Cap 4

"Today's the day, everyone! Game day! Aren't you excited?" I asked, standing in front of the tactical board in the club room.

"Only you would be that confident, Endou." Kazemaru, the newest addition to the team, replied with a laugh.

"Haha! You all know Kazemaru—he's already joined us for a few practice sessions. Now, let me introduce the three new teammates we've managed to recruit. They haven't trained with us yet, but after this match, they'll officially join the team."

"Kageno Jin, Matsuno Kuusuke, and Megane Kakeru."

"You can call me Max." Matsuno—now Max—was the first to introduce himself.

"Kageno Jin. I hope to get noticed more while playing soccer." said Kageno, carrying a shadowy aura and barely any presence... but he's a good guy.

"I'm Megane, and I'll be the team's top scorer!" said Megane, short and wearing glasses, bursting with confidence. Maybe he really does have talent?

A bit of chaos followed the introductions. Max was already chatting with Kazemaru and Handa about how he'd never played soccer before. Kageno hovered like a ghost next to Kageyama and Shourinji. Meanwhile, Megane got into a heated argument with Someoka. Despite his small size, Megane's sharp tongue actually overpowered Someoka's fierce attitude.

Yep, everything was going great.

"Everyone, eyes over here." I called the group to attention.

"Today's formation will be 4-4-2. Someoka and Megane up front. Shourinji on right wing, Max and Handa in midfield, Kazemaru on the left. Defense will be Kageyama, Kurimatsu, Shishido, and Kageno," Aki-chan explained, stepping forward to lead the strategy.

"And I'll be guarding the goal." I added, patting my chest with a confident grin.

"Obviously, Teikoku has the edge in strength, technique, and speed. I'm still unsure why they agreed to face us, but it's likely they're not taking us seriously. That's what we're going to use to our advantage. This won't be easy, but I believe in all of you." I finished, with firm conviction.

We left the room and headed toward the Raimon soccer field.

It wasn't long before the Teikoku team arrived—in a... car? Truck? RV? Honestly, the technology in this world is way more advanced than in my previous life.

Accompanied by a red carpet, the Teikoku players stepped out. Eleven athletes radiating confidence. A full-fledged team, unlike our makeshift squad.

My gaze fixed on a boy with braids, glasses... and a cape? Maybe he thinks he's a superhero. And they say I'm the chuunibyou.

He was at the front of the group. Most likely the team captain.

I approached him.

As I got closer, I noticed a man sitting in a plush chair inside the RV. Just seeing him sent a chill down my spine. Something about him felt wrong.

"I'm the captain of Raimon, Mamoru Endou. I look forward to playing against you." I introduced myself politely. The braided boy simply gave me a brief glance before looking away, disinterested.

"This field is unfamiliar to us. Mind if we warm up first?" he asked. I nodded—no reason to object.

As they were walking away, he suddenly turned back toward me. "I heard you've been looking into Hissatsu techniques."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Hissatsu...? So that's what these special techniques are called?" I asked, eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Hmph. Seems like you have no idea who you're dealing with. A weak school like yours doesn't deserve to witness Teikoku's true power. Don't worry—we won't be using any of our Hissatsu moves today." he said coldly before walking away.

"Funny..." I muttered, watching him go. "If you don't use your Hissatsu techniques... maybe you won't even score."

We stood by the sidelines, watching their warm-up. The difference was obvious—strength, speed, control. One of them moved so fast I could barely track his motion.

Suddenly, they passed the ball into the air. The caped boy positioned himself... and fired a blazing shot straight at me.

Without hesitation, I caught the ball with both hands. Even then, the spin was so intense that it took several seconds to stop, creating friction that burned through my gloves. A faint smell of smoke rose.

My body trembled... but it wasn't fear. It was excitement. My heart was racing.

"That was almost a secret technique... a Hissatsu," I thought.

"Everyone! They said they won't use their Hissatsu techniques—so let's make them!" I hugged the ball tightly. If they looked into my eyes at that moment, they would have seen a golden-orange glow flash briefly.

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On the Raimon bench, Aki and Haruna were meeting for the first time.

"Senpai, do you think we have any chance of winning?" Haruna asked, nervously gripping her pencil.

"I don't know... but if what Kidou said is true—that they won't use any special techniques—then maybe we can at least manage a draw." Aki replied, clearly tense.

"I... I agree, Senpai." Haruna said, her eyes focused on Endou standing in goal. If anyone could prevent defeat, it was him.

Aki followed her gaze. "Yes... if anyone can stop Teikoku's offense, it's Endou."

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The kickoff went smoother than anyone expected.

With sharp, fast passes, our team advanced up the field. No need for fancy footwork—simple, clean teamwork was enough to move forward.

The only dribble came when two Teikoku players dove in for a sliding tackle. But Someoka wasn't an average player—he leapt high, evading them with ease.

The ball moved fluidly. Shishido sent a pass down the wing. Handa cleverly let it roll past him, right to Someoka.

Someoka jumped—a leap far higher than anything I'd seen in my past life—and fired a powerful shot at the goal.

For a moment, everyone thought it was in.

But the Teikoku goalkeeper caught it effortlessly.

"Kidou, my job ends here." he said, throwing the ball back to the captain.

That was when the nightmare began.

Kidou didn't even break a sweat. With one smooth pass, he sent the ball to a striker, who spun and launched a blistering shot across the field.

Straight toward our goal.

"That power... that speed... Not even the best in my past life could shoot like that."

"But..."

"This still isn't a Hissatsu."

Even so, I stood firm. I caught it with both hands.

"It's not as heavy as a tire," I thought, feeling the impact vibrate through my arms.

"Endou!"

"Captain!"

"Endou-kun!"

The whole field was in an uproar. The Raimon players were stunned.

"Oh... he's better than I thought. He stopped it." Kidou said to his teammates.

"Hmph. That wasn't anything special. I didn't even go full strength."

"It doesn't matter. This team isn't our goal. We're waiting for someone else." Kidou added, glancing toward a nearby hill.

There he was—Gouenji—leaning against a tree, silently watching.

From that moment on, things only got worse.

Even though I kept blocking the shots, the gap in ability was massive. Teikoku barely moved—they simply passed and shot like it was child's play. They were toying with us.

Their physical prowess and technique were just too overwhelming. We were being crushed.

But even so... the entire first half ended without a single goal scored.

Every shot that came toward the goal—I stopped it.

Until the whistle blew.

Raimon 0 - 0 Teikoku.

I slumped onto the bench, exhausted. Even for me, those endless shots were starting to take a toll.

"Ca... Captain... we can't win." Kurimatsu said, collapsing to the ground.

Everyone was drained—some lying down, others barely sitting upright.

Meanwhile, Teikoku didn't even look tired.

"I'm sorry, everyone. I was selfish." I sighed, accepting a water bottle from Aki.

"No, Captain! I should be the one apologizing! I couldn't even get close to their goal!" Someoka shouted, pounding the ground in frustration.

"You're doing everything to protect our net, while we can't even mount a counterattack..." Handa murmured, eyes glistening.

"Don't blame yourselves." I lifted my head. "We knew this match would be tough. It's my fault. I'm the one who brought us here. But worse than that... I still want to keep playing. I want to see it with my own eyes... the special move they call Hissatsu."

I looked down at my gloves—now scorched from friction. My clothes were covered in dirt. My face bruised from diving, even blocking with my face at times. But my eyes still burned with determination.

"That's right, everyone. No matter how hard this is, we're still tied. And they haven't even used their Hissatsu. If we're going to lose... then let's make them show us what they've got."

Kazemaru stood up first. "Let's not waste this chance. We'll make them use it."

"Let's give them a reason to show their true strength!" shouted Someoka, rising with conviction.

Handa and the others followed one by one, lifting themselves back up.

"You guys... you're the best," I murmured, inspired, as I stood with them.

The three newcomers were the last to rise.

"Man, this Raimon team is full of crazies. Who keeps playing under these conditions?" Megane muttered to the others.

Before they could continue, the whistle blew, signaling the start of the second half.