AN: I published the Kurama side of this story! You can find it on my account, so give it a read if you're interested!

-

13. tough times and worries (they'll always come)

Raimon counters. Ultimate Thunder is working, they can fight, and it's not too hard. They win the match, even if there were some hiccups along the way.

And then Kirino stumbles.

And then he keeps rolling, further and further, down a path that leads to a realization he may have been better off never arriving at.

-

-

-

This time, when they brought the ball forward, they shot it back.

"Hamano!"

"Kirino!"

"Amagi!"

"Tsurugi!"

And then, finally, Tsurugi, spins back. His foot winds through to the electric-charged ball, and with a grunt of effort he flings it forward.

"Ultimate Thunder!"

Far ahead, Kurama and Minamisawa run forward. They don't look back, not even trying to catch where it goes.

They hear Teikoku's defense yell out obscure orders in confusion– should they receive Ultimate Thunder, or should they mark the strikers? They didn't have a choice, because Ultimate Thunder drills through the ground, filling the air with a blast that sends them flying.

Kurama's eyes meet Minamisawa's, and they charge on.

He scoops the ball right up, spinning right into a handstand and launching the ball into the air. A snake materializes behind him, and Kurama winds forward, slamming his foot into the ball from one direction– and then the next, sending it churning forward with an unimaginable spin.

"Sidewinder!"

Minamisawa sprints forward, dodging the defenders– and catches up to the ball with a foot's distance to spare.

"Sonic Shot!"

"Another?!" the goalkeeper hisses, hurriedly gathering the power in his fists. He doesn't make it in time, and the ball jets right through his hands into the goal.

"GOAAALL!" The announcer declares in time with the whistle, "Kurama and Minamisawa's shoot chain brings the score to a tie! Is there anything that can stop Raimon's momentum now?!"

Kurama and Minamisawa cheer, hands joining in a high five as they find each other.

-

"See? We totally still have it in us!" Kurama declares the second they get on the bench for halftime.

"Yeah! The Defenders aren't the only ones that are showing off today!"

"Ahhhh! We still haven't done anything, this isn't fair!" Tenma yells, frustrated. "Just wait, Kirino-senpai!"

"Seriously, what's with you, just pulling out a Keshin like that?" Tsurugi says, sounding mildly irritated, "you want to go all out and collapse like this moron did?" He jabs his thumbs at Shindou at the last part, and Shindou gives him a very offended look.

"Can you stop saying 'pull out a Keshin' like we're playing a card game," Kirino mutters with a sigh. He's the only one sitting down.

"How long have you been able to do that?" Shindou asks. "You said you could tell who had Keshin, and that you had one– but you didn't say you could use one."

"So, why am I just hearing about this again?" Coach Endou asks.

"Sorry, Endou-kun, with all the insanity going on we just assumed you knew," Ms Otonashi says. "Who even knows what anymore? We don't know, we're just riding the flow."

"She was so pretty," Aoi says, in complete awe.

Midori nods in agreement. "She's a Valkyrie, right? The Norse Mythology ones."

"Yeah," Kirino says, "I don't have the strength to do it repeatedly, though."

"Well, that's fair."

Kirino was able to summon Brynhildr, not only because he regained some strength with the while of training– but also because he brought himself emotionally closer to what she represented. It was like a resonance of wills, and Brynhildr responded.

"But that's a great help already," Kurumada grins. "Our defense has never been stronger! You're awesome, Kirino!"

"Yeah! I wanna summon my Keshin soon, too!" Tenma says.

"Don't push yourselves," Coach Endou reminds everyone. "The pace we've set is great and all, but you're going to run yourselves haggard at this rate."

"Huh? Endou-kun, you're the one saying that?" Ms Otonashi says, surprised.

"Let me act like a coach for once in my career!" he snaps.

The team laughs.

Kirino couldn't help but smile at the sight. They were fighting a war and if they lost, this would be disastrous– and yet, they were having fun with it.

Teikoku was giving them dirty looks, but that was a little inevitable.

This was really what it truly meant to be playing soccer.

The world has already changed– and Kirino couldn't help but think he's done a great job bringing it this far.

"Alright, keep this up for the second half!" Coach Endou declares. "But moderately, so we don't trip over our own feet, alright?"

"YEAH!"

The whistle blows for the second half, and Kirino puts his drink down, standing up with the resolve in his chest burning as brightly as it's ever done.

His world tilts to the side, and he barely reaches out to catch himself before his face meets the grass.

"...huh?"

"Kirino-kun?" Akane notices, holding some bottle from the other boys.

The team turns around to see Kirino on the ground, his eyes wide with horror. His legs were sprawled out under him, like he'd just crumbled on his way standing up.

"Kirino? What's wrong?"

"Wait... hey Kirino?"

Kirino thinks he's stopped breathing. He doesn't think he remembers how to– because right now– all of a sudden– his legs can't move. Someone's crouched down beside him, maybe it's the coach– but he can't tell. He's too focused on this right now to even register.

"...no, not now," he whispers, mortified.

-

-

-

"Oh, what is this?! Raimon has taken the most essential Kirino out of the lineup!" The announcement comes as a surprise to everyone in the crowd. "In his place is the first-year defender, Nishizono!"

"This is illogical," Kidou says, "did he get injured?"

"I don't believe so, but..." Sakuma turns toward the other bench, where Kirino had his shoes off, and Aoi was trying to get a massage down. "It seems so."

Endou was looking worriedly upon Kirino, but Kirino only shook his head.

"Something's up," Kidou says, "either way, the match continues."

Shinsuke looks incredibly unnerved, swallowing nervously as the whistle blows to begin. Kurumada and Amagi look at him with assurance, but it didn't really make him feel all that better.

"Those are some really big shoes to fill," Aoi says.

"I'm sorry," Kirino says, looking down. They'd managed to get him back on the bench, but his legs were unresponsive again.

He should've been careful. It hasn't happened for a while, so he'd let his guard down– and they're losing the core of their defense at such a time, too. If they lose, it'll all be–

"Stop moping!" Endou says, sharp, and Kirino straightens in surprise.

With the use of his legs, Kirino had lost all the spirit Brynhildr had given him.

"You started us off strong," Endou tells him. "Trust your teammates to keep it going."

Kirino bites his lip, and someone hands him a warm towel. His fight was over for this match– and no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn't go back in.

"Tenma and Shinsuke have been practicing all this time," Ichino says. "You're the one that's been believing in their strength from the start. They can handle it."

They can.

They have to.

They've done it before and they can do it again.

-

Defense is shaky with Shinsuke in place of Kirino.

Teikoku scores once more, a Keshin tearing right through the defenses in a moment that was almost too easily gained. They brought it all the way once more, and for a moment, all hope seemed lost.

Shinsuke falters before the jump– and Endou immediately shouts out– "you don't have to aim for the ball or for the people!" he says, "just reach the skies and fly!"

Shinsuke may be little, but he can jump. And words of affirmation were all he needed to blast away the worries that interfered with his steps.

"Full Throttle Jump!"

Shinsuke leaps above Itsumi, to his shock. Stealing the ball is easy from there, and he sends it right to Kurumada, who passes it on.

For this world– this is the first time Shinsuke has ever managed to fully achieve Full Throttle Jump. And the cheers that go up for him is that of a very enthusiastic celebration for long-awaited achievement.

The momentum returns to them.

Kirino was worried at times– the four SEEDs were playing rough, and tearing through their defenses was impossible without using Ultimate Thunder. Even if they did, the defense would retaliate, and Penguin Carnival would shred right through them to bring them back to zero again.

It was just a battle of who used their Hissatsu Tactics first.

But they were doing well.

Raimon went defensive more often than not, but desperate defenses brought them back to the middle of the field.

Kirino identified the four SEEDs– from the sidelines, he observed, and that was his best skill on the bench. He notes the many instances of those four communicating between the match, and gathered the pieces.

Kirino could also tell how the goalkeeper looked upon them in disdain, and how a few of the other members glanced toward them uncomfortably, realizing they've been left out of relevant orders.

(The SEEDs did not trust their own members.)

"Sword Saint Lancelot!" Tsurugi summons his Keshin, and the Defender SEED trips over his own feet in his attempt to summon his Dragon Knight Tedis. He was too far away, and could only watch as Tsurugi launched a "Lost Angel!" toward the goal.

The scores were now a tie, but both teams were too exhausted.

"The next score will determine the round," Endou says. "Teikoku's really turned their offense on now– everyone's stamina isn't going to hold."

Especially our midfielders, Kirino thinks. Teikoku's middle was mostly intact, but on Raimon's side, Hayami was near death.

"Ichino, I need you to switch in. You're ready?"

"Yes!"

Just like that? Man, Kirino's never truly appreciated having the liberty of changing members more than now. Last time around, they barely had a full team. Now, they had an extra– and it was a world of difference.

(Kirino's glad he set out to do all this.)

"Ichino," Kirino hurriedly says, "I need you to tell the team something I've noticed."

The disharmony in Raimon may be loud, but it's lacking any real grudge and heat, full of healthy competition between each other. But the disharmony in Teikoku is real, silent, and full of deep-seated personal biases.

They can use this to their advantage.

"We can win this," Kirino says.

Ichino falters at the confidence– but he smiles. "You know– I was a little nervous, but when you tell me that so easily, I really feel like we can."

-

The team manages to break through Teikoku's defense.

The four Seeds garnered a rather flustered tunnel vision near the end, and they stopped passing with the team. They turned only to each other for assists, and Ichino noticed it quickly after Kirino pointed it out.

All it took from there was strategic player-on-player marking, and Shindou's hands spinning God's Baton to life.

Ultimate Thunder clears their way, and the wind blows in Raimon's favour.

"GOAL! Shindou's Keshin shoot brings Raimon back in the lead!"

Kirino can't help but be proud. They were doing really well even without him– albeit, they had Teikoku's team discord to thank for that, but it was still impressive.

He may be the Ace Defender, but the team doesn't sink too far even without him on the field.

(Just a little, that was sad.)

(Because this was the standard of soccer in Japan now.)

He missed his world, just a little, in times like this. They had finally gotten stronger together, and even the more mediocre teams were leaps greater than this, even when the members didn't get along.

(But then again, maybe it was because they weren't children anymore.)

Kirino clenched his fist against his knee and tried not to feel homesick.

"Kirino-kun," Hayami's beside him, catching his breath– and Kirino straightens when he's addressed. "Are you doing okay? Your leg..."

"I'm fine," Kirino says, almost too quickly. "They'll be better tomorrow."

Hayami frowns at him. Kirino looks away– but he doesn't expect Hayami to reach over and flick his knuckles over the side of Kirino's head, not painful, but just enough to be a little loud.

"You're fine, you're fine, stop that," Hayami grumbles, leaning in closer, "even I can tell when things are obvious bullshit, okay?"

Kirino had to stare, a little flabbergasted at the scolding.

"But..."

"But what, it's happened before, it was fine the next day?" Hayami groans. "So what? It's okay to not be fine when it happens! It sucks! I'd cry if I was you!"

Kirino had to bite his lips down at that, looking away as he felt his eyes burn a little.

He wanted to. Kirino really, really wanted to cry.

But there was no reason to. He's not a child (three years younger, technically a teenager, almost adult mentally, here and there whatever he is, it's not a child,) he's not going to cry over a minor inconvenience like this. He's cried enough already. If he cried every time he was frustrated over this he'd never have enough tears.

Hayami wraps an arm over Kirino's shoulders, pulling him closer and draping the towel over Kirino's head.

Kirino doesn't say a thing.

But Hayami understood that Kirino didn't want to be seen. He wanted to curl up and die inside in peace, preferably with something to just vaguely remind him he still had a place to belong. Just– for now, he wanted to muddle in the pain and be upset for all it was worth.

And Hayami understood that feeling better than anyone else.

"I'm not fine," Kirino whispers, barely audible.

(He hates that he's here, instead of with someone that would really make it better. He hates that this is happening in the first place– how can he be a soccer player if his legs are a time bomb of its own right? He hates that he's here, living on with the ever-dreadful uncertainty of the whereabouts of everyone he's truly loved.)

(But for now, he won't say any of it, and he'll just be sad in silence.)

-

-

-

The match ends with 4-3 in Raimon's favour.

"Kirino! We won!"

"Kirino-senpai, did you see that?!"

"We did it, we did it!"

The whistle blows thrice and the crowd erupts in cheers, but Raimon doesn't do any of that. Instead, they run right back to the bench and drag Kirino out of the bench to celebrate together.

"We really won against Teikoku!"

"Did you see that shot I made?!" Tenma yells, "I shot! Into the goal! I mean it didn't go in since it got blocked but it was strong!"

"Ah, about that," Minamisawa says, "practice kicking later. I think it's a hissatsu coming."

"Wait, really?"

"This is all thanks to you, Kirino!"

"What? No! It's because of Tsurugi!" someone argues. "And Ultimate Thunder!"

"And all of us in the midfield?!"

"The Forwards are literally the ones that scored!"

"Thank the rest of us Defenders too you ungrateful bunch!" Amagi yells.

"Hey, Shindou literally played the game for all of us!"

Kirino bubbles out in laughter. He's leaning heavily on Amagi, who's holding him up, but it was just too funny. The team was still fighting over MVP honours.

"It's Tsurugi!"

"It's Kirino!"

"Can we just give it to me cause I'm the winning goal?"

"Absolutely not, first years go sit down and be quiet!"

"Wha– HEY, Kurama, don't make Shinsuke cry!"

"I think you all did great!" Endou beams, and the team sees his very proud smile. "Of course, there's polishing to be had in some places, but this was a great match!"

And everyone huffs at that. If the Coach went as far as to give the crown to everyone, then no one was about to complain.

Kirino sits by everyone's side as they rehydrate and debrief.

He can't move his legs, but everyone stays by his side, and everyone gathers around him, paying him extra attention.

Hayami hasn't left his side.

And it's different– very different. Being coddled isn't something he wants to make a habit of doing– but Kirino finds himself thinking that this isn't all that bad either.

Tsurugi meets Mikado's eyes from a distance, and their gazes are stern.

They don't linger long, and quickly, they look away.

-

"Hold on– you seriously can't walk?" Tsurugi asks, when someone helps Kirino onto Coach Endou's back to make their way out of the field.

"It's not the first time it's happened," Sangoku says. "The doctors don't know what's wrong either, but it gets better after some rest."

"It's not the first– so it's not just giving out on you because you summoned your Keshin without mastering its control?" Tsurugi says, paling immediately.

Kirino's legs just don't work. This time, the Keshin is definitely a factor in it happening right out of nowhere– but it's triggered by exertion, before anything else.

"It's been happening for quite a while now," Aoi says, "I think Akane-san's been keeping track of them?"

"I have," she says. "We usually stop before the hard limit, but today is different because of the Keshin, I think."

Tsurugi looked between shouting, scolding, and crying– because he just gripped his towel and just went, "excuse me?" He goes through all stages of grief in an instant before whirling right back to denial, "you guys are treating this so nonchalantly? A soccer player's life is in their leg mobility and you're just– being so easygoing about it?"

The entire team freezes.

Kirino clings a little tighter to Coach Endou's back. He honestly didn't mind– at least as far as technicalities go, he couldn't do anything about it, so there was no point being so upset. He just needed to learn to live around it, because he sort of knew the cause and it was complicated enough for him to know there's nothing he can do about it except be grateful, he didn't want to think too much about it.

(That's what he genuinely thought.)

The entire team disagreed, because everyone lunged at Tsurugi, a few chuckling dryly and fakely, loudly, to obscure Tsurugi from Kirino's vision.

"Geez, you're so serious about everything, Tsurugi!" Shinsuke says.

"That's right– we just won a match, how about let everyone be happy, you killjoy?" Hamano says, oddly cheerful. Very fake. He's not a bad liar, usually.

"Let's talk about something else! Like your Keshin Shoot," Tenma says.

"Y'know what, come here and help us out," Aoi says, taking him by the elbow, "Coach Endou was supposed to carry the ice box back for us. You can take it."

In a not-so-subtle manner, everyone ushers Tsurugi far, far away from Kirino, strained smiles on their faces and a sharp, soft promise of hopefully not murder under their breaths.

And, just out of earshot, Kirino thinks he hears someone scolding their first years.

("Can't you see that Kirino's the one most upset about this, Tsurugi?")

("We're trying to avoid the topic. So shh, alright? We're all worried, but no sense in making Kirino feel worse.")

Kirino buries his face into the coach's shoulder and realized he was a burden.

-

"Tsurugi," Shindou says when they're back in the caravan. "What was that with you and the captain of the other team?"

"Did you know him or something?" Tenma asks.

"Or did he just pick a fight, the usual stuff?"

"Do we need us to throw hands?" Kurama asks, "match's over, so we can."

"No, Kurama, we cannot," Minamisawa says.

"Why not?" Midori asks.

"Midori, you're literally on probation!"

"...was this team always this prone to actual violence?" Coach Endou says, slightly exasperated, trying to pretend not to hear anything so he could plead ignorance later.

"Yes," Ms Otonashi says, not even deterred. "For the record, Kurama-kun and Kurumada-kun have both been suspended at least twice. Midori-chan is repeating a year because she spent a while in a juvenile detention center. Those three are the worst we have, everyone else is significantly less problematic."

"What the actual–" Endou stops himself. "On second thought, we had Fudou and Tobitaka on Inazuma Japan so I don't think we can talk."

"Not just them. Have you forgotten that Hiroto-kun's a terrorist?"

"The Aliea thing counts?!"

She didn't answer him. Endou frantically looked through his phone for the groupchat, because no way in damn hell was he going to go any longer in the dark.

But the team settled from their earlier urge to fight and turned stern attention back to Tsurugi.

Tsurugi looks incredibly uncomfortable, especially since essentially everyone is staring at him, some climbing over the chairs to look in his general direction.

Tsurugi didn't think he needed to tell them this– it was sort of personal for him.

But then again, the more he thought about the Fifth Sector, the more he realized just why there were so many things kept secret in that regime. He was disallowed from speaking of routines, rules, and even their conditions there.

Because they were fucking messed up.

"I.. didn't know him, it's not like that," Tsurugi says. One of his hands ghost over to his shoulder, holding on. "It's just... you know that scar on his face?"

"The scar– you mean the one he had that matched #10?" Sangoku says.

Eyes turned to him.

"Come to think of it, it is really strange," Hayami says, "they were in the exact same spot, and even almost exactly in the same shape and colour."

"What?" Ichino asks, because he hadn't been close enough to both of them often enough to really tell. "Is that true?"

"Yeah, they were," Kurama says. "That was weird."

"I mean, weird coincidences happen," Minamisawa says, "maybe they got it in the same accident?"

"They're deliberately made to match," Tsurugi reveals, and this time, the eyes that turn toward him are mortified. "Since those two were probably a pair during training."

Kirino's eyes widened.

What? They were deliberately– made– to match? That would mean someone put that on them on purpose.

And suddenly, Kirino wanted to throw up. 

Because Tsurugi has a scar too.

On his back, across his right shoulder blade toward his spine– something shoddily carved in with a blade, running once across and four times down. Like a tally mark.

(They'd seen it one day, when Tsurugi was absent-mindedly changing in the room. He had hid it for the first couple weeks as a member, because it drew attention– but after a few months, he began to show it in the clubroom nonchalantly, trusting no one to ask. And no one did, and eventually they got too used to it to bother.)

(No one ever learned what it was in Kirino's world.)

"They're called marks," Tsurugi sighs, like he needed a moment, "they're basically a warning label. The more marks a Seed has, the more dangerous they've been known to act. Mikado had some on his arm too."

Tenma was very pale.

"But... but he was a calm person," he says, and that truly didn't line up. "He didn't seem dangerous. He was just really strong."

So was Tsurugi, and he had five.

Kirino knew what that meant.

The marks weren't an indicator of strength or anything of that sort. There would be no reason to inflict a wound deep enough to leave a scar just to label strength.

Those marks were put on them as a warning.

(As a punishment.)

Kirino felt sick to his stomach. Tsurugi wasn't saying it straight out, but Kirino knew what that meant now.

The Tsurugi of his world never told him this.

(He was so glad that the Tsurugi of his world was keeping it to his grave, because he didn't think anyone else would've taken it any better.)

"It's a weirder ranking system than that," Tsurugi says, when someone asks another question Kirino didn't hear. "Don't think too hard about it, there were criteria none of us were ever told of."

"Dude, was the SEED system a military or what?" Kurama says, exasperated. "Hardcore."

"You haven't seen it all yet," Tsurugi mutters, almost spitefully. Then, "I just picked a fight with Mikado because we don't usually see other Marked ones outside of God Eden, that's all."

And then immediately, everyone stares at him with worry, because what the hell?

"You've got some too?!" came a few yells, and Tsurugi balks, realizing he hadn't shown anyone it yet. They've changed in the same room, but Tsurugi had the habit of facing back to a wall while he did.

"I knew it, we need to call the police," Shinsuke says, already on his phone. "Seriously, what is up with Fifth Sector?"

"Is half of what they do even legal??" Sangoku has to ask.

"Tsurugi, bro, are you like, okay?" Amagi asks, genuine.

"Wait, you've mentioned God Eden more than once now," Minamisawa says, "what's God Eden? You keep talking like it's Hell on Earth but is a place like that allowed to even exist? How many human rights does it violate?"

"And how much dynamite do we need to nuke it?" Kurama asks. "Cause that's what we're going to do."

Tsurugi groans. This was going to be a long conversation and he's dreading it.

"Hey, what's this I hear about nuking back there?!" Endou calls out. "No terrorism, alright? I can handle a rebellion, I draw the line at Raimon being involved in terrorism again!"

-

"We'll need to stay another night in school. Are you fine, Kirino-kun?"

Not being able to walk is a pain, but with literally everyone in the building keeping an eye on you, it was more awkward than it was troublesome.

"We called Rairaiken for dinner," Coach Endou says, and the entire club cheers.

"For all of us?! You're going to overload his business..." Shindou says, genuinely concerned.

"It's fine, we did it all the time back when we were in junior high," Coach Endou chuckles. "If Tobi can't hold up that standard, he better hand that apron back!"

"Plus he just texted us to say he's got backup," Ms Otonashi says.

"Backup?"

"Yay! I get to harass Tobitaka-san for another day!"

"...Midori, what?"

"That aside," Tenma, fresh out of a bath, rushes over to sprawl over Kirino's lap. "Hey Kirino-senpai, tell us more about your Keshin!"

Kirino yelps at the sudden contact. He's weak to first-year gazes– even weaker when they're sprawled over him like a puppy.

"That's true," Tsurugi says, coming up behind him, "this is the first time I've heard of someone hearing their Keshin's voice even before they were able to summon them."

"Right, right!" Shinsuke jumps onto the couch beside him, on the other side of Shindou. "Does that mean you're a superhero, Kirino-senpai?"

(Oh no, they're all over me! I can't say no anymore!)

"Eh, it's not that crazy or anything," Kirino says– he jumps when all eyes are on him. "I just... Well, somehow I was aware of it one day. I think I've been hearing for a while, really– I just didn't connect the dots?"

"Hehh," Kurama says, "going by common video game logic, doesn't that mean you're technically on a higher synergy level than Tsurugi?"

"Hmm? Well, I guess?" Kirino says unhesitantly, before realizing why that would be a bad idea.

"Wait, was that a challenge?" Tsurugi asks, sounding a little annoyed. And yeah, just unhesitatingly saying you're probably better than the only Seed on the team who's had practice with Keshin for years is not a good idea either.

Kirino chuckles. "I don't have enough strength to use it as long as Tsurugi now, but I mean, I'm pretty sure I could use Armed if I wanted."

Everyone that was looking at him is now looking much closer at him.

Kirino very slowly realizes that Armed is not common knowledge yet. Oh, oops.

"What's Armed?" Shinsuke asks.

"Yeah, what's Armed?"

"Did your Keshin tell you some skill secrets?"

"How much do you even know about the Keshin just because you can talk to her?" Tsurugi says, very interested now. "Your knowledge of it surpasses Fifth Sector."

"Oh my, that's not good," Akane says, with a sigh. "That means we can't tell Fifth Sector."

"Why?"

"...Because he'll get spirited away into Seed Training Camp?" Hayami suggests. "Or you know, they might capture him to torture info out of him."

"Tortu– Hayami, stop your imagination right now."

"What?!"

Tsurugi actually grimaces. "You're not wrong, though. Most Seed Candidates in God Eden are scouted for in one way or another."

"You're only talking about the capture part, right? Not the torture?" Shindou feels the need to clarify. "Right? ...Tsurugi? Tsurugi, look at me!"

Tsurugi is now dreading everything. He wants to run away and not answer any of them, because there's way too much to answer now.

Kirino genuinely feels the same. But alas, his legs can't move.

"Uhh, I'll show you tomorrow if I can walk?" Kirino offers weakly instead, and everyone in the room simultaneously explodes with yells of affirmation.

"YES!"

"You have to!"

"Swear it!"

"Shindou and Tsurugi too! We can have a whole Keshin battle to see who's really the strongest!"

Kirino sputters. "Hold up, hold up! You're going to compare two Shoot Keshin to my Block Keshin?? That's not fair!"

"What's so unfair about it, we're not going to kill you?"

"Yeah, show us this Armed thing."

"Hey now," Shindou leans closer, pushing away some overenthusiastic faces. "You're making him uncomfortable. I have pepper spray and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Nooo!"

"Everyone run before the boyfriend attacks!"

"Shindou, that's illegal."

Kirino sighs, chuckling fondly. "It's really fine. I'm sure Brynhildr wouldn't mind," he says. He so wishes he could tell everyone everything. He so wishes he could. "I think she'd like to show off a little sometimes."

There's an argument somewhere in the back of his chest, and he chuckles.

-

It's some time in the middle of their huge meal of ramen– and Tobitaka brought in some oden as well because he decided to close up shop instead of dealing with two fronts– that Hibiki Seigou just walks into the club room, like no big deal.

"C-" Coach Endou chokes on his entire mouthful of ramen before he can finish.

So Ms Otonashi finishes his sentence for him, "Coach Hibiki?!"

And then the entire clubroom explodes with realization. A few others choke as the sight of the familiar face suddenly clicks in their head. "Is that Hibiki Seigou?!"

"The Legendary Inazuma Eleven's Goalkeeper?!"

"THE Hibiki Seigou?!"

"Everyone calm down! Everyone calm down!"

"Guys, Coach Endou is still choking! Does anyone know the Heimlich Maneuver?!"

"Wait, careful! Who dropped that bowl of soup on the ground!?"

"THE HOTPOT IS BOILING OVER SOMEONE TURN IT DOWN!"

"Everyone calm down! Everyone! STAY! CALM!"

"Hayami's not breathing!"

Hibiki stares at all of them as some try to make sure their coach doesn't die, half of them trying to deal with spilled soup, others trying not to burn the building down, and the other half just screaming incoherently.

And he hums, arms crossed. "Seems fair."

-

Hibiki came to talk about the Resistance.

"Though, we have absolutely no connection to El Dorado," he finishes, "it's a little awkward, but we suppose there's no better time than now to really start taking steps."

He was asking them to fight for the Resistance– they didn't need to do anything. They just needed to spearhead the advance, and keep winning. Raimon was already in direct path of Fifth Sector's teams, after all. It was inevitable that they'd get involved.

It's just that now, the Resistance will be behind them.

"It's a relief to have you behind us and all, but..." Coach Endou says, hesitant, "are you sure? Raimon's under the highest suspicions now. We're going to face the worst of the retaliation herein."

It's not going to get any better.

"That's exactly why," Hibiki says. "It's not going to be safe for you guys from here if you don't have a backing of some sort."

That would definitely be a relief, and looking around, Kirino knew that everyone understood as well. Now, actual adults were taking the case.

They didn't have to be vulnerable children waiting for the inevitable anymore.

Kirino's eyes meet Ichino's across the room, and Kirino pointedly makes no response.

El Dorado isn't going to be deterred by this. Sure, they're working for the same cause– but their methods are completely different. Instead– Kirino's thinking the Resistance is better off using the flamboyant El Dorado as a cover for their much more efficient, adult ways of handling these matters.

And El Dorado can use Hibiki Seigou's name to continue their loud acclamations.

"Wait– so our match today was just you setting us up to identify the SEEDs in Kidou's team??" Coach Endou exclaims, "hey c'mon now! Don't use us like that!"

HIbiki laughs heartily, "extend your gripes to Kidou."

"That does it," Endou grumbles, "Otonashi, get that credit card. We're booking dinner at the most expensive restaurant in town!"

Otonashi hums, "invite Natsumi along," she says, "I'll try to get myself a date just to piss my brother off, give me a moment."

Hibiki came here alone, because coming with his group of Resistance Leaders would draw too much attention. To the outside, he'd come here under the guise of Rairaiken's owner coming to cook for a celebration party of sorts.

"The plan now is to follow this political unrest, spearheading forward, and take the throne legally in the next election," Hibiki says. "To achieve that, you kids will need to keep winning and make it to the Nationals."

It's not like losing was ever an option for Raimon, anyways.

"We're really going to fight in a revolution?!"

"Darn, this is getting real," Minamisawa says. "Is this too late to run?"

"Yes," five different voices speak up at once.

"If you're running take me with you," Hayami squeaks.

"This is easier said than done, though..." Shindou sighs. "Even if we do manage to beat Kaiou, we still have to get a match with whoever's the winner of the other block.'

"We've upgraded from Chaotic Good to Lawful Evil," Hamano says, "yay."

"Why do you sound so disappointed?"

"Because I like chaos."

"Uh, I don't really get it, but," Tenma turns to Shindou, "so basically we gotta just win our next matches, right? To save soccer?"

"So no different from what we've been doing up until now?" Kurama mutters.

"It's different! The stakes are higher now!" Shinsuke says. "It's a revolution!"

"Guys, crank up the insanity a bit more, we're going all out from now on," Kirino mutters, tired now.

"...we weren't going all out before this?" Tsurugi asks.

"Of course not!"

"Shouldn't we be toning down the insanity now that we're supposed to take this seriously?"

"Nah, we're kids. Let's be insane."

"I'm just really happy!" Tenma beams. "Everyone here really loves soccer, huh? We're going to save it, everyone! I'm sure soccer's really happy too."

"Tenma, you're adorable, but stop talking to soccer."

"Quiet, Kurama. Let the boy be our soccer communication medium. It'll remind us of the heights of the insanity we're aiming for."

"You guys are being incredibly rude," Tenma mutters.

Who knows. Maybe emoting as soccer's feelings is just how Tenma communicates with his Keshin. It's passion, after all. And Tenma's was hope. If it manifested in him as soccer's feelings, Kirino would honestly understand.

Kirino hums as conversations devolve into everyone teasing Tenma, and a few people grabbing Hayami back before he runs off in tears.

"It's a relief to know that we're not the only ones fighting," Sangoku says, finally turning from the chaos toward the adult again. "Thanks, Hibiki-san. This means a lot to us."

-

-

-

"It's impossible, isn't it?" This time, Fei's voice was calmer. Lacking all the previous desperation– cold and tired. "It's a shame, but I think we might have to–"

"You cannot say that." Doctor Aruno is sharp. "Have hope. You're the one that wanted hope– we have it. Hold onto it."

"It is not me that prayed for it," Fei grinds his teeth.

"It was you, in another world, that cried for them until his last moments."

For a long time, there was just a hollow, hollow silence.

"He was one version of me," Fei says. "But he is not me. He's gone. Rather than worry about the members– we don't even know how many are alive– we should first prioritise salvaging the pieces of history that we've lost along with the explosion of the core timeline. That takes precedence."

"...Fei," Doctor Aruno says. "We can gather another team of the History's Strongest. We can collect the wisdom of Master D in as many universes as we can. But we may never regain the memories and the bonds of those that have been broken apart."

"But– why is that more important? There are hundreds of me, spanning across thousands of universes! We can create things like bonds again and again!"

"It won't be the same. Have some compassion, Fei. The you of that world grew from his love for them."

"And he is not me! I have no such bond with them– what is important now isn't superficial things like friendship. We need the lessons of history or we'll sink right back down into another Second Stage Crisis!"

"That's the thing, Fei– your love for them had been the most important part of that lesson. It is most unfortunate that you no longer understand why that is so."

-

-

-

Kirino jerks away, frazzled, clenching the blanket around his stomach– sweating, ragged, and confused.

What was that?

He shoves back, arms reaching around for anything to hold onto. He grabs the backrest of the couch and pushes himself up with one elbow– and leans against the side. He'd only really forced himself upright because he didn't want to lie down anymore. It didn't feel right.

The hall was pitch black. There were faint snores around, a few sleep talkers– but all in all, no one seemed to be awake.

Kirino catches his breath, taking a few deeper ones to calm himself– before looking down and squeezing his knee.

He still couldn't move them.

(What was that?)

It was Fei. But he sounded wrong. Everything sounded wrong.

That was Fei– but it certainly wasn't the Fei that Kirino knew.

(It shouldn't be too hard to come back in time and notice Kirino here. Unless– unless they've already stopped looking, and all along Kirino has been abandoned in this new timeline, forsaken.)

(What happened to my old world?)

"The explosion of the core timeline," Kirino remembers those words, more than anything. They sounded terrifying.

Fei had once told them that the world they're in was called the core timeline. Occasionally it would split off into various parallel divergences, but the worlds always fuse back into the core timeline after it's stabilised.

If the entire caravan's worth of people had been sent to various timelines like Kirino– that would mean that multiple, multiple dimensions had been forced to diverge all at once. It might have created such discrepancy that the timeline no longer knew how to fuse together again.

(Or, if explosion sounded right...)

(...did the core timeline even exist anymore?)

And all of a sudden, Kirino felt like screaming. He clenched his shirt around the chest and tried not to continue this train of thought but it was there now and he couldn't figure out a way to dispute it.

Forget being found. Forget going home.

(What if their old world is gone?)

The Fei that spoke was not theirs. Where was their Fei? Kirino thought it was incredulous that he'd stop looking, for any reason.

Unless he was gone as well. Along with everyone they'd ever loved.

(Maybe the caravan crash wasn't a tragedy.)

(Maybe the explosion took a whole dimension out of the fabric of the universe, and the crashing of the caravan meant that Kirino was a survivor.)