The second half continued with the five rookies still falling on their faces here and there, but with the other's encouragement, they continued doing their best. With every fail, they kept getting up, until finally, Tasuke was able to clear the ball from Quarth.
"I did it, Tenma!"
"Nice clear, Tasuke!"
"If Tasuke can do it, so can we!"
That was exactly what they wanted to hear. With the new found motivation, they're plays kept getting better and better.
"Now's the time." Toukichirou stated. "Start the plan!"
All the veteran soccer players moved back from the ones they've marked. They let Beta pass the ball up to the defense, where Tasuke, Shishimaru, and Gorouta were standing. Neira tried to shoot with Love Arrow, but it was deflected by Ichiyajou.
"There's the result of your training!"
Tasuke passed the ball to Nishiki, who sent it across the field to Tsurugi.
"Kensei Lancelot! Armed!"
With his hardest kick, he got through Boom Shout and scored the tying goal.
"Great job, Kyousuke!" She couldn't help standing as she cheered for him, earning a thumbs up. She turned to the five rookies. "You guys too! Keep it up!"
"The force of Ichiyajou is amazing!" Aoi grinned.
"Tasuke, Shishimaru, and Gorouta in particular are the strongest at holding their ground." Toukichirou explained. "Ichiyajou needs that tough, unbending stance in order to work.
"Nevertheless, what a great plan making the opponent let their guard down by not attacking!" Wondeba said, having turned pink from his excitement.
"What's more, the opponent assumed that Tasuke and the others wouldn't be able to stop their attack. I expected an opening from there. And that plan wouldn't have been possible either without Ichiyajou." He then turned to the five. "Tasuke! Shishimaru! Gorouta! Ichimasa Jingo! Without your courage to face the enemy and your strong desire to defend at all costs, we wouldn't have been able to deceive the enemy and change the state of the battle! The point was made because all five of you worked together! Great job!"
They were all smiling their biggest smiles.
In the next round, with their confidence up, the five are able to keep up with the pace of the others. Their defense was strong, so all that's left was taking care of scoring.
Shindou moved up with the ball, summoning Sousha Maestro. But he failed at Keshin Armed.
His frustration distracted him, letting them steal the ball. That was when Beta decided to use her Ghost MixiMax on her teammates. With the power boost, they were able to overwhelm them again, scoring another goal with Beta's Keshin Armed.
In the next whistle, Shindou was able to bring the ball up on his own, but was blocked at the last moment. Tsurugi called to receive a pass, but he summoned his keshin instead. When he failed to go Armed, they took the ball and advanced. They managed to block them using Ichiyajou again.
Tenma intercepted the ball before Beta could take it and he sent it up the field, pass by pass, back to Shindou.
"Don't be rash, Shindou!" Toukichirou called. "Pass the ball!"
"Keep it and go!" Wondeba yelled instead. They've been contradicting each other for a good few minutes now.
"Why do you keep encouraging him? The blood's gone to his head―"
"I have my reasons!"
"Reasons?"
"Shindou needs to gain enough power to take in Nobunaga's energy."
Shindou kept trying to use Keshin Armed, but he couldn't. This time, Tasuke managed to clear the ball before it could reach Beta. That was when a commotion began to stir.
"N-Nobunaga-sama?!"
"What?"
The warlord himself had come down to the pitch. "Shindou Takuto! Come here!"
Kimiko was rather surprised the man knew his name, but they probably took data on them after the last incident. They all moved from the bleachers to give the man space to talk to the boy.
"Shindou! What is with that fighting style?" He scolded. "We are being pushed behind because you are at fault! If you continue to drag down our formation, it is best that you leave."
"Nobunaga-sama―"
"Please, I beg you!" Before Toukichirou could come to his rescue, Okatsu came and kneeled before him. "Please allow Takuto-sama to continue playing!"
"Hold your tongue, girl!" One of his vassals said, but she did not.
"Takuto-sama trains diligently for soccer with all of his might! He practiced night and day just to win. So please, allow him to keep playing!"
"Okatsu-san..."
"Hm... Do not fear, little girl." Nobunaga gave her a gentle smile before turning back to the boy. "Why do you move when there is no need? You move too much."
"Huh?"
"Determining when to be still and when to move is an essential point in strategy! Is it not your duty to act as the pivot between offense and defense? What you've been doing is not wrong, but it can be easily predicted by the opponent."
Shindou suddenly had a new expression on. "... Thank you for your words of advice."
It was Raimon's kickoff once again. Toukichirou came up with a new plan, telling Shindou not to even touch the ball. With all their attention on the others, Shindou was free to move discreetly. When they least expected it, Fei passed the ball to Shindou. Ward went after him, but Shindou avoided a clash by standing still, making him pass right through him. He brought out his keshin, and with his mind cleared, he was finally able to use Keshin Armed, and scored a goal.
"Literally standing still, huh?" Kimiko chuckled. "That's something you won't see anywhere else."
"Nobunaga-sama!" Wondeba's yell suddenly caught her attention. He explained their situation and their true purpose for time-travelling, taking out the MixiMax gun while at it. "We want to borrow your power. For the future!"
"You mean to fire this at both me and Shindou?" He asked, pointing one of the guns at his vassals, almost playfully.
"They wish to shoot at my lord with a gun!" His vassals said in a panic. "These men are indeed knaves!"
"They aren't weapons. It's a tool that will send Nobunaga's power to Shindou!"
"Interesting." He handed the gun back to the bear. "Show me."
"You have my gratitude!"
"My lord!"
"Through your eyes, you shall see that they speak true."
Wondeba hurriedly put the backpack on. "Now, to the frontline!"
~~~~~
"Only a few moments remain! Will Oda and Imagawa's fateful confrontation meet a conclusion?!"
Beta glared at them. "Beat them so hard they never get back up again!"
Protocol Omega tried to move up the field, but Shindou intercepted them. That was when Wondeba pointed the two guns on his two targets and blasted them.
"MixiMax, complete!"
Both Shindou's eyes and hair changed to have a red hue to them. His hair was also up in a ponytail, with more waves then he had before.
"Alright, it worked!"
"Shin-sama looks wild!"
"You have a good look on you." Hearing Nobunaga said so made Kimiko wonder if he was truly complimenting Shindou or himself.
The boy was able to advance through the enemy's side with ease. When he arrived in front of the goal, he kicked the ball up multiple times, creating a blue glow, before kicking it with the back of his heel to the goal.
"Setsuna Boost!"
Beta ran to the back and used her Keshin Armed, but even that wasn't enough to stop the shot.
"Goal! Oda makes a turnaround goal!" The conch shell was blown on again. "The match ends!"
It was Raimon's victory.
The crowd cheered, and the team celebrated. Those on the sidelines had proud smiles on their faces. It was their first true victory against the Protocol Omega Beta led.
Fei approached said leader. "Turn the other Raimon members back to normal. Take off the mind control."
Before she knew it, she was surrounded. Pouting, she summoned her sphere device and a yellow glow surrounded it, seeming to be entering the ball instead of flowing out. "It's done. Happy now?"
Seeing Fei nod, Tenma sighed in relief. "Thank goodness!"
"Where's Coach Endou?" Shindou asked.
"He should be locked up in there." Tsurugi said, eying the ball.
"He isn't in here anymore." She replied.
Nishiki glared at her, not believing her one bit. "What?"
"See for yourself." She threw the ball at Fei, who scanned it with his watch.
"She's telling the truth. He's not inside here."
"No way! Then, where is Coach Endou?" Just as those words left Tenma's lips, a purple glow shone down on them.
Protocol Omega's flying saucer arrived, and out came a smug-looking boy with white hair.
"That was pathetic, Beta. And you call yourself one of El Dorado's chosen administrators?"
"Gamma..."
"This is the end for Protocol Omega 2.0. Come. Master is waiting."
With that, they all disappeared.
~~~~~
That night, Nobunaga had invited the team over for a celebratory dinner. With Nobunaga complimenting them, Toukichirou was sent over the moon. The vassals who were wary of them had also seemed to have a change in heart.
"Shindou Takuto." Nobunaga spoke up from his seat above the others. "I have shared with you my power. Your kemari battle... No, in your time, you call it soccer, do you not? May you adhere to it well."
"Yes, sir." The boy smiled. "I will never forget the graces you have bestowed upon me."
The man nodded. "Incidentally, Shindou. You told me that I will not rule the country."
The boy couldn't reply to that.
"Do you believe their story, my lord?" One of his vassals asked.
"It is highly likely that everything they have said is the truth." The warlord replied seriously. "If they had intended to talk their way out back then, they would have proclaimed that I would rule. However, through his eyes, I saw that even though he shook with fear, he spoke truth. Nevertheless, what a fearless man you are to declare to me that I would not rule."
The boy couldn't reply to that either.
"I want to ask you one last thing."
"Yes, sir."
"...Can history be changed?"
He looked away, knowing that was the question to come. "I... don't know..."
Kimiko eyed her friend. It would hurt to flat out say that our peaceful days came out of his death, huh...
He gave her a quick glance before turning back to the two who were actually talking. It'll be worse if we add Toukichirou-san's... That is, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's success to it.
"You don't know?"
"I apologize."
"... Ruling the country is my dream." He let out a short self- deprecating laugh. "So it is my destiny that I do not achieve my dream."
"But, Nobunaga-sama, you have greatly influenced history." Shindou couldn't hold back his tongue and interjected. "No, you still do. Nobunaga-sama, I dare say that you may even have the power to change people's destinies."
"Do I have the power to change my own destiny then, as well?"
"Yes."
With that, Nobunaga's confident smile returned. "Then I will continue to dream of obtaining rule of the country just a little bit longer. Your determination as you fought to the very end was a pleasure to see."
~~~~~
The next morning, Wondeba changed their outfits to what they wore before coming to the Sengoku Era. He had also moved the caravan so that it was parked right in front of the temple.
It was time for their departure.
"It's time to say goodbye." Tenma said, smiling his usual smile.
"I'm glad I got to play soccer with you guys." Tasuke said, tearing up.
"Same here!"
"I'm going out on a journey." He suddenly said. "There are so many places I don't know about in this country. All I know is the Owari Province, so I want to see different things as I walk around. Thanks to Tenma, I know now that this world is filled with so many exciting things."
"Tasuke..."
"When I come back here after my travels and I'm serious about inheriting my family's business, I think I can be the best tofu maker in the country."
"I see. You're thinking of a lot of options."
"Of course! Oh, and Kimiko!"
She blinked when he called her out of nowhere. "Huh...?"
"Being able to fight for what's important and have fun with my friends... I won't take any of it for granted! And just like how everyone came to help us, in my travels, I'll lend a hand to anyone who needs it! I'll make sure to live a life without regrets!"
"That's some big talk, but I can see you've got the courage to back it up." She smiled. "Good luck to you then."
"You guys too!"
When Shindou returned, holding a box wrapped in a pink cloth, they all filed into the caravan. They only stopped waving once they were through the wormhole.
"Still, I can't believe that Toukichirou-san is going to inherit Nobunaga-sama's dream and rule the country."
"Toyotomi Hideyoshi, huh..."
"You can't judge a book by its cover, or maybe you can."
"But it was a relief to me. Even people in the Sengoku Era understood how much fun soccer is. It made me think that soccer would never disappear."
"That's right."
"Great words, Tenma!"
"Just kind of a shame we never get to see him burn anyone."
"Is that all you think about?!"
"It's interesting!"
At the seat behind the rest, no one noticed the tears falling from brown eyes to a box of white tofu.