"Remember, Akane! If you want to be at your best today, you need protein, carbs, and LOTS of water. SHOW ME YOUR SPIRIT!" Nekomaru's voice boomed through the claustrophobic crowd. His muscles were taut and his spirit was so powerful that it was nearly tangible.

Even so, her primal energy almost managed to overwhelm his own. "AWWWWRIGHT!! I'M READY!! LEMME AT THAT FOOD, AND I CAN DO ANYTHING!!"

"YOU GOT THIS! And remember, I'll be right there with you every step of the way! If you need me to do, 'it,' to you, all you need to do is ask!"

"Got it, Coach!"

"3... 2... 1... Go!"

As expected, Akane made a b-line straight to the various food stands. She had signed up as one of the team captains in the confetti egg baseball tournament, and so all that was left was to fuel up. Nekomaru knew the way to her heart; all of this was on his dime, much to his wallet's dismay. But hey, it made her happy, and it kept her strong. All that mattered was supporting his athletes. All that mattered was supporting Akane. She pounced on her favorite food group: meat.

First came the turkey, seasoned and cooked to utter perfection by Teruteru. It was luscious and fell off the bone. Along with it came a yogurt parfait, chock-full of fresh berries and granola. Then they stopped. Did some stretches to loosen her muscles and keep it light. Drank a lot of water. Next came a salad with chicken and dried cranberries. And more water.

"We've got about an hour left, Akane! Be prepared!"

"Coach. I need, 'it.' You got it?"

"You can count on me!" he announced, full of determination. He rubbed the pressure points just right, relieving her of every drop of tension. The strong, unyielding hands chased away knots and aches. Their breaths and heartbeats synced up perfectly. It was like Heaven, and she was left feeling like she was on a cloud.

It was time. The way it worked was that four confetti eggs would be "pitched," and each one hit would equal a base of motion. There would be only three innings, to save time and energy. With Akane at the tip-top of her physical well-being and Nekomaru readily available to provide the fiercest motivation, they flew through the tournament, tearing some of the weaker teams to shreds.

Akane's team was in the finals. The only team remaining was Ryoma's. It was 5-5, in the bottom of the last inning, and there were two outs with Akane up to bat. She was shaking with intensity. Nekomaru's gaze bore into her. She could feel it. It only made her feel more powerful. Once again, their breaths synced up. The confetti eggs came at her, one after another. BAM! With each earth-shattering, destructive strike, confetti showered the playing field and clouded her silhouette. She burst through it with her fierce speed. Akane had won the game.

"THIS IS FOR YOU, COACH!!" The audience thundered with applause.