THE PAIN - Inazuma Eleven Go Fanfic

CHAPTER 50: TORTURE

As dawn's first light began to creep over the horizon at Shizen Academy, the usually tranquil campus was unusually lively. At 4:30 in the morning, most students were still cocooned in their beds, enjoying the last remnants of sleep. The quiet rustle of leaves and the soft chirping of early birds were the only sounds breaking the silence of the peaceful grounds.

But on the academy's pristine outside field, the Shizen first team stood in the cool morning air, their breath forming misty puffs in the crisp breeze. The early hour had left them groggy and disoriented, their faces etched with fatigue as they awaited their captain, Osamu.

"Why do we have to come so early?" Hiro grumbled, his voice heavy with a yawn, eyes half-closed in a futile attempt to cling to the last vestiges of sleep. Around him, his teammates nodded in agreement, their murmurs echoing his sentiment.

"We missed our training session yesterday," Haru responded bluntly, shaking his head to clear the sleep from his mind. He stretched his arms above his head, trying to banish the stiffness from his body. "So, here we are, making up for it."

Kouji, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, looked puzzled. "But aren't we supposed to be in recovery training this week? It doesn't make sense for us to be out here at this hour."

At his words, the realization slowly dawned on the team. Recovery training was meant to be a period of rest and rejuvenation, a time to focus on mental and physical recovery, not pre-dawn practice sessions.

As the team exchanged puzzled glances, Osamu appeared on the field, his expression calm and collected despite the early hour.

"Good morning, everyone," Osamu greeted them, his voice steady and clear, contrasting sharply with their tired murmurs. "I know it's early, but we have a lot to cover today."

"Why so early, Osamu-san?" Koichi asked, his voice tinged with fatigue.

Osamu looked around at his teammates scattered on the benches and the grass, their faces still marked by sleep. Seeing their drowsy faces, he felt a pang of guilt. But he knew he had no other choice. "I'm sorry, Minna. Believe me, I'd prefer to let you rest, but I kinda don't have a choice in this."

The team exchanged puzzled glances, trying to decipher Osamu's cryptic words.

"What do you mean, Osamu-san?" Ryuu said as he voiced out everyone's thoughts. "Also, Komuro-san and Takuya-san are still not here yet."

Osamu sighed, bracing himself for their reactions. "Komuro and Takuya won't be joining you all in your training. They have been assigned separate training." He paused, observing the growing apprehension among his teammates. "Because the training you will do today is... to clean the entire academy grounds."

A stunned silence fell over the group as they processed Osamu's words. It felt as though time had stopped, the weight of his announcement sinking in. Then the team erupted in a chorus of disbelief. "Ehhhhh!"

"Are you serious, Osamu-san?" Yutaka exclaimed, feeling as though he had just been hit by a bolt of lightning.

Osamu could only nod. "Yes, I am. This is the consequence of breaking our training regime. That's why we're starting early – to give you enough time to cover as much of the academy as possible in a single day."

"But why the whole academy?" Hiro cried out, voicing the collective dread. "We've never done something like this before!"

Osamu's expression softened slightly, but his tone remained firm. "Don't ask me. This isn't my plan. Arion came up with this. He's not pleased with how you all disregarded our training regime just to play against Raimon. He wants you to understand the importance of discipline and teamwork in every aspect, not just on the field."