Gray clouds loomed over the pitch like an omen.
The air was heavy, and the field was damp. As Raimon's players gathered for warm-up drills, the sound of screeching tires turned every head. A black bus painted with arcane symbols pulled up near the sideline. One by one, players dressed in shadowy uniforms stepped off, their gazes unblinking. Their coach was the last to emerge—hooded and muttering a chant that no one could decipher, but everyone could feel.
"Here they are," muttered Someoka Ryūgo, cracking his knuckles. "The cursed team."
Goenji Shūya said nothing, his eyes locked on the opposing captain, Yūkoku Hiroyuki, whose piercing stare felt as if it penetrated the soul.
Someoka glared sideways at Sakuragi Ren, who was lacing his cleats with a confident grin. "You'd better stay out of the way."
Sakuragi raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Nah. I'm here to score."
That sparked a brief spat near the bench, where the team had gathered for last-minute formation planning. Fuyukai-sensei wanted a double-striker front with Someoka and Goenji, but Sakuragi wouldn't have it.
"I told you, I'm a striker. Not someone's water boy."
Endou Mamoru chimed in with a grin. "Why not try all three?"
It was decided—a new formation: 3-4-3-1. Risky, but it fit their strengths.
Forwards: Sakuragi – Goenji – Someoka
Midfield: Max, Kazemaru, Handa, Kurimatsu
Defense: Kabeyama, Domon, Shishidō
Goalkeeper: Endou
They were ready.
Kickoff
The whistle blew.
Raimon started strong. Someoka charged in like a battering ram, ignoring Sakuragi's open call for a pass. His eyes were on the goal—on proving himself. He unleashed it:
"Dragon Crash!!"
The ball spiraled like a flaming meteor, crashing past Occult's eerie keeper. 1–0.
Cheers erupted, but Sakuragi didn't smile.
Moments later, Someoka repeated his earlier feat—rushing solo and scoring again. 2–0.
But this time, something changed.
The Curse Reveals Itself
Occult's coach lifted both arms and chanted. The air grew colder, and shadows flickered at the players' feet. Raimon suddenly froze—not just in fear, but literally; they couldn't move.
"Ghost Lock!!" Yūkoku roared.
Occult passed through Raimon like phantoms, untouched. Phantom Shoot! The goal rang with impact. 2–1.
Endou growled, trying to pump his team up. "Don't stop moving!"
But it was no use. Ghost Lock activated again, and Raimon's feet sank into an invisible mire. 2–2. Then, Warp Space—the keeper distorted space itself and stopped Goenji's shot.
Another Ghost Lock. Another Occult goal. 2–3.
Halftime – Sakuragi's Revelation
Inside the locker room, silence reigned. Even Someoka didn't have a comeback.
Then, Sakuragi stood up.
"I figured something out," he said, his voice low but sharp. "When I was locked in—like, really locked in,The curse didn't touch me."
Everyone turned.
"I ignored whatever chanting their coach is doing and kept trying to score"
"Focus," Endou echoed.
Endou had been observing the opposing coach and whatever he was muttering during the match maybe that was affecting the players he needed to figure out more but Sakuragi did bring up an interesting point.
Then Endou clapped his hands—sharp and loud.
"Alright! From here on, we don't fear the curse—we charge straight through it!"
Second Half – The Black Lion Awakens
Kickoff again.
Raimon tried to break the tempo. But confusion remained—players didn't know whom to pass to: Someoka or Goenji. Occult took advantage, marking both hard.
Sakuragi stood unmarked. Open. Frustration built in his chest like a storm.
He recalled one of Barou's memories: How Isagi refused to pass to him. He envisioned a future in which Barou thought he would be a bum. Barou's frustration was affecting Sakuragi now.The desperation to score was rising inside Sakuragi—he would score, no matter what.
A pass headed toward Goenji, but Sakuragi cut in front, stealing it.
"Oi! What the hell?!" Someoka barked.
But Sakuragi didn't hear. The world blurred. His eyes locked on the goal.
He dribbled—a blur of feint chops, zig-zagging between Occult defenders. Another chant erupted from their coach, but Sakuragi was too far gone. His eyes gleamed with a blackish aura as he locked in and entered the flow.
He knocked the ball ahead. An Occult player smirked. "He passed?"
Wrong.
Sakuragi's leg lit up with crackling black lightning.
He sprinted—a wild, primal dash—and struck.
The ball howled through the air, wrapped in a lion-shaped aura made of pure shadow and lightning.
BOOM.
The net snapped backward. 3–3.
The stadium went silent.
Then Megane clapped his notebook shut. "Let's call that… Leo Impact."
Sakuragi laughed, breaking into a grin. "I like it."
Sakuragi was slowly returning to his jovial state, but he kept in mind that to perfect this hissatsu, he needed that hunger to score as a boost.
Endou had been studying the coach of Occult High and realized it was the chanting that shifted their focus, making them freeze in place. Occult High tried the Ghost Lock once more, and most of the team was locked. Sakuragi, who could still move, was marked well, the Occult players tried to go toward the goal. He understood the meaning of the chant their coach was using, and he knew they were focused on the chant rather than the current play. He quickly countered the 'curse' by shouting, "Rumble, rumble, rumble, break!" which freed everyone from Ghost Lock.
Clapping hard, he noticed the Occult striker closing in for a shot. Endou used a new hissatsu, Fireball Knuckle and punched the ball out of his goal zone.
After that Endou and Megane explained that Ghost Lock was an audio-visual hypnosis, Handa then passed the ball to Sakuragi. He chop-feinted a midfielder, he wanted to go solo but then looked up at Someoka, who was open, and decided to pass.
"Don't mess this up," Sakuragi warned.
Someoka chose to take his Dragon Crash, but he hit the ball in an upward trajectory.
Goenji jumped into the air and executed his iconic Fire Tornado—the energy from Dragon Crash and Fire Tornado combined.
"Let's go!" Goenji shouted.
After Goenji took the shot, the dragon changed to orange and struck the net, the goalkeeper unable to defend against the super shot.
"Dragon Tornado!!" Megane decided to name it.
4–3.
The whistle blew.
End Scene
Occult's coach lowered his hood, scowling. "Interesting…"
Someoka approached Sakuragi. "Still a ball hog."
Sakuragi grinned. "Still better than you."
Goenji laughed, and Endou slung an arm around all of them. "If this is what we've got now—just imagine what we'll become!"
As they walked off the pitch, the clouds finally began to part, letting sunlight spill onto the field.