Inazuma Eleven Ultra!

Chapter 6: Aftermath and... New Coach?!

The sun had barely risen over the Raimon Junior High School grounds, casting a warm glow over the deserted soccer field. The only signs of life came from a small group of students gathered near the soccer field. Akira and Tsurugi stood before Inoue, their faces filled with determination.

"Inoue-san," Akira said, his voice filled with excitement, "How can we become official members?"

Inoue's eyes sparkled with a mix of surprise and amusement. "Official members? Oh, I totally forgot about that! You too, Tsurugi?" He turned to Tsurugi, who nodded silently, his expression unreadable.

"Alright," Inoue said, a warm smile spreading across her face. "Come back tomorrow and meet me here. You guys need some rest after the match you just played."

Akira's face lit up with enthusiasm. "Yeah!" he exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

Tsurugi, on the other hand, remained nonchalant. "Pfft... I'm perfectly fine. I don't need rest," he said, his voice dripping with arrogance.

The next day, Akira, Tsurugi, and Shun stood before Inoue, who looked at them with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

"Alright, looks like you guys are here," Inoue said, his eyes scanning the group. "Wait a minute, Shun, you're already a member of the soccer club, why are you here?"

Shun's expression was calm and collected. "I came for practice," he replied, his voice even.

Inoue's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "But practice isn't until 9 AM."

Shun's smile was faint, but noticeable. "I know. I actually wanted to see if everyone would show up."

Inoue's expression turned concerned. "Oh, it's possible that they're still shaken up after yesterday's match."

Shun's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of disappointment flickering across his face. "I see."

Akira looked disappointed as well, his eyes cast downward. Tsurugi, on the other hand, maintained his calm expression, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance.

Just then, a loud voice echoed across the field. "Who said we're shaken up?!"

The group turned to see 10 students, each with distinct designs and body types, walking towards them. The person who spoke had black long hair tied into a ponytail that flowed from his shoulder to his chest. He was relatively tall and lean, with red, lazy-looking eyes. He was Raimon's goalkeeper, Sawaegara Kishimoto.

"Sawaegara-kun!" Shun and Inoue exclaimed in unison, their faces breaking into wide smiles.

Sawaegara's expression was confident, his eyes gleaming with determination. "Okii-kun, Hosoi-kun, Hashiri-kun, Kayari-kun, Shinji-kun, Sokudo-kun, Takeshi-kun, Aoyoma-kun, Riku-kun, you all came," Shun said, his voice filled with pride.

Okii, the huge yet introverted center back, managed to let out his feelings. "W-we... we felt ashamed of how we acted during the game."

Sokudo, the speedy right-wing, nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! When we saw how the three of you played yesterday, we were fired up!"

Hashiri's eyes sparkled with determination. "We want to play against stronger teams and become stronger ourselves!"

As the group began to discuss their plans and aspirations, a sense of excitement and anticipation filled the air.

"And I assure you, you all will become the strongest!" A strange voice, unknown to all the players, echoed across the field. The voice was deep and commanding, sending a shiver down the spines of the Raimon players.

The players turned to face the speaker, their eyes widening in surprise. A short man, with bushy brows and hair, and round black eyes, walked up to Inoue. His stride was confident, and his presence seemed to command attention. Judging from Inoue's expression, the players deduced that they were acquainted.

The strange man faced the Raimon players, his eyes scanning the group. "Are you all members of the Raimon football club?" he asked, his tone serious.

Shun, ever the leader, stepped forward to respond. "Yes," he said respectfully, with a hint of seriousness. "We are the Raimon football club. May I know who you are?"

The strange man's expression remained serious, but a hint of a smile played on his lips. "My name is Kageyama Aiku, from now on known as Raimon's coach."

The pitch was shrouded in silence, as if the players were collectively holding their breath. The silence was broken by Shun, whose voice was barely above a whisper. "Eh?"

The remaining players, including Akira and Tsurugi, echoed Shun's surprise. "Ehhhhh?!! Coach?!"

Kageyama's expression remained calm, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Yes, coach," he said, his voice firm.

The players turned to Inoue, seeking confirmation. She nodded, a small smile on her face. "That's right. Kageyama-san will be your coach starting from today. During yesterday's match, he was secretly watching. He was disappointed by your lack of fighting spirit, until he saw Shun, Akira, and Tsurugi's plays."

Kageyama's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing. "Yes. You guys lack of willpower was greatly harming the Raimon spirit. Luckily, there were still those who had hope. You guys there," he said, his eyes locking onto Akira and Tsurugi.

Akira and Tsurugi exchanged a surprised glance. "Us?" they asked simultaneously, their voices filled with wonder.

Kageyama's expression remained serious, but a hint of a smile played on his lips. "If the two of you want to be part of the football club, you're in."

Akira's eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step forward. "Wait, really?!" he exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. "No test? Nothing?"

Kageyama's expression turned stern, but his eyes sparkled with amusement. "Your performance yesterday served as your test. You have proved yourselves."

Akira's face lit up with joy, and he pumped his fist in the air. "Yeah!" he exclaimed, his voice echoing across the field. Even Tsurugi, ever the stoic, let out a faint smile.

Kageyama's expression turned serious, and he clapped his hands together. "Now that that's settled, we will begin training!" he exclaimed, his voice commanding attention.

Shun's eyes widened in surprise. "W-wait, already?" he asked, his voice filled with trepidation.

Kageyama held up a paper, his eyes glinting with determination. "Inoue-san already handed files containing your training regimen. But for the rest of this week, you all will engage in hyper-intensive workouts."

Sokudo's eyes widened in surprise. "Hyper-intensive what?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.

Kageyama's expression remained serious. "You will all start now! Head on to the field and run laps around until I say it's enough."

The players exchanged skeptical glances, but Kageyama's commanding presence left them no choice but to obey. "Yes, Kantou-kun!" they exclaimed, before sprinting onto the field.

The rest of the day was a blur of intense physical activity. The players ran laps, did pushups, squats, hurdles, planks, shuttle runs, endurance tests, and more. They returned home every day exhausted, their bodies screaming in protest.

As the days passed, the players grew more and more frustrated. They asked Kageyama the purpose of this training, but he gave them no response. Some of them threw insults at him from time to time, but Kageyama's expression remained impassive, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance.

They all had enough, even Shun. The usually stoic and composed Shun was now visibly frustrated, his eyes flashing with anger. But two players stood out from the rest - Akira and Tsurugi. Akira believed that the training had a hidden significant purpose, and he was determined to see it through. Tsurugi, on the other hand, threw no complaints because he wasn't affected by the practice. His body was always in perfect shape, and he seemed to be immune to the physical demands of the training.

The week finally came to an end, and the players gathered around Kageyama, their eyes fixed on him with a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

"Everyone, come over here!" Kageyama ordered, his voice firm and commanding.

The players slowly made their way towards him, their movements sluggish and labored. They were all extremely tired, their bodies screaming in protest after a week of intense physical activity.

"What do you think he wants?" Kayari asked with a hint of annoyance, his voice barely above a whisper.

Each of them anticipated what Kageyama wanted from them, their minds racing with possibilities.

"From everything I've seen, you guys were purposely held back!" Kageyama stated, his voice firm and commanding.

The players exchanged surprised glances, their eyes widening in shock. "Huh? What do you mean?" Tsurugi asked, his voice filled with curiosity.

Kageyama's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing. "I'm referring to the 2nd and 3rd years. I checked your training regimen that you guys have been using for the past few years. All of you guys' physical requirements far surpassed that of the training regimen's."

Kageyama turned to Inoue, his eyes locked onto hers. "Inoue-san, I doubt it was you who made this training regimen."

Inoue's expression turned sheepish, and she shook her head. "N-no. It was a higher-up who made it and sent it to me indirectly. It was the secret owner of the school's sport sector."

Kageyama's expression turned grim, his eyes flashing with anger. "Just as I thought," he said, his voice low and menacing.

The players exchanged shocked glances, their minds reeling with the implications. "Wait, are you saying that someone has been limiting our growth?!" Sokudo asked, his voice filled with outrage.

Kageyama's expression turned serious, and he nodded. "Exactly," he said, his voice firm.

The players looked at each other, their faces filled with a mix of shock, anger, and determination. Shun's eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched in determination. "N-no way..." he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Even this field is too small for practice. Sure, it's a practice pitch, it's okay for it to be smaller than a standard one, but this pitch is just way too small. Players aren't able to run as fast as they want or need to," Kageyama added.

The air was thick with tension, the players' emotions running high. Kageyama's revelation had opened up a Pandora's box, and the players were eager to know more. But for now, they stood in stunned silence, their minds reeling with the implications of Kageyama's words.