It's been four years since I updated this. Did you think I gave up on this story? HECK NO! You're reading right, I have updated this story! It's the best time to revive this, as don't you think 2021 is the best year for Eyeshield 21? To top it off, I'm uploading two chapters!

At the end of the next chapter, I'll share a quick life update. But to summarise; I was on antidepressants, got off antidepressants, and have even gotten married in this past four years! I recommend rereading this story if you can.

But go ahead and enjoy the next two chapters! I miss you all, and thank you for the never ending support you've given for this story. It's thanks to you that even after all these years, I felt motivated to keep this story alive.

Mutou Souta, Captain of the Mendou Fighters. Role: Running Back. With a lean, toned body and darkened skin due to spending most of his time being active outdoors, he ended up playing American Football as a dare and ended up loving the game immensely. He became popular after being elected as Captain once his seniors left, a position he doesn't particularly care for. But he took it seriously once he realised his team was eager to win.

Which was why he should have known that even though it was close to midnight, there was someone in the Mendou Fighters clubhouse. He had meant to only stop by for a moment after leaving behind some important documents for his assignment.

Despite its initial darkness, Mutou saw a small glow in a corner, behind some of the lockers. He sighed. "Kurosaki... seriously?"

Kurosaki Eric barely lifted his head when he heard Mutou's voice, as his eyes remained glued on the laptop screen before him. There were papers scattered around him and a heavily scribbled notebook next to him. Unmoving, he smiled a little when Mutou approached him. "Forgot your assignment papers again, Mutou?"

Mutou wasn't about to be deterred. It was probably for the best that he bumped into Kurosaki. After all, he is the captain of the Mendou Fighters and he was informed of Kurosaki's recent actions of informing some teams on how to defeat their opponents. Particularly when it comes to the Saikyoudai Wizards.

"I heard from the others what you did today," said Mutou. "You know I do not approve of what you're up to."

"And yet you do not stop me," Kurosaki replied.

"Because I know you and how pointless it is to stop you," Mutou replied. "Everyone on the team knows you have a particular agenda against the Wizards and it was fine at first. We really want to win after all. But what you did today was risky, especially when you faced Anezaki Mamori right by the field."

"She needed to know her place." Kurosaki's reply was cold and distant. Mutou couldn't help but notice the screen at this point, and held back a sigh. He shouldn't be surprised, but seeing him obsessing over Anezaki Mamori doing something as pointless as eating by the bench felt ridiculous at this point.

"What is it now, did you figure out the exact moment the linemen would do a tackle by the way she licks her fingers?"

"Wouldn't put past that devil to do so," Kurosaki sneered. "He is full of surprises after all. Which is why it's so satisfying to crack their code. It's so complicated, but there's a pattern. How can people not see it? How has no one noticed this? Even the Ojou White Knights failed."

"Because 99% of the time there's nothing to see," Mutou replied. "Anezaki's role has mostly been to monitor and analyse the game while also taking care of the team. Most of her work is done off the field. That 1% of her actively participating on the field is nothing more than a stroke of luck."

"That's what he wants you to think, Mutou." Kurosaki finally closed his laptop calmly, though Mutou could tell he was incredibly pissed off at this point. "That's why I am telling you the key to defeating the Wizards is to destroy their control tower. Once we destroy the tower we have the bigger advantage because we have the strength and the skills that match the Wizards, and now you have my brain as an added advantage."

"Well with that brain of yours you can totally outsmart Hiruma as well."

"Yes! That's what I'm trying to do!" Kurosaki got off his seat, barely restraining his anger now as he walked up to Mutou. "But the only way to do that is to destroy his biggest support, the one person that amplifies his work to greater heights. That's why I know for a fact that the key to destroying his advantage is to destroy his support; Anezaki Mamori. And I know that once I prove for a fact that anything she attempts to do is futile, she will be the worthless person I know she is."

Mutou was taken aback by what Kurosaki said. Flashbacks of a past Kurosaki swore to never bring up surfaced, and Mutou knew he was taking a risk to bring her name up.

But he had to. "Are you sure this isn't because of Annie?"

Kurosaki instantly lunged forward, his left hand gripping the front of Mutou's shirt, his right fist raised, ready to blow a punch. Mutou barely had time to register what was happening to him. He couldn't even see Kurosaki's face as it happened in a blur. But when he did take a good look at Kurosaki, he realised he had touched more than a nerve.

Kurosaki's blue eyes looked almost red, his face scrunched up in pure anger, his breathing ragged. "... I told you not to ever bring up that name again."

"Eric…" Mutou sighed. "... Others may not see what's going on. But I do. I was there. I know why you're like this. And I am warning you, this won't end well."

"Like you could stop me, Souta," Kurosaki sneered, letting Mutou go as he turned away to pick up his items. "You know the Mendou Fighters won't stand a chance without me. So if you know any better, you keep your mouth shut and do as I say."

"You're right. Without you, there's no way we could have gotten as far as we have," said Mutou. "And we won't stop you from your mind tactics against Anezaki Mamori and Hiruma Youichi. But what you're doing won't give you the resolution you're looking for."

Kurosaki laughed bitterly at what he said. Without looking at Mutou, he replied. "Yes, and you would know, of course." Then left the clubroom.

Leaving Mutou alone to wallow in his thoughts.

It wasn't as if Sena wanted to be part of this discussion, but when you're dragged suddenly by someone like Suzuna into it, there's little choice to be made. The young girl just couldn't help but be engrossed with hearsay, especially regarding Hiruma and Mamori, of which lately the gossip had been intensifying.

At this very moment, Suzuna was in discussion with a girl named Mimi who attended Saikyoudai. Mimi had urgently contacted Suzuna the very night the Saikyoudai Wizards had a game against the Ryukoku Valiants and won. Normally Suzuna would resort to merely discussing over text but for some reason Mimi insisted it was safer to talk about this face to face.

What was supposed to be a nice day off with just the two of them at a cafe, became an intense discussion with Suzuna sitting next to him and Mimi across her.

"I saw them, you know, on a date at a restaurant that I was in with my family," said Mimi, pulling out her smartphone. "It's a really hidden restaurant with barely any windows so unless you were inside you can't see them. Here, I even took a picture of them. You have no idea how hard it was to take that photo as they purposely sat in a corner and I was in the middle. But I did it! Even though I think for a moment Hiruma-san noticed…" Mimi shivered in fear. "Ah… I don't dare post this up anywhere because of him."

"Let me see!" Suzuna pulled the smartphone close to her and Sena. The photo showed a crowded restaurant, but it wasn't hard to spot Hiruma's blonde hair and pointy ears. Mamori's back was facing the camera, but Hiruma seemed to be smiling, which baffled Sena as he had never seen Hiruma make such an expression.

"THIS IS IT!" Suzuna squealed so loudly that Sena had to shush her as other patrons at the cafe looked at them curiously. "Sena, don't you see? This is finally the confirmation that these two are finally dating!"

He hated to be a downer but… "Don't you think it's possible they're just discussing the game they had in private?"

"Come on, Sena! Look! Look at their table!" said Suzuna, pointing at the picture. "There's actual food, there's cake, with no sign of a laptop, or notebooks or papers. They're eating! They're talking!"

"Maybe it's a reward for Mamori-nee-san's hard work today?"

"But only Mamo-nee and not the other team members?"

"Actually…" Mimi interjected. "Something did happen to Anezaki-san yesterday. The whole Saikyoudai is talking about it now, I imagine."

Sena and Suzuna turned their heads to Mimi, curious. "What happened?" Sena asked.

"Well… it seems that Anezaki-san was being harassed by this guy who approached her by the bench mid-game," said Mimi. "Based on the rumours, the guy is a player from a team called the Mendou Fighters? A lot of people saw her slap him and he left after that. I'm surprised he could even enter the field like that but some say he's rich and he could do whatever he wants."

Suzuna turned to see Sena's face turn pale. For some reason, he had been nervous about Mamori ever since she disappeared to help Hiruma not too long ago. He decided not to pursue further seeing as she returned and they even met up, but things are beginning to seem suspicious. For some reason, the increasing rumours around Mamori began to feel unsettling.

And Suzuna could feel it. It began to really dawn on her that something is wrong. She gave Mimi back her smartphone. "... Are there any further rumours?"

"Hmm… this may be unrelated, but there were some unusual spectators in the game yesterday. Two old women dressed in traditional kimono were there. Weird, right?"

"I guess so…" Suzuna shrugged, her enthusiasm slowly dwindling. "But we're in Japan so I don't think-"

"I cannot confirm this," said Mimi, looking quite solemn now. "But on top of the rumours that they could be secretly scouting, or researching, there was this other rumour that they're related to Hiruma-san."

"Eh?" Suzuna replied in disbelief. "No way! Why would they even say that!"

"That's the problem, I cannot confirm that, and I didn't really think to really look into it because I was so excited to see proof that our favourite couple is dating so…" Mimi looked down. "I'm sorry."

"Aaaah Mimi don't apologise!" Suzuna reached over to hold Mimi's hands. "You did great! Honestly you've done so much for me, especially since I miss seeing any interaction between Yoi-nii and Mamo-nee."

Mimi giggled. "You're the only one to respond to my post privately about how amazing they are as a couple, so of course I'm excited to share details with you! I can't share this with anyone else. Everyone else thinks I'm crazy and that Mamo-nee deserves better."

"They're the crazy ones for not seeing how amazing they are together!" replied Suzuna, smiling at Sena to assure him that this won't take long. After another five minutes of excited banter, and (after much persuasion) Mimi sent the picture to Suzuna, she turned to Sena.

"Are you okay?"

"Hmm? I'm fine!" Sena smiled, but Suzuna remained concerned. She was holding Sena's hand now.

"It's okay to be worried about Mamo-nee, you know," said Suzuna. "Things are looking a lot more worrying than we realised. And if the rumours around her are worrying even me, I'm sure it worries you more."

"We've already met up with her and she didn't want to say anything then, I don't think she will say anything now…," said Sena, gripping Suzuna's hand a little more tightly. "Besides, I want this to be our time together. I want to spend more time with you, not worrying over things I cannot control."

Suzuna smiled, though Sena could see a hint of sadness. She got closer to him and laid her head on his chest. "Sena."

"Yes?"

"You know I love you right?"

Sena blushed. "Y-yes. A-and I love you too."

"Do you know that I even love the side of you that cares for the people you love and respect?"

Sena was a little shocked by her question. He responded by holding her closely to him. "... I just don't want you to feel left behind. Especially since… not until…"

Suzuna buried her face even further into Sena's chest, hiding the hint of sadness in her eyes from him. Then giggled. "I'm happy to be a part of your life. Even when you're running so far ahead, you never forget to think of me. And I cannot thank you enough for that. But let me continue to support you, even if it's just from the sidelines."

Suzuna's words lingered in his head. He paused, letting this moment sink in for him and how he truly felt. "Suzuna," he finally spoke up, prompting her to look up at him. "You're not just someone supporting me from the sidelines anymore. You're much more important than that. But let me use that support for a little longer to help me get through this. Okay?"

Suzuna smiled, gave him a quick peck on his lips, and returned his gaze. "Of course." Sena kissed her back.

Sena had then decided to text Mamori one more time, asking her if she was okay as he had heard about what happened to her. He lets her know that she has the support of the Enma Fires, and if there's anything he can help her with; info, research, even bodyguards for the upcoming games, anything to help her.

He hadn't heard from her all day after that, and Sena put aside his worries to spend the rest of the day with Suzuna. It wasn't until it was 1am that he received a reply from Mamori thanking him for his offer.

But she would not be participating in any future games for a while.

As you can see, there's no way I can end the chapter here! Not when our main couple wasn't mentioned! Be sure to read the next chapter as it will be focused entirely on them!