Inazuma Eleven Ultra!

Chapter 9: Preparations

The sun beat down on Raimon's practice field, casting a warm glow over the gathered players. Sawaegara stood between a goalpost, his gloomy face a stark contrast to the vibrant atmosphere. The remaining Raimon Club members watched from the sidelines, still catching their breath after the intense practice match.

Kageyama approached Sawaegara, a ball at his feet. "Alright, Sawaegara! You were unable to participate in the practice match because no other keeper was available. So, I'll test you myself!" Sawaegara murmured a nonchalant "Huh.." in response.

Hosoi, watching from the sidelines, wondered aloud, "I wonder what he means by that." Takeshi chimed in, "W-we're about to find out."

Kageyama's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Try and stop as many of my shots as you can!" The players watched in awe as Kageyama, despite his short stature, began to move with incredible speed and agility. He shot the ball at incredible velocities, leaving Akira and the others stunned.

Sawaegara, however, remained unmoved. He didn't even attempt to stop the shot, simply letting it pass by. Akira exclaimed, "What's wrong, Sawaegara?!" Tsurugi, on the other hand, remained silent, his expression unreadable.

Kageyama asked, "Why didn't you try and stop the shot?" Sawaegara's response was laced with apathy. "I didn't want to waste my energy on a test. This seems pointless. Shouldn't my energy be used on something more important, like pottery?"

Kayari chuckled. "Same old Sawaegara." He turned to Akira and explained, "Sawaegara hates all work. He only agrees to stop shots during matches. Why else do you think he graciously agreed not to participate during the practice match?"

Hosoi's eyes widened in surprise. "H-he truly will never change!" Akira remained silent, observing the exchange.

Kageyama's expression turned determined. "Maybe this will get you pumped up!" He shot the ball with even more power than before, this time aiming directly at Sawaegara. The goalkeeper, however, still refused to move. He let the ball smash into his stomach, sending him flying backward.

Akira rushed to Sawaegara's side, concern etched on his face. "Sawaegara-senpai!" Itami exclaimed, "I didn't know shots could be that intense!"

Kageyama's words dripped with malice. "Still not feeling up to it?! I guess that's what a life of pottery gives you – a lazy, good-for-nothing child!" Sawaegara's expression changed, his eyes flashing with anger.

"Wh-what did you just say?" Sawaegara's voice was low and menacing, sending a shiver down the spines of the watching players. "You heard me right! The only thing pottery does is make a useless child! I wonder if your aunt has become as useless as you!"

Sawaegara's face twisted in rage. "H-how dare you?! Give me everything you've got!" Kageyama sneered, "Hmph! I'll show you!"

With a fierce cry, Kageyama launched himself into the air, turning upside-down before unleashing a powerful shot. The ball flew at incredible speeds, leaving the players awestruck.

Sawaegara, fueled by his anger, felt a strange force building up within him. His right arm began to change color, turning brown as its texture shifted to a liquid form. The arm then solidified, growing to an enormous size.

With a mighty roar, Sawaegara exclaimed, "MUD HAND!" His gigantic hand stretched out, trapping the ball within its grasp. As the hand returned to its normal size, Sawaegara remained silent, his usual serious demeanor intact. However, a hint of pride flickered in his eyes.

The players watched in stunned silence, shocked by Sawaegara's sudden display of power. Shinji was the first to break the silence. "No way! Who knew Sawaegara could perform a hissatsu technique like that!"

Akira's eyes widened in awe. "Incredible!" This was his first time witnessing a hissatsu technique up close, and he was determined to learn more.

As Sawaegara approached Kageyama, the air was thick with anticipation. "Kantou-kun, was all that stuff you said just to get me to awaken a hissatsu?" Sawaegara asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Kageyama's expression turned serious. "That's right! I wouldn't make any of my players feel bad for no reason!"

Sawaegara bowed his head, a hint of gratitude in his voice. "Thank you, Kantou-kun." Kageyama remained silent, his expression unreadable, before turning around and walking away.

Sawaegara followed, returning to the sidelines where his teammates awaited. Shinji exclaimed, "Sawaegara-senpai, you were amazing!" Kayari added, "Sawaegara-kun, who knew you had a hissatsu just waiting to be brought out of ya!"

Tsurugi watched the exchange, his thoughts hidden behind a mask of indifference. 'Hmph... It wasn't that special,' he thought to himself.

As the team continued to discuss Sawaegara's impressive display, Kageyama's words echoed in the minds of the players. The coach's unorthodox methods had awakened a hidden potential within Sawaegara. What other secrets lay hidden within the team, waiting to be uncovered?

The practice session drew to a close, with the players exhausted but exhilarated by the events that had transpired. As they left the field, they couldn't help but wonder what the future held for their team. Would they be able to overcome their weaknesses and emerge victorious in the upcoming matches? Only time would tell.

Akira approached Sawaegara curiously, his eyes sparkling with inquiry. "Sawaegara-senpai, may I ask a question?" Akira requested, his tone laced with respect.

Sawaegara's nonchalant demeanor was a thin veil, hiding the complexities of his character. He raised an eyebrow, his expression a perfect blend of indifference and curiosity. "Yeah, what is it?" he asked, his voice low and even.

Akira's curiosity was palpable, and he asked, "Why did you get so angry when he brought up you and your aunt? Also, what's up with you and pottery?" The questions hung in the air, awaiting Sawaegara's response.

Sawaegara's expression turned introspective, and he gazed into the distance, as if searching for the right words. "Ahh... do I seriously have to answer that question?" he asked, a hint of reluctance creeping into his voice.

Akira's eyes sparkled with wonder, and Sawaegara couldn't help but be drawn in by the younger boy's curiosity. "Fine," Sawaegara groaned, "You see, I've lived with my aunt most of my life, since I was a lil' kid specifically."

Akira's eyes widened with interest, and he asked, "Why? Where are your parents?" The question was innocent, but it struck a chord within Sawaegara.

Sawaegara's expression turned somber, and he replied, "They... passed." The words hung in the air, heavy with emotion. Akira felt a pang of awkwardness, wishing he had never asked the question.

Akira's face turned bright red as he exclaimed, "Oh! Oh... s-sorry... I shouldn't have asked!" Sawaegara's expression softened, and he waved his hand in a dismissive gesture.

"It's okay. I barely knew them. I spent most of my childhood with my aunt. Anyway, after my aunt took me in, I began to help her with her pottery. She owned a small business. Those times I spent helping my aunt mold clay, were the only times in my life that I felt anything other than boredom. That is, until I encountered football. I was asked by a group of kids to stand in one of their posts. They needed another player. One of them had incredible shooting abilities. Being able to stop shots gave me a thrill that I probably would never feel while molding clay. Before you know it, I was in middle school and I joined Raimon's football club as their keeper. But, I wasn't as good of a keeper as I thought I was. At some point, I started conceding goals. We continued to lose, because of me. But now that I have a hissatsu, I won't let any ball pass by me," Sawaegara stated with a hint of enthusiasm under his nonchalant attitude expressed by his face.

Akira's eyes sparkled with excitement as he exclaimed, "Wow..." The rest of the Raimon players had been listening in on the conversation, and they couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Sawaegara's determination.

Kayari's voice was filled with excitement as he exclaimed, "What are you saying, Sawaegara-kun?!" The rest of the team began to chime in, offering words of encouragement and support.

Okii's voice was filled with conviction as he exclaimed, "It wasn't your fault that we kept on losing! The rest of us also put insufficient effort during our training, you shouldn't have to blame yourself!" Shun's voice was filled with determination as he exclaimed, "Yeah, Sawaegara-kun! We all should have tried our best to improve, but we didn't! As your captain, I wouldn't lie to you!"

The team's words of encouragement had a profound effect on Sawaegara. For the first time, he felt a sense of belonging, a sense of being part of a team. A small smile crept onto his face, and he thought, 'Football... really is amazing.'

The next day, all the players, including the assistant managers, Anna and Itami, were having a meeting with Kageyama. "Everybody! After yesterday, I analyzed all the problems that we need to solve before the start of the Football Frontier preliminaries tournament. It starts in two weeks! Before then, we need to work our hardest! First of all, the most prominent problem in this team is... the lack of hissatsus!" Kageyama exclaimed, his eyes scanning the room.

"Huh?" Akira murmured, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Other than Tsurugi and, newly, Sawaegara, none of you has a hissatsu that you can be proud of! If you want to get anywhere in this tournament!" Kageyama's voice was firm, emphasizing the importance of hissatsus.

All the Raimon players other than Tsurugi and Sawaegara had somewhat downed expressions. They realized that Kageyama was right.

"Other than that," Kageyama continued, "A lot of you suffer from anxiety when facing tougher opponents. Okii, Hosoi, Shinji, Takeshi, Aoyoma, Riku, I've noticed this problem in you guys the most! You guys also need to work harder during training! That's all! For the next two weeks, you guys will work on all these problems and I promise you that you'll win your first match! It's been decided, your going to face Mistukebaru Jr. High!"

"Mistukebaru," Sokudo said, "We won against them last year... But barely."

"Yeah. And I heard that they've gotten really stronger ever since last time," Shinji spoke.

"Don't worry guys, we'll win for sure!" Akira encouraged his team. They all felt hyped up and excited for the match now. Tsurugi just watched in silence, "...."

Before you knew it, two weeks had passed in a flash. Raimon had undergone training. Not too harsh but not too easy. But, they were definitely stronger. Eleven players of Raimon lined up with eleven players of Mitsukebaru at their side. They would soon come out onto the pitch. Akira waited in anticipation.

(This puts an end to the introduction arc.)