A little into their second year of high school, the Raimon Soccer Club were on their way to the Holy Road finals. Then the car veers off the path, and they dive into the valley, where the car rolls off the cliff into the verge, and no one survives.
...
20. searching for (something that bursts at the limit of humanity)
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It's morning in God Eden.
Raimon meets the mysterious boy, Shuu. Those captive in the God Eden training facility, however, are stuck in a different kind of confusing hell.
(The inevitable weakness of humanity is on everyone's mind.)
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"Hey Kirino, when did you get that habit? I don't think I noticed it before."
Raimon wakes briefly before sunrise, and after freshening up, some people have begun doing morning runs. Kirino spends some time in the morning dew, wandering the higher points of the island where mist wafted. Ichino's by his side.
Kirino's hands are held in a prayer.
"Well... I don't know," he admits. "But it calms me."
He's far from religious. His knowledge of it only went as far as Jeanne shared with him in their brief meeting. To call him a man of faith would be an insult to Jeanne, and so, he doesn't identify as such.
(But it eased his heart. It brought him, emotionally, closer to Jeanne's idea of strength, and it empowers him. Surely, Jeanne's God wouldn't mind.)
Ichino hums, following closely along. They don't want Kirino to get lost on the island, so Ichino's trailing by as a guide, since he's the best at keeping track of directions.
"So, what exactly are you looking for?"
Kirino pulls Ichino up a steep edge, and just like that, they're in sight of the highest point of this hill. They leave the mist, and come into view of the sunrise.
"I just like being in my element," Kirino says. "We have the opportunity. Might as well enjoy it as much as I can."
Hamano has the sea. Kurama has rainforests. Kirino has the misty mountains. For hissatsus, being able to find your strengths is vital. Even Shinsuke, with a concept as vague as 'can jump high', has found his calling.
"It's nice," Ichino acknowledges. "I'm kinda envious. Most of the first team's found their thing and are sticking with it, but then I'm here..."
Ichino still doesn't have a single hissatsu.
He's just a little good at being tactical and organised, and maybe a little good at knowing his directions, but Shindou outmatches him in the former and Kurama's combination of snakes and good vision is much more efficient for the latter. He's observant, but Kirino is always faster to make calls, and Akane has the best eyes for details. He's meticulous and careful, but Hayami dwarfs him on that front. He's maybe a little smart, but never more than Aoyama. He's persistent and hardworking, but then there's Nishiki.
