Title: Strength

Characters/Pairings: Sena, Megu

Disclaimer: Eyeshield 21 belongs to Riichiro Inagaki, Yusuke Murata, and Shueisha. No one is profiting from anything written in this story.

Notes: I really liked my idea for this, but I'm not sure about the execution. Feedback much appreciated, as always.

At Zokuto Gakuen, the name "Habashira" made people tremble in fear, but it was "Tsuyumine" that made them go crying home to mama. Tsuyumine Megu was a tough girl with an icy glare, and she ruled the American football club with an iron fist.

What the cowering Zokugaku players didn't know was that she had quite a collection of stuffed animals hidden under her bed. Actually, anything cute had a place reserved in Megu's heart. Kittens, baby clothes… and since their practice match with Deimon in the spring, one secretary-turned-ace runningback. So when she passed by an alleyway and saw a group of her underclassmen looming over the boy, there was no way she could stand back.

Megu loudly smacked her ever-present wooden sword on the wall, the familiar sound immediately catching their rapt attention. They slowly turned towards her, faces contorting in horror. In a matter of moments, a confused Sena was receiving several profuse bows and apologies.

"Do you have any injuries?" Megu asked after the bullies had scurried off, mentally cringing at her cold tone. She sometimes wished she could be a little more like Deimon's manager, the motherly Anezaki – she openly wore a teddy bear apron and Sena called her "neechan."

Sena shook his head, but she led him to a nearby bench and laid a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Really, Tsuyumine-san is amazing," Sena said, relaxing a little under her touch. "Zokugaku has so many scary guys, but they all obey you, even though you're a woman."

Megu turned her cool, serious gaze towards the small runningback. "Women and children can never hope to compete with men in a straight physical match," she stated. "However, there is one way."

"Eh? Tsuyumine-san's way?" Sena looked at her with such wide eyes that she almost had to turn away. It really shouldn't be legal for boys past puberty to be that cute, she thought. "Could you… I mean, never mind… even if Habashira-san won't be there, we'll be playing Zokugaku this year, after all…"

"I'll teach it to you," she said firmly, cutting off Sena's apologies. "However, from now on, you must…" Sena nodded to her every word.

~*~*~*~

"Sorry, Sena-kun, but it seems we're in a power battle now," Yamato said as he ran head on into Sena. It was only a friendly match between Teikoku and Deimon, but Hiruma had long since beaten it into their heads that any game was a matter of life or death.

"He's right," Sena thought to himself, "At the angle he's coming, there's no way I can get past in time..." Yes, he realized suddenly, only that could work.

Just as Yamato reached to grab him, Sena raised his knee and jammed it upward with all of his might. The original Eyeshield crumbled under the blow, allowing him to rush by with ease.

Sena crossed the goal line, but turned around when no one bothered to shout "touchdown." Instead, the entire field was enveloped in silence. More than one player was wincing in sympathy.

"Is that… even allowed?" Juumonji finally sputtered out.

Before anyone could put in their opinion on the legality, laughter suddenly filled the field. Everyone looked over towards Hiruma (despite being a third year, he had used a loophole to continue as coach on the sidelines.) Tears were actually starting to run down the demon's face.

"Hope you didn't want any grandchildren, fucking ace!"

Monta sweatdropped and turned towards his best friend. "Sena, that move…"

"Isn't it great?" Sena said proudly, "It's Tsu – eh, I mean, Megu-neechan's ultimate technique!"