Aah... you guys are gonna murder me... so much happens in this chapter! I've been waiting for this moment since I wrote it MUHAHAHAHAHAHA~~~

Now, without further ado, chapter 30!

~'0'~

Accidental Reverse Arc 3

~'0'~

When Tenma wakes up on the day of the Raimon-Genei match, he grimaces at the soreness in his body. Climbing out of bed and moving to the mirror, he frowns at the countless bruises covering his skin. He's sore, but he's had worse before.

With a sigh, he moves to the bathroom and freshens up, dressing in his soccer uniform so he won't have to change once he's in the stadium. Then he makes sure all of his things are packed in his bag, checking it twice.

Then all he can do is wait.

Approximately three hours before he needs to be at the stadium, the door to his room opens. One of Senguuji's agents, Yamaoka, comes in and-

(Wait, what?)

-locks the door behind him.

Tenma's eyes narrow and he takes an alarmed step backwards.

There's no reason for the guard to be here so early, and there's certainly no reason for him to lock the door. The brunet told Senguuji everything the man wanted to know- or, at least, he's lied his way through the entire interrogation yesterday, so that can't be it either.

And then Yamaoka lunges for him.

The brunet trips over his own feet in an attempt to get away and the man gets a hold on his arm, yanking him forward roughly. Tenma yelps and stumbles forward, trying to pull himself free from the guard's grip.

''Let me go!'' his struggles only cause Yamaoka to tighten his hold. ''What the hell-!''

The man growls and twists his arm roughly. ''A present from Senguuji-sama,'' he snarls, and that only causes Tenma to struggle more. He does not like where this is going and even if it might be dangerous, he's not going to let this man do whatever it is he wants.

So in a desperate attempt to get free, he fights against the grip on his arm, trying to hit whatever part of the man he can get to. He successfully lands a harsh kick against the agent's shin. Yamaoka's response is a furious growl and he automatically pushes the teen away from him.

Due to the force behind it, Tenma stumbles to the side and suddenly he's losing his balance and falling-

The sound of shattering glass and pain.

Something roars in his mind and indigo fills his vision before he clenches his eyes shut.

The brunet cries out at the burning agony in his hands and arm, crashing to the floor with a held-back scream when it only causes the pain to increase.

He hears Yamaoka hum. ''This wasn't what I had in mind,'' says the man slowly, ''but I suppose it will do. We will come for you in two hours, make sure you're ready by then.'' Footsteps retreat, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing and then the click of a lock being closed.

Tenma forces himself to breathe deeply through the agony, waiting for it to weaken a little. At least a few minutes pass until it has settled enough for the brunet to open his eyes and assess the situation.

He's lying on the ground, trying not to move to avoid the pain to increase again, and his eyes widen when he catches sight of the shards of glass scattered over the floor. He raises a hand to his face, inhaling sharply at the knife of agony that comes with the motion, and mentally curses when he catches sight of the red liquid staining his skin.

Breathing shakily, he tries to push himself into a sitting position, biting harshly on his lip to avoid crying out again. Once he's somewhat off the ground, he crawls away from the shards of glass and sags down against a wall.

The brunet closes his eyes tightly, feeling hot tears of pain falling down his cheeks, and grits his teeth harshly as he tries to fight off the agony.

It must've been almost twenty minutes since Yamaoka left when he finally gets a grip on his situation. Tenma forces his eyes to open, swallowing at the sight of his left arm coated in blood, mirrored by both of his hands. Something warm drips into one of his eyes and he'd wipe it away if he could. Instead he ignores it and takes a look at the rest of the room.

He swallows again when he sees the damage done to the mirror-wall. Most of it is intact, but in the middle, cracks are covering the surface, part of it completely destroyed. Shards of glass are scattered on the floor, accompanied by drops of dark red.

Yamaoka pushed him against a mirror.

The man had pushed him hard enough to break said mirror.

Tenma breathes in shakily. 'Okay. Okay, I can deal with this, I have to deal with this.' But this- this isn't just a beating. He can handle that, handle that pain, but this is something else entirely. His own blood makes him queasy and-

''Oh my god. Oh my god.''

He closes his eyes again and focusses on his air intake. It wouldn't do to have a panic attack now.

Eventually, he forces himself to look at his injuries. Pushing down both the nausea and the pain, he breathes out in painstaking relief to see that there aren't any glass shards in his flesh, but he can't say much more than that with his limited first aid knowledge.

He curls up into a small ball and clenches his eyes shut, pretending the tears falling down his face are from pain.

He's not sure how long he sits there, his eyelids blocking out the light from the window and the only sound his own erratic breathing, but as the pain starts fading into a dull ache, he feels it.

Something, burning in the back of his mind, like a spark that is hovering between igniting a forest fire and dying out.

As he focuses on it, it grows stronger, and lights dance behind his closed eyelids. Something dances just outside his field of hearing, like a whisper dying away in the silent night.

It slowly strengthens, more sparks filling his dark vision, the soft rush of wind in his ears increasing until it's audible.

He can feel it, warm and strangely familiar, slowly flowing through his veins, dulling the pain until he can almost completely ignore it, so familiar, yet-

Tenma gives a start, a quiet gasp breaking free from his lips, when the realization settles in.

And with that realization, it's like a switch is flipped. The sparks burst into color, blue and red and purple and indigo, and sound roars in his ears like waves slamming against rocks, the slow and steady warmth suddenly burning as it courses through him.

The boy's eyes snap open, yet the colors still follow him, filling his vision until he cannot see anything else. They grow brighter and the sound increases until he loses track of both his hearing and sight, and a third sense – touch – is completely drowned out by the fire racing through his veins.

Just when it becomes too much, it disappears.

Silence, darkness and a soft tingling in his body replace the overwhelming impulses from seconds before.

Tenma breathes out through his mouth, trying to find something, anything, to hold onto.

But there's... nothing.

''What is this?'' he whispers, searching for the familiar spark that lead him to this. ''What...''

Something, a soft laugh, echoes around him and he gasps, a smile involuntarily creeping on his face. He knows that voice, knows it as well as his own.

The warmth that follows is nothing like the burning from only moments before, filled with familiarity and concern, soft and gentle.

Before his eyes, the figure takes shape and for the first time since coming to the past, he feels like he can breathe.

Tenma.

Glowing blue eyes gaze at him softly and they would've been unreadable if the brunet hadn't known this creature so well.

But he does.

''Pegasus,'' the name is a whisper, filled with happiness and painstaking relief.

Demon God Pegasus smiles, his eyes glowing just a little brighter. It has been a while, Tenma, he says, his voice echoing like it always does. I am glad to see you again, although I wish it was in better circumstances.

Tenma breathes out slowly, reaching a hand out for the being. His Keshin immediately moves closer, until the brunet can touch the feathers of one of his scarlet wings. ''You're really here,'' he whispers when he feels the softness underneath his fingertips. ''You're real, after all this time-''

He's cut off by a tear rolling down his cheek.

Pegasus gazes at him sadly. I am so sorry, it was never my intention to hurt you like I have. I am so very sorry, young one.

Tenma shakes his head and smiles softly through his tears. ''Mhm,'' he protests gently. ''It wasn't your fault, we both were thrown into this without any idea of what would happen. I'm just glad you're here again...'' he gazes at his Keshin fondly. ''Are you alright?''

A chuckle ripples through the being. I believe I should be the one asking that, young one, responds Pegasus, just as fond as his human. Yes, I am alright. It took me a long time to adjust to our current situation. I had too much power and there was no way for me to store it all. I fear I lost my mind in the process and for that, you paid the price.

The brunet sighs softly and leans his head against the wall – even though he can't see it, it's still there. ''I understand and I'm telling you, it wasn't your fault.'' He smiles, tired and happy and relieved all at once, but there's something stirring inside his mind – a question he can't ignore, no matter how much he wants to.

It is, after all, quite hard to ignore he's looking at Demon God Pegasus, not Demon God Pegasus Arc.

''What changed?''

The warmth his Keshin transmits dims slightly with the being's sadness. It is because you were hurt, he admits softly. I wish it could've been different, but your pain was enough to activate my protective instincts to defend you from the outside threat. It was enough to pull me out of my mindless fight with your own body and you only had to reach out to me so I could contact you. Although, during your match against Kidokawa Seishuu, you also reached out to me.

Tenma nods slowly as the memories come rushing back. The unimaginable agony when he forcefully pulled Pegasus' power away from him, the indigo light flaring up around him.

When you reached out to me then, I was pulled back. Not enough to return, but enough for my instincts to heed the danger today. Lancelot and Maestro have been helping me, as well.

The brunet nods again and closes his eyes, soaking in the familiar warmth of his Keshin for a few moments. ''Why... why are you in this form?''

There's a ripple of unease in his Keshin's aura and the human draws closer automatically. I... I fear it isn't over yet, young one.

Grey eyes open, a frown pulling at his features. ''What do you mean?'' whispers Tenma, and he absentmindedly notices his hands are shaking.

Pegasus' blue aura pulses weakly and if he was human, he'd be grimacing. Only part of my power has been calmed, he says, choosing his words carefully. It is enough for my conscious to have awakened and for you to control it, but it'll not be easy. Other Keshin will still fight you and while you can use your Keshin power, it is not what you will be used to it.

As if to demonstrate, Pegasus carefully allows his power to surround them both. Tenma, so intimately familiar with it, immediately feels it. The raw wildness, lashing out underneath its restraints, trying to escape. It can't, so much is obvious, but it causes the brunet to redraw all the same.

Pegasus, noticing his shock and fear, eases up on the energy and when it leaves, all that's left is a stinging burn, tingling underneath Tenma's skin like tiny pinpricks. His Keshin watched him, almost apologetically. I am sorry.

The brunet shakes his head – it's not his Keshin's fault. He reaches out, caressing one of the scarlet wings gently, eyelids slipping closed as he gives a quiet sigh. ''I'm just glad you're back,'' he whispers and Pegasus hums, the soft sound echoing around him in understanding. They settle down into a gentle silence, both enjoying the other's company after almost two months of being cut off.

After a while, though, Tenma forces his eyes to open and Pegasus responds by gazing down at him with the soft and fond look the brunet has gotten so used to. ''I must be getting back now,'' his voice is barely audible, yet his Keshin has no trouble hearing it. ''Will you stay?''

I will always be here, young one.

The black – and Pegasus – start to fade away and the last thing the time traveler sees before the room swings back into vision is the gentle smile directed at him.

His own lips curl into a smile as well.

Finally.

~'0'~

When Yamaoka and Ogata come for him two hours later, Tenma has managed to compose himself. The bleeding has stopped and he got rid of the worst of it with a towel, but some of the dried blood stubbornly stuck to his skin and eventually he gave up on cleaning it.

There's nothing he can do about the dark red staining his uniform, but right now, that's the least of his worries. He's partly managed to clean the blood from his forehead – a cut, though luckily just a small one, barely more than a scrape – and his hands are mostly unharmed, just a few small scratches.

When the two agents come in, the brunet is sitting quietly on his bed, his bag resting next to him. No one says a word, but the time traveler can't completely stop his sigh of relief when the men lead him out of the room instead of locking the door again.

Yamaoka and Ogata flank him on either side and force him to follow them, even though the quick pace jostles his injuries. Tenma grits his teeth against the pain as he stumbles along with the two men. His vision swims in and out of focus and the world almost seems to sway around him.

''Keep up!'' orders one of the agents – Yamaoka – harshly when he almost falls, and gives him a rough push. The brunet can barely contain his pained cry and instead focuses on putting one foot in front of the other.

A concerned warmth brushes along the surface of his skin, the unspoken words echoing in his mind. You can do it. Tenma smiles tiredly at the gentle words of encouragement, reaching out to his Keshin's strength, which Pegasus is all too happy to give him.

They move on, through the cool, shadowed halls of Fifth Sector's headquarters, and the time traveler starts moving on autopilot after a while, the motions of walking and breathing turning into a single, dazed blur.

After a while, however, the two agents stop moving and force him to stand still. Tired grey eyes lift to inspect his new surroundings. They're in a hall similar to the rest of the building, but this one has high windows every twelve feet, the natural light making it brighter than the other hallways.

In front of them is a door, which one of the agents opens. Sunlight streams inside and suddenly Tenma is pushed forward again. He barely catches himself and stumbles forward, black spots dancing in his vision. Through his rushed hearing, he can hear the two men laugh behind him as one of them says, ''good luck making it to the stadium on time, brat.'' Then the door is slammed shut with a loud bang.

The time traveler takes a deep breath, trying to focus his vision through the dizziness in his head. When he can see more or less correctly again, he slowly lifts his head to look at his new surroundings.

He's standing in a small alley, with what seems to be a larger street to his right. Dread settles into his stomach. The two agents have dumped him at a side entrance of the Fifth Sector headquarters, with who knows how much time until the match starts and no possible transport to the stadium.

Tenma almost falls to his knees as the realization of how utterly hopeless this situation is crashes over him.

Even if he makes it to the stadium on time, he'll be exhausted by the time he gets there, coupled with his injuries...

Pegasus cries out in anger, the heat under his skin rising along with his Keshin's fury. Those bastards! This is sabotage!

''I know,'' mutters the time traveler under his breath. ''But... I have no choice. I need to be there, if I'm not... Raimon's performance will be off because they'll be worried.'' Sabotage, indeed.

But what other choice does he have? If he doesn't show up, Raimon won't be able to play to the best of their abilities, and they can't risk being any less than perfect against Genei Academy. The fate of the revolution rests on his presence.

For a moment, Tenma thinks about contacting the rest of Soar, but then ignores the idea. Waiting for them will only take more time, time he can't allow to slip away.

So instead, with heavy heart, he tightens his grip on the strap of his bag and moves towards the end of the alley, stepping onto the mostly abandoned street.

Then he starts walking.

~'0'~

''Coach...''

Aphrodi looks up sharply at Kishibe's call from where he was talking to the driver of the Kidokawa Seishuu bus. Something in the captain's voice, so hesitant and careful, causes alarm bells to start ringing in his head. ''Kishibe? What is it?''

Kidokawa's captain is staring out of the window next to his seat, his expression a mix of confusion and concern. ''I think... isn't that Raimon's Matsukaze?''

''What?'' that makes absolutely no sense. Last thing Aphrodi heard about that boy was that he was taken into custody by Fifth Sector again. It's insane to think that he'd be here, barely half an hour before the start of the Raimon-Genei match. Fifth Sector would've made sure he was in time for the game to start.

However, Kishibe is not one to make mistakes and the coach doubts that looking would hurt, so he makes his way to one of the windows and stares out. A small figure, dressed in a bright yellow uniform and with a head of brown hair, is walking on the sidewalk.

''That is Matsukaze,'' mutters Aphrodi, confusion and alarm coloring his voice. What would a Raimon player be doing here? Then he notices something else – the figure almost seems out of balance, but everything he's seen of the young player proves how perfectly in tune he is with his body. Kidokawa's coach narrows his eyes. ''Something's wrong.''

''Coach?'' asks Kishibe, mirroring his teammates' confused expressions.

Aphrodi, however, is already turning to the driver. ''Stop the bus!'' he orders.

The driver complies and before the vehicle has even completely stilled, Kidokawa Seishuu's coach is already moving to the door. It slides open and he steps out, sprinting towards the figure stumbling on the sidewalk.

Aphrodi's mouth falls open and his eyes widen when he takes in the sight of the brunet. The boy's arms and legs are covered in black, purple, red and yellow spots, creating a canvas of sickening colors. The left side of his face is covered in dried blood, although it seems like someone tried to clean it, and more bruises can be seen underneath it. His entire left arm is covered in blood that has only been half washed off and so are both his hands, staining the bright cheerful yellow of his uniform a dark crimson.

''Oh my god,'' whispers the Kidokawa Seishuu coach, barely remembering how to breathe. ''Matsukaze?''

The brunet sways. ''A-Aphrodi-san?'' he mutters, his eyes dazed. Whether it is from exhaustion or from pain, the coach doesn't know.

As the shock wears off, Aphrodi's red eyes narrow in barely withheld fury. ''Did Fifth Sector do this?'' he asks, his voice tight as he fights to retain the frail control on his emotions. Tenma nods and the coach balls his fists furiously. ''This time they went too far,'' he hisses, almost to himself. ''They went too far.''

The brunet doesn't respond and instead sways again. Aphrodi lunges forward and catches him, wincing at the pained gasp the action causes. Kidokawa's coach lessens his grip and attempts to give the boy a smile. ''They didn't even arrange transport for you?'' at the negative answer, he grimaces. ''We're on our way to the stadium, we can give you a lift... and take care of those injuries, too,'' he says gently.

His breath catches at the overwhelming amount of gratefulness on the brunet's face. ''Thank you,'' whispers Tenma, ''thank you so much.''

Aphrodi grits his teeth. ''Don't mention it,'' he mutters and then carefully helps the time traveler to the Kidokawa Seishuu bus. The two of them enter, the coach keeping a careful hand on the brunet's back to support him, and Aphrodi addresses his team. ''Someone get the first aid kit!''

''Coach, wha- Matsukaze?!'' Kishibe, who was about to stand up, freezes at the sight of the brunet, his mouth agape and his eyes wide with shock.

''What the hell,'' whispers Sousuke, stunned, and his shock is mirrored by the rest of his team. When Tenma sways again, however, the forward quickly puts it to the back of his mind and instead grabs the first aid kit.

The forward's actions cause his teammates to come back to the present as well, and Kishibe quickly jumps forward to help his coach support the brunet. They bring him to one of the empty seats, where the time traveler gratefully sags down.

Aphrodi gives Sousuke a short nod when the forward brings him the first aid kit. He quickly orders the driver to continue to Pinball Stadium and then focuses on the brunet's wounds. His arm is definitely the worst and when the coach takes a better look at it, he grimaces.

He carefully inspects the cuts, while softly asking his players to get a bowl of water. They have to improvise a bit, but they finally fulfill his request by filling an empty bowl that was part of someone's bento with water from their water bottles. It's not the best, but it will have to do.

Once that problem has been dealt with, Aphrodi carefully sets to cleaning the dried blood away on Tenma's arm, hands and head. When that's done he can finally take a good look at the wounds. They're not as deep as the coach first feared, luckily, but they're still proof of that Fifth Sector went too far.

He sighs and instead sets to cleaning the injuries with disinfectant, wincing whenever the brunet whimpers in pain. Once that's done the coach quickly wraps his arm, mentally relieved at the first aid course he took a few years back, and then does the same with both of the brunet's hands.

''Not too bad,'' he mutters finally. ''Stitches aren't necessary, thank god, and it wasn't as bad as I feared.'' His team sighs in relief at that, but Aphrodi knows his task isn't done yet. ''Matsukaze,'' he calls gently and grey eyes flicker to his own. ''I need to take a look at your head, is that okay?''

The brunet gives a nod and Aphrodi mentally sighs in relief at the quick response. ''I need you to answer a few questions for me, can you do that?'' when the brunet nods again, the coach gives him a smile. ''What's your name?''

''Matsukaze Tenma,'' mutters the boy.

''Good. Do you know where you are?''

It takes him a few seconds to answer this time. ''Considering I can't see the street signs, not really,'' he jokes weakly. ''Other than that, I'm in the Kidokawa Seishuu bus.''

Aphrodi nods, not reprimanding Tenma for his joke – it only shows that he's in his right mind. ''Alright, good. Do you have a headache, blurred vision or are you dizzy?''

''I was,'' says the time traveler. ''Dizzy, I mean. It's better now, though. My vision's fine, but my head hurts.''

That's understandable, considering the bruises and the cut. ''I don't think you have a concussion, that's good,'' says Aphrodi. ''I'm now going to take a look at your head.'' Tenma nods and tries not to move too much when the coach carefully pushes his locks to the side, turning his head this way and that to get a good look at the cut. ''Not too deep, good,'' mutters the man softly. ''Seems like it's just a cut.''

He then cleans and wraps it. The white of the bandages stands out brightly against the brunet's tanned skin and the canvas of colors on the side of his face.

''Thank you,'' says the Raimon player and smiles, though it's not as bright as it usually is.

He seems to be in his right mind, not as dazed and out of it as before. Aphrodi returns the smile, relief swirling in his red gaze, relief that the Kidokawa team seems to share.

''Here,'' says Kishibe, handing the brunet a water bottle. Tenma gratefully accepts it and starts taking small sips, even though he wants to chug it all down at once. ''Are you hungry?'' asks the Kidokawa captain after a moment. ''When's the last time you ate?''

''Dinner yesterday.''

Well, that could be worse. Even so, Sousuke's younger brother, Yoshihiko, offers the brunet his bento. ''Thank you,'' mutters the Raimon player and gratefully starts to eat, only now really noticing his hunger.

The rest of the ride is mostly spend in silence. ''We're here, Afuro,'' says the driver after a while and finds a place to park the bus, despite the many cars and other busses on the terrain.

''Let's go,'' orders Aphrodi, nodding in approval when he sees both Sousuke and Kishibe support Tenma, though the brunet almost immediately manages to stand on his own.

They file out and the Kidokawa team surrounds the brunet almost without realizing it, to hide him from view. Like that they enter the stadium and Aphrodi almost instantly pulls them to the side once they're inside. ''Alright, Kishibe, take the team and find your places,'' he tells the captain. ''I'll take Matsukaze to his team.''

The players nod in agreement and leave, while Aphrodi quickly guides the brunet to one of the smaller corridors. He's never been at this stadium before, but there are enough signs to point them in the right direction.

They walk through the silent halls towards the field – the teams must be there by now – and Aphrodi is silently relieved to see the brunet walking without help and the sharp look in his eyes.

''How are you feeling?''

Tenma gives him a sharp smile. ''Way better,'' he answers. ''Thank you so much, Aphrodi-san, if you hadn't been there, I don't even want to know what would've happened.''

It seems that the half hour to the stadium was enough of a rest for him, but the coach is still worried. ''That's good,'' he says instead of wasting words on his worries. ''Fifth Sector went too far this time. They won't get away with this.''

Tenma nods but doesn't answer, a dark look crossing his face. Aphrodi notices it and stays quiet, respecting the teen's privacy.

Soon enough they reach the field, where both teams are indeed already gathered at their benches. As the stone beneath their feet changes to grass and the relative darkness of the corridors changes to a blinding light, Aphrodi keeps a careful eye on the boy next to him. Fortunately he's not overwhelmed by the change in scenery and the coach can relax just a little bit.

Theyr're only halfway to Raimon's bench when they're noticed by the commentator. ''Coach Aphrodi of Kidokawa Seishuu just stepped onto the field!'' he calls and Aphrodi sees the big screens on both sides of the stadium change to show his own face. ''And it seems that player Matsukaze is- dear lord, is that blood?!''

The loud screams of the audience change from excited to horrified when the screens show Tenma. The bright stadium lights make the bruises stand out even sharper against his tanned skin, and despite the bandages covering most of them, many are still visible. The yellow of his uniform contrasts sharply with the red staining it.

Despite the sudden attention, Tenma keeps his face straight. It crumbles, however, the second he sees his team running towards him. He quickens his step and it takes only a few seconds before the team is reunited.

''Tenma,'' whispers Shindou, his voice shaky, and his horrified eyes take in the brunet's beaten up form. Then he lunges forward to grab the brunet in a hug. Despite the rash movement, the arms wrapping around the younger boy's frame are incredibly gentle, as if the slightest brush could shatter him.

Tenma returns the hug desperately, clutching the back of the game maker's shirt. The rest of the team doesn't need any more encouragement and soon they're caught in one huge group hug. No one mentions the way all of them are trembling, and if anyone catches the sound of their shaky breathing, they don't bother pointing it out.

Eventually the team breaks the embrace and Tenma pulls away from Shindou. The game maker lets him, albeit reluctantly, but keeps a protective arm wrapped around the brunet's shoulders loosely.

''You look terrible,'' says Tsurugi, breaking the silence that has fallen between the group. His voice is a little uneven but no one says anything about it.

Tenma laughs weakly. ''Thanks, I've put a lot of effort into this look,'' he jokes softly and a few of his friends crack a smile at that. ''I've missed you.''

Shindou's grip on his shoulders tightens just the slightest bit. ''We've missed you too,'' he tells the younger boy, voice tight. ''How are you feeling?''

The time traveler smiles reassuringly and though it looks tired, the genuineness behind it reassures his team. ''Way better after Kidokawa Seishuu helped me.''

Kidou, who has kept silent until then, speaks up. ''What happened?'' he asks Aphrodi.

The other coach shakes his head. ''We were on our way to the match when one of my players noticed Matsukaze, running on the sidewalk in the direction of the stadium,'' he tells, his voice filled with barely contained fury. ''We stopped and I noticed the state he was in.'' He shoots Tenma a quick look, who smiles gratefully. ''I couldn't just let him walk to the stadium in that state – Fifth Sector didn't even bother to arrange transport!'' The coach balls his fists furiously. ''I took care of Matsukaze's injuries and when we arrived here, I accompanied him to the field.''

Kidou nods, his expression tight. ''Thank you so much, Aphrodi,'' he says and at the other's nod, he finally addresses Tenma. ''Matsukaze, I'm really glad you're okay, and I know everyone is worried, but the match is starting in a few minutes,'' he states grimly. ''We can't afford to lose after we've come so far. Matsukaze, I want you on bench-''

''No!''

At the sudden outburst from the brunet, all eyes turn to him. ''No,'' repeats Tenma, his eyes burning with determination. ''I want to play.''

''What?'' asks Kurama, shock and concern coming out in the former of anger. ''Tenma are you insane? Have you seen the state you're in?''

The time traveler balls his fists. ''Trust me, senpai, I'm more than aware of my own condition,'' he states sharply and Kurama's expression turns to one of guilt. ''But I can't sit out now,'' continues Tenma, gazing at Kidou. ''That's what they want. If I do that, I'll admit defeat and they'll have won. I won't let that happen.''

Raimon's coach still doesn't look convinced and the brunet bites on his lip. ''Please coach, please let me do this,'' he begs, not caring about his methods anymore. He needs to play in this match.

''Tenma!'' protests Shindou, throwing a desperate look at Teikoku's commander. ''Coach, you can't let him play!''

The game maker tightens his grip on Tenma's shoulders, and the rest of the team seems as unwilling as their captain to allow the brunet out of their sight. The brunet in question, however, places a hand on Shindou's arm, catching the older boy's attention. ''Shindou-senpai, please,'' he says softly, genuinely. ''I'll be alright. Please, let me do this.'' He directs his last words at their coach.

Kidou grits his teeth and then sighs, relenting when he sees the resolve in the time traveler's eyes. ''Fine,'' he admits finally, knowing Tenma won't back down on this, ''but the minute I think you can't handle it, I'll bench you. Understood?''

Tenma nods, smiling in relief and gratefulness, even as he ignores the heavy, worried stares of his friends. ''That's all I'm asking,'' he answers. ''Thank you.''

The coach shakes his head. ''Don't thank me. Now go warm up, before I change my mind.''

~'0'~

''Both teams are getting in position and the match will begin momentarily,'' announces the commentator over the loud cheering of the audience. ''Genei Academy is using a familiar formation, it seems. As for Raimon... wha- Matsukaze is in the starting lineup?! What is coach Kidou thinking?! Can Matsukaze even play with those injuries?''

Tenma grimaces at the attention. ''I can,'' he whispers to himself, barely audible. ''I have to.''

Pegasus' warmth rushes beneath his skin, excitement echoing through every corner of his Keshin. I will fight with you, as I always have.

The brunet's grimace turns into a soft smile. ''Thank you, Pegasus.'' Glowing blue eyes narrow in determination. 'It's finally time for the real party to start.'

A whistle, followed by Genei's kickoff, and the match starts.

Raimon almost immediately steals the ball and their passes connect. Tenma grits his teeth as fights a wave of lightheadedness, ignoring it in favor of throwing a wary look at the colored marks on the field – he didn't have time to warn his team about Pinball Stadium 'extras', and it surely won't take long for them to find out the hard way.

That suspicion is confirmed when Shindou passes, or tries to pass, and one of the blue circles on the ground flies up, revealing the bumper beneath. The ball hits it and rebounds, and the captain can barely dodge it.

''This is Pinball Stadium's special function, jet bumpers!'' calls the commentator as Raimon is left speechless by what just happened. ''The match continues with Genei Academy's throw-in!''

The game goes on, but not in Raimon's favor. Genei Academy clearly knows about the Stadium's patterns, for they can easily dodge it, while their opponents struggle to keep up.

Nishiki gets the ball and moves through Genei's defense, making a shoot. It heads towards the goal-

Until the orange lines on the field raise up and hit it, backfiring the shot. ''This time it's the flippers!''

Genei gets control of the wayward ball and it's passed to Mahoro, who doesn't hesitate to move towards Raimon's defense. Amagi meets him halfway, trying to stop him, but the captain of the other team passes him with his unbelievable dribbling. Kurumada, however, comes out of nowhere and kicks the ball away with a sliding, and it flies over the sideline.

Raimon gathers together on their half. ''This might be cause for concern,'' mutters Shindou as he glances at the glowing field. ''Those bumpers and flippers are troublesome.''

His assessment is met with agreeing nods. ''What about those arrows?'' asks Tenma, subtly hinting at the field's other special features. ''They could have a special feature too.''

Shindou nods. ''You're right... we have no idea where the ball will go like this.''

Their impromptu meeting is cut short when the match continues with another throw-in for Genei. Their opponents finally seem to get serious and Tenma narrows his eyes when they start using the bumpers to assist them.

The ball is shot towards Raimon's goal, flying over the arrows and speeding up when they start to glow. ''Shiranui uses the accelerator belts to speed up the ball!'' Sangoku manages to catch it with relative ease, already on guard after the other features of this particular field were revealed.

The game continues and Genei easily gets the upper hand by using their knowledge of the field. They use the bumpers to make passes, too fast and sudden for Raimon to interfere. Tenma grits his teeth as he tries to keep up, but it's been too long since he played on this field, causing him to be at the same disadvantage as his teammates.

His muscles burn, most likely from Ogata and Yamaoka's many beatings, and while it doesn't stop him, it's a huge distraction. Coupled with the lightheadedness and the sharp pain in his arm and hands, he's lucky he can keep up with the game like he is, and that's without counting the dizziness plaguing him – bearable, but extremely annoying.

And then the ball is passed to Mahoro.

Genei's captain races towards Raimon's goal, but Amagi moves in his way. ''I won't let you!''

The redhead narrows his eyes. ''You can't stop me!'' his surroundings darken, while the ball starts glowing with an eerie green fire. ''Phantom Shot!'' the ball disappears and reappears in several places, each time gaining more power, and then shoots forward.

Amagi punches the ground. ''Viva! The Great Wall of China!'' the fortress rises up, but when the ball reaches the stone wall, it disappears and fades back into existence behind it, harmlessly passing through the hissatsu.

Sangoku jumps up. ''Fence of Gaia!''

But again, the ball merely fades in and out of existence, hitting the net of the goal with seemingly childlike ease.

''Goal! Mahoro's unstoppable Phantom Shot does it again!''

Tenma frowns, taking note of Raimon's disbelief. He has to admit, seeing the miracle shot is still weird, even though he's seen it many times before, because really...

How?

Do the rules of physics not apply to soccer or something?

Clearly not.

The brunet shakes that thought away when the match continues. 'No time for that now. We have to turn the score around... and I know just the way.'

Like before, it starts with Genei having the upper hand, until Shindou manages to steal the ball back. The captain makes a short pass to Hamano, and it seems that's all the team needs to understand his thought process.

Raimon finally manages to keep the ball in their possession by using short passes to avoid the bumpers. Hamano passes to Nishiki, who passes back to Shindou, who passes to Kurama.

The forward moves towards the goal, but Genei's defense won't let him through. Gritting his teeth, Kurama glances around for one of his teammates. ''Tenma!''

The brunet grins.

Genei's defenders try to stop him, but Tenma pushes his physical weakness aside for now and breaking past them is too easy. He glances around, but both Tsurugi and Kurama are too far away and he's already too close to the goal.

He'll just have to do it himself, then.

A familiar fire courses through his veins, crawling beneath his skin, and for the first time in almost two months, he gives it free reign instead of caging it. It roars as it bursts free, burning beneath his skin like a forest fire, and explodes.

Red darkness swirls around him, sharp like knives. Wings form behind him, a cloud of energy rising into the sky, and his Keshin forms in all its white and red glory, blue eyes glowing ferociously.

''Demon God Pegasus!''

For the first time in over two months, his Keshin – although incomplete – forms behind him. Its power courses through the brunet's veins, wild and rampaging like a spooked animal, and Tenma takes a moment to simply stare at Pegasus.

Gone is the gentle blue aura, instead replaced by one of dark scarlet, whipping around both him and his Keshin and roaring like a storm. More noticeable, however, are the chains – they are wrapped around his Keshin's arms and torso, glowing an angry red, extending outside and fading out of sight.

The time traveler grimaces but shakes it off, for now. Instead he continues running, trying to keep the power trying to claw its way to the surface contained.

The wide-eyed shock from both Raimon and Genei is impossible to miss, but the brunet doesn't pay it any attention, instead focusing on pushing the energy of his Keshin outwards, towards the ball.

It comes with the same ease it did in the future, but the extra power – clawing around itself as if it'll rip anything apart that will stand in its way – is something else entirely, and it steals his breath away.

''Charging!'' Pegasus dissolves into bright golden light that swirls around him for a moment, before racing towards the ball and surrounding it. ''Hypercane!'' the goldish white light ripples out of the ball and towards the surrounding air, swirling like a typhoon of blinding light.

Tenma spins, one leg outstretched, and kicks the ball with all the strength he has, throwing in his own bodyweight. He fights against the overwhelming Keshin energy for a few seconds, and for a moment the world seems to hold its breath – the field and wind surrounding both player and ball a mix of pure white and shimmering gold, unmoving with the exception of the air flaring around it – and then the brunet's strength wins out, turning the force of the ball in the opposite direction, and it flies towards the goal, so fast it's barely more than a blur of light.

Genei's keeper is prepared for it, however, and a dark shadow bubbles underneath his feet. He reaches out, shadows filling his outstretched hand. ''Shadow Grab!''

The dark matter gets a hold on the ball and tries to slow it down, but within a second, the Keshin-charged shot wins out and blows into the goal.

''GOAL! Matsukaze reveals his Keshin, Demon God Pegasus, and uses a completely unknown technique – Charging! And was that Keshin chained?! That hasn't been seen in the Holy Road for years! Just what is the meaning of this?!''

Tenma cannot completely hide his grin as he moves back to his own half, where his team is waiting him with their mouths wide open and their eyes showing their absolute disbelief. Fire burns beneath the brunet's skin, heightening his senses until he's aware of every flash of light, every shout, and he takes a few moments to breathe through it.

Once he's reached his team, the time traveler can barely tell them a cheerful ''surprise!'' before he breaks down laughing at their stunned faces.

''Tenma- wha- how... your Keshin, when did you...?''

At Shindou's incoherent mumble, the brunet finally takes mercy on them, even though he doesn't bother to hide his cheeky smile. ''Fifth Sector sucks,'' he announces, ''but without their delightful treatment, Pegasus never would've broken free again.'' And he holds up his bandaged hands.

''What...'' Sangoku stares at him, a mix of wonder, concern and exasperation on his face. ''You mean that by hurting you, they released your Keshin? How?''

Tenma sobers a little, his grin shrinking to a grimace. ''An outside threat,'' he explains quietly, and he easily notices the way his friends' eyes darken. ''The shock and pain was enough for my Keshin energy to focus on fighting whatever it was that threatened me, instead of continuing to fight itself. Mostly.''

His uneasiness is shared by his team. ''Ah man,'' mutters Hamano under his breath, although they can all hear it, ''and here I was hoping for a solution without any drawbacks.''

The brunet smiles humorlessly. ''So was I, but, well... I'm at least glad Pegasus has stopped acting like a bitch.''

There are some snorts at that comment, and while Shinsuke chokes on air, Tsurugi gently cuffs the time traveler on the head, mindful of his injuries. ''Only you would describe it that way.'' Orange eyes narrow at him. ''Besides, your Keshin- Pegasus, it's still chained, isn't it?''

Tenma grimaces, and so does most of the rest of his team. ''Yeah, but it's... better now,'' he says quietly. ''As you can see, I can now actually use it.'' At the worried looks he gets, he gives his friends a reassuring smile. ''We can figure it out later.''

No one seems to like that solution, but they don't really have a choice. Tsurugi, clearly looking for a way to change the subject, speaks the first thing to come to mind. ''So, what was that technique you used?''

''Yeah!'' agrees Shinsuke, eagerly taking the chance to turn away from the more concerning subject. ''It was so amazing! I've never seen anything like it before!''

Tenma's cheeky smile is back.

''Keshin Charging, an offensive Keshin Projection,'' he says simply. ''You focus all your Keshin energy on the ball, instead of leaving so much free – that's a huge waste, y'know? Charging is way more refined than the stuff everyone else does, it wins even faster than Lancelot.'' At Tsurugi's sharpening gaze, the brunet gives him a cheesy wink. ''I'll teach you how to do it later, 'kay? For now, there's still some time left in the first half.''

Tsurugi nods slowly, the look in his eyes promising Tenma he'll hold him to that. The brunet grins at him and the striker's gaze softens slightly, the message behind it clear.

(Because it's obvious, even if Tsurugi would never let the words pass his lips – the gratefulness, the relief at seeing Tenma obviously feeling better.)

''Will you be alright?'' asks Shindou, glancing at the bandages on the brunet's arm and hands. ''If you can't handle it, then there's nothing wrong in taking a break.''

The time traveler nods. ''Yeah, it's fine,'' he says, shooting the captain a fond, reassuring smile. ''Trust me, Pegasus' energy more than makes up for the pain.'' And it's true – the burning of the bruises on his skin is almost completely gone, drowned out by the rush of fire in his veins, and his mind has sharpened enough to get rid of the dizziness plaguing him only a while ago.

Shindou chews on his lip, but gives a steady nod. Then he turns to the rest of the team. ''Alright, just a little time left! Let's make this point count!''

His determination is echoed by the others. ''Yeah!''

''Let's win this!''

~'0'~

Ah, so much happened this chapter!

Pegasus' return! Raimon's reunion! The start of the Genei match!

I am going to enjoy your reactions so much.

Did I throw Tenma against a mirror? Yes I did. Is it going to leave scars? Why yes. Am I cruel for this? Absolutely. Is Archie going to murder me? Since I won't see her anytime soon, I should hope not. Also, she already knows this part anyway XD

Next chapter: the match continues!

- Yara Meijer