Leon stood under the shower head, droplets of water running down his body.
He had a lean body, lithe with a thin layer of muscles coating them. Balanced, a sight to see with the meat and muscles in the right places.
Although he was thin, it didn't occur to anyone that he was weak. Under that lithe body was an explosive strength that wouldn't lose to Kunigami (?).
(Recap to chapter5: 'Leon's weakness was stamina and strength'
Looking back at 'an explosive strength that wouldn't lose to Kunigami: Press Doubt)
He warped a towel around his waist and sank into the comforting pool of warmness. He sighed contently and leaned back, his head gently meeting with the cement.
He could see the mist littering around in the air, for a moment, he did nothing but trailed the mist, and then, he closed his eyes and put a soft towel over his eyes.
He could feel his tensed and strained muscles becoming loose, and slowly healing.
His long blonde hair floated around on the water, he hummed, happy and content.
Little currents of water met his chest, and they flowed back again.
Splash. Leon felt water hit his face, and thank the Almighty God of sweets– Mochi, for the fact that the towel was there for him. Otherwise, no doubt that the water would be getting into his eyes.
Leon loved water. However, getting water into his eyes or nose was a little too much for him.
Someone had jumped into the cozy warm pool and the previously silent area had become noisy. Someone was yelling at someone -possibly the guy who jumped- and someone after someone was speaking up.
The end of the towel slipped from one of Leon's eyes, ending up on his cheek. Leon stared, and listened.
A paper-white haired guy was floating on the shared bathhouse, another guy with tall, stout muscles - who appeared familiar for some reason- was shouting at the paper-white haired guy.
A dark blue haired guy -Isagi?- had just gotten into the bath, conversing with the 'scolding-guy' and explaining that, yes, he showered before slipping into the pool.
They were on the left side.
On his right side –he was surprised to see- were also familiar people.
Hyoma and Hero from Team Z. Leon had no idea what their capabilities were. But no doubts, were they not ordinary.
Oh my, would you look at that? Seemed like Isagi had abandoned two poor people, and they were out for revenge. Fair.
Suddenly, a purple-haired guy popped out of the water, and leaped up to sit on the cement, he brought up a hand to sweep his hair to the back. His eyes were downcasted, and there were signs of faint depression under his eyes.
"-Not yet. How about you guys?"
"We…"
"Obviously, we'll be going against you guys. I grouped up with these two just for that exact reason."
"Eh?"
"Reo! It's been a while! Hear me out Reo, I practiced a lot since then you see–"
"Stop it."
"!?"
"The two of us… are rivals now, Nagi. I.. who got left behind… will fight and defeat you."
"So… let's fight."
"Don't run away from us."
"..."
"Yeah, exactly what we wanted."
What. Did I just witness a third-rate melodrama with the elements of revenge in the bathhouse?
"Hm. You all are aware that there is another person here, right?"
"GAHHH!"
Everyone jumped up, startled at Leon's voice.
"You didn't?"
Somehow, it ended up being awkward silence.
"..."
"Uh… Leon?"
Isagi asked, sounding a bit bashful. Leon paid him a look that forced another question out of Isagi.
"I just want to know who you grouped with!"
Everyone stilled. Only Isagi, Chigiri, and Kunigami personally knew Leon, out of everyone here. Wait, added Barou. Nagi was the 'human wall' Leon had collided with when he was facing the aftermath of 'False and Shadow movements' and onslaught of memories.
Reo had gone suspiciously silent when he realized Leon was here. Everyone added it to the possibility that the depressed guy didn't want to interact with another person.
The truth was, of course, not. And only Reo himself and Nagi knew the reason. It wasn't that Reo was reluctant or disdainful to speak with Leon. It's that he froze up, seeing the long-time crush of him.
Barou on the other hand, froze up for another reason.
He 'personally' knew Leon. And even after he had become a part of Isagi's group, he was still unable to fight the instinctive fear toward Leon.
After he fought with Leon and was left with the useless Igaguri, his next match was versus Isagi and Nagi.
Igaguri was more than useless in the match. He was the very definition of a pig teammate. In the end, he lost and was taken over to Isagi's team.
Until now, Leon's oppressive aura on the field still haunted him. 5 to 1. Even to Isagi with a pig teammate, he hadn't lost that badly. Barou could still remember it, the feeling of being crushed in both the spirits and power, unable to do anything.
It had become his trauma.
And until he defeat Leon, it probably wouldn't disappear any time soon.
"Hm," Leon glanced over to Barou, and his body stiffened up further, only after those violet eyes moved away, Barou felt like he could breathe. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Leon had Barou in a chokehold, and he could end the taller's life at any time.
"Probably none you don't know. Shidou, Kurona, and," Leon stopped, remembering something. "I forgot, a person you know," Leon side-eyed Ex-Team Z's members.
Who? Isagi thought. Would it be someone from Team Z? Or from a rival team?
That dribbling guy? Reo hadn't heard Isagi talking to Kunigami about Bachira getting stolen. So, he had no idea about one of Leon's teammates not being Bachira. The bee would be ecstatic if he was on Leon's team though.
Shidou? Kurona? Never heard of them.
Those were the redhead's first thoughts. After that came the guessing game of who-was-the-last-teammate-of-Leon.
Unlike the rest, Kunigami asked bluntly.
"Who?"
Everyone's eyes trailed as Leon's shaped lips slowly tilted upward in a way they couldn't help but stare, the bathhouse's mist was not helping the atmosphere either.
"Naruhaya Asahi."
~In the monitor room~
Ego stared, pupils wide with an extreme concentration. Isagi + Nagi + Barou vs Reo+ Chigiri+ Kunigami was to happen within a few minutes.
Now, the participants were stretching.
Anri knew that this was going to be a real intense match. She too, took a chair and dragged it near Ego, back straight and eyes focused.
Team White vs Team Red
Kick off!
From Team White, Isagi gave the ball to Barou Shoei, and Barou took off, dashing, it was when Kunigami came to steal the ball from him.
Barou Shoei vs Kunigami Rensuke!
"Yo, King. I'll drag you off your throne."
"Try it, soldier guy."
Kunigami and Barou's shoulders collided with each other, the force behind it not small as both were the brute type of players.
The ball still in his possession, Barou sprinted, Kunigami not far behind, and caught up to him in a matter of seconds. Barou was not the speed type, and Kunigami was not either.
They faced off again.
At that moment, Isagi noticed a few odd things about Kunigami's play style with a keen eye.
What's up with Kunigami's defense style!? He's closing in and backing off his body!? What's his plan…!?
Isagi was wary, what did Team Red have in store?
"Alrighty, you are free to go over there," Kunigami backed off unassumingly, a hand up in surrender as he gave up trying to back Barou in a corner. Team Red's plan was slowly revealed, "After all, it's impossible to stop you 100%. So, I'll be pouring everything into stopping your shoots."
I see! Isagi was quick to catch on. They know about Barou's weapon, a 27-meter extreme-range middle shoot! This man-marking is specialized in not letting him get to that range!
Instead of trying to do the impossible by attempting to stop all of Barou's dribbling charges, they were guarding him by not letting him get into his shooting zone.
This anti-Barou marking… makes use of Kunigami's physique!
"Pass, Barou! Over here!" Isagi called out, if Barou was going to be put into a closed jar for the time being, it was time for his teammates to shine. "We can get through this with a one-on-two!"
Being a striker or not set aside, passing to Isagi was the most logical decision.
Pass? Him, passing to another donkey?
Barou was in an extreme nightmare with Leon's shadow haunting him from every corner. This was not the match with Leon. No. It had been long since Leon had humiliated him. Leon wasn't in this match. It was him and Kunigami, Chigiri, and Reo fighting against each other.
But… why did he feel like Leon was there, watching him make a fool of himself?
I, Barou Shoei, am the King!
"Useless."
Shut up, shut up, shut up!
I'm not useless!
Stupidly, Barou charged ahead, intending to make a hole out of Kunigami, turning a blind eye to his teammates' call.
Kunigami was there in every way.
He pushed Kunigami's shoulder, and struggled. At that moment, Barou Shoei did not look like a King. But a desperate mouse mockingly taken by its tail.
"Man, I wonder why you look so pathetic. Far from the King who crushed us. Maybe, Leon did a number on you?"
Kunigami taunted. He understood that Barou and Leon faced each other in their first match in 3 vs 3, from bits and pieces.
Barou responded to the taunt.
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!"
"Ha, the King is a not so King, after all," With a smirk pulling at his face, Chigiri took the ball, and flew.
Chigiri's speed wouldn't lose to anyone. And naturally with Isagi and Nagi far from Team White's goalpost, Team Red had the first goal.
Piiiiiiiiiiii—
Team Red : Team White
1 : 0
"Alright!" Chigiri pumped his fist high into the air. He turned back to Team White with a look of challenge in his eyes -he knew Isagi, Nagi, and Barou weren't just that- and said, "What's wrong? So slow, you guys on period?"