Disclaimer: Any original characters are the property of myself and myself only. Eyeshield 21 is a series created by Riichigo Inagaki and Yusuke Murata. All characters of Eyeshield 21 are property of the original creators, Shonen Jump and Viz Media. Any references to the NFL and its players are copyrighted by the NFL and credited to their respective teams.
As the Enma special teams unit took to the field following their defensive touchdown, the Nishi Koi Fish were scrambling on their sideline to try to think of a way to counteract the ferocious front seven of the ligres. Hanada was already bouncing his knee nervously as he sat on the bench listening to his teammates bicker.
"We're done for!" cried a woefully ill equipped lineman. "Now that Toru is down, we don't stand a chance against those monsters!" he continued tersely.
But Daisuke would have none of that cowardice. The burly elder Kamatsu brother bellowed, "Shut it Banko! We ain't dead yet! We don't have to stop them! We just need to slow them down!" He swatted at the lesser lineman's backside and looked to each of his teammates. "We're not done yet!" he continued authoritatively. The brawny tackle then barked at Hanada, "Time to pull out the stunts we've been saving for Saikyoudai."
Elsewhere in a different plane of existence Hanada thought he heard Daisuke badgering the other members of the offensive line. But upon looking to the towering tackle he realized the man was addressing him instead. In his stupor his brain processed the words of the elder Hamatsu brother in slow motion. Stammering, the quarterback replied, "I hate to have to resort to that so soon. I don't doubt that Saikyoudai has some kind of eyes on this game. But I fear you may be right. If we don't do something soon…" he paused before chuffing, "Che… I may not even walk off this field…"
"So that settles it then. Banko!" Daisuke demanded before turning to the younger guard. "Remember. You don't need to stop them. Just. Slow. Them. Down. Ok?" the bigger man finished by purposely laying that last sentence out slowly as well.
The still somewhat distraught junior lineman nodded and swallowed hard. "R-right… easier said than done." The spindly tackle glanced in the direction of Enma's front four and blanched despite the rousing words of this teammate.
A shrill whistle signaling the kickoff had ended drew their attention to the field. Daisuke offered Hanada a hand and pulled him off the bench. "We ain't dead yet. Let's show them the resilience of the Koi Fish!" And with that they headed to the line of scrimmage to start their drive.
As the Koi Fish lined up in a shotgun formation something was off about them. Sena glanced towards Dantes direction to find the beastial linebacker glancing back his way as well. The wild red head nodded and returned his attention to the offense in front of him and roared, "GOLD 28! GOLD 28!" which was a call back to the previous game the liger's had played against the Koi Fish the pior spring. Any time there was a suspicion of a no pass play each player had a code phrase they could yell to the defense if they suspected it. And with the sudden lack of protection being shown by Nishi's offense, something was definitely fishy.
Kurita and the other linemen on the defensive front four cast sideways glances towards each other and tensed as their captain roared his code behind them. What this meant for them was to motor twice as hard to try and annihilate Hanada before he could even try tossing a "no look pass."
For a few breathless heartbeats they dug their heels into the grid iron and as soon as Hanada issued the final "Hut hut!" and the ball was snapped, the four monolithic linemen slammed into their opponents. Or rather, they tried to. Mizumachi and Suitokku found themselves, completely unguarded. Their matches across the line from them simply let them pass.
The gangly former linemen didn't connect the oddity, and presumed he had gotten off the snap rapidly enough to execute his patented swim move with miraculous precision, and after Hanada he went. Suitokku too, didn't question the good fortune and also bore down with all 335 pounds of his colossal frame towards the miniscule quarterback.
From behind them Dante grinded his teeth and cursed, "Tch! Idiots!" He already knew what was happening before the two defensive ends even had a chance to register why they had been allowed to pass. He was already motoring toward where he presumed the ball would be tossed. "SCREEN!" he roared as he already saw the ball leaving Hanada's hand, moving in the opposite direction from where he was looking.
Try as they might, Suitokku and Mizumachi were unable to reach Hanada in time before the slippery quarterback under handed a side arm pass to the Nishi running back to his right. And with the two towering defensemen out of the picture, their runner had a convoy of free offensive linemen to clear the path.
"Shit!" Suitokku cursed before turning on his heel to take after the runner. Mizumach similarly followed suit and took off after the maritime giant to catch up. But the blockers who had let them past had already tangled up Kakei and Unsui, allowing the Nishi receivers to handle Monta and Riku.
Like a Koi swimming against a waterfall the unlikely underdog was gaining ground little by little. With Taki still leading the way it seemed like the Nishi offense was finally making real progress.
But to the dismay of the runner, a terrifying form was closing fast from midfield. Letting out a guttural roar Dante was coming in for the kill.
"AHA-HA! Worry not Kazuo! I will stop him with my GENTLE BLOCK!" boasted the dense tight end as he moved to use his flexible blocking ability on the terrifying American. Only now, it was Taki's turn to feel the ferocious force of the former Lion of Notre Dame.
The idiotic tight end was blown aside as Dante collided with him and used his far superior strength, speed, and ferocity to plow through him. The wind exited Taki's lungs as if he had been hit by a truck and he flew backwards with a sudden force, lurching his helmet off and landing on his back with an explosive gasp. The resounding crunch of pads could be heard clear up in the upper stands and a chorus of "Oooooohhhhhs!" could be heard unanimously from the fans.
Taki was seeing stars as he woozily forced himself up to his elbows while lying prone on his back. For a moment he could swear he was seeing double, no triple! Shaking away the haze he could see that Kazuo had miraculously held on to the ball at least after presumably being tackled by that hellish demon.
"Are you alright Taki?" the tight end heard from his periphery. With a dazed nod the graceful moron turned to see Sena offering him a hand up. Absently taking it he accepted the running back's help. After a couple goose steps Taki reached up and grabbed his head trying to stop the stars from spinning.
"That… was... " he started in a daze before screeching, "IMPOSSIBLE!" and raked his hands through his hair. How could his gentle block have been so easily steam rolled? His perfectly flexible body had failed. How? A distant shout from Daisuke drew him out of his tirade.
"Hurry up you idiot and get back to the huddle!" hollered the elder Hamatsu brother.
Taki turned between Sena and his own teammates and made a quick move to cover his outburst, "AHA-HA of course that won't happen again! I'll win next time monsieur… uhm… fire crotch." It hadn't occurred to him he never retained the American's name. But it didn't matter Dante was already back at Enma's own huddle, calling the next play.
As the ignored idiot pouted and turned to rejoin his own huddle, Daisuke swatted him on the backside, "Nice try. You managed to let Kazuo get another yard out of the screen. Second and two. Let's throw some more stunts their way… I think that rookie lineman is going to fall for every one of them. That lets us focus all of our strength on Kurita and Chuubou."
Hanada nodded in agreement, "Lets see how they like a flea flicker next… and a misguided one at that." And in spite of the ever permeating fear he could practically touch that was emanating from Dante, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement after that eight yard run.
On the Enma sidelines Suzuna couldn't help but wince when she saw her brother get absolutely wrecked by Dante. She had wanted him to pay for his pregame niece and nephew comments sure, but damn! That looked like it hurt.
The lithe beauty shook those jitters away when she saw Sena help her brother up from the turf however. A warm feeling washed over her and she could feel her cheeks turning a slight shade of rose at the gesture. What a softy Sena could be. But she couldn't fault him for it. That charm still held her heart forever and always.
As the whistle blew for the next play to start she watched on with keen interest. Last time they played Suitokku and Mizumachi for suckers, and she had to admit she was worried they would continue to do the same. Watching on with an intense focus Suzuna gasped as the ball was hiked, but instead of it going directly to Hanada, it went between his legs and straight to the running back Kazuo. That was surprising enough, but she thought it was weird that they'd try to just run it up the gut when Kurita and Dante took up the middle of the playing field. But then it happened. Kazuo dashed right into Daisuke's back and just as he got to the center he tossed the ball blindly behind himself back to Hanada.
Even Suzuna knew what was coming at this point and she jumped up and down shouting, "Oh! Oh! Flea flicker!" and pointing towards the play as it unfolded. The navy haired beauty then held her breath and grimaced because all she could do was wait. Unfortunately Suitokku took the bait and went after the running back and did shove him to the turf, but the ball was no longer in his hands. Wincing at his choices, the azure angel could only watch as Hanada looked down the left hand side of the field in Sena's direction, only to launch it in the complete opposite direction towards the receiver being covered by Monta. But to her dismay, Monta had also hesitated at the sight of a running play and had fallen a few feet behind.
"Monta!"
Another set of eyes in the stands watched with bated breaths as the ball sailed through the air towards number 80 and the receiver under his charge. Shidao literally covered her eyes out of fear and could barely manage to peak through her fingers with one eye as the play developed. Time stood still for the mint haired teen as the ball spiraled towards what looked to be a massive gain.
Monta seemed to have caught on to what was happening and was bounding towards the receiver, but something odd caught Shidao's attention. He wasn't focused on the player running in front of him. He was focused on the ball. She watched as her simian casanova judged the distance between the ball's trajectory and where it would land. And while Shida's hair may have been green, her face was practically blue with how long she was holding her breath during this play.
And as her lungs strained she could no longer hold back the tremendous gasp as she watched Monta take to the air and stretch out his arms for the descending ball. While alas it was just out of his grasp, but not out of his reach. The apish receiver somehow against all odds managed to get a few fingers on the pigskin and ricochet it away from the intended target and into the turf.
Instantly the shy Sawai sister was on her feet with her arms raised high, cheering loudly, "GO MONTA GO!" and with a wide smile she even allowed herself to get sucked up in the atmosphere of the crowd around her, throwing high fives to her neighbors and dancing with joy.
Elsewhere in the stands however a pair of envious eyes glowered at her exuberance. Kohando simmered with jealousy as he watched Shidao's reaction to the play of this number 80. This pompous hairy chimpanzee who didn't deserve a lick of her affectionate charm or beauty. Yet somehow she was literally dancing with emotion and vigor for this gung-ho gorilla. It made no sense whatsoever! The handsome gymnast couldn't make heads or tails about how such a mundane feat could impress the lovely lady he had been suiting for so long.
Kohando's gray eyes pierced Monta's success with derision and disdain. To be made a monkey out of by a monkey no less, it was absolutely infuriating. Watching the apes dimwitted teammates congratulating him for his achievement soured his mood even further. "Really? That pitiful display of agility is all it takes to wow these imbeciles?" he muttered to himself under his breath.
They acted as if such a performance was unattainable or superhuman. That wouldn't even pass for a bronze worthy routine in his field of choice. It lacked finesse and grace. It was clunky and uncoordinated. A sneer found its way to the corner of his mouth and the heart throb huffed in disgust, "Tch!"
Kohando shifted his calculating gaze back to Shidao. She was still swaying side to side and cupping her hands together in front of her beautiful smiling face with joy. The love was plain to see, and it pierced his own heart, only causing his blood to boil. Once more he shot a look of envious hatred Monta's way and he seethed, "We'll see how this plays out you simian simpleton…" Pulling the collar of his shirt up to better hide his face the supposed gentleman gymnast stood and moved closer to the field.
Back in the Enma huddle Dante congratulated Monta on the heads up play. "Nice work deflecting that pass. They actually almost had us with that one. We'll need to be more careful. They're using plays I've not yet seen."
Sena nodded in agreement, "They might be plays they were trying to keep for other opponents like Saikyoudai." The lightspeed runner turned to Monta and added, "Great pass break up. But let's stay aware of what may come next. Stick to the game plan. Jam the receivers and stick to them. Dante and Kakei can handle any run trickery they may try to pull on us." The lengthy former Poseidon and harry foreigner nodded their heads in agreement.
Meanwhile, Suitokku was internally fuming. The last two plays really showed how much of a novice he really was. And he was smart enough to know they were baiting him into it. His lack of experience was painfully obvious at this point in the game. His fist clenched so tightly you could barely hear the fabric of his gloves tearing from the exponential force of his grip. To say a mockery was made of the maritime giant was an understatement. A light jab to his upper arm drew the leviathan from his rageful stew. He turned his icy blue gaze on the source to see Dante standing by.
"Don't let it bother you. It was bound to happen. No one is perfect. And you've got a damn tall hill to climb there Sisyphus. But unlike that old fart you got the muscle to actually crest the top and toss that boulder down the other side. Remember the game film and go fuck em up." offered the suddenly less brash linebacker before he moved to get into position for the next play.
Suitokku's expression shifted from holding back a simmering fury to one of bewilderment. He shook his head in slight disbelief. What they hell was up with this guy? One minute he's tearing your head off for doing something right, and the next he's reassuring you and encouraging you when you are getting whipped.
He had to admit though, it did seem to mellow out his furious mind. "Focus on the game film." he muttered under his breath as he got into his three point stance. The tackle named Banko was across from him at this point. So far the opposing foe had offered little resistance against him. The smaller teen was certainly no Toru. Suitokku tensed his leg muscles as he waited for the snap. As Hanada called the final "hut hut!" and the ball was snapped the leviathan from Okinawa erupted forward, blasting into poor Banko. But Banko wasn't alone. Their right guard also slammed into Suitokku. A double team!
Alright, if that's how they wanted to play. Suitokku grinned and let out a massive roar in response. He planted one massive grave marker of a hand on each of their chests and dug his heels into the gridiron. Two mighty steps forward was all it took to slam both of the pitiful offensive linemen to the ground. And they were left staring up at the bright blue sky as the kraken sized youth cascaded past them towards Hanada.
That terrifying strength was not lost on the Nishi quarterback as Hanada yelped in shock before boot legging it in the opposite direction. Right into the waiting arms of Mizumachi. "AH!" Hanada squeaked before revealing he no longer had the ball.
"HUH?" the gangly blonde lineman gawked with giant saucer eyes as he was wrapping his long arms around Hanada's waist. Where did the ball go? It couldn't have just disappeared. And when could he have made a pass?
"AHA-HA!" guffawed a familiar goateed moron. Mizumachi and Suitokku turned their attention in the direction of the laughing layman and saw that he in fact had the football. Hanada must have shot a rocket of a side arm pass before connecting with Mizumachi to get it to the ignoramus.
Nishi's over zealous tight end made a move to take off down field with the ball and as Kakei was rocketing towards him with Dante in close pursuit, the dumb bastard stopped dead in his tracks. Planting his feet the "gentle idiot" cocked his arm in a passing stance and laughed, "AHA-HA! Behold my beautiful trick pass!" and low and behold, downfield with 10 yards of space between him and any one else was a wide open Nishi receiver and open green pasture in front of him to the endzone.
