3 Weeks Later
"Welcome to Russia everyone," Girikanan smiled as the team arrived in the airport.
That's Bernard Girikanan. So James really is in trouble with Orion? This might not end well... Coach Kudou thought, maintaining his poker face as the team followed Girikanan outside and into a coach.
A while into the journey, the players started feeling sleepy. James leaned to the side of his seat and saw Girikanan wearing a gas mask, he looked around and saw his teammates with their heads hung low in an unconscious state, James too then gave in and felt everything blackout. Girikanan turned and smirked upon seeing the unconscious state of the team.
"Mama, they're all unconscious."
"Excellent. How long will they be out for?"
"3 to 4 hours."
"Bring them over to Orion HQ."
"We're on our way."
.........................................................................................................................................
"What's their problem? Why did they have to gas us?" Fudou complained.
"That's just how Orion are." James said.
"Those idiots probably did something to us while we were unconscious." Nagumo spat.
"It doesn't matter, I'll crush them just the same." Alex smirked.
.........................................................................................................................................
"Where are they?" Fudou asked as everyone came onto the pitch of Lunzhniki Stadium, "are you sure this is the right time, James?
"I'm 100% sure they said at this time." James said.
"They're probably too scared of me!" Nagumo cackled, pointing to himself.
"Nonsense." Suzuno smirked, shaking his head.
Suddenly, there was fog on the pitch, making it hard to see even to the halfway line where they were standing, the silhouettes of figures then appeared about 20 metres away from them.
"D-did they just teleport?" Saginuma asked.
"Says the ex-Aliea Gakuen member." Fudou sweatdropped.
Japan Lineup (3-3-4): Endou (C). Tessa, Tobitaka, Fubuki. Kidou, James, Fudou. Thierry, Alex, Hiroto, Saginuma.
Subs: Gouenji, Aphrodi, Edgar, Nagumo, Suzuno
(I'm just going to refer to them as Japan)
Russia formation: 3-4-3. Procyon. Tabit, Meissa, Saiph. Ichihoshi, Viktor, Dmitri (C), Rus. Malik, Froy, Yuri.
"Luke isn't here...." James noticed.
"Maybe he isn't as bad as you think and didn't want a part in sealing your fate." Tessa said.
"Hmm."
Japan started with kickoff and Hiroto started, he passed the ball to Alex who burst into the Russian half.
"Alex wait!" Thierry said as he ran after him.
Dmitri came to block Alex who flicked the ball into the air. The two players jumped for the ball and Alex headed the ball to Thierry who continued the attack.
Viktor slid in but Thierry easily dodged the sliding tackle and passed to Kidou who was able to dribble past Ichihoshi and played a through ball to Saginuma who took a shot but it was blocked by Saiph.
Dmitri got the loose ball but before he could do anything James slid in and got the ball from him and used "Joker's Surprise" with Fudou to get past Ichihoshi. Fudou had the ball and kicked it into the air for Hiroto who jumped but Alex jumped and pushed the former out of the way.
He jumped onto the ball with the soles of his feet and as the ball went through the snowflake, it sped up and shot towards goal with a streak of blue behind the shot and snow falling behind it, "Frostbite V3!" Procyon used "Black Shield" but the shot went in.
"Ha. Now you see my power." Alex said as he smirked at Dmitri.
"You scored but you didn't have to steal Hiroto's shot." Thierry sweatdropped.
"These Orion idiots need to pay for how they treated me during that Fifth Sector mission so I needed to score first."
"If you say so...."
Malik took Russia's kickoff and he passed to Froy who backheeled the ball to Dmitri, "Let's use our hissatsu tactics!"
The Russian midfield then flipped and a silky wave started to flow over the field, "Aurora Wave!"
The players then disappeared as they started to approach the Japan players but James ran to the ball.
"I'll unmask you!" James said, "Shin Flash Steal!"
The silky wave disappeared and Ichihoshi was now visible and face to face with James but he used "Blue Stardust" to get past him, he passed to Dmitri who kicked the ball into the air for Malik but Tessa got to the ball first and headed it down to Fubuki who passed to Kidou.
Kidou took control of the ball and dribbled forwards, "Let's go, Fudou! James stay back."
"Stop ordering me around like you're in charge." Fudou said.
The two used neat one-twos to clear Russia's midfield and to pass the ball to Hiroto who used "Ryuusei Blade V3" to double the score at 2-0.
"They aren't good at all....." Thierry mumbled.
"Most of them don't even like football." Alex said, "while we've continued to train at every moment we get."
"As a whole, their team in the FFI was stronger." James said with Kidou and Fudou agreeing.
Froy took Russia's kickoff and he passed the ball back to Dmitri, I can't disgrace myself in front of the Mistress! I'm the only one here who can do something
He kicked the ball into the air and let out a battle cry as the ball became a red small star and a flamy aura from Dmitri fed the star which grew and turned blue. Dmitri then jumped to the ball and spun and kicked the ball repetitively before the star let out hot plasma in the form of a beam of fire, "Shin Plasma Drive!"
"What a clown." Alex scoffed.
"Tobitaka, let's go!" James said with a nod, "Shin Prism Refraction!"
"Shinkuuma V3!"
Tobitaka passed the ball to Kidou and he carried the ball forwards with James by his side. As Viktor came to stop him, he passed the ball to James and Rus used "Shin Flash Steal" but James easily dodged him and continued with the ball. He passed the ball out wide to Thierry who nutmegged Tabit and now had a free run at goal.
He jumped into the air with the ball and sliced it and the ball fell to the ground and started to spin. Meissa and Saiph ran to the ball but as the ball continued to spin and gathered wind and bounced from the ground blew away from the two with winds around it, "Bouncing Gale!"
Procyon used "Black Shield" again but it was no use and the score was now tripled at 3-0 as the half-time whistle blew.
"They're overpowering us." Malik mumbled.
"Of course, they are, they're some of the strongest players in the world." Froy smirked as the two forwards got back into position.
"Mama, we're losing...." Girikanan said.
"Of course we are. But everything's just going to plan. Make sure you analyse everything Japan do."
She then took her leave and left, leaving Girikanan in the room by himself, monitoring Japan with the machinery beside him.
"Well done guys! We're doing well!" Endou said.
"Pah. If I knew that they were going to be this bad, I wouldn't have come." Fudou sighed.
"Don't be mean Fudou, they're trying their best." Endou said.
"He's raised a good point though." Kidou mentioned, "not the not coming bit."
"Yeah, I thought they would be tougher." Aphrodi finished, "they were tougher in the FFI."
"For the 2nd half, Aphrodi, you're on for Fudou, Nagumo you're on for Saginuma, Suzuno you're on for Hiroto and Gouenji, you're on for Alex."
Japan ended up winning the game 4-0, with another goal coming from Aphrodi, giving them a clear advantage going into the next game.
"Well done guys, we've won the first leg!" Endou cheered.
"Easy win." Nagumo sighed with his arms behind his head as he walked off the pitch.
"We'll win easily." Alex smirked.
"Don't get cocky." Coach Kudou said, "anything can change in the next leg."
"Their defence was more solid this half...." James said.
"I hate to say it...." Kidou started.
"But they could be using something like God's Aqua..." Aphrodi finished.
"Now that the 2nd leg is in a week, what are we going to do?" Saginuma asked once they all arrived at the bench.
"Rest, train and...... sightsee?" James answered, but half-asked the sightsee part.
"How are we going to sightsee if we don't even know the place?" Fudou asked.
"I can get a tour guide if enough people want to sightsee?" James said, "I know a tour guide called Scoglio."[1]
"Sure, there's nothing to do anyway." Fudou agreed, they watched the defeated Russia team gather around Emma who made her way on the pitch and teleported them back to Orion HQ.
References
[1] - Yes, the same Scoglio from Orion
New Hissatsus
Plasma Drive - Dmitri kicks the ball into the air and lets out a battle cry as the ball becomes a red small star and a flamy aura from Dmitri feeds the star which grows and turns blue for the Shin evolution. Dmitri then jumps to the ball and spins and kicks the ball repetitively before the star lets out hot plasma in the form of a beam of fire.
Bouncing Gale - Thierry jumps into the air with the ball and slices it and the ball falls to the ground and starts to spin and gathers wind, eventually bouncing from the ground and bursting to the goal.