"I'll be honest with you, Shinsuke."
The small brunette blinked up at her. "Huh? About what, Kimiko?"
"I was really close to getting mad at you."
"E-Eh?!"
She patted his head, smiling slightly. "You've been scolding Liu Bei and doubting him for a single mistake he made in his very first match, but when you were called up to the field, you froze up and did even less than he did. Seeing that, I was really disappointed. But I'm glad you pulled through in the end."
"Oh..." He looked down for a moment before nodding. "You're right. I put myself under so much pressure that I ended up taking it out on him..." He then stopped in front of the man and bowed. "I'm really sorry about that!"
Liu Bei only laughed. "No worries, no worries! Everything worked out in the end, and that's what matters!"
"Liu Bei-san..."
They made it to the next pair of double doors. Opening it, they found themselves on the summit of the mountain. It was covered in grass and patches of flowers, with only a single patio rising up from the far corner. They couldn't help staring in awe.
"Kongming, time to keep your promise!" Liu Bei called. "Show yourself! If you don't, I'll shout at the top of my lungs such embarrassing words that it'll make anyone go red in the face!"
In the middle of the field, a single purple haired person stood, holding a feathered fan.
Tenma's eyes widened. "That person is..."
"Kongming, eh?" Liu Bei smirked.
The person then turned around with a smile. "You have done well to make it here.
"E... EHHH?!"
"A-A woman?"
Zhuge Kongming, the man who became Liu Bei's strategist in the Three Kingdoms Era, was a woman. Though, that didn't necessarily matter at the moment. No matter the gender of the famous historical figure, it's the power they hold that matters.
With that in mind, they approached her as she sat under the patio.
"I have sworn in my heart to make a new country for the people." Liu Bei said. "In order to do that, Kongming, I need you. Please help me."
Tenma's eyes widened when their gazes met. Why look at us?
"Cao Cao will gain possession of this country if action is not taken soon." Liu Bei continued. "If Cao Cao were to rule, he might turn the country into one that ignores the people's rights."
"You believe that you will move this country towards a good direction?" She asked.
"Of course."
That was when she finally looked up at him. "Then, how do you intend to make use of my abilities? That is where my interest lies."
"... I don't know yet. But in any case, I need you. Come take a look at the country with me."
She turned away,
"Serving Cao Cao won't change this country for the better."
And gave a mysterious smile.
"From the history books, Kongming is supposed to be a man." Akane said.
"I guess not everything we know from history is 100% accurate." Midori replied.
"With that attitude, it'll be difficult to explain MixiMaxing." Kirino stated.
Shindou turned to him with a look. "I'm not even sure she'll bother listening to us at all."
"I am already aware of what you want from me." Kongming suddenly cut in. They all turned to her in surprise, only to see her eying a certain blue bear pointing the MixiMax gun at her from the side.
"You have acute vision." Wondeba complimented, trying to get himself out of the awkward situation he put himself in.
"Listen to me, Kongming." Liu Bei said, continuing on from before. "What I want is to create a country that the people would enjoy living in. I've decided to make a country like that. And for that, I need your help."
She then stood up and began making her way to the field.
"Kongming..."
"What in the world is Kongming thinking?"
"Honorable brother, let us cease inviting such rudeness into our party!"
"...Thinking wastes time!" Liu Bei suddenly exclaimed. "We've seen each other's faces. Now, she just needs one more push!"
"Right! That's the way to go!"
"Once I've decided to push, I'll push and push until I've pushed her down!" He then ran off into the field, followed by his sworn brothers. "Kongming!"
"He isn't giving up. That's Liu Bei!"
As the three warriors continued trying to convince her to join them, Shinsuke ran up to help. So did Tenma, Fei, Taiyou, and Aoi. But still, she refuses to listen.
That was when Kimiko's ears perked up. "Is that... a jet I hear?"
On the far side of the field, where the little group was gathered around Kongming, a red bike had flown up from the side of the mountain. It landed right in the center before bouncing and skidding to the side. On it sat a certain dark green haired boy with riding goggles on.
Those are...
"Zanark!"
He took off the goggles and got off his flying bike, summoning his red sphere device. Tapping the blue button, ten more people appeared behind him, three of which were part of the soccer battle earlier in the day.
That's why their outfits looked familiar...
"I brought my friends with me this time." Zanark said, his signature smirk ever present. "Zanark Domain."
"Zanark Domain?"
"Let's play soccer together. You're not getting away this time." He tapped on a light blue button, creating a soccer field in the empty space.
"W-What is this?"
"What just happened?"
"Is it more black magic?"
"They can even do this?"
While the three warlords were confused about how they made the field, Taiyou was surprised that they could do it.
Tenma asked Liu Bei to be their coach for the match, much to Wondeba's disappointment. As they got ready, that commentator was summoned again, his clothes changed into the traditional armor of the era.
"Zanark Avalonic... and the rest are Shuten, Gouzu, Yasha, Org, Engir, Maze, Shinjami, Goblis, Shura, and Rasetsu."
Tsurugi turned to the blonde with wide eyes. "You know all their names?"
She gave a hesitant nod. "Yeah... But I don't know how..."
He gave her a look that said he was starting to doubt her, but chose to trust her anyway. "Maybe they'll tell us if we win the match."
"Maybe..."
"I'll head off then. It's about to start."
"Wait." She grabbed on to his arm to stop him, earning a look. "Just... Be careful, okay? I don't have a good feeling about this match..."
His eyes narrowed at that. "We will."
On the enemy's side of the field, they all wore the same devious grins.
The commentator hit a small gong, indicating the start of the match. It was Raimon's kick off, Tsurugi passing the ball to Kurama.
"Two."
He passed it to Taiyou to get past Shura.
"Three."
Taiyou got past Engir and made a pass to Tenma.
"Four."
Yasha slid to steal the ball, but it went to Fei instead.
"Five."
"Why is he just standing there, muttering to himself?" Kimiko asked, eying the enemy captain.
"Strategizing against us?" Midori suggested, earning an unsure look.
"I don't think so... Zanark doesn't seem to be the type to strategize. No one in that team does."
"You sure know a lot, huh?"
"It's just a hunch." She then frowned. "I wish I could just read his mind, but we're in a match so that would be cheating..."
Fei had tried to shoot, but was blocked by Org. He tried to pass it to Rasetsu, but it was cut by Kariya, who passed it to Kirino. Kirino then passed it to Nishiki, but the ball was stolen by Shura who tried to shoot. Kinako managed to block it.
"Nine."
And then, she passed it to Shindou.
"Ten." Zanark dashed forward at an alarming speed and violently tackled the boy, taking the ball. "Consider this a greeting. You all got to touch the ball. Be grateful!"
"He was counting?!"
Aoi snapped her head to the blonde. "What?"
"He was counting how many of us had touched the ball... All those charges they made to make us lose the ball, and the pass cuts they let us make... They were toying with us!"
"Oh, right. There's still one of you left." He said, turning to the goal. "Soccer should be enjoyed by everyone!"
He lifted the ball onto his foot and disappeared before reappearing in the sky in a flash of red lightning. He stuck the ball on his left foot before bringing it back, charging it with a back and red aura.
"Disaster Break!"
He kicked it forward and sent it towards the goal. Shinsuke tried to catch it with Keshin Armed, but it was too fast. Zanark Domain made the first goal.
"Get back at those guys already and make them take us seriously!" Midori yelled.
"Focus, everyone!" Aoi joined.
"Fight!" Akane cheered.
Kimiko however, still had a frown. If they can do this much without being serious then... "Stay on guard!"
The gong was hit again and Kurama passed to Tsurugi this time, who made a back pass to Tenma. And they all began to move up. Tenma tried to pass to Taiyou, but it missed, going out of bounds.
"Did Amemiya move a step too slow? The ball goes to the sideline!"
"Don't worry about it!" Tenma said.
"Yeah!"
"What's wrong with him?" Kurama asked.
"Could it be..."
They moved back into position, Taiyou with a tense look.
Kirino activated his MixiMax and used La Flamme to defend against Shinjami. He then passed to Tsurugi, but before he could do anything, Zanark was already behind him.
"Let me show you something interesting." He said, his smirk ever present. "Mixi Trans, Cao Cao!" His hair turned white with hooks at the end of his ball-shaped ties. Black marks came from his forehead to his eyes, and his irises turned to a pink-ish color in contrast to his usual dark red ones.
He began to release a lot of energy, enough to be felt from even beyond the field. Not having a MixiMax of his own yet, Tsurugi resorted to shooting with his Keshin Armed.
Zanark, however, was unfazed. "Behold the keshin of the war hero Cao Cao! Gouriki no Genbu!"
He stopped the shot, the keshin's snake fangs catching the ball easily.
He smirked down at them. "How's that? Were you overwhelmed? You were, right? I can tell without you having to say it."
"He got himself a pretty good aura..."
"Aura?"
"A kind of spiritual energy."
"He must've snuck into Cao Cao's army camp. From there, he stole Cao Cao's aura while their guard was down and fused it with himself."
"What?!"
"He can do that?"
"Unbelievable!"
Without caring who said what, Kimiko watched him intently. His MixiMax dissipated as he stared at something in his palm. Smirking down on it, he put it away and the match resumed.
Fei had the ball and tried to pass it to Taiyou. But just before he reached the ball, he hesitated, letting Gouzu steal it.
And Zanark noticed. "Have plenty of fun with him!"
And so, the enemy began toying with him, even more than they were before. He wasn't able to get a single pass, or even make his way without the ball getting stolen. Engir tackled him even though he already had the ball, but Tenma was able to use the chance to steal from him.
"As I suspected, he's afraid." Shindou said.
"Afraid? Of Zanark's team?" Kurama asked.
"No. Of breaking his body beyond repair again."
"Don't give in, Taiyou!"
"Taiyou!"
"You can do it!"
Kimiko bit her lip. "C'mon, Taiyou!"
The orange haired boy summoned his keshin and tried to advance, but even then, Yasha was able to steal from him. However, it went past the line before her teammates could get it.
"...Why?!" The boy threw his fist to the ground.
~~~~~
"Those movements... Within his strength there dwells uncertainty." A feathered fan was being waved about as the woman spoke those words. "What an interesting boy..."