Cap 7

Inazuma General Hospital

"Thank you very much, doctor." I said as I left the consultation room.

The truth is, I need to visit the doctor fairly often. When I was just a baby, only a few months old, my family was in a serious car accident.

Miraculously, perhaps through divine intervention, we all survived. And I say "miraculously" with full conviction — because something strange happened that day: a soccer ball struck the other car right before it crashed into us, distracting the driver for just a moment. Without that... the outcome might have been fatal.

The investigation pointed to an attempted murder. But we're just a normal family. We don't have enemies — at least, none that would want us dead.

The car was a rental, under a fake identity. After the crash, the driver vanished without a trace. No footage, no leads. And the person who kicked that soccer ball? Still a complete mystery to this day.

For months, it was the biggest unsolved case in all of Inazuma.

In the accident, I was the only one injured — the baby of the family. I still carry the scar on my forehead, though it's hidden beneath my hair. Because of the head trauma, part of my brain was damaged. The area that was hit is critical — especially in infants. According to doctors, the most likely outcome was death or a permanent coma.

And yet, by some even greater miracle, I woke up after just two days.

Ever since I was little, I've believed that it was the memories of my past life that kept me alive.

Because of my unusual case, I've had to get regular medical checkups since childhood. The doctors say that aside from a few "side effects" — and a lot of jokes about me being a chuunibyou — I'm stable. My visits are now just routine, scheduled every three months.

Today was one of those checkups. The appointment was quick. But as I was leaving, something unexpected happened — I ran into someone familiar in the hallway.

Gouenji.

The white-haired boy had just stepped out of a hospital room. When I glanced inside, I saw a young girl lying in the bed. The nameplate on the door read: Gouenji Yuuka.

Gouenji noticed my gaze and quickly closed the door, visibly wary.

"You…?" He looked at me with suspicion.

"I didn't expect to see you here either, Gouenji. I was here for a medical checkup." I held up my report, anticipating what he might be thinking.

Honestly, I'd feel the same if a classmate suddenly showed up at the hospital. When he saw the paper, his shoulders relaxed slightly.

"She… the one who's hospitalized is…" I started, careful not to sound intrusive.

"My little sister," he replied with a tired sigh.

"That... You must be going through a difficult time..." He hesitated for a second, then opened the door and gestured for me to come in.

Yuuka has been in a coma since last year's Football Frontier, the result of an accident. Maybe Gouenji just needed someone to talk to and so, he told me everything.

"My dad works at this hospital. That's why I transferred to your school." He leaned back against the wall, gaze low.

"If I hadn't played soccer… none of this would've happened to Yuuka. I can't bring myself to enjoy the game while she's lying there like that."

"That's why… I made a promise. Until Yuuka wakes up, I won't play soccer again." His voice was strained, but steady.

"But that day… I couldn't help myself. Maybe it was because of that promise you made for me, without asking… or maybe it was the trust you placed in me." He took a deep breath, his voice lighter now.

"You know, Gouenji…" I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Maybe the promise, or the trust, played a part. But the real reason you played… was because you love soccer. The thrill. The excitement. The way your heart races when you're on the field. That comes from inside."

"If Yuuka were to wake up right now… do you really think she'd be happy to know you gave up something you love because of her?" I looked him in the eyes, feeling the weight he carried.

I understood his guilt. But blaming himself for something he didn't cause wasn't fair.

Gouenji seemed to ponder that for a moment. His posture relaxed slightly.

"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about this." I gave his shoulder a gentle pat and turned to leave. I figured he needed some time to sort out his thoughts.

"After the match… what happened to the club?" he suddenly asked. There was a flicker of life in his voice again.

"The next game's already set. And thanks to your Hissatsu, everyone's fired up to awaken or create their own." I smiled lightly before stepping out of the room, leaving behind a quietly powerful moment.

Later that day, after school...

"I introduced myself yesterday, but I'll do it properly now. I'm Otonashi Haruna, and from today, I'll be the new manager of the Raimon soccer club." Haruna-chan said brightly, adjusting her trademark red glasses perched on her head.

Everyone welcomed her warmly. After seeing how much intel she gathered on our next opponent, no one had any doubts — she was a great addition to the team.

"To help you all get ready for the match, I got these! Ta-da!" She pulled a few CDs out of her bag, her eyes sparkling.

"What are those, Haruna?" My eyes lit up — I had a good guess. "Are those match recordings from Okaruto Academy?"

She nodded. The moment we started watching them, we began to understand what she meant by "curse."

"This… doesn't look like a Hissatsu at all." Kazemaru said, frowning at the screen. "No special moves. It's like the players just… froze."

"Maybe it really is a curse?" Aki-chan's comment sent chills down everyone's spine.

"Don't forget what I said." I said as I watched the video with focus. "Hissatsu techniques aren't only about attacking, defending, or stealing the ball. They can come in different forms even ones that are more... subtle."

"And even if it is a curse, there must be a way to break it." Megane chimed. "Otherwise, Okaruto would've been the champions of Football Frontier not Teikoku."

"Yeah, there's no point in trying to unravel the mystery now." Someoka stepped in, arms crossed. "We've only got a few days. Let's focus on our offensive training."

Everyone nodded in agreement. The room's tension gave way to determination.

"Haruna-chan, could I borrow those videos?" I asked, stepping forward. "I want to analyze them more carefully. I've got a feeling we're missing something."

At the training field beneath the bridge...

"Endou, how did you manage to use your Hissatsu?" Before we began practice, Someoka approached me, his expression serious.

"Well… at first, I felt this energy spread all throughout my body. To use the technique, I focused all that energy into a single point — my hand." I explained as simply as I could.

"I feel that energy too. But when I try channeling it into my leg, I lose power and control over my shot." Someoka sighed, frustrated as he stared down at his feet.

"Maybe you're approaching it the wrong way." I crossed my arms and looked at him firmly. "You're a striker, not a goalkeeper. The way you use your energy should be different. Your answer might be in your own playstyle — in your soccer."

"My soccer… holds the answer?" A spark lit up in Someoka's eyes.

As practice continued, I could see the shift in him.

Before, he tried forcing all the energy into his leg, which threw off his balance and dulled his shots. But now… he changed his mindset. The answer he found was impact.

He focused the energy at the exact moment of contact with the ball. Instead of letting it disrupt his form, he released all the excess power into the kick. The result?

The ball began to glow a brilliant blue.

"Incredib—" I started, but the sheer force of the shot dragged me back even from my position at the goal.

The technique wasn't even fully developed, yet I could already feel its power.

From across the field, I saw joy ignite in Someoka's eyes.

He'd found his answer.

And with that, the technique took its full shape.

A few minutes later, with the whole team watching, a majestic eastern blue dragon burst from the ball the moment it left his foot. It twisted through the air, roaring toward the goal with unstoppable force.

"YEEESSS!" Someoka shouted as he collapsed onto his back, exhausted — but grinning from ear to ear.

The whole team erupted in cheers around him. This wasn't just practice anymore.

Someoka had awakened his very own Hissatsu.