Welcome back to Accidental Reverse, chapter 21 this time! Thank you all so much for the support and kind words, it really meant a lot!

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Accidental Reverse Arc 2

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After a tense confrontation with Minamisawa, in which the forward admits to mostly having joined Gassan Kunimitsu in order to teach Raimon a lesson, they arrive at Cyclone Stadium.

As they reach the grounds, the Raimon team inspects the field they'll be playing on. ''The stage for Raimon versus Gassan Kunimitsu is in Cyclone Stadium!'' calls the commentator.

''What are those?'' asks Hayami as they all stare at the turbines.

''They're way too massive for air conditioning,'' adds Kurama, awed and confused.

Hamano frowns as he looks at the turbines. ''More like giant fans...''

''Raimon Jr. High lead by Coach Endou and Gassan Kunimitsu lead by Coach Kondou!'' says the commentator, who happens to be the same as yesterday. The Gassan team is already standing by their bench, not surprised by their surroundings at all. ''The game will begin momentarily!''

A few minutes later, both teams find themselves in position as the field. ''Both teams are in position! The match will start with Raimon's kickoff!'' the referee blows on his whistle and Tsurugi and Kurama start the match.

''Primary formation!'' comes the shout from Gassan Kunimitsu's captain, who has introduced himself as Hyoudou Tsukasa. His team immediately responds, running to both sides of the field and leaving the middle wide open.

After a long moment of hesitation, Kurama moves up, just when the turbines are activated and the first typhoon is created. It rages right behind the Raimon forward, straight through the path the Gassan Kunimitsu players form.

The tanned boy is caught in the typhoon and with a scream he's twirled in the heavy air currents. ''Kurama!'' the teen is finally released when the turbines stop and the cyclone dissipates.

''Are you okay?'' asks Shindou as he runs towards the forward, who has landed harshly on the ground.

Kurama groans as he stands up. ''Yeah...''

The match continues as Gassan Kunimitsu takes the ball. ''Secondary formation!'' calls Hyoudou and his team follows their captain's orders. The turbines start moving again and the Gassan players move right towards the cyclones that are created. ''Advance!''

''Gassan Kunimitsu's Flame Encampment!'' shouts one of the midfielders.

Hamano and Hayami attempt to stop them, but the Gassan Kunimitsu players are covered by the three typhoons. The two Raimon midfielders are stopped by the fierce wind and the opponent players move past them without any trouble, still shielded by the cyclones.

Just as they reach the point where they should get caught by the heavy winds as well, the typhoons die down. The front of Raimon's goal is completely open. With a few well-timed passes, the ball is played to one of their forwards.

Kariya suddenly moves in front of him. ''You're not getting through me!'' warns the tealheaded defender. The approaching forward takes the challenge and prepares to shoot.

Before he can, however, Kariya moves his hand to the side, as if slashing at someone. Reddish pink threads follow his fingers. He moves his other hand upwards and more threads braid themselves together. ''Hunter's Net!''

The forward is caught in the glowing net and the ball shoots away. ''Kariya blocks the shoot with his hissatsu technique!'' as the public starts cheering, the tealhead grins predatorily. ''Kariya keeps the ball he's cut in his possession!''

The defender starts dribbling forwards and Kirino moves along. ''Kariya! Pass the ball to me!'' he says sharply, but the tealhead ignores him and instead runs further. ''Kariya!''

The ball is stolen from him and Gassan Kunimitsu's passes start connecting. Soon it's passed to Minamisawa, who moves towards the goal. ''Here it comes, Sangoku! Think you can stop this?!'' Raimon's keeper grits his teeth and prepares himself against the forward's shot. ''Sonic Shot!''

The ball shoots forward in a blue arc of light and Sangoku jumps into the sky. ''Fence of Gaia!'' the familiar rocks shoot out of the ground and the ball hits it. The two hissatsu fight against each other, but then the shot is stopped. Raimon's goal is safe once more.

This time it's Raimon's turn to connect their passes. They move forward when Hyoudou suddenly calls out to his team, ''Tertiary formation!'' and they all move to the right.

''Tenma!'' Shindou passes to the midfielder, who is running through the free zone on Gassan's half.

''Get in position!'' shouts Hyoudou and the whole Gassan Kunimitsu kneels down as the turbines start moving again. This time, the cyclone is created right in front of the brunet.

'I've done this before, too many times to count.' A slight upturn of his lips is the only sign of amusement from the time traveler. 'There's a reason this is my favorite stadium.'

(His friends always say that, when it comes to Cyclone Stadium, he's their ace. What better than to put a wind-based player on a wind-based field?)

Tenma moves right towards the typhoon, instead of trying to get around it. Just before he's caught in the heavy wind flares, he launches himself forward, a trail of green air following him. He spins around the cyclone, not fighting the winds but instead allowing them to push him further. ''Soyokaze Step!''

The cyclone dies down a few moments later, but the Gassan Kunimitsu players are still downed by the heavy winds and can't react as fast as they usually do. It's too easy to break past their defense line.

Two defenders charge at him, but with an easy pass, he saves their chance at a goal. ''Kurama-senpai!''

The Raimon forward runs towards the goal and throws his arms into the air. He launches the ball into the air with his legs and jumps up after it, kicking it twice. The ball starts glowing green and a huge snake appears behind it. ''Sidewinder!''

The ball is launched towards the goal, but Hyoudou doesn't seem fazed.

Tenma only has a second to think, 'Oh shoot!' before a cloud of black and purple rises up behind the keeper and burning pain washes over his senses. ''Behold my power! Giant God Gigantes!''

Agony courses through his veins and a breathless gasp escapes his lips. Through the (burning-freezing-excruciating) agony, he fights to keep his balance, but another wave of Keshin energy causes him to drop to his knees.

Pain.

He clams his lips shut and fights it as well as he can, which is actually not well at all.

Finally it dies down when Hyoudou stops the shoot and his Keshin disappears. Tenma gasps for air, taking the few precious moments in the confusion to gather his barely-there strength.

No matter how many times it happens, it still hurts a goddamn lot.

It's only a moment later that the turbines start moving again and three new cyclones, even bigger than the ones before, are created in the middle of the field.

Hyoudou shoots the ball right towards them, and it's caught in the heavy wind, spinning around it. ''Secondary formation!'' he calls and his team follows his order without hesitation, using the typhoons again as shields. ''Advance!''

Shindou grits his teeth and lifts his hand up, a gentle light surrounding it. ''God's Baton!'' he directs the path of light around the three cyclones. Amagi tries to follow it, but is blocked by the typhoons raging towards him.

Both Kariya and Kirino go after it instead. The ball moves from typhoon to typhoon and then suddenly shoots out of it, exactly where one of Gassan Kunimitsu's midfielders is located. The two Raimon defenders get in each other's way and the ball is passed to Minamisawa. ''Sonic Shot!''

Sangoku jumps to stop it, but suddenly the ball is caught in the air currents and curves, hitting the net on the opposite side. ''Goal! Gassan Kunimitsu makes the first point!''

The Raimon team gathers on their half and Tenma watches as Kariya walks up to Amagi. He's too far to hear exactly what's being said, but Amagi's angry expression and Kariya's satisfied expression is more than enough.

''Kirino!'' the large defender storms towards the pink-haired teen. ''If you've got something to say, say it to my face!''

The smaller defender looks lost. ''But I don't...'' suddenly his eyes widen in realization and he looks past Amagi. ''Did Kariya tell you something?''

''Kariya has nothing to with it!'' protests Amagi angrily. ''Next time they come up on the offense, I'll be the one to stop them! I won't lose to the likes of you!''

Kirino grits his teeth. ''That guy...'' he walks past the larger defender, towards the tealhead.

''Kirino-senpai.'' The pink-haired defender stops when he hears someone call his name, his eyes still narrowed in furiously as he turns to look at Tenma. ''Stop acting like this towards Kariya.''

The older player grits his teeth even more. ''You don't know what you're talking about,'' he says, attempting to continue on his way.

''I do.'' The certainty in the brunet's voice causes the defender to stop and turn around. ''I know he's pretending to be all innocent while actually being the complete opposite. I know he's playing too rough on purpose and I know he almost injured you the other day at practice.''

Kirino's eyes widen. ''What- how-''

''But I also know,'' states Tenma lowly, so that only the defender can hear him, ''that he's not a Seed.''

The pink-haired teen freezes. ''How do you know that?''

''The same way I knew Tsurugi would come around,'' says Tenma calmly. ''Trust me when I say Kariya's not a Seed. He's a troublemaker and he's causing chaos everywhere, on purpose, but he's not a Seed. He's not with Fifth Sector, he's on his own side.''

Kirino shoots another look at the tealhead and balls his fists. For a moment the time traveler thinks he'll go after him anyway, but then the defender sharply turns around and walks away.

'Well, that could've gone better.'

Tenma makes his way towards his position. When he walks past Tsurugi, he can feel the forward's sharp gaze on him.

The match resumes with Raimon's kickoff and they immediately move forward. ''Primary formation!'' calls Hyoudou and his team moves into position as the turbines start again. Three typhoons are created in the middle of the field, separating the two teams from each other.

Shindou stops when he sees them and searches for their resident time traveler. ''Tenma!'' he passes the ball and the brunet shoots forward, straight for the cyclones.

''Soyokaze Step!'' it's too easy to move past the first typhoon. 'I've managed to pass them, now it's time to use them!'

Two Gassan Kunimitsu players move towards him, trying to intercept him. Tenma hides a smile and instead makes a sudden, sharp turn to the left. ''What?!'' he hears one of them exclaim. ''What's he doing?''

The brunet ignores them and runs towards the second cyclone. Instead of changing his route so that he'll pass it, like he's been doing until now, he runs straight at it. Predicting the air current is too easy and he shoots the ball to the right of the cyclone, where no one is standing. ''Tsurugi!''

The heavy wind gets a grip on it and the ball curves, perfectly landing before the Seedling, who reacts immediately and dribbles towards the goal.

Now that the attention on him has been replaced for focus on Tsurugi, Tenma is finally able to make use of the countless paths this field has opened up for him.

Instead of moving away from the typhoon, he continues running towards it.

The time traveler braces himself, changes his path so that, rather than pushing him away, the wind pushes him closer to the cyclone.

For a long moment, the only thing he can feel is the raging wind, tearing and slashing at his skin, rushing through his ears and blocking all other sound, making it hard to see anything through the currents.

Then the moment is over and he finds himself surrounded by calm.

Well, technically, he's surrounded by raging winds on every side, but there's a reason people call it 'the eye of the storm'. No heavy wind currents pushing and pulling at him, no fighting for balance.

''Spiral Draw,'' he whispers.

The wind around him is a lighter color than the other cyclones, but it's not all that noticeable unless one knows what to look for. Tenma knows no one can see him through the raging air currents, but he can see the field beyond the typhoon perfectly.

He starts running, the cyclone following him, following the other two cyclones. 'Now I just have to wait for the right moment.'

The right moment comes a little while later, when the Gassan Kunimitsu players make a long pass. Tenma shoots forward, much faster than the slow jogging he has been doing for the past few minutes, and intercepts the pass.

The ball spins in the wind of the typhoon a few times, before getting caught in a current that leads it inside the cyclone. Tenma easily intercepts its path and then starts making his way to the goal, ignoring the shocked cries from both Raimon and Gassan Kunimitsu.

The path to the goal is blocked by Gassan's defense. He could easily throw them aside, but the time traveler sees another route, and instead waits for the right moment to kick the ball into the air current that will shoot it towards his target.

Tsurugi, despite the shock at seeing the out-of-control typhoon, immediately reacts. He plucks the ball out of the air and crosses the short distance towards the goal. Once there, a blackish blue cloud of energy rises up behind him and takes shape. ''Sword Saint Lancelot!''

Hyoudou responds immediately. ''Giant God Gigantes!'' his own Keshin takes form behind him.

A wave of pain crashes over Tenma and he gasps, clutching at his chest.

Pain.

Excruciating, agonizing, searing pain-

His lungs burn, begging for air, but the agony makes it impossible to breathe- a scream is stuck in his throat and it burns and it hurts- he can't breathe-

It hurts, it hurts and he still can't breathe through the burning-

The brunet crumbles to the ground, each beat of his heart sending another wave of burning hot agony through his body. A breathless gasp finally breaks free from his lips and he loses his mind in the agony, the pure, excruciating agony-

It hurts, oh god it hurts so much- burning-searing-raging-excruciating-agonyagonyagonyagonyAGONY-

–and black spots fill his vision as he gasps for air that doesn't come.

Through his blurry vision (blurry because of the tears that are gathering in his eyes, the tears of pain and agony and burning, searing heat) he catches a glimpse of Lancelot breaking through Hyoudou's Keshin.

He distinctly hears a whistle, signaling a goal. The keeper's Keshin retreats and with it comes the ability to breathe.

Tenma gasps for air, for the precious oxygen that finally, finally fills his lungs again, embracing the soothing waves of energy from Lancelot, driving away the sharpest agony and the burning heat, but when Tsurugi's Keshin dissipates as well it leaves him cold, as if he's freezing.

And then he can finally make sense of his situation again. He's kneeling on his hands and knees, gasping heavily. He sits back and wipes the sweat from his forehead, then blinks the leftover tears out of his vision.

After he finally manages to compose himself– ignoring the dull pulses of pain that weigh him down, as if his limbs are made of lead –he stands up and takes a look at the field.

Both teams are gathering at their own halves again and he notices that the turbines have stopped, causing the other two cyclones to dissipate.

The brunet starts walking towards Raimon's half, ignoring the shocked gasps from the other players when the seemingly out-of-control typhoon suddenly starts moving again, and continues trying to catch his breath.

Once he has almost reached his team, the time traveler lets go of the hissatsu technique that's keeping the typhoon in place and allows the wind to die down.

His team is gaping at him, their eyes widening with shock once they realize who was hiding inside the typhoon this whole time.

''Tenma?!''

He shoots them a cheerful smiling, hiding his exhaustion behind it. ''Missed me?''

''How did you do that?'' asks Kurumada, awed.

The brunet grins. ''Lets just say that I like this field~''

Soon after, the match continues, the score now 1-1. Gassan Kunimitsu quickly manages to gain control of the ball again and they start connecting their passes.

''Secondary defense! Advance!'' They manage to break through Raimon's defense by using the typhoons as a shield again.

One of the midfielders shoots the ball into a cyclone and uses it to make a pass. As it dies down, Minamisawa runs towards it, planning to get the ball. ''Don't let him get it!'' yells Shindou, but all of Raimon's defenders are blocked.

Suddenly Kariya manages to pass through the Gassan Kunimitsu players, shooting towards Minamisawa. The purple-haired forward sees him coming and evades him, but the tealhead uses his hands to give himself the extra boost that is needed to land on his feet.

Minamisawa passes the ball to another forward, but suddenly Kariya is there, intercepting the pass only a second before it can reach its intended goal.

''Nice cut, Kariya!'' calls Sangoku just as three whistles sound, signaling the end of the first half.

''And that's the end of the first half! The score is 1-1!''

The two teams both move towards the benches. The managers hand out water bottles and Tenma gratefully accepts it when Aoi offers him one. ''Thanks.''

His childhood friend smiles at him. ''That was awesome, the way you used those cyclones,'' she tells him.

Both teams leave the field, going to their changing rooms to get some privacy from the ever-present public. Once there, Endou and Kidou quickly go through their strategy for the next half while the Raimon players take a breather.

To say the team is shocked when Kirino is benched is an understatement, but there's nothing they can do about it. Endou's next statement of only playing with ten players, however, is even more stunning.

Tenma watches the chaos and uneasiness of his team, created by the two sudden changes in their new strategy, and sighs.

He's utterly exhausted.

The time traveler massages his temples, hoping to get rid of the headache pounding behind his eyes. The lack of sleep from two nights before has continued and he has probably slept less than five hours in the past two days, worries of everything keeping him awake.

Of course, due to the never-ending practice, his body is begging for sleep at the end of the day and the heaviness in his limbs doesn't disappear after the long nights of lying awake. He had to physically drag himself out of bed this morning.

Coupled with Hyoudou's Keshin, the brunet is ready to sleep for the next week.

Tenma sighs again and forces himself to stand up. He attempts to escape the pressing chaos in the changing room by sneaking out unnoticed, but unfortunately, Shindou notices him before he can leave. ''Tenma, where are you going?''

The brunet shoots a look at the captain and gives him a smile. ''Just going for a walk, I'll be back before the second half starts.'' Shindou frowns in confusion and slight concern, but before the game maker can say anything else, the time traveler slips out of the door.

He breathes out slowly when the door is closed behind him, hiding him from view, but doesn't allow himself to relax yet. He's still too close to his teammates.

Instead he makes his way through the halls of the Cyclone Stadium, towards the bathroom. He slips inside and immediately makes his way to the sinks.

Turning one of them on, he catches some water with his hands and splashes it in his face. The coldness helps with fighting away the exhaustion, but it's not enough to make him completely sharp.

The time traveler stares in the mirror, at his younger-than-usual face. It's not easy to see, but there are slight bags under his eyes from the lack of sleep.

With a heavy sigh, he runs a hand down his face, as if he can physically wipe his worries away. Obviously it doesn't work and instead he turns around and leaves the bathroom.

He walks through the halls aimlessly, having at least twenty minutes left until the second half starts.

Suddenly, something inside him stirs and a heavy, burning pulse of pain shoots through his chest. He grabs at his heart as a wave of weakness crashes over him, gasping for air.

The brunet stumbles and catches himself against the wall, his body trembling from exhaustion. He turns so that his back is leaning against it, closing his eyes as black spots fill his vision. Something deep inside fights against the bonds keeping it in place, the energy trying to break free.

His legs- no, his whole body feels heavy and he can hear the blood rushing through his ears in the silence of the empty hall. His thoughts are muddled and he lets himself slide down the wall.

He ends up sitting with his legs pulled up to his chest, his arms lying limply beside him and his head leaning against the wall. He opens his eyes a little, staring at the ceiling, and tries to fight off his headache, still breathing heavily.

A voice breaks the silence.

''What the-?!''

Blueish grey eyes open tiredly and Tenma turns his gaze to the new arrival, which takes much more energy than it should.

Minamisawa stares back, gaping, his eyes wide in incomprehension.

He seems speechless as he stares at the still-trembling form of the brunet, no idea what to say or do.

Eventually, the silence becomes so heavy that Tenma scrapes the energy together to break it. ''You- you gonna use this to your- your advantage?'' he gasps, his voice rough and hoarse from pain. His eyes stay locked onto Minamisawa's gaze, even as he heaves for much-needed air.

''What's wrong with you?'' asks the older player instead of answering, clearly disturbed by the scene he stumbled upon.

The time traveler attempts a dry smile. ''N-nothing, happens all- all the time,'' he answers, coughing weakly once he finishes talking.

The forward's eyes widen. ''All the time- and you still play in matches?!'' at Tenma's shrug, his gaze narrows into a glare. ''Why the hell would you do something so stupid?! If you really get these- these seizures as often as you do, why are you putting even more strain on yourself by playing soccer?!'' he demands to know, fury creeping into his voice.

The energy clawing at his body is slowly dying down now, making it a little easier to breathe. ''Becau- because I can't let my- my team down,'' whispers Tenma in answer.

''Your team-'' suddenly Minamisawa's eyes widen in realization. ''They don't know, do they?'' he mutters, more like a statement than a question. ''Kurumada, Amagi, Sangoku and Kurama would never allow you to keep playing if they knew. Not to mention Shindou.'' His shock disappears and is replaced by anger again. ''Are you an idiot?''

Tenma chuckles at that, though it's soon replaced by coughs. Once he finishes coughing, he gives Minamisawa a tired smile. ''Lots of- of people would say that- that I am,'' he mutters in answer. ''Sangoku-senpai... knows.'' He sags against the wall even more. ''Made- made him promise... not to tell...''

Minamisawa grits his teeth. ''Tch, you idiot. Why would you ever go this far for people you met not even two months ago?'' he demands.

The brunet shrugs again. ''They- they're my team,'' he says, as if that explains everything. His eyes slip closed and he breathes out heavily.

''Oi, are- are you okay?'' asks the purple-haired teen uncertainly.

Tenma gives an unintelligent mumble. ''Will be,'' he mutters. ''Why so- so worried?''

He doesn't expect an answer and is therefore surprised when he gets one. ''I might pretty much hate you,'' starts Minamisawa and Tenma cracks his eyes open only to catch sight of the forward looking away, ''but I'm still a decent human being. I'm not gonna leave you alone if something is seriously wrong.''

As if to empathize his words, the Gassan Kunimitsu player drops down next to Tenma, leaving enough room between the two. The brunet resigns to his fate and instead closes his eyes again, attempting to gather his non-existing strength.

After a few minutes, he breaks the silence. ''How long till the match starts?'' at least his breathing has returned to normal, yet the trembling of his limbs has yet to reside.

Minamisawa shoots him a disbelieving look. ''You're seriously going to play in the second half?''

The time traveler shoots him a humorless smile. ''I told you already, it'll be a cold day in hell when I abandon my team.'' At the incredulous look shot his way, he leans his head against the wall and looks at the ceiling again. ''I'm serious about stopping Fifth Sector.''

''What?'' asks the forward, surprised by the sudden change. ''Are you serious? Why the hell would you ever want to go against them? You'll be crushed.''

Tenma sighs. ''Maybe. But I won't know until I try.''

''Are you really that suicidal?'' asks Minamisawa incredulously.

At that, the brunet chuckles sharply. ''No,'' he admits. ''I'm not doing this just for the thrill of it. I don't know if you've seen it too, but when I joined Raimon, everyone was unhappy.'' The two of them fall silent for a moment. The time traveler doesn't bother to look at his companion, but he can feel the sharp gaze on him. ''I can't stand it.''

''Why not?''

''I don't know. I just hate seeing people in pain,'' adds the brunet. ''I care about the team, more than you'd probably imagine. I want them to be happy. I want everyone to be happy.'' Finally he turns his gaze back to Minamisawa, who is watching him with an unreadable expression on his face. ''You haven't seen what I've seen. The way Fifth Sector treats their enemies and even their own agents. Raimon's second team was beaten up so badly that every single player quit. The medical records of Seeds-in-training are plainly horrifying. People have been hurt so badly that they could never run again. People mysteriously disappeared.

''Allow me to repeat your words. You're a decent human being, and so am I. I want to stop Fifth Sector from causing all this pain and suffering. I don't care if someone wants me to have an ulterior motive, I simply want to help and if I have to suffer myself to do so, then I will.'' His eyes glow with blue sparks as they meet Minamisawa's shocked ones. ''I might not have chosen the easy path, but at least it's the right one.''

With that, the young brunet pushes himself up, using the wall as support. He gasps for air, exhaustion and pain weighing him down.

''You- you're really going back?'' stutters his companion and Tenma simply nods in response. ''What about after? When the match is finished?''

The brunet shrugs, a little taken aback by the older player's apparent interest in his personal life. ''I have to meet up with some people, after that.'' He straightens as best as he can and walks forward, stepping away from the support of the wall.

Minamisawa stands as well and catches up with him. At the inquiring look he is given, the purple-haired forward shoots him a glare. ''I said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not leaving you when you're looking ready to collapse again at any minute.''

Tenma accepts that explanation and the two of them walk in silence towards Raimon's changing room.

Once there, the brunet slips inside, only just catching sight of Minamisawa turning around to make his way back to his own team.

Then the door closes and he loses view of the older player.

  ~'0'~  

''The second half is about to start. Raimon has benched Kirino with no replacement and will start with only ten players!''

The match starts with Gassan Kunimitsu's kickoff and is immediately followed by the turbines starting up again, creating three typhoons on the middle of the field.

The Gassan Kunimitsu players use them as shields again and skillfully make their way onto the other half. Raimon is quickly pushed back by the wall of wind coming their way.

Their opponents suddenly appear from behind the cyclones and their passes connect as they try to reach Raimon's goal. Kariya manages to block one of their forwards once he gets the ball, keeping him from passing. ''It's Kariya's impressive mobility again!''

''Hunter's Net!'' the tealhead steals the ball from the Gassan forward and passes it to Amagi before it can be stolen by a midfielder attempting a sliding.

Amagi is quickly stopped by Minamisawa, but the defender isn't fazed and instead immediately kicks it high in the air. Shinsuke uses his amazing jumping skill to pluck it out of the air and pass it to Kariya again.

One of the Gassan Kunimitsu players stops him and the tealhead is forced to stop running. From out of the corner of his eye, he notices one of the cyclones coming his way. The Gassan Kunimitsu player prepares to jump into it, but Kariya is faster and kicks it right into the typhoon.

''Not this time,'' grins the defender. ''It's ours now!''

Gasps ring out through the stadium. ''Kariya kicks the ball into the typhoon!''

The tealhead's grin turns predatory. ''The cyclones in the second half are Raimon's eleventh player! Tenma-kun, it's yours!''

Raimon's resident time traveler is already running towards it, aware of Kariya's plan. Out of the corner of his eye he can see a purple-haired figure, but the brunet ignores it and instead focuses on the typhoon.

Like before, instead of fighting the heavy air currents, he allows them to push him further towards the cyclone. Wind slashes at his skin and for a few seconds he can't get any air, the ear-splitting rushing of air blocking out every other sound.

''Spiral...'' he grits out, launching himself forward and pushing through the last bit of resistance, ''...Draw!''

Tenma takes a moment to catch his breath, leaning his hands on his knees, and then straightens. Picking the ball out of the spinning winds is too easy and then he starts running towards Gassan Kunimitsu's half.

Before he can reach it, however, he crosses the path of another typhoon.

Grey eyes widen and the time traveler braces himself, realizing he's too close to get out of the way in time.

The two typhoons clash and he has to grit his teeth against the messed up air currents, the sound of the wind rushing around him louder than ever before. He can feel his legs give out under the pressure and black spots dance in his vision.

Just when he's sure he's going to pass out, the world settles once more. Tenma cracks his eyes open and gasps, staring at the huge cyclone surrounding him.

The two typhoons have merged and created one super mass of heavy air currents, twisting and spinning around him.

He can feel the pressure of the three cyclones – the two natural ones and his Spiral Draw – wearing on him. Keeping them under control is like trying to stop a waterfall with one's bare hands.

Tenma grits his teeth, sweat dripping down his forehead. 'It's no good! I can't keep this up!' The wind spirals around him, fighting against his control. 'There's only one option here...'

Grey eyes flare blue and the midfielder is surrounded by a blue glow, which continues to extent towards the cyclone surrounding him. The white winds turn a bright, glowing blue as they get invested with Soul Energy.

'Thirty seconds...!'

With no time to waste, the brunet immediately continues his run towards Gassan Kunimitsu's half. Everyone who tries to stop him gets blown away by the heavy, blue winds and the time traveler grins.

Even so, it soon becomes harder to keep a hold of his Soul Energy. 'Because I'm using it to this extent, I can't use it as long,' he realizes. 'Fifteen seconds, twenty at most.'

He waits until the last possible second, getting as close to the goal as possible, and then focuses his leftover Soul Energy on the ball. It starts glowing blue and the brunet kicks it towards the goal, using the air currents and his Soul Energy to give it extra power in order to make up for the lack of a hissatsu.

Not even a second after the ball is shot away, the wind around him finally dissipates and he drops to his knees, exhausted, yet still keeping an eye on the match.

Kurama is running with the glowing blue ball and throws his arms into the air. He launches the ball into the air with his legs and jumps up after it, kicking it twice. The ball starts glowing green and a huge snake appears behind it. ''Sidewinder!''

Hyoudou jumps to stop it, but the ball flies past him and hits the net.

''Goal! The perfect teamwork between Matsukaze and Kurama brings Raimon their second point!''

Tenma takes a deep breath and pushes himself to his feet, swaying a little from exhaustion. He fights it off and focuses on returning to Raimon's half.

When he passes Kariya, he slows and gives the tealhead a warm smile. ''That play earlier was really awesome!'' he says.

The defender blinks and then returns the smile, putting up his innocent act again. ''Thanks! You've gotten really good at using the cyclones,'' he compliments him.

Tenma can pinpoint the exact moment Kariya's eyes narrow deviously. ''Kirino-senpai threw the defense's balance off in the first half,'' he says, looking completely innocent again. ''Coach was right to bench him. Now it's obvious who's necessary for this team and who isn't.''

''Really?'' Tenma remembers this moment, and while he doesn't know exactly what he said to the tealhead, he still remembers the big lines of it. ''I don't think anyone can decide who's necessary and who isn't. We're a team because we have all kinds of different people. Soccer must feel lonely when you say something like that.''

Before Kariya can respond, Shindou passes them. ''Get back to your positions,'' he says. The two first-years don't have a choice but to follow his order.

''The score is 2-1 for Raimon! Gassan Kunimitsu resumes the match with a kickoff!'' Instead of immediately turning on again when the game continues, the turbines stay unresponsive. ''The cyclones aren't coming! The match has reached a new development!''

''Attack formation phantasmagoria!'' orders Hyoudou. ''Tactics Cycle!''

''Affirmative!''

Three of his players start running in position. ''Raimon, watch!'' shouts Minamisawa, no hesitation visible in his movements. ''This is Gassan Kunimitsu's soccer!''

Suddenly a fourth player joins them and they start running in what almost looks like a diamond shape. Raimon tries to steal the ball from them, but they're too fast to keep up with and hack through Raimon's defense like a hot knife through butter.

''Gassan Kunimitsu's hissatsu tactics! They're speeding up with back passes as they dive into Raimon's camp!''

Amagi and Shinsuke attempt to steal the ball, but the four Gassan players suddenly start running in a straight line, still speeding up. Dust clouds are left in their trail as they break through Raimon's defense.

Kariya is blown aside and the path to the goal is free. ''Kariya, leave it to me!'' orders Sangoku.

The tealhead ignores him. ''I won't just let them push me over!'' he launches himself towards the line of players. ''I'll get the ball from them no matter what!'' he jumps in front of them and slashes his fist down, spreading his fingers while doing so. ''Hunter's Net!''

The Gassan Kunimitsu players keep running and break through the glowing net, throwing Kariya aside. Then they spread, and one of them jumps up. Another one holds out his fist to give his teammate an extra boost, launching him into the air. ''Rocket Head!'' the small player hits the ball with his head and Sangoku jumps to catch it.

He misses.

''Gassan Kunimitsu scores again! It's a tie!''

Minamisawa steps forward, an angry frown crossing his features. ''Got it yet, Raimon? This should teach you how meaningless your fight is!''

Shindou balls his fists but otherwise stays calm. ''Minamisawa-san...'' he trails off, meeting his ex-teammates gaze head-on.

The match resumes and Gassan Kunimitsu immediately uses their Tactics Cycle again. They easily break through Raimon's defenses again and attempt to score, but Sangoku manages to punch the ball out of the way just in time and it rolls over the sideline.

Suddenly Endou throws his arm into the air, gaining the attention of his team. ''Kirino, it's your turn!'' the pink-haired defender nods and jogs onto the field.

''What's this? Raimon is bringing back the defender Kirino!''

The pink-haired player immediately walks up to Kariya. ''Do as I say for this,'' he tells the younger boy.

''Do you think I'll listen to you, senpai?'' asks the tealhead with a cocky smirk.

''You will.'' There is no hesitation in Kirino's voice anymore. ''If you really want to win, that is. This is something only you can do, so I'll put my trust in you. You'll break through those tactics for sure!''

Kariya finally looks at him, his sharp smile widening. ''So you'll trust me. Awesome.''

''We're counting on you and your soccer,'' says Shindou as he and Tenma walk up to the two defenders. Kariya's eyes widen at his words and then he sharply looks away.

''Kariya.'' Gold meets grey as the tealhead looks up at the time traveler's voice. ''Will you do it?''

The defender hesitates, his eyes going from the brunet, to the captain, to the defender next to him and then back to the midfielder. ''Tch. Fine.''

Tenma grins at that. ''Great, because I-'' he sways, finally giving in to the exhaustion wearing him down, ''-could really use a break...''

He stumbles and collapses to his hands and knees, the world wavering around him, tilting in and out of focus. Shindou drops down next to him, shocked and worried. ''Tenma!''

The brunet shoots him a hopefully reassuring smile, allowing the other midfielder to help him to his feet. The time traveler immediately starts swaying again and Shindou quickly supports him to make sure he doesn't fall again. ''Are you okay?'' asks Kirino, his expression tight with concern.

Tenma just grins. ''Two cyclones is a bit much,'' he simply says.

''Come on, let's get you to the bench,'' says the game maker. The brunet nods, swinging his arm around the captain's shoulders while Shindou grabs his hand and slings an arm behind the younger's back for support.

Endou is already waiting for them when they reach the bench, standing at the edge of the field. ''What's wrong?'' he asks, giving Shindou a hand in helping Tenma get to the bench, where the brunet gratefully sags in his seat.

The captain shoots him a worried look. ''Seems like he overdid it with the cyclones,'' he tells the man.

The coach nods. ''Alright, Ichino! You're up.''

The blond boy seems surprised for a moment but then nods. ''Hai, coach!'' he quickly does some stretches to warm up and then joins Shindou, the two second-years making their way to Raimon's half again a moment later.

Tenma keeps his eyes closed, trying to will the headache pounding in his head away. Unfortunately, it's not helping much.

A whistle echoes through the stadium, signaling the continuation of the game. The brunet still doesn't open his eyes, even though he wants nothing more than to watch and support his team.

Every shout, every footstep thundering on the field on the other side of the line, every word the other people on the bench say aggravates the pounding behind his eyelids. The time traveler grabs his head, his face scrunched up in pain. The noise is overwhelming, the light beyond his closed eyelids burning through his head.

''Tenma?'' he flinches and when the voice speaks again, it's softer. ''Tenma, what's wrong?''

He recognizes Endou's voice, worried yet steadying. He grits his teeth as a wave of nausea crashes over him and forces himself to crack one eye open. His coach is kneeling in front of him, hands hovering between them, not sure if he can touch the boy. Concern swirls in his dark eyes.

''Too- too loud,'' gasps Tenma, flinching at the sound of his own voice.

Endou's eyebrows furrow and his eyes light up in realization. He looks over his shoulder, but the brunet can't see at what, because the coach is blocking most of his vision. He doesn't need to wait long for an answer, though. ''Sorano, can you take him inside? It's too chaotic here.''

Tenma closes his eyes again as another wave of nausea hits him. A few moments later, he feels gentle hands on his arms, carefully helping him to stand up and immediately supporting him when he starts swaying again.

Someone wraps an arm around his back and gently pulls him along, and he stumbles along.

Suddenly the bright lights are cut off and the sound dims. The further they walk, the quieter it becomes, until the noise of the crowd is just a background noise.

Tenma is gently pushed down to sit against the wall, someone else sitting down next to him. After a while of simply calming down, the brunet finally opens his eyes, catching sight of familiar blue hair.

''Thanks, Aoi,'' he whispers as his childhood friend offers him a water bottle.

Aoi simply nods, watching him with concerned eyes. After a while of silence, she finally opens her mouth. ''Hey, Tenma?''

''Hm?''

She averts her gaze and bites her lip.

''Can- can we talk for a moment?''

  ~'0'~  

So, I hope you enjoyed it and until next chapter!

- Yara Meijer