as Kabaji took on the serve.
"Yuushi, are you serious," Gakuto gaped at his tensai partner. "Atobe's gonna go one-on-one with Marui?"
"This would soon turn into a Singles match as long as Atobe and Marui keep the ball between them," Oshitari explained to the magenta haired acrobat as he looked at the scoreboard. Atobe's fighting for something else, Gakuto. Something he doesn't want people to know.
Shishido raised an eyebrow at Oshitari. "So, who's playing against Sanada?"
Oshitari let out a dejected sigh. "That would be me."
Gakuto bit his nails with a complete full freak-out, staring in horror. "A-Are you serious? You know this guy can cream you, Yuushi."
"Well, I'll just put up a spectacular show I guess," the tensai shrugged nonchalantly while looking at the scenes that began to unfold. "Now... what will you do now, Atobe?"
Kabaji fired a heavy serve which Jackal promptly returned and had Atobe starting off with a volley. Marui tracked down his movements while Jackal and Kabaji were going through a baseline battle. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Atobe watched Marui's movements carefully as he waited for a lob to come. After Kabaji had blown off Jackal with a strong shot, the ball lobbed straight into the air and Atobe blasted it against Marui's wrist – forcing the sugar loving tensai to let go of his racquet.
"Fifteen – love," Marui gripped his wrist a bit as he glanced at Atobe who had a sneer scrawled on his face.
"You challenged ore-sama," Atobe smirked before turning away. "Ore-sama will never back down. Kobayagi... is a girl worthy of ore-sama's presence."
Marui scoffed before getting up and staring Atobe straight in the face. "If she's yours," –he slightly smirked. "Why do you still call her by her last name?"
Before Atobe could let out a snappy come back, his mind reeled back and made him realize that he had never called the mentioned fukubuchou by her first name. The only thing the Hyotei king could recall was her yelling at him for throwing a towel into her face, her nearly punching his lights out just because he asked her what her intentions were for going with Marui [although she would say that he demanded rather] and for many other things that could almost be considered petty. Ayane did everything that the bet had considered her to do and yet she still did not bend. What did Marui have that he didn't? Silently cursing Oshitari for asking that question, Atobe let out a small snort before getting ready again.
"I knew it," Marui had a victorious smirk on his face. "She hates your guts!"
Atobe rolled his eyes, as if that were not a known fact. "Ore-sama is anything but stupid, Marui."
"I'm not saying you're stupid," Marui chuckled, seeing that he had riled up Atobe. "Something Niou told me before: to get the queen, take out the king."
Atobe chuckled darkly at the tensai's words, for once he found himself inexplicitly excited as he faced him again. "You're none of the above, Marui. A pawn cannot take out the king unless they have support. They can only move one space after all."
From the bleachers, Gakuto turned to Oshitari. "Hey, who do you think will win?"
Jirou glanced left and right, jumping up and down excitedly. "I don't know who to vote for – they're both so cool!"
Hiyoshi snorted while taking a seat while Ohtori warily watched the match unfold. Shishido sighed before leaning against the fence and staring at the match. Atobe had started volleying towards Marui, making Jackal and Kabaji completely useless. The volleys swapped back and forth which had Marui not chewing on his gum and Atobe actually showing hints of annoyance on his face.
"If Kobayagi saw this," Gakuto snickered to his capped classmate. "She'd beat him black and blue."
Shishido shook his head at the magenta haired acrobat. "That's an understatement; she'll personally castrate him. She's got fighters and body builders for brothers."
"She also has sisters, right," Gakuto raised an eyebrow at Shishido who shrugged.
"How should I know? I'm not that close to her," Shishido shoved his hands into his pocket. "Besides, with the way she is – it's highly unlikely she's got any. Her brothers probably tell her how to knock out teeth from all those she doesn't like."
Oshitari sighed at what his teammates were talking about. This is battle for the egos and for the girl... if Kobayagi were here, they'd both be on the ground begging for her mercy.
"She's the crazy one right," Gakuto turned to the tensai with a raised eyebrow. "She's the one who violently kicks and snaps at Atobe right?"
"Well, you can say that," Oshitari snickered at Gakuto's choice of words. If Kobayagi is deemed crazy, I wonder how they would think of Momo and Shizuru when they're angry. Momo doesn't show it; she does it. Shizuru doesn't visibly show anger either. Come to think of it, Kobayagi makes up for the both of them in terms of expression.
Hiyoshi scoffed while leaning against the fence. "If you think she's crazy, what about the black dragon?"
Gakuto scowled at the Enbu ace while folding his arms in. "Hmph, what about her?"
"Kajimoto's not too bad despite him not being what we call National's Calibre," Oshitari remarked off handedly. "Then again, you were never the brightest crayon in the box, Gakuto."
The magenta haired acrobat gaped at his doubles partner. "Oh come on – what makes you think she'll like a sucker like him? He's way below her league!"
"Au contraire," Oshitari noted as he pulled out a magazine, revealing Kajimoto on the cover. "They have the same interest – now, isn't that a good starting point?"
Gakuto snorted while taking a seat with a pout. "Geez, you make it sound like she's gonna fall for him!"
She will if you remain an idiot, Oshitari face palmed. Gakuto and Atobe always realized things last minute well for the magenta haired acrobat; the kansai prodigy soon began to wonder how Gakuto managed to stay in the regulars. Atobe on the other hand did things openly but in each every way always earned a yelling from the vice captain or a knuckle sandwich aimed at his face. To this, the kansai prodigy let out a slight laugh as Marui took the next point with the Tsunawatari.
"Game, Marui-Jackal: one game to love!"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
"Game and match, Sanada: seven games to five!"
Miaka slammed her fist into the ground while Momo stood as she took in a breather. Both players stared at each other with cold unfeeling eyes as they sauntered back to their teams. Momo slumped down on the chair before shaking away the daze and checking her racquet strings.
"You definitely need new ones," Hitomi checked the condition as she pat it against her palm. "Any longer than what you played would've had turned your racquet inside out."
Momo let out a sigh before turning to Shizuru. "I hope I didn't do anything that would jeopardize the team."
"No, not at all," Shizuru glanced at the scoreboard. "She nearly had you though. You made a few mistakes: one would be that you shouldn't have held back the Anti-FuuRinKaZan. It was only out of Inuzuka's anger that you managed to find an opening."
Momo chuckled darkly before leaning against the bench. "That's true. She gave me a good run for my money."
Haruka and Rin glanced at the board before looking at each other. The black haired acrobat grinned as Haruka tossed her racquet in the air and caught it by the handle.
Tora jumped up and down while hanging onto XiaoLi. "Wow, we're going against the Twin Dragon Pair?"
"Well, we are Rikkai Dai's Tigers after all," XiaoLi smiled sheepishly while turning to Haruka. "I suppose you're ready?"
"Ready to win? Of course," Haruka smirked before spinning the racquet. "It's what we Dragons do best."
Rin gave her thumbs up. "Yeah, we're gonna beat you – no sweat!"
"Doubles Two will now begin: Hyotei Gakuen's Hikifumi-Shimohi pair versus Rikkai Dai's Hachishika-Yumika pair! Game start, Hikifumi to serve!"
Shizuru on the other hand glanced at Ayane and Kiyone before watching the match. "This match will not be like those matches that you've had with Jyosei Shounan or St. Rudolph. Today, we're fighting the big guns. Also, don't forget to..."
"Use full potential," Ayane grinned as she cracked her knuckles. "We got... ah-choo...!"
Kiyone tilted her head innocently on the side. "Do you think mole-diva-san is talking about you?"
The vice captain let out a snort as she embraced herself. "Che, as if – he's probably too busy thinking about himself and everything that comes out of his mouth is about him."
"He's changed lately, Atobe Keigo," Mai remarked lightly while watching the match. "He doesn't bug you as much, seeing that you don't harp about him anymore. You rarely spout off, Kiyone doesn't scream about you choking her to death anymore," –earning a glare from the vice captain. "We all have eyes, Ayane. To think I thought Shizuru was too focused."
Ayane grabbed Mai by the collar with a deadly hiss, blushing almost completely. "Mai-senpai, shut up!"
"If you weren't so disturbed," Mai had a huge evil grin on her face. "Why is it you want to choke me to death now, hmmm?"
Ayane let go of Mai before taking a seat with an indignant huff. "Hmph, you're mean."
"I'm merely stating the obvious," Mai shrugged while leaning back once again. "You've been edgy about him lately."
Ayane fumed as she got up while narrowing her eyes at the tensai. "Hey, what about your Ms. Universe-lookalike!"
"So, what about Yukimura-kun," Mai raised an eyebrow.
Momo shook her head and flicked Ayane's temple while Mai received a stern glare. "Hey, quit it you two. The match already started with you two bickering."
Haruka started off with a fast forehand which XiaoLi quickly reacted to with a wide cheeky grin. Rin volleyed it over as XiaoLi chased the ball down and started taking it out on Haruka. The two quickly started moving with a dragon's flexibility as they started returning the shots with awkward spins. XiaoLi pursed her lips as she volleyed it back while Tora set up for a poach. Haruka leapt behind Rin as the black dragon smashed it straight in between them.
"Fifteen – love," the whole crowd stared in awe.
"Hikifumi and Shimohi have improved lately," Sakaki noted after watching the whole match between Miaka and Momo, along with the doubles pair exchange. "Kurenai, I expect that you don't lose this match-up. After all, you and your team are one of the more aspiring ones in Hyotei."
"Hai, kantoku," Shizuru nodded stiffly. "But, aren't you going to help Atobe-senpai and the others as well?"
"Atobe can handle them just fine," Sakaki glanced at the brunette as she continued focusing on the match. "The Goodwill Games are coming up and they're not only bringing in a boys' team."
Ayane happened to overhear as she leaned on Shizuru's shoulders, causing the said captain to nearly fall off the bench. "So, we're going to fight foreigner girls too?"
Hitomi glanced at the charts she had written down. "Our goodwill games won't be just between us and America anymore."
"Usually that's what they do right," Isane looked over as Hitomi revealed countries that have been crossed out and some that have not. "Wait... we're going against Argentina too?"
Hitomi shrugged while looking through the list. "I've been hack – I mean, checking the list from the tennis organization and nothing's official yet."
"Thirty – love," Haruka slashed the ball, causing it to spin awkwardly and bounce in a linear direction.
Rin jumped high into the air before smashing the ball once more. Tora on the other hand, corkscrewed up to return the next shot – causing Rin to dodge and twist her body in mid-air. Haruka shook herself out of the daze as she backhanded the ball towards XiaoLi. The half-Chinese regular quickly retaliated with a drive volley which Rin managed to get in time.
"The hell with that girl she's a contortionist," Miaka spat as she shoved a lollipop into her mouth. "Where in the world did she get that kind of body?"
Ai sighed before looking how Rin could spring back from almost any position. "Well, she did go to China before with Haruka. They had Wu Shu lessons there and that requires heavy training. Sure she's flexible but Amakusa-san will definitely leave her behind."
"If there's one thing Shimohi doesn't have," Kira wrote down as she examined Shimohi, who stared sweating buckets. "She may have increased her stamina by five percent but it's still not enough to contend with Tora and XiaoLi."
Miaka scoffed before taking out her lollipop. "Damn it, will they quit playing around? I wanna see the two big guns play!"
Ai laughed softly while letting a serene face grace her lips. "Don't worry Miaka, this is only an assessment round. After all, Rikkai Dai has an unspoken law about these things..."
Glancing on the side, Isane looked at the scoreboard before looking at Rikkai Dai again. "I wonder... who's going to play for Singles Two if Miaka then took Singles Three?"
"There's a 98.79 percent chance that it would be Sarah Jaëger," Hitomi looked down on her notes as she showed them Rikkai Dai's possible line-ups. "Yukimura will definitely not leave her spot. She knows Shizuru's dangerous for their ambitions."
Shizuru twitched albeit slightly. "You make me sound like a monster when you do that."
"Yukimura's a monster on the court," Hitomi took a seat next to Shizuru. "She may not be able to measure up to her brother exactly but she's almost there. She may not be able to give people jitters but she can definitely confuse you, regardless. It runs in the family; even Yukimura Seiichi does that to his opponents."
"Game, Hikifumi-Shimohi pair: one game to love!"
Haruka and Rin gave each other a high five as they faced off with the Tiger Pair. The Black Dragon glanced at Tora who started exchanging plans with XiaoLi, trying to read through their body language. Nodding slightly, the Pearl Dragon placed her hand on the Black Dragon's shoulder while giving her an assuring smile.
"They're going for the Tiger Raid formation," Haruka stepped past Rin. "Time to pull out our other formation."
As XiaoLi lowered her stance by the net, Rin moved a little far back while Haruka stayed a little nearer to the net. Tora, narrowing her eyes, tossed the ball into the air as she fired it forward. Haruka slammed it towards XiaoLi who forcibly lobbed the ball into the air towards Rin. The Black Dragon jumped high into the air and with a slight twist with her body, she fired the ball forward.
"Dragon Style," Rin grinned cheekily. "Wind Dragon Cannon!"
The ball spun with so much force that there was slight wind building around it. Tora jumped forward to return it as her racquet started vibrating the moment it made contact.
"Tora-chan," XiaoLi jumped back to help her repel the shot with her own racquet. "Wow, she hits hard!"
Tora winced at her wrist and elbow. "It's the spin that makes it strong and also her own body weight! XiaoLi, go high!"
Letting out a dejected sight, XiaoLi forcibly lobbed it again and this time Haruka appeared up in the air as she let out the Third Part of the Legend.
"Dragon's Howl," Haruka caused the ball to spin around, somewhat similar to the Tornado Snake before making it stick to the ground and spin hard.
Tora scooped it up but only had it hit the net.
"Love – fifteen," XiaoLi whimpered at her sore wrist while Tora cringed at the red spot on the freshman's wrist.
"You'll need liniment* for that," Tora gently traced her fingers on XiaoLi's wrist. "Don't try to return it anymore. That whole thing was a set-up."
Rin guiltily hung her head. "Haru, did I hit too hard?"
"Well, Mai managed to return your attack with the Adonisu Otoshi," Haruka turned back to her captain who simply stiffly nodded. "I think it's more them than us. Because - Kiyone managed to return that shot too, right?"
"No," Rin stared at her aghast before waving her arms in the air. "She tumbled backwards!"
Haruka face palmed before looking at XiaoLi and Tora; she went over while handing them a can of liniment. "Here, this should stop it from swelling..."
Tora gratefully took it as she sprayed XiaoLi's wrist. "You're not as bad as the seniors last year. Remember what Kotetsu told you guys to do?"
"She turned the match into a bloodbath," Haruka chuckled lightly. "She was not really... uh..."
"Sane? Ethical? Completely missing a screw," Tora laughed a little at Haruka's attempt to be nice. "She's not your captain anymore, why be nice?"
Haruka slightly snickered before turning away. "Well, she still did bring Hyotei to the Nationals."
"That's true but at the cost of your current captain's sanity? I don't think that's worth respecting," Tora tossed the can back to Haruka. "I mean – I'm surprised you guys are still alive."
Haruka laughed softly before resuming her position at the middle of the court. "Well, we're not that easy to destroy after all."
The match resumed as Tora started off with a fast serve which Rin easily leapt after. XiaoLi then fired the shot right towards Haruka who then sliced it under, causing it to create an under spin. Tora bent low for the next shot only to see Rin in the air again as she went for the Wind Dragon Cannon.
"Love – thirty," Tora clucked her tongue as she found the marks from the Wind Dragon Cannon.
XiaoLi gulped while turning to Tora. "What are we going to do? They keep forcing us to lob!"
"Make it fast," Tora watched Haruka give Rin a new set of instructions. "If they're not fast enough for our shots, we can seal off the Wind Dragon Cannon."
XiaoLi nodded slowly before gulping. "What about the other thing? The... Dragon Tail thing and the Retaliation?"
"Hikifumi has always been the counterpuncher type so we have to understand what shots are required to make those work," Tora tapped her foot while thinking it through. "Come to think of it, those shots never made an appearance unless one of our special techniques is used."
XiaoLi gasped while drawing back in horror. "We have to play simple? But, isn't...?"
"It isn't easy but," Tora's cat-like eyes focused on the Twin Dragon Pair. "We have no other choice..."
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\()()()()()()()00000000000000000000000()()()()()()
That's Chapter 38! Guys, I would really appreciate that you tell me whether or not I should write a one shot. Everyone's gonna have one anyway. You guys can also make special requests. It doesn't need to be the official ones like AtobeXAyane and etc. It can be like MaruiXAyane or YagyuuXIsane or something. I don't know. Thank you for all the reviews! I really appreciate it!
You're probably wondering if there will be anything else asides from tennis. Although it is a tennis fic, there will be other things. *evilly cackling* Don't worry, it won't be so hard on our dear characters.
Atobe: What are you planning to do with us, you insane author?
Me: I may be nuts but you're a peacock.
Atobe: Is it bad for ore-sama to care of how he looks?
Me: Not really unless it's in excess!
Ayane: She has a point.
Shizuru: *sigh* I might have to agree.
Oshitari: To think I thought you weren't the insulting type.
Shizuru: *rolls her eyes* I don't insult. I prefer "pointing out the facts".
Me: Anyway, guys please remind them...
Hyotei Tennis Girls: Please don't forget to review!