2.18. On Fire

Reo placed the ball down in the middle of the field, shaking out his hands. His team was ready around him, every single player fired up to the max. It was a much more intense game than it had been the first half with the addition of Y/N, but it wasn't just him. All of the U-20 players had turned it up, playing far better than Reo had anticipated.

He immediately looked around for Nagi, forgetting for a second that he'd been subbed off. Reo's face darkened slightly with blush, before he moved close to the ball.

The whistle blew. Reo passed backwards, to Raichi. The U-20 have to be feeling it. They've scored four times in this half, so they're probably going to go aggressive. He backpedalled, beckoning Karasu and Hiori backwards as well while the rest of the team pushed forwards.

I just need to split them up. Get Sae away from the rest of the team, and our forwards can crush their defences alone.

It was a strange formation. Half of the Bluelock team was basically in defence with the ball, and the other half was running way up into the U-20's half of the field. If the U-20 got the ball, Bluelock was as good as screwed.

As predicted, the U-20 forwards and midfielders flooded forwards. "Back to me, Raichi!"

Reo received the ball, running sideways into the middle of the field. Two enemy midfielders followed him, while the other forwards each attempted marking one Bluelock defender. His eyes scanned the pitch, head twisting as he looked for two specific people.

Just avoid Sae, and avoid Y/N. Everyone else, we can deal with. He let the two enemy players catch up to him, before passing away to the far right side of the field. "Hiori! Send it up!" Reo waved an arm, trying to gesture a pass all the way to their forwards.

Luckily, Hiori understood. With a quick, accurate pass, he'd sent the ball flying up the field, straight past all of the U-20 players and to Isagi. Reo grinned. It was a good plan, and the perfect execution of it had left both teams split apart, their offensive players and defensive players far across the field.

Isagi began to push up the field. The U-20 defence consisted of five players. Their defensive midfielder, Hayate, and the Iron Wall Quartet. The opposing Bluelock players were more than enough to crush them. Just for insurance, though, Reo called out to Bachira. "Get up there with them!"

"Got it!" Bachira sped up down the field, joining the others.

He was on fire. Every inch of him was overjoyed to be playing in such an amazing place. He couldn't stop smiling. So many other people with monsters on one pitch, some big, some small, and some so dark Bachira could barely make out their facial features.

Soccer was just getting more and more fun! Laughing, Bachira was on cloud nine as he sprinted forwards. Isagi was there too! Y/N as well! In that second, he didn't care that if they lost, he would never play soccer on this stage again. He just wanted to enjoy the moment - because it was heaven to him.

Barou, who had been following closely behind Isagi, attempted to steal the ball from him. The crowd roared with surprise, and Bachira roared with laughter as he nicked the ball from both of them. The looks on both of their faces nearly made him cry with laughter as he sped up even more.

Just think... What do I need to do to get this goal?

Just think...

Think...

Bachira shrugged.

Nah.

He threw aside trying to be logical. That was for someone like Sae. He smiled, letting his instincts take over as he dribbled the ball forwards to the first challenger. "Time to dance!"

Who needs to think?! Bachira surged forwards. He let his muscles move by themselves, swapping the ball from foot to foot at max speed. That's boring. As the defender got closer, he lifted the ball using his heel, flicking it right over his head.

His body lightened even more. Bachira could've been dancing on air, he could've been flying for how free he felt. A weird beardy guy ran at him from the front, just as the guy he'd just got past tried to tackle him from behind.

Hmm... Bachira turned his body, using his momentum to do a full spin. His feet moved by themselves, carrying the ball smoothly around the beardy guy. Bachira pushed past him a half-second later, giggling as the two players nearly collided together.

Ooh, who are you?

The last person between him and the goalie stood in his way. The captain of the U-20 team, Aiku. Bachira overflowed with happiness. He has a monster too?! He should do something special to celebrate.

Without even thinking, he dribbled forwards, sweeping his legs over the ball in a scissoring motion. I could go this way... or this way... or up! On the next scissor, he lifted the ball into the air, watching as Aiku's eyes flickered up to watch it.

Then, using his foot, he slammed it down.

The ball hit the ground hard, bouncing much higher. The spin carried it forwards, over Aiku's head, and Bachira laughed with childish joy as he slipped right past the last defender. More U-20 players were coming from either side, but that didn't matter.

The goalkeeper came out of the goal, trying to stop the ball while it was still midair. Bachira was faster though, lunging forwards to nudge the ball further forwards. The keeper overshot, and the ball went in.

Well, it would've gone in if not for Sendou. The former striker had somehow made it all the way back into defence, and barely kept the ball from going in. He slid on the floor, slamming the ball away from the goal line, and back towards Aiku.

Bachira just sighed, voice light. "Welp, guess it ain't my day."

The counter came fast and hard.

"Sendou! Look at you, a defender! Who would've thought..." Aiku yelled with a teasing voice, forcing Sendou to his feet. Bachira tried to get the ball back, but before he could Aiku was already passing down the field, straight to Sae Itoshi.

"Shut up! I'm the ace here!" Sendou began running forwards even faster than Bachira could. "I'm not going to just marry a gravure idol anymore!"

"Then, what?" Bachira drew alongside him, eyes questioning as he blinked at the other man. Sendou didn't even realise that they weren't on the same team, yelling out loud as they both ran towards Bluelock's half.

"I'm going to marry a Hollywood actress! I'm going for the world standard!"

Bachira couldn't help himself. He burst into laughter, tears filling his eyes as he ran down the field.

What idiots... Sae thought to himself. He'd gotten the ball, and was immediately confronted with two Bluelock forwards. A tall boy with glasses, and a shorter guy with dark purple hair. They kept their distance, not wanting to get drawn in and just looking to delay.

Y/N was behind them, but being followed around by a loud blond boy who seemed fully concentrated on him and him only. He was doing his best to try and run away, but the blond boy kept on him, laughing maniacally. "Gonna report me, huh?! I'll stalk you all I want!"

It was still a tempting option, to pass to him. But the other side of the field was so much better. Two of the U-20 forwards had taken good positions, facing off against a single Bluelock defender. Sae nodded subconsciously.

"So you do have something I can use, you idiots."

He passed the ball directly to one of them. They were so much more fired up now, playing like an actual national team as the two forwards perfectly coordinated together. Moving to support each other, they got through the last defender.

One of them took the shot.

The goalkeeper leapt across the goal mouth. Arms outstretched, he punched the ball away.

Sendou was there, running onto it. He immediately shot a second time, this time towards the other side of the goal. But it was blocked a second time, this time by a defender that had made it back. The defender headered it to the side.

Sae stood back, watching. Aiku ran on to the ball, coming all the way from defence. It was probably the first time anyone had ever seen him on the big stage coming out of defence, and it was here, in the most tense game Japan had seen in years.

Aiku took a shot.

The third shot should've hit. Sae thought it should've, anyway. The goalkeeper was scrambling up from the floor, and while he was one of the best keepers Sae had seen in a while, he wouldn't have been able to get it. There were no defenders nearby.

So when his little brother of all people was there to block the shot, it was a surprise.