Arc: Challenge

Ebook cover for the arc

Niou arrives at Rikkai and is delighted to find he may have met his match in Yagyuu, and they both may have met their captain in Yukimura. The team that forms around Yukimura breaks and recovers, and forges on to Nationals. Divergent Future based only on the maga through 237; manga spoilers throughout. Yagyuu/Niou and Yukimura/Sanada/Yanagi, also Sanada/Kirihara.

Challenge – Chapter Two

Niou and Yagyuu become a doubles pair, and the game continues. Drama, I-3

Masaharu opened his mouth to ask a pointed question about why it was Yukimura making all these decisions and announcing them, and not the captain standing, silent and uncomfortable, behind the Trinity. He closed it again, with a smooth look, at Sanada’s burning glare.

Challenge – Chapter Five

Niou coaxes Yagyuu into more intimacy; or perhaps it’s the other way around. Drama with Porn, I-3

He reached out and, delicately, removed Yagyuu’s glasses. A signal, a symbol, a talisman, but more than anything else an intense desire to see Yagyuu Hiroshi’s eyes.

Challenge – Chapter Six

Niou has an idea for a trick. Drama with Peculiar Romance, I-3

Yagyuu moved forward, fingers trailing ever so lightly over Masaharu’s wrist in passing. Masaharu suppressed his reaction, sternly, but couldn’t hold back a grin. Who would have thought that Yagyuu would be an incorrigible tease?

Water

Takes place during Chapter Seven. Sanada finds an opponent who can help him improve his game, and, perhaps, offer some much needed distraction from his captain’s illness. Yanagi notes, in this, the possible start of a dangerous trend. Drama With Romance and Porn I-4

Genichirou never could decide whether he preferred Seiichi’s manner, who invariably drew whatever Genichirou was thinking out of him, or Renji’s, who rarely asked since he could usually be assumed to know already.

Challenge – Chapter Eight

The team starts to recover, and Niou and Yagyuu find another kind of comfort. Drama with Porn, I-4

It stretched him to the edge of pain, but never quite over. It was, perfectly, everything he desired of his partner, every reason he pressed Yagyuu to let himself go, the extremity of sensation that could have been destruction but, to him, was not.

Challenge – Chapter Nine

For Regionals, the team pulls out all the stops. Drama, I-3

Masaharu didn’t know about the others, but he’d had to catch Yukimura from falling more than once, while spotting for his “light” practices, and had to carry him back inside twice. He’d watched the frustration his captain could keep out of his voice but couldn’t keep out of his eyes, and shuddered to think what it must be like.

Resolution

Sanada and Kirihara address the unproductive aspects of their interpersonal relationship, pursuant to one of Yanagi’s observations in “Water Over Fire”. Porn With Insights, I-4

Genichirou tried to take the opinions of his hormones with a grain of salt. Akaya was impulsive, considerably moreso than any other member of the team. Giving his impulses free rein was a large part of what had brought them to their current, slightly uncomfortable, position. It behooved Genichirou to at least make sure his younger teammate thought twice. Even once might do.

Contrary

Kirihara decides to tease Sanada, and the results are about what one might expect. Porn Without Plot, I-4

“Do you remember what I said about teasing, Akaya?” he asked, softly.

Pressed against the length of Sanada-san’s body, so tightly he could feel as well as hear the deep, smooth voice, Akaya couldn’t hold back a triumphant grin.

“That it works?” he suggested, breathless.

Need

Fuji visits Rikkai, hoping Yukimura can explicate a few things for him. Drama, I-3

“Fuji,” Seiichi sighed, running a hand through his hair. Still, he had been trying to wake Fuji up for years, now. Something he suspected Fuji had recalled, too.

The Continuation of War

A small snafu leads to some practice time between Rikkai and Seigaku, just before the end of Nationals. Drama, I-3

Momo cast his erstwhile opponent a thoughtful glance. “You know, Marui-san,” he said, slowly, “all of you are acting really different, today.”

Marui cocked an eyebrow at him. “Of course we are,” he responded, easily, “Yukimura’s back.”

Dislocated

Immediately after “The Continuation of War”, Yanagi and Inui finally get around to talking about how they parted. Drama With Romance, I-4

He had read descriptions of how it felt to have a dislocated joint realigned, and, from what he recalled, it sounded remarkably like what he had felt this afternoon: a sharp pain accompanied by a hard wrench and a sudden feeling of rightness.

Cloud to Cloud

Immediately following “The Continuation of War”, Kirihara finds himself somewhat disturbed by the day’s experiences, and Yukimura offers him reassurance. Porn with Insights, I-4

The lurch as the bus stopped woke Akaya from a half dozing dream that promptly escaped him. All he remembered was that it had involved cutting a tall chain-link fence. And that Fuji had been mixed up in the project. There were really days Akaya wished his subconscious could just send him a memo.

Fly

Side-story to the Challenge arc. Fuji finally plays a serious match against Tezuka. Drama With Porn, I-4

Shuusuke was terrified.

All right, perhaps that was a bit strong, but it had been a very long time since he’d felt this kind of tension. Even longer since he’d had butterflies in his stomach and shaking hands over a tennis match.

Circle

The long awaited last match of Nationals. Drama, I-4

Seiichi’s smile changed, undiluted pleasure added to the satisfaction. It was the last round of Nationals, and they were ready.