They won against Genei Academy. Next up were the semi-finals against Arakumo, their soccer team known for their perfection in every aspect. They were just about to go through the training menu when Ichino and Aoyama ran in.
They informed the group of how Fifth Sector had started abolishing schools that are going against them. Tenma took it rather badly and left to think. After practice, Shindou went to his home to check on him, inviting him to play in the riverbank. The brunette thought about it over and over again, and finally made the decision to fight.
In the match itself, Tenma came face to face with Amemiya Taiyou, a boy he met at the hospital. He spent the first half worrying about his illness, but after seeing how the boy is putting his all, he returned the spirit in kind. With the help of Tsurugi, Shindou, and his own keshin's fusion, Matei Gryphon, Raimon won, proceeding to the finals of Holy Road.
At a cost.
Shindou was injured badly in that match, collapsing just a little while after the whistle blew. He was taken to the hospital immediately. After going through emergency operation, the doctor stated that he'll need to take it easy for a month or so. Because of this, practice the next day was all out of sorts.
That was when Endou returned. He told them how he had been researching Fifth Sector's training facilities for SEEDs and reported back to the resistance. Kidou declared that Endou is back to being their coach while he would stay as their trainer, just like before Hakuren.
"I heard about Shindou. It's unfortunate." Endou stated. "But we can't stop here." They nodded. "So, I'd like to designate a new captain in Shindou's place for the finals. The new captain is..." He pointed straight ahead, smiling wide. "Matsukaze Tenma. You're the captain."
"Eh... Huh...? EHHH?!" He was beyond flustered. "M-Me? The captain?"
"Actually, I met Shindou before I came here. We decided that Tenma would be the captain after we talked it out. Tenma, Shindou personally asked for you to take over."
"Captain did?"
"That sounds good." Sangoku nodded. "It's all thanks to you that we didn't lose sight of what real soccer is. You blew the wind of revolution into all of us. I know you can do it. Right, guys?"
The brunette turned to the rest of the team, finding them all nodding, smiling, or both. With a little more convincing from Shinsuke and Aoi, he agreed.
They assembled on the outdoor field and came face to face with the new second team. Ichino became their captain while Tenma became the first team's captain. Of course, his commanding skills weren't perfect on the first try. Or the second. Or the third, for that matter.
The next day, they started again, though this time, Tsurugi wasn't with them. Haruna was worried and informed Endou, but the coach said he already knew where he went.
Practice went just about the same as the day before. Tenma went on his way, dropping by to see Shindou to express his frustrations. But the ex-captain believed in him. That was enough encouragement for him to try again the next day.
He then looked around, finding his surroundings rather peculiar. "Huh? I skipped my street."
"Matsukaze."
The familiar voice stopped him from crossing. He turned to the side and was shocked at who he found. "Tsurugi!" His friend was covered head to toe in dirt and scratches. "What happened to you?"
He ignored his worry. "Matsukaze. I need you to practice a certain technique with me."
"Technique?"
"Fire Tornado Double Drive. It's based off of the original Fire Tornado, with even more power as a combo technique."
"Fire Tornado?! Isn't that Gouenji-san's technique?! Why do you want to practice that move?"
"This is the key to winning the championship. We'll practice it while keeping it a secret from everyone else."
Hearing those words sparked something within him. "Alright."
~~~~~
"It's quite a nice night out." A pink haired man turned to his companion. "Is that why you refuse to tear your eyes away from the window?"
"Maybe." One would think the reply was meant to mock him, had her voice been clearer.
"Oh, what do we have here?" He asked for the driver to stop as he rolled down the window.
She heard two familiar voices screaming, and the sound of something hitting a pole. She finally let her eyes wander to his side of the car. The sight she found kept her from looking away. "Those two..."
"Some kind of new technique, I see. The finals may turn out to be interesting, after all." He rolled the window back up. "It would be a shame if you were to miss it, so I'll prepare a special seat for you."
She met his eyes for the first time in the entire car ride. "What's the catch?"
He showed a smile. On first glance, it may seem kind, but she knew better than that. "All you have to do is behave."
... Not like I have any other choice.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hiya! Hope you're all enjoying the fic so far! I get the feeling that some of you may be bothered that the GO chapters are going by so quickly, but I promise it'll slow way down when we get to Chrono Stone!
It's just hard for me to write for GO since most of the stuff in that season feels so repetitive? Every single match is just Raimon determined to save soccer, the other team yelling about how Fifth Sector's better, soccer, calls out keshin, then Raimon wins with the power of friendship.
...Okay to be fair, that's just about every single IEGO season (with different bad guys to fight each time), but my point is, it lacks the fun points that Chrono Stone and Galaxy has, you know? At least, for me it does.
Admittedly I feel bad for skipping some character development, like for Hayami, Kariya, Nishiki, Amagi, and Shinsuke, but I just don't have fun when I try to write it, so I hope you all understand.
That's all from me! See you again next week :D