Chapter 95 — Monstrous Tennis

Koneko

I did not like Abe-senpai.

She was refusing to help Buchou without making a trade where she would get Yuki-senpai temporarily.

The way Abe-senpai said it made me want to hit her.

And I could tell that Yuki-senpai was getting uncomfortable.

Buchou had said no to the offer at the same time I had, even though Issei-senpai had tried to suggest Yuki-senpai take Abe-senpai as a contractor for her Devil work.

Normally, that suggest would be fine.

But the way Abe-senpai looked at Yuki-senpai was like a collector looking at an interesting find, not as another person. 

I did not like that.

Apparently neither did Buchou.

She kept her voice calm.

But her polite smile had thinned.

“Nowadays, contracts are not so severe. If it helps, I would only invite you to tea or dinner.”

“T-The tea Akeno-san makes is very good,” Issei added. 

He was trying to be helpful but also realized that things had gotten a lot more tense all of a sudden.

Abe laughed into one hand and smiled like she had an idea.

I disliked that immediately.

“I’ve just thought of an interesting way to decide things. We could have a tennis match where the simmer gets something from the loser. It would be me and my monsters against the Occult Research Club. What do you think Rias-san?”

It disliked it more when she looked at Yuki-senpai again before she finished proposing the tennis match.

The glance was small.

Yuki-senpai noticed too, though she gave no reaction beyond the smallest narrowing of her eyes.

Buchou frowned.

She could immediately tell where this was going.

“That does sound interesting, and you know what I will ask for if we win. But what would you ask for Kiyome-san?”

“Well, if I win…” Her eyes slid to Yuki-senpai again. “Then I would like to borrow your fox for a while, or if you’re still opposed to that I’ll borrow that guy for a bit.” Abe-senpai said pointing at Isseo-senpai.

“Me? Why?” Issei asked with visible confusion at becoming the back up option.

“You’re the Welsh Dragon, the Sekiryuuti right?”

“Uh, well yes I am.”

“Perfect, then if I win I either get to borrow the Kitsune girl or the Dragon boy. Does that sound good?”

It didn’t.

First she had tried to trade for Yuki-senpai like she was something she could buy, now she was trying to turn her into a prize she could win.

Buchou spoke before I could. 

“No.”

Abe-senpai looked annoyed before laughing softly.

“My, you’re very protective..”

Yuki-senpai shifted slightly while looking between Buchou and Abe-senpai.

I was worried she was thinking of telling Buchou to accept the offer.

Buchou stepped half a pace closer to her.

“They are both my important ervants,” Buchou said. “And more importantly, i will not allow you to treat them like animals to be bought.

Abe-senpaigave a helpless little sigh, like she was merely being denied a hobby.

“That was not what I meant.”

Issei-senpai looked from Abe-senpai to Yuki-senpai.

,Yeah, no, that one’s not okay.” He said.

Abe’s smile changed slightly.

“Then I think that we are done here-”

Before Buchou could reply, Akeno-san did.

“We will accept your terms, but you can only have Issei if you win, not Yuki-san. So if we win then Kiyome-san will help with the research, if Kiyome-san wins then she will get to borrow Ise-kun. Are those conditions acceptable?

Buchou looked at her at once.

“Akeno.”

A warning.

Akeno-san only smiled back.

“We just need to win, don’t we?”.

She sighed once.

“I agree to those terms.”

Abe looked disappointed for all of a second.

Then she brightened again. 

“Then it’s settled! But you won’t have a chance against me and my monsters. I’m the tennis club captain and I’ve trained all of my monsters to play tennis as well. I normally would feel bad about such a rigged bet but you’re all Devils so it’s fine.”

“You’ll see how a High class Devil plays. I will not hand over my servants to you.” Buchou said

I hoped Abe-senpai would lose badly enough to regret speaking.

I also hoped Yuki-senpai would not decide that she should be the one on the line in this rather than 

We followed Buchou as she turned to leave.

No one spoke for a while.

“You didn’t need to turn down her first deal, Rias-Buchou.” Yuki-senpai said. “You didn’t need to risk Issei-san over me.”

“I am not going to treat you as an object that I can trade away. You are a person and a member of my peerage. I won’t let you be treated that way again.”

Yuki-senpai watched Buchou for a moment.

“Thank you, Rias.”

Buchou smiled at her.

Then Issei-senpai spoke.

“Umm…. Buchou…. What about me?”

“You’ll be fine Ise, I’ll win.”

Akeno-senpai hugged Issei-senpai’s arm into her breasts.

“I’m sorry Ise-kun, we needed to help Buchou with her report and I wasn’t going to let Yuki-chan be treated like that. You understand right?”

He blushed at her as he nodded. 

“Of course! We need to help Buchou! I’m fine with it!”

I sighed at how simple he was.

Hopefully things would go well so he didn’t become a test subject for a beast tamer.

_________________________________________

The next day came too quickly.

The tennis courts felt different when we returned for a competition instead of an interview.

Abe-senpai was already waiting.

Monsters stood behind the fence of the tennis court

Honda-kun, the headless mascot, waved when he saw Issei-senapi. 

I stood near Yuki-senpai on the walk over.

She glanced at me once.

“What’s wrong?” she asked quietly.

“I don’t like Abe-senpai.”

That made the corner of her mouth move by the smallest amount.

“She didn’t make a good first impression.” Yuki-senpai muttered.

Her arm was healed from the fight at the summit between the Three Factuons.

But it wasn't fully back to normal despite Asia-senpai’s healing. 

Yuki-senpai had not complained.

That meant very little.

She almost never complained when hurt.

“I’m impressed you decided not to just forfeit.” Abe-senpai said with too much cheer.

“We will be the ones to win today.” Buchou declared.

Abe-senpai chuckled before explaining the rules for the match. 

“There will be two single matches and one double match. The doubles match will be the best of 5 games. The team that wins two matches wins the set. Rias-san and I will participate, and the remaining three players for each team will be chosen by drawing lots.”

I did not like the way she smiled while saying any of it.

I liked it even less when we started drawing.

We had pieces of paper marked for singles, doubles, or not playing.

Blue for singles.

Red for doubles.

Blank for not playing.

Buchou pulled hers from the four pieces of paper that had a guaranteed outcome.

She ended up pulling one of the doubles lots. 

We all pulled our lots. 

Akeno-senpai was the first to be chosen to play 

She got singles.

Xenovia-senpai was the next to get chosen

Singles again. 

That left doubles.

I looked across the group.

The piece of paper each of us had pulled for lots was blank.

Except Yuki-senpai.

She would be playing in doubles with Buchou

Issei-senpai looked relieved.

Too relieved, maybe, because he had been worried to be the one embarrassingly thrown into the doubles and apparently felt he had escaped.

“Looks like my partner is Yuki-chan,” Buchou said.

Yuki-senpai inclined her head once. “Understood.”

I watched her face while she said it.

She was too still.

Abe noticed it too.

I could tell because she seemed pleased.

That only made me want her to lose more.

Akeno-san’s singles match came first, and it was almost unfair.

Her opponent, a Harpy, was cute and quick and absolutely outclassed.

Issei-senpai cheered for Akeno-senpai while staring at the Harpy’s breasts and smiling dumbly.

Akeno-senpai crushed the Harpy hadn’t scored a point against her.

Xenovia-senpai’s match went worse.

Her opponent, a Lamia, controlled the court with reach and patience.

Honda-kun served watermelon to the spectators during the match.

Buchou may be right about Mascots being amazing.

Xenovia-senpai wasn’t able to keep up with the Lamia’s offense as she was able to move across the court quickly and with ease. 

That left the doubles.

Buchou and Yuki-senpai had changed into tennis outfits for the match.

They were wearing tennis skirts, sleeveless tops, and visor hats. 

Buchou must have made Yuki-senpai change into it, because the skirt was much shorter than normal.

It definitely was something Buchou would wear to get Issei-senpai’s attention and apparently she got Yuki-senpai the same thing as her. 

Yuki-senpai had her fox traits out and her ears stuck up cutely through her visor. 

Issei senpai was staring at both of them and was grinning like a fool.

I rolled my eyes before looking back at Yuki-senpai.

The outfit did look great on her.

I dragged my eyes away from her skirt and legs. 

Yuki-senpai rolled her shoulder once before stepping forward with Buchou.

She looked tense.

Buchou noticed too, of course, but she only asked, “Will you manage?”

“Yes.”

That answer was enough for the match to begin.

Abe-senpai appeared alone on the other side of the court.

“Well it’s a pleasant surprise that we both ended up in the doubles match Rias-san. And my partner is a real powerhouse. She’s my Yuki-ona. Come here Christie!”

Issei senpai was bouncing in his seat from the excitement of seeing another female monster from Abe-senpai’s side. 

Until Christie came into view.

“That… that’s a gorilla…. where is my beautiful Youkai woman?” Issei-senpai muttered to himself. 

Issei-senpai was accurate in describing her as a gorilla.

She was a large, hulking creature covered in white fur.

She even grunted while banging on her chest with her fists.

“This is Christie, a Yuki-ona or also known as a Yeti.” Abe-senpai explained. 

“I feel robbed.” Issei-senpai muttered while looking close to tears. 

On the court they moved into position for the match.

“Be careful of the Yuki-ona's freezing breath, Yuki.” Buchou warned.

Yuki-senpai paused, then turned to Buchou.

“We can use magic in the match?”

“Only any race or bloodline abilities. Why?” Bucho asked. 

Yuki-senpai moved her tails back and forth and gestured to them.

Buchou sacked herself in the head.

“Kiyome-san doesn’t stand a chance does she?”

“No, not at all.” Yuki-senpai said. 

I was seated near Yuuto-senpai and Issei for the start.

The first few exchanges told me everything I needed to know.

Buchou was playing properly.

Yuki-senpai was not.

Yuki-senpai played a match she intended to win with exactly as much politeness as the rules required and no more.

Abe-senpai served first, all elegance and confidence.

The ball crossed cleanly.

Buchou answered. 

Christie stood to the side looking bored.

Yuki-senpai disappeared.

One moment she was standing near the back of her side of the court, the next she was at the next sending the ball back to Abe-senpai’s side at an angle that couldn’t be retuned from.

The ball exited the side of the court without Abe-senpai understanding what happened .

Yuuto-senpai, seated to my left, said quietly, “She seems annoyed.”

“Yes.”

Issei looked between us. “Really?”

I did not bother answering.

She had been upset by Abe-senpai's request to take her like she was another one of her tamed monsters.  

Now, Yuki-senpai was taking it out on her through this match. 

The next serve Abe-senpai sent it towards Buchou with more strength.

Buchou easily returned it, but after Bucho made contact with the ball it split into three as it was sent back.

Abe-senpai rushed to return the ball closest to her, but when she swung her racket it passed through the ball like it wasn’t there.

The illusion dissipated after it was struck by the racket. 

Our side scored another point and Buchou nodded to Yuki-senpai.

The rest of the first game only lasted a few more rallies. 

Abe-senpai would serve, Buchou would return it, and then either Abe-senpai would have to deal with an illusion, or return it again, only to have Yuki-senpai blink to a random position and return it in a way too awkward to recover.

The first game ended faster than it should have.

Abe laughed it off.

“Ohoho. How tricky. Now I wish that I had convinced Rias-san to give me the option of winning you or the Welsh Dragon.”

“You won’t be winning today.” Yuki-senpai said

Abe’s smile thinned for half a second.

Then her face brightened again with confidence.

“We will see about that. There’s still plenty of games left in this match.”

The next game began with Buchou serving.

She liked this sort of thing too much not to take pleasure in it when a real opponent annoyed her.

The first serve cracked over the net hard enough to make Asia-senpai and Gasper-kun flinch.

Abe got the racket to it.

The return came back high.

Yuki-senpai approached it simpler this time.

Using her height she swung an overhead swing to slam the ball to the opposite side and it bounced into the fence before either opponent adjusted.

Issei made a small, impressed noise.

Yuuto-senpai smiled. “It seems she didn’t enjoy being discussed as a prize.”

I glanced at her.

On court, Abe-senpai tried to return to Yuki-senpai and put pressure onto her. 

Yuki-senpai responded by playing dirty.

I saw the shadow shift when she returned the ball to Abe-senpai. 

Shadow Briar rose low and fast around the base of Abe-senapi’s leg.

It held her for only a moment.

She stumbled and wasn’t able to make it to the ball on time.

She glared at Yuki-senpai after that.

The rest of the game was finished in the next few serves from Buchou.

Buchou would serve and Yuki-senpai would stop Abe-senpai from being able to respond.

After the game Abe-senpai glared at them.

“It’s not over yet! Now that it’s Christie’s turn to serve, things will turn around! You’ll see!”

Christie, the Yeti, still had not done anything yet.

She had just stood there with her massive racket and looked bored.

Now she would have to do something since she had to serve.

Christie readied her racket.

Buchou and Yuki-senpai got into stances.

Christie threw the ball up for her serve.

There was a loud crash as the ball was embedded in the wall behind Yuki-senpai and Buchou.

Christie’s serve had moved so fast neither of them were able to react.

Buchou and Yuki-senpai looked back at the crater in the wall before looking at each other in shock.

“Its more than just a gorilla. It’s like a…. Mega gorilla.” Issei-senpai muttered. 

“Ha! This is the power of my monsters!” Abe-senpai shouted. “Christie will bring me victory!”

The rest of the game consisted of Buchou and Yuki-senpai trying not to get taken out by one of Christie’s serves.

The game ended without them returning a single serve.

“Why can’t it be an erotic Yuka-ona. I feel robbed.” Issei-senpai muttered in despair.

Christie turned to Issei-senpai and smiled at him.

“Why is she smiling at me?!” Issei-senpai looked at Yuuto-senpai and Asia-senpai. “You saw that right?!”

“M-maybe she was just smiling at the crowd Ise-san” Asia-senpai said.

“Ara, Ise-kun, I think you have an admirer.” Akeno-senpai.

“Don’t put that on me!” He panicked.

The next match had Yuki-senpai serving.

Her first serve had her launching the ball high into the air and then using Misstep up to it.

She slammed the ball down into the other side of the court.

Abe-senpai tried to get in front of it, but she was too slow.

The next serve Yuki-senpai made illusions of herself.

They all mixed together for a moment before each lining up to serve.

In unison they served towards Abe-senpai. 

She was unable to find the real tennis ball. 

At one point Issei muttered, “I almost feel bad for her.”

I turned toward him.

“No, you don’t.”

He thought about it.

Then sighed. “No. Not really.”

The next serve Yuki-senpai used Misstep again.

“Christie! Return it!” 

Christie moved behind where the ball would land.

When the serve landed she was able to send it back toward Buchou and Yuki-senpai.

It looked like Yuki-senpai wouldn’t be able to stop it.

Then Buchou stepped in front of it and launched it back with a loud grunt.

Abe-senpai hit the ball back, but sent it too low and into the net.

The next few volleys played out similarly with Yuki-senpai using her abilities to give herself an edge on her serves, Abe-senpai would get Christie to return it, then Buchou, Yuki-senpai and Abe-senpai would volley back and forth.

After a few more serves the game was decided. 

Abe was still smiling when she came to the net.

It was an effort now.

Not enough effort to make her look pitiable.

Enough to make the loss real.

“It is our loss,” she said. “It can’t be helped. I will participate in your interview.”

Buchou accepted that with grace and a pleased smile. 

“Thank you.”

Abe looked from her to Yuki-senpai one more time.

“I’m sorry if I offended you with my interest. I got over excited and acted rudely.” She said.

Yuki-senpai turned to her.

“You were. I accept the apology.”

That satisfied me.

Not enough, but more than before.

The monsters under her control began dispersing. Honda-kun bowed awkwardly at all of us, watermelon still under one arm.

That should have been the end of it.

Because Christie kept staring at Issei.

He noticed it again while we were gathering things.

“Why is it still looking at me?”

He looked at us for answers, but he only got a few shrugs in response.

Then the yeti made a surprisingly shy sound, lowered its head a little, and one heavy step toward him.

He froze.

Then took one step back.

Christie took two more forward.

“…No,” Issei said.

The yeti made a soft, eager rumble.

“Absolutely not.”

Abe looked over and laughed.

“My. Christie-chan seems to have taken an interest in Hyoudou-kun.”

Issei looked offended on principle. “Why!?”

“She noticed you staring at her so intently.”

“I was trying to come to terms with reality!”

Christie advanced another step.

He retreated.

Asia-senpai looked uncertain and concerned.

Akeno-san was definitely amused.

Yuuto-senpai looked as if she were trying not to laugh, which was becoming easier to notice lately.

Xenovia-senpai looked interested at the creature advancing on Issei-senpai.

Buchou only sighed.

Yuki-senpai looked at the yeti, then at Issei, and said, “Perhaps it enjoys the noise.”

“That’s not helping!” He shouted as he got ready to run.

I watched Christie’s gaze follow him with increasing heat.

Then the yeti made the mistake of baring its teeth in what was probably meant to be a smile.

Issei yelped.

He turned and ran.

The yeti let out an enthusiastic cry and chased him immediately.

Honda-kun waved both hands as if cheering them on from the other side of the fence.

Issei’s shouting echoed around the courts.

“No! I don’t want a gorilla! Someone stop it!”

No one did right away.

Partly because he was moving fast enough to avoid her.

And partly because it was funny.

Eventually Buchou sent him a blasting spell warning near his feet to force him to stop running in circles around the courts and making everything worse.

Christie halted too and Abe-senpai called her back.

Christie obeyed, though slowly and with obvious reluctance.

Issei-senpai bent over, hands on knees, breathing hard like he’d just escaped death.

“You’re all horrible.”

Akeno-san smiled. “You looked like you were doing fine, Ise-kun.”

He looked betrayed by her too.

By the time we finally started to leave, the whole thing had settled into the kind of absurd memory this club collected so easily.

Buchou had her report.

Yuki-senpai had her victory.

Abe had lost properly enough to stop smiling with that same confidence.

And Issei-senpai had attracted a Yeti’s attention.

He was still muttering about gorillas when we walked away.

I stayed near Yuki-senpai on the way back.

Because I wanted to.

I glanced at her skirt again.

She looked down at me once.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I said.

She hummed in response and we headed back to the club room.