Hey you guys, it's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, since I'm now working on like… three stories and not quitting one anytime soon, I decided to put up another chapter of Thread. I'll post My Angel sometime soon, so don't worry.

Disclaimer: Sorry to say, I don't own Eyeshield 21.

Warning: Hiruma

-Shin's POV-

It was a fairly normal game, nice weather, more Sakuraba fans than usual, and such. Except this time, we had Sena. My first fan that I know of. The very fast brown haired boy with the number 21 on his back, he was Oujou's running back, our fastest, Japan's fastest, is now on Oujou White Knights. He's the only one I know that can get a 4.2 in the 40 yard dash. The only one that defeated me in speed. I was very content and I continued walking with Sena and Takami-san when I heard someone call Sena.

I turned to see this white haired boy tackling Sena in a hug. I twitched, I wasn't quite sure why, I'll ask Sakuraba soon, I hope doesn't interrupt the game, and by his uniform, he was from Deimon.

"Riku!" Sena yelped as the Riku kid laughed.

"So, I'm going against you in this round?" Riku asked with a big smile. And Sena nodded.

"Er…I guess so...I mean...I think…" Sena stammered. I wasn't quite sure why I had an urge to step in there and say that Sena would and will win.

"What do you mean by that Sena?" Riku snapped at him and he flinched.

"Ah…hahaha…" Sena said with an odd laugh, not the kind he gives Sakuraba and Takami.

"Sena," he looked quite serious, "I get to see how much you improved. This would be the 98th time I get to go against you, and..."he smirked, "I'm going to go my all." Sena blinked, he was going to say something when another person called us.

"SHIN! SENA!" It was the coach.

"HAI!" Sena was first to answer, as I walked over to the coach I heard Sena say, "See you on the field Riku." I twitched again. Maybe I should go ask Sakuraba.

When we got the uniforms and pads ready, Coach gave the team their last snack, saying stuff about the nutrients. But where was Sena? Oh, there he is, talking with Sakuraba. I was sitting next to Otawara, who looked very content eating.

He asked me, "What's wrong, Shin? Aren't you eating it? You haven't touched it." He commented, pointing at my food that was next to me.

"I'm sorry, but I have already taken the required nutrients in my meal on a regular based meal." I said, "I can't eat anything else." I said, continuing to look at Sena, who wasn't eating, I think, like me, he has already ate the nutrients in his meal. But with a small body like that, he should eat more meat.

Some news people took Sakuraba, who was laughing with Sena. And then, I stood to sit with Sena. He looked at me and he gave me a small smile. I nodded.

"OH! So they came." Otawara said standing up to his full height, fist on his hips, Sena looked away from him.

"Pull up your boxers." The coach twitched. I inwardly sighed, someday, Otawara would understand.

"Who are they?" Sena asked me. Not surprising that Sena didn't know, he's pretty new.

"Shinryuuji Nagas." I said. Remembering the last time we went against them we lost. "They were the people who always won the Christmas Bowl. Even the golden generation lost to them." I stared hard at a specific person with specific dreadlocks.

"Shin-san?" I heard Sena say. But I will defeat Kongo Agon. I will show him how much I really improved. I turned my head, the game was starting, and in our huddle, Otawara was saying what he always say before a game.

"We pledge victory on out knights pride." He said, "We did not come here to fight our enemy," he has a giant grin on his face, "We came to beat them!" he finished quite proudly.

"GLORY ON THE KINGDOM!" we shouted.

"WE WILL KILL THEM! YA-HA!" I heard them scream and Sena flinched.

Deimon's offence, Oujou's defense.

Hiruma, the only quarterback in Deimon caught the ball and I easily tackled him to the ground. On the sidelines, I hear people screaming, "SAKURABA-KUN!" Really. Fangirls these days…I wonder if Sena saw that. I wonder if he's cheering for me too, like what the girls do to Sakuraba. I got into position for the next play as I saw the 29 put on his helmet on as he walked onto the field.

"Set. Hut. HUT!" He yelled, and he passed it to him. He has to be the one that made that touchdown for Deimon. He has to be. He won't get past me, at least with that speed. There's no way. As he ran at me, trying to avoid me, I caught him easy and he fell onto the ground, ending the play. I didn't get it, why did Sena lie to me? I intercepted the ball and made a touchdown, and we switched offense and defense. If Sena was surprised that I got a touchdown, I can't wait to see his face when we win. As they switched, I sat down next to Sena. Coach didn't want to put him in yet.

This one surprised me, number 29 from Deimon had intercepted Sakuraba's pass. I knew that Sakuraba couldn't catch good, but his height is what made him get to that position.

They continued like that for the next quarters. Otawara was getting a bit busy with Kurta, and I was wasting time with Riku. Why did Sena say that he might not be able to get him when I caught up easily? I didn't get this. I should ask Sakuraba. Speaking of Sena, he was still on the bench, I wanted him to play. Together, we will make the best tag-team possible. No one would be able to get past us. I was sure about this. And I kept telling myself that. I wouldn't let Riku get past me, because my defense is absolute. In American football, the most important thing is defense, I will make sure that Sena would be the best offense as I am a defense.

Half-time. I walked up to Sakuraba, who had his head in his hands, and Sena was with Kohane giving out water, so I asked him

"Sakuraba." He looked up at me, "Do your fans ever lie to you?" I asked and he looked at me weird. But he looked thoughtful before answering.

"Yeah." Sakuraba nodded, as if remembering all the times they did.

"Why do they?" Well, it looks like I'll get an answer to my problem. That's good, I might be able to have a better focus on the game.

"It's usually because they want to date me or marry me or something. Why Shin?" he tilted his water to drink more. I blinked.

"Sena wants to go out with me?" I questioned, and then Sakuraba shot all the water out of mouth sputtering.

"WHAT?!" he yelled, "Why? How did you get that solution?" He looked at me in disbelief and I nodded.

"He lied to me." I concluded. He sighed.

"What? About what? I never knew Sena could lie." Sakuraba muttered the last part, and I choose to ignore it.

"He said that Deimon's running back, that he might not be able to stop him, but if I could catch him, so could he, right?" I stared at Sakuraba, who blinked and then sighed.

"Shin, he was probably exaggerating, also, he said might." I nodded, Sakuraba was right, Sena didn't sound certain. He does tend to underestimate him self. "Besides Shin," I looked back at Sakuraba, "I don't think Sena likes anyone yet." He smiled softly and I nodded. Now I can refocus on the game like usual.

"Thank you Sakuraba." He nodded and I walked towards the coach, I wanted him to put in Sena.

"Alright! I'm changing the line a little, Mayumura! Sit on the bench, let Sena see what the field is like." I had a rush of a warm feeling, to smile, but I fought it. There is no way that I'll let myself look happy when Hiruma's nearby, at least playing against him. It was our offense and Deimon's defense, so that means that I'm watching. The girls in the stands went wild as Sakuraba stood up, and I saw Sena flinch. He'll probably get used to it one day. As they made there way on the field, they started the play. Takami hasn't let Sena touch the ball yet. So he passed to Sakuraba, who caught most of them. Little by little, they were getting more yards. And then, 19 yards left. With this distance, Sena would fly past them all with no sweat.

"SET! HUT! HUT!" Takimi called as the ball was snapped to him, he caught it and he passed it to Sena. Sena ran passed them all except for Riku, as they ran against each other, I already knew who won.

I was wrong.

There was a fumble, Otawara caught the ball so we were still on offense... But Sena lost. I was surprised, I never thought that Kobayakawa Sena would lose to someone like Riku. I personally trained him so he could keep his 4.2 for 2.5 games. And his running, was filled with fear again. What made RIku so scary? I saw Sakuraba and Takami trying to soothe him, and he just smiled sadly at him. He looked back at Riku who was talking with him.

"You're pathetic Sena," I could hear faintly but I heard it, "Our speed is evenly matched. Do you know the difference between us?" What was he doing? Provoking him? This didn't look good, I tried to turn my attention away, and look at the field, but I still heard it all.

"Our height?" Sena said, cocking his head to the side, I mentally sighed, and I heard Riku sigh too.

"No. It's out pride." he halfway glared at Sena. "Sena, when you were being tackled, you instantly protected your body, that's an accomplishment itself but…" I didn't get it. What was his goal? " 'I won't lose to anybody' Someone with that kind of pride, instantly sacrifices his body for the ball." Why was he helping him? I didn't get it. Didn't Riku want Deimon to win? Even though it's not going to happen, but still...And I don't get how Sena lost to Riku. Isn't this the same Sena as the one who defeated me? His running was full of fear. Just what happened Sena? "Sena, this was our 99th battle, and I won again." I felt another wave hit my stomach; it was a wave that made me unhappy. My head snapped over to him, but I took control. I didn't want us to forfeit because of me stomping over there and tackling Riku on the spot.

"SET! HUT! HUT!" Again, Takami passed the ball to Sena, and this time, Sena won. I felt proud, Sena had gotten his first touchdown in his first game, that wasn't surprising, but nonetheless, I was proud. Like usual, we got out kick in and we were changing from offense to defense and coach put Sena in defense. That means that the tag-team would be around now.

"SET! HUT! HUT!" Hiruma called it, Riku got it and I was a bit farther back than before. I stretched out my hand, spear tackling Riku.

Or so I thought.

It happened so fast. I didn't realize what happened until he was on the ground, motionless. That feeling I've never felt rushed in my stomach. I never realized what it was. I couldn't move. All that happened is that scene kept paying in my head. What's wrong with me? Continuously. This never happened. It played in slow motion and in continued like that. I tried to gulp down this lump in my throat. I was trembling. Is this how it feels? It hurts so much. It will go away, right?

I was removed from the rest of the game because I wasn't strong enough. I've never experienced this pain before. It hurts, this wasn't the pain that would go away, but the more I thought of it…The more it hurt and it grew bigger. I wasn't crying, I never cried before. I wonder if this is how it goes.

I should have trusted him to take him down. Why didn't I? He defeated him, and if he does manage to pass, I would have caught up in no time.

I knew it. My team knew it. Everyone watching knew it.

Shin Seijuro had sent his own player, a rookie, Kobayakawa Sena, to the hospital.