I don't think I'm capable of writing a descriptive football game…give me a fight, I can write that (I think)…but a football game? well…I'LL TRY MY BEST!

"Okay, brats!" Hiruma hollered as they huddled in a circle behind the fifty-yard line. He had his arms crossed, with a serious expression on his face. "We're gonna take this chance for a win while Shin isn't on the field." He motioned them closer as he continued, "Here's the plan. I get the ball and pass it to Eyeshield 21 and you," Hiruma poked a finger at Sena, who was clad in his football uniform like everyone else, except with an eyeshield concealing his face. "Run like there's no tomorrow! The rest of you clear the way for him. Got it?!"

The team shouted a messy chorus of: "Yes!"

Hiruma smirked, putting his hands on his knees as he took a deep breath. "LET'S DESTROY THEM, YA-HA!"

"YA-HA!"

They dispersed and positioned themselves on the field. Sena jogged behind Hiruma, his heart racing with anticipation as he stared out at the opposing team members. He knew that it was still most likely Oujo's win, considering that their team had an assortment of sports players, with only three of the eleven actually playing football while Shin's team had dead serious, talented, devoted players. He took a deep breath, shaking the unnecessary thoughts out of his head. Focus. All I need to do is run.

Run.

"Set, hut, hut!"

Eyeshield 21 ran up to the quarterback, who handed him the ball. "Bring it to the endzone." Hiruma commanded with a grin. The brunette smirked in response and shot forward up to the line. He squirreled in between Juumonji and Kurita, trying to get through the struggling linemen. Sena held the ball as tight as he could, elbowing and pushing through the throng of people.

He stepped forward, feeling his heart free along with his body. He had finally gotten pass them.

"Stop him!" Sena heard someone say.

Too late.

Sena surged forward, immediately breaking into his lightening fast sprint. He seemed to leave a streak of bright green behind him, trailing after him just as quickly. The other players looked like flies being swatted away as Eyeshield 21 easily breezed past them.

Sena could feel himself entering his own dimension once again as he dashed across the field. This time it was a bit different, though. He was acutely aware of everything.

The furious pace of his heart.

The ball in his hands.

The sweat dripping off his face.

The burning of his muscles.

The cheers from his team.

That line, the goal, the end zone progressively approaching.

He felt a good amount pressure that he hadn't realize he had from before get lifted off his shoulders as the ball he cradled in his arms crossed into the end zone.

Sena heard the sharp chirp of the whistle behind him. "Touchdown!"

The announcer grabbed his microphone and enunciated zealously, "Just a few seconds into the game and Deimon has already scored a goal! Will the undefeatable Knights finally meet their downfall?"

"Coach, please let me play." Shin bowed before the elderly man who—Shin could tell—was growing steadily angrier at the progression of the match. Eyeshield 21 had easily broken through Oujo's iron defense and scored two touchdowns. But then again, their ace player had not been participating in the match thus far, so Oujo was not at their best condition. "I am confident I will be able to stop Eyeshield 21."

The Coach grit his teeth, clenched his fist and spoke darkly, "Alright. Shin, you're in. Show Deimon what we've got."

He bowed again. "Thank you, Coach." Shin put his gloves on absently, his face hard in deep thought. His dark eyes were trained on a certain figure across the field. Sena. I'm finally able to face you on the field.

Sena glanced at Kurita curiously as he heard the large boy cry out suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

Kurita put his hand up to his mouth and was about to start chewing his nails before Hiruma came up behind him and gave him a good kick.

"Stop acting like a coward, fatty!" The blonde sneered out.

Kurita flailed his arms out at Hiruma, saying indignantly, "B-but Hiruma! Shin just switched in!"

Sena heart skipped a beat as he heard Kurita's words. He turned around in response to the burning feeling on his back. Shin was walking onto the field—towards him—staring at Sena intently. Sena clenched and unclenched his fist somewhat nervously, staring back at Shin just as intently. Shin!

Oujou's atmosphere instantly changed as soon as Shin entered the field with them. Even the expression they wore as they stood on the opposing side of the field was different. Now they were truly the Oujou White Knights.

They scored a touchdown easily and the offense switched back to Deimon. Unfortunately, they failed to get their first down. Oujou would not loosen their guard even the slightest from here on out; not after the touchdown Sena had run. It didn't take very long for the game to shift to Oujou's side, as they scored yet another touchdown with a successful extra point, making the score 14-12.

Deimon Devil Bats stood in a circle, everyone's faces showing disheartenment. Hiruma scowled at their broken spirit and commanded, "We're getting through this one. Fatty, I'm counting on you. Eyeshield 21, go through any cracks you see in the line. Everyone else, do your thing, let's go!"

"Set, hut, hut!"

"FUNNURABA!" A gruff shout came from Kurita as he pushed against Ootawara with all his might, his face screwed tight with concentration.

Sena was handed the ball from Hiruma and immediately scanned the line for any weak points. He found none. But that didn't stop him. In that decisive moment, the brunette charged towards the linemen with all his might with a battle cry. He'd make one. He pushed and he pushed and pushed, holding the ball tight in his arms and twisting his body away from the grasping hands of the other team who were trying to take the ball.

"Kurita-san!" Sena shouted on the top of his lungs. Kurita and Ootawara were currently at a par, and the struggling brunette knew if the onion-head could knock Ootawara off his feet, then Sena could break through.

"Got it, Sena!" Kurita cried out, immediately understanding. The muscles on his arms bulged, and the veins on his bulky arms popped out. His eyes were lit with a burning fire of passion, making his emotions apparent as he roared again. "FUNNURABAAA!"

It was almost like breaking down a glass wall. The moment one part of the glass was broken, the crack spread throughout the barrier and the entire wall crumbled. The effects were immediate.

Sena did not waste a second, tearing down the field with a fast beating heart. He evaded the other Oujou members easily enough, but he felt a white hot excitement build up in him as he knew one big, fast, looming obstacle was to come his way before he reached the end zone.

Shin.

There he was, emitting a terrifying, beast-like—a bear, Sena thought—aura, all directed at him. The bluentte stood erected on the field and broke into a run, charging towards Eyeshield 21. For one moment, Sena almost skidded to a stop, simply from fear of the animal who was pelting down the field for him. For one moment, Sena doubted he could pass Shin. But immediately, he recovered, steeled himself, and sprinted towards the beast.

As they neared each other, Sena heard Shin speak grandly in a low voice. "I didn't expect you to break through our lines of defense, but all the better, so I can stop you myself!"

It was times like this that reminded Sena that Shin was not the polite and proper man he seemed.

Sena grit his teeth and tightened his grip on the ball, bracing himself for conflict.

Shin's heartbeat increased by tenfold as he saw Sena break through the line. He flexed his hands and his mouth tightened in grim satisfaction. As expected, Sena was not going to be stopped by anyone other than himself. The anticipation he held in burst out, electrifying himself as he broke into a sprint, the only thing in his field of vision being the figure with the green eyeshield.

Sena!

Brandishing his arms out—his spears—he continued his path on the field. As Sena drew closer, Shin impulsively announced, "I didn't expect you to break through our lines of defense, but all the better, so I can stop you myself!"

Sena agilely avoided the thrust of his left arm but that did not deter him one bit. Shin could tell that Sena thought he had gotten past him. You thought wrong! The second, no millisecond Sena even made the movement of passing Shin, his right arm shot out, hitting Sena square on the ribs hard. The brunette had actually ran farther away from him than he had anticipated, making Shin fall forward as he lunged at Sena. Although the force of his Spear Tackle was lessened from the distance but still sent the brunette straight towards the ground. Shin felt satisfaction rise in him as he stared down on his fallen opponent.

Shin barely noticed the fact that he had fallen on top of Sena, his legs straddling him on the ground with his hands beside the brunette's head. They stared into each other's eyes; both of them full of vigor and an unspoken challenge alight in their irises. He wished he could take off the helmet with the eyeshield so he could see Sena's piercing eyes straight on, but he knew trouble would follow that action. Shin leaned forward, his helmet inches from Sena's and opened his mouth as he whispered out, "Got you."

Hiruma's teeth were clenched tightly in anticipation and excitement. Sena had easily passed everyone—all that was left was Shin. But could he do it—?

His eyes widened as he saw the shorter figure pass the taller one, only for the blue-jereseyed man to tackle Eyeshield 21 down to the ground. He nearly laughed aloud when he saw the two's compromising position.

He rested an arm to his hip as he smirked. Hiruma was confident Sena would pass Shin. If he polished this rare but rough diamond correctly…

Sena was caught—ensnared—by Shin's gaze, both of them seeing nothing else but each other. His heart had skipped a beat when Shin moved in on him and whispered those words, enticing a small shiver from him. If he hadn't had his helmet on, Sena knew he would have felt Shin's warm breath on his ear. A spark of annoyance flickered in him as he registered the bluenette's words. He may have been bested this time, but Sena knew he could and would break through Shin.

Then Sena blinked slowly, the tips of his ears reddening as he realized Shin and his position on the ground and how it must look to everyone else. Sena cleared his throat deliberately as he shifted slightly under the muscled man. "Um, Shin?" Sena patted Shin's back, reminding him of where they were. "Could you, perhaps, get off of me now?"

Shin blinked and complied in silence. Sena sighed as he felt the weight be lifted off of him. He stood up next to the bluenette, who was looking at him curiously. Sena cocked his head to the side and asked, "What?"

Shin shook his head and readjusted his gloves. He answered after a pause, "…Nothing."

The game resumed and Oujou easily upped their score against Devil Bat's nonexistent defense to 49-14. Sena was tackled down by the defense line countless times, and whenever he did pass them, Shin was there to stop him. They had not scored a single touchdown since.

Now, there was only two minutes, three seconds on the clock. It was their turn for offense. Hiruma glared at Eyeshield 21 with gleaming eyes the brunette could not decipher. Sena stared back at him defiantly. The team was gathered in a huddle, all of them waiting for Hiruma to say something.

"Don't worry, Hiruma. I'm almost there. I can feel it. Let me try one more time and I know I can pass him." Everyone gave him pained looks, knowing it was nearly impossible to win now. He grit his teeth in frustration. But I should get past Shin at least once! Sena clenched his fists to prevent himself from showing the pain he felt from his battered ribs. Shin's Spear Tackles really hurt. But he's had worse. His mind flashed to something of the past. Sena held in a scowl as he felt the scar on his abdomen ache in reminiscence. Let's not go there.

Hiruma's glare turned into a level, examining gaze. There was a small pause before he closed his eyes and turned his mouth up to a smirk. "Alright. Same thing as before. Let's go!"

"Set, hut, hut, hut!"

Sena glanced at the wrestling linemen for a second and then, with the ball in his hands, turned right, running around them. He immediately was confronted by the other linebacker who dove at him with temerity. Sena swerved gracefully out of his way without stopping, leaping into his sprint that matched the speed of light. He ran straight, near the sidelines passing the forty-yard line…forty-five…fifty-

What the—

"Oh shit!" Sena cursed aloud as a kneeling figure suddenly appeared into his line of sight. Isn't that…Sakuraba-san?! The blonde had an arm out, reaching for something in front of him with a face of slight desperation. The handsome man had no time to react when Eyeshield 21 ran at him. He instinctively squeezed his eyes closed with clenched teeth, bracing himself for the impact.

I am not going to stop! Sena thought with firm resolve.

It was as if someone had clicked the pause button.

The world slowed as Sena felt himself gather the force needed in his legs to leap forward.

The crowd silenced in that moment.

On his left, he heard someone shout out, "Sakuraba!"

Behind him, he thought he heard a certain blonde holler, "Sena!"

He jumped.

Sena witnessed the entire thing in slow motion. His legs did not touch the crouched man at all. The play button was pressed as his right foot landed back on the ground, resuming the world's movements. His pace did not slow as he continued his way forward.

Eyeshield 21 almost cried when he remembered he still needed to pass Shin.

But he would do it.

He knew now that Shin's Spear Tackle had two parts—more if he needed it. The first part was just an ordinary Spear Tackle. And if the first spear failed to get him, then he would use his other hand. And if that failed too, he lunged forward, and with whichever hand had farther range, depending on where the person he was chasing was, he would pierce them there. It was a very simple yet effective strategy. So far, Sena had mostly gotten stopped on the second part, but in the last play, Sena had managed to escape his grasp from his second attempt, only to get hit by the third Spear Tackle.

Sena stared out the field as he charged forward, his eyes narrowing on the steadily approaching Shin.

And then came this moment. His last chance to pass Shin.

"Shin!"

"I will not allow you to pass me!"

Sena's eyes widened as his mind and body went on overdrive, watching every movement of Shin's and maintaining his own speed at the same time. The first Spear Tackle was avoided, and then the second…

His heart pumped blood quickly, and its pace seemed to accelerate along with himself as he shot past Shin. Could he get past the third hurdle-?

With a spurt of energy, he leapt forward, cringing as he felt the third Spear Tackle brush him dangerously. Not letting Shin get any closer, he cradled the ball protectively and dashed down the field.

He felt freed and liberated. He had gotten past Shin! Finally!

And then-

Something hooked onto his jersey-

He slowly turned-

There was a crashing dread that spilled itself on Sena's heart.

Shin, his body on the ground, his arm and his finger extended, had caught onto Sena's shirt.

"Fuck!"

The sudden stop caused Sena to fall forward, each second, his body progressively approaching the ground.

With his brows furrowed and eyes narrowed, he threw the ball up in the air.

He heard the announcer question in shock, "Just what is Eyeshield 21 planning—?"

Instinctively doing a clean front flip and then a back flip, he landed nicely on his two feet. All of this happened within a few seconds.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Looks like we've got quite the acrobat here! Eyeshield 21 has just executed an amazingly perfect simultaneous front-back flip!"

Sena looked up, smiling in relief when he saw that the ball was still in the air. Sena ran forward with his arms out, readily accepting the ball back into his arms.

There was no one in his way of the end zone now.

As he stepped over the line, the sharp sound of the referee's whistle and the announcer's excited declaration of "Touchdown!" was drowned out by the erupting cheers in the stands. With a hand holding the ball, he lifted it up in the air, basking in the crowd's applause.

Then he quickly turned his head to the other end of the field, his heart bursting in happiness when he saw his teammates running towards him. He broke in an easy jog with both arms out, embracing them all when they reached him. Amongst the cheering and the yelling of his alias, he heard Hiruma shout over the noise, "Why are you acting as though you won, brat?!"

"I don't know! I feel as though I have!" Sena yelled out in reply.

Eyeshield 21 swiveled his head in surprise when he felt a hand on his helmet. Hiruma gave him a smile as his lips moved mouthed the words that were drowned out by the crowd.

Sena didn't hear it, but he was sure he had said: "Good job."

Super Short Omake

Instinctively doing a clean front flip and then a back flip, he landed nicely on his two feet. All of this happened within a few seconds. He looked up, smiling in relief when he saw that the ball was still in the air. Sena ran forward with his arms out, readily accepting the ball back into his arms. He shouted on the top of his lungs with triumph, "CATCH MAX!"

"Wait, where did that come from?"

UGH UGHGUGUGHGUGH UGH GAHHH AHH. Hardest chapter to write. Hardest of the hardest of the HARDESSST.

I'm sorry if this chapter was uberly confusing, or if the writing quality was shabbier than usual.

Hope it was understandable and okay o.o Writing about the game…how am I going to do the future ones?!

…don't answer that.

Edit: 11-10-13