Life is a constant struggle, with hardships occurring daily. These challenges persistently haunt us, ensuring that we never forget them and engraving them deep within our minds.
When asked if she desires to erase her memories of sorrow, Sumire adamantly refuses.
She firmly believes that these experiences shape our identity, sharpen our skills, and facilitate personal growth.
We continuously refine our carefully crafted persona until it becomes a radiant diamond.
This diamond of wisdom is then passed down to others, aiding them in their own journey of self-improvement.
Only a diamond can polish another diamond.
---
Sumire POV:
"Now, after scoring the first goal, Kidokawa Seishuu's attack continues! As if stil dumbfounded by that sudden assault, Raimon Junior High's condition shows no sign of picking up! Will they be able to pull through within the first half?"
Tomo dribbled the ball forward as Kurimatsu and Domon moved up to block his course. He passed the ball to Tsutomu, who used jumped and did Back Tornado.
"God Hand!"
Endou caught the ball. Smoke rose up from
his hand. Nevertheless, he grinned proudly.
"Kidokawa Seishuu was stopped from stealing another point!"
"Take that!"
Endou grinned at them, I couldn't help but nod my head in approval as Endou levelled up and skillfully stopped the shoot. Good job!
"Looks like thats the famous God Hand, like yeah."
Masaru said, earning a loud scoff from Tomo
"lt seems like we weren't the only ones who were holding back."
Tomo remarked.
"We'll beat down that puny technique before you know it."
Tsutomu declared, and the three run up together.
"Kidokawa attacks! The Mukata triplets charge into Raimon's side of the field!"
Masaru had the ball and got marked by Kidou and Max.
"You're getting annoying!"
He passed the ball to Tomo, but the pass got intercepted by Domon. The cyan haired
boy cleared the ball using his head.
"Are you serious?"
Masaru questioned while I tapped my hand against the top of the cane continuously.
They finally managed to get hold of the match.
"Nice clear, Domon!"
"Raimon Junior High's movements
are getting better!"
Nikaido, Kidokawa's coach, stood up and yelled to the triplets
"You're being marked! Charge through them!"
Shina rose to her feet beside him, enclosing her hands around her mouth and yelled out.
"What on earth do you think you're doing, you imbecile!? There are eleven individuals on the field! Not just you!"
Coach Nikaidou, shaking his head muttered dryly.
"That's enough, Hitori."
Tomo got marked by Max, but he got through him and passed to Tsutomu.
"Back Tornado!"
He shot the ball directly at the goal.
"Bakuretsu Punch!"
Endou stopped this one flawlessly.
"Raimon Junior High is holding up against Kidokawa Seishuu's fierce onslaught! But for some reason, I noticed that the remarkable teamwork from last year is completely gone. What's wrong, Kidokawa Seishuu?!"
The triplets grit their teeth in annoyance.
"I won't let you score another goal!"
Endou proclaimed
"Nice save!"
Aki exclaimed.
"That's an amazing drive!"
Haruna remarked. Natsumi and I just looked proud that they were able to hold up against them, exchanging a smile between ourselves.
"All right. Now, we can afford the time to study our opponent."
Hibiki stated, I nodded my head gazing at the field.
"Kidou is working on it already."
Mogi Sakito, one of Kidokawals midfielders, was approaching from the side. Shourinji immediately marked him and tried to take the ball.
But because of this, Mogi got past him. This time, Kazemaru ran up to mark the boy. Before the teal haired boy got to him, he passed the
ball to Tobiyama Dan, another midfelder.
As soon as he got the ball, Tsutomu stole it, making Tobiyama look at him dumbfounded
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Tobiyama asked angrily
"Offense is our job! Stay back!"
Tsutomu called out and ran forward, leaving the angry midfielder at the back
Tsutomu, although positioned slightly farther away, managed to catch the faint mutterings of Tobiyama, who expressed his frustration with a touch of exasperation.
"If only Suzuki-san were present, our scores would have been significantly more disparate, allowing everyone to partake in this game. What an idiotic joke."
Tsutomu clenched his jaw in frustration, sprinting ahead and shouting loudly.
"Here I go!"
"You're not passing through me! The Wall!"
Kabeyama used his hissatsu technique and successfully blocked Tsutomu's path. Endou let the ball roll towards him before picking it up.
"Nice one, Kabeyama!"
The said boy turned around and flashed the captain a smile. Meanwhile, Tsutomu, who was still on the ground, grit his teeth. His annoyance reached its peak.
"We only have ten minutes left."
Aki stated, while Natsumi added
"The other team keeps attacking us without a pause."
"It's not a problem.Currently, there is a complete lack of teamwork within Kidokawa Seishuu."
I emphasized this point, causing all the girls to turn their attention towards me. Hibiki-san then chimed in, sharing his own perspective on the matter.
"There are cracks in their formation."
Hibiki added. The managers, including me, turned to the coach
"Cracks?"
Haruna asked, and I motioned my hand at the players.
"Look."
"Oh! The Mukata triplets are advancing deep into Raimon's camp!"
"Pass ithere!"
Masaru called out. He was marked by both Max and Domon. He ran to get past the two, who followed him. Yakata Naoto did as he told and passed him the ball.
Sadly for them, it went too far. Masaru
turned to Yakata with a pissed expression on his face. The boy just scoffed, walking away and saying loudly.
"Offence is your part, and your problem."
"That was totally unreal!"
Masaru exclaimed, the triplets visibly irritated and done with the current outcome.
"Our team can't win unless we're the ones to score!"
Tomo stated
"Pull yourself together, man!"
Tsutomu told Yakata, but he only dissmised him with a wave of his hand.
I squinted my eyes disapprovingly at the transaction that took place before me, a clear sign of my displeasure at the unfolding events.
In my absence, it seems that chaos has ensued, leading to the rapid deterioration of the once cohesive teamwork that we had worked so hard to build.
The sight of my former teammates at odds with each other fills me with a sense of sadness and disappointment, despite the fact that I am no longer actively participating in their games.
It is imperative that I uncover the root cause of this discord among the players.
"Kidou ought to have realized it by now, just like you did already."
The coach grinned, looking at me.
"He did." I pointed at Kidou.
The goggled boy, Endou, Domon, and lchinose were huddled together.
"The triplets are starting to get edgy. Our defense is fully functional. All we need now is
offense."
Kidou stated, but Endou looked at him uneasily.
"But those guys should be pretty watchful of us
particularly Gouenji."
Endou said
"Then what should we do?"
Domon questioned lchinose suddenly had an idea that popped in his mind, his eyes shone with bright light
"How about using their caution to our advantage?"
He suggested, which made the goggled boy smirk.
"Yeah, That's our best bet."
He stated as Endou and Domon blinked in confusion. Observing with a smile as Ichinose and Kidou interact seamlessly, I am intrigued by their unexpected cooperation despite their strong individual planning skills.
This harmonious dynamic between them is sure to bring out their best performances on the field.
Kidou also talked about his plan to Shuuya and
Someoka, sharing his plan.
"Someoka. Gouenji. Did you get that?"
The two nodded, agreeing with thumbs up.
Endou was the one who wil kick the ball. He kicked it towards Domon.
"They're giving us a chance on purpose!"
Tomo said with a smug face
"Endou has given the ball to Domon. The Mukata triplets move in for the attack!"
Kidou looked at Shuuya and Someoka. They nodded at him and ran towards Kidokawa's side.
The triplets looked back when the commentator announced that the two were diving in from the sides.
Domon passed the ball to Kidou, and the triplets could only stare at it dumbfounded.
"Now!" the goggled boy yelled.
"Yeah!"
Domon and Endou are seen heading up.
"Endou has left the goal open to move up to the front line!"
Kidou passed, lchinose the ball.
"Let's go!" the brunette yelled.
"Yeah!"
Endou and Domon answered. The three
ran forward with lchinose dribbling the ball.
"They can't be!"
Nishigaki exclaimed as he saw the familiar movements of Tri-Prgasus.
Ichinose, Domon, and Endou intersected at a point, and a Pegasus appeared. The Mukata triplets were in shock at seeing this.
"That's Tri-Pegasus! What lchinose said was
true!"
Nishigaki exclaimed, and he three Raimon players jumped to shoot the ball.
"Tri-Pegasus!"
The keeper looked frightened as he saw
a pegasus heading towards him. Because of this, the shoot earned Raimon a point.
You let the fear rule you, ah, you forgot my advice.
Observing the Kidokawa Seishuu goalkeeper, I noticed his disappointed expression as he stood up. He appeared to be timid and fearful until Shuuya and I helped him become more confident. Now, he has regressed back to his previous scared self.
"All right!" the benched Raimon players exclaimed.
"They did it!"
Aki and Haruna held each other in joy.
Natsumi sighed, "They had me anxious for a moment there." I patted her hand in reassurance.
"All right!"
Endou yelled in happiness while lchinose and
Domon looked at him with smiles on their faces.
"Nice shoot"
Shuuya approached the head band wearing boy.
"Yeah."
He gave the boy a high five. It is beneficial that their friendship is being utilized, which is a positive outcome. Shuuya, who tends to be solitary, finds it pleasantly unexpected.
"That shoot's gotta be some kind of joke."
Masaru said in disbelief.
"lt was unbelievably powerful"
Tsutomu stated
"I never imagined that they would be hiding such an incredible hissatsu technique"
Tomo rearked. A moment after he said this, Nishigaki went up to the three of them.
I couldn't her their talk, but based on the expressions of the rest of the team, the fact that the transfer student is talking with Mukata triplets made the rest of the team look at the group of 4 boys with pure annoyance.
The whistle blew as a signal that the first half was over.
"Gouenji"
The said male turned around and saw the
triplets.
"We will ever lose, especially to you!"
Tomo proclaimed
"After we beat you, we'll prove to everyone..."
Masaru started and was finished by Tsutomu,
"That the Mukata triplets are better than Gouenji! And, Suzuki did nothing but be a traitor and terrible captain!..."
His words were abruptly silenced by Akame as she swiftly struck the back of his head with a notepad she had snatched from Shina.
"Cease your chatter," she commanded with a hint of authority before stomping back at the bench and dropping the notepad into Shina's hands.
Shina's disappointment was evident as she slouched and wore a pout on her face.
"I felt like punching them."
I couldn't resist smiling as I observed the contrasting personalities of Shina and Akame. Despite their differences, they united seamlessly to protect their friend, acting in perfect harmony like a reflection.
The players were drinking from their water bottles and taking a rest.
"Keep it up, everyone! lf you break down
the triplets' link with their midfielders, we can definitely turn the tables!"
Aki told them cheerfully.
"But.. no doubt, they will make adjustments for the second half."
Kidou stated, utilizing the cane for support, I rose to my feet and approached Domon and Ichinose. Endou's face displayed his typical cheerful expression, indicating his awareness of my actions.
"Do you both require assistance?" I inquired, offering a small smile, to which the brunette, Ichinose, eagerly nodded in agreement.
"Yes, Sumire," he replied.
---
The whistle blew to start the second half.
"Wil it be Raimon Junior High that advances to the finals or Kidokawa Seishuu? Both teams' voltage rise in this destined second half!"
The second half started with Kidokawa's kickoff.
"It's about time we showed them, yeah?"
Masaru suggested, and his brothers grinned smugly.
"Let's go!"
Tsutomu and Tomo nodded at the command. They dived into Raimon's side, making the players alert.
"They're coming!"
Kidou called out.
Masaru kicked the ball towards Tsutomu, who kicked it to Tomo. He shot the ball before getting into a triangle with his brothers.
"Triangle Z!"
"God hand!"
Endou was slightly pushed back as the
shoot was too powerful. He tried to use his two hands but failed, and the ball went in.
"They broke through... God Hand."
Endou stared at his hand in shock and disbelief.
"See that?"
Masaru and his brothers walked oh sc
gloriously, "Triangle Z is the strongest!" Tsutomu boasted.
"I won't let you get away with this." Shuuya said
while he walked past the triplets. Tomo turned back to him
"Then why don't you show us? We'll be looking
forward to it."
Shuuya stopped and shot them a glare.
"You're on."
I blinked in surprise.
God, I almost forgot to never provoke him. Like ever.
"Kidokawa Seishuu is leading with one point! Will Raimon's Endou stand a chance against the Mukata triplets' hissatsu shoot, Triangle Z?!"
"Max! Ichinose! Block his course!"
Kidou ordered as he saw Tomo running towards them. They marked him, which had him cornered. The triplet looked around and
passed the ball to Masaru. Kidou used a sliding tackle to steal the ball, but the blue haired triplet shot the ball before he got it.
Endou caught it firmly and said
"Let's go! The Tri-Pegasus!"
"Yeah!"
He threw the ball, and lchinose received it. The boy proceeded to run forward.
"Here it comes. I won't let you use it more than once in front of me!"
Nishigaki turned around to stop the three
"Take this! Spinning Cut!"
Nishigaki used a hissatsu technique, which stopped the three from advancing. A cut erupted from the field, and all of them fell back.
The ball went outside the line.
lchinose, and the two were on the ground as Nishigaki approached them.
"Pegasus's wings have been clipped."
"Nishigaki."
Ichinose muttered in response. Almost everyone on the bench stood up. Aki was the most concerned out of all of them.
"That's Nishigaki for you. He's an amazing defender."
lchinose remarked, and Endou grit his teeth.
"Tri-Pegasus was stopped."
Shuuya approached them
"Don't get upset, Endou. Ichinose, Domon, Sumire told you what to do, no?"
They looked at the platinum haired male.
"l definitely make a goal."
The boy said at which Endou nodded at, Domon and Ichinose nodded and looked at each other, poundering over my words.
Mogi was dribbling the balin Raimon's part of the field while the triplets were going after the ball. Mogi passed the ball to Masaru, but it got stolen by Shuuya.
"Forward Gouenit has fallen back into defensel With the ball in his possession, he's personally cutting through Kidokawa's camp!"
"Someoka!"
The said boy got startled by the platinum
haired male's call but runs forward. Gouenji passed the ball to him, and they shot it
"Dragon Tornado!"
"Toughness Block!"
Nanzan Yoami, Kidokawa's
goalkeeper, blocked Goueni and Someoka's hissatsu shoot.
"Nice save, man!" Masaru yelled.
But that wasnt the end of their attack. Gouenj jumped up again.
"Fire Torado!"
The keeper was taken aback and moved a second slower and wasn't able to block it this time.
"Raimon Junior High is even once more!"
The conflicting emotions that arise within me are truly perplexing, for I find myself torn between elation for Nanzan and yet, simultaneously, a sense of disappointment. Similarly, I am filled with joy for Shuuya, yet a tinge of frustration lingers within me.
Oh, how bewildering it all is!
Nanzan nonchalantly brushed off the captain's compliment, displaying an air of indifference. My expression shifted to one of slight astonishment as our gazes locked.
In response, I offered a subtle nod and a faint smile, silently acknowledging his achievement, prompting a radiant grin to spread across his face.
"Raimon Junior High is even once more!"
Shuuya turned back to Endou with a smirk on his face. The brunette had a grin as the male succeeded to land a goal, like he said.
Before Shuuya looked at me and I flashed him a soft smile, mouthing 'Good job'.
Meanwhile, the Mukata triplets had a face pure of distain. The crowd cheers at the fierce batle between the two teams. They went back and forth, with neither gaining another score. The benched players and the managers could only watch tensely.
"With the score still even, both teams go back and forth at each other. The furious game continues with neither side giving in!"
Aki looked at the stopwatch in her hands in worry. There wasn't that much time left before the match ends.
"How much time is left?"
Natsumi asked, and Haruna took a
look at the stopwatch. The female exclaimed in panic and turned back to the auburn haired girl.
"There's hardly any at all!"
"We don't need a time extension, man!"
Masaru yelled
"We won't lose!" the triplets said in unison.
"We will.."
Masaru kicked the ball to Tsutomu.
"Be the ones.."
The green haired triplet kicked it to Tomo.
"Who win!"
The boy jumped up using Masaru's shoulder
The Raimon players and managers became alarmed by the triplets' movements.
"Triangle Z!"
The ball was shot
in the goal's direction.
"God Hand!"
Endou was getting pushed back by the powerful shoot. He used his other hand to support the right one.
He was still being pushed back even with his two hands. Kabeyama and Kurimatsu
helped him by supporting his back.
They stopped the shoot successfully.
"All right!"
Endou held up the ball that they stopped.
"We did it."
Kabeyama and Kurimatsu fists burped each other. Raimon players on the bench looked relieved that they stopped Kidokawa
from taking another goal from them.
The Mukata triplets clenched their teeth in annoyance.
"Endou! Over here!"
Shuuya called out, and the boy kicked the ball towards him. He ran into Kidokawa's
camp.
"That's not right, man!"
Masaru yelled while he
and his brothers were running after the platinum haired male. They eventually got in front of him to block his way.
"You're not getting through us!"
Tsutomu said to him. Shuuya smirked and back passed to lchinose. This action made both the triplets and lchinose confused.
"Do it now! the Tri-Pegasus!"
Shuuya said as lchinose Domon, and Endou looked at him shocked. The male's eyes narrow.
"Go! Make it in!"
"Yeah!"
The three ran forward. Mukata triplets stood
there dumbfounded.
"I won't let you use Tri-Pegasus!"
Nishigaki ran to them.
"Spinning Cut!"
The three didn't let this get in their way, They pushed through and did Tri-Pegasus. This time, a Pegasus didn't appear, but a phoenix.
With a resounding hissatsu technique, the field trembled as the majestic phoenix soared past the defence, gracefully finding its way into the goal.
The referee blew three whistles, which ended the match.
"The match is over! Raimon Junior High has conquered this hard-fought contest and will be reappearing at the finals after 40 long years!"
3rd person POV:
Positioned elegantly by the railings of the grandstands, a young man gazed down as the brunette lady with flowing locks made her way towards Gouenji. His waist-length hair shimmered like spun gold, complementing his deep maroon-red eyes and fair complexion.
A subtle smirk graced his lips as he locked eyes with her, exuding an air of mystery and confidence.
With a soft murmur of "Soon," he vanished into the ether, leaving behind an aura of intrigue and allure.
"God is soon to arrive."