*Rises from the dead like Mushu* I live!
Been a little while, huh? Sorry about that. I've been really busy these past few months, with my school starting back up again and all, so that didn't help. I don't know about my update schedule yet because a lot of my free time is now taken up by my job, so there's a lot less of it. I'll let you know what I decide later. Anyway, here's the chapter. Enjoy!
Tomorrow turns out to be only okay. While Shinsuke makes good progress with his Keshin, after hearing that Raimon will play Genei Gakuen next, Amagi loses all his focus and throws his teammates off-kilter for the rest of afternoon practice. Coach Kidou isn't any help. He kicks Amagi out of practice, but that only causes even more distractions. Hikaru runs after the third year as soon as practice ends, and Ranmaru's expectant stare sends Takuto after Amagi as well.
Deciding to leave Takuto to deal with the situation, Ranmaru follows Tenma and Kyousuke to visit Yuuichi in the hospital. Kyousuke is initially uncomfortable with their presence, but when Tenma brings up their first meeting with Yuuichi, Kyousuke reluctantly lets them join him. When they arrive, Kyousuke joins his brother in a rehab room, leaving Tenma and Ranmaru to watch the duo from afar. Yuuichi works hard on his rehabilitation, and Kyousuke is surprisingly supportive, a drastic shift from his usual loner persona. After watching them for a few minutes, Tenma loses interest and wanders away to the garden behind the hospital.
Ranmaru watches for a few more minutes, but with nothing better to do, he follows the midfielder and opens the door to the garden to see Tenma already playing soccer with a redheaded stranger. Stepping away from the door, Ranmaru observes them silently as the new boy keeps up with Tenma quite well despite wearing only hospital clothing and slippers. They play for another minute before Ranmaru interrupts them with a cough.
The speed that Tenma whips around to face Ranmaru is almost comical. "Ranmaru-senpai!"
Stifling a laugh, Ranmaru waves casually, "Hey, Tenma. Who's your new friend?"
Tenma blinks and looks between the defender and the stranger before laughing awkwardly. "This is, uh…"
Ranmaru chuckles lightly, "You were so invested in playing soccer that you couldn't even introduce yourselves?"
The redhead smiles lazily. "Yeah, something like that. Anyway, I'm Amemiya Taiyou. Nice to meet you."
"I'm Matsukaze Tenma," the midfielder says quickly. "Nice to meet you too, Amemiya-san, and this is Ranmaru-senpai."
"Kirino Ranmaru. Nice to meet you as well," Ranmaru smiles pleasantly.
"Great," Amemiya nods, "but you can call me Taiyou if you want. Amemiya just sounds too formal, don't you think?"
"Yeah!" Tenma agrees energetically, "you call me Tenma too if that's okay."
"You can call me Ranmaru or Kirino," Ranmaru shrugs. "I really don't care which one you pick, but since Tenma already calls me Ranmaru, maybe you should too."
"Okay then, Tenma and Ranmaru," Taiyou beams brightly, "let's play soccer!"
Taiyou prepares to dribble at the Raimon players, but his soccer plans are swiftly interrupted by the slamming of the hospital doors. Standing in front of the doors is a purple-haired woman in a nurse's uniform, and she does not look happy. Taiyou freezes briefly when he sees her before attempting to dash away. Taiyou's attempted escape fails as the woman snatches his arm before the redhead can escape.
"Amemiya-kun!" The woman snaps. "You know you're not supposed to leave your room without my permission!"
"Yes, Fuyuka-san," Taiyou sighs as the woman begins to lead him away. He turns to Tenma and Ranmaru and offers them a cheerful wave. "I hope we can play soccer together later! See you later!"
Ranmaru and Tenma watch quietly as Taiyou is escorted back inside the hospital by the woman (Fuyuka-san, apparently). Once the two disappear, Ranmaru turns to Tenma, "We should get Kyousuke and go home. It's getting late."
"Okay," Tenma nods, and the pair enter the hospital and walk to the rehab room.
When they arrive, Yuuichi is gone, and Kyousuke is standing by himself at the entrance. He glances at them silently before walking over to join them. The three Raimon players exit the hospital together and exchange basic goodbyes before going their separate ways.
Instead of going to his own house, Ranmaru opts to go to Takuto's house. He still wants to know what happened with Amagi and Hikaru. He arrives at Takuto's house and lets himself in with his key. It doesn't seem like Takuto is home yet, so Ranmaru heads to the music room and settles himself on the sofa. Ranmaru pulls homework out of his bag and works on it while he waits for Takuto to come home.
When Takuto finally arrives, the sun is beginning to set. Takuto stumbles into the music room and flops down next to Ranmaru with a sigh. Setting down his homework, Ranmaru lifts an eyebrow and turns to face the brunette.
"Was it that bad?" He asks curiously.
"No," Takuto groans tiredly, "just took longer than I thought it would."
"Hm? What took longer, exactly?" Ranmaru tilts his head slightly.
Takuto sighs again before answering. "Ok, so Amagi knows the captain of Genei Gakuen. His name is Mahoro, I think, but that's not very important. Amagi and Mahoro were friends in elementary school for a while, but then Mahoro stopped talking to Amagi. I think they talked again today because Mahoro was leaving when Hikaru and I got there, but that would have been the first time they talked to each other in years."
Ranmaru soaks in the gossip quietly. Then he asks a simple question. "Alright, but how does that relate to Amagi getting kicked out of practice?"
"I think it's an inferiority thing," Takuto supplies. "Taking him off the starting line-up and adding multiple first years seems to have shaken him up a lot."
Ranmaru nods, "That makes sense. So did you fix everything?"
"Hikaru did most of the work, but yeah," Takuto nods. "They'll both be back at practice tomorrow."
"That's good," Ranmaru hums. "I'm glad everything worked out."
"Me too," Takuto agrees, "so where did you go after practice?"
"The hospital," Ranmaru says. "Tenma and I went with Kyousuke to visit his brother, Yuuichi."
"That's nice. It's good he's opening up to us more," Takuto says as he presses himself even deeper into the sofa.
"It's also good that you two are starting to get along. I thought the day would never come," Ranmaru laughs lightly.
"We weren't that bad," Takuto huffs.
"Whatever you say, Takuto. Whatever you say," Ranmaru smirks as he leans back into the sofa too.
Takuto waves a hand dismissively but doesn't say anything else, so they sit in silence for a while until a maid comes to get them for dinner. All things considered, today could have gone far worse, and Ranmaru might even be cautiously optimistic about tomorrow's game, which is saying something. Well, he can't do anything now, so he'll just have to wait for tomorrow to see how their game against Genei Gakuen will go.
Raimon boards the monorail for the fourth time the next day. As the monorail zips along, Raimon awkwardly stares at Genei Gakuen through the glass. It's always weird looking at their opponent before a match, but after staring at three other teams, Ranmaru's gotten more used to it than before, but that isn't saying much. Amagi locks eyes with Mahoro once. Then he refuses to even acknowledge Genei Gakuen's existence, spending the entire ride talking with Kurumada and Hikaru.
When they arrive at the stadium, the first thing Ranmaru notices is the bizarre patterns on the floor. Coach Kidou mentions that the stadium is called Pinball Stadium as they warm up, but Ranmaru has no idea what that means. The mysterious nature of the stadium has Raimon on edge, so everyone is tense when they line up for the match to begin. Coach Kidou has kept their line up pretty much the same, but Amagi has been swapped into the starting line up, replacing Shinsuke for the time being.
Ranmaru takes his place beside Masaki, and they share a glance before the whistle blows and the game begins. Tenma gets the ball first, and he tries to pass the ball to Kyousuke. He passes the ball with good force, but before the ball can reach its intended target, a bumper pops up from the stadium floor. The ball ricochets off the bumper and slams back into Tenma instead. Tenma is sent flying while a Genei midfielder, Kobato, steals the ball. That is a sign of things to come. Takuto loses the ball trying to pass Kurama when a large screw-shaped bumper rises and redirects the pass to Genei. Kurama tries to steal the ball back, but he trips over a bumper that had suddenly appeared at his feet.
Raimon finally has a little luck when Nishiki gets the ball. One of the Shiranui brothers tries to steal the ball, but Nishiki keeps the ball with a well-timed "Acrobatic Keep." Riding the high of his recent success, Nishiki takes a shot at the goal. Genei's keeper, Utsurogi, bats away the shot with ease, redirecting the ball to one of Genei's defenders. The ball is sent to Mahoro, who charges up the field, clearly intent on scoring a goal. A last-second slide from Kurumada is the only thing that prevents Mahoro from scoring.
Raimon cheers for Kurumada's good slide. Ranmaru distantly hears Tenma and Takuto brainstorming ideas for playing better on the bizarre field, but Kurumada's pass up the field forces them to drop the conversation. While Raimon tries to go on the offensive, Ranmaru can't help but notice the ease and comfort Genei plays within Pinball Stadium.
Their passes are smooth, connecting cleanly almost every time, and they almost seem relaxed despite the constant field hazards. It's too strange to be a coincidence, so Ranmaru chalks it up to Fifth Sector's meddling. Genei was probably told about how the stadium works, and they might have even gotten to play in Pinball Stadium before. It's not fair at all, Ranmaru thinks bitterly, but when had Fifth Sector ever played fair?
Ranmaru breaks out of his daze when Kurama loses the ball to a Genei defender, and suddenly Raimon is back on the defensive. It's touch-and-go for a while, with Genei coming dangerously close to scoring multiple times, but Ranmaru and Raimon's other defenders repel most of Genei's advances, and any shots they can't block, Sangoku just barely catches.
After catching Genei's latest shot, Sangoku throws the ball up the field, and Raimon's defenders get a very small break. Ranmaru glances around the field. His eyes catch on Coach Kidou telling something to Akane. She nods and grabs her camera. Then she leaves the bench and starts making her way around the field. She stops after a few meters and starts taking pictures. Ranmaru is tempted to ask what she's up to, but Mahoro has the ball again and is charging down the field towards Raimon's goal.
Ranmaru races up to steal the ball. Just before he reaches Genei's captain, another strange bumper appears beneath his feet, and Ranmaru is sent flying. He crashes into the ground gracelessly, landing on his left side and hip. Groaning, he gets to his feet just in time to see Sangoku block Mahoro's shot. He sighs in relief and runs back to his spot as Sangoku punts the ball into Genei's half, ignoring the constant twinges up and down his left side.
"You alright, Ranmaru-senpai?" Masaki asks quietly when Ranmaru gets back in formation.
"Yeah," Ranmaru sighs. "Just hurt my pride."
Masaki smirks but remains quiet, redirecting his gaze upfield. Ranmaru looks that way as well, and his eyes widen when he sees Genei's defender Ozuno steal the ball from Hamano with "Dimension Cut!"
With the ball back in their possession, Genei is quick to send the ball straight to Mahoro. Mahoro runs up the right side. Ranmaru and Masaki are too far away to stop him, so Amagi challenges Genei's captain instead. Mahoro refuses to slow down and continues charging at Amagi.
Just before they collide, Mahoro unleashes his powerful hissatsu shot "Phantom Shot." Amagi counters with "Viva! The Great Wall of China!" However, Amagi's block hissatsu is no match for the sheer power of Mahoro's shot. Sangoku also uses "Burning Catch," but Phantom Shot breaks through that too. And just like that, Genei scores their first goal.
Raimon spends the rest of the first half fending off Genei and desperately trying to even the score. They fail at both, however, and a midfielder gets past Hamano with "Trick Ball" before he passes to Mahoro. Mahoro shoots again, and now Raimon is down two goals right as half time starts. Oh well, Ranmaru sighs. They've come back from worse.
Amagi and Hikaru disappear for most of half time, but Coach Kidou calls the team into a strategy meeting before Ranmaru can go after them. Coach Kidou gives a ten-minute lecture on how Pinball Stadium works, using the photos Akane apparently took during the first half (so that's what she was doing?). Coach Kidou's explanation isn't that helpful, though. Most of his speech can be simplified down to: "There are switches hidden on the floor, so move carefully. Don't stand on them unless you want one of the bumpers to appear, and the switches won't activate if something crosses over them fast enough, so pass really fast."
With his explanation finished, Coach Kidou gives them a few minutes to stretch and warm-up before the second half begins. Ranmaru sinks to the ground and stretches his left side, hissing quietly as the forming bruises pull and stretch. His side hurts, sure, but it's not too bad, and Ranmaru is confident he'll be able to play just fine in the second half. He stops stretching and is about to get back up when something freezing is pressed against his left side.
Ranmaru jumps, shivering at the icy touch, and he whips around to see Masaki grinning mischievously with an instant ice pack in his hand. Snickering quietly, Masaki offers the ice pack to Ranmaru, and Ranmaru accepts it, pressing it against his side until it's time for the next half to start. Ranmaru hands off the ice pack to Aoi when Coach Kidou sends them back onto the field. Amagi and Hikaru have reappeared by that point too, so Raimon is ready to play more soccer.
Then the second half starts much better. Armed with new knowledge about Pinball Stadium, Raimon is much more comfortable moving and playing on the field. Tenma and Takuto dribble up the field and pass to Kyousuke as they near the next. Kyousuke uses "Death Drop" to score Raimon's first goal, and now Raimon is a little closer to winning the game.
Genei kicks off and wastes no time in resuming their attack. Mahoro has the ball, but Hamano is close enough to try and steal the ball. Hamano goes to block Mahoro, but the redhead counters with a slide-tackle. Hamano slams into the ground, and when he finally sits up, he clutches his ankle with a hiss.
There's no foul called, of course, and Mahoro keeps charging. Then Mahoro reveals his Keshin, Illusory Dalamanglass, and proceeds to plow straight through Kurama and Hayami. Nishiki tries to stop Mahoro with Sengoku War God Musashi, but Mahoro gets around him easily with "Ghost Dance."
Now within shooting range, Mahoro takes a shot, boosting its power with his Keshin. Masaki races to block it with "Hunter's Net," and Amagi joins him, using "Viva! The Great Wall of China!" as well. Their hissatsus aren't enough to stop the shot, but they weaken it enough for Sangoku to block the shot with "Fence of Gaia."
The ball rolls out of bounds, so Coach Kidou uses the opportunity to send in substitutes. Hamano is switched out (obviously), with Aoyama taking his place. Kurama is also subbed out, so he joins Midori in helping Hamano off the field. Hikaru replaces Kurama in Raimon's formation, and the game resumes as soon as everyone is in place.
Genei takes their throw-in, sending the ball to one of their offenders. Aoyama is quick to show off his improved skills, stealing the ball from the offender easily with "Presto Turn." Aoyama passes to Hikaru, who uses "Extend Zone" to score against Genei, and Raimon's chances are looking much better. Genei swaps their goalkeeper before the game resumes, which makes Ranmaru suspicious. Why would Genei switch their keeper now?
Ranmaru gets his answer a minute later when Genei's new keeper blocks Takuto's "Fortissimo" with ease. The keeper sends the ball to Mahoro, and he scores another goal for Genei with "Phantom Shot." Ranmaru glances over at Amagi as they get ready for their kick-off, and the other defender looks defeated. Ranmaru wants to talk to him and encourage him, but Raimon's kickoff begins before Ranmaru gets the chance to do so.
Thankfully, Hikaru notices Amagi's poor mood and jogs down to speak to him quickly before racing back to his spot, stealing the ball from Genei along the way. Ranmaru doesn't know what Hikaru told Amagi, but whatever it was helped Amagi tremendously because now he's holding his head high and looks ready to stop anything Genei throws at him. Hikaru passes the ball to Nishiki, who wastes no time shooting the ball at Genei's net with "Hereditary Treasured Sword." Nishiki's shot zooms into the net, tieing the game again.
Coach Kidou makes another sub just before Genei's kickoff, and Shinsuke officially enters goal for the first time. Shinsuke still looks somewhat uncomfortable, but all his earlier goalie training keeps him from looking completely lost. Shinsuke doesn't get much time to get ready, though, as Genei breaks through Raimon's midfielders and defenders swiftly and prepares to take a shot at Shinsuke. Shinsuke remains calm and catches a Genei forward's shot without much trouble.
Shinsuke tosses the ball to Takuto, who uses "God's Baton" as soon as he has the ball. Takuto guides the ball up the field until it reaches its final target, Kyousuke. The striker receives the ball, using "Lost Angel" without hesitation, and with that, Raimon is finally ahead of Genei. Mahoro's visibly frustrated with the recent turn of events. Unsurprisingly, his play becomes even more aggressive. Genei follows his lead, and soon Raimon is locked in an intense battle to keep their very narrow lead.
With only a few minutes remaining in the second half, Mahoro gets the ball and breaks free of Raimon's players. With nothing but Amagi and Shinsuke between Mahoro and a Genei goal, things aren't looking good. Mahoro uses another "Phantom Shot," and Ranmaru sighs. Looks like they'll be playing in overtime today.
The shot flies towards the net, crackling with energy as it goes. Amagi continues to stand in its way, staring defiantly at the shot and Mahoro himself. Then Amagi shocks everyone in Pinball Stadium. Hissatsu energy gathers around him, but instead of taking its traditional shape of the Great Wall of China, the energy turns blue and forms an even larger wall.
"Atlantis Wall!" Amagi declares triumphantly.
Phantom Shot collides with Atlantis Wall. Both hissatsus fight for dominance, but it's Atlantis Wall that wins out in the end. Amagi had done it, Ranmaru realizes. He'd finally stopped Mahoro's shot.
The whistle blows, bringing the match to a close. Raimon gathers back at their bench, but Amagi doesn't join them. Ranmaru watches for a moment as both Amagi and Mahoro walk off the field together, heading towards the entrance tunnel. Takuto notices as well, and Ranmaru is almost certain Coach Kidou can see what's going on, but no one goes to stop Amagi. They all know this is something Amagi has to do on his own.
Coach Kidou rounds them up and sends them off to get changed before they'll return to Raimon via the monorail. They change quickly but not before they get to look at each other's "battle scars" as Hamano calls them. Hamano's ankle is swollen and red, even after sitting out the second half. Hamano tries to say it's only twisted, but a pointed look from Takuto ensures that Hamano will see a doctor sometime in the next twenty-four hours.
Tenma's stomach is a molted mess of bruises from where the ball hit him earlier. Kurama's shins are bruised painfully. Masaki also has some bruises from trying to stop Mahoro's Phantom Shot. Ranmaru's left side and hip have turned a deep purple from various bruises. The rest of the players hiss when they see their friends' injuries, but there's nothing they can do right now, so they let it go for now.
After everyone is dressed, Hayami and Kurama help Hamano to the monorail. Everyone else follows them. Takuto and Ranmaru sit together near the middle of the monorail. Masaki passes them on his way to his seat, handing Ranmaru another instant ice pack before running off to sit with Hikaru. Tenma and Kyousuke also take seats closer to the back with Shinsuke following them as well. Ranmaru activates the ice pack and presses it against his side as the monorail begins to move.
"Are you okay?" Takuto asks gently.
"Yeah," Ranmaru sighs, shifting in his seat until he finds a comfortable position that won't aggravate his bruises.
Takuto shoots him a doubtful look. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure, Takuto," Ranmaru huffs. "Just a few bruises. Nothing to worry about."
"If you say so," Takuto shakes his head. "Anyway, how do you think the game went?"
"It was fine," Ranmaru hums. "It wasn't our best game, but it could have been worse."
Takuto nods in agreement, "True."
"I'm just surprised that Fifth Sector hasn't been sued yet," Ranmaru says. "Every stadium we've played on during the Holy Road nationals is dangerous."
Takuto looks like he's about to say something, but Ranmaru cuts him off. "I mean, really. A field made of pure ice? A stadium that generates tornadoes? A field with hidden obstacles? How has no one been severely injured yet?! I don't get it!"
Takuto snickers a little at Ranmaru's sudden rant but is all too happy to give his opinion as well. "Luck? Well, if someone gets really hurt, we can sue Fifth Sector and shut them down that way."
"That's a terrible plan," Ranmaru snickers back.
"But it's still a plan," Takuto gives him a smug smile.
"True," Ranmaru acknowledges, "but so is beating every Fifth Sector team playing in the Holy Road nationals."
Takuto hums lightly. "Yeah, but aren't those both terrible plans?"
"Yes," Ranmaru nods far too happily, "yes they are. But only one plan can give you the satisfaction of kicking Fifth Sector's ass on live television."
"Okay, I yield. You win," Takuto laughs. "But in all seriousness, we are totally kicking Fifth Sector's ass on live television."
"Yes," Ranmaru smiles, "we totally are."
The next morning everyone except Ichino and Aoyama gathers for practice. Coach Kidou begins Raimon's next practice with "film analysis." (Ranmaru is also nearly certain that no one on the team understood what he meant because Hamano showed up with a bucket of popcorn, and Kurumada brought candy to share.) What Coach Kidou actually means by "film analysis" is watching a video of their next opponent, Arakumo Gakuen, from last year's Holy Road nationals.
The sheer amount of raw power Arakumo Gakuen displays in the game is impressive, terrifying even, but the effect is ruined ever so slightly by Hamano and Kurumada munching on popcorn and candy the entire time. Kurumada also throws candy at anyone who looks in his direction for more than a few seconds. By the end of the film review, Coach Kidou looks more than slightly disappointed, and Ranmaru can't even blame him. He loves his teammates, but they don't always make the best decisions.
Takuto wraps up their little movie night (movie morning?) with a dramatic monologue about how "perfect" Arakumo is, but Ranmaru puts a stop to it with a light bop to Takuto's head. Takuto grumbles and rubs his head for a moment before caving and admitting that maybe Arakumo isn't "that perfect." Ranmaru rolls his eyes slightly, but he knows that's the best he'll get out of Takuto for now. Just as Coach Kidou is about to dismiss them to change for practice, Aoyama and Ichino burst into the room.
"Everyone!" Aoyama exclaims hastily. "It's terrible!"
Coach Kidou strides up to the duo with purpose. "Aoyama, Ichino, what is it?"
The rest of Raimon waits in tense silence until Ichino speaks up.
"It's Fifth Sector!" The blonde is nearly shaking. "They're…! They're…!"
"They're closing Raimon!" Aoyama shouts.
"What?!" Everyone else shrieks in horror.
"And it's not just Raimon!" Ichino cuts in. "Fifth Sector is closing every school that's joined the Revolution!"
Raimon's players freeze in shock and dread. None of them want to believe what Ichino and Aoyama are saying, but they all know Fifth Sector too well to deny it. Fifth Sector has threatened them from day one, but now it's painfully personal. The Raimon soccer team wouldn't be the only ones to suffer anymore. The entire school would be hurt, and many other schools, like Hakuren and Teikoku, would suffer as well.
Their reactions vary from person to person, but the sheer amount of guilt swimming in Tenma's eyes makes Ranmaru wince. Takuto also looks extremely depressed. Ranmaru feels the same way, but he knows far better than to show his feelings right now. Instead, he slips his poker face on, putting on a brave face for his teammates. Tenma, however, can't.
"I'm sorry!" Tenma cries as he runs out of the room, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Tenma!" Ranmaru shouts after the boy, but Tenma is already gone.
Growling in irritation, Ranmaru grabs Takuto's arm and pulls him along. "Stay here, everyone. We'll be right back!"
Then Ranmaru and Takuto dash after Tenma. Ranmaru hears another set of footsteps behind them. Glancing over his shoulder, Ranmaru sees Kyousuke trailing behind them. They run for a few minutes, but Ranmaru knows they've lost Tenma. With his high speed, it would be easy for him to outrun them, so Ranmaru slows to a stop.
Takuto also comes to a sudden stop, but he looks confused. "Ranmaru? What's wrong?"
"He's already gone. We won't be able to catch him now," Ranmaru sighs. "We'll find him later. Let's go back to practice."
Takuto and Kyousuke share a look, but they both know Ranmaru is right. They walk back to the soccer building together, so they can change for practice. Ranmaru pauses before they enter the soccer building. He doesn't know what's going on with Tenma, but he hopes they can help Tenma get through it. 'Please Tenma,' Ranmaru thinks, 'be okay.'
*Places the chapter here like it hasn't been five months since the last update*
Sorry it took so long. Between school, work, the Tales of series, and now Xenoblade Chronicles, I've been pretty busy these past few months. Anyway, I'm hoping to hop back in and finish this story. I don't know exactly what my update schedule will look like, but I'm thinking of maybe once or twice a month, but I can't make any promises.
Thanks for sticking with the story even with my hiatus, and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. For those of you who care, this chapter covered episodes 33, 34, 35, and the beginning of episode 36, so we're still pretty on-pace for around four episodes per chapter. Yay. See you guys next time!