Chapter Text
“Shinichi…” Ran trailed off once she entered Shinichi’s room, where she saw him working on his study desk.
“What?” He asked, his voice stiff and cold. “I’m working on new Hissatsu, the Senbyama team is known for their unbreakable defense. We need to win so we can crush Zeus.”
Ran frowned. She knew Shinichi did not care about winning the frontier now; it was all about revenge for him.
“But that won’t happen if you don’t attend the team training, it’s been 5 days since..." Ran trailed sadly, remembering what happened.
"The house is quiet without them, and Asami keeps on crying for her big brother and father to return," Shinichi mumbled.
"Shinichi," Ran started as she approached him, placing her hand over his, and continued, "I know how you feel and what you want, but you know Tatsuya and Michiya-Ojisan would've wanted you to continue playing. First, we win against Senbayama, then the next team, and so on, until we face Zeus."
Shinichi sighed heavily, remaining silent for a few seconds, and then he asked, "Did you notice how Sonoko reacted to this whole ordeal?"
"What do you mean? She was sad like the rest of us," Ran said, confused.
"No, something else is going on, and I want to find out what it is," Shinichi muttered.
"Thanks for coming," Kidou mumbled as he invited Shiho inside his house. "Endou was here a while ago."
"What did you talk about, if you don't mind me asking?" Shiho said.
"I told him my backstory, and we spoke about what happened," Kidou said. "I'm the only Teikoku player standing on his feet, now, and I'm all alone, and I don't know what to do."
"You are not alone, you have the Raimon players, the Teikoku managers, and me," Shiho argued.
"I don't know any of them well except for Endou. Gouenji is cold toward me, and Shinichi cut contact after what happened. As for the managers, I'm only close to Fuyuka, and you... You are hiding something from me, and it's bothering me," Kidou replied sternly.
Shiho remained silent, looking away. She knew she should not get Kidou involved in her mess, or else he would get hurt, but he was closed off now, after what happened.
Kidou sighed in disappointment. He had expected Shiho to speak up, but she did not.
"Miyan Shiho,"
Kidou looked at her, surprised once he heard her speak, but he was more surprised by her removing the wig and her contact lenses, revealing her true appearance, which was a hundred times prettier than before.
"That's my real name, and I'll tell you my story, and what should you do, without interrupting me, understand?" she said sternly.
Kidou said nothing and only nodded.
The day of the Raimon and Senbayama match had officially arrived, with both teams standing ready on the field. Since Senbayama was known for its unbreakable defense, Aki decided to change the formation of the team in order to be capable of stopping Senbayama's attacks, while also trying to break their defense.
Senbayama Middle School
Formation: Iron Wall (4-3-2-1)
Coach: Shinno Kamekichi
Manager: None
GK: Ayano Youichi (1)
DF: Sumino Eisuke (2), Serizawa Kazunori (3), Makiya Hiroshi (4), Shiotani Hiro (5)
MF: Yamane You (6), Ikui Shouji (7), Oogi Noburo (8)
AMF: Harano Tooru (9/Captain), Negami Daichi (10)
FW: Tanushimaru Shigeki (11)
Substitutes: Kusasao Hisashi (12/DF), Yoneyama Uehito (13/DF), Inukai Shigeki (14/DF), Fukui Sakuhei (15/DF), Fuji Chichiro (16/DF)
Raimon Middle School
Formation: Counter Offense (5-2-3)
Coach: Hibiki
Managers: Ran, Aki, Haruna, Natsumi, Sonoko
GK: Endou (Captain)
DF: Kabeyama (CB), Kurimatsu (LB), Kageno (CB), Kazemaru (CB), Domon (RB)
MF: Max, Handa
FW: Gouenji (ST), Someoka (LW), Shinichi (RW)
Substitutes: Shourin, Shishido, Megane
"Huh? Since when do you play offense?!" Harano cried at Shinichi.
Shinichi refused to respond, before he looked at the only player not present on the field and at the coach.
"Kantoku! Why is Max on the field yet?! We want to start the match!" Shinichi cried.
"Because Max won't play this match, a new player will," Hibiki replied.
"A new player?!" everyone chorused, but Gouenji, who slightly smirked.
"That's against the rules!" Harano cried.
"Actually, if a player transferred days before this match, he's acknowledged as a member of the team," Kakuma explained to the players and the crowd, where Akemi and Shiho were seated.
"Who is it then?" Endou wondered.
Hibiki smirked, "Took you long enough."
"Sorry, I was getting ready."
Everyone's eyes widened at the new player who entered the field, and the crowd was in disbelief.
Kidou Yuuto pushed his blue cape backward, now wearing the Raimon uniform, becoming player number 14.
"KIDOU!!!" Endou cried happily.
"I knew he was going to join," Gouenji said,
"Whoa, seriously? He's one of us now?!" Someoka cried.
"Oneesan! You said... You said you weren't going to do anything!" Haruna cried in disbelief.
"Well, I had a change of heart," Kidou shrugged, before he looked at Shiho, who nodded at him.
"What did you do?" Akemi asked her, curiously.
"I just snapped him out of his frozen state," Shiho shrugged.
Endou raised his hand at the referee, asking for five minutes for the team to talk before the match, and he nodded.
The team gathered around Kidou, greeting him, still surprised.
"I can't believe you are one of us now," Kazemaru said.
"It was a long time coming, and I think we all here want to defeat Zeus, don't we?" Kidou said, earning the nods of everyone.
"Then to do so, we need to win this, we need to break their defense," Kidou said. "We will win against them, against Zeus, and win the cup."
"I couldn't have said it better!" Kurimatsu cried.
"Kino-san!" Kidou called, and Aki rushed toward him. "Change the formation to one more midfielder-focused, they'll expect us to focus on the offense and forwards more, they won't see this coming."
"We could go with the 4-4-2, nothing wrong can happen with it, but I have a better one," Aki suggested. 4-2-2-1-1. Domon and Handa will be our DMF, you and Shinichi in the middle, Someoka will be our AMF, and Gouenji our striker."
"I never played as an AMF before," Someoka mumbled.
"Nor I as DMF," Handa nodded.
"There is a first time for everything, guys, and I'm pretty sure we can do this!" Endou exclaimed.
Kidou smiled at Endou's enthusiasm, but he turned to Shinichi, who was silent during the whole conversation, and was glaring at Kidou.
The team returned to the field while Aki returned to the managers.
"Oh! Looks like Raimon changed their formation now that Kidou is on a team, and what a strange formation it is!" Kakuma commented.
Raimon Middle School
Formation: 4-2-2-1-1
GK: Endou (Captain)
DF: Kurimatsu (LB), Kazemaru (CB), Kabeyama (CB), Kageno (RB)
DMF: Domon
MF: Kidou Yuuto (14), Shinichi
AMF: Someoka
ST: Gouenji
"This is the formation that's destined to fail!" Tanushimaru laughed.
"Kidou, how much do you need to analyze Senbayama?" Shinichi asked all of a sudden.
"10 minutes, just like you," Kidou replied. "But, we have analyzed the team before using the records of their previous matches, and I have analyzed Raimon too, so we won't have a problem."
Shinichi said nothing.
The referee whistled, starting the kickoff with Harano passing the ball to Tanushimaru.
He dribbles through Goeunji before passing to Harano, who passes to Ikui.
"Mogura (Mole) Feint!" he cried. Ikui jumped in the air with his right foot raised, stomping the ball with it onto the ground. As the ball burrows through the ground, molehills begin to appear, confusing his opponent, Someoka. Once the ball rose out of the ground, Ikui sprang into the air and trapped with his chest, successfully getting past Someoka.
"Too easy!" Ikui laughed.
"Eagle Claw!" Shinichi cried, using his tackle to take the ball from Ikui and dashing forward.
He saw the midfielders charging toward him, and that's when he saw, from the corner of his eye, Kidou dashing at his side.
The two boys looked at each other, realizing they shared the same way of thinking, the same thoughts, so they nodded at each other.
Shinichi kicked the ball toward Kidou with a blue trail, who head butted back to Shinichi with a purple trail.
Senbayam's eyes widened in shock. Kidou and Shinichi were performing a one-two pass to get past them, using their heads.
"Wow...Those two are indeed geniuses!" Max commented.
"With them both on the team, we are unstoppable!"
"Gouenji! Fire Tornado down!" Kidou commanded once he received the ball.
Gouenji nodded, understanding what Kidou meant, and jumped high.
Kidou backflipped, kicking the ball high in the air.
Gouenji spun around himself, creating the fire tornado, before he kicked the ball with his right foot as he cried, "Fire!"
The ball went down as Kidou wanted, who took a step forward and kicked it, crying, "Boost!"
The ball now had spiraling flames around it as it headed toward the goal.
Ayano got into position, crossing his arms in the air and quickly crouching, reeling back his arms. He then sprang into the air and did a series of flips, joining his hands together and gathering bright yellow energy. As the ball heads towards the goal, he closed in on it and chopped it down.
"Makiwari (Wood-Splitting) Chop!" he cried.
The ball was supposed to bounce off and away, but Ayano's eyes widened once the ball broke free from his hands and entered the goal.
Senbayama 0 - 1 Raimon
"GOAAALLLLL! RAIMON IS THE FIRST TEAM TO SCORE AGAINST SENBAYAMA IN THIS TOURNAMENT! THANKS TO KUDOU'S ASSIST, AND KIDOU AND GOUENJI'S MOVE!" Kakuma roared, his voice louder than the crowd's cheering for Raimon.
"I didn't think you'd do as I say after our encounter," Kidou said as Gouenji approached him, followed by Shinichi.
"I was trying to snap you out of your defeated state," Gouenji shrugged with a smirk. "So, Fire Boost, huh?"
"A combination of Twin Boost and Fire Tornado," Kidou nodded, then he turned to Shinichi, "If you were okay with me, why were you glaring at me back then?"
"Sorry, I am just pissed off with what has happened, and the Senbayama team is nothing but a bunch of arrogant pricks," Shinchi explained.
"Impossible! You only got lucky!" Harano cried angrily.
"See what I mean?" Shinichi said, then he turned to Kidou and asked, "How about we call our one-two pass... Aerial Duo?"
"Sounds good to me," Kidou nodded with a smile.
The players went back to their positions, and the kickoff started with Harano passing to Tanushimaru this time.
Tanushimaru passed to Harano, evading Gouenji and Someoka.
"I meant it when I said you got lucky!" Harano cried.
Harano started jogging on the ball and quickly started picking up speed. The ball then got covered with bright blue energy as he started running through the field, hopping off of the ball as it headed towards the goal, akin to a snake.
"Run Ball Run!" he cried.
Endou slammed his fists together, ready to stop it, but everyone's eyes widened once they saw who stood ahead to stop it: Kageno.
"Shadow Presence!" he cried. Kageno stretched his arms, creating from his shadow a large black wall that the ball hit for a few seconds, before it fell at Kageno's feet.
"WOW! Did you all see how Kageno stopped Run Ball Run with his new hissatsu?!" Kakuma commented.
"Way to go, Kageno!" Endou cheered.
Kageno nodded before he passed to Kazemaru, and Shinichi then cried, "Kazemaru! High!"
Kazemaru nodded before he kicked the ball while crying, "Wind Pass!"
The ball flew high in the air, protected by a wind gust, reaching Senbayama's defense.
"Stop Gouenji!" Harano ordered.
The Senbayama team's defense and midfielders focused on Gouenji, who smirked at them, and that's when they realized Gouenji was not making any move.
When they looked up, their eyes widened. Kidou and Shinichi had jumped up high, and they performed an overhead. Shinichi spun, kicking the ball with the back of his heel, while Kidou spun and kicked it with his feet, the ball glowing a mix of purple and blue.
"Overhead Boost!" they chorused.
The ball rushed toward the goal like a bullet, and Ayano did not even see it as capable of stopping it, so it entered the goal.
Senbayama 0 - 2 Raimon
"GOAAALLLL! THE ELEVENTH STRIKER AND GENIUS GAMEMAKER CREATE THEIR OWN HISSATSU ON SPOT AND SCORE!!! WHAT AN INCREDIBLE FEAT!" Kakuma cried.
"And here I thought you were gonna push me to score the second goal by yourself," Kidou joked.
"Why be rivals when we can be friends, kicking asses together?" Shinichi said.
Kidou nodded, raising his hand, and Shinichi held it, confirming the team-up of Japan's best middle school midfielders.
The referee whistled, announcing the end of the first half.
"Dude! You were amazing back there!" Max told Kageno, who only had a small smile.
"Yeah, you didn't tell us you had a new Hissatsu!" Shourin exclaimed.
"I was still working on it," Kageno shrugged.
"So, I guess we won this match," Domon said confidently, earning a slap on the back of his head from Aki.
"Hey!" he cried.
"Don't get too cocky, they can still win," Aki pointed out.
"If you all don't mind... I'd like to send a message to Zeus... Senbayama has a hissatsu named Mugen no Kabe, and no hissatsu can get through it, not even a three-player one," Kidou said.
"So, I suppose they will use it now after we scored two goals, and focus more on the offense," Endou guessed.
"Indeed, but I have a hissatsu we can use, one I made for my team, but we already have a four-man hissatsu designed by Tatsuya, so we can use this," Kidou nodded. "Endou, Gouenji, Kudou, listen carefully to how it should be done."
The 15-minute break ended, and the second half started, this time with Raimon.
Gouenji passed the ball to Someoka, who rushed forward, but Sumino, Seriwaza, and Yamane closed on him.
Someoka came to a sudden halt as he saw all three users encircling him with their arms spread out. As they slowly closed in on him, they quickly jumped in the air and slide tackled him all at once, blowing him away in a dusty cloud, with one of them sliding with the ball and successfully stealing it from him.
"Kagome Kagome!" they cried, before they rushed forward, and Serizawa, who had the ball, passed it to Tanushimura.
Tanushimura hopped off the field with the ball and reeled back his right leg, gathering a harsh shine on his foot. He then shot the ball, charging it with the harsh shine and momentarily blinding Endou as it headed towards the goal.
"Shine Drive!" he cried.
But Kabeyama stood between the ball and Endou, knowing he could stop it even if the harsh shine was blinging him too.
"The Wall!" he cried. He crouched and quickly extended both of his arms in the air, a large wall rising behind him, shaking the ground beneath.
The ball hit the wall, stopped by it, and fell at Kabeyama's feet, who passed to Handa.
"Now!" Kidou cried.
Senbayama's eyes widened once they saw Kidou, Gouenji, Shinichi, and Endou rushing forward, heading toward the goal.
When they saw Raimon's top players heading toward the goal.
"STOP THEM! TAKE THE BALL!" Harano cried.
Handa passed to Someoka, who had a blue dragon appear behind him as he cried, "Dragon Pass!"
He kicked the ball, the Chinese dragon following, keeping any Senbayama player from intercepting it, before it fell at Kidou's feet.
Makiya and Shiotani stood next to Ayano, ready.
Ayano stood by the goal with his arms crossed while the other two moved in front of him in a zigzag pattern. Once the two users in the front came to a sudden halt, they quickly extended both of their arms in the air, making multiple rock walls emerge from the field behind Ayano.
"Mugen no Kabe! (Infinite Wall!)" They chorused.
The ball landed at Kidou's feet, who stood behind with the ball on his foot while the three ran ahead of him, crossing each other. Kidou then kicked the ball in the air, covering it in a purple sphere of energy. The ball came to a sudden halt, making dark purple swirls surround it. As the ball goes down, akin to a lightning strike, it is covered in yellow lightning with a trail of purple sparks. Kidou, Gouenji, Endou, and Shinichi simultaneously jumped, with Endou volleying it from the right, Gouenji from the left, Shinichi kicking it from below, overhead style, and Kidou from above.
"INAZUMA (Lightning) BREAK!" the four players chorused at the top of their lungs, kicking the ball together.
The ball collided with the wall, making Makiya and Shiotani crouch, the wall draining the energy of the ball, but their eyes widened once the ball easily broke through the goal, entering the goal.
Senbayama 0 - 3 Raimon
"GOAAALLLLL! RAIMON'S FIRST FOUR-PLAYER HISSATSU SCORES THE THIRD GOALLLL!!!" Kakuma cried,
The referee then whistled, signaling the end of the match and Raimon's victory.
The players and the managers cheered, celebrating on the field, with Haruna hugging both Gouenji and Kidou, with the second glaring at the first.
"Why is she hugging you?" Kidou asked.
"Ask her," Gouenji pretended not to know.
Haruna broke the hug, just as Endou pulled the two with Shinichi into a group hug.
"WE WON! WE WON! WE WON SPECTACULARLY!" Endou cheered, laughing out of joy.
"Is he always like this?" Kidou joked.
"You have no idea, he has been wanting to play with you since you kicked the ball at him," Shinichi chuckled.
"Just wait until you see him training with the tire," Gouenji said.
"What?" Kidou blinked.
Aki turned and looked at Sonoko, who was putting on her face a fake smile of happiness, but Aki could see the hurt in her eyes. She wanted to ask her what was wrong, but her phone rang.
Natsumi and Ran watched the interaction, glancing at Aki as she walked away, before they looked back at Sonoko.
"You know her more than I. Can you guess what's wrong with her?" Natsumi asked.
"I think... I think Sonoko had feelings for a player at Zeus Academy," Ran said. "I've been watching her ever since Shinichi pointed out that her sadness is weird, and he was right. She was not just sad about what happened, but also about who did it."
"And who would that player be?" Natsumi asked.
"My guess, the captain, the one who put Tatsuya in a coma," Ran replied, making Natsumi sigh heavily.
"We need to talk to her, but we need to figure out how so we don't hurt her in any way..." Natsumi said.
Back at the hospital, Sakuma and Genda nodded at each other with a proud smile, proud of what their best friend had accomplished at Raimon.
In your Tatsuya's room, Fuyuka held Asami while seated next to Tatsuya, Masumi on the other side, Shuichi and Shukichi behind her, all feeling slightly happy at Raimon's win.
In Michiya's room, Sharon sat next to Michiya, Mary behind her, who looked at Sharon to see a faint, proud smile on her face.
Aphrodi watched on TV at his manor the match, with his arms crossed, analyzing the whole match, and staring at Shinichi's face, who was shown cheering with his team.
Aphrodi heard the doorbell ring, and his parents were not present, so he went to open the door, not noticing Freya, who was just walking downstairs.
"Yes?" he said once he opened the door, not recognizing the woman across him.
"You must be Afuro Terumi, my name is Kisaki Eri, a lawyer, and we need to discuss what you did at the match," she said.
Aphrodi put on a poker face, but his heart dropped, realising that Shinichi was true to his words.
Freya audibly gasped, covering her hands with her mouth, alerting both to her presence.
"Freya! Go upstairs!" Aphrodi ordered sternly.
"Please! He's being forced to do this!" Freya cried, rushing down toward Eri.
"Is he? Well, how about we all talk about this before taking any action?" Eri suggested.
Aphrodi said nothing, but nodded grimly, wondering what his fate was going to be.
Aki answered the call, seeing that it was from Mai.
"Hello, Mai, how- why are you crying?!" she asked, alarmed.
"Aki-chan... He... Kazuya..." Mai struggled to respond between her crying, until Aki heard a male voice speak, and the sound of the phone being handed to someone.
"Aki, it's me..."
Aki's eyes widened at the sound of the male voice she had not heard of in years, the voice that always made her heart skip a beat.
"K-Kazuya..?"