12 Years Prior
A bead of sweat ran down Hinata's uncovered forehead as he carefully inched another foot forward, struggling to keep his balance. The trademark Ace of Spades' mask had already been forgone after it was soaked through by the damp air that still clung around the Spires of Diamonds.
Keishin and Takeda had finally agreed that Hinata was ready to take on missions outside of just Spades and Hinata was determined not to mess this up.
And, truthfully, the mission itself hadn't been the problem. He'd already slipped into the home of one of Diamond's renowned chemist and found evidence that the man was indeed selling a new poison on the black market. Takeda would pass on the news to Diamond' knights and let them choose how best to proceed.
That is...if Hinata could even find Takeda.
The Jack of Spades was supposed to be in the guest suite, here with Suga for Diamonds' winter festival.
The challenge was that each of Diamonds roofs looked just as steep and treacherous as the next. Adding to that, an unexpected warm front had moved in the day before so ice had mixed with wet rain making the whole thing a nightmare, even for someone with Hinata's training.
The thirteen year old took a steadying breath, readying himself to jump to the next roof over-one that he hoped was nearer to the guest quarters.
He jumped and his back foot slid slightly on the ice, unbalancing him and causing him to land hard on the next roof.
His hand scrambled to gain balance and he nearly sighed in relief when he gained his footing again to take another step forward.
….and land that step right on a patch of black ice.
He fell, body sliding off the roof in a free fall.
Hinata had a short second to think that ten stories really was a long, long way down before-
"Oof."
He landed hard on a balcony just a story below. A sweet, merciful, savior of a balcony.
Hinata groaned, rubbing his shoulder and looking around to find a place he could get back on the roof.
And instead coming face to face with a pair of large, gold cat like eyes.
Hinata tensed, caught, but the eyes just regarded him curiously.
"You're the Ace of Spades, then," said the owner of the eyes, a boy about Hinata's age with dark black hair hanging down to his shoulders. "I didn't know you made appearances at festivals."
Hinata shot to his feet, hands going to his face as if to confirm that yes, his black hood was still tucked into his uniform and yes, this was the absolute worst situation possible.
Tsuki was going to kill him.
"I'm not the Ace," Hinata shouted but the boy merely blinked, unconvinced. "Okay, I am the Ace but you can't tell ANYONE. Like ever. Please!"
The boy tilted his head, considering. "Why?"
"Because it would be like really, really bad for me," Hinata said, holding up his hands to plead with him. "Please, you can't. I'll be in so, so much trouble if anyone finds out you know."
The boy sat quietly and Hinata couldn't help but feel like he was being measured in some way.
"...Alright, then," the boy said eventually, picking up a book and apparently losing interest in Hinata. "I'll keep your secret."
"What? Really?" Hinata asked, coming forward and nearly collapsing on his knees in relief. "You will?"
"I don't have any reason not to," the boy agreed, tone expressionless. "Plus, I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Oh my gosh, you're like the best person ever. Thank you so much," Hinata gushed, stopping just short of hugging the other boy in gratitude. "I promise I won't forget this. Like ever."
The boy's nose wrinkled and he shifted uncomfortably under Hinata's gratitude. "That's really not necessary. I'm sure others would do the same."
"No, seriously, you're amazing," Hinata said sincerely, grinning brightly. "What's your name?"
The boys head jerked up, surprise momentarily clearing his face. "Oh….I thought you knew."
Hinata shook his head, expression eager. "No, am I supposed to? Sorry, this is my first time in Diamonds."
The boy gave him a small smile and Hinata may have been imagining it but the boy looked slightly amused now.
"I'm Kozume Kenma, King of Diamonds."
ooooooo
"Alright, let's go over it again," Tsuki announced and Hinata groaned, falling back in his chair. It was already passed midnight and Tsuki was still drilling him on the various fighting styles of the three other Aces. At least, he'd had time for a short nap earlier.
"Are you sure there's not any way I can get out of the Aces' Match," Hinata asked hopelessly.
"Without it resulting in a highly suspicious and possibly embarrassing public incident? No," Tsuki answered flatly.
Hinata groaned louder and Tsuki sighed.
"Trust me, I'm no more happier about this than you," Tsuki said, sitting down behind his desk. "A public well attended fight is about the last thing that I'd want for the country's most prominent spy. It's a terrible, horrible idea."
"But," Hinata asked, warily.
"But," Tsuki continued. "If you're doing this, than we're doing it right and we're ending it quickly. We're giving people the absolute minimum opportunity available to assess your skills."
"I could just lose early," Hinata suggested, though he was frowning. Throwing a fight wasn't exactly something he'd enjoy, but he definitely done worse things as the Ace.
"You could," Tsuki said, just as reluctantly. "But that runs its own risk. Part of the Ace of Spade's effectiveness is in reputation. We can't afford you to look weak-even in a fight against other Aces."
Hinata raised an eyebrow, continuing to look at Tsuki.
"Fine," Tsuki admitted, rolling his eyes. "And if you lose quickly, Kuroo will never let me live it down and I want to rub it in his smug face."
Hinata laughed, sitting up and stretching. "Alright then, back to the plan."
"Which is," Tsuki prompted again.
"Hit hard and quick," Hinata answered. "Strike before anyone has a chance to figure out what's happening."
"Exactly," Tsuki nodded, looking down at his notes. "That's the way that will work best to your benefit and least to theirs."
"Assassinations don't really lean towards long fights," Hinata agreed. "Plus, it'll work best with my speed."
"Try not to use the enhanced speed unless absolutely necessary," Tsuki commented. "I want to keep some things hidden. Just stick to enhanced vision, hopefully they'll think that's the extent of your power."
"Anything else I should try to hide," Hinata asked.
Tsuki sat back, thinking. "I'd say avoid close range attacks. But since most of them work with swords, it's unlikely you'll be able to avoid it." Tsuki shrugged. "They'll probably expect you to hesitate going in, since you've never fought in the tournament before."
Hinata sat up suddenly. "Tsuki, I've got an idea."
Tsuki leaned forward at his desk, looking steadily at Hinata. "I'm all ears."
ooooooo
"Hey, could you help me with this," Kageyama asked, gesturing to clasp on the delicate and ornate cloak he was required to wear for observing the Aces' Match.
"Sure," Hinata said, coming to stand in front of him.
Kageyama felt Hinata's fingers brush his neck as he finally secured the clasp, sending goosebumps along Kageyama's skin with every contact.
He looked down to find Hinata smiling at him, slow and warm.
"What," grumbled Kageyama self-consciously. "Does it look stupid or something?"
"Nah," Hinata said, sliding his hand to the back of Kageyama's neck. "The opposite. It really makes you look like a king, you know? Like from the fairy tales."
With that, Hinata reached up on his toes while pulling Kageyama down into a fleeting kiss-like a firework crackling briefly in the night sky.
Kageyama blushed, looking around Hinata to see his reflection in the mirror. He didn't think it looked very kingly, Kageyama was too awkward for that.
But even Kageyama knew that wouldn't be a proper response to a compliment so instead he just went with, "Well, at least I'll look the part I guess."
Hinata hummed. "It doesn't matter about looking the part, you are the part. The rest is just some stupid cloth."
"I thought you liked the stupid cloth." Kageyama frowned.
"I like the person in it more," Hinata replied, looking up to meet Kageyama's eyes. "He's my King."
"Not a very good one," Kageyama muttered before he could stop himself.
"What do you mean," Hinata asked, brows drawing together.
"Nothing."
"No, really. Tell me," Hinata pressed.
Kageyama huffed, taking a step away so he could pace the room and try to find the words. "I..fuck, you see how tense the kingdom is, right? You have to, you were at the dinner with King Yuta."
"Yeah," Hinata said cautiously, leaning back and watching Kageyama pace. "What about it?"
"It's just…" Kageyama sighed, scraping a hand through his hair. "They need a king, a real king and I..I can't...I'm not going to ask anyone to put their lives on the line for me."
"You are their king," Hinata said again, coming and grabbing Kageyama shoulder's to stop him from pacing. "Kageyama, it's not about asking people to put their lines on the line for you. They already are, you can't control that. They made that choice."
"Have they," Kageyama asked, breathing heavily. "They shouldn't. I'm not...I can't. All I do is stay in the castle and read all day. Hinata, how can I lead them from that?"
"You read to help them," Hinata emphasized. "You've literally spent your entire life dedicated to them. What does it matter that you spent a lot of it up here?"
"It matters because I don't want them to die," Kageyama shouted, hands balling into fists. "I thought I could be a proper king when I was a kid. I thought I was a proper king….but I was wrong and I wasn't and I was selfish and...and they died and I thought," he closed his eyes, "I knew staying here and reading would never be enough. I knew that stopping Tsukishima and Suga from telling me what was going on wouldn't help me become a king. I knew and...I was okay with that because I know that I can't be a proper king but I," Kageyama opened his eyes to find Hinata staring at him, "but I knew that way I wouldn't hurt anyone. That no one would throw their lives away on me and that made it okay."
"Tobio," Hinata began softly.
Kageyama shook his head. "But it's not like that anymore. The kingdoms going to war and they need me to be king and...I don't...I don't know how and I don't want anyone else to get hurt."
"Tobio," Hinata repeated and this time, he pulled Kageyama's head to face him with burning amber eyes meeting is. "You. Are. King. No matter how much you wish it, that's not going to change. Staying up here doesn't protect anyone, it just means they don't get the chance to see who they're fighting for."
"But I…" Kageyama leaned forward until his forehead rested on Hinata's. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to keep them safe."
"No one does," Hinata said, hand moving forward to rub a thumb under Kageyama's eye. "And there's hardly ever a way to keep everyone safe. And that...that's always going to suck. But, that doesn't mean we can stop trying. It doesn't even mean you're doing something wrong. Sometimes these things just happen and people suffer and you gotta keep getting up, even when it hurts. Because, getting up and trying's the only way you can find the way through."
"But, hey, that doesn't mean you have to make those choices alone," Hinata said, leaning up to place a kiss softly on Kageyama's lips. "You've still got Tsuki and Suga and Yachi and the Cards Suits and...and me. I'm with you until the end of the world."
Kageyama breathed out, shifting their positions until he was holding Hinata to his chest.
"And you know what else," Hinata asked, not waiting for Kageyama to answer. "I think you know a lot more than you think."
"That doesn't make sense," Kageyama grumbled, with some of his usual gruffness.
Hinata laughed, pulling back and regarding Kageyama with a serious expression.
"Hey, just promise me one thing, okay?"
"Okay," Kageyama agreed, because when it got right down to it, he would've promised Hinata the world.
"You can't stop people from being hurt. It's their choice. Whatever happens, you're their leader and they're going to reach out to you. Promise me that when they do, when you see them reaching out...Promise me that you'll reach back."
Kageyama nodded slowly and Hinata smiled, burrowing back into his chest.
In a bit, Kageyama would have to pull back, would have to go and meet with the rest of the Suits to watch the tournament. But for right now, for a second, Kageyama stayed right where he was and held Hinata.
Because when he was with Hinata, Kageyama felt invincible.
ooooooo
In the private stands of the Card Suits, Suga looked out on the Knights Melee which had now been whittled down to the final two-a younger warrior from Hearts and Tanaka, one of Daichi's lieutenants.
Normally, Suga believed Tanaka could handle the younger Hearts Knight with relative ease-no matter how talented the young man seemed. However, Tanaka had only just emerged the victor from a longer and much more closely fought battle with Diamonds Lieutenant Yamamoto and he was still obviously weary.
Like a magnet, Suga's eyes were drawn to the side of the arena where Daichi watched the match with a kind of fierce pride that made Suga's breath catch. Spade's captain had decided not to compete this year ostensibly to monitor the newer recruits, though Suga suspected it was more to do with Daichi wanting to be rested and watchful after his discussion with Suga had alerted him to tensions surrounding the festival.
It seemed everyone in Spades was doing their part. Suga was pretty sure Yachi was working at her full capacity and then some, maintaining her role as the Jack's assistant and running the castle through the festival. Both Tsukishima and Hinata seemed to be taken with a sort of focused energy, an intensity not unlike the type Suga saw in hunting birds. Even Kageyama seemed to be preparing for some kind of decision.
It made Suga feel simultaneously deeply humbled and unbearably weary. The Queen was not the young mage he once was. Not his body, his body was still as strong as ever and his mind just as sharp. His heart, though? Suga found more and more that his heart ached at the thought of moving on again. Of moving past this generation's Suit that had become dearer to him than any before.
Suga's life would always be dedicated to Spades. Nothing, neither magic nor man, could ever change that. But, Suga now found himself less sure about what that should mean.
A cheer rose up from the crowd and Suga looked up to see Tanaka's sword had been knocked from his hand, the lieutenant's expression of surprise slowly morphing into a resigned acknowledgement.
He straightened, giving a grin to his opponent while gripping his hand. Tanaka's mouth moved and, though Suga couldn't make the words out from this far away, he'd be willing to bet it was an offer of a rematch.
The young Hearts knight was breathing heavily and, if anything, looked more shocked to have won than Tanaka was to lose. Quickly his training took over-the long hours that Iwaizumi worked into all knights under his purview-and he gripped Tanaka's hand back and nodded.
Yachi's voice rang out across the arena-volume aided partly due to a minor bit of magic Suga had placed before the match.
"Runner Up in the Knights Melee is Spades Lieutenant Tanaka Ryunosuke. Winner of the Knights Melee is Hearts' Cadet Kunimi Akira. Both Knights will now show honor to their Suit."
This was a common yet boring tradition after every tournament event-a small motion of recognition before the major acknowledgement at the tournament's closing. The tradition originally came back from the early days of the tournament, and consequently the early days of the Card Kingdom, where new warriors would bow before their king as a show of loyalty and fidelity to their Suit. With years between now and the last true war, the act had more become a mere nod to the past than anything.
As the runner up, Tanaka went first and came forward to take a knee directly in front of where Kageyama sat in the Card Suits stands.
Kageyama stepped forward, lowering his ceremonial sword until the sharp edge of the blade rested on Tanaka's left shoulder-closest to his heart. A beat passed while Kageyama made sure to hold strong on the sword, less the weight of it actually cut down into Tanaka's shoulder.
Slowly, the blade rose again and Tanaka stood with a nod. "My loyalty to my Suit."
"Fight well," Kageyama said as the traditional rejoinder
Tanaka backed up to let Kunimi come forward and repeat the same process under Yahaba.
The crowd applauded again and Yachi's voice once again broke through.
"We will now clear and ready the field for the Aces' Match."
A low rush of excited murmurs broke through the crowd. The announcement that Spades' Ace would be competing this year had been given last night at the banquet and, as a result, the stands were now packed to maximum capacity with nearly all of Spades' residents stuck among the rest of the Cards' guests to see their legendary and mysterious Ace in person.
The Spades' Suit was less thrilled, but had unanimously decided to make the best out of a bad situation. Besides, there was one thing that Suga was unabashedly looking forward to.
The field cleared and a heavy curtain fell over the Cards Suits stand, blocking the section from view of the arena and giving the Suits some form of privacy.
The Aces had all already gone off to prepare but the rest of the attending Suits were already present.
Yahaba, Jack of Hearts and Master of Finances, stepped forward with a single hand clap. "Alright, time's here. Everyone place your bets."
On Suga's side, Lev leaned over and whispered in his ear. "What's going on?"
Suga grinned, replying under his breath. "The Suits have all taken to betting individually on which Ace will win the match."
Lev frowned. "But, won't everyone just bet on their own Ace?"
"Sometimes," Suga agreed, smile taking on a sharp edge. "But not always. After all, this will be the first year our Ace is competing."
"But, I didn't bring any money," Lev said before his eyes widened. "I don't even think I have money."
By now, Yahaba had overheard their conversation and snorted. "Don't worry, we're not quite so irresponsible to bet our own taxpayers money."
"Then what do you bet," Lev asked.
"Favors occasionally," Akaashi answered. "Suga and I will sometimes bet books. But mostly we bet-"
"Booze," Bokuto said with a laugh. "We bet some our kingdom's specialty alcohol and then exchange it at the Fall Festival in Clubs. It's why our festival is known for the biggest party!"
"And the biggest hangovers," Tsukishima said with an eye roll.
"Yes, yes," Yahaba said quickly, drawing back attention while he pulled out a small scroll. "Now, I'll start first with a case of rum on Iwaizumi winning. Anyone else want to bet on Hearts?"
No one else made a motion so Yahaba shrugged and moved on. "Your loss. Next, Shirofuku Yukie the Ace of Clubs. Anyone for Yukie?"
"Case of brandy from me," Bokuto called. "She'd kill me if I didn't."
"Double that." Akaashi nodded. "Two cases of brandy from Clubs for Yukie to win."
Yahaba made a note. "Okay, let's do Diamonds with Kuroo."
"Um…" Lev stuttered with uncertainty. "A case of vodka then?"
"Case of vodka on Kuroo, then," Yahaba said before tuning to Kenma. "You going to add to it?"
Kenma gave a small smile and shook his head. "Not this year."
The entire group looked to the King of Diamonds before Yahaba finally shrugged and moved on. "Last, we have our hosts with our first time competitor, the Ace of Spades."
"Two cases of Spades whiskey," Tsukishima said when the last syllable had barely left Yahaba's mouth.
"Make that four." Suga smiled, not even a beat after.
"And a case of Diamonds vodka," came Kenma's soft voice in the proceeding quiet.
The rest of the Suits stared open mouthed at three leaders until finally, Bokuto let out a loud booming laugh.
"Wow, Kenma," Bokuto said, a smile bright on his face. "What in the Fates has Kuroo done to piss you off recently?"
Kenma's face was expressionless but a small amount of mischief played in his eyes. "Nothing, I just thought I should bet on a friend given the rare opportunity to see them compete."
The room stilled at the mention of "friend" in conjunction with the Ace of Spades and Tsukishima let out a loud sigh, rolling his eyes. "I knew he had told you."
"Aww, Kenma, how come you didn't tell us you knew who the Ace of Spades was," Lev pouted. "How did you find out?"
Kenma ignored him, sipping slowly from his wine.
"That is an excellent question for a later time," Suga said firmly. "But, for now, I think we have another bet to place. Yahaba?"
"Huh," The Jack of Hearts said, turning his head away from Kenma to where Suga was gesturing. "Oh, right, Kageyama want to place a bet?"
"A case on the Ace of Spades, I guess," Kageyama said, voice absent and eyes still flickering between Tsukishima and Suga.
Yahaba nodded. "Alright so that's one case on Iwaizumi, one case on Kuroo, two cases on Yukie, and six of the Ace of Spades. Anyone want to add any or change their bet?"
"I think we've had enough surprise bets already," Akaashi remarked dryly.
"Then bets are closed," Yahaba said, peeking behind the curtain. "And just in time, it looks like there almost set up."
Suga smiled, taking a moment to whisper to Kageyama at a volume he made sure wouldn't carry. "Watch closely. From what Tsukishima told me, it should be an entertaining match."
ooooooo
"Asahi, hurry up, he's going to be late," Noya called from where he sat, watching Hinata finish up the last of his warm up exercises.
Asahi huffed, hurrying down the stairs and carrying a large leather pouch. "Well, I would've had more time to sharpen them if someone didn't insist on coming back here between the matches."
"Asahi, how mean," Noya said, grinning. "Here I am a poor feeble man….no, worse, a fallen soldier, who just wanted to wish my brave comrade luck before his most challenging of battles and here you are complaining about my encouragements."
Asahi raised a single unimpressed eyebrow. "No, I'm complaining because instead of staying with Kiyoko in the soft, padded, and safe seating we put together, you used me to limp back here-which can't be good for your stitches-so you could tell Shouyou about the Knight's Melee."
Noya rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "But, it was a really cool melee. So much better than last year." He looked up at Asahi with large eyes. "You didn't really mind that much, did you?"
Asahi's face softened, leaning down to run a hand through Noya's hair. "No."
"Good," Noya smiled and then turned to yell. "Hinata, come on! Asahi's done with the knives."
Like a ghost, Hinata dropped down from the darkness of the ceiling to land quietly in a crouch between Asahi and Noya. "Awesome, is it time?"
"Almost," Asahi said, carefully unrolling the leather on the table to reveal a set of freshly sharpened knives. Hinata reached down automatically, but Asahi grabbed his hand.
"You'll want the half on the left, the ones on the right I've already poisoned. Definitely don't want to use those in a friendly match against Aces."
Hinata nodded, grabbing the appropriate knives and slipping them into various places in his black uniform. After a second hesitation, he grabbed one on the right to and slipped it away for outside of the tournament.
"These are the ones for the plan," Hinata asked, just to make sure.
"Picked them out carefully," Asahi answered.
The sound of a horn echoed through the tower and Hinata grimace, face settling into an expression of intense focus before he slipped the mask on. With the black hood covering the entirety of Hinata's head, Asahi always found the change in appearance startling-the shift from the soft messy orange hair of the friendly Hinata to the dangerous Ace, dressed in black from head to toe.
"Guess it's time," Hinata said.
"Good luck, Shouyou!" Noya beamed. "We'll be cheering for you!"
"Discreetly," Asahi agreed
Hinata nodded, slipping out of the tower and heading down to the arena.
By the time he got there, the rest of the Aces had already arrived and were waiting in the shadow of the stadiums to be called. Hinata joined them.
"Oh ho ho, so it looks like our final Ace has decided to join us," Kuroo said, giving him a wink. "Thought you may have been trying to skip out on us. Not that I can blame you, I suppose."
It was so almost instinctual for Hinata to grin and throw back a teasing reply like he would as a servant, that he had to bite down on his tongue to only offer a head shake instead.
"Sorry you got basically forced into this," Iwaizumi offering, rolling his shoulders in preparation for the match. "If you want, we'll try to get you out as early as possible."
This time Hinata did grin-not that they could see it-and shook his head, giving them two thumbs up instead.
Yukie laughed, mouth settling into a Cheshire grin. "Planning to give it your all then. Good! It's a honor to fight you, Ace of Spades!"
Hinata didn't know what gesture he could mime in response so it was luck that Yachi's announcement cut them off.
"The field is now ready. Citizens of Cards, may I present to you-the Aces!"
The Aces filed into the arena-Iwaizumi leading as the champion of last year's tournament and Hinata bringing up the rear as the newcomer. A hush fell over the crowd and Hinata tried not to shift uncomfortably as thousands of eyes fell on him while he made his way to the corner.
In the background, Yachi was continuing the announcements by naming all the Aces before ending conspicuously with just Hinata's title.
"Is that really him," a child's voice filtered over the crowd to reach Hinata's ears.
Hinata pressed his lips together, trying to block out the background spectators and focus solely on the task at hand. For someone so used to working in the dark, the spectators made him feel unbalanced.
"The Queens will now come to gentle the blades," Yachi announced, right before Lev, Akaashi, and Suga filed into the arena.
Akaashi came to stand before him and Hinata took a moment to find all his various blades to hand over to Akaashi. By the end, there were almost more than Hinata could comfortably hold.
Akaashi raised a single eyebrow, looking more amused than anything as he cast a spell over Hinata's blades to make them non-lethal for the match. All of the Aces' weapons, while remaining unchanged physically, would now leave a colored mark when hitting skin rather than wounding.
When he finished, Akaashi handed the blades back to Hinata to hide back before leaned closer to whisper in Hinata's ear, low enough so he wouldn't be overheard by the audience.
"Be careful."
Hinata nodded and for a second, he was sure they both felt the weight of eyes coming from the Hyakuzawan tent.
Akaashi smiled, stepping aside and walking back to the Cards Suits' section. Around the arena, Hinata noticed that Lev had already finished with Yukie's sword while Suga was done with both Iwaizumi and Kuroo.
In a few seconds, only the Aces remained-each positioned at separate ends of the circle. Wood planks surrounded the circles edges, forming a wall with the spectators' seating build on top. The only section that remained at eye level was the Cards Suits section along with the newly built Hyakuzawa tent.
Hinata closed his eyes and took a breath, mentally clearing his mind and focusing on the upcoming fight.
The others would be safe. His knives were spelled so they couldn't seriously hurt anyone, even if he wanted to. Which meant...he could act how he was trained to.
And Hinata wasn't trained to fight.
...Hinata was trained to kill.
"BEGIN!" Yachi called out.
He opened his eyes.
Each Ace was slowly regarding the others, trying to predict who would act first.
Hinata rolled his shoulders, portraying easy slow gestures that looked relaxed under a quick glance. No reason to make them suspicious by tensing up.
Across from Hinata and watching the others carefully, Iwaizumi took the first considering step to the center of the arena-when he'd have the best focus point but simultaneously put himself in the most vulnerable position.
Iwaizumi normally acts first, Tsuki's voice rang in his head. Use that to your advantage.
And Hinata did, waiting….waiting until finally, Iwaizumi finished scanning over him and moved on to Yukie.
Hinata sprinted directly at Iwaizumi, feeling the momentum build behind him with every step.
But Iwaizumi wasn't an Ace for nothing, quickly turning back and readying his sword in front of him as soon as he registered his movement.
Hinata didn't hesitate even a second in his advance-he couldn't if this was going to work.
As if in slow motion, he saw Iwaizumi frown in confusion pulling back his sword to swing across at Hinata's unprotected side at the exact moment Hinata got in his range.
The swing would have worked beautifully….if Hinata's body was still there.
A millisecond before, Hinata pulled down in a slide-the momentum pushing him just past Iwaizumi as he felt the sword brush harmlessly over his head.
Before anyone could react, Hinata pushed forward folding over his feet and using the impact to spring himself off using his hands.
Taking a brief glance behind him at Iwaizumi's unprotected back, Hinata twisted in the air until his legs knees clenched right around Iwaizumi's neck.
The Ace of Hearts made a startled choking sound and then did exactly what Hinata expected, what they were planning on.
He turned heavily, trying to swing Hinata off his back.
Hinata smiled, swinging down Iwaizumi back and clenching his knees tighter as the man twisted more violently, slapping at Hinata's legs as he did.
Hinata felt for the moment when Iwaizumi struggling finally gave him enough push...and….there.
In a second, three things happened.
First; Hinata twisted his back to give himself enough torque to pull back and ram his left knee hard into Iwaizumi's cheek.
Second; Iwaizumi lost his balance with the blow and pitched to the right, further twisting Hinata's body until the force had him suspended almost perpendicular to the ground below.
Three; Hinata used that force to release the two knives he'd been holding and aimed them directly at Yukie and Kuroo, watching from opposite ends of the arena.
The second ended and Hinata didn't check to see if the knives found their marks. Instead, he pushed off of Iwaizumi and landed in a more controlled crouch, next to the gasping Ace.
Iwaizumi's eyes widened and he reached for his sword, right before Hinata slid out his third knife and ran it across his throat.
A black mark like soot shone across the Ace of Heart's throat, signalling his removal from the game.
Iwaizumi groaned sounding slightly hoarse, rubbing at his throat while the bruise on his face was already healing. He nodded once to Hinata, moving to the side of the arena.
Hinata looked up and saw that both Yukie and Kuroo had survived the knife throws….which was rather unfortunate, Tsuki had expected at least one would be too slow to react in time.
Both knives were embedded in the walls behind them and the only sign of their passage was a dark mark across one of Kuroo's cheek, where he'd been too slow to dodge entirely.
After his display with Iwaizumi, Yukie had clearly decided she'd had enough time to observe his skills and was now advancing full tilt with her own sword already raised.
Hinata grimaced, remembering Tsuki's assessment.
Of all the Aces, Yukie's your worst match. Her precognitive ability will make it nearly impossible to use sneak attacks and will counter out a lot of your speed. Add to that, she's well-trained and ruthless when she needs to be.
Hinata slid out another knife and moved into a defensive position, a knife in each hand to counter Yukie's sword.
Yukie smiled, a scent of anticipation in her eyes not unlike a bloodhound catching a scent.
The sword swung and Hinata moved quickly, activating his own Ace's power so that his eyes could catch her movements.
There are two good things about fighting Yukie, Tsuki had said. While she's your worst match, you're hers, too. Your eyesight should help you keep up, even when she's working one move ahead.
Even without the precognitive abilities, Yukie clearly didn't lack anything in speed or ability. Hinata frowned as he dodged around her sword before his knife could deflect it.
Hinata didn't like drawn out blow by blow battles. They weren't his area. In fact, they were the complete opposite of his usual one calculated, unexpected strike.
Yukie was better than him at this and she knew it, smile growing fiercer as Hinata slowly maneuvered backwards.
A stronger swing than usual and one of Hinata's knives was knocked out of his hand.
Yukie advanced forward, sword already poised for the next blow.
What's the other good thing, Hinata had asked.
The other good thing, Tsuki smirked, is that you're not facing her alone.
Before her sword could come down, Yukie's eyes widened and she swore. She turned on her heel to a smirking Kuroo, allowing Hinata to see the black mark slashed across her back.
I have a theory that Yukie can't see multiple futures at once, Tsuki had said, leaning back in his chair. Get her focused on you, aim her back to Kuroo, and make sure you both look suitably vulnerable. I guarantee that Kuroo won't let the opportunity pass.
"Sorry, Shirofuku," Kuroo shrugged, unrepentant, "I couldn't let you have all the fun with our new Ace."
Yukie raised one disbelieving eyebrow but stepped to the side, leaving the arena.
Hinata used the distraction to pick up his other knife and evaluate the terrain. They were at the north side of the arena, almost against the wall.
Perfect.
Hinata backed up, putting them a step closer to the wall if Kuroo chose to advance.
Of all the Aces, Kuroo was the only one other than Hinata that preferred a weapon other than a sword. However, unlike Hinata's knives, Kuroo's archery didn't translate nearly as well to the closed arena of the Aces' Match, forcing him to use a sword instead.
Take an Ace who was already used to long distance and pin him in with a wall at one side and Kuroo was at even more of a disadvantage.
A sharp sword thrust interrupted Hinata's thinking and he dived to the side-almost hitting against the wall-to dodge a thrust that would have hit right below his ribs.
Of course, even at a disadvantage, it still didn't mean the Ace of Diamonds was easy prey. And there was a reason he was nicknamed the "Chessmaster".
Another swipe with Hinata actually brushing against the wall to avoid it and Kuroo's strategy became clear.
He was using Hinata's plan against him, attempting to pin Hinata to the wall instead.
And it would have worked if Hinata was just a bit less trained in operating under tight constraints.
Hinata twisted his hand, throwing his left hand knife at point blank range and aimed directly at Kuroo's chest.
Kuroo eyes went wide, backing up a step so that the knife passed over his neck.
Hinata threw the other knife before Kuroo could recover.
Cursing, Kuroo backed up another step while twisting to the side. In the next move, his sword came up ready to attack while Hinata was defenseless.
Hinata was already ready with a knife he pulled from a sheath hidden on his thigh.
Kuroo ducked again, bringing up the sword to deflect the next knife throw.
"How many knives do you have?"
Pulling out his last knife, Hinata made to throw it at Kuroo's left side while keeping up his Ace power to view the next second in vivid detail.
Kuroo's right foot moved back into a defensive step while the sword swung left, readying to deflect the next knife.
Hinata sidestepped with one foot, keeping the knife clutched in his hand. His back foot hit against the wall, giving him force to launch quickly at Kuroo's unprotected right shoulder.
Slowly, as if watching someone move through water, Hinata saw Kuroo's shoulder drop to try to avoid Hinata latching onto his shoulders like he'd done with Iwaizumi.
But instead of his legs, Hinata's free hand made contact and pushed off.
Hinata somersaulted over Kuroo's shoulder, landing safely in a crouch a few feet away from Kuroo's back.
Kuroo spun around, already ready for the next attack.
Straightening, Hinata held up empty hands and nodded to the ground where the last knife was embedded between them.
Kuroo's eyes widened, looking down and then….
Kuroo snorted, tilting his leg to show the slash in the fabric around his upper thigh. Below the slash was a dark black mark, easily discernible even from Hinata's distance.
"A cut to the femoral artery feels so anticlimactic," Kuroo complained, cocking his head. "You threw this before you jumped, didn't you?"
Kuroo nodded to himself before Hinata could answer, turning to the crowd and lowering his weapon in a clear sign of defeat.
Around them, the crowd was absolutely silent, watching until….
The quiet broke and, almost at once, the crowd was on their feet-loud cheers roaring over Yachi announcing the end of the match.
Hinata tensed, feeling the eyes on him that he tried to ignore all through the fight.
Beside him, Kuroo came closer and leaned over to whisper, "It was a good match. Just relax and let Spades cheer on their Ace for once."
Hinata nodded and belatedly held up a hand, waving once at the crowd and receiving an almost deafening answer back.
Finally, the cheers died down and Yachi's voice rang out over the stadium.
"Runner Up in the Aces' Match is His Royal Highness and the Ace of Diamonds, Kuroo Tetsuro."
A smaller but still fierce cheer came up from the crowd as all of Cards honored the runner up.
"Winner of the Aces' Match is His Royal Highness, the Ace of Spades. Both Aces will now show honor to their Suit."
Kuroo nodded once again to Hinata before striding forward almost catlike to the rest of the Suit, Kenma in the front with Diamonds' ceremonial sword.
Hinata watched as Kuroo went to a knee, giving Kenma a wink.
The sword lowered down until the sharp edge of the blade hit Kuroo's shoulder while the flat glinted against the sun.
Hinata's breath caught as an idea took shape.
"My loyalty to my Suit," Kuroo intoned, face open and sincere for once.
"Fight well," Kenma answered.
Kuroo got up, moving back to stand next to Hinata.
"I'll be waiting for our rematch." Kuroo grinned and Hinata moved forward slowly, almost in a trance.
When he got in front of the stand, he dropped down on one knee and looked up just as Kuroo had done before him.
Kageyama stood before him and Hinata's heart clenched almost painfully.
His King looked both so undeniably regal and yet...still so heartbreakingly hesitant. Kageyama's lip was tuned down, in thought more than any upset. The sun was shining off his hair, catching it and making it look almost blue. His shoulders were back straight-the natural authoritativeness that he'd never been fully able to suppress now showing in his stance. The distance and the angle didn't allow Hinata to see the blue of his eyes, but the firmness was still there and cut Hinata right to the center.
All the innate grace, the restrained power, and still the hesitance on whether he was ready to use it.
In that moment, the core of Hinata's soul-the unwavering force that marked him as Ace-decided that wouldn't do.
The edge of the blade landed on Hinata's shoulder and for a single second, he could see the black of his mask reflected against the flat.
Hinata's hand shot up, grabbing the blade before Kageyama could lift it.
The stadium-audience and even the rest of the Suits-froze.
In the current tradition, the sharp edge of the blade was directed to the shoulder to be close to the heart as a show of loyalty.
This wasn't the only option.
There were two other moves the knight could make-each gesture expressing a different meaning.
The first was for the knight to grab the sword blade and lift it away from their shoulder. A dismissal that roughly translated to, my loyalty is not yours to command.
The other…
Hinata slowly tilted the blade until the flat rested against his shoulder while the edge faced his neck.
Through the length of the blade, he felt more than saw Kageyama tensed.
Hinata dropped the blade, lifting his fingers to the mask and pulling it up and inch to expose a sliver of his neck.
The second gesture, the most archaic, barred the neck to the edge of the knife in a sign that said…
My life is yours.
It was the truest and deepest way to show fidelity. A public vow that your life was entirely dedicated to the service of the sword wielder, to use or discard as they wish.
Under the mask, Hinata raised his eyes to see Kageyama still frozen.
Hinata's heart stilled in his chest and he prayed that Kageyama would actually keep the promise he'd made to him earlier.
Unlike the other gestures, this one actually required a response from the King.
The King could-and Hinata, by now, desperately hoped he would-use the edge of the knife to make a small cut on the neck, a sign that the vow was accepted.
The other reaction was removing the sword without acting-a sign of rejection that meant the life offered wasn't worth accepting.
It would be a spectacularly bad move to make, in front of an audience that had just watched Hinata win against his fellow Aces.
The stadium stood still and Hinata watched the emotions flicker across Kageyama's face, faster than he could register.
Finally, Kageyama's face settled in a way that Hinata knew he'd made some kind of decision, though the firm set of his jaw gave no hint on which choice it was.
The sword shuddered as Kageyama's grip on it firmed.
The weight of the sword lifted off his shoulder and he felt his heart drop before-
A bright flash of pain and Hinata felt a drop of blood roll down his neck.
Hinata raised and a hand to his neck, feeling the wetness of blood before he rolled his mask back down over it.
He looked up to Kageyama, who was looking down at him with a grim acceptance.
Hinata couldn't speak-was not sure how well he'd be able to even if he was allowed-so in the silence of the arena, he lifted a hand to his heart before offering an open palm to his King.
"My loyalty to my Suit," Tsuki translated for him, standing behind one of Kageyama's shoulders.
Kageyama nodded and, for a long second, firm blue eyes looked down into a pair of masked amber.
"Fight well."
ooooooo
A/N: As always, thank you guys SO MUCH for all your support! Okay, now for some bad news and good news. Bad News: No new chapter next week while I finish some projects that are coming due soon in RL. Sorry about this, guys, trust me I really, really hate to miss a week especially so close to the end of this story. Good News: With the exception of extremely unforeseen happenings, this should be the last time I have to skip a week before this story is finished. The next chapter is the first of the finale chapters!