Rechecked and slightly improved for Inavember 2017! Woohoo! (Not really)
First of all, many, MANY thanks to Heather, who checked this chapter for me again and again and supported me as I struggled to make it sound as good as possible. Also, if the new character has a London Cockney accent (which I totally love), it's all thanks to her. Thank you, dearest! And even more thanks to my girlfriend Roxy, who fixed mistakes not even a native speaker could. She's super awesome and I love her sooo much.
Besides that, this chapter's dedicated to two people. The first one is the only person who had honoured me with a review by the time I finished translating this chapter (even if it's quite short, I greatly appreciate it): my dear kouhai, Rae (RaiRaeKen). She's such a lovely and talented little girl who deserves a lot of love and readers. I'd want to mention her sister Yuki (Utapyon), too, since she keeps apologizing for being a bad roleplay partner when she's in fact one of the bests I have ever had. She has inspired me thousands of times, and I couldn't be more grateful because of it. The second person is my friend Py (Py-Cries), whose work I really admire and enjoy and who graced me with a review while this chapter was being corrected. Thanks to you both!
And that's pretty much it, so I'll close my big mouth and simply refer you to the chapter, which will offer you some sort of… moderate excitement, I assume. Enjoy it!
Everyone's attention turned to the place where Miyabino had pointed.
"Whatcha' lookin' at, yer dimwits?"
For some's surprise and some others' disappointment, a green-coloured penguin had emerged from the ground and was standing in the place, staring at the group with its flippers folded. Handa couldn't believe it; he had managed to make a penguin appear. He had finally summoned an animal, which brought him a step closer to creating his new hissatsu technique. Nevertheless, he started worrying as soon as he looked at the adult Kidou, who closed his eyes and snorted.
"…Well, it's a start."
Handa's fragile spirits crumbled again. What was wrong? Hadn't he done it right? What had failed? And how could he fix it? All these questions crossed his head like lightning, but the only thing that came out of his mouth were some pitiful babblings. Luckily enough, Megane was very curious and he took the initiative.
"Hasn't he done it properly?" Raimon's winning 'ace striker' asked.
"It is not that you have not done it properly, Handa…" The adult said, placing a hand in Handa's shoulder, trying to comfort him. "It is simply that… perhaps it would be better for you guys to explain it to him. Sakuma?"
"Yes, Commander!" Sakuma said, diligent.
"…Suck-up."
"I told you to close your trap, Fudou; l. Let me talk once and for all! Tsk…" Sakuma gazed at Handa. "You see,. Hhere, in Teikoku we have managed to summon seven different kinds of penguins: the green ones, the orange ones, the yellow ones, the cerulean ones, the red ones, the indigo ones and the violet ones. As you already know, the reds are the ones we used for Koutei Penguin Ichi Gou, which are fairly aggressive but really strong; t. The indigo ones are used for Koutei Penguin Ni Gou, since they are more docile and easy to control, a. And the violets are the ones we are trying to summon now, which are necessary to use Koutei Penguin San Gou; in other words, the ultimate penguins, seeing as they are strong, obedient and perfect to be used for advanced techniques."
"And… the green ones? What do you use them for?" Handa asked.
"For… nothing, really. Up to the red ones, the rest are useless."
"Who ya callin' useless, yer patch-wearing freak?" The penguin answered back. "The problem's yer don't know how to use us properly 'cause yer a bunch of idiots!"
"You don't have the strength to be used alone in any sort of shoot hissatsu."
"Yet ya call us for yer Koutei Penguin 7, yer moron."
"Yes, along with the other six types."
"Ya can get by without us, then! I'm still wonderin' wha tha Hell ya've called me fer now…"
Handa raised his hand timidly.
"E-excuse me, mister penguin… I was trying to summon violet penguins for Koutei Penguin San Gou, but it hasn't come out very well…"
The face of the penguin turned into an expression of annoyance and even repugnancy.
"…Who's this bloodless dolt?"
"S-shinichi Shinichi Handa! I-I'm really sorry…"
"Yer even worse than these," the animal snorted. "And ya hope to control a penguin squad with that attitude? Don't make me laugh; we've got our pride, ya know! We'd never let a feeble like ya boss us 'round!"
The young midfielder got totally dejected.
"Once again, come on! I don't want to see you lazing around!"
Raimon's three players took their positions again to fire another Death Zone 2.
"Oono, Kennya! Get ready!"
"Yes, Genda!" They both said in unison, placing themselves at both sides of the goal. They raised their arms in the air while Genda, impassive and with his arms folded, Genda felt a gigantic rock wall appearing behind his back.
"Shin! Mugen no Kabe!"
The ball strongly clashed strongly against the rocky barrier, but, once again, it was no use. The technique was too powerful to be surpassed with an incomplete hissatsu like that. And, even if they could master it, the foe hissatsu had already reached the limit of its power, while theirs was still so green. It used to take weeks, sometimes months, to evolve a hissatsu to its next level; it was impossible for them to break that wall in a single day. Or that's what they thought, at least.
"Coach Hitomiko-kantoku, I don't think we can do it…" The young Kidou said, exhausted. The coach just frowned.
"And this is the Raimon that never gives up? Come on! I thought you were a little more daring! How disappointing."
Endou stood watching his mate for a few seconds before talking.
"Come on, Yuuti. The worst we can do is lose heart! Trust coach, she knows what she's doing!"
"…You're right, Endou. Come on, let's keep on trying."
"Yes, captain. Let's go," Shadow said quietly.
"Wait a second, guys. I've just come up with something…"
The three of them gathered together while Endou explained them his plan.
"Come on, Handa-kun, get out of there."
Raimon's midfielder was sitting on a corner, facing the wall, absolutely depressed.
"That penguin doesn't know what he's saying," Megane continued. "Don't you think that, if he knew you couldn't do it, Kidou-san wouldn't even have taken the trouble to try to help you?"
"That's it, that's it!" Miyasaka said vigorously. "Also, you have come so far already: you have finally summoned a penguin! Although it's a nasty piece of work. But if you manage to control him, you'll be able to control all the others!"
Shinichi finally gave a sign that he was alive: he turned his head and stared at his mates.
"…Do you really think so? I dunno if I'll be able to do it…"
Megane adjusted his glasses, which shined brightly for a second.
"Think about it, Handa-kun. No one has ever been able to make use of those penguins. It's your chance to show your talent to the world!"
"Yeah, you will surely manage to make good use of Koutei!"
"…Who's Koutei?" Handa asked, as disconcerted as usual.
"That's how I called the green penguin! Now run; if you take too long, he'll go again!"
Still apprehensive, Handa stood up again as he followed Miyasaka, who broke into a run and moved away from there, with his eyes, who broke into a run and moved away from there. Megane leaned on Handa and sighed deeply.
"See, Handa-kun? That's what happens when you let a kid do the work of a professional. 'Koutei'… Hah! So lame!"
"How'd you've called it, Megane-kun…?"
Megane blinked a few times and quickly averted his gaze to the opposite direction.
"…W-who cares anymore, anyway? But I'm sure I could have come up with something much better!"
Handa let out a light guffaw before breathing deeply and going out to meet the penguin.
"Look what you have done. Do you enjoy saying such things to someone you do not even know?" The adult Kidou scolded.
"Bah. He's useless without a backbone; he so is an' that's that."
"That 'useless without a backbone' might want to give you the recognition you deserve. He might be the only one in here who is actually willing to do it."
The penguin stood watching the coach, curious.
"Handa has been fighting hard to become a great soccer player," Kidou went on, "and if someone can use you properly, that is him. He may not have much Teikoku spirit, but he definitely has great game vision. Maybe not being as obstinate as us with the attack will help him hit on an idea."
"Tsk, okay, fine!" The penguin sighed after a pause. "I'll give him a chance. But I'm outta 'ere if I see he ain't worth it!"
"…I'll try my best, Koutei-san."
Handa, who had just come to the penguin's and the other Teikoku members' encounter, had listened to the whole conversation. His look, more confident than before after knowing of the support his ex-teammate was offering him, gave the aquatic bird some hopes. It folded its flippers before talking.
"I won't go easy on ya, punk."
"…I wouldn't want it any other way."
Kidou nodded, smiling a little.
"Sakuma, Fudou; take charge of Megane and Miyasaka. I will train with these two."
"What? Do I have to take care of the four-eyes and the girly-boy blondie?"
"No complaining, Fudou."
"…You owe me a really big one, Kidou," Fudou growled.
The adult Kidou took the penguin and Handa out of there, still looking back from time to time, worried about what Fudou could do.
"It's a quite strange idea, captain," Shadow said with his always impassive voice.
"But it makes sense per se. In fact, that's how we first created Death Zone 2."
"Then quit doubting and let's give it a try!"
The three of them stood up again and looked at the front. Their determined gazes made Hitomiko smile.
"Come on, guys, this is it; this time is the definitive!"
The ball shot out upwards at the same time as the boys jumped. This time, nonetheless, the coordination between them wasn't the predominating factor; instead, they let their own impulses guide them. The will to improve, to achieve a common goal; all their individual efforts were giving birth to the strongest Death Zone 2 of them all. The triangle formed by the three boys sparkled more than ever before, even though each one kept his own time, speed and style. And, eventually, all being one, they broke up their deathly formation, jumping even higher and kicking the ball all at once from above. An enormous dark sphere was generated after that collision.
That was not a hissatsu in which its userswhere the players would have to restrain themselves or act like their teammates. Their individual strengths and styles were what fed that strange evolution of Teikoku's original Death Zone; that was something that they had forgotten with time. But, when they all understood that that was what the technique was lacking to excel itself, they shouted triumphantly:
"Death Zone 2… G2!"
The glow of the ball was even bigger than the goal or the wall made by Genda, Oono and Kennya. It wasn't easy, but, finally, the ball broke through Mugen no Kabe and strongly pierced the goal strongly, leaving the goalkeeper and the defenders lying on the floor, totally beaten.
"Well done, guys. You've finally understood it," Kira celebrated with a smile on her lips.
"It was all thanks to your support, coach Hitomiko-kantoku!" Mamoru answered cheerfully.
"Thank you, coach," Kidou and Yamino said at once.
"Not at all. It's my job, after all. Genda, Kennya, Oono!"
"Yes, coach!" The aforementioned shouted, standing very straight and almost in a military position.
"Good work on your part too."
"Thank you so much for the flattery, coach Kira-kantoku!"
Kidou and Endou couldn't stop getting surprised every time they saw how perfectly controlled their former coach had Neo Japan's players and, hence, Teikoku's as well. Shadow wouldn't get surprised. Never. Ever. Or so it seemed, at least.
"Come on, head to the showers; you stink like wild baboons," the talented tamer ordered, laughing softly. Her pupils would have laughed too if it weren't because they were too surprised by the fact that the always cold Hitomiko Kira had made a joke.
Handa finished scribbling on the paper.
"I must admit I like tha idea, punk."
"I would have never thought of it that way, Handa. You have pleasantly surprised me."
Handa flushed and laughed nervously; he wouldn't be congratulated like that every daywas rarely congratulated like that.
"Are you really okay with it, Koutei-san…?"
"Yeah, sure. It's at least a better use than wha this bunch asks of me."
"Are you ready to give it a try?" The coach asked.
"What? So soon…?"
"Let's go for it, I can't wait to put it into practice! An', by da way…"
Without saying a word, the penguin placed one of its wings in Handa's mouth; the boy, although incredibly surprised and even scared, let the bird do as it pleased.
"Keep calm, punk! Feel a pro's flipper in yer mouth," the penguin calmed down, moving its flipper around until it finally properly placed it properly in Shinichi's mouth. "Can ya feel how's it settled?"
The disconcerted midfielder nodded lightly. Kidou didn't know either what the Hell that silly emerald bird was doing either.
"Blow now. Let's see what happens."
Handa obeyed, and a sweet whistle came out of his lips. The penguin frowned, telling him with its gaze to put it forward. Finally, Shinichi whistled strongly, just how Kidou, Sakuma or Fudou would do, and felt how, under his feet, the ground shook lightly. At the timethat moment, a squad of portentous violet penguins emerged from the ground, taking up a stance in front of the boy.
"Have you called us, sir?"
The boy opened his eyes wide and nodded vigorously as Koutei withdrew its wing from Handa's mouth.
"It… it was me, right? Was my whistle what summoned them?" Handa asked, still fearful that the answer would be 'no'.
"That's it, punk. A token of me gratitude fer… uh, trustin' me. Yeah…"
Raimon's player, moved, couldn't help hugging the green penguin and, next, the adult Kidou. His eyes were equally filled with tears and gratitude.
"Let's get down to work, Handa!" Kidou said in high spirits.
"Y-yeah!"
Shinichi, Koutei, the violet penguins and Kidou jumped into the field, leaving behind the papers where Handa had drawn. They didn't need them anymore; the boy had the idea perfectly etched in his memory. Among that muddle of lines, doodles and hideously drawn penguins, a sentence could be partly identified. The name of the hissatsu Handa was about to create.
'Koutei Penguin…'
Fudou whistled unwillingly, but his experience allowed him to call violet penguins even like that. Sakuma and Miyabino were looking from the distance, as they weren't able to do the same. They had decided to keep themselves out until Raimon players could shoot, be Fudou's methods whatever they were to make them achieve that goal.
"Four-eyes, blondie, c'mon; I'll teach you how it's done."
"Fudou-kun, you should be more respectful to us!" Megane argued.
"I'm in charge here, so if you don't like my methods, you can get lost and abandon that bore of a chum of yours."
Both Megane and Miyasaka averted their gazes, anxious.; Fudou scared them, but they had promised to help Handa and, after all that he had already achieved, they didn't want to let him down. Miyasaka was the first to decide to talk.
"Okay! I'm willing to do whatever it takes, Fudou-san!"
"Me… me too! We're at your command!"
The bad-tempered former captain of Shin Teikoku smiled an evil smirk.
"Alright. Koutei Penguin San Gou's generally a hissatsu performed by two midfielders and a forward. But, seeing how the blondie looks like, I'd say he's a defender."
Fudou hit the nail on the head. Miyasaka felt bad for not playing a more proper role for the hissatsu, but he chose his position to be able to be like his senpai, Ichirouta Kazemaru.
"Moreover," he continued, "as every combination hissatsu, it unites the strength of the ones who put it into effect. And the four-eyes seems pretty weak to me."
Megane tried to seem offended. How dare he tell Raimon's ace player something like that, Hhis eyes queried. that how he dare tell Raimon's ace player so. But, deep inside, he knew he was completely right. He was a forward only technically and out of simple pig-headedness, but he would rarely play in that position. And that only when he played at all; if not because Raimon was a team where team spirit predominated, Megane would have been nothing but a benchwarmer.
"But…" Fudou ended, "I guess something can be done. Penguins, get ready! And you two, keep up with my moves if you can!"
They all rose in the air, but, despite Fudou's and the penguins' help, it was a shambles. Miyasaka couldn't stay in the air, and Megane's final heel kick, besides weak, barely brushed the ball. The sphere didn't even aim at the goal, but it fell to the floor ground like a piece of lead.
"Pathetic," Fudou growled.
Megane, hurt, stood up.
"O… once again! Let's go, Miyasaka-kun!"
"Y-yes, Megane!"
Fudou folded his arms and smiled slightly. Those idiots, although they didn't have strength or talent, at least had at least some guts. Carefully thought, though, the original Koutei Penguin San Gou was already performed by a talentless and gutless idiot and would still come out quite nicely. Fudou directed a grim gaze toward Sakuma, who was slightly disconcerted, but, anyway, retorted it anyway, frowning and, angry although he didn't even know why.
Their This affair of theirs might even work out well… What am I saying; they better work it out well. I don't want to lose my precious time for nothing.
"Tsk."
As usual, nonsense.
It's over! Let's revise: Handa manages to summon a penguin, but it does nothing but demoralize him. Eventually, though, he sets his mind up that he will make use of it, since Teikoku doesn't use its species. So, Handa, along with adult Kidou, creates a hissatsu specially made for green penguins, and Koutei, grateful, teaches him how to whistle properly to make violet penguins appear, the ones he needs to finally master Koutei Penguin San Gou. For their part, Megane and Miyasaka begin their training to master the aforementioned technique, and the group formed by Endou, Kidou and Shadow, headed lead by Hitomiko Kira, their former coach, manages to finally complete Death Zone 2 and even evolve it.
What kind of hissatsu has Handa created? Will Megane, Miyasaka and he master the powerful Koutei Penguin San Gou? And what's waiting for him at Raimon? You'll find the answer to these questions both in my brain and in following chapters! Until then, be nice~!