The boy with teal hair who often complained about me, whom I had finally found out was named Kazemaru yesterday, came running up to us. He spotted me and hollered, "We have to go! The match is going to start!" Hinata quickly let go of me and stood stiffly next to me. My body was equally as rigid, for being caught in this personal moment was especially embarrassing and awkward. He didn't really care though, just ran up to me and grabbed my wrist and started running back down the hall with me dragging behind

        He seemed to know the way, and just when we turned onto the corner of the hall before reaching Endou and the others, I saw Kidokawa Seishuu. Just the sight of them brings back memories. My old teammates, the one who had first feared me, trusted me with their dreams, backed me up. Played soccer next to me. All of a sudden, I felt like I was a horrible traitor.

        I suddenly stopped, making Kazemaru stumble. "What's up with you? We will be disqualified if we are late!" he complained, annoyed at the way I was acting. I didn't reply, only looked at the ground as a shadow came over my face. He saw my reaction, and softened his grip. "What's wrong?" the teal haired boy asked me with a kinder tone then before.

        "Gomen. I can't play them," I said softly. Tears were threatening to pool out, even though now was not the time to cry. And Inoue Shizuro doesn't cry, everyone knows that. "Look, if Gouenji can, then you can too. Soccer is soccer!" he cried, almost sounding as if he was trying to cheer me up. My eyes averted those desperately-searching eyes of his. "I'm not strong like Gouenji," I whispered, my voice trailing off, "I shouldn't be playing on Raimon's soccer team."

        Oopsie, I accidenly blurted out another what sounded like an insult (even though I didn't mean it that way) directed at Raimon. But instead of telling me off like I thought he would every time I criticized Raimon, he let go of my wrist. "I know how you feel right now," he said in a tone that was so different, like from a hidden room in him. "You can't know," I muttered, even though that way he sounded caught my attention.

        "Before I was pulled into the soccer club, I was the track team captain," he said softly. I looked up, curious. "But after winning against Teikoku, one of my teammates wanted me to go back to the track team."

        His story actually sounded a little similar to mine, or at least the inner struggle of the feeling of betrayal part. "Then what happened?" I asked uncertainly, unknowing whether it was my buisness or not to pry into his personal affairs. "I showed my teammates during the match that I didn't betray them, I was just taking a path that was meant for me," he replied with a small smile as if he was remembering the scene.

        I was at a loss for words. Why did he, the guy who thought I wasn't a teammate much less a friend, tell me this? Unless...did he accept me as a teammate? Looking back, I had been a little rude to Raimon when all they wanted to do was be my friends. Sure they were a little slow and obsessed about the whole "teamwork" thing, but really, Kidokawa Seishuu had been really slow too and was always behind me and Gouenji.

        "Thank you for telling me, I think I understand now. I will play and win for Raimon," I said determinedly. Taking a breath, I stepped out into the stadium.

Time Skip

        I sat on the bench, watching them play. If I was going to play my ex-teammates, then I would play them with the Inoue Shizuro that they knew me as, including the famous joker tactic. Endou had let the first shoot in, then blocked the other Back Tornadoes. The first half kept going with Kidokawa Seishuu attacking, then ten minutes before the end of the first half, Kidou gathered some teammates and said something that I couldn't hear. But then Endou, of all people, Endou, rushed to the front of the field! What was Kidou thinking?

        Endou, Domon, and Ichinose made a kind of cross shaped mark on the ground, then they used a hissatsu shoot called Tri-Pegasus, which had probably finally been perfected the night I went home early. It went in, as expected. Nanzan was still that fumbling scaredy cat who could only have a chance at catching a hissatsu shoot after seeing it a second time. And for once I agree with my ex-goalkeeper, Tri-Pegasus was scary. They might not even need me with this.

        The first half ended with 1-1. I was right, I would be benching the whole match. Even though I was relieved, I was also slightly frustrated that I couldn't show Kidokawa Seishuu I was still their teammate no matter which side of the field I stood on. So you can guess how surprised I was when Kidou told me to play as defender for the second half. I tried to argue, but he just told me, "If you want to win to fight Zeus, you'll listen to your strategist." Although I didn't really like how he said "your strategist", the words "fight Zeus" turned me on.

        And so the second half began. I had watched all my previous teammates earlier already. None of them seemed to have improved much which worried me, and they still had the same moving patterns as before. Easy to get through, as I knew them best. But what really surprised me was that they seemed to be less connected then before, like a static-y radio. But why? Was me and Gouenji being there what was connecting them so well before? Until it dawned on me that no, it wasn't us, it was the Mukata Triplets. The strong ones, it used to be me and Gouenji and was now the Mukata Triplets, were the center of Kidokawa Seishuu. If the center cut off it's connection, then the outside breaks apart. Kidokawa Seishuu was kind of like a machine, really. If held together by a strong magnet, then will work powerfully, while if held by a repelling magnet, will crumble until both are useless.

        The Mukata Triplet's started off with the big thing right at the start, sending Triangle Z toward Endou. Now I knew why Kidou put me as defender instead of the usual midfield position. I sprinted toward that gloriously glowing golden power. I was going to make it, no, I knew I was going to make it. Until Gouenji's shout cut through my concentration. "No don't do it Inoue!"

        The platinum haired boy slammed into me, sending us both rolling onto the ground, letting the ball break through Endou's God Hand and into the net. After the referee blew the whistle, I stood up and straightened my jersey. "What was that for?  I could have made it. And you didn't need to tackle me, you know? This is soccer, not American football." He stared at me dead in the eye, making me a little scared. "You know perfectly what I mean. Your leg isn't healed yet from that time you used Kuroi Hane Taifuu to deflect Triangle Z, and I'll bet anything you don't want to bench the whole game against Zeus with an injury excuse."

        I guiltily shuffled from leg to leg a little. He was actually quite on spot, but this was Kidokawa Seishuu we're up against, our old teammates. And if we don't win, how will we be able to fight Zeus?

        I swallowed, then met his eye the way that the Death Bringer does to strike fear in all hearts. "We can't afford to lose." And with those words I walked back to my spot, leaving a dumbstruck Gouenji gapping behind. I'm sorry Gouenji, but I have to win. And I'll fight the Zeus match no matter what.

        The game continued with no signs of win or lose. Raimon tried to shoot again with Tri-Pegasus, but got cut off by a new member of Kidokawa Seishuu, a boy with olive dreadlocks and a blue headband like Endou who actually looked pretty good at soccer. Someone like him should be the center of Kidokawa, not the tyranny Mukata Triplets who was only making their own team worse.

        Then finally, Gouenji and Someoka managed to get a goal despite being blocked at first by Toughness Block. Masaru's temper only got worst, occasionally cussing at his own teammates for their failures. This seemed to miff them, and Kidokawa Seishuu looked worst and worst as the time stretched on, although they still prevented Raimon from taking the lead.

        Finally, I couldn't stand their scattered plays, and shouted, "Yakata! Pass to Tobiyama two steps slower then you just did next time! Mistumune, don't pass to Kurobe all the time, just pass directly to the midfielders! Nanzan, don't stand there shivering, Megawa is there to back you up so you don't have to be scared! Pull youselves together already!"

        All eyes snapped to me. "What's this?" exclaimed Kakuma, "Player number 13 Ino- I mean Sakurai is playmaking for the opposite team and giving them a big pep talk! What is going on?"

        "Don't listen to her! She's a traitor!" Masaru snapped at his teammates, glaring especially at Yakata, Tobiyama, Mitsumune, Kurobe, Nanzan, and Megawa, as if daring them to disobey him. Then a surprising thing happened.

        Yakata crossed his arms and returned the glare. "We'd rather play with a traitor who helps and supports us as a team then a captain who is self-centered," he said. Slowly, Tobiyama, Nanzan, and the rest of Kidokawa Seishuu crossed their arms one by one and stood their ground, defiance flaring in their eyes. Heat swelled up in my chest, and I had to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow. Never in my life had I been so proud of my teammates. Gouenji looked equally as shocked as me. Both of us didn't know that Kidokawa Seishuu had that fire in them.

        "What are you talking about?" Tomo screeched. "Yeah man! Remember our pep talk before the match? They left us! They ditched us right before the finals when we could have won!" Tsutomi added, trying to turn Kidokawa Seishuu onto me and Gouenji, knowing that their chances of being respected by their team after this was slim to none.

        None of Kidokawa Seishuu batted an eyelash.

        "Let's go! Offense!" Kidou shouted, seizing the moment and gesturing for everyone to come up. Endou ran up, and he, Domon, and Ichinose assembled themselves into the positions for Tri-Pegasus. "I won't let you score another!" the olive haired boy came running up to them again and made a cresent of blue light flare up from the ground, the same hissatsu that had stopped Tri-Pegasus earlier.

        But instead, the three boys broke through the wall. Wings of flame unfurled, and the ball shot toward a poor flustered Nanzan in a burst of fire and power. Just like that, Tri-Pegasus, a move that already was strong in it's own right, evolved.

         Obviously it blasted in, as Nanzan didn't even attempt to stop such a crazy strong force. Instead, he jumped to the side, a smart choice, and ducked for cover. After the ball cooled down, he scrambled inside and tossed it into the field, the ball rolling to my feet. Did he do that on purpose? Unfortunately, the Mukata Triplets thought so too.

        "What the hell!" Tsutomi complained, "Whose side are you on anyway, Kidokawa or Raimon?"

        Nanzan ignored Tsutomi and the glares from Tomo and Musara. He looked around to exchange eye contact with the rest of Kidokawa Seishuu, who all nodded in return. Then he turned back to me. For the first time, I could see the flame of a goalkeeper's desire to protect the goal flicker faintly in his eyes. "Shoot, Inoue-senpai!" he shouted, "I'll protect the goal!"

        I looked down at the ball, trembling slightly. I knew everyone, especially Gouenji and Kidokawa, was looking on at what I will do. Can I do it? Shoot at my own ex-teammate who trained with me before?

        I took a deep breath, swallowed, and stepped into the shoot. The in a split second that you would've missed if you blinked, the soccer ball had already passed him and was sitting in the net. The winning goal for Raimon.

        The crowd erupted into cheers as the ending whistle was blown. Raimon started squealing excitedly that they were going to move on to the finals. Gouenji walked over to me, and we exchanged a smile. Kidokawa Seishuu was going to be alright without us.

        "Oi! Gouenji-senpai! Inoue-senpai!" shouted Tobiyama, "Remember us when you win the Football Frontier, won't you?"

        "You'll always be our teammates," me and Gouenji said to Kidokawa at the same time Yakata said the same thing to us. Like the last note on a symphony piece, the song may have finished, but it will always be with us.

Yup, so now it's Kazemaru in this chapter. They will all have to warm up to her (or actually the other way around since it's really her fault) if they want to win against Zeus ;) The Nanzan part at the end was kind of added to symbolize accepting that you are moving on, but never abandoning the past. I am so sorry for the delayed upload!