Chapter 38 Football 38 Replaceable Gears

"Who gave you permission to act without authorization?"

Amano Minaka's words were like icy blades, instantly piercing through Kira Ryosuke's joy and leaving behind only desolation.

Kira Ryosuke's expression changed drastically; his previous joy seemed to have been swept away by a sudden gust of cold wind.

...

He lowered his eyes helplessly, clenching his fists tightly, trying to find a trace of warmth and comfort in his empty palms, but only felt endless emptiness and coldness.

“But… is this really necessary?” He slowly raised his head, his voice soft yet carrying an undeniable firmness and a slight, imperceptible tremor. “It’s just a regular practice match.”

Amano Minaka remained unfazed, seemingly indifferent to Kira Ryosuke's questions, as if it were all within his expectations.

"I simply chose a method that would allow them to grow quickly and learn to obey. Isn't your reaction overly extreme? Hasn't this always been the case?"

Upon hearing this, Kira Ryosuke became even more agitated. He suddenly grabbed Amano Minaka's collar, staring intently into Amano Minaka's golden pupils, his tone filled with pleading and urgency, "Stop making a scene, Amano Minaka!"

"They are not us, don't get too involved."

Amano Minaka frowned slightly, his gaze fixed intently on Kira Ryosuke. The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and their confrontation appeared to be the focus of the entire world.

"so"

"They are not replaceable cogs!"

ha?

Amano Minaka was bewildered by the sudden remark and steered the conversation back to the match against Team V, "You should know my tactics, right, Ryosuke?"

"Isn't becoming a [core] your idea?"

There is no direction that can be refuted.

Because trust after careful consideration is distrust.

He can only become the "core" when the most special gear disappears, and he can only become the center of the team when the strongest forward disappears. He is always a backup.

After a long silence, Kira Ryosuke finally spoke in a hoarse voice, trying to steer the conversation away from the main issue and obscure the central theme.

"You don't think Koki was the only one at fault back then, do you? You're the main culprit, aren't you? It was your tyranny that led to Matsukaze Black King's downfall..."

His topic shifted to the more distant past.

Ten no Michū let out a long sigh.

Let's talk about this again.

When Kira Ryosuke feigned illness to quit the soccer club, Amano Minaka knew that the club's atmosphere was not friendly, but being sick and hospitalized, he could only indirectly and reluctantly condone his actions.

Amano Minaka stared at Kira Ryosuke, his eyes revealing a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

This is not the first time Kira Ryosuke has talked about the past. Ever since the failure of the three-peat, Kira Ryosuke has been constantly mentioning Matsukaze Black King from various aspects and bringing up that defeat. But this time it was the most intense and also the one that hit Amano Minaka the hardest.

It's possible that Matsukaze Black King's crushing defeat left Kira Ryosuke and Suoh Koki unable to let go of the pain.

But for some reason, Kira Ryosuke stubbornly believes that Amanominaka is trapped in Matsukaze Black King's memories.

This was just a delusion in his mind.

The people you repeatedly mention are the ones who can't get over the memories.

As Kira Ryosuke continued to savor those mentioned moments, it was precisely that inseparable emotion that was quietly growing within him.

It's an overemphasis on Kira Ryosuke, not Amano Minaka.

As the president of the Matsukaze Black King Soccer Club and the initiator of the three-peat, he no longer holds grudges about the past. Perhaps having died once, he has a somewhat indifferent attitude towards things.

But why is Kira Ryosuke, who chose to run away, still stuck in his third year of junior high school...?

Kira Ryosuke is unable to move forward.

The past has become a shackle, firmly binding him.

Amano Minaka knew this deeply, but as a friend, he hoped that Kira Ryosuke could break free from the shackles of the past and rediscover himself.

Therefore, he had to touch the thorn that was deeply embedded in the flesh and had even become intertwined with the new flesh tissue.

Let's end this here.

then……

"No way, Ryosuke?"

Amano Minaka's beautiful eyes were devoid of any light as she interrupted Kira Ryosuke, "After talking about 'maintaining' for so long, have you really become 'maintainer'?"

Stop lying to yourself.

"Besides, I haven't even questioned your desertion yet. You don't really think I don't know whether your leg is injured or not, do you?"

Amanomi's series of words made Kira Ryosuke's body stiffen. He felt a chill rise from the soles of his feet and go straight to his heart.

He understood that although Tenno Minaka's words were harsh, they were the truth.

Kira Ryosuke could neither refute nor escape. He could only silently endure this pain and condemnation, letting it slowly ferment and spread in his heart.

A three-peat was the wish of three people, but they themselves... fled without a fight.

Kira Ryosuke could only remain silent. His body trembled slightly, and his light brown eyes, which had lost their usual luster, became dull and lifeless, trembling slightly along with his delicate eyelashes.

"You're the one being projected, aren't you?" Amanominaka sighed, ruffling Kira Ryosuke's milky-white hair. "Idiot Ryosuke."

"It's all in the past now. Since we didn't win a three-peat together, let's win the W Cup together."

Amano Minaka reached out and gently patted Kira Ryosuke's shoulder to bring him back to his senses.

"Congratulations on breaking your own limit. This brings us one step closer to our dream."

“You are…” Amano Minaka hesitated, resting his chin on his hand. He mimicked Rei’s tone as he spoke to Kira Ryosuke, “You are my [treasure]!”

Kira Ryosuke chuckled at Tenno's clumsy imitation, tears welling up in his eyes, but he forced himself to hold them back.

He covered his face, not wanting Amano Minaka to see his vulnerability.

"Ryosuke?" Amano Minaka saw Kira Ryosuke suddenly covering his face and quickly stepped forward.

Kira Ryosuke hugged Amano Minaka tightly.

"We will work together to become number one in the world."

"This is so troublesome. Why are they arguing and taking up space in the hallway, making us have to go around them?"

A slightly lazy voice drifted out from the dimly lit corner.

Nagi Seishiro emerged from around the corner, touching his neck.

"Hey, Nagi!"

Reio Mikage, standing to the side, looked on with helplessness and apology as he tried to pull Seishiro Nagi back, but to no avail.

In the end, he could only awkwardly nod and apologize to the two bystanders. Immediately afterward, he stumbled and bumped into Nagishiro, who had stopped walking at some point.

Reio Mikage felt a throbbing pain in his forehead, and he couldn't help but cry out, "Nagi!"

Nagishiro gazed at the seemingly endless corridor ahead, a hint of weariness flashing between his brows. He turned to look at Rei, his voice tinged with a touch of coquetry: "I'm so tired, Rei, carry me back."

"Huh? Are you a silly little baby?" Mikage Rei's lips twitched, and she rubbed the sore spot on her forehead with one hand, looking extremely helpless.

"You insisted on taking this path."

Nevertheless, Reio Mikage resignedly squatted down, stretched out his hands behind him, and gestured for Seishiro Nagi to come up.

Nagishiro leaned against Rei, and asked in a calm tone, "Rei, why are you so good to me?"

Reio Mikage cushioned Shirou Nagi's back, saying, "That's because Nagi is my treasure."

"I see..."

Nagishiro turned his head.

Treasure, huh...

If I were no longer your treasure, would you still treat me this well?

Nagishiro thought this, but couldn't bring himself to say it.

Nagi Seishiro remembered; he seemed to have seen Amano Minaka before.

People really do change. How could someone so heartless become so tender?

Then... will Rei-oh also change?

What are you thinking about?

Reio Mikage nudged Seishiro Nagi, who was leaning against his back, and said, “I felt like something was off about you from the very beginning.”

"Could it be because we lost? But for us right now, losing to them is a certainty."

"We absolutely have to win next time."

For us now?

Nagi Seishiro seemed to be deep in thought.

“Ling Wang, I think I’ve seen him before.”

"who?"

Forget it, I'd better not tell Ling Wang, otherwise he'll definitely ask me all sorts of questions. I'll just make up some excuse to get by.

"That guy with the dark blue hair seems to be the one who led the way into Blue Prison."

"No way? Ten no Mi said he was added later, and only came in after the tag game ended."

"Huh? Rei-oh and him are on good terms?"

"We're friends."

"I see."

We need to keep Ling Wang and Zhan Tie away from that guy.

In the closed blue prison, there seems to be little difference between night and day; the lights are on both.

Three people were chatting on a public bench in the corridor.

Despite their fierce competition on the field, their interactions off the field remained relaxed and natural, with all the competition merely a seasoning in their daily lives.

"Rei-Oh Nagi is Hakuho's supernova."

Reio Mikage spoke with a hint of pride, his gaze drifting into the distance as if lost in thought.

"The name Amano-no-Mi sounds similar to Nagi's. Rei-ou Nagi (Nagi) and Rei-ou Naka (Naka) are so similar that I can't recognize them if I read them too fast."

Upon hearing this, Tenno Minaka frowned slightly, a hint of interest flashing in his eyes, and said softly, "Indeed, they all start with 'na,' replacing them seems like an option."

The right people, the right place—they should be having a pleasant chat. But why is this little chick here too?

Amano Minaka secretly glanced at Nagi Seishiro, who was sitting on the ground.

"Not at all. ka and gi are not even on the same table."

Nagi Seishiro noticed Amano Minaka's gaze, shook his head dismissively, shifted his body slightly to a more comfortable sitting position, and at the same time, his fingers flew across the phone screen, the game screen and the sound of operation intertwined.

"Haha, you're really serious about it."

Amano Minaka let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle, seemingly feeling helpless at Nagi Seishiro's persistence.

Reio Mikage interjected, with a hint of mockery, "But Nagi-chan sounds alright too."

Nagi Seishiro looked up at Mikage Reio, while Amano Minaka looked at him with a puzzled expression.

“It would be even better if we replaced 'naka' with 'chu'. Nagi-chu means calm and peaceful, which has a lot of symbolic meaning,” Mikage Reio explained.

"...Nagi originally meant calm and peaceful, right?"

“OxO”.

After exchanging glances with Nagi Seishiro, Amano Minaka quickly looked away in disgust, as if afraid of getting something dirty on her if she hesitated any longer.

"That's so strange."

Nagi Seishiro glanced at the "get over" message on his phone screen and casually pressed "play another game."

"That's right, that's right."

Faced with the subtle reactions of her two friends to her suggestion, Reio Mikage silently tried to justify herself, "It's obviously great, okay? So what else should we call it? NANA?"

Nagi Seishiro rose from the ground, his movements carrying a hint of nonchalance. He deftly manipulated the game interface with one hand, while gently massaging his legs, which were slightly numb from sitting for so long, with the other, and naturally sat down next to Mikage Reio.

"Tomoe, please."

"Oh." Tenno Minaka suddenly realized, "Is it because of Mikage? It's quite meaningful, at least better than 'calm seas'."

"Hey! 'Calm and peaceful' sounds much more poetic, doesn't it?" Mikage Reio's voice carried a hint of annoyance at being misunderstood. He emphasized, "And what does it have to do with me?"

Nagi Seishiro gently touched the back of his neck and casually offered a new suggestion, "Momozono would also work."

"Hmm... a god of destiny?" Amano Minaka seemed lost in thought, gently stroking his chin with his fingers, his eyes sparkling with inspiration.

"Do you really like the title 'God' that much? You might as well call him Tomoe."

"hehe."

Amanomi and Nagi Seishiro, separated by Rei's constant witty retorts, made Rei, who had never watched the anime, feel isolated.

What are you talking about?

Amano Minaka chuckled and turned her gaze to Mikage Reio, pondering, "I always feel that Reio's personality is too easy to get along with, completely unlike the rich young master I had in mind."

Reio Mikage raised an eyebrow, intrigued, and asked, "Hmm? What kind of rich young master do you imagine?"

"For example... do arrogant, purple-haired rich young masters always have a lackey who only knows how to say 'yes'?"

“I would never treat Nagi like that. We are the best partners.” Mikage Reio immediately shook his head, his tone firm and serious.

Nagi Seishiro deliberately slowed down his speech, emphasizing each word clearly: "I—am—not—Rin—Wang's—follower."

Although his words carried a hint of weariness, his determination and self-identity were exceptionally clear.

The pleasant chat ended quickly.

Reio Mikage and Seishiro Nagi are going to the court to continue practicing, while Minaka Amano has finished all her exercises and plans to go to the lounge to tidy up her locker before taking a shower and having dinner.

As soon as I opened the door, there was an unexpected person sitting there.

"middle."

Suoh Hyo-hee sat quietly in the corner of the room, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

"Are you telling me you're going to be with Jie Shiyi?"

-----------------------

Author's Note: Tomoe is the male protagonist of Kamisama Kiss, and Nanami is the female protagonist.

The arrogant, purple-haired rich young master, always followed by a follower who only says "yes," is Atobe Keigo.

The names of the two main characters here have other functions: Naka and Chu. Only when Naka is in the middle is he the true god, while Naka is not.

Koki and Takashimare indicate that Kira and Suoh had a better relationship than Amano-no-Mikoto.

From his conversation with Kira, it's clear that Amano is a person with particularly strong words. So, if he had spoken directly with Suoh after watching that video, Suoh and Amano would have broken off their relationship immediately.

Both made similar choices (Kira broke away from maintaining his own shot, while Suoh chose Team Z and wouldn't let Amagami choose Team Z), but Kira handled the problem better than Suoh.