When we arrived at Mikage Sennou when the week past, the guys went into the locker room while stayed behind with Otonashi and Kino. The encounter last week with Kidou and Nina... sorta didn't let me sleep the past few nights. When I got home that night the first thing I did was talk to Jirou, and all he did was avoid me that night. Mom and dad might've been worried because usually the both of us would make up after an argument. But in this time now, I'm guessing me and Jirou are having a "Sibling Grudge".

2 hours later, the bleachers had all the students from Mikage Sennou, and only a few from Raimon. I was hoping that I wouldn't see anyone else after that. If I see either Nina or Kidou, then I would start to strangle her until she would faint.

"In the end you weren't able to come up with a new hissatsu technique. How are we playing this match?" Raimon's coach asked, but with a tone of relief instead of worry... I had suspicions on him, considering that after the match with Occult a few weeks ago, I heard him talking on the phone with someone... I'm guessing it was Kageyama. But time to ignore the thoughts.

"It's true that I lost the face off, but in a game, we're fighting as a team. If we gather all our strength, we'll definitely have a chance to win. Let's keep attacking!"

"Sure, we lost last time, but next time, we'll definitely have a chance to win!"

Endou's encouragement really reminds me of him. 

"Sakuma, get on the pitch." 

"Huh?" I looked up at Endou. "I think you should play in an official match now. I told Endou-san about your training, so I guess you can have a little of the spotlight!" Kuroi patted me on the back. "Kuroi, I can't. Really." "Well, too late Endou agreed."

Sometimes I hate Kuroi, but some other times, he can be pretty likable.

###################################################

The whistle blew and the match started. Yes I was on the pitch already, and I was a nervous wreak, even if I wasn't moving. I hadn't played in a real match for a while now, so some mess ups might occur in this state.

Shuuya kicked the ball to Someoka, and along with Matsuno, I ran forward, but was blocked immediately right after. Shimozuru ran up, but he didn't even try to block either him or Shuuya. 'That's odd... way odd.' I thought.

Suddenly, the player in front of me abandoned his position. Now that was another odd thing to look at. It was almost like they were ordered by robots. Now's my chance, in the least. 

Looking right behind me first, I ran up, only to be blocked again. There I saw Shuuya getting blocked by other two players. Someoka was running up so he kicked the ball to him. He used Dragon Crash, but somehow it's power was removed and the goalkeeper caught it with ease.

"How in the whole..." I muttered. 

Quickly getting thoughts out, I shook my head and ran back with Matsuno. I saw that the ball was in the possession with Shimozuru. 3 other players were right behind us, and Shimozuru kicked the ball to him, but Kazemaru did a sliding and it was a complete save. 'With that speed, he can keep up with them.' I thought.

Soon he kicked the ball to Shishido, but the ball was stolen by the same sliding that Kazemaru did. In an instant, he got past Matsuno and Kurimatsu. When Kabeyama and Kazemaru were supposed to mark Shimozuru, another player up forward and the ball was passed to him, and he kicked it into the goal, but luckily Endou caught it. I was hoping that he throw it at me, but along with Kabeyama, Kazemaru, Domon, and Kurimatsu, the five of us were blocked immediately. "OK buddy, you're gonna regret this one." I muttered.

I ran up the opposite side with Kazemaru running behind me. 

"Go, Sakuma!"

"Pass it, Rena!"

The ball was thrown at me, and I immediately passed it to Shuuya. He did Fire Tornado, but it was blocked and luckily it was blown back at me. "Shuuya, let's do it!" 

I imitated Dragon Crash, but we did Dragon Tornado instead. The ball was blown back again, and Shuuya and Kabeyama did the Inazuma Drop, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper again, who used Rocket Fist instead of Shoot Pocket.

"Aw nuts..." I muttered.

Running back, the ball was thrown to another player and was evaded by Matsuno. He kicked the ball to the same person who got blocked by Endou. Endou was about to block it, it turns out it was a pass to Shimozuru. Luckily the shoot was blocked by Nekketsu Punch, but the player to passed to Shimozuru did a heading, and Mikage got their first point.

The rest of the match was just them passing the ball, they weren't attacking. I knew their plan was to stall time for the first half, in which it did work.

"You're not going into the locker room?" Otonashi asked me. Once the whistle blew, the guys, except Kuroi, went into the locker rooms while I just stayed on the bench. "I'm the only girl playing. Won't be a little weird if I end up going with them?" I asked back. "You look a little down. Aren't you glad you're playing on the field?" Kuroi said. "No, it's not that. I'm actually happy that I'm playing again." I said. "It's just..."

"I get it," Kuroi cut me off. "Nina and Kidou, right?" "Kidou and the girl we fought a few weeks ago?" Kino asked. "I rather not say anything else." I mumbled. "We'll tell you later after the match, if that's fine." Kuroi said.

After they got back, I could clearly see Endou's face. Looks to me had a little talk with the goalkeeper, so I guess it wasn't a pretty conversation.

All of us, including me, got back on the pitch. And the match was already getting bad by the minute. Soon Someoka and Shuuya were blocked. I was put on midfield, and right behind me was Asuka and Endou.

"So, should I go up there as well?" Asuka asked. 'Yeah, go up there in order to sabotage the match.' I thought angrily.

"Damn it..." I heard Endou, then he punched his fist into his hand. "If they won't attack, then I can't just stay here!"

He ran.

He literally just ran out of his position, leaving Asuka blocking it in panic. My jaw dropped and I kept blinking after what I just saw. "Rena! Can you believe the guy?!" I heard Asuka shout. "Y-Yeah..." I muttered, still not believing what I saw just now.

I saw him on the attack and he kicked the ball into the goal with no shoot, so the goalkeeper blocked it with ease. 

"Why did you join on the offense?" He asked.

"To score points of course!" Endou exclaimed. "That's soccer!"

"Endou! Hurry and get back to your position!" I shouted. 

Endou, Shuuya and Someoka got back to their original position, and the goalkeeper kicked the ball already to his teammates. Kabeyama did a feint to that player and the ball was in Matsuno's possession, and got past two players. When he was about to pass to Shuuya, Shimozuru got the ball by using a sliding tackle, and ran forward to the goal.

"Patriot Shoot!"

The ball engulfed with light was narrowly blocked by Endou, and it was a lucky save nonetheless. Soon it was Mikage's attack with a corner kick, but the formation was messed up and Shimozuru had the ball. I made a move on him and blocked him.

"That wasn't on your data now was it?" I smirked at him.

"Out of the way." He tried getting past me, but I blocked him again.

"Not a chance, Arata." I said.

"Out of the way!"

He got past me, and Endou was already running out of his position again, and he called Shuuya while doing it. Shimozuru did Patriot Shoot, but it was neutralized by their newly made hissatsu. The goalkeeper had caught it, but he was slammed into the goal with the shoot, and we earned our point.

"Yes!" I heard Kuroi shout at the benches.

"To think they made a technique like that... looks like my uncle was wrong about individual roles." I said to myself. 

Soon the score was 1-2 thanks to Dragon Tornado. Then I saw that the players of Mikage Sennou looked alarmed and were about to surrender. And that's when I noticed the chords attacked to their foreheads. That's when it hit me.

"So that's how they've been able to predict their movements... they've been linked to computers... What a cheat..." I muttered.

"Sakuma! Score it in!"

"Rena! Score in now!"

My thoughts were snapped when the ball was passed to me, and I ran forward to the goal. 

"Dragon Tornado!"

I kicked it, but it was blocked. 

"Captain!" Shimozuru and his other players looked at him.

"Everyone feels the same, don't you?! Fight until the end!" 

They proceeded to remove the chords attached too their foreheads and threw them on the ground. "Finally they realized." I said aloud. I saw Shimozuru glanced at me, and just gave a small smile and said to me, "We won't lose this match."

"We'll see about that, Arata." I said, running back to my position.

The match was at it's stalemate. Each shoot was blocked from either team, and each player kept on attacking like it was their last time playing. Shuuya kicked the ball in order to use Fire Tornado, but Shimozuru had blocked it, and they both fell to the ground. Shimozuru (literally) used his head to pass it to their goalkeeper.

Their goalkeeper then ran forward past Someoka and the center ring. He kicked the ball with force into the goal, but Endou's God Hand stopped it, and the final whistle blew. We won with a 1-2 lead. Then afterwards... I walked over to the Mikage Sennou team. Shimozuru looked up at me.

"Here, usually I'd ignore you." I helped him, and two of his teammates held him so he could stand. "And here I thought you were cold." He said. I shrugged. "We're friends, aren't we?" I asked and held my hand out. 

Shimozuru looked at me for minute, then shook my hand. "Yeah, we are."

"Sugimori!"

Oh so that was the goalkeeper's name. Endou called him out, and Sugimori looked at him. 

"Let's play soccer again!" He held his hand out.

"Yeah, next time."  Sugimori shook his hand.