Chapter 21: How Far We've Come
As he expected, the first team came at them slower and more carefully in the second half. They were tiring, and the lack of subs available was taking its toll. The sun in their face probably didn't help matters, either.
What he didn't expect, though, was that they'd switched Sakiyama to playmaker position to replace Sasaki. The change had thrown him off and he'd lost the ball to him. Now he was backpedalling furiously, trying to stop him before he could do too much damage. Literally.
He ran at Sakiyama from the right, forcing him to go left. Takanashi was comfortably on Sasaki, looking like she was having a ball. Well, he had to admit that after her entire first half of marking Sakiyama, she was well within her rights to do just that. Shibuki stood between Sakiyama and Jimon, and behind him, Numata and Kawakami escorted Jimon to wherever he wanted to go, making sure they were always in the way to prevent an easy pass. The left side was choked.
Sakiyama was taking too long to make a decision, and Fudou went in for an easy tackle (from behind, he didn't want to be in the receiving end of a Judge Through move again) to force him to make a move.
Sakiyama stuttered (inexperience, Fudou concluded smugly) before sending a back pass to Narukami. He and the other wing-back were running down to attack now, but Fudou had gone over this scenario earlier in the locker room, and was pleased to see his team immediately adjust to the new developments. Hikara and Takanashi ran up to mark them, while the second team defenders also took up their men.
Takanashi didn't let Narukami get far without trying a hissatsu technique of her own. She executed a beautiful Cyclone (much better than the Big Lips defender had done in the first half, in Fudou's opinion), leaving Narukami standing shocked as she zipped past him with the ball. The second team offence was back on track again.
If the first team was going to go all-out on attack, the second team would respond in kind. Takanashi and Hikara drifted closer to the middle, and Kawakami and Gouin ran up the field, overlapping to join in on the attack. They blew past the first team wing-backs with the advantage of surprise, and were able to help Takanashi get past another defender before Narukami and Gojou finally caught up with them. They didn't have the ball, though, because Takanashi did, and all the defenders in her wake watched helplessly as she leaped into the air and executed a perfect Back Tornado shot.
Genda leaped up and slammed his fist into the ground, and Fudou silently lauded Takanashi. Her shot had been impressive enough for him to use a hissatsu technique. The ball skeetered along the edge of the shockwaves for a moment, before flying off into the other direction. The crowd sighed, but Fudou had never been so impressed.
The ball stopped at Ookusu's feet. He jumped up into the air with a whoop, and Fudou backed off towards the side slightly, anticipating the rebound. Even with defenders swarming around him, the forward managed to send off a "Hyakuretsu… Shot!" with the greatest amount of sparks and pizzazz he had ever seen, and Genda barely managed to react in time with another Full Power Shield. Then Genda realised his mistake.
Fudou smirked. There was a whole lot of empty space where the ball was gonna roll, and he was the first in line to take advantage of it. Keeping his eyes on the ball, Fudou ran in, weaving in between and around the rapidly advancing defenders. His feet found the ball before they reached him.
"Ena! Ookusu!" He launched the ball straight in front of him.
"Triple Boost!"
Ookusu slowed as the ball approached him, and passed it to Ena. The older striker brought his leg back just as the shot reached him, and sent the ball careening towards the goalmouth with perfect form. Genda, still recovering, could not react in time, and the ball kept going until it rotated madly against the net.
The announcer went nuts, yelling something Fudou couldn't make out, and the second team yelled their hearts out. Amidst the cheers of the audience, Ena and Ookusu jogged back, giving each other high fives, and clapped both sides of Fudou's shoulders. And Fudou allowed some of that triumph from the end of the first half to seep through. They had finally taken first blood, and the score was now 1-0. The second team was in the lead.
Jimon restarted play with a grim face. Some of the first team players still looked stunned, and Fudou didn't blame them. Who would have thought that the second team would have been able to hold their first team, once-winner of the Football Frontier, to a draw in the first half? And then score the first goal? If they thought that was it for the surprises, though, they were dead wrong.
Sakiyama passed to Sasaki, and Takanashi was on him in an instant. Fudou watched as Sasaki ran forward… and then faltered.
That was Fudou's cue. He ran ahead, trusting Takanashi on this one, and was rewarded. With a gleeful cackle, she relieved Sasaki of the ball and sent it flying towards him. Conscious of Sakiyama running up to tackle him, Fudou sent the ball towards Ena in a smooth one-two before upping his pace and getting out of the way. The ball flit about the pitch, first back to Takanashi and then to Ena again, as they worked together to avoid the first team defenders' block hissatsu techniques (seriously, how did they still have the energy to dish them out?). Then Ena sent the ball to Fudou, who was ready to execute Triple Boost another time.
Genda ran out of goal, and Fudou briefly wondered if he could get in a cheeky long-range shot. Before he could consider the idea further, though, he got a Spinning Cut right in in the gut.
Fudou flew through the air and the ball flew to Genda's feet. When he got up, he met Genda's gaze just before the goalkeeper sent the ball out. The message behind Genda's smirk was clear: That wasn't going to work on him again.
Genda sent the ball to Big Den. (Huh, Big Den and Big Lips. The perfect fullback team.) The firsts spread out, though noticeably slower than in the first half, and the seconds followed suit. Big Den sent a pass across the field that arced beautifully and landed perfectly at Gojou's feet.
Hikara ran up to challenge him. As Fudou tailed Sakiyama, watching the scene unfold, he couldn't help but think that the bespectacled player was smiling.
"Got him!" Ookusu ran up from behind, clearly intending to go for a tackle. "You deal with their offence!"
Hikara nodded, turning to look for Doumen, and that was when Gojou struck.
At the right moment, he burst forward. Ookusu's feet never reached their target, and Hikara was running the wrong way. Gojou must have been observing what was happening around him, the creepy smile on his face all the while. Fudou couldn't suppress a shiver.
With the large gap created by the confusion, it was child's play for Doumen to receive the ball (with a triumphant smirk, that little shit). And then, there was a movement from the corner of Fudou's eye.
"WATCH JIMON!" he yelled out, but his heart was already sinking. Jimon faked out the men on him and zipped out, managing to meet up with his two teammates. The defence scrambled back, eager to make up for their complacence or just Jimon's herculean efforts or, hell, maybe he'd made it worse by shouting out like that.
Whatever it had been, it was too late to worry about it. Fudou could only make sure that Sakiyama was nowhere near the goal and watch as Sakuma, Jimon, and Doumen all rose into the air, spinning. As gamely as Hyoudou applied himself to block the Death Zone, he stood no chance, and the first team equalised, making the score 1-1.
The stands roared! Sure, they'd been loud when the seconds had scored, but that was a whisper compared to the racket they were making now. And the firsts were more spirited, more energetic now that they'd managed to equalise. Well, you would be, wouldn't you?
The teams took the starting position once again. Fudou could swear that Sakiyama was gloating behind his hair and mask as he waited for the kickoff. With the sun in the first team's offence now, he was one of the few who wasn't affected by it. No big deal, only the playmaker, the person who coordinated the first team's offence… And he was a lot better than the guy from the first half, too.
Fudou shook his head. Now wasn't the time to mourn tactics that had turned out to be less effective than hoped.
Ena sent the ball to him and headed up the field. Fudou advanced, waiting for the action to unfold before passing left to Hikara. Compared to the rushing they'd done in the first half, this was slower, more focused, more deliberate. Hikara followed, looking for the right moment to send it back to the middle, but he fumbled, and Doumen stole the ball from under his feet. So far, so bad. But what happened next was so bizarre that Fudou couldn't really blame him in the end.
Reeling, Hikara spun around, pulled one arm back, and punched the ground. Fudou had seen that technique before, in Shin Teikoku. How the little guy managed to make you feel like millions of arms were pulling you into the ground he didn't want to know.
At that exact moment, the ball disappeared. No, that wasn't right. Doumen had stopped, but it wasn't because of Hikara's hissatsu technique. He was in the middle of a deep breath, the ball on his mouth somehow shrinking. Then he threw his body forward and let it all out.
The ball swelled to an impossible size. The hands crawling up to Doumen's feet were sent back by the impact as it burst with a smack. Hikara had to stop running just to avoid getting blown back.
It took a yell from Takanashi to bring him back into the game. After all, despite that show, Doumen had only overtook one player. And with his next opponent being Gouin…
Fudou predicted the pass to Sakiyama just a moment too late, and Sakiyama caught it without stumbling. But Fudou was already on his case, ready to tackle him for the ball. The only thing running through his mind was whether he should attempt a Killer Slide. Teach him to throw it around so much.
Sakiyama tipped the ball forward, just barely out of Fudou's reach. Ah. How could Fudou have forgotten to consider that?
"Judge Through 2!" Sakiyama went for the tackle first, despite him having the ball, but Fudou was unable to consider the implications of that as the ball found his gut and he was thrown into the air.
"Don't… underestimate… the first team!" Sakiyama yelled as he pummeled the ball, and Fudou, with what felt like a thousand kicks. Fudou jerked up and down in the air, wondering just how Sakiyama had managed to upgrade his technique in the middle of a game and also where the hell the ref was.
With one final punt, Sakiyama sent Fudou flying back into his defence, and he landed sorely on his tailbone. There was nothing for a few moments except darkness and a numb ache. When Fudou opened his eyes, he twisted his head around furiously, looking for Sakiyama.
Someone slapped the side of his head, and he turned in fury.
Takanashi was unperturbed by his glare. She held her hand out, looking more impatient with each passing moment, and he took it. A second later, he realised what exactly made Takanashi so good at football. Something was brewing in his heart, something he couldn't identify, but he knew now that he didn't have the time to figure out what it was.
Fortunately, surprisingly (though Fudou felt a little bad after thinking this), the ball was still stuck in the first line of their defence. Shibuki had managed to take the ball back, and was living up to his reputation, performing complex tricks with such ease that it made Fudou jealous. (A small part of him wondered how Cap felt watching this, and he immediately felt a little better.)
He made the sign.
Kawakami gaped, and then nodded. That was right. This moment wasn't going to last forever.
Before the first team wised up, Kawakami slipped past his mark and sprinted up the right flank. The first team were too occupied with their offence to react immediately. Fudou dropped Sakiyama, too, advancing up the field, and Shibuki struck.
He tapped the ball up so that it was at his chest level (so, eye level for the first team players on him) and curled in on himself. His hands and arms went last, gripping the sides of knees tightly and remaining fully visible so that there was no way the ref could call a handball.
"Super Armadillooooo!"
His position muffled his baritone, making his yell sound like a war horn. Shibuki rolled forward like the power of his voice was propelling him. The strikers who were still trying to get at him were completely floored.
Takanashi and Hikara stayed behind to mop up the damage, while Shibuki continued to barrel up the centre of the field, overtaking even Fudou. Fudou followed him up, just about making out the commentator yelling that Shibuki wasn't all tricks. He couldn't suppress a smirk.
Eventually, even Shibuki had to run out of steam, and he rolled perfectly into a standing position and kicked the ball to Fudou. Takanashi and Hikara were on their way up now, but Fudou's mind wasn't on them as he spun and sent the ball streaking up, to the right, aimed square between two of the first team defence to reach Kawakami, still running like his life depended on it.
Ena made a quick cut forwards, so that Genda was the only thing between him and the goal, and Kawakami passed. Even before the ball reached him, Ena was already moving his leg back, back so far he could have found a part-time job at the circus. Then, just like a spring, his leg bounced back.
"Grenade… SHOT!"
Fudou slowed down to a jog and checked that he was ready to cover in case of deflection. He needn't have bothered. The second goal whipped the stands into a frenzy, and Fudou found himself thinking of Ookusu, and how glad he must be feeling to be a part of this show. And then Takanashi slapped his shoulder, and he looked at her, and at his team beyond. She gave him a high five, and Fudou returned it, smile widening into a grin, his chest threatening to explode and the humming of his soul louder than the cheers outside.
They quickly settled down. By the time they stood ready for the next kickoff, the second team knew what they had to do. Even Ookusu had accepted it as a necessary evil for the greater good.
Jimon kicked off, and the seconds pounced.
Fudou had snuck a glance at the stadium clock just before they took their position. The others had followed his lead.
There were only a few minutes left in the game. A few minutes, with the seconds leading by 1 goal. And there was absolutely no way that the seconds would give that goal up now.
Numata, Shibuki, and Kawakami (the latter two fully recovered from their stint in offence) were practically attached to Jimon now, and the frustration on the striker's face was clear as he tried to weasel away from his marks. Sakiyama was so aggressive with the tackles that Takanashi's influence was the only thing preventing Fudou from giving him a good deck, and Ena and Ookusu fell back to behind the halfway line to help with the defence. Gouin must have been saving his energy reserves for this moment, because right now he seemed like he was everywhere, flitting between Sakuma, Sakiyama, and Doumen when needed. And, as always, whenever the firsts managed to get their offence going, they were herded to the right, where Gouin and Yuasa relieved them of the ball.
The seconds kept going, spurred on by the seconds ticking down. The next play would be the last. The next play would surely be the last, wouldn't it?
Henmi brought the ball up this time, the haughty expression on his face mixed with a wild glint in his eyes. Sakiyama drifted to the left, and Fudou made the decision to stay on him. If Henmi didn't have anyone to pass to, his run would be stopped eventually.
Doumen started towards the right, and, like he'd instructed, Gouin was on him in an instant. But it had been a feint. With a twirl, Doumen angled his tiny body towards the left and made the cut. Gouin couldn't turn in time. As he chased after Doumen, Fudou's stomach dropped.
"WATCH OUT!"
But neither Gouin nor Hikara could stop themselves. The two of them collided, Hikara fortunately not flying very far, and Doumen was free. Yuasa ran in to take him, but Doumen was ready for that and passed the ball to a waiting Sakuma.
The ball landed at Sakuma's feet, and, finally, for the first time in the game, he surpassed Fudou's expectations of him and actually did something. He focused, and moved so quickly that it looked like there were three of him, passing the ball to each other and over Yuasa's dumbfounded head. He broke past him and stumbled into a 1-on-1 with the keeper, and if the situation hadn't been so urgent, Fudou would have found the utterly gobsmacked expression on his face absolutely priceless.
Fudou sprinted towards them. He saw Shibuki wavering and made a split-second decision. "STAY ON JIMON!" he roared, and the defence obeyed him instantly, locking him up and allowing Sakuma to continue his run.
Though he was too far to make a difference to the actual play, he tried his damn hardest to prevent Sakiyama from doing the same. After all, since they'd played so long and so hard, the game had to be theirs… right? He saw Yuasa push himself off the ground and lurch at Sakuma, and Hyoudou running up to intercept the ball. Ookusu barrelled past him towards them at lightning speed, yelling at the top of his lungs even though all of them knew he wouldn't be able to make it in time. Sakuma continued, dodging Yuasa and dribbling off to the right. To Fudou's left, Jimon strained to escape the three-man mark. And behind all of them, the first team midfielders and defenders were running in, hoping that one of them would be able to reach the area on time.
Hyoudou threw himself into a sliding tackle, intent on doing something—anything—to stop Sakuma. And Fudou finally got close enough to see the expression on Sakuma's face. It was familiar, the very same expression he'd had in the dying moments of Shin Teikoku's game against Raimon all those months ago. Before Hyoudou could reach him, he took a step forward, pulled his right foot back, and executed his shot.
Everyone could do nothing but watch as the ball curled up towards the goal, up, up higher, way past the goal posts and into the stands.
Sakuma fell to his knees, pounding the astro turf with his fists, and Fudou's heart jumped into his throat.
The whistle sounded, the stands screamed, and the world stood still.
Shibuki: Captain thought my hissatsu was dumb… (ಥ_ಥ)
ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ It's OK Shibuki, you're part of Team M4 ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ
Fudou: Please don't tell me you only updated so quickly so that you could make that already dated reference… You're already a game behind!
At least I'm not two! Two more days until Twitch Plays Pokemon Platinum!
PS. Really surprised that FFN actually supports these emoji characters...
Next chapter: After the day, after the sun is in bed, the sky is this electric blue.