"Show me the soccer you guys have always done!"
That's Endou Mamoru alright. Kimiko couldn't help the small smile appearing on her face as the whole team was refreshed with a new energy to them. Just as she opened her mouth to wish them luck, another voice cut her off from the tunnel.
"Kimiko!"
"Masato-nii?"
Her brother gave a wry smile at the group before turning back to her. "Sorry, but I need you to come with me."
"Wha... Now?" She tilted her head slightly. "We're just halfway through the match, though..."
"I know. But I wouldn't call on you like this if it wasn't important, right?"
"I guess..." With a sigh, she shrugged and stood up. "Alright then."
"Kimiko."
Her smile immediately returned at her best friend's call. She turned around and landed her fist on his shoulder. "You don't have to tell me. I'm not worried. I know you guys can get through this."
"Just making sure." He placed a hand on her arm.
She pulled back and clasped it with the same hand. "The last half of the last match. I can't be there in person, but―"
"You'll be pushing our backs. I know." He smirked. "From beginning to the end, for real this time."
"Oh, like the last two times weren't?" She rolled her eyes playfully before nodding. "Until the final whistle and every single child in Feida is saved from impending doom. Fight hard!"
"Yeah!"
~~~~~
To say that the second half proceeded smoothly was a blatant lie, but they couldn't have wished for a better result.
They started with a plan to mark every player on the field, knowing that if they were to go one-on-one, it would be a relatively even match. But when their opponents showcased their speed again, they switched to using Keshin Armed to block them. Zanark followed suit and used his armed Makaiou Zodiac to try and get them their second goal, but it failed.
Still, their passes all connected. It was a start.
From there, they kept on encouraging one another, doing their best not to let the pressure of the fate of the world bother them too much.
Saru tried to score a goal with his Keshin Armed again, but they were able to stop it this time by working together. And from there, they connected their passes to create a hissatsu tactic, Grand Luster. Tenma used his own Keshin Armed to score their next point with God Wind.
They scored another one with Fei's Ouja no Kiba.
Saru, Meia and Giris tried to retaliate, but they were able to stop them again. At a bit of a cost.
They've used up most of their energy, and soon, their MixiMaxes would come undone. They decided to use it to face their opponent to the very end.
After a few encouraging words from their coach, they were able to pull the momentum back to their side, scoring another goal with Tenma, Fei, and Tsurugi's Saikyou Eleven Hadou.
With the whole team at their limits, Tenma called for them all to attack together. He was the one to clash with Saru, the ball slipping from their scuffle and flying into the air.
Fei, Tsurugi and Shindou were next to use Saikyou Eleven Hadou to score their fifth and leading goal.
All the while, on The Lagoon's side of the pitch, Saru struggled to stand. It appeared he injured his leg in the clash, but Giris and the rest of his team helped him up. Their expressions had changed.
"I'll fight to the end too... with you guys! Now, let's go!"
"Yeah!"
Saru's new determination brought a change in mood for the whole field. The rest of the match was the most fun they've had since the whole time-travelling fiasco started. The whistle was soon blown, indicating their win of 5-4.
Saru gave the order for the stadium to be returned to its rightful place, in the middle of the city. He and Tenma shook hands, sharing smiles.
Soccer was saved. The world was saved. All of Feida was saved.
"Another promise kept."
~~~~~
In his tired state, Tsurugi could feel the sting in his right leg again. He grumbled under his breath as he got changed, dismissing any questioning looks he got with a wave. Once they were all back in their tracksuits, or casual outfits― if Zanark's uniform could even be called casual― they headed out to meet with Saru, who was being supported by Meia and Giris. They switched out with Fei and they headed for the labs together to discuss how the adults were going to hand out the vaccines.
On their way, they passed by a teleportation pad, where Toudou and Sakamaki appeared. Afterwards came Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Rei Rukh. They were glad to know their android friend was alright.
By the doors of the lab, they could hear muffled voices. Upon opening it, they found two blonde siblings staring at a certain time-expert with indescribable expressions.
"Professor Aruno, are you absolutely sure?"
"I never make miscalculations when it comes to timelines."
"Then... I really am..."
That didn't sound good.
"Kimiko."
She jumped, spinning around with wide eyes. "K-Kyou?! Everyone..." And immediately, she plastered on a smile. "Great job on your win! I knew you could do it!"
Tenma grinned along with her. "Yeah! And Saru and the others agreed to take the vaccine too!"
The white haired boy waved awkwardly at her. "Hi there..."
"That's great! You'll all be able to live happy long lives then!"
"Ahaha... Yes..." It was bewildering to see him that way, but his next words made them understand why. "Um... Kimiko, you aren't... angry anymore?"
She blinked. "Angry? Since when was I angry at you?"
"Well... Um..."
"You know, after the first match. When Tsurugi got beat up halfway through the first―"
"Nishiki, shut up!"
"Ow! Wha... I was answering her question!"
"It didn't need answering!"
"Oh, that..." She let out a laugh, stopping the redhead before she could do any real damage to the ponytailed boy. "No worries. It's all over and we're all friends now, so it's fine!"
"Really...?"
"I would like to hit Garo once though, if you don't mind."
"I... actually do mind..."
"Oh. That's a shame."
They sweatdropped at her, but at least Saru didn't seem as nervous as he was before.
Tsurugi kept his gaze on his friend for a moment before remembering the conversation they walked in on and making a face. "Is something wrong?"
Her smile instantly turned stiff. "Ahaha... Would you believe me if I said 'no'?"
"No."
"Then, yes." She groaned. "I mean, I half figured this was the case, but..."
"Figured what?"
"Kimiko is just like Torb, a child born in this timeline sent to the past." Professor Aruno said, walking up to them. "After tracing back to the starting point of her life, I was able to conclude that she is of a generation after Fei, Saru, and other SSC we know."
"A generation after?" Fei asked.
"It's why the vaccine didn't work." The blonde clicked her tongue. "My genes had evolved further than anyone else, meaning that the one we have now is incompatible with me."
"We can make the cure, though." The time-professor pointed out. "We've just finished analyzing her genes. Of course, it would take a while to develop it, but it shouldn't take longer than a few months."
"Then, Kimiko can be saved too!" Kinako exclaimed, running up to hug her.
"That's great!" The three managers joined in, making her laugh slightly.
But if that's the case... "Then, what's the problem?"
She turned away for a moment before looking up to properly face them all. "I never cared about who I was before I became 'Gouenji Kimiko', and I understand that there's no point in trying to figure it out now, but... After everything... After all this, I really want to know. Just for my curiosity. So..." Her gaze landed on their eleventh player. "Zanark, I'll ask one more time. How do you know so much about me?"
He crossed his arms. "Because you're a member of Zanark Domain."
"Since when?"
"You wouldn't stop pestering me until I let you in, so I gave you a small test. You passed, so you're formally one of us."
"Since. When."
His smirk dropped to a serious expression. "... Nearly two years ago for me thanks to those months of training. Just over seven years ago for you." He shot a look at Saru. "Around the time Feida started making a name for itself."
"So, if I call this second as 'now', then I was born six years ago, grew up until I was five, got sent back to 200 years in the past, and grew another seven years before coming here, which is the year when I'm supposed to be six?"
"That about sums it up."
"...Why was I with you? Was it the same case as Fei with Saru? Did you and your team pick me up after I was abandoned?"
"No. That four-eyed uncle takes night shifts on purpose just so he can spend everyday kicking the ball with you. Old man hardly ever sleeps with how much you drag him around all the time."
"Zanark, you..." Her eyes widened. "The one you said you owed... The one that wanted you to help me... was that..."
He nodded. "Your father. Houou Avalon."
"Houou?!"
Masato's gaze landed on the one who yelled. "Asurei-san, do you know something?"
"He was the previous leader of the SSC vaccine project..." His expression was downcast as he explained. "He was... His wife was Kinako's good friend. Out of everyone in all of El Dorado, he was the one most determined to find a cure to return the SSC the lifespan they deserve to have..." The green haired man turned to her. "Now I know why."
"... Was?"
"He died a year ago." Sakamaki's frown seemed worse than it usually was. "I remember now. Unlike the others, Avalon lived secluded in a forest outside the city. One day, a large energy reading appeared in the area, nearly destroying half of it. When the military went to investigate, they found his body," He cast a side glance at them. "...and a certain boy standing over it."
"Hmph."
"The crime that earned you the title of S-Ranked criminal was..."
Zanark didn't respond. Instead, he turned to the blonde, who's eyes were only growing wider by the minute. "Well? Do you believe them?"
"I don't remember."
"I'm asking if you believe them. Not if they're right."
She looked down, biting her lip. "... No. No, you didn't do it."
"If you don't remember, then how are you sure?" Gouenji asked.
"...Because of Artemis..." A hand went to her chest. "I only summoned her complete form once, and they've never clashed in the field... But even so, I can feel how much Artemis trusts Zanark's Zodiac. I don't think that'll be the case if he did it." Her eyes narrowed on the boy. "Zanark, what really happened back then? Why are you accused of murdering my father? And why can't I remember any of this?"
"Because I erased your memories."
Her serious expression faltered, completely taken off guard by how easily he was spilling out the truth. "Well... Okay? Then... Can I have them back?"
"No."
"Wha― Why?!"
"It's not something a kid should be allowed to remember."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He shot her a look before sighing. "Since you want to know so bad," He held out a hand, dangling his riding goggles. "Take these. Go time jump and see what happens from all sides. At least this way, the impact won't be that hard."
It fell into her hands.
She stared at them for a moment before holding on to them tightly. "... Alright then, I will."
"But we still don't know where the TM Caravan disappeared to after our trip to King Arthur's world."
"Eh? It went missing?"
"It's kind of a long story..."
"It really isn't." Wondeba's nervous chuckle was cut off by Kariya's remark. "That crown was a dud."
"Fake or not, at least it worked!" Kinako pouted.
"You're really defending it with your life, huh..."
"Why don't you use ours?" Alpha spoke up, Beta and Gamma seemingly agreeing with the offer. "Our time machine is far more convenient with all of its systems. You can watch everything unfold below you while keeping a safe distance."
"It is the most logical option seeing as the destruction of a forest will happen while you are there." Rei Rukh added.
They didn't need to be told twice.
The whole friend group would be coming, with the addition of Sakamaki, who would be piloting the time travelling saucer, and Rei Rukh, who Toudou ordered to gather as much first hand information of the incident as he could. After placing the goggles in a compartment, they quickly found themselves in a wormhole. Once on the other side, they found El Dorado's building intact in the distance, and a giant forest below them.
A small blonde girl was in a clearing, kicking a ball with eleven very familiar faces.
"Zanark Domain!"