Me: Well, it seems to be awhile since I last posted a chapter so I'm gonna start making a chapter for Queen of the Suits! Sorry I've been taking long. I've been giving a bit of priority to my JELSA fan fiction since it's easy to make chapters since I'm making them short. Queen of the Suits has the highest average of words per chapter. I wanted to finish this one at the end of the weak but unfortunately I haven't been able to work on it. I don't own Prince of Tennis or the Tekken elements involved! I only own the OCs!

Chapter 74 – Extremes

Isane watched the aura being pulled from Shizuru. Electricity began to crackle as Jin began extracting something from her captain. Isane swallowed nervously and looked up at Lars who seemed perfectly calm. The old woman stared down at the Sniper, causing shivers to run up her spine.

"W-will she be okay," Isane stammered while fearfully looking at Jin.

"She'll be able to maintain for now," Jin said simply.

"A-ah, I see."

Isane slapped herself internally; why couldn't she stop herself from stammering? He was Shizuru's father! So, there was nothing for her to be afraid of right? The periwinkle haired girl shivered but stopped when she saw Jin gently stroking his daughter's hair. Isane exhaled sharply while feeling her heart pounding against her chest.

"Uchiha Isane."

The periwinkle haired girl snapped her head up to face Jin, standing in full attention. "Y-yes?"

Jin bowed slightly. "Thank you for watching over my daughter. She should be okay for now."

The sniper nodded weakly. "B-but what happens if she gets another attack like that again?"

Jin turned to Agatha who stepped forward with Lars. "Lars will be monitoring her with Agatha. If there is another attack, I would know as well."

Isane stared quizzically. "But how?"

Jin stood up and began walking away. "I cannot explain it to you now. That is very sensitive information that could jeopardize Shizuru's safety. For now, just watch over her and stay out of it."

If there was anything Isane hated, it was when people were cryptic with her.

The sniper looked at the fallen sophomore in her arms but she knew better than to question someone like Jin Kazama. She had seen the police reports; Itachi Uchiha had been chasing the Mishima family for years and here they were right in front of her. She could have demanded for more but the sniper could feel her throat tighten out of sheer fear and aura pressure coming from Shizuru's father.

"I-It's so terrifying," Isane shivered.

Jin surprisingly heard her from a distance. "It's a force that no one should ever have to live through and live with. Hearkess, let's go."

As Agatha walked away with Jin, Isane was left alone with Lars who slowly approached her. He looked at Shizuru carefully, smiling as she slept peacefully. Shizuru's breathing had quieted and slowed down with her limbs dangling limply. Lars gently picked her up and nodded to Isane.

"Shall we? I'm pretty sure Ayane and Kiyone are going to be looking for their captain."

Isane nodded and slowly stood up. "Y-Yeah, sure."

Lars exhaled sharply; Jin wasn't really known for public relation skills. He could see the fear and confusion flickering in Isane's emerald eyes while they continued to make their way to the bleachers. However, he wanted to understand why Jin couldn't just walk up to Shizuru and talk to her. Her mind may have repressed majority of the memories but Lars knew there was a way to gently extract the memory and make it less terrifying for the brunette.

"He was quite different than you imagined," Lars chuckled at Isane. "Wasn't he?"

Isane snapped her head towards Lars. "U-um, come again?"

"The Jin Kazama the world often sees is Jin Kazama the Megalomaniac. Jin Kazama, son of Kazuya Mishima," Lars continued explaining. "The King of Iron Fist. Many different titles..."

Isane nodded weakly. "Mm."

"...But nobody saw him as Jin Kazama as the Tragic Hero. Nor could anyone have imagined him as a father to Hyotei Gakuen's Queen of Diamonds."

"I couldn't even imagine him as someone kind," Isane admitted mildly, shaking her head. "I always saw him as a terrifying economic super power that could even bend the law with just a snap of his fingers."

Lars let out a hollow chuckle. "That is true but as terrifying as he is, Jin has a heart. The heart that only his eldest son, daughter and wife had seen."

Isane wordlessly nodded while walking along. Among all her teammates, she was the first one to encounter a Mishima face to face. She knew people from the Kazama bloodline but they were less intimidating. They were the ones teaching her brothers how to do hand-to-hand combat even though their own ancestors were ninjas long ago. However, there was one thing she couldn't understand.

"Why," Isane thought aloud.

"Hm?"

Isane swivelled her head towards Lars, realizing the commander had heard her. "Oh I was just thinking..."

"Why he only decided now to approach her," Lars rebuked.

Isane opened her mouth to deny but hung her head. "Y-yeah..."

The former commander of the Tekkenshu chuckled lightly. "It's okay; you don't need to be ashamed. But I've been asking myself the same thing. So, I can only give you a theory as to why Jin didn't approach her years ago."

Isane nodded.

"Years ago when Jin's family had been attacked, there was another catastrophe that struck. It was famously known as the Seven Rings of Fire," Lars explained.

Isane gawked in admonishment. "Th-that's when...!"

"The police and the public only know it as freak accidents in faulty linings," Lars cut her off smoothly. "However, the true story is that Heihachi Mishima had purposely sent people to tamper with the wirings and attacked 7 different places. All seven different places..."

"All had little girls at the age of three years old," Isane added.

Lars smiled. "You're a much better investigator than your older brother."

Isane shrugged humbly. "I just listen in on what he has to say."

"Anyway," Lars continued. "Jin had constantly been changing places with his family and purposely had someone adopt his eldest son in order to prevent Heihachi from finding their tracks. Agito understood what he had to do. So, he had joined L.X.A in exchange for protection for his family."

Isane nodded.

"Unfortunately, Agito's reinforcement didn't get there on time."

The rifle-specialist hung her head sadly before looking up to find out that they were in the court areas already. Lars looked up and handed an unconscious Shizuru to Isane. He glanced up to notice where Jin was standing before he stepped back into the shadows.

"If you all are determined to find the story, win the tournament."

Isane saw Lars fade into the shadows. "Win the Good Will games. Then, Jin would be obligated to answer your questions."

And just like that, Lars had vanished.

Isane held onto her captain while looking at the shadows. She glanced at her captain and then looked at the place where Jin stood to watch. How could he possibly just stand there and watch while his daughter was suffering from psychosis and amnesia? The periwinkle haired girl shook her head; some people were just too confusing for her to understand.

"Mmm..."

Isane looked down and beamed in delight. "Buchou!"

Shizuru slowly sat up, rubbing her head. "Ugh, I feel like Ayane hit me with a frying pan or something heavier..."

"Thankfully it wasn't a truck," Isane smiled cheerfully.

"Yeah that would have been a deathblow," Shizuru giggled softly before realizing that her senpai was carrying her. "Um senpai?"

"Hm?"

"You can put me down now," Shizuru laughed.

Isane, realizing that she was still carrying Shizuru, yelped and placed her captain down. "Oh, sorry!"

"It's alright," Shizuru straightened out her skirt. "But really, what happened...?"

Isane scratched the back of her head sheepishly. "Um, well..."

Before Isane could start explaining, the crowd suddenly started cheering loudly.

"BRITAIN! BRITAIN! BRITAIN!"

Shizuru and Isane exchanged glances with fear. "Ayane, Kiyone...!"

The sniper and her captain immediately ran outside and found themselves staring at a very one sided game. Ayane had one knee on the ground with Kiyone struggling to stay standing. On the other side, Azola and her partner stood proudly as if they haven't broken a sweat. Shizuru glanced at Azola who remained completely calm and swung around dismissively whereas Kiyone swung clumsily. The Hyotei captain looked at the score before realizing how badly dominated the two girls were.

"I told you: I don't like losing," Azola said cheerfully. "I have to win because Natasha said so."

Kiyone shook her head. "You always follow what Natasha says, don't you?"

Azola blinked several times. "Isn't that what a younger sister does?"

"Isn't that also what a puppy does?"

Ayane gawked at Kiyone. "Kiyone, what are you doing?"

Kiyone ignored her partner's questions. "You're just going to blindly follow what your older sister says just because you want her to appreciate you?"

The whole Hyotei team gawked in shock as Kiyone. Hitomi quickly began flipping through the pages in her notes, mumbling and staring aghast. Momo, Haruka and, Rin watched Kiyone stand against Azola without batting an eyelash. Irene, Azola's partner, immediately walked towards Azola and pulled her away.

"Don't listen to her, she's lying," Irene narrowed her eyes. "At this rate, your head's gonna be the one to fall if you keep listening to her."

"Give it up. She's never going to appreciate you."

Azola stared fearfully at the sandy blonde volleyist. "Wh-what did you say?"

Kiyone shook her head. "You know full well who I'm talking about."

Ayane gasped. "Kiyone...!"

Kiyone raised her hand to dismiss Ayane's comment. She narrowed her liquid blue eyes at Azola; there was something in her that was vulnerable. Whatever it was, it had to work. The queen of Clovers exhaled deeply while looking at Azola stare at her, completely frozen at her words. The younger player watched Kiyone stand strong despite the seemingly hopeless score. Azola looked up at the points – 3 games to 1. Irene and she could still win the game!

"You're just buying time," Azola darkly hissed.

Kiyone shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe, maybe not."

Shizuru raised an eyebrow at Hitomi. "Hitomi, what's going on out there?"

Hitomi shook her head, looking at her notes. "I... I don't know. I don't even know how Kiyone suddenly became so vindictive..."

Kiyone understood that nobody knew and she exhaled sharply. My buchou's gonna kill me for this, Kiyone mumbled inwardly to herself. She never liked psychologically bashing people. She and Ayane were known for hit-and-run and tank-and-spank respectively. But to suddenly alter her style, she saw what Natsuki had to do against Jennifer Twilight. The smaller girl sharply breathed to herself while looking at the field before her.

"She's gotten Azola in a deadlock, Natasha," Nerissa folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at the captain. "What do you intend to do now?"

Natasha didn't bat an eyelash. "Nothing."

Jennifer gawked. "Are you serious? At this rate, Azola's just going to end up crying like a baby!"

"That depends if she falls to the control."

Nerissa couldn't believe how easily and how coldly Natasha had dismissed Azola's situation. She knew there were some rifts between the two girls but she didn't expect Natasha to show that vindictiveness now. How far back did Natasha know her? Nerissa didn't know for sure but she saw the dark, foreboding glint in the British captain's eyes.

"If Azola's too traumatized to fight her," Nerissa mumbled. "It's on your head."

Jade massaged her temples in frustration, shaking her head at Natasha. "I think this is why Florence quit the team in the first place…"

Irene placed a hand on Azola's shoulder. "Don't worry, Azola. They're just doing that to mess around with you..."

Azola however slapped Irene's hand away with a snarl. "I'll get you. How dare you insult Natasha like that!"

"Great, now you made her angry," Ayane yanked her hair out while gawking at the younger girl. "Kiyone, what was that for...?"

Kiyone turned to her with an all-knowing and, cheeky grin on her face. "Gee you're really slow, Yane-Yane. I thought you'd get it by now! Grizzly lady would know it too!"

Fuuka twitched in annoyance. "Grizzly lady?"

Momo chuckled sheepishly with a light shrug. "She does that with people she likes."

Azola threw the ball in the air, serving a strong shot. Ayane prepared to lunge towards it until Kiyone stopped her. The ball zoomed straight towards them but the ball crashed right past the service boxes before loudly bouncing away. People stared in astonishment and Ayane couldn't believe what she was seeing before turning to Kiyone. However, what she saw on the face of the smaller girl was a triumphant smirk.

"Fault!"

Azola gaped before grabbing another shot, serving it strong again.

"Double Fault – 30 – all!"

Fuuka stared with widening eyes. "She didn't..."

Florence chuckled with a small smile. "My my, Kurenai. I didn't know you housed such an intelligent little girl."

Shizuru smiled proudly at the sandy blonde haired girl. "It looks like she did, Fuuka."

"Bless mah soul," Natsuki stared in amazement. "Ah didn' know she memerized that down to the last needle in the haystack…"

Azola stared at her hands with horror. Her vision began to blur while her hands trembled violently. She looked up at Kiyone who stood there and watching her every move. Kiyone's words rang loudly in her mind when she looked at Natasha. The British captain's unrelenting gaze continued to coldly stare at her and Irene while she ignored Irene's calling.

Give it up. She's never going to appreciate you.

Azola felt her eyes watering and her heart thumping too fast. She immediately got another tennis ball, ready to serve the shot. She exhaled sharply while tossing it one more time, slamming her racquet down. Kiyone smirked as it flew way out of court and nearly smacked into the bleachers where the audience stood. Ayane stared in amazement before looking at her partner.

"Kiyone," Ayane gawked. "Wh-where... how...?"

Kiyone grinned cheerfully. "It was after our fight with Seigaku."

Fuuka gawked. "She learned that fast...?"

"It is possible," Hitomi explained while writing down more data. "Kiyone's still a baby so her mind is that of a sponge..."

"She's a genius in her own right," Shizuru smiled proudly of the small girl. "After that fight from Seigaku, Kiyone knew there would be times when she would have to stand alone."

On the other hand, Irene stormed towards Azola and grabbed her wrist. "Azola, stop! You're throwing the game!"

"I'm going to destroy them and you can't stop me! She insulted Natasha," Azola screamed. "And Natasha does love me! SHE'S LYING!"

Isane shuddered at the loud screams. "She reminds me of Sunamyou now."

"And that's how Sunamyou lost," Momo said while folding her arms. "Although, I wonder how Kiyone managed to analyse her personality so fast."

"That was actually Vera's gift."

They all turned to Fuuka who had begun to explain.

"As noisy and as dumb as she is, Vera had a wonderful ability of profiling and deduction. I'm pretty sure she had that since she was always so insecure about her own self half the time. So she would size up her opponents. Vera and Kiyone both have one thing in common – they both know how it's like to be weak. Vera was a constant target for bullying before because she wasn't that pretty hence she left America to study here. Kiyone is the baby of the team and strove to grow."

Mai snickered. "Wow, for once – I'm actually going to applaud her."

"Don't tell her that. Her ego might be too big for me to pop when we get back home."

Upon overhearing the explanation from Fuuka, Ayane then glanced at Kiyone. "Is that why you just told me to...?"

Kiyone nodded with certainty. "Mm hm, I just told you to trust me!"

Ayane gawked before looking how bad Azola had tossed the game. Another serve went out horribly and sailed right over her head, giving them another point. She smiled proudly at her doubles partner before looking at Azola and Irene. She however watched them sadly as she remembered the time the technique had hit them too. Kiyone had to stand and fight on her own.

"Game, Kobayagi-Getsugan: 2 games to 3!"

"Rise of the Clovers," Ayane whispered softly and remembered the cheers back then, suddenly walking forward. "And the clover never stands alone...!"

Ayane walked past Kiyone, snickering. "Hey Dumont – are you sure you could handle it? I mean, she looks like she's gonna be on the loose now!"

Irene narrowed her eyes at the tangerine haired girl. "Don't play your psychological games with me. I don't intend to fall for it."

"Well, you completely lost the tide now after just focusing it on Cumberpatch-chan," Ayane grinned teasingly. "It's over. Britain may have the Cumberpatch sisters..."

"But Japan," Kiyone readied herself for the serve, grinning. "Japan has a team…"

"As much as we are rivals," Ayane smirked as the ball flew right over the net, crashing into the service box. "We always find a way how to learn from each other!"

Irene ran after the shot and sent a sharp forehand towards Kiyone. The little girl easily volleyed it while Ayane switched places with her once again to fight at the back. Azola narrowed her eyes and began squaring off with Kiyone. The ball then got contained between a drive volley match between the two girls. Ayane and Irene stared in amazement as Kiyone and Azola continued fighting each other with sweat pouring down their faces. The Hyotei vice captain bit her lower lip before hollering.

"GO FOR IT, KIYONE!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Game and match, Atobe and Sanada! 7 games to 6!"

Atobe exhaled sharply while throwing his head back to remove the sweat. Girls screamed and squealed in delight while Sanada hid his face under his cap, shaking his head. The two rivals walked up to the net to meet up with their Egyptian counterparts to shake hands. Girgis grinned in delight while giving Atobe an extra strong handshake.

"I've never had the chance to play against Japan," Girgis excitedly exclaimed. "You guys really ran us down to the ground! Big time!"

Atobe chuckled. "Arn, of course. Ore-sama never fights half-heartedly…"

"Lest he wants to lose his head to someone more terrifying," Sanada snickered.

The king of Hyotei glanced at Sanada; since when did he start cracking jokes? "When did you get a funny bone, Sanada?"

Sanada shrugged nonchalantly. "I found it enjoyable to piss you off."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

ValBijon smirked while shaking the emperor's hand. "You two don't play like a makeshift pair."

Sanada nodded stiffly. "That's because we're not. We intend to win everything. That is the law of Rikkai Dai."

"Not just Rikkai Dai but the law of the kings," Atobe smirked while looking at Tezuka from a side glance. "And I know someone who's obviously going to take it to heart."

Girgis blinked several times while following Atobe's line of sight, only to see Tezuka standing at the bleachers. He had heard rumours of the great Tezuka Kunimitsu and how Germany had tried to pirate him over. Many international coaches recognized his limitless talent and he remembered Coach Amunet lobbying to trying to get him years back. But she then found him too "structured" and too "stiff" for her taste.

"That's why she settled for Awi in the end," Girgis muttered while looking at molten gold eyed male sitting lazily on the bench. "Honestly, I would have taken the other guy any day."

ValBijon shrugged. "It is coach's orders."

Girgis snorted in annoyance before grinning at Atobe. "Well, it was a good match, Mr. Atobe! Thanks for the match!"

Atobe saluted him with a smirk. "Ore-sama looks forward to playing against you again."

As the two doubles team walked off the court, Ryuuzaki glanced at Sengoku. "Sengoku, you ready?"

The orange haired male stood up with a grin. "Yeap, ready as I'll ever be."

Coach Amunet looked at her boys, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Are we really going to let them steam roll over us?"

Apophis chuckled while plucking out his racket from his bag, shrugging with a grin. "That depends. They hit us once, we're just gonna hit them fifteen times more."

The coach nodded as the bald tattooed male walked past her. Before he entered the court, Awi grabbed his shoulder and looked at the other side.

"Don't you dare lose, Apophis," Awi narrowed his eyes darkly. "Use any means necessary to win."

Apophis chuckled in amusement; he didn't expect Awi to be that vindictive. "Oh, wonderin' about yer Nefertiti?"

Awi nodded stiffly.

Apophis chuckled while looking at the scores. He knew he had to at least put a stand-off in order to have Singles One get in. The bald man flicked away his Mohawk ponytail before walking into the court to greet Sengoku. The orange haired male strode in with a beaming smile as Apophis stood in front of him. The Egyptian male looked up at the score before smirking at Sengoku, looking at the male's structure.

"May the best player win," Sengoku grinned while extending his hand.

Apophis stared at him for a moment before extending his hand with a smirk. "Yeah, gihihihihi."

Sengoku nodded while he spun his racket. "Smooth or rough?"

"Rough."

The racket then fell on "smooth", leaving Sengoku to take the first serve. As Apophis and Sengoku walked away from each other, the Egyptian male glanced one more time at Sengoku while sniffing the air. He narrowed his eyes while his ears began to twitch.

"Singles Three: Egypt's Aphias versus Japan's Sengoku will now begin! Game start, Sengoku to serve!"

Apophis chuckled while inhaling deeply to get a feeling of the world around him. He could hear people murmuring before he centred his focus onto Sengoku. He could hear his heartbeat pounding heavily and he could feel his feet twitching. Everything around him felt like a small vibration for every movement.

"Here we go," Apophis smirked as the ball exploded from Sengoku's racket.

He could feel the vibrations smack into his body as he danced around, slicing the ball to hit the net. Sengoku jumped for the ball with sweat pouring down his face while Apophis glided across the ground easily. His ears twitched again as the next shot went for the deep side of the court. He immediately jumped towards it and deflected the shot. Sengoku jumped high into the air for a smash as the vibrations brushed against Apophis skin again.

"Perfect," Apophis grinned before spinning around and firing the smash straight into the air.

Kikumaru gawked. "That's-!"

"Fuji's Higuma Otoshi," Oshitari let out a hollow chuckle while turning to Fuji. "It looks like you better come up with something new."

The honey haired tensai shrugged nonchalantly with his usual serene smile. "I guess so."

Sengoku immediately ran back to counter the deflected smash before hitting it with a lower smash. The moment the smash came zooming in, Apophis smirked and placed his racquets in between his legs and deflected it from there. He heard Sengoku's footsteps and stood still, waiting for the ball.

I can hear you.

"What's he doing, nyah," Kikumaru stared in disbelief. "He's not taking Sengoku seriously!"

"On the contrary," Atobe watched the Egyptian player stay completely still. "Ore-sama thinks he is…"

"He's blind."

They all snapped their heads towards Tezuka whose eyes had been plastered to the court the whole time.

"He waited and listened," Tezuka remained stoic as ever.

"That's similar to how Miho-chan does it then."

They all found Kajimoto sitting nearby while looking at the field, looking Apophis staring aimlessly but responding to Sengoku's attacks.

"Miho-chan was born blind and not many schools wanted to take her in. However, Jyosei Shounan found a way to teach her as she was able to see with her feet," Kajimoto explained. "Her ability to capture vibrations not just by sound but by feeling it made her a fantastic musician. Miho-chan had always been a pianist and she converted it into playing. That's why if people noticed – she doesn't go around with shoes."

Atobe scoffed. "I thought that made her a savage."

"Putting her shoes on would have really rendered her blind," Kajimoto continued to explain to the team. "Apophis here is applying the same tactic as she is but somehow in a more brutal way. I think though in sensitivity to the waves and the sounds; Miho-chan totally wins over him."

"Wow that's something I never knew," Oshitari drawled in amusement. "I've only heard rumours of Tachiwara's prowess as a tennis player but never as a musician."

Kajimoto shrugged. "It's because she never liked recitals. Because of her blindness, she's ultra-sensitive to sounds that even the slightest murmur in a noisy crowd can be pinpointed."

Sanada stared in amazement. "That's a fantastic ability."

"That's a first if fukubuchou complimented somebody," Kirihara gawked before sitting next to Kajimoto. "So, how did she get beaten by that big dude?"

Kajimoto shook his head. "She must have been overpowered physically. Miho-chan may be sensitive but she's not Kobayagi-san."

Atobe snorted with a chuckle, smiling fondly. "Yes, Ayane would have won against that attacker hands down. Ore-sama is sure she keeps a stash of frying pans somewhere."

Kikumaru blinked several times. "But why would anyone want to attack her?"

They all remained silent for that one moment. Tachiwara Miho wasn't exactly alone the night she was attacked. Right along with her was Shimohi Rin but at least the Black Dragon escaped without too many scratches. Kajimoto sighed in relief when he had first heard about what happened. Rin had managed to recover in record time and still managed to play. Still, he couldn't help but feel a weird tingling in his spine in regards to who attacked Rin and Miho that night. It made no sense!

"Perhaps, it was to remove the girls' chances of coming up with an excellent doubles pair."

They all turned their heads towards Inui who had opened his notebook. He then began flipping through the pages, reading through his data.

"According to my calculations, the Tachiwara-Juushinhi pair along with the Hikifumi-Shimohi pair are the most prominent and also most talented doubles pair in the girls' division. Their skills are renowned internationally since Haruka and Rin also trained in Wu Shu together in Hongkong to further their skills as a doubles pair during the International meet for gymnasts during Rin and Haruka's second year. Tachiwara and Juunshinhi have been watched constantly due to their phenomenal ability of Soul Link which is something people have been trying to understand for years in the field of psychology."

Fuji pursed his lips. "That explains some of it. But it doesn't really tell us anything about who the attacker was and where he was from."

"He definitely isn't some thug," Atobe pointed out. "He knew who they were."

Oshitari nodded while looking over the field. "Hold up, before we get involved with that – we need to figure out Apophis. He's practically steamrolling Sengoku out there."

"In a nutshell, he's doing exactly what Miho-chan does when she fights," Kajimoto looked at him smash another shot at Sengoku. "Although, he appears to be more violent than your usual blind guy."

"So, how do you beat someone who's like that," Kikumaru stared in disbelief.

"Put shoes on them of course," Kirihara puffed triumphantly with a huge grin.

The whole team stared at him as if he were on drugs. Sanada simply face-palmed; how could Kirihara be that stupid!? If any of the other Rikkai Dai members heard him, he would have shamed the entire team by just coming up with that pathetic idea. Oshitari sighed deeply while shaking his head in dismay. The other members who weren't included stared at him as if he had grown two heads. Gakuto then hooted in laughter.

"Dude, just how stupid are you," Gakuto howled in laughter. "I bet you couldn't tell the difference between salt and sugar!"

Kirihara snarled and lunged at him. "YES I CAN! WHY I OUGHTA…!"

The Hyotei acrobat and Rikkai's Devil suddenly got into a fist fight before tumbling and beating each other. Hiyoshi groaned; Yagyuu pushed his glasses against his face while Jackal could only stare in utter disbelief as to the limit of Kirihara's intelligence. Yanagi began muttering on the sidelines and Yukimura who sat amongst the coaches couldn't help but feel ashamed himself. Tezuka twitched furiously before looking at Sanada.

"Tell me he's joking."

Sanada shook his head at his bespectacled teammate, burying his face into his palms. "I'm afraid he's not."

Apophis, although he was playing, couldn't help but snicker at the situation. "Your teammate isn't very smart isn't he?"

Sengoku sighed with a sheepish smile. "The team thinks he was dropped on his head when he was a baby."

"Sounds like he was tossed around in a spin dryer," Apophis smirked while attacking another shot. "And how about you?"

"Me?"

The Egyptian male smirked. "Something's bothering you. Something about family."

Sengoku backhanded the ball before looking at him funny. "Me? There's nothing wrong about that."

"Don't lie to me, punk. I know when someone's bullshittin' me," Apophis smirked while blasting another shot at the volley line.

"What are you? Some lie detector?"

Apophis rolled his eyes before grinning. "No but someone who could be your worst nightmare."

Suddenly, his form began to change as Sengoku stared in shock. Apophis suddenly grew long plum purple hair and his grey eyes changed into steely black ones. He suddenly grew breasts as well and was running around in a skirt. The vice captain of Yamabuki stared in shock as Apophis took a very familiar stance.

"Burst like sound, Oto."

The ball zoomed right past Sengoku's ear with a loud ear-splitting screech, knocking the boy back. Sengoku staggered back as he clamped his hands onto his ears to relieve the sound. The ball loudly cracked behind him as Apophis stood tall with a huge smirk on his face. After a little bit of research and intel from Awi, the name Sanada Momo reached his ears. With a little bit of stalking, he memorized her style of playing and also her appearance. He didn't expect someone like Sengoku to fall for someone so stiff and traditional. The moment he smirked in her form, everyone stared in horror as her voice rang out loud and clear.

"Why don't we play a bit, Kiyosumi?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Game, Kobayagi-Getsugan: four games all!"

Kiyone could feel her legs breaking but she looked at Azola who was also at the verge of her limit. She stared beadily at Azola while making sure Ayane was still able to manage. The tangerine haired vice captain on the other hand stood straight but had beads of sweat pouring down her face profusely. Although it was their first game internationally, Kiyone knew they were doing a whole lot better than they initially imagined. She glanced then at her partner before nodding.

"Yane-Yane, can you still move," Kiyone asked, looking at her sweaty partner.

Ayane breathed sharply, nodding. "I should be able to. Why? I ain't dead yet."

Kiyone glanced at the field before sighing, turning with a huge grin. "Welp, I'm out of ideas. You got any?"

Ayane gawked at her partner. "You gotta be kidding me! You were doing so well awhile ago!"

"I wasn't sure it would work!"

"Good God, Kiyone! You could have told me it was short-term!"

"Sorry!"

The whole female Japanese team stared at them with sweat-drops. How could Ayane and Kiyone be arguing at a crucial time like this? Fuuka face-palmed, Florence sighed dejectedly and, Natsuki rolled her eyes. Shizuru on the other hand could only stare in complete disbelief as to how the two girls still had the energy to argue with one another. Momo groaned into her hands while Haruka and Rin could only exchange glances of disbelief. Isane smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck.

"Well, at least we know they're still," Isane smiled optimistically. "Alive?"

Momo shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess. But things just had to get ugly."

With Irene holding control of the serve, she unleashed the shot towards Ayane who returned it with a backhand. The tangerine haired girl felt her knees buckle beneath her but she continued to rush towards the other end of the baseline while Kiyone held the front. Azola fired another volley which jumped right over Kiyone's head. However, the sandy blonde girl immediately smacked it downwards towards Irene who quickly snapped her wrist to flick away the ball straight to Ayane.

"Tch, she's fast," Ayane slashed the ball, causing it to spin on the net. "Now…!"

Azola however lightly tapped the ball with the edge of her racket's frame. The ball slowly dropped to the other side until Kiyone dove for it and sent it lobbing into the air. Azola ran back and smashed it straight for Kiyone's face however the sandy blonde immediately tumbled away and blocked the ball.

"What the heck – I say one thing and nobody cares. I insult somebody and everybody loses their minds," Kiyone pouted while squaring off against Azola again. "WHAT GIVES!?"

Ayane sweatdropped while hitting another shot. "Kiki, I think the keyword is "insult"."

Kiyone pursed her lips while jumping high into the air, smashing the shot. "Oh whatever, let's play!"

Fuuka glanced at Shizuru. "You really should put a filter between her brain and her mouth."

"Like you don't need one either," Shizuru chuckled in amusement.

"Bitch."

"Half-wit."

"Moron."

Shizuru shrugged nonchalantly at the Seigaku female captain. "Morons need friends, Fuuka. Why do you think we are?"

"You're a crazy bitch, that's why," Fuuka scowled in annoyance.

"Yet you need another crazy bitch to pull you out of trouble."

While the two girls began trash talking each other, Florence sighed with a small smile. "Ah, the usual Ross-Christmas friendship."

Momo raised an eyebrow. "Ross-Christmas?"

Natsuki snickered. "Ahm purdy sure ya've seen that good show – Expendables. Bless mah soul; Jason Statham's character and Stallone's character's friendship pretty much mirror these two."

"There was even a time they fought over which was faster: a knife or a gun," Florence sighed fondly at the memory.

The female Sanada raised an eyebrow. "And who won that argument?"

Ai suddenly hung her face in front of Momo, nearly spooking the Shinigami. "Nobody knows. We just beat the daylights out of the idiots who were hired to protect some drug circle."

Mai gawked at the sight of Shizuru and Fuuka trash-talking each other before she glanced at Florence. "You can't be serious when you say these two were formerly a doubles pair."

"Believe it or not, they were trained to be partners," Florence laughed while she saw Shizuru and Fuuka throwing dirty looks at each other. "They could pretty much fight over something but still do something together."

"Ahm purdy sure those two would have beat in one of those buckin' bronco with their bare hands if tagether," Natsuki grinned while playing with her hair. "You should have seen those two years ago. Fuuka wasn't as brash and as loud as she was now."

"She was sweet and cuddly," Ai continued before a tennis ball nearly smacked her in the head. "Hey!"

The girls looked at Fuuka who let out a deadly snarl. "Don't test me, bitch."

"Now now, Fuuka, leave the poor idiot alone," Shizuru giggled.

Ai pouted. "Wow, you're mean."

"Someone's been playing with your brain lately," Florence raised an eyebrow. "What happened to the sweet, sweet Shizuru we all came to know and love?"

"I'm just kidding. You know Ai nonetheless will find a way to get herself killed, right?"

Natsuki chuckled. "Yep and all we're gonna hear is what Wesley Snipers said in that movie – jingling, jingling."

"Sounds like the idiot's taking a shit if you ask me," Fuuka snorted with a disgruntled chuckle.

Ayane sighed deeply before backhanding the next shot to the baseline. She ran towards the middle immediately while Kiyone kept the front completely guarded. Irene winced at the blows coming from Ayane's attacks, feeling her arm screaming in pain. She knew Japan had monsters but she didn't expect some of them to have that kind of strength. She continued deflecting Ayane's shots as the Hyotei vice captain continued pummelling her down.

"Tch, if this keeps up we're going to lose the match," Irene bit her lower lip while watching Ayane glide across the court. "For newbies, these two seem to be holding their end very well."

Kiyone continued to volley against Azola and sent the shot far the end. She watched the emerald green eyes of Azola beadily stare back at her as she looked past her shoulder. Why wasn't Irene doing anything? The sandy blonde volleyist backed up as the ball went a little higher. A smirk curved up her lips as the ball was high enough for her.

"This is one of the few advantages of being short," Kiyone grinned before giving it a fast smash.

Everyone gaped in amazement as the ball spun down on the ground. Azola yelped and staggered back as the ball continued to spin and rolled forward. Ayane beamed with pride but also stared in disbelief. Rin suddenly jumped onto the railing, screaming with delight.

"SHE DID IT! SHE DID A MINI-TANHAUSER AND MINI ENTAKU SHOT!"

Kiyone stared in amazement before looking at her racket. She saw the fur left behind by the ball while the ball suddenly echoed past her. Ayane immediately moved up front as she began volleying. Kiyone grinned before running to the back, leaving Ayane up front.

"What the hell is she doing," Fuuka gawked. "Why is she leaving Kobayagi up front!?"

"I'd say, that is the most disastrous thing that small girl can do unless," Florence pondered deeply until realization hit her. "She's planning to...!"

The moment the ball flew back, Ayane smirked and bent down like a bridge. Kiyone suddenly charged in and jumped over Ayane with a leap frog before giving it a drive volley. The moment Kiyone landed on the other side, Ayane tumbled over and took the back.

"That's a new time difference attack," Haruka gazed with amazement, glancing at Rin. "How did they become so flexible? I expected Ayane to be more... more..."

"Stiff?"

"You could say that."

Rin nodded. "I guess it's because we always saw her as a body builder type."

"Who wouldn't? She could put a hole through a wall," Momo snickered in amusement.

Isane shrugged. "Frying pans are more deadly in her hands."

"Considering her brother is Kobayagi Ozuma, former Mr. Olympus – you'd think she would have inherited that," Hitomi glanced at her data, erasing a couple of details and replacing them with new numbers. "But now, you could see how far she's progressed."

"AYANE!"

The whole female team suddenly turned their head and Ayane also turned her head to see a familiar red haired male, blowing up bubblegum standing at the bleachers. A smile appeared on her face as she stood to look at Rikkai's Magician. The male grinned while giving her a thumbs up.

"I know you can do it, Yane-Yane! Win or lose, you grow either way!"

Ayane nodded while looking to face the opponent with a huge grin. "You got that right!"

Irene chuckled in amusement. "Such a childish thought. Why would you entertain something so pathetic?"

Ayane narrowed her eyes. "Because it's sometimes when you have fun that you really give it your all!"

"And it's when you believe in what you have, that you learn how you can expand yourself," Kiyone grinned as they both began to glow. "Hey, Yane – lookie!"

Ayane looked at her hands as she could feel her body pulsing with power. "We're not gonna turn into the Hulk are we?"

"Noooo we're gonna turn green," Kiyone wailed in fear. "W-wait, but we're not angry enough."

"Wasn't his secret that he was always angry?"

"WAAAAH, WE'RE GONNA GO GREEN AND ONLY SAY SMASH!"

"Kiyone, you half-wit! We're not gonna do that!"

"We're gonna be cabbages!"

The whole Hyotei team could only watch in embarrassment at the spectacle the two girls were throwing. Shizuru laughed softly; trust the two girls to ease up the tension when they start encountering something they never saw before. Isane scratched her head sheepishly while Momo simply face-palmed. Haruka and Rin exchanged glances with each other while Hitomi continued videoing them.

"This can't be Teni M'uhou can it," Isane looked at how Ayane and Kiyone were playing. "It looks like synchronization but they seem to be... conscious?"

"This is something else," Fuuka looked at how the skills seemed to alter. "It's as if..."

Kiyone suddenly launched the Magnolia Blade. "Come on, show me what you got!"

"Gonna start squishing you like a lemon," Ayane beamed with delight while shooting volleys.

Florence blinked in disbelief. "Did they just throw around their skills?"

"Y-yeah," Natsuki nodded. "Ah could've sworn they suddenly switched powers!"

Fuuka glanced up to Vera who had been sitting there and watching the game unfold. "You didn't expect her to learn your technique, didn't you?"

Vera bristled darkly at the match unfolding. "I didn't expect the brat to be that smart."

Fuuka smirked darkly while looking back to the match. Azola had continued volleying against Ayane whose volleys had blown away her racquet twice. Azola whimpered and gripped her wrist as Irene covered for her. When Irene drew close, Kiyone immediately changed position and exploded the Magnolia Blade right in her face. Irene yelped and ducked, forcibly deflecting the shot. The ball went high up as Kiyone dropped to the ground.

"Hit the dirt!"

Irene and Azola exchanged glances until they saw Ayane right in front of them. The tangerine haired girl had a huge grin on her face. She swung her racquet far back before punching her hips along with her shot.

"JACK KNIFE!"

People stared in amazement as the ball exploded loudly right in between Irene and Azola. The ball screamed and smashed into the ground with a loud kablam, shocking the crowd. When they saw the huge skid mark from the ball, people loudly began to cheer as Ayane landed right behind Kiyone with a huge grin. Irene and Azola stared in astonishment; how was Ayane able to pack that much power?

"Game, Kobayagi-Getsugan: five games to four!"

The British senior looked over to both Ayane and Kiyone who were both giggling and laughing in delight. She then turned to Azola who stared fearfully at what was happening. The little girl stood frozen to the ground while looking at both Ayane and Kiyone jumping gleefully while trying to figure out what the heck had just happened. She glanced at the baseline where the ball had exploded, seeing the black skid mark from Ayane's attacks.

"That's downright impossible," Irene shook her head before looking at the build of Ayane and Kiyone. "None of them have the body constituent to do so!"

"There is another thing we can assume," Hitomi bit the top of her pen, pondering deeply. "Although, it seems they were unconsciously able to tap into the refined version."

Florence raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

Hitomi exhaled sharply while rechecking her results. "Perhaps, this is a result of a refined Soul Link."

Everyone swivelled their heads towards her. "WHAT?"

"If I'm understanding this right, there are several levels of synchronicity," Hitomi explained. "One is the usual synchronization in which both parties are conscious with completely different personalities and are simply agreeing based on conscious and split-second decision. The other one is Synchro in which both personalities are lost and they are only thinking about each other. The third would be Soul Link in which they are able to metaphorically "become one person"."

Mai shook her head. "But I'm guessing this is a totally different thing?"

"Right," Hitomi nodded while continuing to watch the videos. "This seems to be another level – it's as if there are two Teni M'uhou's activating at once but at the same time coordinating on the same plane and being able to toss around the skills similar to Soul Link but the personalities are retained."

Florence folded her arms. "So, it's completely new."

"I would say so yes," the Mastermind glanced at the court. "At this rate, we don't know what kind of power this holds so I intend to record the match and see what it really is."

Momo nodded before pointing. "You better be sure you're getting all the footage because Ayane seems to be..."

Ayane suddenly changed her stance and smashed it down, causing a strong spin.

"Her style's changing," Hitomi jotted down her observation, continuing to watch the match. "Hold on, Hoshimura, buchou – you're both empaths, correct?"

Florence and Shizuru exchanged glances with one another with a shrug.

"Why yes, but what would that do," Florence raised an eyebrow.

Hitomi glanced at the field. "I need you to analyse their emotional auras. Buchou, can you synchronize yourself with their thoughts?"

"I don't think I can," Shizuru admitted mildly. "I've never intervened into a person's psychic plane when there are two people involved."

Momo watched their movements carefully. "Hmm... hold on."

She watched Ayane suddenly running around before taking a different position. She quickly smacked the shot into the person's wrist, knocking the racket off Azola's hands again with sheer force. Despite Irene's interference with a backhand, Ayane quickly grabbed Kiyone and threw her forward.

"KAWABUNGA," Kiyone grinned and smashed the shot with a drive volley right in between Azola's feet.

Fuuka blinked while trying to understand. "It's like their sharing mannerisms and... and..."

"The memories of the people they've seen or faced," Hitomi continued jotting down on her notebook. "Ayane was never known to target and Kiyone has good accuracy but not that kind of accuracy."

Mai nodded. "The only ones we know with that kind of accuracy are," – realization hit her as she looked at Shizuru. "Hold on, wasn't Ayane grouped up with...?"

"Atobe and Marui along with Jerrard," Shizuru said before looking at the match. "It would make sense as to why Ayane suddenly had the capacity to do the Jack Knife."

"Wait, I heard my name," Marui suddenly dropped into the bleachers where the girls were. "What did I do?"

Momo pointed to the court as Kiyone sliced the ball. "See for yourself."

The moment Marui turned his eyes to the court, Kiyone suddenly performed his Tightrope Runner technique despite it being a little clumsy. Irene and Azola desperately tried to chase after it until Azola managed to outrun her only to fall flat on the court. Marui gaped in amazement as Azola stared in disbelief at the ball that decided to bounce right in front of her face.

"H-how," Marui gawked before turning to the girls. "How did she do that!? She has never seen me do it!"

"No but Ayane did," Shizuru looked at a distance, watching the two freshmen keep up the attack. "Right now, they seem to be linked on an emotional plane where all their memories merge into one person."

"It's as if they can instantaneously transfer information," Mai explained to the Magician. "It's like the Newton pendulum where the force and motion inside one ball can instantaneously be transferred to the adjacent ball. The force and motion cannot be created or destroyed but transferred. That's what's happening here. Kiyone's and Ayane's minds are continuously clashing against one another and switching memories and emotions with one another."

Natsuki nodded. "So now we got all the psychic mumbo jumbo down, now where in God's name did they get the ability to activate it?"

Rin shrugged. "Maybe when Ayane decided to just pummel the girl with a single goal?"

"Possibly, the link and similarity of the goal could have possibly served as a bridge but not an activator," Hitomi said while scratching her chin. "I don't have much data to go on so there's no possible way right now to actually completely define it."

Fuuka brushed it off. "Forget the defining part! It's helping us win!"

However, all of a sudden – a shot exploded and blasted Kiyone straight into the stomach. A mad smirk curved up Azola's face as both Kiyone and Ayane spat out blood. As the ball floated up into the air, Ayane immediately ran after it before knocking it away from Kiyone.

"So if your minds are synchronized, so must your bodies," Azola smirked in amusement. "Okay then..."

The whole Japan's team's eyes widened when a dark aura began to envelop Azola.

"Then the only way to win this is if I kill you both, isn't it?"

Haruka shivered from the coldness as the crowds stared fearfully at Azola Cumberpatch. "Holy cow, her mind – it just shut down..."

"I wouldn't call it shut down," Mai narrowed her eyes while watching Azola face both Ayane and Kiyone. "It's more as if she just removed her mask. What we saw back there was just leakages of her power. This is..."

Azola grinned while picking up the ball. "Shall we begin?"

"...This is where the battle really begins."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Tch," Sengoku ran after the ball, feeling the sweat pouring down profusely from his face. "This is crazy!"

Apophis waited before bolting quickly to the other side, hammering the shot straight at Sengoku. "What's the matter, bubble boy? Your eyes can't catch it or something? Or are your eyes catching it and you're feeling crappy?"

Ryuuzaki-sensei gaped and shook her head. "How did he know that Sengoku has motion sight?"

"Probably from research and a lot of intel work," Atobe explained while Sengoku continued being forced on the defensive. "And it's a whole lot worse because..."

Sengoku wasn't seeing Apophis but Sanada Momo, mocking him with a dark sneer. She immediately glided across the court before lightly dropping the ball towards the net. Sengoku ran after the shot before falling to the ground. Despite the impact, Sengoku immediately rolled over and recovered to blast another shot.

"What's the matter, Kiyo? I'm sorry it has to end this way," 'Momo' drawled in amusement, sending shivers running up Sengoku's spine.

Sengoku winced at the drawl of her voice, closing his eyes. Block out her voice, block out her voice!

He quickly began running around again, watching the ball's movement. With a quick leap, Sengoku volleyed the ball across while 'Momo' deflected the shot. A small chuckled bubbled from her throat while Sengoku managed to meet eyes with her.

"Your sister's quite the whacko. Then again, why would you care? You don't even remember your parents, do you?"

Sengoku growled. "I do remember them! I just don't like mentioning them!"

Now seeing Sengoku growling and getting angry was a new sight to those from Yamabuki and many of the other members who knew him. Akutsu folded his arms with a small chortle bubbling from his throat. He plucked out a cigarette before puffing a small ball of smoke while watching the former bubbly orange haired male from Yamabuki.

"They usually say those who smile the most are usually those who have the most shit to bury," Akutsu snorted before exhaling a puff of smoke. "Aphias' got him eating out his hand."

'Momo' screamed as she backhanded the shot towards him. "I never cheated on you! You just had to believe your psychopathic sister!"

"My sister's not psychopathic," Sengoku shook his head and hit the ball with a forehand, snapping angrily. "You're the one who's delusional!"

Oshitari bit his lip. "A mimic..."

"Sanada Momo whether Sengoku wants to admit it or not is one of the greatest weaknesses that he has," Atobe shook his head. "Apophis intends to smash Sengoku, permanently."

Sanada nodded stiffly. He glanced at his cellphone, wondering if he should call Momo. He knew the girls had their own matches but she was currently on reserve. The emperor knew that Momo wanted to explain a couple of things especially to Sengoku. But as long as Sengoku Tohru stood in the way, he knew that was not going to get anywhere. Niou had informed him of what had happened and who was really at fault.

"Sengoku cannot be blamed for believing his sister."

Sanada snapped his attention towards Tezuka. "What do you know?"

"I know him well enough considering he was our roommate."

"Tezuka, you can't possibly say that Sengoku did no wrong."

"I'm not saying he's absolved," Tezuka pointed out to the Emperor. "What I'm saying is that we do not know his side of the story as to why he completely believed his sister other than the whole "blood is thicker than water". The better question would be however is if he knew that his sister's insane."

Sanada raised an eyebrow.

"It would probably explain why she seemed to get away with many things," Tezuka pointed out. "After all, a government cannot sentence a person who has psychological disability."

Sanada shook his head. "That's true... You aiming to be a lawyer?"

"My grandfather works in the police force," Tezuka simply said.

Sanada nodded before looking at the courts again. He knew he'd rather have Sengoku pay what he had done to Momo. Although the Shinigami didn't come crying to him, he saw the visible hurt in her eyes and the obvious denial that something went wrong.

Flashback

Sanada began walking around the courts, breathing in the fresh night air. The emperor remembered the games would start the next day but he could feel the tension building up also in his room. Any longer, he would have throttled Sengoku for bad-mouthing his cousin.

"You guys called?"

Sanada stopped and slowly retraced his steps before stopping to see Momo standing with Niou, Marui and, Kajimoto. He swallowed nervously; those three together were one of the few things why he should feel nervous. Although he didn't know why Kajimoto was there but, knowing that Rikkai's Three Pranksters that formed group known as Loki in one area was never a good thing!

"Niou is the master of strategies, Marui was the master charmer and Momo has fantastic observational skills," Sanada shivered fearfully at the thought of them pulling a prank. "What are they up to now?"

Sanada slowly crept towards the door, taking a small peek through the tiny gap.

"There's something I want you guys to take a look at," Momo pulled out an envelope and threw out some pictures. "Seems to be this one's been severely photoshopped."

Marui picked them up and looked at them one by one. "Someone must really want you out of the picture. From what I see, it's just Sengoku with an altered face and different colours of hair."

"Wow, whoever did this must make a nursery student look like he mastered digital arts by the time he could wiggle," Niou scoffed while tracing the lines on the pictures. "This is obviously photoshopped. Heck, even Bakaya can do a better job and all he does on the goddamn computer is hack and slash games."

Kajimoto raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Whoever this person is," Niou looked at the photo carefully. "Must have done it in an extreme hurry and the person had no time to check it carefully. Or, the person tried to use MS Paint."

"How could you tell?"

Niou pointed to Sengoku's eyes. "The colours aren't shaded. Normally, in light – colour is never static. It goes in gradients."

Kajimoto looked at the photo closely before realizing that Niou was right. "So, who could have done this?"

"My guess is – it's someone who's wacky enough to challenge the Sanada clan," Niou glanced at Momo and pulled out her racquet. "Because someone managed to steal her blade as well."

"An ancient enemy perhaps?"

"That's too surreal, Kajimoto. The only one I know who would have enough motive would be," Niou pondered deeply until he saw Momo crumple up the photos.

"Sengoku Tohru. But I can't hit her; Sengoku follows her around like anything," Momo explained with an annoyed sigh.

Flashback End

Sanada bit his lower lip as another shot exploded loudly. He snapped his head up to find Sengoku completely astonished and on his butt while the ball exploded right behind him. Sanada glanced to the other baseline with 'Momo' standing at the other end. He glanced at the illusion, nodding at how close it was to the original. However, there was something lacking.

"He lacks Momo's virtue and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to find that out," Sanada folded his arms with a growl. "If he wanted to terrorize Sengoku, he should have said a whole lot of more things to freeze him and then smash him."

Fuji happened to overhear Rikkai's emperor. "Saa, being a little vindictive today, aren't we?"

"I'm not gonna cheer for someone who had accused my cousin of infidelity," Sanada snapped moodily while looking at the match. "He's better off being crushed by the person who he wronged."

"But that is the thing, Sanada. It's not her."

Rikkai's vice captain looked up to see Atobe standing before him.

"Ore-sama knows that your cousin has a heart as strong as a horse. She will not want Sengoku to fall to some pathetic illusion like that," Atobe looked at Sengoku with a nonchalant shrug. "That is a lovers' fight you do not get involved with. Let them settle it on their own terms."

Sanada sighed before pulling out his cellphone. He stared at it for a moment before scrolling down to the contact of Sanada Momo. His finger slowly went to the dial-up button until he began to hesitate. Calling Momo now – there was a good possibility that she was in a match. Then again, she was a substitute. She couldn't possibly be thrown in last minute, right? The capped male stared at his cellphone for a moment until the score echoed loudly throughout the stadium.

"Game, Aphias: one game to love!"

Sanada groaned; the things he did for people. He massaged his temples before pressing the dial button and began calling his cousin.

"Hello?"

Sanada sighed deeply. "Momo, are you busy at the moment?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"No but Gen, what's up," Momo asked.

The whole team began looking at her as she continuously began to nod.

"Uh huh, like I can change the way he thinks in a split second," Momo sarcastically snorted.

"Someone is using your image to defeat him," Sanada explained to her. "You have to get here. Think of this as your chance to repair things with him."

"I have nothing to say to him," Momo shot back. "He was the one who accused me of infidelity."

Sanada sighed deeply. "I know and even I think that you shouldn't but right now, put aside your personal differences. This is a match and you know how we are towards the idea of losing."

"Yeah, it's inconceivable."

The Shinigami sighed deeply while pondering whether or not she should go. Considering how things ended, they never did have a closure. But the yelling match had been closure enough. He wanted nothing more to do with her. But she also wanted justice; justice for what happened to her and for what happened to Amakusa Ryuna. After hearing the story from Ryuna's cousin, Momo knew that Sengoku Tohru needed to go down.

"Very well," she sighed reluctantly, scratching the back of her neck. "I will try but I make no promises to actually get his mind back in one piece."

"Good enough for me."

With that, the phone line went down as Momo pocketed her phone.

"What's Sanada looking for," Fuuka raised an eyebrow at the Shinigami.

Momo sighed while making her way towards the exit. "Someone has to knock some sense into Sengoku and unfortunately, I'm the only one willing."

"Be careful out there y'know. Tohru's still on the prowl," Natsuki warned as the Shinigami left the court. "Tch, someone has to go with her."

Ai raised her hand before running after Momo. "I'll go!"

Momo then left her team behind and immediately went towards the men's side of the court. As irritating as it was, she couldn't believe she was helping someone who had busted her heart a few weeks back. Not that she was going to cry about it but the idea of helping an idiot stung. He got himself into that situation in the first place, Momo reasoned. He should be able to get himself out!

Put aside your personal differences for now.

Sanada's words rang loudly in her head as she made her way towards the court. She finally found herself in the bleachers until something sharp hit her back after a loud explosion. The Shinigami stumbled over with the audience screaming with horror and she suddenly fell to the ground. The last thing she heard however was a voice she didn't want to hear calling her name.

"MOMO!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

And that's chapter 74! Please don't forget to review! :)