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

Phoenix Rebirth

This chapter may sound very Gouenji x Shizumi-ish, but I assure you it is still Teikoku Four x OC.

        With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I stood up straight from by bent over position. "Stop it, Inoue. Stop it before you destroy your body," a voice cut in. I paused and turned to where it was coming from, and saw that it was Gouenji who had said those words. When all eyes turned to him, even the boy on the bench who thought we were going to lose, Gouenji continued, "Sacrificing yourself isn't the right way to win. I've seen you take take everyone's hopes on your shoulders at Kidokawa without complaint to know that you will do anything as long as you bring the team to victory. But Raimon doesn't play soccer like that. I won't let you do things like that anymore." Then he turned to the rest of Raimon. "And you guys, just look at how much Inoue is willing to use himself, I mean herself, to win for you guys. And all you're doing is moping."

        I had heard this exact same speech before I became the Death Bringer, before everyone took me and victory for granted, on the first match Kidokawa Seishuu almost lost. I still remember it so clearly like yesterday. I was bleeding and wobbling, barely able to stand up, yet I my eyes were still focused on the soccer ball. All my other teammates had already given up long time ago, and all that remained was me. I had to, and I will, get a goal in.

        "That's right," Endou was the next to speak up, "Why're you all looking so depressed? Don't tell me you've given up. The match isn't over!" "But we can't break through Infinite Wall..." Raimon sighed. I heard Domon say quietly, "We do need a hissatsu technique after all...."

        "We still have Phoenix Feather," I announced. Everybody turned their gaze onto me. I detected a spark of hope in their souls. My eyes which were full of fire met Gouenji's, but he gave me a look as if he was disapointed in my choice. "Come on, we have to at least try it," I told him, closing the discussion. "Fine," he replied, "But I'm telling you, you're going to wreck yourself." My eyes drifted over to the bench where the orange haired boy sat, and my decision was made. "I'll be fine."

        Gouenji started running foward, shocking the crowd, and I went to steal the ball again. Senbayama's skill was low, thus easy to steal from, but I was already worn out. So when I finally got the ball, I stumbled a bit and a boy from Senbayama took the chance to take it back. Nooooo, my hard fought ball.... I was already tired, and now the thought of having to run after him only made the job seem harder. My legs felt heavier, and the world started spinning.

        As my vision blurred from exhaustion, I saw a flash of platinum blonde zoom by me. I snapped back to focus and jerked my head backward, and I saw that it was Gouenji who had ran all the way from his spot back to the midfield to steal the ball. "Inoue!" he shouted as he kicked the ball into my direction, "You aren't alone in soccer! You don't have to think that you have to take on the other team all by yourself!"

        "But I do have to! Everyone relied on me for victory, and I don't want to make their dreams collapse!" I screamed back. Gouenji was telling me those words I had been afraid of hearing for such a long time. I knew what he was going to say next, but I was scared to hear it.

        "Winning isn't only your responsiblity! It's the whole team's! Same as losing. It isn't your fault if we lose, it's all of ours!"

        "But they poured all their hopes into me! It's my job to win for them! I have to, or else I'll be letting everyone down!" I shrieked hysterically. I felt tears forming in my eyes. I was so afraid of being told that failure was fine, and that mistakes could be forgiven. That I wouldn't be blamed if we lost, and that winning wasn't something I had to carry by myself. Yet, I also felt a surge of relief in the back of my mind.

        The ball that Gouenji passed to me made contact with my foot, and for a moment it was as if I was enveloped in warmth. Even though it was only for a second, I felt as if I could feel all those emotions that Gouenji was trying to tell me, and that I wasn't alone on the field. It was the same feeling I got everytime I intercepted one of Gouenji's passes, but this time, the emotions were stronger. Had he been trying to tell me that I wasn't alone every time? Or could it possibly be that....I was never alone from the beginning when we played side by side?

        With a new rush of energy, I pushed foward, dipping right and left at a speed that even astonished myself. I didn't know that I had this type of strength. I slowed down to bided time by dodging and feinting until Gouenji was long past me. "Gouenji!" I shouted, and kicked the ball toward the platinum haired boy running ahead.

        "Could this be? The phantom move that disappeared along with the two strikers of Kidokawa Seishuu last year, Phoenix Feather?" Kakuma exclaimed, deeply focused on the match. The crowd was watching intensely.

        At the last second, Gouenji jumped up, gathering fire around him as he swirled. But instead of facing foward, he did half less a spin to face backward and used Fire Tornado toward Raimon's side. "What's going on! Gouenji-sempai!" went all around Raimon's members. Only Kidou grinned knowingly. The ball of fire shot toward me. It was all too familiar to me, burned in my head like second nature that the world seemed to slow down and my body moved on it's own. I was in the zone again just like every time we used Phoenix Feather. I stepped foward, and Kuroi Hane Taifuu clashed with Fire Tornado, sending the ball back in Gouenji's direction. It exploded off my foot in a burst of fire like a phoenix coming to life, and zoomed toward the goal with feathers lit on fire trailing behind.

        Kakuma, Senbayama's players, all of Raimon, everyone in the audience, and even Kidou who had already seen it in real life before were captured by the stunning power that radiated off of it. The phoenix was born once again.

        Senbayama used Infinite Wall, but Phoenix Feather just blew the two defenders away. Remember? Kuroi Hane Taifuu blows away everyone in it's path or around it other than the goalie. Without the two defenders for support, Infinite Wall easily crumbled to the power of Phoenix Feather.

        There was a moment of pause for everyone to register everything in their brain. Finally, Kakuma shouted, "Goal!"

        Gouenji ran back to me and held his hand up. I high fived him, and he asked with a smile, "See? You don't have to do it all alone." "Yeah..." I replied, my voice trailing off as I started wobbling and feeling faint. I tried to hide it, but he noticed it and furrowed his brows anxiously. "You're in no state to play. Kantoku! Change players!" he shouted panickedly. Everything they said after that was blocked out of my head as Gouenji made me lean on him for support. The things around me became blurry, but one thing registered clearly. From my peripheral vision, I saw Kidou running toward us with a frantic expression, shouting something that I couldn't make out. My eyelids started drooping. I did it, I scored a goal...

        That was the last thing I remembered before my body went limp and I closed my eyes. I feel so sleepy....