Hello~ it's me~ I've been wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet~

Anyway, enjoy!

~'0'~

Accidental Reverse Arc 2

  ~'0'~  

''The match between Kaiou Academy versus Raimon Jr. High opens with Kaiou immediately scoring 1-0!'' yells the commentator. ''Raimon is abruptly pulled behind!''

''They're no match for us to begin with,'' smirks the boy with blue dreadlocks, Wanda. His captain simply smirks and Tenma rolls his eyes.

''That's what Teikoku said, but we're here now, aren't we?'' he mutters to himself. 'Besides, Kaiou never could beat us. We've been champions three years in a row, going on four.'

Shindou seems to think for a moment and then throws a look over his shoulder. ''Tenma! Tsurugi! Bring up the passes!'' he orders. The two boys nod.

With that, the match resumes with Raimon's kickoff. Kurama quickly passes to Shindou, who passes to Tsurugi. A Kaiou midfielder jumps in the way and the Seedling kicks the ball backwards without looking. ''Matsukaze!'' Tenma, already having expected this move, easily takes the ball, skillfully dribbling through the Kaiou players.

He is stopped when Kaiou's captain, who Tenma remembers as Namikawa, moves to stop him. The brunet hides a scowl – even after being beaten by Raimon in the future, the other captain never lost his arrogant attitude.

The time traveler notices Kurama coming up from the left. 'It's no good! He won't be able to score, even with Sidewinder, and then we'll lose complete control of the ball.' He hesitates just a little too long and Namikawa suddenly shoots forward in order to steal the ball.

Tenma reacts without thinking. With a blue glow of his eyes, an azure aura surrounds him and gravity distorts, throwing Namikawa off balance as the brunet moves around his fallen form. Then his blue glowing orbs return to their normal grey color and the Soul Trance dissipates.

'Used one second, have 33 left.' The brunet doesn't wait to see the reaction of Kaiou's captain at the freaky distortion and instead dribbles forward. Two defenders of the opponent come up to stop him and without missing a beat, he passes to Kurama.

The forward tries to score with his Sidewinder but the shot is easily stopped, and the match turns in Kaiou's favor. Kaiou's passes connect, leaving Raimon in the dust. After this has gone on for a while, Shindou grits his teeth and looks at the middle of the field. ''Kurama, Tsurugi! Tighten the defense!''

''Raimon is bringing their forwards back to secure their defense!'' says the commentator as said forwards follow their captain's orders. ''And now, Hamano moves in to defend!'' the tanned boy is indeed intercepting the path of one of Kaiou's midfielders in order to stop him. Said midfielder manages to pass him, but is stopped by Kurumada and Kirino.

With Raimon's forwards now back at their own half, Kaiou can't break through anymore. However, the yellow-clad team has to focus on their defense without any chance of playing offensive.

Tenma grimaces. 'Guess I don't have the luxury of holding back after all.' Unsurprisingly, Kaiou manages to break through at Raimon's weak point – Hayami. With a few passes, they manage to get the ball to the goal.

Raimon's time traveler closes his eyes for a moment, breathing out slowly as he stands completely still. The familiar calm washes over his mind, energy flowing through his veins and tingling to break free.

His glowing eyes snap open and he moves. Wind picks up around him, seemingly giving him wings, and within a few seconds he's moved back all the way from the middle of Raimon's half and in front of the goal. The other players have to brace themselves against the sudden raging of the wind that follows him. Tenma is a blur of blue, running across the field like it's nothing, his body using a speed that even his older body can't reach without a Soul Trance.

He easily intercepts Yoshimine and the forward's mouth falls open when he spots the brunet, seemingly coming out of nowhere. ''Wha- how did you move so fast?!'' his only answer is a smirk and a flash of blue eyes before he has to raise his arms to protect himself from a gust of raging blue wind and a warping in gravity. The ball is literally stolen right from under his nose, the younger boy lifting the boundaries on his speed to move so fast Yoshimine can barely see him.

Letting up on the Soul Trance, Tenma's azure aura disappears, only his blue glowing eyes giving any hint of his Soul. He dribbles over the field at considerable speed, easily evading the opponent's players. It is still windy but the forceful air currents from before have died down. The brunet's eyes search for his teammates and he spots none other than his favorite Seedling.

''Tsu-chan!''

Once Tsurugi has the ball he moves towards the goal, where the keeper is waiting for him. Raimon's forward jumps up, dark energy clouding behind him. ''Death Drop!''

The keeper punches the earth below him with a shout of ''Hydro Anchor!'' Water rises up together with a chain, revealed to be an anchor that intercepts the darkly glowing ball. The hissatsu fight against each other for a moment, but then Death Drop breaks through and hits the net.

''Goal! Raimon pulls the score to a tie!''

Tenma wipes his forehead, a thin layer of sweat gathering there. 'I suppose it's not so surprising it costs me this much energy. Considering this body isn't used to Soul Trance, the exhaustion is much worse than usual even though I haven't even reached my time limit yet. The amount of control I have now will do for this match, but I definitely need to practice more later. Even so, I have to take it easy... I have only 24 seconds left.' He's broken out of his thoughts by the voice of Hamano.

''How... how did you suddenly move that fast?'' asks the older midfielder, gaping at the young brunet. Most of Raimon's players are, for that matter. Tenma throws a quick look at his teammates.

''One of the hidden trump cards I was talking about. Took me a while to control it,'' he answers swiftly. ''I'll explain later,'' he adds quickly when he sees their imploring looks. Clearly not happy but understanding the situation, the others nod and back off.

The time traveler locks eyes with the keeper for a moment. Sangoku is staring at him with wide, worried eyes. Tenma gives him a bright grin to reassure him, and the older boy nods slowly, still worried.

The moment the match continues, Kaiou's plays change. Stronger, faster, better. They've finally gotten serious. That being said, Raimon's future captain knows that it won't be long anymore before they bring out the Keshin.

And indeed they do. Connecting their passes, the ball eventually reaches Wanda. A cloud of dark energy rises up behind him and Tenma grimaces at the wave of pain that crashes over him. ''Sonic Speed Barius!'' the giant form takes shape and the brunet gasps.

Something inside his chest stirs, trying to claw its way to the surface. Agony burns through his veins, completely shattering the calm that set over his mind when he used his Soul energy. Said energy retreats into his conscious, leaving him to take the blow of his rogue Keshin.

The sound around him is blocked out by his heart beats echoing fast and loudly through his ears, a headache settling in quickly. His muscles feel like they're burning and freezing at the same time, pain radiating through every inch of his body.

Agony.

Agony.

Agony.

He barely feels how his body is thrown to the side as Wanda throws him and Shindou out of the way with his Keshin. An agonized scream tears itself from his lips and he can make out another voice, though this one is more of surprise and pain instead of burning agony – Shindou, his mind supplies.

He clams his lips shut as his body hits the ground mercilessly. The excruciating pain in his limbs makes it impossible for him to catch himself, so he hits the earth full-force.

He forces his eyes to open through the agony, though his vision is slightly blurry. He sees how Wanda passes to his captain and Namikawa calls forth his Keshin. ''Sea King Poseidon!''

And then the agony increases tenfold.

A soundless scream tears itself from his lips and he sees black and red flare up around him. Pure, wild Keshin energy surrounds him, taking on a physical projection, much to his shock (well, as shocked as he can be in his current state. The agony that courses through his veins is kind of distracting).

And then it disappears, leaving a dull ache behind. Tenma lays panting on the field for a moment before forcing his body into a sitting position, wincing at the lingering agony. The red Keshin energy disappeared as fast as it came and he doesn't believe anyone noticed it.

A look at the scoreboard shows that Namikawa manages to score with his Keshin, the score now a 2-1 in Kaiou's favor. The brunet breathes heavily, waiting for the still stirring energy to settle down and the sharp pain to be replaced by a dull, pulsing ache.

''Tenma you okay?'' asks a voice and the time traveler looks up. Shindou is already standing, not hurt by the violent Keshin attack besides a few scrapes.

Raimon's future captain sends him a reassuring smile. ''Just catching m-my breath,'' he says, slightly breathlessly, hoping the tactician doesn't notice the slight stutter in his voice.

Shindou nods, not having any reason to doubt his words, and instead moves to talk with some of the other second and third-years. Tenma carefully stands up, flinching at the painful stings in his whole body. He can feel Sangoku's eyes on him but decides the keeper can deal with his concern until the first half ends.

Soon the match continues. Kurumada manages to steal the ball by using his Dash Train, but when he tries to pass the ball, he quickly finds that both of Raimon's Keshin users are being blocked by Kaiou.

''Kurumada-senpai!'' the third-year's dark eyes move to the form of the brunet and he passes the ball. Tenma quickly dribbles over the field, gathering up his strength.

His eyes flare blue just as Kaiou's last Keshin user reveals himself. ''Elite Soldier Pawn!''

The brunet staggers for a moment as a wave of pain crashes over him, but the quickly switched-on Soul Trance manages to fight it off for the most part. The Kaiou player sprints forward with a wild scream, fully set on throwing Tenma to the side.

The time traveler just smirks. Such low-level tactics haven't worked on him for years.

Both players kick the ball, one with the impressive form of a Keshin rising up behind him, the other surrounded by an eerie blue aura with flaring eyes. They fight for the ball for a few moments and Tenma's eyes narrow in determination.

'I can't lose- I won't lose!'

With the extra push of willpower, his azure blue aura flares up even stronger and the Keshin user is thrown to the side when the brunet breaks past him. ''Tsurugi!'' he yells, the glow of blue dying down.

The forward doesn't need any explaining, for he already knows the time traveler's intention. Sprinting forwards, he keeps his eyes on the brunet as they wait for the right moment to pass.

That moment comes after Tenma dribbles past one of Kaiou's forwards. Having known the Seedling for many years now, the brunet kicks the ball and the pass connects perfectly. Tsurugi doesn't hesitate and jumps up, dark energy surrounding the ball. ''Death Drop!''

''Hydro Anchor!'' the keeper slams his fist on the ground, but the Seedling's shot is too strong and easily breaks through, pulling the score to a tie again. Two whistles sound loudly over the cheering of the audience.

''And there's the end of the first half! The perfect teamwork between Matsukaze and Tsurugi manages to bring the score to a tie again!''

  ~'0'~  

Well, at least there's no talk about putting Tenma as goalkeeper this time.

Instead, Raimon uses this time to go over their strategy for the second half and rest a bit. Keeping up with Kaiou is proving even harder than expected.

Tenma simply sits down on the grass, a bit away from his senpai who are currently talking with Endou. He seems to be the only one who's not looking at the coach as he talks – not that he's not listening, though – and is instead inspecting the field in front of him.

Already having figured something like this would happen, the brunet isn't startled when someone sits down next to him. A glance to his left and his thoughts are proven true when he sees the goalkeeper sitting next to him. ''Are you okay?'' asks Sangoku, the worry in his voice impossible to miss.

The time traveler finally turns to face him, tilting his head curiously. ''How much did you see?''

The third-year grimaces. ''From the moment Wanda called his Keshin, until he passed to Namikawa. I had to focus on protecting the goal, not that that really helped...'' he sighs and runs a hand through his hair at his failing keeper techniques. Then the worry for his junior overtakes the thoughts of his job as keeper and he turns back to Tenma. ''It looked really bad and you... screamed.''

Tenma flinches at this. The last few matches, he's managed to keep himself from screaming, but two Keshin at the same time without Maestro or Lancelot to relieve the pain was too much. ''It... took me by surprise,'' he mutters finally, drawing his knees to his chest and resting his chin on them.

Sangoku frowns and hands the brunet a water bottle. ''You have no idea how horrible it looks. First you freeze and then it almost looks like a thin line of black and red surrounds you... and your expression-'' he cuts himself off there, cringing like he can feel the brunet's pain himself.

Tenma raises a hand in front of his face and balls his fist. He closes his eyes for a moment, reaching for the restless wild energy deep within. Keeping an iron hold on it, he allows a tiny stream of energy to rise up to the surface.

When he opens his eyes again, his fist is surrounded by a reddish black energy cloud, looking exactly like normal Keshin energy except for the difference in color. And the fact that it only surrounds his fist.

''Like this?'' he asks his senpai with a small smile, ignoring the painful burning in his hand and wrist. The small amount of energy is nothing in comparison to what he's had to go through the last few weeks.

Sangoku watches with wide eyes, slowly lifting a hand and reaching out to the dark energy. Then he hesitates and shoots Tenma a questioning glance, who nods his permission. The keeper returns his eyes to the red cloud and his hand closes in on it.

The moment his fingers are surrounded by the energy, he hisses and pulls his hand away like he's been burned. ''Ouch! That hurts!''

Raimon's time traveler blinks. ''It's not so bad in comparison to normal. I'm getting the hang of controlling just a tiny bit of my Keshin,'' he says in ways of explanation at the keeper's inquiring look.

The older boy frowns. ''If it already burns me this much by just touching it for a second, I don't want to know how it feels when you face another Keshin...'' he winces at the thought and his already worried eyes darken even more with concern. ''How can you even move after an... attack?'' he settles on saying.

The young brunet shrugs and his lips twitch upwards in a small smile. ''The pain goes away pretty quickly. Tell me, can you still feel it?'' when Sangoku's eyes widen in surprise, Tenma nods. ''So most of the time it's just a dull ache. It's annoying, but I've had worse.''

He lets his eyes return to the fist that is still surrounded by energy. He's just about to focus on letting it disappear, when his hand is suddenly surrounded by a blue glow. The glow quickly overtakes the Keshin energy, driving it away until his hand is only surrounded by blue light, no sign of the reddish cloud that was there just a moment ago.

Sangoku watches with wide eyes. ''What is that? I mean, I saw it before when you stopped that forward from shooting... suddenly the wind increased tenfold and you moved so fast I almost couldn't see you. And sometimes your eyes glow blue...''

The time traveler smirks but quickly wipes the expression from his face. Wouldn't do to scare his teammates, after all. Instead he just concentrates and the blue glow intensifies, his eyes swirling pools of cerulean fire – not a Soul Trance, but close to it.

''Like this, you mean?'' the light has attracted the attention of his other teammates, who turn to look at him. Once the brunet catches sight of them, he lets the blue energy fade away, a familiar calm washing over his mind. He smiles brightly at the rest of Raimon.

Endou is the one to address him first. ''Tenma, what is that?'' he asks curiously.

The time traveler shrugs nonchalantly. ''A new form of energy manipulation.''

The coach blinks but then a look of fascination settles over his expression. ''I've never seen anything like it before. How does it work?''

Sangoku gives him a pointed look, clearly saying 'that's what I'd like to know as well'. Not that Tenma is surprised, considering that the keeper knows he can't use a Keshin, so what makes this form of energy different?

The young time traveler hesitates for a moment, wondering how much he should tell them. The Beast form is probably out of the question – better keep it hidden until the Grand Celesta Galaxy. But the rest should be fair play, at least if he doesn't mention the link with his Second Stage Genes.

''Well... it's called a Soul,'' he starts after having made his decision. ''Unlike a Keshin, it mostly depends on mental strength. Willpower. Whatever you want to call it. It's also rarer than a Keshin- okay, that's not true, but most people only have a faint Soul. Definitely not strong enough to awaken it.

''The thing is, a Soul is also different from a Keshin in other forms. Keshin is a materialized form of spiritual energy, while Souls are part of humankind's natural evolution. It was created by a mutant gene that has been present for eons, developing further as the centuries pass. Now, in this day, it has spread out through the whole of the humankind, though for most people it's very weak and unnoticeable. About one in a hundred possess a gene strong enough to really awaken, while about a tenth of them can actually use it.

''The genes of those people might still be dormant, but they have developed stronger than those of others. The mutant genes, when strong enough, go deeper than just body. It's part of the deepest DNA, a part of their mind and heart itself. It is unique for everyone because it shapes itself to fit all aspects of that person, both physical and mental. It is a source of raw powers that shapes itself to its host, it grows with them. And when awakened, it forms the materialized energy form of one's mind, one's heart. Of their soul.''

Raimon falls silent in awe and Tenma pauses for a moment to let them process the new information. Then he continues. ''Anyway, you can basically use it for anything. If you can manipulate the energy, you can enter a Soul Trance. It enhances both speed and strength and basically lifts the body's limits. That's the internal energy of a Soul Trance. The external energy is the other part, the part that isn't used to enhance the body. That energy leaves the body and takes the shape of one of the elements,'' he says.

''Everyone has their own element, the main ones being Void, Wood, Fire, Earth or Wind. Void includes darkness or a combination of more main elements, Wood includes music, energy, space and darkness. Fire is just that, fire. Earth includes a few minor things as well, the most important being light, and Wind includes water, ice and lightning. The elements can vary greatly, even for people with the same one, because they are all unique. Every element simply has a few basic things and the rest depends on the user.

''Depending on the way the genes have developed, every Soul user has a few other abilities. If they have developed in the 'safe' way, you can manipulate the external energy, though that takes a lot of concentration and strength. If you're strong enough, you can push the Soul energy out of your body and manipulate it without using Soul Trance – I can do that, though I'm not very good yet. You can also share Soul energy, that's easiest with someone of the same element but works for generally everyone.

''If the genes have developed in the 'dangerous' way, it's generally stronger than the 'safe' genes but also leads to greater dangers when one uses too much energy. I won't go into details about that, but someone with dangerous genes can also use abilities like levitation and, if they're strong enough, telekinesis. At least, in theory, I've never encountered anyone who can.''

(Besides himself, of course.)

''That whole 'running super-fast' thing from just now is a mix of internal and external energy. I used my element, which is Wind, to increase my speed even more. I basically manipulated the external energy to increase in the form of wind and keep the other players from moving, while also changing it in a way that my speed is boosted. I can also do a few other tricks like that, but I'm going to hold those back for as long as I can in order to surprise our future opponents.

''Besides, I still need more training. A Soul Trance has a time limit, and mine is currently 34 seconds. I've already used 23, so I only have eleven seconds left.''

With that the brunet finishes his little explanation and inspects his teammates for their reactions. Which are basically incredibly shocked, awed, amazed, or a mix of the three.

The managers are the same, just like coach Endou. Tenma, seeing they probably have a lot to think about, grabs his water bottle and takes a few sips in order to restore some of his energy as he waits for his team to process all the new information.

Sangoku is the first to speak, his voice soft and concerned. ''So... it's not hurting you or something?''

The time traveler glances at him, knowing the keeper is thinking about his Keshin. With a quick shake of his head, the third-year relaxes and nods slowly.

The rest of Raimon relaxes slightly at that. ''How did you figure all this stuff out?''

Tenma's gaze shifts towards Kirino, who is looking at him in curiosity. Seeing the same look on the faces of his other teammates, the brunet carefully thinks about his answer. ''Well, I once met a man who could 'see' Soul energy. He told me about it, and from there on I started to experiment a bit...''

Raimon asks more questions, but Tsurugi is the one to bring up the topic Tenma wanted to avoid most. ''You said there's a difference between 'safe' and 'dangerous' genes. Which ones do you have?''

The brunet stills and his uncomfortable expression says it all. Shindou immediately questions him. ''Isn't it dangerous for you to use a Soul?'' he asks worriedly.

Tenma shrugs. ''Only if I go beyond my limit and do stupid things. Besides, I use the levitation stuff only when I absolutely have to or when I'm practicing, and then I always keep an eye on how much I can do before it becomes dangerous. And honestly, it's not that bad in my case, since my genes are mostly dormant. All other stuff is safe...''

(He deliberately doesn't tell them about the worst case scenario – the awakening of his dormant genes, turning him into a Second Stage Child with every danger that comes with it. The chance of that happening, though, is less than one percent unless he burns down all Soul energy in his body, which would give his Second Stage Genes free reign [the thing is, burning down all the Soul energy in a Soul user's body is next to impossible.])

(Except for when he gets angry, like when he was ranting to Taiyou about Fifth Sector. Then his powers increase majorly, due to his Second Stage Genes reacting better to his anger and he loses control. His Soul energy turns purple like Ozrock's instead of its usual blue, a mix of dark Soul energy and repressed Second Stage Powers. A rare occurrence, but terrifying every single time.)

Eventually his teammates back down, just in time for the second half to start.

  ~'0'~  

The second half starts with Raimon's kickoff. Shindou manages to break through Kaiou's front line and makes his way on their half of the field, quickly using his Presto Turn to pass one of their players.

It continues on like that. ''Raimon's passes are connecting!'' even without the risk of Tenma as goalkeeper looming over them, they completely change their rhythm in the second half. ''The match is running in their favor!''

As Kaiou attempts a long pass to one of their forwards, Shinsuke jumps into the air and easily intercepts it. ''Tenma!'' he passes to his brunet friend.

The pass connects and the time traveler skillfully dribbles further onto Kaiou's half of the field. Wanda runs forward in order to stop him. ''We are Seeds! We won't lose to the likes of you!'' he exclaims.

Tenma can't help it. It's just so tempting.

''I'm sorry, I didn't get that. I don't speak idiot,'' he says, a sweet smile on his face and sparkles seemingly surrounding him. Wanda gapes at him and then narrows his eyes, a growl tearing itself from his throat. ''Oh no, I believe your intelligence – if you had it in the first place – is starting to lower. I'd suggest a stop of Vitamin Stupid.''

''How dare you-!'' the Kaiou player launches himself at the brunet, furiously trying to steal the ball. Tenma, however, simply darts around him, even as the Keshin user whips around in order to try and steal the ball again and again. The brunet almost seems to dance as he avoids Wanda's attempts of stealing the ball, light as a feather.

As the Kaiou midfielder tries to get the ball once more, Tenma sidesteps him and with a flicker of glowing blue eyes, a flash of blue wind blows low over the field in front of the boy's feet, tripping him. That's basically the most he can do now without entering Soul Trance.

Tenma doesn't pay attention to Wanda as he lands on the ground, already making his way to Kaiou's goal. He passes to Hayami, but the older midfielder is too slow and Namikawa manages to steal it.

The time traveler mentally curses and immediately sprints back towards Raimon's goal. Not a moment too soon, for Kaiou's passes connect and once Wanda gets the ball, a dark cloud rises up behind him as he calls forth his Keshin.

''No!''

Surrounded by an azure blue glow, Tenma lets his wind push him forward in order to reach the goal in time, knowing Sangoku won't be able to stop the Keshin shot.

As Wanda's Keshin takes shape, the wild energy inside of Tenma tries to claw its way to the surface. The blue glow around him intensifies, keeping it caged for now. The brunet flinches – that the Soul Trance is keeping his Keshin locked away doesn't mean it doesn't hurt, though it's bearable for now (but maybe that's just the adrenaline).

''Sonic Speed Barius!'' Wanda's blue Keshin takes form and he lets the ball rest on his lower leg. It starts spinning quickly, gathering more and more speed and power. The midfielder smirks at Sangoku and then kicks the spinning ball with all his might.

But before it can start its way towards the goal, a glowing blue something jumps in front of it. Tenma doesn't think as he kicks the ball with all the power he has in his thirteen-year-old body, Wanda's eyes widening but then narrowing in determination as the two fight for dominance over the ball.

Blue wind picks up around them, growing faster and stronger with every passing second until a storm of blue energy is raging over the field, its heart the two figures in front of Raimon's goal – one with a Keshin looming up behind him, the other with an unnatural blue glow around him.

The wind starts to swirl around the two, slowly taking the shape of a tornado around them as it continues to intensify. Tenma's eyes emit a blueish white light, long past the usual glow. Wanda grits his teeth and his Keshin's eyes glow red for a second as its master puts more power into the fight.

The players closest to the two are blown away by the powerful wind, the players standing further away having to fight to keep standing.

The wind increases even more, all of it now directed at Wanda. Within seconds, the Keshin user is blown aside, his Keshin evaporating.

Tenma pants heavily as he stops the ball from rolling away with one foot. The whitish blue light in his eyes dims to a glowing blue until it disappears completely, together with the aura that surrounds him. The storm of wind dies down, leaving as fast as it came. 'It's like I thought... I exhausted all of my Soul energy. I can't enter Soul Trance anymore and I can't even use external Soul energy anymore in this match...'

After he catches his breath, the time traveler slowly looks up at the other people on the field. Wanda still hasn't gotten up, instead joining his teammates in gaping at the brunet. Said brunet grins. ''And that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you stop a Keshin.'' He then passes the ball to a stunned Hamano. ''Now let's win this match.''

And the game continues.

Raimon plays with renewed energy, their passes connecting as they give Kaiou a hard time keeping up. ''Hayami!'' Kirino passes the ball to the midfielder.

Said midfielder stands frozen for a second as one of Kaiou's players runs towards him with a shout of ''You won't have it!''

Tenma sees the exact moment when his dark, hesitant eyes light with a burning resolve. The maroon-haired boy ticks the ground twice with one foot, before slamming it down and getting into a starting position for runners. As the Kaiou player stops in surprise at the sudden movement, Hayami launches himself forward with a cry of ''Zeroyon!''

''Awesome!'' shouts Hamano, winking at his best friend and Hayami smiles at him. The game continues, Raimon keeping the upper hand but not getting the chance to score, until the ball is stolen by Kaiou's third Keshin user.

''Elite Soldier Pawn!'' he yells, shooting the ball at the goal.

Instead of looking hesitant like before, Sangoku's expression is one of a steely determination. ''I will protect Raimon's goal!'' he jumps up, makes an indecisive number of summersaults, and then slams his fists on the ground. ''Fence of Gaia!'' rocks rise up behind him, easily stopping the ball.

Tenma grins at the sight. ''The winds have changed,'' he mutters softly to himself. ''In Raimon's favor.''

Raimon brings up the passes again, leaving Kaiou in their dust. ''Tenma!'' Shindou shouts as he passes the ball to the time traveler. Once he gets the ball, the young brunet starts running at top speed. He brings the ball forward, jumps and kicks it. As he makes contact, the ball is engulfed in a blueish white aura and surrounded by several spirals of wind. It shoots forward, leaving a bright beam in its path. ''Mach Wind!''

Kaiou's keeper slams his fist on the ground. ''Hydro Anchor!'' the power of the two hissatsu fight against each other for a moment, but then Mach Wind overpowers the keeper technique and breaks through, hitting the net.

''Goal! Matsukaze's first official goal pulls Raimon ahead! They finally managed to turn the score around!'' yells the commentator as cheers rise up from the audience. Three whistles echo through the stadium. ''And that's the end of the match! Raimon wins and will be moving on to the Nationals!''

''We won...'' says Hayami astonished, a smile on his face. ''We just won...'' Hamano gives him a friendly hit on the back and grins at his best friend. Somewhere closer to Raimon's goal, Shindou and Sangoku are talking.

Tenma grins as he sees his team celebrate their victory. 'I knew we could do it.' At a happy shout of his name, the brunet turns around and his smile widens as he sees the beaming form of Shinsuke. ''We won! We really won!'' cheers the smaller boy.

''Yeah!'' agrees the time traveler cheerfully and the two make their way to the rest of their team.

The happy atmosphere is broken when two men in grey uniforms with the Fifth Sector logo suddenly arrive on the field. Everyone stills, hushed whispers coming from the audience, as the two make their way to the middle of the field and look at Raimon.

Without even seeming to realize what they're doing, the third and second-years push their first-years – even Tsurugi – behind them, guarded expressions on their faces when it becomes clear the two Fifth Sector agents are there for the Raimon team.

The first man speaks up in an emotionless voice. ''First-year Raimon player Matsukaze Tenma is to be taken into custody and brought to a meeting with our master.''

Everything becomes dead quiet.

Tenma's eyes widen as the words register in his mind and he freezes for a moment, fear swirling in his stomach. Then the feeling of a hand on his shoulder attracts his attention, and he looks up, big grey orbs meeting orange ones. Tsurugi's eyes are filled with reassurance, caution and something else that Tenma can't name but has seen more than once – the same thing Hamano sometimes has in his eyes when they talk.

Tsurugi's cool expression doesn't change as he pulls the brunet behind him, the rest of their team huddling closer together as if to hide the time traveler from view. Tenma stares at them in awe.

''By whose orders?'' Shindou's voice breaks the cold silence that has settled in the stadium, filled with carefully guarded worry and defiance.

Raimon's time traveler closes his eyes, already suspecting – and fearing – the answer.

The second Fifth Sector agent is the one to reply. ''By the orders of the Holy Emperor.''

Tenma's hands ball into fists as he slowly opens his eyes, a rueful smile playing on his lips. 'I really should have expected this, shouldn't I?'

  ~'0'~  

Cliff~hang~er~

Hope you liked it, next chapter: Tenma meets the Holy Emperor! Ah, I can't wait for the reactions.

- Yara Meijer