Chapter 11

He loves her. She was his angel… his goddess. Seeing her at the side of the field inspired him to believe in himself. And ever since he first laid eyes on her he knew that he would always want to be around her. He enjoyed impressing her and honestly she was the reason why he entered the field.

But he knew it was a one-sided love. He knew she would never look at him the same way.

He was an idiot so even if he knew all that he still kept his loving longing gaze towards her... hoping that somehow someday she would look at him and see him as a man as well.

xxx

Sena, along with the other members of the team, hides from afar as they form a plot to raid the warehouse. They had confirmed that she was inside. But more importantly, she was safe. The problem now is how to get her out safely.

Exchanging is out of the question.

They cannot contact Hiruma and they have no idea what they want from their ex-Captain.

"Everyone ready?" Sena asks.

"SET! HUT!"

That is the only signal that everyone really acknowledges. With that the Devil Bats all run towards the warehouse.

Sena leads the way easily pulling out from the rest. He sees two guards in the entrance and sprints towards them completely vanishing from their sight. He takes the gun from their belts and hands with skillful agility. From the guards' perspective a gush of wind only passed by.

The guards then notice the line men charging towards them. The angry cries of the highschool boys make them react. They reach for their guns only to find out they are unarmed.

Kuroki and Togano tackled the two guards with Kurita and Komusubi in the middle to take the door down.

The door doesn't stand a chance against them. They push it away like a mere cardboard.

Everyone inside the warehouse charges towards the Devil Bats, Kurita and Komusubi continue to tackle more goons as they reach further inside.

Musashi and Jumonji also rush in disarming and putting more to sleep.

Finally Sena and Monta rushes in trying to make their way out of the commotion, their eyes scan the surrounding trying to look for Mamori.

A gun suddenly fires from nowhere. The man just gives away his position, but no one notices him aside from one.

Sena looks at the direction where the sound comes from and finds Mamori beside a large man.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" The man says noticing that no one stopped when he fired his gun.

In just a flash, Sena is already beside him.

"Sorry." Sena says, quite timidly. "but we are all used to the sound of gunshots."

"Sena! Be careful!" Mamori shouts as the guy pulls her closer to him.

The man then points the gun at Mamori's head, "how about the next shot going through her head? Are you used to that?"

"Calm down." Sena says raising his hands in surrender. "Please, we don't want to hurt anyone."

"Tell your team to stop." The guy demands.

Sena looks at the path where he came from. They still continue to thrash and take down anyone who comes at them.

"Everyone stop!" Sena shouts. The riot continues.

"I said STOP!"

The Devil Bats finally hear him. Seeing the situation, they stand their ground and stop the attack.

"Now, I want Hiruma. Where the fuck is he?"

"He isn't here you jackass." Monta answers, "Let Mamori go."

The guy cocks the gun and pushes it forward into her head.

"Not answering my question... where the fuck is Hiruma?"

A cold sweat runs down from Sena's brow to his cheek. He has no idea how to escape this.

Monta's hands are shaking. He also doesn't know what to do.

The others stand beside him in helpless silence. They are too far from them that even if they run they won't make it to her in time.

Mamori closes her eyes as she holds her breath.

No one is ready for what will happen next.

"Right here, fucking bastard." The words whisper through a wicked smile.

The shot comes in from the right upper window, hitting the guy's hand directly. In an instant he releases his gun and Mamori at the same time. Monta and Sena go to her side and grab her away from the guy.

The guy just releases her; he has no time for that. He pulls out a gun from his inner pocket and points at the right window. Hiruma disclosed his location.

And yet, another shot came in from the left window, directly hitting behind his head.

He is knocked off in an instant.

"Good. Tie them all up!" Musashi orders.

Hurriedly, the team gathers up the goons to tie them.

"Are you ok Mamo-nee?" Sena asks.

Mamori smiles weakly at him, "yes, thank you."

"There were two shots though... from different side." Monta says.

A cellphone then rings, as if to cut the tension in the air.

Musashi searches his pockets and finds his phone.

"Hey, fucking old man." The voice from the other line speaks.

"Hiruma! Where are you?"

Everyone looks at Musashi, finally the devil makes himself known.

His footsteps on the metal stairs are too loud that even Musashi can hear it through the phone. He's coming from down his spot where he shot the guy from. He was on the neighboring building where he had the perfect view of the warehouse from a small window.

"Could you give this phone to some guy there I need to pass my message to their boss. Pretty fucking please."

Musashi looks around and grabs someone who seems conscious enough.

Musashi places the phone in the guys ears, "hell-hello?" the voice quivers but still audible.

"Hey!" Hiruma says happily, "So. I've finally managed to remove all traces of me or her from your servers. And I've given the authorities enough evidence to finally have them catch your boss...it was quite easy since you already let me inside your system... and I've already contacted the police to pick you up in about a few minutes."

Hiruma's eyes turns dark as he finally reaches the foot of the stairs and the door leading outside.

"So never attempt to fuck with me ever again."

He then ends the call and goes outside.

xxx

"Hiruma! You're ok!" Kurita shouts and attempts to embrace Hiruma. Hiruma just side-steps and completely evades Kurita.

Hiruma sees how everyone is tied up and ready to be delivered to the police. He is pleased with the results. He walks towards Musashi and gives him a smile.

"Otsukare" Musashi says.

Hiruma just gives him an approving grin.

"So what did you do to them?" Musashi asks.

"They tried to fucking blackmail me." Hiruma grins. "But I robbed them with all they have and leaked all their fucking operations to the authorities. Their higher ups are probably locked in some shithole by now. Kekekekekeke."

Hiruma finally makes his way to Sena who was beside Mamori the whole time. Mamori is free but Hiruma can clearly see the rope burns on her wrist. He grits his teeth in annoyance.

"Hiruma-senpai." Sena calls standing up to face Hiruma.

"You put Mamo-nee in danger. You made all of us worry."

"Sena... it's alright." Mamori says, trying to stop Sena.

"No." Monta interjects. "It's not alright. We don't care about what you do or who you make deals with but if you endanger Mamori because of it. It's not ok max!"

Mamori holds Monta's shoulders as if to stop him. "Monta!"

"I know." Hiruma speaks.

Everyone stops whatever they were doing with just that single word. The warehouse is silenced as all their attention to Hiruma now as he continues to speak.

"I know." Hiruma repeats, "Being with me is dangerous. Associating yourself with someone like me will get you in fucking trouble or get fucking… " he looks slightly at Mamori, "killed."

"So I don't fucking expect that you would be willing to fucking get close with me after this. I'm not a part of the Devil Bats now so you don't have any fucking responsibility to do as I say or to be buddies with me."

There are hesitations in the team's eyes and a hint of realization. Somehow, they have realized just now that they are not really that obliged to help Hiruma. He has a point. They are no longer a part of the same team.

"I did all this. Of course I fucking know that! But in whatever mess I make I make sure to clean it up afterwards. And whoever messes with the devil shall taste hell... this includes me and my minions."

However, being with Hiruma had taught them that even when the worst comes they will always pull through. In the field and out, every single member of the Devil Bats knows that they can always count on Hiruma to have their back. They're not just teammates. They were friends.

Mamori goes closer to Hiruma and touches his hand. He does not flinch nor even looks at her. He just holds her back, entwining his long fingers around hers and gripping it ever so slightly.

Hiruma slightly shakes his head. He just gave a speech about not associating with him and here she goes doing the opposite.

That may not be the apology that Sena wanted to hear but it's exactly what he knows he will get from Hiruma.

"Ah! Hiruma-senpai!" The small voice suddenly coming from the entrance suddenly breaks all the tension in the air.

The boy came running inside. In his embrace is a large black bag. They had seen that bag before.

They all know to be encasing one of Hiruma's firearms.

Onizuma reaches the inner circle and bows in front of Hiruma.

"Thank you very much for lending me your sniper rifle. It was amazing! I had so much fun." The boy almost shouts.

"So that's where the second shot came from." Kurita muses.

"Kento-kun, you know him?" Sena asks.

"He is the friend I met online that taught me more about American football. I just recently learned that he is actually Hiruma-senpai and I was so excited when he asked me to assist him in this mission-" Onizuma explains in a flurry of words that seems to have come from a single breath.

Hiruma then kicks him, stopping the boy from further explaining.

"That was nice shooting you fucking nerd. Kekekeke."

Onizuma then lowers his head and embraces the bag tighter. He is grinning from ear to ear with such a compliment while Mamori lectures Hiruma about kicking people.

The sound of sirens creeps inside the warehouse, slowly increasing in volume as they increase in number and decrease in distance.

"The cops are here!" Toganou shouts from the entrance.

"Great max!" Monta exclaims.

"We better hurry as well. We still have a match to win!" Jumonji says.

Sena checks the time in his cellphone and sighs, "I don't think we can fight today guys. I'm very sorry."

"You fucking shrimp! Stop being so annoyingly negative! Do you think I'll let you lose the fucking Christmas bowl!" Hiruma shouts.

"What-?"

"I've hacked into their system the moment you've decided to fucking come here. They will be busy with all the bugs I've set up that you can still fucking make it in time even if you fucking crawl to the stadium. Kekekekeke."

Sena looks at Hiruma with a large smile on his smile. No one messes with the devil's minions, because the devil will always have their back.

"What are you waiting for then?" Sena asks the people around him.

"LET'S FUCKING KILL THEM!" Sena shouts on the top of his lungs.

The police come and pick up all the goons. Quickly the devil bats return to the stadium. Sena ang Musashi can only scratch their heads, not sure how everyone would fit in Musashi's truck.

Hiruma and Mamori fall behind the rest. They don't really mean it but gradually they are creating a world of their own. Without a care if anyone will see, only the person beside him and beside her matters.

"Stop shaking. Dammit." Hiruma whispers to Mamori as they slowly walk.

Hiruma still needs to concentrate on making his heart still. He has been keeping his anxieties in check the whole time. In order to pull the trigger and to proceed with all his plans he needed to be calm and composed. He had to bottle up all his raging emotions like a beast inside a cage.

Mamori tightens her grip in his cold hand. The hard icy hand felt dead the moment she touched his. Though it may be this kind of thing in which Mamori feels secure. Surely, her trembling stops.

Hiruma breathes in deep. As the air goes out of his lungs and through his nose, he feels that all those anxieties are also leaving his system. He breathes again and this time he feels lighter.

The only woman who can easily tame his beasts with as much as a smile, with her hands she brings back the warmth and life into his.

Monta tries to hop on the back of the other truck for it seems Doboroku's truck is also here. He falls down and just helps Komosubi up but as he does he accidently looks back at the warehouse.

His sight passes everyone coming towards the truck. Passing by Jumonji, and to Togano and Onizuma behind the blond. There he sees the sight of the man that Monta had always looked at in the field. Even if he's running or rolling or jumping, he seems to know exactly where Hiruma is.

Hiruma is there standing tall, like always, walking cautiously side by side with Monta's gentle goddess. Monta gulps and dares further, he looks at her.

Once more, she takes his breath away. She looks more beautiful than he has ever seen her recently, with her eyes full of love as she gazes at him. She just came back from such a thing and yet her face paints nothing but relief. She has him and she feels safer than ever.

Monta looks at the devil's hand and sees how tightly he holds her hand –afraid to let go ever again.

Monta sighs. He will never win over someone like that, no matter what he does.

Monta looks forward and jumps on to the truck with no difficulty this time.

"Monta? Are you ok?" Sena asks noticing his best friend sniffing.

"Just a little nip on my nose but I'm in perfect condition max!" He gave his captain a thumb up.

They still have a match ahead and for now his gaze will only belong to ball while his heart on the field.