Episode 47: Faram Obieus: Chained Beasts

Tenma and Tsurugi stood facing each other, both in their newly awakened forms as a horse and wolf respectively.

"Not bad...Tenma!"

"You too, Tsurugi!"

The two reverted to their original forms grinning. They were filled with joy, despite this game controlling which planet thrives.

"Urk..." Suddenly the Faram players fell onto their knees. Their breathing was heavy and their eyes showed they were exhausted.

"W-what's the matter!?" Tsurugi gasped.

"They seem to have been released by Xerxes' control..." Komori noted, "Though they will be unable to continue playing any longer..."

"What will happen to the game then?" Tenma pointed out.

"Heheheh...there's no worry to that, Tenma Matsukaze..."

A familiar low voice cackled from beyond the field. The member of the Galactic Council, Bitway Ozlock stood in an black robe with red lines on it. Behind him, more people appeared, all with the same grey-toned skin and antenna-like features on their heads. Even Earth Eleven's guide, Ishigashi stood among them.

"W-what do you mean...?"

Ozlock grinned. Snapping his fingers, a screen appeared above the field for everyone to see. Buildings with smoke arising were shown, "Faram Obieus' emergency ships have all been put under my control!" The alien announced, "Without my permission, they will not take flight. In other words, every Faram citizen's lives are within my hands. Even your's queen Lalaya..." He glanced up at the young queen.

"N-no way...!"

"How could you do that!?" Tsurugi growled.

Ozlock just continued to laugh manically, "Do you wish to save this planet? Even though it is the root of your planet's despair? Earthlings are soft-hearted aren't they...?"

"That doesn't matter! Ozlock! Why are you doing this?"

"That is none of your concern. Will you fight, Earthlings? Against my team, Ixal Fleet?"

"Tenma." Tsurugi nodded.

The captain glared towards their new opponents, "Leave it to us! We'll take the challenge!"

"No...we can still fight...!"

The Faram players staggered to their feet. They were so exhausted, even standing was difficult.

"We want to protect our own people!"

"It's our planet!"

Tsurugi clenched his fists, "I know how you guys feel, but in your current state, you'll only lose! Leave it to us!"

"Hmf. And let our enemies save our hides?" Rodan growled, "You aren't going to get anything good from it~"

"As a Shittenou, we can't just agree to let you fight out battles...!" Hilary huffed.

Barga forced a grin, "A Faram's pride is precious; precious as a glamourous jewel!"

"We aren't done...yet..." Ryugel exclaimed, "Right...Gandales?"

"Of course not!"

"Yes, yes...enough showing off." Liberta walked in between the two groups, "I understand how you want to save your own home, but considering your current state and the fact the enemy is yet unknown, and it's not the smartest idea to face them."

The Shittenou exchanged glances, "Who're you?"

"!?" Liberta was unable to say anything due to shock.

"Anyways," Alsius sighed, "I believe it's best to think it is best to save Faram, rather than cling onto pointless pride. This isn't a game, there is no second chance."

The Shitennou seemed they had more to say, but held their tongues.

"We promise we'll win!" Tsurugi vowed.

"Hm...Earth will take the challenge...Still according to plan isn't it, Ojou?"

"..."

"Funny isn't it... The Earthlings have no idea what has happened to their own planet...wonder if they'll still courageously fight if they did...kehehe...thinking about it makes me feel so...excited."

"...you talk alot."

"Ahahaha~ no way~~~ never heard anyone tell me that before~~~" a boy began laughing, purposely flailing his legs in an exaggerated motion. Though it was difficult to tell his physical features, it was possible to notice a large sword hanging on his back, "The fun's only beginning~"

The game continued with the same scores, 2-1, despite being a completely different team as Earth Eleven's opponents, Ixal Fleet. Their enemies began with the upper hand, they were ahead and fully rested.

However, there was no other option, but to fight right now. With their coach being no help, it was up to Tenma to keep the team together. The captain put the stress, uncertainty and exhaustion he felt aside. This game wasn't going to be like the match against Faram; against Tsurugi. Anyone could tell that. But Tenma reminded himself, he was the captain! He needs to lead the team.

"Shall we begin?" Ozlock cackled.

Earth Eleven's line up was

Forward: Tsurugi, Matatagi.

Midfielder: Tenma, Shindou, Sakura, Kusaka.

Defender: Konoha, Minaho, Manabe, Tetsukado.

Keeper: Ibuki.

Yes, the original 11 players of Shinsei Inazuma Japan.

"This is a problem of the planets involved with the tournament, we won't participate in the match." Zephyr mumbled.

"Huh? But..."

"You guys can do it, captain!" Komori cheered.

"We have to, Tenma." Shindou placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

Earth Eleven quickly went back onto the field for the Second Half of the game.

"Ibuki, are you alright?" Tenma noticed something strange about the keeper.

Ibuki smiled, "Nothing's the matter. What makes you ask?"

"I-if you're fine, it's okay..."

Konoha took a deep breath, "It's okay, Konoha...you can do it..." She whispered to herself.

"Number one in the universe..."

"T-to protect everyone..."

"We can do it together...right?"

The members whispered in worried tones to eachother. Even Matatagi didn't show his usual cocky smile.

Everyone's nervous, Tenma thought, it's no mystery, but we have to fight. Only we can do it!

"Fuwahaha, earthlings are so simple minded, their emotions appear so clearly on their face..." Ozlock chuckled with a sly grin on his face. His chilling glare froze the Earth Eleven players. It was not only him, but his teammates' stares were also menacing. As if they looked down onto them.

The whistle rang and Ozlock passed the ball to his teammate, "Let's enjoy the game, shall we?"

The alien dashed past Tsurugi and Matatagi and was halfway to the goal in an instant. A gust of wind blew, flinging the two forwards to the ground.

"What!?"

The Ixal forward past the ball to their captain. No, it's a mystery whether they could call this a pass. The ball was much too fast; it rocketed through Earth Eleven's defenses like a missle. Ozlock was able to easily trap this though.

Ozlock then proceeded to kick the ball up into the air. Leaping after and summoning light energy from behind, the alien directed the energy to crash towards Earth's goal along with the ball.

"Stargazer!"

"Kch...!" Ibuki attempted to stop the ball, "Rising Slash!"

Though his efforts were futile... The ball tore past the keeper and crashed into the net, destroying it in an instant.

The game was now 3-1 for Ixal.

"Ibuki-kun!?" Minaho and Manabe ran to the keeper who was on the ground. Ibuki seemed to be able to stand on his own; luckily, he wasn't heavily injured.

"Fufufu, be glad I decided not to break your goalkeeper along with the net, Tenma Matsukaze." Ozlock cackled as he walked past the Earth captain.

"This isn't soccer! Being used like a weapon...soccer will feel sad!"

"Sad?" Ozlock snorted, "Your love for soccer has created the illusion that it's a person? How childish."

Tenma clenched his teeth, "I know full well that soccer isn't a person. But this is wrong! Using soccer as a way to hurt others! Why do you do this?"

"Why you ask...? People like you who lived peaceful lives will never understand us. Never!"

Tenma was shocked from the Ixal Captain's sudden angered tone. He never expected the always calm man to lose his cool. However, that didn't change the boy's determination to defeat them.

"It's okay everyone! We'll get the goals back, one at a time!"

"Yeah!"

They had no choice, they had to win.

Unleashing their souls, Earth Eleven fought against their opponents.

Minaho stole the ball, keeping the forwards from the net. Sakura gracefully leaped over the opposing midfielders. And when the ball did come towards their net, Ibuki stopped it in his Mammoth form.

"Matatagi!"

The dark forward grinned as he transformed into the Hayabusa, shooting the ball at the net.

The pale white haired keeper sneered. Concentrating earth energy on his palms, he fired it at the ball causing it to deflect away, "Shoot Eater."

"Urgh...!"

"We're not done yet...!" Tsurugi leaped in, receiving the loose ball. At the same time, he became the Ookami. Spinning himself around the ball, he concentrated fire energy around it, shooting it towards the opposing team's net.

"GOAL! Earth Eleven got a point!"

The score was only one point different now.

"Just as expected from Tsurugi-kun." Manabe nodded.

"Nice shoot!"

"Let's keep it up, guys."

Ozlock chuckled softly as he walked back to the centerline.

"Ozlock-sama..." Ishigashi sneered.

The alien nodded, "Let's make sure they feel despair..."

The Ixal stood in a greatly different formation than the one they have been taking before. And when the whistle blew, the ball was kicked to the center of it, instead of forward.

A bright, harsh light shone from the ground between the Ixal players, illuminating lines and circles around each of them.

"Berserk Ray!" Ozlock yelled as the evil light dispersed, shining throughout the entire stadium.

"What!?"

Tenma gasped. A strange pulling sensation pulsed in his chest. His vision began to blur, his head pained and his feet refused to do what he told them to, "Urk..." Looking up, he noticed everyone else was in pain as well.

"W-what...?" Tsurugi grunted. A vision of his soul appeared in his head. The wolf's eyes were glistening with rage as it bared its fangs at its owner. "The Souls are...rejecting us...?"

"Feels good, doesn't it?" A Ixal laughed as she passed the ball to Tsurugi.

Unable to control himself, Tsurugi unleashed his soul and proceeded to bring the ball towards his own net.

"H-hey...Tsurugi!?" Ibuki barely was able to make out the dark wolf dash towards him. Trying, but failing to concentrate, the keeper let Tsurugi's shoot fly through the net.

Score was 4-2, Ixal; back to the 2 point difference. However it didn't end there. Again and again, Earth Eleven's players continued to score on their own net. Ixal was leading by 4 points...!

"W-what!?" Aoi gasped, "What happened to Tsurugi-kun...no, everyone?"

"It's that light from before." Narukami mumbled, "Berserk Ray, it causes souls to bare their fangs at their owners."

"Huh?"

Zephyr began, "Souls are the power of nature, that's why they take the form of a beast native to the user. They're all fighting against themselves in a way now."

"Can't you guys go in for them?" Aoi pleaded.

"Are you crazy?" Han frowned, "We'll just end up the same."

"B-but..."

Alsius kept her eyes on the field, "All we can do now is watch." Aoi felt they seemed to look sad. She quickly dismissed that thought.

"No..."

"It can't end like this..."

"But..."

"4 points..."

Tenma could barely hear his team mates' hoarse voices, voices which were losing hope. They could barely stand, let alone move with on their own will. He couldn't think of any words which would encourage his teammates.

"W-we can't..."

Tsurugi's eyes widened, "No, Tenma!"

"There's no way w-we can...wi-"

"Yes. You can; no we can win!"

Huh? This voice. Tenma looked towards it and gasped at the 11 figures standing at the side of the stadium.

Shindou smiled, "Who would've thought..."

Aoi held her mouth in surprise.

Ozlock grinned, "Interesting, though their appearances won't change a thing."

Next episode preview:

11 players appeared at the field to assist Earth Eleven. But there isn't much time left and Ixal is leading by four points! Will the outcome of the match change? Can the galaxy be saved? The final match is brought to the next stage! Episode 48: Faram Obieus: Shin Earth Eleven.

Ahaha~ Finally got to finish this chapter… This story is slowly closing to an end, but It won't be like the anime~ I hope you'll continue to read this story til the end, everyone! Reviews are much appreciated since I'll know you enjoyed/disliked the chapter. Thanks~~~~~~