A/N: Thank you for the reviews (well, most of them)! I'm happy you guys like the story so far! Enjoy this chapter, everyone!

Tsurugi made his way through the forest, jumping over a fallen tree and pulling Tenma along. The two had joined hands again, but this time, the situation wasn't as calm as they wished. The boys ran for dear life as a third one followed right behind. The young male was floating rather than running, even though he was using his feet. He giggled maniacally every few seconds and transparent soccerballs popped up at his sides, surrounded by the same purple-ish glow the child possessed. The balls hovered in front of their owner at random, waiting in line as he filled them with power and used his right foot to send them straight at his prey.

Tenma and Tsurugi managed to hear the balls coming in spite of their great speed and succeeded in dodging them, getting the shock of their life when the balls hit a tree instead and went straight through, the immense impact enough to cause the target to fall over and make the surface shudder beneath their feet. The rain had toned down at this point, but the boys still found the ground was extremely slippery, and the lower halves of their jeans had already been covered in mud splatters.

Probably pinching Tenma's hand so tightly it hurt, Tsurugi held his phone to his ear to warn his captain. He knew this was the worst of times to have a conversation of any kind, let alone through the phone, but if that hissatsu the ghost was using behind them was the technique Kurama said was the one that separated the soul from the body, everyone in this forest was in grave danger.

"W-wow, Tsurugi, calm down," Shindou stammered on the other side of the line. "What are you talking about?"

"It's the ghost Kurama talked about!" Tsurugi was so panicked that he promptly forgot to use the appropriate honorific for his senior. "It's chasing us!"

"Wha—Is this some sort of joke?" Shindou clearly didn't believe a word he was saying.

"It's not a joke, dammit!" Tsurugi shouted, holding his phone so tightly that he looked ready to crush it. "It's attacking us with that hissatsu Kurama mentioned!"

"Hissatsu? Are you sure it's not someone in a costume?"

Tsurugi was about to answer him when another purple ball flew towards them. He turned his head, his eyes wide when he saw how close it was, and instantly focused on a more important matter than alerting his captain. Losing hold of the phone, he placed his hand on Tenma's head and pressed him down, shouting a "Duck!" as they went for the ground. While Tenma landed safely, albeit losing hold of his soccerball, Tsurugi suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right leg, a pain so intense that it made him scream in agony.

Tenma, who had his eyes shut due to the sudden action, opened them upon hearing Tsurugi's cry and let out a gasp when he saw the cause of his friend's pain. Tsurugi had grasped onto his leg, which was visible through the ripped jeans and bleeding vividly. He squeezed his eyes shut and gritted his teeth, trying desperately to withstand the pain.

"Tsurugi! Tsurugi!" Tenma sat up and reached out for him, but then wondered what he could actually do. He had no medical skills and even if he did, the ghost had easily caught up with them due to this interruption. Tenma looked up with fearful eyes when the boy stopped at a two-meter distance, staring at him with an ominous smile. Holding up one of his soccerballs, he giggled and repeated: "Let's play soccer!"

Tenma, completely terrified, failed to do anything other than stare back, until Tsurugi's words reached his ears. He instantly focused on his friend again, whose body was twitching uncontrollably. "T-Tenma… Run…"

Tenma regained the ability to move when he heard him say that and immediately shook his head. "No way! I'm not leaving you behind!"

"You idiot!" Tsurugi managed to raise his voice in spite of his current position. "Don't you realize how dangerous this is? Run away! Go! D-don't…" He paused for a moment, but then spoke up again with tears in his eyes, not entirely from the pain. "Don't let my efforts to protect you go to waste!"

Tenma was awestruck by what he heard. He didn't know why, but Tsurugi's words had an enormous impact on him. They touched his heart and filled his chest with warmth, a warmth that gave him the strength to refuse to run… and return the favor instead.

"Don't worry," he answered, lowering his head. "I won't let them go to waste…" Tenma slowly got up, gazing into the forest for a moment. Tsurugi and the ghost looked at him in surprise, and both let out a gasp when the brunet turned to the transparent boy and determinedly spread his arms. "… this time, I'll protect you instead!"

Tsurugi was at a loss for words. What was up with this boy? Was this the same boy who cowered in fear during the first half of their test of courage? The same boy who barely even dared to gaze into the darkness and needed his beloved soccerball in order to comfort him? Why wasn't he running? Why wasn't he crying in terror? Didn't he realize the danger he was in? He couldn't be that naïve. Tsurugi couldn't stand it, the vehemence before him. It made him feel like a coward, a weakling. He wouldn't be able to stand by Tenma's side due to his injured leg. What pained him even more, though, was the mere idea of this boy getting hurt in any way. He couldn't allow it, he wouldn't. He didn't know why, but he wanted do anything to keep Tenma from harm.

"Tenma…" he groaned, and he used one hand to grasp his friend's leg. "Don't do this…"

Tenma glanced down at his friend, looking surprisingly confident. "Don't worry, Kyousuke-kun," he answered, and he kneeled down to take Tsurugi's hand and squeeze it gently. As he tilted his head with a sweet, tender smile, he added: "It'll work out somehow!"

While Tsurugi once again failed to get his train of thought in order, the ghost gaped at the boys almost blankly, not saying anything. Suddenly, a frown crossed his face and he held out his soccerball with both hands. "Let's… let's play soccer?" he suggested, almost pleaded.

Tenma flicked his eyes to him again, narrowing them slowly. He looked like he was about run for the ghost boy and lash out at him, but instead, he opened his mouth and exclaimed: "I'll never play soccer with you!"

The ghost flinched and sent him a startled stare, suddenly looking very vulnerable. "W-what?"

"Your way of soccer disgusts me!" Tenma shouted, and he pointed a firm finger at his face. "You use it to hurt others! You don't care what happens to them, you only think of yourself! Your selfish behavior makes soccer cry! You're betraying soccer! I'll never play with someone like you!"

The ghost's facial features showed a contrasting side of him compared to his sadistic appearance from a minute ago. He moved his fingers like he wanted to drill them through the ball and his eyes went so big that he looked like he was about to cry. But then, his eyebrows instantly lowered and his teeth gritted, and he sent Tenma a vicious glare. The brunet wisely took a step back when he saw the other boy place the ball at his feet and lift one of them from the ground. "I… want… to play… SOCCER!"

In the course of the few seconds he needed to power up his ball, Tenma realized he'd make a mistake angering the ghost. He would abandon soccer before abandoning Tsurugi, but they could impossibly move fast enough to dodge this attack. Acting on his one and only impulse, he turned his back to their threat and sank back on his knees. He leaned forward and covered Tsurugi with his body, wrapping his arms around the other boy's torso. Tsurugi, unable to move, let alone wriggle out of his grasp, widened his eyes as Tenma shut his and braced himself for the impact that came closer and closer. The ex-Seed didn't care about himself, he merely cared about his friend, whom he only grew to love more due to his bravery. He was doing everything he could to protect him, he couldn't lose his soul before his eyes! He couldn't die, he couldn't…!

"TENMAAA!"

Tsurugi's scream went in unison with another that was shouted a few meters away. The boys instantly recognized this second shout, and not even a second after hearing it, they saw how the ghost ball got pushed out of its path by another ball – Tenma's ball. While another tree succumbed to the combined shoot of Fortissimo and the ghost's hissatsu, all three boys, their jaws dropped in shock, stared in the direction Tenma's ball had come from.

The Raimon captain, followed by the pink-haired defender, soon appeared on the scene. Seeing as the ghost was too dumbfounded to do anything, they took advantage of his idleness by running over to their friends. As Kirino sat down to inspect Tsurugi's injury, Shindou went to stand firmly before his teammates, sending an intimate glare the ghost boy's way. "You!" he exclaimed, pointing at him like Tenma had done. "What do you think you're doing to our precious friends?"

The ghost just gaped at him, reverting to his blank state from before. And just like then, his eyes grew and his mouth curled into a sorrowful frown, making him appear like a helpless little boy. He snatched one of the ghost balls that were still in line between his hands and reached out for the captain, as if to prove his point when he spoke, no, whimpered: "I-I… just want to play soccer…"

Just as Shindou opened his mouth, Tenma shouted behind him: "Don't answer, captain! If you anger him, he'll shoot again!"

Shindou turned his head to him. "What?" He then remembered making conversation with a bipolar ghost wasn't his priority in the first place. He took a quick look at Tsurugi's wound, concluding he wouldn't be able to walk or that it at least wouldn't be wise, and then nodded at Kirino. "Do it."

"Yes!" Kirino, much to Tenma and Tsurugi's surprise, suddenly started to dash for the ghost, who looked just as shocked at the boy's abrupt approach. The defender made a small wave with his arms and uttered the words he was infamous for: "The Mist!" He summoned a thick fog behind him, which caught up and surrounded both him at the ghost. Kirino turned his head in direction of his friends and shouted: "Takuto! Now!"

"Okay!" Shindou shouted back. He grabbed Tsurugi by the ankles and told Tenma: "You take his shoulders. We're retreating!"

Tenma hesitated for a moment, but when he saw Kirino's silhouette run towards them, he knew they'd all be able to leave safely, or as safely as they could. He followed Shindou's command and lifted Tsurugi, who had a hard time keeping his eyes open, by the shoulders. As the four boys made a run for it, they heard the ghost, stuck in the mist, utter countless pleas: "Wait! Don't leave me! I don't want to be alone! I want to play soccer…! Please…!"

Tsurugi sat on his butt and leaned against a tree once he was back on the ground. He was the only one not panting due to exhaustion after he and his friends created a healthy distance between them and the soccer-loving ghost. However, while Shindou, Kirino and Tenma just needed a moment to catch their breath, the cut in his leg insisted on complaining, making him cringe in pain whenever he tried to move it. Tsurugi gritted his teeth. Dammit. He wouldn't be able to help his teammates this way.

He eventually looked up at his seniors and asked: "How did you know where we were?"

Shindou shook his head. "We didn't. I thought it was some sort of joke until I heard a crash nearby, and there was merely a rush on the phone after that. I figured you weren't lying, so we came to help."

"Of course I wasn't lying," Tsurugi hissed. He checked his injury and felt slightly relieved when he saw the bleeding had stopped. Still, he decided the wound would be better off covered up and released his cape. It was still wet from the rain but it was better than nothing. Tsurugi tried to reach his lower leg with his hands, but he almost tore up everytime he tried to bend his leg. Just as he was about to curse at this stupid problem, someone kneeled in front of him and took over the cape.

"Tenma…" Tsurugi muttered, watching in slight awe as the boy took the job upon himself. He shut one eye at the pain when the cape got wrapped around his leg, but he could see Tenma was trying his best to be careful.

"Tsurugi… I'm sorry," he muttered, speaking in such a low tone that only the ex-Seed could hear it. "It's because of me you got hurt… I'm sorry."

Tsurugi let out a sigh. He had seen this coming, but he never blamed Tenma for what happened, not even a bit. He shut his eyes and placed a hand on his shoulder to catch his attention. "Tenma… Don't apologize. I chose to do what I did on my own. I'm just glad… you're safe." He lowered his head, his cheeks going warm when he spoke those last words. It was safe to say he didn't just see Tenma as a friend. He wanted to protect him without limits, and just envisioning him harmed caused his chest to hurt. He didn't feel this strongly for anyone else. He didn't know what it was, but… he cared for Tenma, dearly.

The brunet looked up at him, touched. He wasn't used to Tsurugi being this considerate; it was like he had been with a new side of him since the start of the test of courage. He had always looked up to the other boy for his strength and determinacy, but he rarely expressed it for anyone other than himself. However, all Tsurugi had paid attention to tonight was Tenma, wanting him to be safe and comfortable. Tenma placed his hand over his chest for a moment, listening to the rapid beating of his heart. Tsurugi was more to him than a friend… He made him smile, he made him feel light and safe, and most importantly, he made him feel strong and loved.

"Kyousuke-kun…" he whispered, and to his surprise, Tsurugi answered him with an encouraging smile. Tenma couldn't help but smile back, but perked up when Shindou spoke up behind him: "We've got to think of something. That… thing is probably looking for us. We only managed to buy a little time."

"Ghosts are on this world when they have unfinished business, right?" Tenma asked.

Tsurugi snorted sarcastically behind him. "What, so his unfinished business is soccer?"

Tenma turned his head to the blue-haired boy and continued: "If we find out what he wants from us, we might be able to let him pass on peacefully."

Kirino shook his head, his arms crossed. "Talking to him isn't an option. He may look vulnerable, but he's just as dangerous as Kurama described. He'll get you if he sees an opening."

"Besides, you saw how much your traditional speech affected him," Tsurugi remarked, unimpressed. "I don't think he approved."

Tenma frowned at him. "But it's true. The way he uses soccer is wrong."

Tsurugi raised an eyebrow. "I doubt he cares. He's dead. He doesn't give a crap about what's right and wrong."

"Takuto," Kirino said, looking at his best friend, "where is the bungalow? Perhaps we can warn the others, or ask them for help."

Shindou took in his surroundings and then shook his head with a sigh. "The bungalow is over there," he pointed into the direction they came from. "And so is the ghost. If either side tries to reach the other, they'll run straight into him. We can't endanger the others too."

"Dammit," Tsurugi hissed, stomping his unharmed foot into the ground. "I'll kill Kurama for his stupid story, and his stupid ideas."

"Now, now," Shindou soothed, flashing an awkward smile. "It's not like he's the one who conjured the ghost. He just told us the story. And he was actually the first one to tell us that it's real."

"As if he knew what he was talking about!" Tsurugi snapped, leaning forward. He groaned when that turned out to be a bad idea and moved back against the tree, glaring at his injured leg.

"If we can't reason with him, the only option left… is to fight him, isn't it?" Tenma muttered reluctantly.

Shindou followed Kirino's example and crossed his own arms. "I'm afraid so. It won't be easy. That boy seems to have an indefinite arsenal of soccerballs and we know what they're capable of. We left Tenma's ball where we confronted the ghost, so we have none… The only thing we can do is to counter those balls of his, but… they're powerful. I don't think I would've managed to stop that last ball if I hadn't used my hissatsu."

"But we have something he doesn't!" Tenma raised his voice excitedly. "Our Keshins! We should be at an equal level if we use our Keshins!"

"That's true…" Shindou nodded. "But we'll have to act fast if we summon our Keshins. We can only last so long when they drain our power they way they do."

"One shot should be enough, right?" Tsurugi said. "If it only takes one shot to steal our soul, it should be the same if we want him to disappear."

"Will that actually work, though?" Kirino asked, flicking his eyes across the group. "He doesn't even have a soul to steal. Who says the ball won't go straight through him?"

"But if his unfinished business really is soccer, doesn't that mean we just have to accept a match with him and he'll be at peace?" Tenma brought up.

Shindou shook his head a second time. "A match with him could cost us our lives. His shoots are seriously dangerous. Besides, according to Kurama's story, he should've gathered an army of players by now. If he still wants more, playing soccer won't cut it. He'll probably never be satisfied regardless of the amount of players he has."

"We'll be in serious danger either way, though…" Tsurugi leaned his head against the tree, exhaling a sigh. "It's like an evil version of Tenma. Neither of you knows when to quit, except he hurts you if you reject him."

"Hey!" Tenma protested while Shindou and Kirino snickered behind him. The Raimon captain grinned a little and said: "By the way, you two seem to be on a first name base now… Did something happen before you met the ghost?"

Tenma and Tsurugi both looked at their seniors with increasingly red cheeks. Tenma was about to answer him, but Tsurugi blabbed a "Nothing!" and pinched the brunet's shoulder as if to warn him he better not tell them the truth. "Besides, we could ask you the same thing," he stroke back, raising an eyebrow again. He looked at Kirino and clarified: "You keep calling captain Takuto."

Kirino gave him a busted look and then started to admire the trees. "Ah, that…" he smiled nervously, scratching his red cheek with his index finger.

Shindou sent him a sympathetic glance. They never discussed this issue during their little moment, but he didn't mind Kirino's choice. After all, they were best friends at least, hearing him call him by his first name only made him happy. The brunet then reminded himself this wasn't the time to talk about such light-hearted things and returned to the matter at hand: "… Kirino. You don't possess a Keshin. It may be hazardous if you join the fight."

Kirino looked at him, almost angrily. "I won't let the two of you go alone. I want to help."

"But what about Tsurugi?" Tenma asked worriedly. "We can't just leave him here on his own."

Tsurugi frowned in disapproval and brought his hand to Tenma's cheek, squeezing it playfully. "Don't underestimate me. I'm pissed at is it is that I can't bring out Kensei Lancelot. Don't take me lightly by assuming I can't take care of myself."

Tenma rubbed his sore cheek with a frown, but when he saw the mischievous look on Tsurugi's face, he couldn't help but smile and nod at him. "You're right." Tenma then moved closer, instantly causing Tsurugi's expression to jump to shock instead. His eyes went wide as the other boy's hands slithered onto his cheeks and his lips slowly came in contact with his forehead, planting a gentle kiss on his skin. Tsurugi could only gawk at Tenma in dumbfoundedness when he pulled back, beaming a confident smile in spite of his red cheeks, a trait he shared tenfold. "… wait for me, Kyousuke-kun."

Tsurugi didn't know what else to do but nod, filled with disbelief about what Tenma had just done. He actually kissed him… and not only that, he completely accepted it. Not one moment had he possessed the urge to resist, to push the boy away. No, he had opened himself up him, deliberately, willingly, and enjoyed the contact between the two of them. This fact embarrassed him greatly, and yet… when Tsurugi saw Tenma's smile, his tension seemed to fade into calmness, his mind accepting the situation.

Once Tenma got back on his feet, the three boys joined up in a line and started to walk in the direction they had come from. While Shindou and Kirino looked ahead sternly, Tenma lowered his head. His smile had vanished as soon as Tsurugi couldn't see his face anymore, and he bit his lip in attempt to hold his tears back. If they lost, they would never see each other again… While he was motivated to battle the ghost, this thought tormented his head with pressure and made him wish he had done much more than give Tsurugi a simple kiss. He wanted to hug him, thank him for everything, hold his hand and feel his touch again…

Tenma perked up when Shindou placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling confidently. "Don't worry," he said, making Tenma realize his concern was probably readable on his face. "We'll definitely win. If that's how soccer wants it, things will work out somehow, isn't that what you always say?"

Tenma opened his mouth in awe. "Captain…" He turned his head to his other side, where Kirino smiled at him just as brightly. "Kirino-senpai…" Tenma glanced down for a moment, realizing his captain was right. Soccer was by their side, as it always was. He was going to fight for himself, for soccer, and for Tsurugi. There was no question of whether they'd meet again, because they would. Tenma was going to show his gratitude to Tsurugi through this fight, and after that, he'd take care of his leg as much as he had to. This wasn't the last moment he had the chance to kiss him; there would be many, many more.

Bearing that in mind, Tenma slapped his cheeks and raised his head, staring so intensely into the forest that it looked like he was daring the trees to come at him. "You're right! It'll work out! Everything will work out!"

The three boys nearly flinched when an eerie giggle answered those words. They turned to their left and saw a familiar figure approach them from the bushes, a soccerball in his hand. Still giving off a threatening aura, the soccer-loving ghost lifted his head and smiled cheerfully, nearly deceiving the Raimon members with his innocent appearance. "I've found new friends to play soccer with!"

Shindou took a step forward and spread an arm in front of Tenma and Kirino, almost out of automatism. Even when he wasn't wearing his captain strap, his sense of responsibility for the team never ceased. "We won't play soccer with you," he replied strictly. "We want you to stop hurting people."

The ghost's chirpy smile instantly disappeared. He didn't grow angry like last time, but instead looked plain confused. "Huh?"

"That shoot of yours is killing people," Shindou clarified, lowering his eyebrows. "You're doing something awful. It has to stop. You're no longer part of the living, you need to move on."

Still incapable of understanding the older boy's words, the ghost gazed at his ball for a moment. He then looked up with an innocent face, a face that could jump to either rage or sadness in a second. But instead of speaking, he suddenly tossed the ball at the other boys, so gently it landed in front of them.

Tenma, Shindou and Kirino all took a step back, wanting as little contact with those haunted things as possible. When they focused back from the ball to the boy, they saw him frown like he was ready to cry. "Soccer… is fun," he mumbled, placing an index finger on his lips. "Can we play soccer…?"

The three boys barely had time to blink before transparent soccerballs appeared in mid-air, dancing around them in circles. Just as the ghost's frown changed into an astoundingly evil smirk and he cackled "We can play soccer, can't we?", the balls started to swing between the boys, separating them from each other. They each had to step in a different direction if they didn't want the balls, which were racing at a mad speed, to hit them. The movements of the balls caused the ground to stir up and a wind to blow mud and pebbles at them. While the boys attempted to cover their faces and keep an eye on the mad ghost in the meantime, he picked up the ball he was originally holding and screamed, all the while laughing insanely, "Yes, that's right! We're going to play soccer forever and ever!"

"Will you… cut it out!"

The soccer-loving ghost let out a startled cry when one of his summoned ball flew at his face. He only just managed to dodge it and stared at Tenma, who stared back angrily. Due to his interruption, the ghost lost control of the other balls and they dropped lifelessly beside the boys, bouncing away. Shindou and Kirino also looked at Tenma in shock. He had apparently managed to catch one of the balls entrapping him and send it back to its owner, not only keeping up with its speed but also being able to surpass the ghost in control of the ball.

"How… how did you know you could touch it?" Kirino looked at the transparent balls, then back at the other boy. "Wasn't your foot supposed to go straight through?"

Tenma kept his eyes on the ghost boy as he spoke, visibly fuming with anger. "I figured it out. We can touch them as soon as he puts power into them, because that's when he wants them to hit something. That's why captain's Fortissimo also managed to touch his ball before." He clenched his fists and added: "Kirino-senpai… You were right. I kept on hoping we could talk him out of what he's doing, but…" Tenma held his hands at his sides as a dark blue aura emerged from his back. "… it looks like we have to fight!"

Shindou and Kirino were nearly blown back by Majin Pegasus's arrival. An even stronger wind than the one the ghost had conjured rushed through the forest as Tenma's aura took form and grew above the trees. His Keshin brought out his wings and let out an intimidating roar, which seemed to have its effect on the soccer-loving ghost. The boy's red eyes went wide in shock, fear even, as he took a few steps back and stared at Tenma's trusted companion. "Wha… what is that?" he exclaimed.

Shindou and Kirino looked at each other. He didn't know what a Keshin was?

Tenma completely ignored the question and stepped forward, compensating for the extra gap the ghost had made with his withdrawal. His fists still clenched tightly, he pierced a furious gaze into the boy's eyes and hissed: "You killed kids who meant no harm… you threatened my friends, and you misused soccer. But most of all, you hurt Tsurugi… and that is unforgivable!"

The words seemed to hit the ghost like a wake-up slap. He shook his head some and returned to his manic form, glaring at the brunet. He lifted his hands and opened them, calling all of his balls back and keeping them at his sides. When he let one hover right in front of his feet and surrounded it with a purple glow, Shindou widened his eyes and looked at Tenma. "Look out! He's going to shoot!"

Tenma kept his focus on the ghost, not looking the least bit scared. "I can take it… I can take anything he throws at me. I'll fight for what I hold dear!" He began to run towards the ball that had just been launched and was going straight for him. As he shouted "I'll fight for Tsurugi!" his foot came in contact with the ball, instantly stopping it. The ball tried its hardest to push Tenma out of the way, but the boy tried a little harder. With a furious cry, he turned the tables and sent the ball back to its owner, who had to duck if he didn't want his face damaged.

Tenma, while still looking enraged, started to pant a bit and looked like he was about to fall over after his impact with the ghost ball. Shindou and Kirino ran over to him and the defender asked: "Tenma! Are you okay?"

Tenma sent his seniors a smile and nodded. "It's got a lot of power… but we can stop it. We can stop the soccer-loving ghost!" He suddenly noticed something coming through the corner of his eye and jumped in front of his friends, stopping another ghost ball. Right after deflecting it, a third one came, and a fourth one and fifth one. While the soccer-loving ghost made his shoots with ease, Tenma needed more and more effort to send the balls back, the opponent's attack growing stronger and his defense growing weaker. Not only did the shoots get more powerful, the more help Tenma needed from his Keshin, the more energy got drained from his body, causing him to catch his breath more and more quickly.

But then, the ghost stopped his attacks. The balls he had left suddenly vanished as he calmed down and sent Tenma a disappointed stare. "You're too strong… I'll find a better friend to play soccer with!" The boy then disappeared in the blink of an eye, and barely a second later, Tenma collapsed and his Keshin evaporated into his back.

"Tenma!" Shindou kneeled down next to him, helping him sit up. "Are you alright?"

Tenma was panting heavily now and muttered: "I… I'm alright. Are you and Kirino-senpai alright too?"

"We don't have a scratch thanks to you," Kirino smiled, and he nodded in gratitude.

Shindou followed his example, but then lowered his eyebrows in thought. "What did he mean, find a better friend…?"

"He must have sensed someone nearby when he got bored with us," Kirino answered, "but who could-?" He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't have to. It was so obvious. The three boys realized it at the exact same time and felt their hearts skip a beat.

"Tsurugi...!"

A/N: Oh me and my cliffhangers~ XD By the way, I know "Keshin" translates out to "Avatar" but that word just reminds me of the American cartoon, the James Cameron film, a display picture on MSN/forums/other websites etc. so I decided to go for the word that isn't so overused. Please review if you like~!