Coach Yamamoto watches his players warm up, his expression thoughtful.
"Aogaki!"Aogaki turns at the call. "Come here!"
He flashes a determined smile and jogs toward the coach.
Finally.
As the players settle back on the bench, the referee waits to restart the match.
From the sidelines, Ito notices the delay. The fourth official lifts the board: a Maebashi Ikuei player is ready to enter. Number 18—Aogaki.
Oh… here comes the new kid, Ito thinks, pulse quickening.
Number 11 is subbed out, visibly disappointed.
Nishimura watches the newcomer take his spot on the right wing.
Same position… tactically unchanged.
Aogaki stands around 1.75 meters tall, short dark hair with a purple fringe, and sharp gray eyes.
The whistle blows. The game resumes after Riccardo's goal.
Ishikawa plays the ball to Ito, who immediately launches a long, ambitious pass toward Aogaki.
Let's test him right away. Ito smirks.
The pass is perfect. Aogaki controls it cleanly—but Tanaka charges at full speed. Aogaki barely moves, then slips the ball through his legs with a calm, almost casual nutmeg using the sole of his right foot.
He cuts inside and advances directly toward Tamura, who holds his ground, reading the approach.
As Aogaki closes in, he shifts as if to pass on the right. Tamura anticipates it——but Aogaki abruptly feints and bursts left, slipping past him and even outmaneuvering Ono, who can't bring a foot to the ball.
Tamura freezes, stunned.
Who is this guy…
He tries to recover, but Aogaki's acceleration leaves him behind. Ito overlaps, adding more confusion to Shūdan-teki's number 5.
Nishimura rushes to help, marking Ito, while Aogaki drives alone toward the box.
Aoki steps in. Aogaki doesn't hesitate—he goes straight at him.
Aoki studies the movement, but Aogaki's touch is sharp and controlled. He glides past him, nudging the ball away from Aoki's reach.
Inside the box now, he shields the ball with his body.
At the far post, Ishikawa waits, marked tightly by Noguchi. No space. Aogaki sees it and pushes deeper.
So no assist for our striker, huh? he thinks, unbothered.
He shifts his weight, winds up, and fires a low left-footed shot toward the far corner. It's sudden, powerful. Andou dives—far too late.
Aogaki scores the equalizer for Maebashi Ikuei just moments after stepping onto the field.
The students erupt. Observers stare, stunned.
"He dribbled through the entire Shūdan-teki defense!""And he just came on!""This match was supposed to be one-sided—now it's a goldmine of talent!"
Noguchi feels crushed—conceding right after Riccardo's goal.
Mister Ishii's expression darkens.
This surprise… is not welcome.
Thoughtful, he turns to the bench.
If we want to win…
"Nishimura!"Called by Mister Suzuki, Nishimura jogs over.
"Mister Ishii says we need to double-mark number 18. Every time he touches the ball, anyone nearby presses. Spread it."
Nishimura nods and heads back to warn Shimizu.
Riccardo moves to the center circle, ready for the restart.
The whistle blows. Riccardo passes to Nishimura, who controls and charges forward aggressively, aiming straight at Ishikawa.
Let's take back the lead!
Ishikawa is caught off guard, loses balance, and is blown past by Nishimura's burst of speed.
Nishimura pushes on—but Ito steps in.
Riccardo moves into space, calling for the ball. Nishimura sees him and plays it.
Riccardo controls smoothly. Nishimura continues his run to the left, dragging Ito with him.Riccardo turns the opposite direction, driving toward Shimizu.
He feints a pass to Shimizu and cuts inside.
Nishimura heads toward the penalty area. Riccardo spots him—but chooses instead to slip the ball sideways to Ono.Ono cushions it with the outside of his right foot and sends a long ball forward to Tanaka, who sprints past the right back.
But Tanaka is stopped again just before shooting—this time Aogaki beats him to the ball with raw speed. He bodies Tanaka off it, circles, and launches a counterattack.
Damn it! Tanaka thinks as he hits the ground after the clash.
Aogaki pushes into Shūdan-teki territory. Sugimoto and Tamura rush to double him.
Already? Let's see what you've got. He thinks, excitement rising.
Aogaki prepares to take them on—but before he can move, Tanaka slides in from behind and brings him down.
The whistle shrieks. The referee sprints over and brandishes a yellow card.
Realizing he crossed the line, Tanaka approaches to check on Aogaki.
Then the substitution board rises: number 7, Tanaka, out.Number 9, Kaneko, in.
Tanaka's face collapses.The rest of the team stares—confused by a winger-for-striker swap that makes little tactical sense.