Inazuma Eleven Ultra!

Chapter 3: Enter Tsurugi Gurushimi!

The scoreboard read 25:0, a crushing deficit in favor of Okawa. Raimon's morale had never been lower. Shun, the Raimon captain, exclaimed in dismay, "N-no way!" The shock of being evaded so easily and conceding another point was too much for him to process.

From the sidelines, Akira gazed at the match with mixed emotions. He knew Raimon wasn't the strongest team, but he hadn't expected them to concede so many goals to Okawa Jr. High. After minutes of watching from the sidelines, Akira's annoyance grew, and he nervously asked Inoue-san, "Um, well, could it be possible if... Could I sub in for Takeshi?"

Inoue-san raised an eyebrow, surprised by the request. "Wh-what?! But you're not even a member of the club yet."

Akira's determination shone through. "I know, but... I just can't stand watching Raimon lose like this! I wanna try and make a difference if I can. I promised myself that once I entered middle school, I would make Raimon strong, the strongest!"

Inoue-san gazed strongly at Akira, processing his words. "I see. Your resolve is strong, I can grant you that. But are you sure? The Raimon players you see right now are all 2nd and 3rd years. They all have at least a year of experience, and they still can't do a single thing to Okawa! What could an inexperienced first-year like you possibly achieve?"

Akira stood firm, undeterred by Inoue-san's words. "I don't know what I'll be able to do to Okawa, but I guess I'll find out."

Inoue-san nodded, a hint of a smile on her face. "Fine. You can play. But make sure you prove yourself useful!"

Akira's face lit up with excitement. "Right! Yes, ma'am!"

Inoue-san turned to Takeshi, who was watching the exchange with interest. "Takeshi, lend Akira your jersey."

Takeshi's eyes widened in surprise. "Wh-whaaat?! But what will I wear?"

Inoue-san's expression remained calm and cool. "Relax. It's only for the remaining part of this match. The 2nd half is almost over, after all. And plus, why are you worried? Is it about students seeing your body? Don't worry, nobody's going to wanna look at you."

Takeshi's face fell, his self-esteem taking a hit from Inoue-san's words. He quietly unbuttoned his shirt, took it off, and handed it over to Akira. Akira put on the jersey, his eyes shining with excitement, and prepared to walk onto the pitch.

Before he could take a step, Inoue-san stopped him. "Wait, Akira. You're not an official member of the club, so we'll need to get permission from Okawa to let you join."

Akira nodded, and Inoue-san called out to the Okawa team. "Excuse me, Okawa!"

The Okawa players on the pitch turned their attention to Inoue-san. Ishikawa, the Okawa captain, sneered, "Yeah? What is it?! We have a match to continue, stop interrupting!"

Inoue-san's expression remained calm, despite Ishikawa's arrogance. "I would like to sub in this guy right here for one of the players your team injured. This guy isn't an official player, but he would like to play in place of one of the injured. We hope you don't mind."

Ishikawa snorted, his confidence unwavering. "Pfft... Sub in whoever you like. It won't make a difference. I alone can take down 22 whole players on my own!"

Inoue-san nodded, her eyes flashing with a hint of annoyance, but she kept her cool. "Alright, Akira, go on."

Akira sprinted onto the pitch, his eyes shining with excitement. He took up a position in midfield, his movements eager and enthusiastic. The Raimon players watched him with a mix of curiosity and skepticism.

As the match resumed, Akira's determination became apparent. He stole the ball from Ishikawa's feet, leaving the Okawa captain stunned. "Dammit. I took my attention off of him!" Ishikawa exclaimed.

Akira began to make a run down the pitch, his footwork impressive as he dribbled past Kiriya and Nozomi. The Okawa players were caught off guard, their confidence shaken by Akira's unexpected skills.

As Akira approached the goal, the Okawa goalkeeper sneered, "You just got lucky. My teammates just lost composure temporarily. There's no way for you to score!"

Akira's mind went blank, his focus solely on scoring. He swung his right leg at high speed with full power. The ball shot towards the goal at bullet-speed. It flew right past the goalkeeper and entered the net.

The score was now 25:1. Everyone was shocked at this occurrence. How could Akira, the random first-year, score a goal after easily dribbling past Okawa players, when the experienced 2nd and 3rd years couldn't do a thing?

Was it luck? Yes. Well, partly. Akira was lucky enough to temporarily awaken a hidden skill within him. Nobody noticed, but a strange dark aura surrounded Akira's eyes during his play. That dark aura had now dissipated, but if he could tap into it again, could he make amazing plays like that again? That's for another time.

Ishikawa and the remaining Okawa players felt infuriated due to the fact that they let a newbie beat them, but it had already happened, so they had to calm down. Inoue-san and Takeshi felt exhilarated and also shocked from the sidelines.

A few meters away from them was a mysterious figure. He appeared to be a student. He had red spiky hair stretched upwards, blue eyes, and elegant fair skin. He watched the match in silence. He made a slight smile before murmuring, "Hmph... too shallow."