"Raimon can only stand around dumbfounded before Zanark Domain's fierce charge!"
"Not yet!" Fei yelled.
"We won't lose!" Tenma added.
"You guys..." Sakamoto narrowed his eyes, watching Okita move up with the ball. "Tenma and the others are doing their best! I can too!"
He managed to make a cut and sent the ball out of bounds. But then, Okita fell to his knees, clutching his heart again.
"H-Hey!"
"Okita-san!"
"Hang in there!"
"Okita-san!"
While Tenma and Sakamoto were trying to help, Tokugawa Yoshinobu faked a yawn. "How pathetic. Is that all the captain of Shinsengumi's first unit has to show? Will we be able to win this match, I wonder?"
Okita immediately stood up. "Sir, there is no need for anxiety! I swear to protect the Bakufu with these very hands!"
Again, Tsurugi saw that image overlapping. And again, he couldn't tear his eyes away.
"He has very strong willpower, that Okita-san." Fei said from behind him, worry clear in his tone.
"Just like nii-san." He slipped out.
Fei seemed to back off from him at that, which he mentally thanked him for. As they moved into position, his eyes met with his friend's. She gave him a small smile, which he replied to with a nod.
When Okita was given the ball, he ran up to him. "Okita-san! If you're risking your life to fight, then I'll answer you by not holding back either!"
Okita smiled at him. "Just the way I want it!" And immediately ran past him.
What determination... Is that how much you wish to save the Bakufu? He chased after him, almost matching his speed, but then the man moved even faster.
"That is power number six!" Daisuke the stone said. "A speedy striker as quick as lightning, who cuts up the field like a lightning bolt. As I thought, it can only be Okita Souji!"
The man passed it to Zanark, who gave the ball to Rasetsu. The purple haired boy used Ogre Blade, and it got through even Shinsuke's Keshin Armed. That was how the first half ended.
When the conch shell was blown, Okita fell back to his knees. He tried to insist to keep playing, but Zanark refused.
"You're done, Okita." And he left him there.
Tsurugi was first back to his side. "Are you okay, Okita-san?"
His head dropped. "I am a failure..."
"Eh―"
"Is my power not enough to protect this country?"
Amber eyes narrowed at that. "Please listen, Okita-san. You're wrong. Protecting the Bakufu won't protect this country!" The man looked up at him in surprise. "You may not believe this, but... Making the Bakufu accept the idea of restoring imperial rule will protect this country's future!"
"What do you mean?"
"We're from this country's future. So we know."
The man's eyes grew even wider.
"He speaks the truth." Sakamoto said, walking up to them. "You know for yourself that preserving the Bakufu won't make this country a better place, don't you? Yet you turn your eyes away from the truth and act stubborn! Even if you kill me, nothing will change! What really needs to change is Japan's hesitancy and its tendency to stay isolated inside its narrow-minded comfort zone!"
Okita's gaze went down. "Are you saying that I... that we have been doing the wrong thing? That can't be!"
Tsurugi took a step forward. "All you have to do is fix what's wrong! After you admit that you've done something wrong, you can direct yourself on the right path again!" He'd know, better than anyone else on the field.
"But even if I recognize that now, there is nothing to be done!"
His eyes narrowed. "Are you going to give up?!"
"What is there I can do?!"
He didn't like that look. Not when it came from that face. "I know of a man who never gave up, even when he was surrounded by nothing but despair! I have so much respect for him!"
"Tsurugi..."
"Kyousuke..."
"Even if I kept going, nothing will change!" Okita said.
"Please give us your power! Your power can save so much―"
"I am Shinsengumi!" The man cut off. "I must protect the Bakufu!"
~~~~~
Zanark took Okita off his team, replacing him with Shura for the next half. Okita's outfit was also reverted back to the Shinsengumi uniform. They helped him get to their bench, seeing that no one on the other team would help him, but he refused to talk to anyone.
Kimiko took a bottle and handed it to her friend, who was standing furthest away from the swordsman. "You... kind of lost it there, huh?"
He drank from it before letting out a sigh. "I can't accept it... And I won't accept it. If I let him give up here―"
"Then it'll be the same as watching Yuu-san give up on rehab." She smiled slightly. "I know. I had the same feeling too."
He nodded once and turned to the field. Then, his gaze softened as he made eye contact with her again. "Sorry I couldn't score."
"Huh?" She blinked twice before realizing what he really meant.
'Sorry I'm failing you'
"Hey, don't worry about it. You still have the next half."
"Yeah... I'll make sure to get one in."
She stared up at him for a moment, and frowned. Then, she did the only thing she could think of.
The smacking sound caught the whole team's attention.
"Ack―!" He staggered back, mostly out of surprise rather than pain, and rubbed his cheek. "...What the hell was that for?"
"You had that look on your face again."
"What look?"
"The one you had on God Eden... The one that I hate." She said, narrowing her eyes. "I don't have to read your mind to know what that look means, Kyou. You're about to make some stupid decisions."
"'Stupid', huh... That might be true."
"Don't you even think about it."
"Fine, fine. I promise I won't..." There was a pause, and a smirk suddenly made its way to his lips. "Is that what you thought I'd say?"
She crossed her arms, glaring at him, before letting out a sigh. "No. That'll be too good to be true. And you wouldn't be you if you did."
His smirk got wider. "Glad we're agreeing."
She clicked her tongue and turned away. "Still... As your best friend, I don't want to see you get hurt, so even if it falls on deaf ears, I'll say it again anyway." She took a deep breath and met his gaze again. "Be careful."
His smirk dropped to a regular smile and he tossed the bottle back to her. He walked back towards the field without saying anything.
That masochistic idiot...
Her head dropped as she moved back to the benches. Putting the bottle away, she took her seat between Okita and Hikaru.
The boy turned to her worriedly. "Kimiko?"
She shook her head, crossing her arms again and leaning back. "I don't want to talk about it."
~~~~~
"Come at us whichever way you please." Zanark said. "We'll keep up the light play for the second half too."
"There you go underestimating soccer again..." Nishiki scowled. "I'll teach you what real soccer is about!"
"I thought you'd say that."
"What?!"
"Let's get back one point first!" Tenma called, earning smiles and nods from the whole team.
Tsurugi passed the ball to Fei, who gave it to Tenma, who got it to Taiyou. He then gave it to Sakamoto, but he lost it to Yasha. Yasha passed it to Maze, who got it to Goblis. Kariya stood in the little one's way with his Hunter's Net, but he got through easily. The ball was sent to Engir, to Shinjami, back to Maze. Tsurugi went to block him, but he made a tricky pass under him to Engir again.
"At this rate, it'll be the same as the first half!" Midori said.
"As I thought, we need Sakamoto Ryouma and Okita Souji's powers to win against Zanark Domain." Wondeba stated. "But in Ryouma's case..."
"Maybe I need to have a bigger heart..."
That made Kimiko blink. Nishiki-san's vessel isn't big enough because of that?
"As for Okita..."
The swordsman refused to help them in any way. And on top of that, he had given up hope on himself.
His current state wouldn't be compatible with the now too-damn-determined-for-his-own-good Kyousuke, who already worked through his greatest mistake of joining Fifth Sector by helping the revolution...
Kimiko held back a sigh. She had to believe that they'll win no matter what. For their future's sake... and her own.
Maze got through Nishiki easily and passed to Zanark, who smirked. "What's wrong? Weren't you going to teach us what real soccer is?" He made a long pass, calling for Rasetsu to receive it. "Here comes our third point! After we've settled the score, we'll spend our time tormenting you slowly."
"This is bad! He's putting in too much power!" Taiyou warned. It didn't help that Shinsuke was already shaking.
"This is mine!" Rasetsu jumped up to get it, but―
"He cuts it! A nice play by Tsurugi!" The commentator said.
The blonde couldn't help a small laugh. "No one would expect the ace striker to fall back that far. Well played, Kyou!"
"Good one, Tsurugi!" Midori called.
"Shinjami! Goblis!"
The two Zanark called out to exchange looks and tackled the boy roughly, knocking him over. He was sent tumbling backwards, rolling several times over.
"That was on purpose! You're playing dirty!" Nishiki said.
"You can't complain about my methods. I make the rules." Zanark retorted.
Tsurugi ignored him and got up, immediately sliding to take the ball from Shinjami. "I'll protect soccer and my friend!"
That earned a laugh from the enemy captain. "I thought you'd say that. Org! Yasha!"
Tenma called out Tsurugi, but the navy haired boy didn't listen. He charged on ahead, but was sent flying back by Org. Yasha took it an extra mile and kicked him with her knee. And Gouzu joined in their fun, slamming him to the ground. And just as he tried to get up, they tackled him from above and below, throwing him down violently.
"Tsurugi!" Taiyou tried to run over and help, but Shinjami marked him, preventing him from getting closer.
He landed roughly, but when he saw the ball rolling near him, he got up and charged ahead again without hesitation. He was met with crossed kicks from Yasha and Gouzu, sending him flying even higher than before.
"Tsurugi!"
He nearly landed on his head. The ball bounced to his side, as if daring him to try again.
"No good!" Midori said. "Tsurugi won't last if this keeps up!"
Akane glanced over to their youngest friend to see her reaction, because she had been unusually silent despite it's her best friend getting hurt, only to find that she already had tears streaming down her cheeks. "Kimiko...!" She stood up and swapped spots with Hikaru to give her a hug.
"Akane-san..." She was failing miserably at keeping her voice steady. "Back at the forest... my body hurt a lot..." She gripped on her sleeves. "But seeing this... makes me want to die...!"
The older girl shushed her and rubbed her back in hopes of comforting her. It was in vain, but the blonde mentally thanked her for trying.
"Okita-san... Lend me your power..." The boy begged as he struggled to get up. "The speed of lightning, to cut up the field like a lightning bolt! We... have to protect what's important to us...!"
"Protect yourself first, stupid!" Kimiko muttered through sobs.
"You're finished!" Gouzu and the other two defenders charged at him.
Okita then stood up, holding his arms out. "Use my power! If that's what it takes to save what's important to you!"
"Okita-san!"
"Do it now! MixiMax Tsurugi with Okita!"
Wondeba didn't need to be told twice. He ran to the side of the field and shot the two guns at both his targets. When the aura transfer was completed, Tsurugi looked completely different.
The first most noticeable thing was that his skin was tanned like Okita's, in contrast to his usually pale tone. The next was his now purple-hair, hanging down from a high ponytail, and with more waves than spikes. His eyes turned from amber-orange to dark purple with yellow pupils.
Kimiko felt the tears stopping and a small smile forming. Kyousuke the hottie, huh... The look suits him.
"Okita-san! I will make full use of your power!" The ball was already by his feet, and so he charged ahead. In a blink, he had already got through all three defenders.
He took a stance as everything around him turned dark. He disappeared when the ball bounced on the ground, and reappeared while slashing the ball with a kick. Yellow petals gathered around the ball, forming a chrysanthemum flower, and as he turned around, it was shot to the goal.
"Kiku Ichimonji!"
He finally made their first goal.
"Yeah!"
"Great job, Tsurugi!"
He deactivated the aura and ran back to their side of the pitch, high fiving with Tenma and Taiyou along the way. As he got back in position, his eyes met with his friend's and gave a bit of a smirk.
"Sorry for worrying you."
"You're not sorry at all, you bastard!" She grumbled, rubbing the tears away. "But you did MixiMax and scored a point..." She pulled away from Akane, giving him a nod and smiling slightly. "Thanks! Keep it up!"
"Yeah!"
Win this game so I can slap you twice as hard later.
What kind of motivation is that?!
The one you deserve! Now get going!
He rolled his eyes, but did as told and put his focus back in the game. They had one more point to take, and one last point to win.