Life As Teikoku's Manager (an Inazuma Eleven f.f.)

Teikoku's Soccer

        "We do have eleven. Somebody get Megane!" shouted a boy with a teal colored ponytail. "I'll get him," said the girl next to me, and she ran off. A minute later she came back with a boy with glasses who didn't look like sports was his thing at all. Then the boy talked with Endou for a while, talking about all his "special conditions and requirements". When was the match going to start? If this really was the entertainment Kidou meant, then it was starting to get boring.

        Something Jimon said to Henmi caught my attention. "It seems the Commander is interested in a newly transfered player in this school," he replied to Henmi's question. A newly transfered player, and good enough that the Commander would know about and be interested in...could it be him? After that incident, we both went our own ways and I've never heard about him ever since.

        "He's not here yet," Kidou replied. When Henmi complained, Kidou just said, "I said he's not here yet." 

         Finally, Endou brought the boy who ran away back to the field, and the match began. I sat down on the bench next to the green haired manager to watch the game. Then a blue haired girl with red glasses who I payed no attention to joined the green haired girl. They conversed a little, all of which I blocked out as white noise. I was here for soccer, not a chat. Maybe that was why I couldn't make new friends and didn't have any old friends who were girls.

        The whistle indicating the start was blown, and Raimon started the kickoff. The boy earlier with pink hair charged at the goal. Sakuma and Jimon slid to try to steal the ball, but was doged easily. I could tell that they were just pretending to miss to mock the other team since I saw their true soccer skills during practice.

        Then the boy, who's name I learned from Kakuma was Someoka, shot at the goal. Genda jumped and let it graze his fingers, making it lose course and hit the goalpost. Then he grabbed it and rolled smoothly on the ground. Who do Raimon think we were. Such a weak shot was of course going to be stopped by the K.O.G.. Unless, this was the best Raimon has got? If so, then this really is the weakest team I've ever seen.

        "Kidou, my job ends here," said Genda as he tossed the ball to the red-caped captain. "Yeah," Kidou answered, "It's time we showed them how Teikoku plays soccer." "Go," Kidou said quietly as he passed the ball to Jimon, who directly kicked it at Endou before Raimon's defenders had any time to react. Obviously, it went in. Endou was thrown backward to the ground by the impact even though this false shoot by Jimon was a little weaker than the one I shot at Endou a few days ago.

        The game continued similarly, with Teikoku injuring the members of Raimon as they passed the ball around and scored again and again. Finally, the half time whistle was blown. The scoreboard read Teikoku 10, Raimon 0.

        The members of Raimon gathered here at the bench and sprawled on the floor like Jimon did after practice two days ago. All of them were worn out and depressed. "It's not like we can win anyway," one of them said gloomily. Endou was the only one still determined to win, so he kept on trying to cheer up his teammates. "Give up before you can't play soccer anymore," I told them. "What is she doing on our side?" asked one of Raimon's players, looking at me halfheartedly. "Go back to your own kind," Someoka mustered to growl at me. "Hehehe, sure," I snickered then got up and walked to the other half where Teikoku was gathered.

        Finally, the referee called out for them to come back and switch sides. Then the second half of the game began. Teikoku started the kickoff this time. "Let's go," said Kidou with a sudden change in aura, "Begin the Death Zone."

        The whole atmostphere of the game changed after those words. Teikoku was serious now, and on the attack. "And force that guy to come out!" Kidou shouted as he passed the ball foward to his charging teammates. Doumen, Jimon, and Sakuma jumped up at the ball and started spinning in the air. Purple mist swirled around them as they formed a triangle crackling with electricity with the ball in the middle.

        "Death...Zone!" the three cried when they kicked the ball at Endou. Finally a real shoot, not just a mock play. Endou stared at the incoming soccer ball in shock, too late to stop it. He got thrown backward into the net, then the soccer ball rolled back to the field. "Keep it up until that guy gets on the field," Kidou commanded with that evil grin of his. The score quickly rose from 10 to 14, then to 18. Teikoku's players laughed at how Raimon was collapsing one by one until only Endou was left. It was cruel, yet made my blood thirsty for more. I truly was one of them, wasn't I?

        "Come out. Come out," Kidou called out, "If you don't then the last person standing...," he pointed at the brunette guarding the goal. "We'll destroy him!" Jimon shouted and kicked soccer ball towards him. It bounced off Endou's face and went back to Teikoku. Teikoku shot at him again, and this kept up for many times. They were aiming not for the goal, but for him on purpose.

        The teal haired defender with the ponytail slowly crawled back up. "Don't joke with me," he muttered, then cried, "This is not soccer!" He jumped in front of Endou just in time to block one of Jimon's shoots.

        He looked like he had never seen this type of play before. He must be an inexperienced newbie who had no idea how the world of soccer worked. A memory flashed through my mind.

        I stood in front of the collapsed goalie with a soccer ball under one foot. "No please don't!" he shouted out at me desperately. "Gomensai. But I have to win," I replied, then my foot made contact with the ball. Then I walked away leaving the paralyzed goalie crying in despair.

        The real world of soccer was cruel. I had learned that a long time ago. If you wanted to win, you have to be merciless even if it rips you apart inside.

        By now, Teikoku had scored 19 points. Raimon's only player left was the glasses boy who's name was Megane. He looked around terrified at the bodies of his teamate lying around him, and ran away with tears in his eyes. He tossed his uniform on the ground on his way back to the main building, symbolizing that he gave up on the match. That was the smart choice. Admit defeat before you are destroyed completely and forever scarred that you can't play soccer anymore.

        Teikoku laughed at the pitiful sight of Raimon all down for the count and only left with ten players. I heard some students watching on the side say they gave up hope on the team. From my peripheral vision, I noticed a tan hand grab up the abadoned jersey. Could it be him?

        "Goal!" the referee shouted. Teikoku had scored it's 20th point. I looked away. There was no point in watching anymore. Teikoku was going to win, Raimon was going to lose, and Teikoku was going to destroy Raimon. Suddenly, I heard some students call out, "Who's that guy? I don't remember him being on our team!"

        I jerked my head back to the game, and sure enough, I saw him walk over to the field wearing the jersey that had been abandoned earlier. That guy I would recognize no matter what. His spiky platinum hair was unique alright, but it was his distinct aura that I remembered most clearly. Gouenji Shuuya, ace striker of Kidowkawa Seishuu who disappeared from the soccer world after last year's Football Frontier, was back.