NaCl: …I…don't even have the motivation to write this, so don't blame me if it sucks…I wanna watch some clouds…
Disclaimer: …I own Inazuma Eleven, Midori-chan is going to die, Fudou and Haruna are getting married, Gouenji gets hit by a soccer ball and Hiroto proclaims his love for me.
NaCl: (watching clouds) Hmm…that one looks like a cross between a buffalo that accidently took steroids and got amputated and a dolphin who got flattened by a steamroller and mutilated by a shark…
Lil bro: Nee-chan…that's an airplane…
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Kidou was pissed.
Everyone could tell, even Endou, from the way he stabbed the pancakes the managers had made for breakfast and the permanent scowl etching his face.
Concerned, Kazemaru asked, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Kidou all but snarled out. Taking a deep breath, he abruptly got up, leaving his breakfast, and left the room, stomping down the hall.
Hitomiko's eyebrows twitched into a frown.
Haruna got up and gave a calm smile to Kazemaru's worried expression, "I'll talk to him."
It was when everyone heard Haruna crying and the sound of a door slamming shut, that everyone stared, aghast, at the now empty corridor.
Even Hitomiko looked worried.
It was now ten, and Raimon was now practicing on one of the indoor fields. At the moment though, Endou, Kazemaru and Natsumi were watching the Hunters practice on the center field.
"They don't look like they're getting along, do they?" Kazemaru murmured. The team was splitting up into groups of two who were shouting at the coach and not practicing.
"They're fighting," Natsumi observed, "And their captain seems to be missing."
"This would work to our advantage if we didn't have a similar situation," Hitomiko came up behind them and watched too.
"What do you mean, kantoku?" Endou asked.
"Kidou is missing. Haruna locked herself in her room and won't stop crying. Aki, Domon and Ichinose are trying to persuade Haruna to come out. Fubuki and Someoka have gone to search for Kidou, and the rest of the team…" Hitomiko trailed off as she looked at the team.
Kurimatsu and Kabeyama were yelling at each other about something. Megane was flashing his glasses and proclaiming something to which no one seemed to be listening. Touko was yelling at the three of them to start practice.
"Our team is in shambles," Kazemaru narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Hitomiko nodded, "We need Kidou back."
The said gamemaker was on the Mount Olympus field, trying to get rid of the vivid pictures of this morning by destroying the soccer net. He kicked another ball, imagining it to have Meiko's face. It landed in the center of the net, spinning furiously.
After Alex had collapsed, he had seen Toni run towards her and frantically shake her, trying to get her to wake. Meiko had just calmly walked off the field, telling them that they were dismissed.
He had seen the entire team try to wake her up, but he knew it was a lost cause. When Alex was three, her house was lit on fire because of some mafia members who didn't get what they wanted. Alex was the only one who survived; she had to see her mother and father die in front of her, the flames turning their bodies into ash. She had to hear her brother's screams for help, knowing there was no way to save him.
This had scarred her for life, and the doctors diagnosed her with severe pyrophobia when she first fell into a coma at five. The only way to come out of the coma was through extensive adrenaline injections and still then, there were chances of her being brain-dead. At the orphanage they had been very careful not to have candles near her. And now, her own goddamn mother forcefully pushes her into the coma!
Another ball swished into the net, releasing Kidou's pent-up frustrations.
It puzzled Kidou why someone would create such an extensive flame hissatsu which could only be controlled by opening the eyes, if said person falls into a coma every time they look at fire.
Girls were the most complicated species on this planet.
Kidou kicked the ball one last time before falling to his knees, panting. It was almost ten now, which left five hours to the match. Now more than ever he wanted to crush the Hunters and wipe that arrogant smirk off of Meiko's face. He needed to go back to the team.
First he knocked on Haruna's door, and was worried when he was met with a 'GO AWAY!' Softly telling her that it was him, he watched as she opened the door, her eyes red, her cheeks tear-stained.
Five minutes later, he walked onto the field, past the Hunters and up to the team. He had smoothed things over with Haruna and Fubuki, Someoka, Ichinose, Domon and Aki were behind him.
The first thing he was met with was an angry Natsumi, "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR KIDOU!"
Kidou winced at the high pitch voice and said calmly, just like he rehearsed, "This morning, I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd watch the Hunters practice. When I was there…" his face contorted and Natsumi nodded understandingly.
"We forgive you, Kidou," Kazemaru smiled, "But we need some strategies."
Kidou turned and looked at the Hunters, whose practice was going terribly. He watched as Meiko failed to control them and smirked.
"None of them wants to play under a coach like her," Kidou said, indicating Meiko, "But the only reason they do so is because the captain does so. However, their captain isn't there, and is out of commission for the game." Endou and the rest stared at him curiously, wondering how he knew this.
"Therefore, their kantoku's power is decreasing. Also, the girls in the team seemed to have formed pairs of friends. The only thing holding them together is Alex. If she's gone, their entire teamwork is gone."
"That seems too easy to defeat," Touko frowned.
"You're right," Kidou acknowledged, "After all, these are soldiers raised to sacrifice themselves for soccer. Chances are they'll work as one in the game. However, the discord will still be there, and that is where we should aim our attacks."
"But then how are we going to win?" Kabeyama asked.
"In the first half, we focus on weakening their teamwork and their stamina. Don't give it your full effort, give enough so that they will give their all. Don't let the point difference exceed ten."
"Wait a minute!" Endou yelled, "Why should we even let the point difference reach ten?"
"Endou," Kidou said, "Save your strength. We attack with everything in the second half, when they will be weakened. By doing so, we will take points easier than they took from us. Also, giving such a big lead will surely lower their guard."
"Kidou-kun is right," Hitomiko said, surprising everyone, "Follow his instructions and you can very easily win the game. I know Meiko's style; midway through the second quarter, none of her players will be able to play. As Kidou said, just don't let the point difference exceed ten. And Fubuki, Someoka," she turned to the two strikers, "Weaken down their goalkeeper to the point she can no longer stand. Endou, don't let more than ten go through, and stop the ones that don't require a lot of energy. Midfielders and defenders, wear them down by playing offense. Don't bother with defense just keep on pushing for offense, it will eventually wear them down."
They all nodded, grim. The fate of the universe rested on them, after all.
"All right, we are all here to witness the spectacular match between the Raimon Eleven that defeated Aliea Academy's second-rank team and winner of this year's Soccer Frontier, and the Hunters, silver rank of Artemis Academy and the pride and joy of the school!" a second-year girl was sitting in the commenter's booth, a forced smile on her face. She muttered in the microphone, "Now I would really like to go do homework if Miss High-And-Mighty didn't threaten me."
She cleared her throat as if her last comment, which left many of the students piling into the bleachers snicker, didn't exist, "I'm Maou and I'm reporting from the Mount Olympus field which currently holds the fate of the champions of universe. Both the Hunters and Raimon Eleven are fighting for the chance to take down Epsilon!"
Far, far away, in a darkened room, a TV was lit up from the recording from Artemis Academy. One of the people sitting there chuckled, "Sure do think highly of us, huh, Gran?"
Gran ignored Desarm and focused on the teams now emerging on the field. He blatantly ignored the Raimon side and concentrated on the Hunters' side.
"On the Hunters we have…goalkeeper Xandra Olexa!" Maou muttered as if she wanted to get this over with, "Defenders, Flora McKenny, Caliana Guadalupe, and Raelene Melba! Midfielders, Vampire Dracula, Chione Ebonique, Liliana Wen, and Zalika Taj! Forwards, Antonia Blacé and Cassandra Exotica! And finally, we have the captain, Kira…"
Maou trailed off as she saw what everyone else saw. After a tight-lipped Cassandra jogged through the stadium, there was nobody else.
"Well, looks like Captain Kira Alexandra, defender extraordinaire is not playing! The Hunters plan to win with only ten players! Talk about underestimating or what?"
At this, everyone on the Hunters shot a death glare at the commenter's booth. Looks like they were touchy about the fact that their captain was missing.
Back in the darkened room, Gran leaned back with a sigh.
"Kira, huh?" Desarm remarked, "That means she's your niece, Gran. That's just sick if you want her to be her girlfriend-" Desarm cut off as he met Gran's green-blue eyes.
"Are you perhaps forgetting who you're talking to?" Gran asked, his tone icy-cold.
"N-Not a-at a-all, G-Gran-sama," Desarm stuttered, mentally berating himself on talking so casually to the captain of Genesis.
"Good," Gran smirked, "Now let's watch Endou-kun play."
"Gran, you sound so gay when you say that," a familiar snarky voice entered the room.
"Oh, like you don't sound gay when you formed the threat Desarm was supposed to carry," a sarcastic voice retorted back at him, icily calm.
"Urusai," Gran muttered, his eyes focused on the screen. The Hunters had won the coin toss and were preparing for the kick-off.
"Alright, Gran, we'll stop talking so you can watch your boyfriend in peace," Burn smirked. Gazel just rolled his eyes.
Two hours and forty-five minutes later, there were only 11 players still standing on the field.
The stadium was dead silent, but it was an oppressive silence, weighing on each and every one.
The scoreboard showed, 13 – 13.
Raimon Junior High had won.
But no one felt like celebrating.
Endou was leaning on the goalpost, unable to support his own weight, watching the field with a gloomy expression on his face. Fubuki was staring at the ten lumps on the field, his expression one of horror. Kidou was trying very hard not to throw up.
All the other ten players of The Hunters were lying on the ground in various states of unconsciousness. They had fallen, one by one, after the second half started. By the time there was only five minutes left, none of the opposing team was standing, Raimon won by default.
But the worst part? Meiko, sitting on the bench with a horrified Isa and Angel, had a sadistically gleeful expression on her face.
As if she was actually happy that ten girls would never be able to play soccer again, hell, never even be able to walk properly.
Kidou felt his stomach churning when he realized that was exactly what they did at Artemis Academy.
Even Hitomiko looked vaguely disgusted as she stared at her sister.
After ten long minutes, Maou's voice came once again over the speakers, but this time, she sounded shocked and repulsed, unlike the earlier sarcasm.
"As The Hunters are unable to play, Raimon Junior High wins by default…" her voice trailed off. Meiko stood up, sending a dark smirk to Hitomiko before leaving the stadium. She didn't even try and see the damages of her greed for power.
Hitomiko also stood up as Isa and Angel ran to the players, trying to get them to wake up, and calling medical stretchers.
It was that which broke the spell, and Raimon silently turned to leave, going to the locker rooms.
They didn't want to stay another minute in this haunted house of horrors.
It was nearly six, and everyone was ready to go, packing their stuff back onto the caravan. Isa and Angel had said their goodbyes in small voices and they hadn't seen hide or hair of Meiko. Everyone was still in shock about what happened, so they filed on the bus in silence.
Kidou was second-last to climb on, behind him was Hitomiko. As soon as he was about to get on, however, a voice called out, "Wait a minute, Raimon."
It was only that sickly sweet voice that made Kidou whip around, that made the entire team poke their heads out of the window.
"What do you want, Meiko?" Hitomiko said in a level voice, the dark undertone in her voice did not seem to affect her sister.
"Well, the game was a tie," Meiko smirked, "Therefore, I want to add one of my players to your team."
"None of your players will be able to play soccer again," Kidou snapped.
"Not quite true." Kidou's eyes widened at that voice, turning to the girl half hidden in the shadows with Meiko.
He saw the piercing onyx eyes. He saw the raven locks fly in the wind. The porcelain face cracked into a smile. The light glinting off something silver embedded in her hair.
"Hello, Yuu-kun."
LE FIN
NaCl: AND IT IS FINISHED! (does victory dance) My first story…it's all grown up now… (sniff, sniff)
Lil bro: Wait…you finally accomplished something?
NaCl: URUSAI! DON'T RUIN MY GOOD MOOD!