Silent Hill: Shattered Memories - Wii - IGN
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MSRP: 49.99 USD
: Blood, Drug Reference, Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
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Climax Studios
A re-imagining of the original Silent Hill that turns everything you thought you knew on its head
The game watches you and adapts to your actions to create a unique experience to each player and intensify their fears
Implementation of a cell phone as the user interface, which acts as a story telling device, map, puzzle helper, and camera that provides seamless flow with no interruption in gameplay
New nightmare sequence focus on escape and evasion rather than direct confrontation.
Silent Hill: Shattered Memories will feature an all-new soundtrack by acclaimed series composer Akira Yamaoka
Terror returns with Fatal Frame 2: Crimson Butterfly. his time the terrifying journey takes you to a whole new creepy setting:an abandoned&
As Amatarasu, the sun goddess who takes on the form of a wolf, your goal is to bring life back to the world in the stunning action-adventure&
This game takes you back in time in a game based on the blockbuster movie franchise about a nutty scientist who has invented a time-traveling&
A downloadable version of the classic Nintendo 64 game, provided through Nintendo's Virtual Console service.
Take charge of a band of mercenaries and journey with them into an epic and cinematic adventure in The Last Story for Wii.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword introduces full motion control enabled by the Wii MotionPlus accessory, which synchronizes player&
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Part 3 of the
Published:Completed:Words:22231Chapters:13/13Kudos:36Bookmarks:Hits:1366
Its been ten days since the death of Ryoma Echizen. Now Kami-sama has given him 12 nights to bid everyone he knows a proper farewell. With the wonderful opportunity, Ryoma visits everyone that he knew made a huge impact in his life and tennis career even if he wouldn't say it out loud.The last season of the Ryoma Death Series. After The Funeral
: Prologue: Ten Days Later
It has been ten days since the death of Ryoma Echizen. The mortal world was in sorrow and grief for losing such a man of many talent's so young.Ryoma was walking amongst the clouds. He wondered where he was and if he was really dead. He didn't feel dead at all. He just felt a little cold and wanted Ponta even if he wasn't thirsty. As he walked further into the clouds, he saw a door and couldn't resist but to open it. "I'm dead anyway… What else could go wrong?" he thought and pushed open the door. A blind light shown so bright that he had to close his eyes as he went through the door.When Ryoma was able to open his eyes, he saw a huge golden glow at the end of the room he was in. "Does this place have any other color aside from white?" he asked out loud without expecting an answer. A manly and deep laugh startled the young Echizen which made him frantically look around."Who's there?" he asked with a tone indicating his irritation for not seeing anyone else to whom he could associate the deep laugh to. The golden glow began to move a bit closer to Ryoma which made him move a step back."Even after death, you still retained you living characteristic and attitude. You have truly amazed me, Echizen Ryoma." spoke the deep voice again. This time Ryoma could hear it coming from the direction of the golden glow."Who are you? And where am I?" Ryoma asked. He just wanted to get away from all the white and sit under a tree somewhere and rest."I am surprised that you do not know who I am. I am the great Kami-sama." The golden glow spoke again. This statement made Ryoma's eyes widen in shock and disbelief. He was in the presence of Kami-sama."Why am I here?" Ryoma asked with annoyance. He was really getting a bit irritated with all the white and clouds everywhere. There was nothing but clouds."You are in my presence because I willed it so. You have amused me with how you used the life you were given and have touched people without even knowing and trying. So before you leave for paradise, I will bestow upon you twelve nights to visit people you wish to bid good-bye too. You have left the mortal world unexpectedly for them and I shall grant their prayers and wishes to see you before you pass on." Kami-sama explained.Ryoma was in total repudiation. He died but was given twelve nights to visit people in their dreams. After a long pause, a smirk inched its way across Ryoma's face. "Twelve nights you say…. Meaning I can visit people's dreams within twelve nights?" Ryoma asked cautiously. Kami-sama laughed again."Yes. Twelve nights. You may visit the people you want to in their dreams. I shall give you the power to weave their dreams together if you wish to visit more than one mortal a time in one night. However, you cannot visit them during the day. Even if they are dreaming. You may only visit at night." Kami-sama spoke again before Ryoma was unwillingly pulled out the room by an invisible hand.Outside the room, Ryoma turned around and saw a path down to the land of the living and smirked. He already knew where and who he wanted to disturbed first. He just couldn't resist since he was dead and was only given twelve nights to have fun. Ryoma went down and walked on the path leading to Okinawa, to visit and mess with Higa's Tennis members dreams. And he was just in time. The sun was setting and he saw the members of Higa-chuu walking out of their school gates."It's been ten days and yet I still feel that the brat is still alive somewhere." He heard Hirakoba speak as Tanishi looked away. It was still a touchy subject for him, the death on Ryoma that is. He and the rest of the players that the young prodigy defeated were in agony. They would never be able to repay the brat back for their lose.Ryoma smirked, "Yeah, messing with these people for the last time with indeed be fun." He thought and disappeared for a few hours, waiting for all of them to be in their bed and go to sleep.
: Higa-chuu, FIGHT ON!
PREVIOUSLY:Ryoma went down and walked on the path leading to Okinawa, to visit and mess with Higa's Tennis members dreams. And he was just in time. The sun was setting and he saw the members of Higa-chuu walking out of their school gates."It's been ten days and yet I still feel that the brat is still alive somewhere." He heard Hirakoba speak as Tanishi looked away. It was still a touchy subject for him, the death on Ryoma that is. He and the rest of the players that the young prodigy defeated were in agony. They would never be able to repay the brat back for their lose.
Ryoma smirked, "Yeah, messing with these people for the last time with indeed be fun." He thought and disappeared for a few hours, waiting for all of them to be in their bed and go to sleep.Ryoma floated around the city of Okinawa and saw that the place indeed was nice. The sunset on the beach was amazing and it made him sigh. He was going to miss that. He won't be able to see sunsets where his going after his twelve nights were over.It was already twelve midnight and it was time for him to show himself., in the dreams of Higa that is. He rubbed his hands together as he went down to where Kite lived. He had to use the captain as the main dream bubble and planned to just pull the dream bubbles of the rest into their captian's dream.(IN DREAM MODE)Kite was walking in the clouds. "Strange... I do not dream of clouds at all." he thought to himself. After a few more minutes, he heard noise from behind him. It was Chinen and Hirakoba. Both doubles partner turned and was in shocked. "Eh, Taicho is also in the same dream of clouds? This is really wierd!" Hirakoba cried out. "I don't dream about clouds at all. It's usually about tennis." Chinen said in a low voice.A few more minutes passed and Tanishi came with a bag of chips. "You guys are here too? Wherever this place is." he said as he chowed down the chips. "Even in your dream, you still eat. I don't wonder why you are always hungry." Hirakoba teased. "Shut up, Hirakoba! Dammit it! I was haivng a good dream about eating in a buffet restaurant when I got moved here." Tanishi said.Tomoya and Aragaki also were in the same dream. "Taicho, were are we?" asked Aragaki. "I have been trying to figure that out for the few moments already." Kite answered. Everyone else sighed. Even their Captain didn't know where they really were."Let me answer that then... Higa-chuu no Taicho..." a voice spoke from the clouds. It made everyone pause with wide eyes. The tone and voice was very familiar to them. "I-it sounded -like..." Chinen began but was stopped when Ryoma appeared before them. "Sounds like my voice." Ryoma said in a cocky tone.If fainting was possible, Tanishi, Hirakoba, and Chinen would have done so. They all screamed in fright. Ryoma Echizen was in front of them. "This is not possible! Your supposed to be dead!" Tanishi yelled from behind Kite. Kite still didn't speak. He was just as stunned as his team were."This is a dream. Duh. Anything is possible within the land of dreams. Here, there is no time. Everything is free flowing." Ryoma explained with a smirk. Kite straightened up and fixed his glassed. "There must be a reason why your here. And why we are here too." Kite said with a sure tone."Do really are a captian. Yeah..." Ryoma began as he tried to look away. "I'm here to say thank you. And good bye. As you said, I'm already dead. I just came to say good bye. Since I didn't do it properly when I was still alive."Tanishi stepped away from his captain, "So, this really is just a dream... Thanks for the match, brat. I wish I would have gotten a chance to pay you back... But I know I can never do that again." Tanishi said in a voice that even his own team didn't recognized.Ryoma was in shocked but shook it off and smirked, "Oh? Even you can be soft as well? The great Okinawan Team must be all soft hearted then." Ryoma teased, trying to hide his feeling of shock and happiness that Tanishi was glad to have met him. He didn't know that he made such an impact to the big guy."Thanks for the lose, Echizen. Because of it, my team and I would have never learned that tennis if for the fun of the sport, not to hurt people." Kite spoke and smiled. Then he bowed slightly as the rest of the team followed. "Thank you for visiting is as well. You could have choosen to not bid us good bye, but you did." Aragaki said. "And for that very fact, we deeply thank you, Echizen Ryoma." added Tomoya.Ryoma took away his smirk and smiled. He bowed back at them. "Well, you guys did make my team stronger too. You introduced us to a different type of tennis and it made us remember that somewhere out there, there are better and stronger teams we needed to face. Now, Seigaku shall have to fight on, without me. But I will always be here. You all may not see me... But when you keep playing, tennis will always be a reminder that a Ryoma Echizen was once a player you had faced." Ryoma said with all sincerity."You're right about that. There are stronger teams out there and Higa-chuu with become stronger and replay your team for the lose you gave us." Hirakoba said with a brave smile. Ryoma knew his time with Higa was coming to a close. He did say that in dreams, there was no time. And what seems like a few minutes is already hours in the real world."Just remember, tennis is fun." Ryoma said as he moved away. "Che! We know that brat!" Tanishi called after him with tears in his eyes. He knew that it would be the last time he would see the brat. "Fight on, Higa-chuu!" Ryoma called from the clouds. "FIGHT ON!" Higa chanted after him.The morning sun crept into the sky and the team woke up back in their own beds. They had a smile on their faces. Echizen visited them in their dreams and bid them goody bye even if they weren't that close to him.They all got ready for another day of school and tennis practice. The team met up at the gates and smiled at each other. A cool breeze blew by and they heard it whisper to them, "I'll always be here..." They knew it was Echizen's voice. They nodded and went through the school doors with happiness in their hearts and hope for a better tomorrow with the whole tennis team.
PREVIOUSLY:The morning sun crept into the sky and the team woke up back in their own beds. They had a smile on their faces. Echizen visited them in their dreams and bid them goody bye even if they weren't that close to him.They all got ready for another day of school and tennis practice. The team met up at the gates and smiled at each other. A cool breeze blew by and they heard it whisper to them, "I'll always be here..." They knew it was Echizen's voice. They nodded and went through the school doors with happiness in their hearts and hope for a better tomorrow with the whole tennis team.
Ryoma was kind of glad to be dead. He could go anywhere he wanted. After visiting Higa, he knew where to go next. He closed his eyes and thought of the place in his mind. When he opened them again, he was already there. The last time he was at that place was for a break from the tournament he was joining. Ryoma was just in time to see a car stop outside the house and saw a blond boy step out."Thanks for the lift, Michael." the blond boy said in a saddened tone. Ryoma could still see that the boy was still devastated from the news of him dying. "Who wouldn't be?" he thought to himself. "Just take it easy Kevin. Don't push yourself too hard." Billy said as he poked his head out the window. Kevin merely shrugged and turned to enter his house. "I can't blame him now, can I. We had been good friends when I was here during my tournament. Sorry Kevin." Ryoma whispered in the air.Kevin looked around, he knew he heard his name. "Did you hear that?" he asked. Billy and Michael turned to look at each other then back at Kevin. "Heard what?" Michael asked back. Kevin sighed and shook his head, he must be really tired to have thought he heard Ryoma's voice saying his name. "Nevermind. I'll see you tomorrow, Billy. Thanks again, Michael." Kevin bid them good bye and went inside. The car left as soon as the door closed."Well, I am now glad to have come here next. Kevin sure can feel me." Ryoma thought. He waited again for the sunset to set and the moon to appear in the night sky. He was looming of Kevin's bedroom when the blond boy came out of the bathroom in his towel. Ryoma wanted o play a little so he blow air into Kevin's neck and hoped that he would feel it.Kevin felt cold air in the back of his neck and it made him jump. "What the hell was that?" he asked out loud. He looked around his room. The air condition wasn't that cold to make him shiver and the window was close so it couldn't have been the evening air. "Why is that even if I know his gone, why can I still feel like his close by?" he thought out loud.Ryoma looked away as Kevin changed into his sleeping clothes. They he climbed into bed, staring at the ceiling. "You really are unfair, Ryoma. You promised a lot of people rematches and you didn't keep them." he said. "It's not like I wanted to die, Kevin." Ryoma whispered. Kevin once again sat up and looked around. He heard Ryoma's voice saying his name. "I really must be dead tired." Kevin declared as he laid back down and went to sleep.It was around midnight when Ryoma entered Kevin's dream. He did the same thing he did to Higa. He pulled the dream bubbles of Bobby, Billy, Michael, Arnold, Tom, and Terry into Kevin's. (DREAM MODE)"Am I dreaming? Or am I dead?" Kevin asked himself as he was walking around. There were clouds everywhere. "If your dead, we must be dead too." Tom said as he and Terry came closer to Kevin. "this must be a share dream. I've read about these. People who come in contact with other people who just came from either a depression situation or joyful, share the same dream." Terry explained."Then it must be a depressing situation then." Bobby said as he, Billy, Michael, and Arnold came. They looked at each other and knew in one look what the situation was that made them have a shared dream. "Or maybe because I pulled you all in Kevin's dream so I can talk to you guys together and to save time." Ryoma said as he appeared in front of them.Kevin screamed as he hid behind Billy who hid behind Arnold and Bobby. Terry jumped into Tom's arms in fright. "What the hell! Ryoma! You're supposed to be dead!" Kevin screamed. "I am dead, you dolt! This is a dream, remember?" Ryoma rolled his eyes. "What brings you to our dreams?" Arnold asked."I simply came to say good bye." Ryoma began. Kevin rushed in front of Ryoma as he attempted to grabbed his friend but he went through Ryoma instead. "Kevin, do you turn off your brain when you go to sleep? You can't touch me. I'm dead. Geez. Mada Mada Dane, Kevin." the green haired boy teased. "You're unfair! You know that? You promised a lot of people a rematch with you! How are we supposed to claim those matches now?" Kevin said with tears in his eyes."K-Kevin..." Michael spoke. "That weird kid with red hair cried his eyes out when he finally realized that you were really gone! That other kid who kinda looks like you cried too! I cried you idiot! How could you?" Kevin screamed at Ryoma. "It's not like I chose to die, Kevin. It just happened." Ryoma said as he turned away."I'm... Geez... It was easier when I faced Higa last night... Kevin, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I died. Thought it wasn't really my plan to do so, I'm still sorry. I'm sorry I can't play tennis with you anymore. I'm... I'm sorry I let you all down. My team... My family... My friends..." Ryoma's voice was shakey. It was really hard to apologize. Now he knew why.Ryoma whished he could touched Kevin. He concentrated really hard and his body began to solidify. Ryoma stretched out his hand and patted Kevin's head. He hugged his friend who cried his heart out. Terry burned his head into Tom's chest. He was crying for Kevin. Michael rubbed Billy's back with there were tears in Bobby's eyes. Arnold handed him a tissue."When we met again... In the afterlife maybe... I promise we'll play tennis again. We can do it for all eternity then. Match after match after match." Ryoma assured Kevin. Kevin pulled away and wiped his tears, "If I don't find you in heaven, everyone will jump down to hell for their rematches. That includes me!" Kevin told Ryoma.Ryoma nodded and smiled. "Of course. I promise to play with you first when we meet up again." Ryoma answered Kevin. Ryoma turned to the rest, "Thanks for everything. You guys thought me a lot. It was great to have known you all. Even you Bobby." Ryoma teased. They all chuckled. Then Ryoma felt the same thing he felt when he visited Higa. His time was up."This is were I bid you good bye. Take good care of yourself, Kevin. Brush up on that you tennis style so that when we meet up again, you won't lose so badly to me." Ryoma said and laughed. Kevin scoffed and smirked, "Well, I have time to practice. You'll be the one who'll lose when we meet up, Ryoma." Kevin said.Ryoma simply smirk as he floated away from them, "Mada Mada Dane..." he called out from the clouds.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"That's for you, idiot." Kevin said as he opened his eyes to a new morning. He smiled as he looked out his window, "We'll meet again Ryoma. And you'll lose to all of us when we see you." he said as he grabbed his towel to shower and ready for another day.
: Hey Kevin, Can You Feel Me?
PREVIOUSLY:"That's for you, idiot." Kevin said as he opened his eyes to a new morning. He smiled as he looked out his window, "We'll meet again Ryoma. And you'll lose to all of us when we see you." he said as he grabbed his towel to shower and ready for another day.
Ryoma was pacing back and forth among the clouds, thinking where to go next. When your dead, there's not time really. You just see the sun rise and sun set when you look down on the living world. Then it struck him. He knew were to go now. With wishful thinking he was outside St. Rudolph's Dormitory. He had passed it once when he and Momo were dragged by Fuji so that he could see his brother."Mizuki-san! We really have to get ready for practice." Yuuta called from the lobby. Atsushi and Yanagisawa were with the younger Fuji. Mizuki came down the stairs, all dress for practice. "You do not have to scream, Yuuta-kun. I can hear you just fine." Mizuki told him.They had bags with them that looked bigger than just practices bags. "I'm glad we can have practice far from the city. I think this will be good for all of since. To regroup ourselves from the lose of a friend and amazing opponent." Atsushi said.Ryoma was amazed. He was amazing even to St. Rudolph. "Of course I was amazing." Ryoma said. He followed the whole team to the bus stop and floated around them. "I still can't believe it, dane. That promising freshman died, dane." Yanagisawa shivered. "Death really does not choose an age." Kaneda spoke. The rest agreed.The bus came and they all jumped in. Ryoma sat next to the space where Yuuta was sitting. "Che. I hate sitting next to the aisle." Ryoma said and crossed his arms. Yuuta turned around and saw Atsushi sitting on the opposite side of him, "Atsushi-san, if you don't like the sit next to the aisle, you can have me window sit." Yutta offered.However, Atsushi got confused. "Huh? I enjoy sitting by the aisle. It let's me see the people who enter and leave and I get to leave before Yanagisawa so I like it. What made you say I didn't like sitting here?" This creeped out Yuuta a little. "I heard you say that you don't like sitting by the aisle." Yuuta told him. Yanagisawa also looked confused. He was talking to Atsushi so it was impossible for him to say something without him hearing it first."Are you alright, Yuuta? Atsushi and I have been talking, dane. He didn't say anything like hating the aisle sit, dane." Yanagisawa told Yuuta and Atsushi. Yuuta wondered who he heard. "Nevermind then." Yuuta said and looked back out the window. Just as he turned to look out, he saw a reflection of Ryoma beside him. "AAAAAAAHHHHHH!" He screamed which caused his teammates to jump up in fright."What happened, Yuuta?" asked Akazawa, their Captain. "I-I..." he stuttered. "If I tell them I saw Echizen they might think I've gone crazy." he thought to himself. He quickly shook his head and sighed, "Nothing. Sorry. I thought S-something bit me." Yuuta tried to shake the feeling away.This amused Ryoma. Kami-sama didn't mention that people can see him in reflections. This gave him a thought and smirked. Atsushi moved to sit next to Yuuta to ask if there was something wrong, leaving Yanagisawa alone. Ryoma passed before Yanagisawa's window which made the junior jump out into the aisle. "AAAAHHH! DANE!" he screamed."What's wrong now?" Mizuki looked up from his notes, trying to make a work out for them. "I-I just saw... I saw..." he was trembling. Ryoma was trying his best not to laugh out loud. "Saw what, Yanagisawa-san?" asked Nomura. "I think I saw a reflection of Echizen, dane!" he said."You saw it too?" Yuuta quickly asked. Yanagisawa nodded and was still shaking. "I think you both have been thinking about that boy too much. I think Atsushi is right. This trip will be good for us." Akazawa spoke. Yanagisawa knew what he saw. And Yuuta believed him. Now he knew why Yuuta screamed.When they got to the cottage they were staying, up in the mountains, it was already evening. "Practice starts at four in the morning. The keepers have prepared dinner and after that we can all rest up." spoke Mizuki as he went up the stairs to the bedroom with his name on the door. They each had rooms of their own.Dinner went smoothly and Ryoma did his best to not cause trouble. "Being dead isn't half as bad if I get to have fun too." he thought with a smirk. He waited for everyone to head back to their rooms and sleep. But just before they all went to bed, they all heard Mizuki scream from his room.They all ran and found their manager out in the hallway with black ink on his face. "Mizuki, what happened?" asked Akazawa. Kaneda handed Mizuki a towel and he quickly tried wiping the ink before it got dried. "I don't know. I was righting something for tomorrow's exercise and my pen stopped working. I tried to see why then the ink lever got pulled down somehow and the ink sprayed all over my face." he explained.Yuuta and Yanagisawa wondered if it was really Echizen doing pranks on them. They all went back and tried to get some rest.Ryoma planned to use Yuuta's dream bubble instead of Akazawa's because he knew Yuuta better. (DREAM MODE)Yuuta was walking around. He didn't know where he was. All he knew was that he wasn't in the cottage anymore. Yuuta saw Yanagisawa and Atsushi and ran to them. "Where are we?" he asked them. Both shook their heads. Not too long, they were joined by the rest of their team. "Mizuki-san! Where are we?" Yuuta asked in concern.Mizuki looked around but before he could answer, Ryoma appeared in front of them and cried, "BOO!" "AAAAHHHH!" was what they all screamed before hiding behind their captain's back. Mizuki was frozen solid. "E-echizen-k-kun? Is that r-really you?" he asked, stuttering."The one and only. Unless you know anyone else with the name Ryoma Echizen and who looks a hell like me." Ryoma said cheekily. Mizuki snapped out of his frozen stated and twitched. "Even in death, your still cocky, Echizen-kun." he said. The rest began to relax a little."Your all in the same dream. Pulled and weaved together by me." Ryoma said. "Why?" Yuuta asked. "Well... That is... Because... Uhm..." Ryoma sighed. "I thought after two visits, thing would become easier." he whispered to himself."I did this to bid you all good bye. I died and left you all without saying good bye." he said in a soft voice. Yuuta stood up straight and nodded. "T-thank you for doing so, Echizen." Yuuta said. Ryoma smirked again. And knew that he had to admit somethings."Eto... Gomenasai, Mizuki-senpai... About the ink spraying all over your face... And sorry about scaring you during the bus ride. I just couldn't resist. Being dead can have little advantages so I thought to have fun for a little while." he explained and saw the tick in Mizuki's forehead getting bigger.Then Mizuki looked up and smiled icily, "Since your dead and I can't get back at you, you all will have a very rough morning if I have a say in this." Mizuki warned his teammates. Yuuta, Atsushi, Yanagisawa, and Kaneda looked scaried then glared at Ryoma, "Echizen!" they yelled.Ryoma was glad they couldn't grabbed him and that he was a ghost. When the yells died down, "I also wanna thank you guys for everything. Yuuta-san, you keep aiming to defeat Fuji-senpai. Go for it." Ryoma cheered him. Yuuta smiled and nodded."Well, I have to talk my leave now since you all will be waking up momentarily. Good luck." He said and disappeared.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~When they all woke up, Mizuki did go through his threat and they all ran up the mountain. "When we meet Echizen in the afterlife, dane (pant) I'll beat him up and tear him limb from limb, dane!" Yanagisawa vowed as they ran up the hill.Ryoma smirked and simply whispered, "Mada mada dane..."
: Am I Really A Liar?
PREVIOUSLY:When they all woke up, Mizuki did go through his threat and they all ran up the mountain. "When we meet Echizen in the afterlife, dane (pant) I'll beat him up and tear him limb from limb, dane!" Yanagisawa vowed as they ran up the hill.Ryoma smirked and simply whispered, "Mada mada dane..."
Ryoma was bored. He had been thinking forever of who shall he visit next. He missed playing tennis when he was bored. Kami-sama didn't say that he couldn't. But how was he supposed to play without an opponent. He didn't if there were dead tennis players like him around. Then out of nowhere, the image of Shinji Ibu came into his mind. "Why not drop by Fudomine…'' his mind told him. Ryoma smirked and did so.A few moments later, we was watching Fudomine's practice. Ryoma felt something wasn't right. "Maybe because you're watching from the sky… Mada mada dane, Ryoma." Ryoma's own mind teased him. Ryoma floated down closer and saw that Ibu was playing against Kamio. And Kamio just got caught in Ibu's Spot.The red head dropped his racquet and Ibu scored. "I really hate that technique of yours, Ibu! May I remind you that I cannot use both my hands like Echizen did? I—" Kamio caught himself. Ibu looked hurt, being reminded of Ryoma just when Ibu was trying to recover. "Kamion!" Tachibana called out. "G-gomen, Ibu. I-I didn't mean to—" Kamio started to apologize but Ibu walked out the court without saying anything.Ryoma followed Ibu to the locker room and saw him head to the showers. Ryoma stayed out the showers, since he could already hear Ibu's fist hitting the wall. Ryoma looked crushed as if he was in Ibu's shoes. "Did I mean this much to all these people?" Ryoma thought.He listened to Ibu's cries of pain and anger. Ryoma winced at the thought that his previous opponent was acting like this because of his death. Ibu punched the wall again. "Chik'sho! Echizen! You damn liar!" Ibu yelled. For some reason, Ryoma felt he was going to hell for being a liar. Tanishi and Kevin kept calling him a liar. Now Ibu says his a liar too.The shower area was covered in fog so he thought that he could use it to snap Ibu out of his misery for a few hours until Ryoma could talk to him in their dreams. The fog worked like the glass reflection. Ibu snapped out when he say something move among the fog. "Who's there? Whoever you are, leave me alone!" he yelled. Ibu never yells but now he just did.After a few more minutes, he got out and changed into his school uniform. He met the rest of his team as he was exiting the locker room. "Shinji, are you alright now?" Tachibana asked with a concerned tone. Ibu didn't trust himself to speak so he just nodded. He was about to leave when he turned and saw a reflection of Ryoma by the window. Ibu's eye widen in shock.But then he shook the image and told himself that he was just tired and was seeing things. Ryoma was glad that he was able to snap Ibu out. Though he won't admit it, Ryoma did care for his previous opponents, and that included Shinji Ibu. Ryoma wanted to follow Ibu but he had to stay with Tachibana and the team.Inside the locker room, "Gomen, Tachibana-san. I didn't mean to snap at Ibu earlier." Kamio apologized. Tachibana understood him. "It wasn't your fault, Kamio. We're all just a bit edgy, that's all. That's it for today. Let's all go home and rest." Fudomine's Captain instructed. "Hai." They all chorused.The practiced seemed to have brought out different emotions and reactions. Ryoma indeed influenced a lot of people without knowing it. Kippei Tachibana was walking home with his sister, Ann. Both didn't anything until they were a block away from their house. "Nii-chan…" Ann began but her brother raised his hand to stop her."We'll talk about it tomorrow. Too many things have happened and a tragedy just happened. Let us rest now and discuss it tomorrow." He told her. Ann was amazed how her brother knew she was going to talk about the incident during practice and how Ibu was acting. But she knew he was right. It could wait.Ryoma nodded in approval, "Tachibana-san is indeed wise." Ryoma praised. They he flew around until the sun settle and the moon came to watch for the night.It was nearly midnight once again and Ryoma planned to bring Ann into the dream state as well. "Let's get this night over and done with." He said as he willed the dreams into Tachibana Kippei's dream.(DREAM MODE)"Whoa… Am I in heaven?" Kamio asked out loud. "I don't think so, Kamio." Tachibana said as he came with Ann. "We're all in the same dream." Ann said while looking around. "I just don't understand why were in the clouds rather than in a tennis court." She added. A few moments later, Ishida, Sakurai, Uchimura, and Mori came."Everyone's almost here… Except for Ibu-kun." Ann pointed out. Out of nowhere, Ryoma came and appeared in front of Fudomine. "That's because his still awake. That's why he isn't here." Kamio jumped high and landed on Ishida's arms. This surprised everyone, even Tachibana. "Oh? Not only are you 'rhythm high', you can also jump high like Kikumaru-senpai, Gakuto-san of Hyotei." Ryoma teased.Ann simply smiled, "I was right then, this is just a dream. Hey Ryoma-kun. How have you been?" she asked. Ryoma looked at her with his smirk, "Dead. But—I'll be back." He said and disappeared. "T-that was really Echizen, wasn't it?" Kamio asked. Ishida dropped Kamio and the rest laughed as the red head complained.After a few moments, Ryoma came back with Ibu who looked pale as a ghost. "He looks like his seen a ghost." Ryoma joked. "We all did, Echizen. You. Your now a ghost in our dreams." Tachibana just had to point it out. Ryoma lost his smirk. "Che. I know. You don't have to remind me, Tachibana-san." Ryoma said."Why are we all in the same dream, Ryoma-kun?" asked Ann. Ryoma sighed, "I came to say good bye. I wish I could have given a few minutes before I died but that didn't happen. I wasn't given time to bid people good bye. Now through messing with your dreams, I can." He explained."You were in the locker room earlier… And I'm sure I saw your reflection on the window when I left." Ibu spoke with his usual tone. Ryoma simply nodded. "Just so you know, I have been called a liar too many times. I think I'll be heading to hell because of it." He told Ibu."Then I'll be looking for you down there when I die to claim my rematch." Ibu said with a smirk. "I think you'll have to take a number. Tanishi of Higa-chuu, Kevin of the American Team, and Yuuta of St. Rudolph called their numbers when they meet me again." Ryoma said confidently."Even after death, you have not lessened you cockiness of self-confidence, Echizen." Tachibana comment. "Of course. Just because I died doesn't mean I have to be soft." Ryoma told him. "How does time here work?" asked Uchimura. "Time here is free flowing… An hour can seem like a moment… An entire night can seem like a few minutes… That's why dreams are like heaven. We only got to stay for a short while before waking up." He explained."Thank you, Echizen." Ibu spoke just as soon as Ryoma finished his explanation. "Yes, thank you. For saying good bye to us." Kamio added. The rest nodded. "Well I had to say good bye. You were the first time I fought when I had my debut into the singles game." Ryoma said with a smile, not a smirk.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"We will see you again in the afterlife, Echizen." Tachibana said as Ryoma slowly floated away. "Work hard, Fudomine." Ryoma cheered as he turned his back on them. Ibu nodded and decided to practice hard so that when he faces Ryoma again, he'll be ready.
: Yo, Mr. Masterpiece.
PREVIOUSLY:"We will see you again in the afterlife, Echizen." Tachibana said as Ryoma slowly floated away. "Work hard, Fudomine." Ryoma cheered as he turned his back on them. Ibu nodded and decided to practice hard so that when he faces Ryoma again, he'll be ready.
After he saw how Ibu took his death, Ryoma knew where to go next. He wondered if the unemotional masterpiece, Reiji of Josei Shonan, would be like Ibu, hitting the wall with his fist or be unaffected. It was lunchtime when Ryoma came down upon Josei Shonan's practice. Moreover, he was in time to see Kajimoto and Wakato finish their practice match with Kajimoto leading the game. He looked around but couldn't find Reiji. "He must be practicing somewhere or changing." Ryoma thought and watched Kajimoto finish the match."Kajimoto-taicho doesn't lighten up even for a practice match." commented Oota. Daichi and the twins nodded. Hanamura came with a forced smile of her face. Ryoma could tell the difference. "You both did well. Wakato-kun, your own tennis looks very promising." She praised him. Wakato chuckled, "Arigato, Hanamura-sensei. I've been working on it with the help of Kajimoto and Reiji." "Speaking of Reiji, where—" Kajimoto didn't finish since Reiji entered the courts already.Reiji looked even more distant than before. Ryoma was in awe. "Could it be?" He thought again. He watched Reiji walk closer to the twins and asked them for a match. "Two versus one?" Youhei asked. Reiji had already turned around, "You can ask Oota to join you as a three versus one game if you are not that confident to face me." Reiji spoke. It was even colder than usual. Kouhei comforted his twin as Youhei felt a bit of fear in Reiji's voice."We have to understand him, Youhei." Kouhei told his twin. The there was nothing they could do. Reiji was in turmoil and Ryoma was witnessing it. The match began and everyone stopped with whatever they were doing to watch the event. They all wondered who would win and how the match will be. Ryoma floated beside Hanamura since she always had the best view of her students."He seems angrier than usual." Wakato whispered to Daichi and Oota. They nodded in approval. Lately, Reiji would be the first one to arrive and practice and the last to leave. The entire team noticed that since the funeral, Reiji had been training hard and longer than the rest of them. They wondered why but never asked out loud, fearing bad response from the pissed sadistic teammate.Ryoma listened intently to the teammates while watching the match. He saw for himself how different Reiji's playing style was from the time he had faced the guy in an official match. "He had trained harder and tougher than the rest of you for one reason alone." Hanamura began but was cut off by Wakato, "We know. He trained like crazy to have a rematch with Seigaku's super rookie.""But then, he died and Reiji's dreamed rematch was tossed out the window." Oota spoke. "None of us can blame him if his the way he is now." added Daichi. Ryoma was stunned. Even Reiji was like Tanishi, Kevin, and Ibu. "Yes. That is why we all must be careful around Reiji. Let's not make him more edgier than he is now." their couch instructed and the rest nodded. They didn't want to pick a fight with Reiji.Ryoma saw the match before his very eyes. The twins couldn't even score a single point against him. "Game and Set. Reiji with six games to love." called out the referee. The twins were panting still, "R-reiji-sempai… We know your p-pissed about Echizen-kun being dead—" Kouhei began. "But you don't have to aim your frustration at us." Youhei finished. The watchers were ready to rush into the court if Reiji would attempt something.However, Reiji simply walked to the court gates, "You two will never be half as good as Echizen was." He said before leaving. He was heading for the locker room. Kajimoto and Wakato entered the courts and saw that Youhei was in the brink of tears. "Why are you going to cry? Because Reiji said that you won't be half as good as Echizen was when he was alive?" asked Wakato. Youhei nodded and Kouhei just comforted his twin."He didn't have to rub it in. I knew it within myself that Kouhei and I will never be like Echizen-kun. But we are trying to show that we can be good players still." Youhei said in between sobs. Hanamura looked at them then turned to see Reiji enter the locker room. Ryoma followed.Inside, Reiji quietly took a shower, letting the water run through his entire body. If he would cry, Ryoma would know it. But he didn't. However, something about the silence made Ryoma wonder what Reiji was really thinking. Then Ryoma left him alone. Not wanting to see a repeat of what Ibu did. When he passed through the door, he also passed through Kajimoto. The captain shivered for a moment."Is something wrong, Kajimoto?" asked Wakato. The rest turned to him. "I.. It was like…For a second… I felt like I passed through something… It felt cold…" he tried to explained. "Cold? Passing through you made feel disoriented!" Ryoma said as he tried to get his wits back together. It was Daichi who heard Ryoma clearly. "If you feel disoriented, don't pass through people then. Whoever you are." He said to the air.He quickly went inside to avoid any questions from his teammates. After having a short meeting, the team went home. Kajimoto and Wakato were walking out the school gates when they saw Reiji leaving before them. "I wonder how long he'll be in depression." asked Wakato. "We'll just have to be a little more patient. We can't fully understand how Reiji feels since none of us has face Echizen Ryoma in a serious and life changing match." Kajimoto told him.Later that night, Kajimoto was in bed and ready to rest. He also wondered what it would have been like if he was the one who faced Echizen instead of Reiji. "For some reason, I envy you Reiji. To have face that kid in an official match must have been amazing." Kajimoto thought out loud. They he closed his eyes to sleep. Ryoma heard what he said and just stared for a few moments before concentrating on what he was supposed to do. (DREAM MODE)When Kajimoto opened his eyes, he saw Hanamura and Wakato looking down at him. "What are you two doing in my bedroom?" he asked instantly. "Wow… if this is you room, you must be dead then." spoke Oota standing next to Daichi and the twins. Not a second too soon, Reiji wandered to where his teammates were. "Hanamura-sensei, where are we?" asked Wakato. The rest was eager to know as well."I think I can answer that better than she can." A familiar voice came from somewhere. A moment later, Ryoma appeared in between the twins. "AAAAHHHH!" screamed Oota as he jumped into Daichi's arms. The twins were hiding behind Wakato and Reiji. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Ryoma asked, trying to sound as if the setting was normal and he wasn't really a ghost."How can this be? Echizen-kun, aren't you supposed to be dead?" asked the couch. Ryoma then floated and sighed, "Oh yeah. I forgot that part. I am already dead." Ryoma said as if it just really dawned on to him. "Stop playing around, Echizen-kun!" Youhei called from behind Wakato. "Yeah! This isn't funny!" Kouhei added. "Funny? I didn't realize I was making a joke." Ryoma said with cockiness, like he always did.Reiji tried to examine Ryoma carefully. "This is just a dream, isn't it?" Reiji asked. No one spoke for a bit. "Yeah, this is just a dream. Your separate dreams were woven together tonight for one purpose." Ryoma said. "And what purpose it that?" asked Daichi. Then he remembered what happened earlier. "You're the ectoplasm that passed through Kajimoto-san outside the locker room, weren't you?" he asked.Ryoma was impressed. Despite being big, Daichi wasn't as stupid as he looked. "Ectoplasm eh… Yeah it was me… And the purpose I spoke of is me saying good bye." He told them. No one dared to say anything. They weren't sure if they were still breathing at all. "That just makes everything real then… You really are dead, Echizen." Reiji said with a saddened tone.Ryoma merely nodded. "I'm sorry to have left without a proper farewell. We may not have been that close, but I saw it fit to at least say good-bye. Josei Shonan was one of the teams that made Seigaku a lot stronger. And it made us realize that every battle will be different and will have different results." Ryoma said."No, thank you, Echizen-kun." Oota said with a smile. "Yes, because of you, you have showed that even small players like us—" "We can make a big impact too." Kouhei finished for Youhei and the twins nodded. "Yes, because of your team, I have met that Mamushi and have learned that even if I can copy strong tennis players, it still doesn't show my own skills and style." Wakato added."Because of you Echizen, I have learned to not use tennis to hurt and injure people. Tennis should be fun and challenging. Thank you." Reiji said with a smile on his face. Hanamura was glad. "Echizen-kun, you told me that when one reaches perfection, there is nothing left to do right? Well, all my masterpieces haven't reached perfection yet. And I don't think perfection exists. There will always be room for improvement, am I right, Echizen-kun?" she asked with a smile.Ryoma simply smiled and nodded. "Keep training to be the best in what you do. Turn mistakes into a learning experience and a loss as a stepping-stone to become better tennis players." He told them. He showed them the rising of the sun, "Everyday will be a new day to train harder and aim higher." He added as he floated away. "When we see each other again, I will have to claim my rematch." Reiji called out."Take a number then… Tanishi of Higa-chuu, Kevin of the American Team, and Ibu of Fudomine have lined up for their rematches too." Ryoma spoke with confidence. Reiji only nodded in response. He knew he will see Ryoma again someday and when that day comes, he will be ready.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Then they all woke up in their own beds again. They knew Ryoma was right. Every day will be another day for them to try and become better tennis players. And it was another chance for them to live a life full of meaning and memories. Memories that included a certain green haired cocky tennis prodigy.
: Cheer Up, You-Loud-As-A-Speaker Captain
PREVIOUSLY:"Take a number then… Tanishi of Higa-chuu, Kevin of the American Team, and Ibu of Fudomine have lined up for their rematches too." Ryoma spoke with confidence. Reiji only nodded in response. He knew he will see Ryoma again someday and when that day comes, he will be ready.Then they all woke up in their own beds again. They knew Ryoma was right. Every day will be another day for them to try and become better tennis players. And it was another chance for them to live a life full of meaning and memories. Memories that included a certain green haired cocky tennis prodigy.
Ryoma was bored, too bored. He was floating over the tennis racquet shop Rokkakku's coach owns. He was wondering when they would finish and head home. He watched as Aoi Kentaro played a one-sided match with his sempai and vice-captain, Saeki. Amane, Bane, and Itsuki saw that their freshman captain was not paying attention to the score nor did he noticed the game before him."We must all be very patient with him. He just lost someone he held close to him." Oji said as he appeared next to Amane. Bane looked crushed, knowing who their coach meant. They all haven't really recovered from Ryoma Echizen's death. It wasn't something that anyone can easily move on with. "Who would have ever thought that death would claim that boy's life so early? Just as things were going well from him too." Bane thought to himself as he tried his best to not snap and end the unjust game before his eyes.But before anyone could say anything, Aoi had dropped his racquet and knelt on the ground. Tears began to flow from his eyes that startled Ryoma. "Why are you crying over my death? We all die, you idiot! I just happened to go first before the rest of you guys." Ryoma yelled out. A he knew he heard Ryoma's voice. He wasn't crazy. "Echizen-kun? Echizen-kun! Show yourself! I know you're here somewhere!" Aoi called out. Saeki and the rest of Rokkakku's regulars quickly ran to Aoi's side."O-oi… Kentaro… Echizen isn't here." Ryou spoke softly and with concern for his young captain. "No! I heard him! I heard Echizen-kun just now! He asked why I was crying over his death and that everyone dies! He also said that it just so happens that death took him first before the rest of us!" Aoi yelled as more tears ran down his eyes. Ryoma sighed and knew that he had to stop talking out loud before the people who hear him would be labeled as insane for hearing dead people's voices."I think we could call it a day. Come on Kentaro. Time for us to go home and rest." Saeki said as he tried to help Aoi stand up but Aoi's facial expression when from sad to angry. "I heard him! Echizen-kun was here! Echizen-kun!" Aoi called out again, looking around his surroundings. Ryoma knew he had to do something or things would get worst. He floated down next to Aoi and sighed."I know you can hear me, you idiot. I don't know how or why. But before your teammates think that you've gone crazy, stop telling them you can hear me. I can't explain why but it's only you who can hear me for now. I'll talk to you when you fall asleep. Just stop scaring your sempais and go home so that you all can sleep." Ryoma said with his cold tone but Aoi saw a hint of concern. Aoi merely nodded and stopped fussing."I-I think we all should just go home now… It's been a long day." He told everyone and quickly exited the court and headed to the locker room to change. He wanted to get home as quickly as he could so that he could talk to Ryoma again. Saeki and Bane took A they had to make sure that he could get home safe. Then, they both went their separate ways.They all really had a rough week after the funeral and wondered how Seigaku was trying to recover from everything that just happened: winning the National Championship thanks to Ryoma but losing him a few weeks after. That must have been a huge blow to them all, not to mention to Ryoma's parents who were so proud of him and his older brother who looked far worse than their parents when he saw Ryoma's blown up photo.Aoi moved fast around his house: greeting his family, taking a shower, having dinner, breezing through his homework, then went to bed. "Echizen-kun, I don't know if you're here now but I really just want to talk to you. There are questions I want to ask you and you're the only one who can give me the answers." Aoi spoke out loud in his empty bedroom. And indeed, Ryoma was there. The green hair ghost sighed again and he waited for Aoi to fall asleep. (DREAM MODE)Ryoma didn't have to wait long. Sleep came fast for Aoi and Ryoma was once again amongst the dream clouds. Aoi saw Ryoma the moment he turned around. "Echizen-kun!" Aoi called out loud which made Ryoma wince. "Even in your dreams your voice is still that loud. No need to shout you know." Ryoma told Aoi. Instantly, Aoi was a few feet away from Ryoma."Echizen-kun, I want to know why no one else could hear you but me." He asked in a rushed voice. Ryoma turned and scratched his temple, "Well… I don't really know why. But aside from you, Kevin Smith of the American Team, Yuuta Fuji of St. Rudolph, Shinji Ibu of Fudomine, and I'm not sure of Reiji from Josei Shonan but they could hear me like you can but their teammates couldn't." Ryoma answered.Not long after, the rest of Rokkakku came all together, as if they were afraid of fallen out of the clouds when they least expected it. "Minna-san! You're all here! See? I told you I heard Echizen-kun earlier!" Aoi called out to them with glee. Amane looked pale as a ghost. Itsuki was just in awe. Saeki and Bane couldn't move for a few minutes. "H-how is this possible?" Bane asked in total disbelief. "Is this not a dream?" Ryoma smirked and sounded cocky, like he usually did.Because of this, Saeki snapped back to his old self. "Echizen-kun, did you do this? Bring us all together in one dream?" Saeki asked. Ryoma shivered for a moment, the guy was really similar to his on sempai, Fuji. They knew things before he could explain. He merely nodded and sighed once again."I did this because I was not able to bid you all a proper farewell. Though I didn't expect to die this young, I had a feeling that I wouldn't live long enough to turn twenty… [sighs] And here is my dilemma again… I came to say thank you. Thanks for being a big help for Seigaku to be where we are now. Thanks for being good sports and great allies when no one else was there to cheer us on." Ryoma turned away so that they wouldn't see him being soft.Saeki understood, Ryou smiled and nodded, Itsuki and Bane smiled as they took care of Aoi who was crying again. Amane looked like he was in deep thought which made everyone think if he was going to say another stupid joke. "Ryoma Echizen-kun, you are most welcome. You and your team have taught us a lot more than you think. And because of that, we, Rokkakku will be eternally grateful. Yes, it was sad that you had to die at such a young age. But you have left an irremovable mark on the lives of everyone you have met, faced, and conquered. You will never be forgotten." Amane said and bowed respectfully.Not only Ryoma but Amane's teammates were in shock. They had never heard him speak that way and most certainly not with respect for someone who is younger than he was. But they all recovered and the rest of Rokkakku bowed after Amane. This made Ryoma blush a little and turned away again. Aoi chuckled as he saw the green haired boy look away. "Ryoma-kun, when we meet each other again, I will have to claim that rematch you promised me when you defeated me in an official match." Aoi smiled."That would take a little while… Don' I'll give you your desired rematch. With the rest of the other players that I have defeated and promised a rematch with." Ryoma said. He knew that his time was up with them. "Well, time for me to go now, Rokkakku. Keep practicing and keep fighting to reach the top." He told them before he completely disappeared from them.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Rokkakku woke up to a brand new day and Aoi looked forward to the day that he would see Echizen again and claim the promised match that will be one Aoi will forever remember.
: Doppleganger and Mr. I'm-Too-Cool-To-Be-Soft-Once-In-A-While
PREVIOUSLY:"That would take a little while… Don' I'll give you your desired rematch. With the rest of the other players that I have defeated and promised a rematch with." Ryoma said. He knew that his time was up with them. "Well, time for me to go now, Rokkakku. Keep practicing and keep fighting to reach the top." He told them before he completely disappeared from them.Rokkakku woke up to a brand new day and Aoi looked forward to the day that he would see Echizen again and claim the promised match that will be one Aoi will forever remember.
Taichi Dan was still in ruins. The one person he looked up that made a big change in his life was no longer alive. He was never going to see Ryoma again. He was never going to show Ryoma how much he improved with his skills. He was that crushed. Sengoku and the rest tried their best to comfort their own little freshman. They knew how much Dan held Ryoma Echizen of Seigaku high in his pedestal. He was the reason why Dan stopped being a manager and went to be a tennis player.Despite not showing he cared, Jin stayed closed to Yamabuki's courts whenever Dan was there. Even Touji, Minami, and Masami moved carefully around Dan. Any sudden mention of Ryoma or Seigaku would send the special freshman out the court, crying. And it broke their hearts when they saw him cry the first time at the funeral, crying over Echizen's photo. "I wonder how long he'll be like this. He has to snap out sooner or later." Sengoku said with concerned. The rest agreed.Dan came and looked like he was going to break at any given point. Banji resumed the usual tennis practice with caution. Everything Dan did, it reminded him strongly of Echizen. This was Dan's biggest crisis. Ryoma looked concerned from above. "He's just like, Ibu, Reiji, Kei, Kevin, Yuuta and Aoi. They all shattered into pieces after my death. Was I that important to them?" he asked himself. He wasn't sure of the answer though. But he had a feeling that he was going to find out soon enough.Ryoma saw Akutsu Jin enter the courts just as Dan positioned himself at the very back of everyone. He didn't want people to see him the way he was at the moment. Since he was being called a copy of Ryoma Echizen, Dan thought that he had to act like how Echizen acted, cold and passive. But that was something Dan was trying to do but was obviously failing at it. He just didn't have to be like Ryoma.Jin stood next to Dan as the boy hugged his knees close to his chest, "Gomenasai, Akutsu-sempai. I guess I won't be able to fulfill my promise of being like Echizen-kun desu. I think I can't be anything like him…" he faded off. Jin sighed and turned to scare away a few freshmen who were in hearing range. "Taichi, no one ever said you have to be like him. I for one just said that the brat was something you can be like in terms of height, skills, and potential. I never said you have to act like him too." He told Dan."Beside, your Taichi Dan, not Ryoma Echizen. You may look like him with the hat and the stature, but you two are different players. I'm sure the brat wouldn't like seeing you this way." Jin tried to comfort despite the hard facial expression. "Yeah, I may not show it but I do care about the people I have met and faced, whether I won or lose." Ryoma whispered. Both Jin and Dan looked up. "D-did you hear that, Akutsu-sempai?" Dan said as he looked at Jin.Jin on the other hand was frozen solid, "Did I just hear the brat's voice?" he asked himself. "Sempai?" Dan called out again. "I'm not sure, Taichi. But I'm sure as hell that the voice belonged to the brat." He answered. Ryoma smirked. This was a first for him. After six nights, this was the first time that two instead of one can hear him at the same time. Though Ryoma knew he would never be seen unless he wanted to show himself, he was just surprised that Jin and Dan both heard him together."Oh? This is something new… Two people can hear me instead of one… And to make it more surprising, even Devil Jin can hear me…" Ryoma snorted. Akutsu growled a little after hearing the voice call him 'Devil Jin'. It was something the green haired brat would probably call him to his face. "Taichi, we better go now or I might actually impale a random person for me thinking that I'm hearing the brat's voice." Akutsu said as he walked away, Dan quickly following him. He was scared that he could her Ryoma's voice. Who wouldn't, right?That night, Akutsu finally laid flat across his bed and sighed. The day seemed weird the whole time. He could sense that he and Taichi were never alone and that the familiar voice seemed to speak to them when they least expected. He didn't have the energy anymore to fight off his mind.(DREAM MODE)Akutsu found himself in an unfamiliar setting. Since when did he dreamt of clouds? This was unspeakable. However, not too long after he thought he was alone, he ran into Sengoku, Touji, Minami, Masami, and Dan. "Akutsu-sempai! Where are we?" Dan asked out loud which made everyone cover their ears. Out of nowhere, Ryoma came, wincing in pain of the sudden yell."Seriously? Why do you people keep on shouting?" Ryoma asked with an annoyed tone. Yamabuki fell into a deep state of shock, even Akutsu. Ryoma watched them for a while then sighed. "How long do you guys plan to stay that way?" he asked his usual confident and cocky tone. They snapped out of their daze and glared at him, all except Dan. "Echizen-kun, is that really you desu?" Dan asked. Ryoma turned to him, "Do you know anyone who is named Ryoma Echizen, looks a carbon copy of me, and a legendary tennis prince?" he said with arrogance.Akutsu sneered. "Even in death, you're still the same brat we all knew you to be." He smirked at his ex-opponent. Ryoma simply smirked back. "Of course. I will always be Echizen Ryoma, death or alive." Then he started to float and lay sideways. "I better get straight to my point before my time runs out… Yamabuki-chuu… Thanks for all the things that Seigaku learned from facing you. Thanks for being nice to us until the end." Ryoma began."And… I wanted to talk you all for going to my funeral. Though I don't know why it's such a big deal to everyone that I'm dead, I do appreciate the gesture. And I'm sorry… For not being able to say good bye properly." As Ryoma spoke, Dan was crying behind Akutsu. How can Ryoma be cool despite knowing that his dead and would never come back? Ryoma noticed that Dan was hiding but didn't try to push."Yo, Taichi Dan of Yamabuki, you better not bring same to my Twist Serve that you can use well now. You master it and try to create tennis of your own… Being small isn't a problem and you know it. Show the world that despite being small, you can do something big that would shake the ground the people walk on." Ryoma advised with a smirk on his face. Dan understood what Ryoma meant."Akutsu-sempai, thanks for the tennis beating and the rocks. I got stronger because of you. I tried my hardest to beat you at the very game that you think if just nothing… And do take care of Dan now. If trained properly, he might become the second Ryoma Echizen, Tennis no Ouji-sama…" Ryoma said with confidence, confidence that Taichi had what it takes to be great as well."Lucky Sengoku, keep being lucky… How I just wish that you're as lucky with girls as you are with tennis." Ryoma teased. He then turned to Touji, "We may not have known each other that long or even spoke at all, show the world that with our size, we can create and do better tennis than most regular sized players do." Touji nodded. Ryoma turned and noticed the light slowly creeping in."Well, time for me to go… Oh, Dan, Akutsu-sempai, when we meet again, you both owe me a match. You better not disappointment." Ryoma said as he slowly floated away. Akutsu sneered, "You better not suck when we meet again, brat." "Echizen-kun, I will train and do my best until we meet again somewhere." Dan spoke with a smile on his face. Ryoma nodded and disappeared into the light.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The next day at school, Yamabuki was heading out their locker room when a cool wind blew by then a whisper, "Good luck to you, Yamabuki-chuu." Ryoma's voice seemed like he was encouraging them and was happy about it. "'till the next time we see each other again, Echizen-kun." Dan spoke softly to the air.
: I'm Going To Ask Kami-Sama If He Has A Blue Hair Child That Loves To Play Tennis
PREVIOUSLY:The next day at school, Yamabuki was heading out their locker room when a cool wind blew by then a whisper, "Good luck to you, Yamabuki-chuu." Ryoma's voice seemed like he was encouraging them and was happy about it. "'till the next time we see each other again, Echizen-kun." Dan spoke softly to the air.
Yukimura was sitting quietly by the stands, watching his vice-captain and closest friend, Genichiro Sanada play a one-sided match with Yanagi. Rikkaidai's god of data was losing miserably. Despite knowing what move Sanada would use and know where the serve and returns would land, Yanagi was not able to beat him. It was as if Sanada suddenly became stronger. Then, it was then that Yukimura saw it.Sanada's cap was lower than it usually was. The vice-captain's eyes were in the brink of tears. But because of the constant movement, no one was able to get a real good look. Except for Yukimura. His observation skills was always sharper when it came to Sanada. Yagyuu looked like he wasn't going to last another round with a pissed Sanada on the court. The guy was known to be colder and merciless when he wasn't in the mood.Kirihara wondered why his fuku-bucho was playing harshly. Jackal and Bunta stood silently next to Kirihara and understood without being told why Sanada was the way he was that moment. He was more affected about Ryoma Echizen's death than he showed. Sanada never really revealed how he felt about anyone, except for Yukimura. But before the whole tennis club of Rikkaidai, Sanada was losing himself.After a few more minutes, Yukimura stood up and had a concerned look on his face. "You better stop now, Genichiro. Yanagi will never play a match with you the way Echizen-kun of Seigaku could." No one spoke. Sanada froze dead on his tracks. Kirihara finally understood and was in shock. "Did Sanada-san really imagine he was playing against Echizen?" Kirihara asked himself mentally.Sanada gripped his racquet tighter and slowly turned to look at Yukimura. "I know he could be heartless… but how can he be this cool?" Sanada's mind was spiraling out of his control. Then before he knew what was happening, Yukimura was already standing beside him, holding on the racquet's rim with eyes that was filled with tears. "I am in pain as well, Genichiro… But if the boy was here, he wouldn't want to see you the way you are now." Yukimura's voice was also in misery. Sanada let loose his grip and Yukimura took the racquet away and led his friend to the locker room.Ryoma was just in time to see the two leaders leave the courts. "I wonder what happened." Ryoma asked himself and floated down to where Kirihara was. The atmosphere was a bit gloomy but Ryoma thought that it was because they had not become the Emperors like they thought they would. "Did you all see that? I can't believe it!" Kirihara cried. Jackal, Yagyuu, Yanagi, Niou, and Bunta nodded. They too had never seen Sanada that way before."But we can't blame him}