The next kickoff was theirs, and they all followed Nishiki's lead up the field. Almost immediately after, he was surrounded by the enemy players.

Kimiko waited for a few more of their own members to get through, making sure her friend was already quite a ways ahead. Then, she locked gazes with his senior.

"Nishiki-san!"

"Yeah!"

The ponytailed boy passed the ball to her.

"Oh?" Garo moved in front of her with a smirk. "Are you volunteering to be our new playmate?"

She gave a small smile. "Something like that."

"Then let's see how long you last!"

She had only blinked once and he was suddenly right in front of her. Before she could even think, something hit her on the stomach and pushed her back. She managed to stay on her feet, only holding the part that was kicked.

"You don't fall so easily either I see." Her opponent laughed, the ball under his foot. "Oh, we're going to have lots of fun with you."

"I'm not here for your amusement!" She charged at him, aiming to take it back, but he kicked it to the same spot he kicked her. "Ack―!"

"Kimiko!"

"I'm fine, I'm fine!" She didn't know who called out, but she had to at least pretend she was alright to all of them. So Protocol Omega wouldn't be disappointed, and so her friends wouldn't worry. "I'm going to protect soccer with everyone...!"

But no matter how steady her voice was, it was clear to everyone how much her legs were shaking. Still, she tried to take the ball back again.

He dodged her easily, a smug grin on his face. "Too slow! What's with that? You call that soccer?" His leg went far back, gathering energy for a power shot. "This is how you play soccer!"

She stood her ground. Though she didn't know if it was because she was confident she could stop it or because she was too afraid to move. Either way, the impact sent her flying, nearly landing on her head.

"Kimiko!"

"What's wrong? Is that it?"

I... I have to protect soccer too... But I... She looked up at the one looming above her before shutting her eyes tight. I can't... It's happening again... I'm not going to make it...

"What a shame. I thought you were going to be a better challenge, but you're just like your pathetic captain over there."

Something inside her snapped. "...What?"

"Oh, did that strike a nerve?" He sneered. "He can't keep the team together in the first place, and just after taking a small hit or two, he can barely kick the ball. Your captain is weak and useless!"

"Why you..." She held her pendant as she stood up, glaring at him. "Don't you dare insult Kyousuke!"

She tried again, this time much more aggressively. It was like all the hesitation had disappeared. But it wasn't enough, and she was kicked back to the exact same spot as before.

"Kimiko!" That was for sure all of her friends' voices, with her best friend being the loudest and most worried.

Stupid Kimiko, what were you thinking?! Her own voice yelled at her from the back of her head. You can't do anything for them! You're just dragging them down even more!

"You really think you can, as you say, 'protect soccer' with that sort of play?"

Kyousuke... As she sat up, her teary eyes met with his worried ones. I'm so sorry... But I...

Not getting a reply made Garo's expression turn into one of annoyance. "Pathetic. Perhaps I should end your misery!"

"Kimiko, watch out!"

Her eyes went wide in fear before shock took over in its place almost immediately after. The ball was stopped right before it could hit her.

By the enemy captain.

"Oi, Zanark! What the hell are you doing?!" Garo yelled.

He had his back to her, not letting her read his expression. "I don't appreciate people messing with one of my own."

...What?

"What was that?"

"You heard me. This kid is a member of Zanark Domain, meaning she's mine. Go find your own toys!" He then turned to her, clearly unamused. "Now then... Are you just going to sit there?"

~~~~~

Tsurugi didn't like where this was going, nor what he was hearing. His best friend didn't move. She barely did anything. She only continued to stare up at the enemy captain with her mouth hanging open.

He made a move to go to her,

"KIMIKO!"

But the yell stunned him.

Her brother was in the audience, right above their bench. The whole stadium's attention was on him, but he only focused on the shaken girl. "Kimiko! Is that all you're going to do?! Are you going to give up when you've barely done anything?!"

Her eyes widened.

"What was the point of all the tears then?! The frustration, the hurting... What's the point of all that?!"

He raised an eyebrow at that. What tears?

"Kimiko, listen to me. The reason you're out here today isn't because of soccer! You know that! Don't get carried away by everyone else's feelings! Think about how you feel!"

'Not because of soccer'... Shuu said the same thing. He turned to his friend, who was still staring wide-eyed towards the man.

"Remember the real reason you're fighting! The reason why you made it through all those years of agony! What... No, who you're fighting for!"

His eyes widened when her brother pulled out the MixiMax guns and pointed one at her. Pulling the trigger, a bright light engulfed her, while showing the shadow of the person it was taking the aura from on the other end. A blue haired man with brown-orange eyes, and a mole present by his lower lip.

"Who is―"

"Is that―?!"

His jaw went slack. "Nii-san?!"

When the light was gone, her appearance had changed. Her hair was navy blue with purple streaks, completely slicked back with the exception of two strands by her ears. Her eyes gained an orange hue on top of her usual purple and her pupils turned sharper, not unlike his and his brother's.

"Yuuichi-san...?"

~~~~~

"Tsurugi's brother's aura?!"

"To be precise," Masato jumped from the audiences' seats to the roof of the bench shelter before jumping once more to the ground, in front of the red haired manager. "It's Tsurugi Yuuichi's aura from the alternate timeline. The moment when... No, the second he was running to shield his and Tsurugi's past selves from Alpha."

"That exact moment?" Wondeba asked. "How? And why?"

"Professor Aruno helped. And because it was that exact moment that Yuuichi's desire to protect his brother was at its peak."

"What?"

The blonde man smiled. "Watch."

While she was still looking down on herself, Garo let out a scoff. "As if we're scared of a little light show! You're finished!"

He charged ahead, pushing past Zanark and taking the ball. With his posture, it was clear he was aiming to get through her with a tackle.

"Kimiko!"

"Watch out!"

Garo got through, but he made no contact with the girl. Nor did he have the ball anymore. "What?!"

Kurumada's eyes went wide. "That was... That was Tsurugi's trick! Back in the match against Mannouzaka, when he stole the ball from them right off the bat!"

Tsurugi only blinked at her.

"Huh... Well then." She balanced the ball on her thigh and began to juggle it on her own, as if completely forgetting they were in the middle of a match.

"Don't screw with me!" Garo tried to get the ball back, but she bounced it over his head.

"That was from his contest with Tenma on the first day of school!" Ichino said.

It became a game of tag between her and Garo, the others in Zan unsure how to react while El Dorado were in slight awe. Or in the Raimon members' case, a lot of awe.

She then began to move up.

"That's right..."

She dodged past the enemy with ease.

"All that loneliness... All that pain..."

Zanark was the only one who made no move to stop her.

"Teikoku Academy... God Eden... Fifth Sector..."

"One more time! Break Attack!" Garo called.

But she ignored him.

"The reason I made it through wasn't because of soccer..." She stopped in the middle of the field, finding herself surrounded. But to their surprise, she smirked. "I made it through... Because of Tsurugi Kyousuke!"

His eyes widened as she charged right at the opponent in front of her. The ball was suddenly behind her left heel, kicking it to her other side and caught with her right leg before being bounced above the enemy's head. The confusion in movements made him slow to react as she sidestepped him.

"Everything she taught me..." A small smile made its way to his lips. That was the play he made in the match against Kaiou.

"I'll keep my promise to him no matter what! Come out, my true keshin! Acheri no Megami... Artemis!"