HIBARI POV
"Well it's good to see you've come to your senses." I said to the three faces who stood at the door.
Hiori held a kind expression with an endearing smile, unlike the other two beside him who didn't look that happy to see me.
A carefully orchestrated manipulation tactic had successfully pulled them in. 'I should give myself more credit man.' Like moving pieces on a chess board, all that's left is checkmate.
Reo tied the last loop of his bun and glanced over.
"What's up?"
"What's up," I echoed, stepping back from the door, "is we've got a game to play."
Shidou's head poked out from the bathroom, towel draped over his neck, eyes wide like a kid at a carnival. "Ooo goody goodey," he grinned. "Finally. I was starting to think we'd have to start hunting them down."
"Please don't," Reo muttered under his breath, shaking out his arms.
Reo shook out his arms, his newfound focus a quiet thing. It was good. He was starting to act like a striker. He walked past me, his expression flat and unreadable. Hiori and his team followed, a few paces behind us, their presence held a tense energy.
I savored it. It was the thrill of the hunt. They had walked right into the lion's den, and all that was left was for me to close the door.
We emerged onto the pitch, a familiar, well-lit arena. The air felt charged, heavy with the weight of our collective egos. The other team spread out, their faces tense.
"Second Selection Rival Battle, 3 vs. 3 game to 5 goals!" The VAR's voice boomed.
Hiori stood at the kickoff point, his head bowed. He looked like he was praying, but I knew better. He was sorting the pieces in his mind, arranging them, trying to build a plan to beat us.
"Go ahead," I said, a slow smile spreading across my face. "Show me your vision. I'll show you a world without it."
Hiori's eyes were still glued to me as he passed the ball to Nishioka.
KICKOFF START
TEAM RED vs. TEAM WHITE
Hiori tapped the ball to his left, and Saramadara caught it with a flowing step, his posture relaxed, almost lazy. But then his entire frame shifted, hips low, shoulders loose, legs absorbing pressure like a wave. He moved like a surfer riding rough waters, carving a perfect line between Shidou and Reo.
"Feel that rhythm, boys?" he called out, a crooked grin on his face. "It's a swell today, and I'm just paddlin' in."
He coasted past Reo with alarming grace, each step like a bodyboarder balancing on instinct. Reo nearly slipped trying to cut him off.
I cut him off with a tight body check. Saramadara recovered quickly, flicking the ball out to Hiori with a backheel.
Hiori didn't waste a second. He read the space instantly, taking the ball in stride and curling it around Shidou with a soft outside-foot touch. It landed perfectly at Nishioka's feet.
Reo was on him immediately, low stance, arms out, reading his hips, and not giving him a centimeter of breathing room.
"You're not getting that shot off," Reo said, steady and sharp.
Nishioka didn't respond. Just pivoted on the inside of his foot, pressing his back into Reo, shielding the ball.
Reo leaned into him, trying to force a mistake, eyes glued to his movements. Nishioka dropped a shoulder, hinted at a turn, Reo bit down on the move instantly, shifting his weight to cut him off.
Nishioka flicked the ball backward, dragging it behind his plant leg, and spun the other direction. Reo staggered, caught mid-transition, barely able to adjust.
Then his left foot whipped backwards.
Compact. He barely wound up, but the power that came off that strike?
The ball tore through the air and slammed into the top right corner of the goal, kissed the post, and snapped into the netting like a bullet through silk.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
0 - 1
"Wait, he's left-footed?" Reo muttered, stunned.
Nishioka turned without celebration. Hiori put two hands on his shoulders as he boosted himself upwards, "That's what I'm talkin' about, Nishi! Let 'em know that left foot's certified lethal!"
Saramadara threw an arm around his shoulder. "Told ya he rides goofy-footed. That left leg's his fin, bro."
Reo tightened his bun again and looked at the ground for half a second.
I tightened up my posture, "Alright. My turn."
I simply walked to the center circle. The score was an irrelevant number. This was a logical problem. They had scored because we had allowed them to. I would correct that oversight. My blood felt cold and calm, my mind dissecting the opposing team. They had a plan, a structure built on flashy dribbling and precise passing. A temporary obstacle.
I stepped onto the ball, my right foot pressing down with quiet precision. I looked up. Saramadara was still coasting, Nishioka was already looking for space, and Hiori was staring straight at me, his eyes full of a new, cautious hope.
The whistle blew.
I didn't pass. I pushed the ball forward with a subtle touch, a clean motion. Saramadara and Nishioka lunged, trying to cut me off, but their movements were a sloppy, frantic attempt to contain something they couldn't see.
My Dribbling worked its magic. It wasn't about speed, but about geometry, about finding the line between two points that only I could see. One second I was in front of them, the next I was behind them, a mere afterimage leaving them in a wake of confusion.
They were all trying to read me, to predict my movements, but there was no pattern to be found. Just a logical solution to a problem they couldn't comprehend.
I glided into the penalty box, a clean, smooth line of motion. Nishioka and Saramadara recovered, scrambling to get in front of me, but I was already there. I bent my body, my foot shaping itself to the curve of the ball. The strike was simple, a beautiful act of controlled violence. The ball whipped from my foot, a low, blistering drive that hugged the turf, a perfect arc that curled and slammed into the bottom left corner of the net.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
1 - 1
"Ooooh, nice explosion, Prince Charming!" Shidou cheered, bouncing on the balls of his feet. "Me next, me next!"
Reo simply walked back to his position, his expression still flat, his hands shaking slightly. He had just witnessed the logical conclusion of a game.
THIRD PERSON POV
Nishioka gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched so tightly he thought it might break. "How the hell did he do that?" he muttered.
Hiori's eyes were wide. He felt a sense of dread creep up his spine. "He's not a human," he said, his voice quiet. "He's a ghost. He moves without a single wasted motion."
They stood in silence as Hibari and Shidou took their positions. Nishioka, still seething, took the kickoff, shooting a pass to Hiori with his left foot.
Hiori took it and his brain clicked into gear. He was a master conductor, and his teammates were his orchestra. He directed traffic with his passes, a series of quick, precise touches that sent Saramadara and Nishioka into open space.
Reo, meanwhile, was on him like glue. He shadowed Hiori's every move, his focus absolute. He wasn't a player anymore. He was a satellite, orbiting his target, reading every single one of his movements.
Nishioka slipped by Hibari, a small, subtle move that created a tiny window of space. Hiori saw it instantly. He didn't hesitate. His right foot whipped forward, sending a curved pass slicing through the air.
Nishioka was about to receive it when a white blur shot in front of him. Shidou. He twisted his body mid-air, a sickeningly unnatural contortion, and with a single touch, redirected the ball into open space.
"Ooooh, that's a beautiful pass, I got chills just looking at those curves!" Shidou chirped.
Shidou didn't hesitate. He shot a pass back to Hibari, who took it in stride, and then took off.
"I'd like to request an explosion," Shidou said, his voice laced with pure glee.
"Coming right up, you damn demon," Hibari replied, and then, he sent a smooth pass his way.
Shidou ran, his body a blur of speed and controlled chaos. He tore into the penalty box, the defenders collapsing on him like a collapsing star. He was locked down. No space to shoot.
So he simply…didn't.
He stopped, planted his feet, and then with a single, brutal shove, he threw his body against his two defenders. He created a pocket of space, a tiny, fleeting gap. He then twisted, a human corkscrew, and with his heel, he launched the ball forward. It spun with a wicked, counter-intuitive motion, a back-spinning, rising volley that kissed the top of the crossbar and ricocheted into the net.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
2 - 1
Shidou landed with a triumphant howl, his arms spread wide as he screamed. "Again! Again! Again!"
Nishioka looked on, his face a mask of disbelief. "How the hell do we stop an offense like that?"
Saramadara just stared at the scoreboard, his eyes vacant. "We don't," he muttered.
KICKOFF RE-START
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
2 - 1
My eyes were locked on Hiori. The icy-haired playmaker passed the ball, a series of quick, precise touches that sent Saramadara and Nishioka into open space. It was the correct play, the logical solution. But I saw the tension in his shoulders, the strain in his face.
Hiori looked different to me, his movements looked rushed, I felt as if I could see the gears turning in his head.
He took the ball himself, dribbling forward. A clear passing lane opened up on his left, a perfect, logical line to Nishioka.
It was the correct play. The perfect solution to kickstart their offense again and provide a spark.
But in that moment, Hiori's ego flared. I saw it, a faint flicker of selfish ambition that had no place in his playstyle. The conductor wanted to become the soloist. He ignored his teammates. He ignored the perfect pass. He saw the goal. He saw the space. He saw a chance to prove his worth and so his foot met the ball.
A flash of a foot. I wasn't even surprised. Hiori's shot tore through the air, a desperate, selfish strike that was about to find the back of the net. My foot shot out, a perfectly timed deflection that killed the ball's momentum and left it dead in the air. Saramadara and Nishioka stood still, frozen in their grunts of frustration. Hiori's selfishness had been their undoing.
Reo picked up the second ball, his eyes scanning the field. He saw it all, the logical pathways, the chaos that was Shidou, the precise order that was me. He made the correct play. He passed it to me.
"Mikage," I said, getting Reo's attention before I sent a pass to his feet, logical line that only Reo could reach. He took it in stride, a flicker of ambition in his eyes as Hiori scrambled to catch up. He was about to shoot, I could feel it, but Hiori blocked his angle. His momentum died. He flinched. The fire in his eyes went out.
He passed the ball back to me, the cowardice of the move a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Fine. If you won't do anything with it then I will."
I sent a smooth, clean pass to Shidou, already anticipating his chaotic energy. He devoured it, turning on a dime and twisting his body into a lethal coil. Saramadara slid, trying to block him, but it was useless. Shidou was an unstoppable force of nature, and his shot slammed into the back of the net, sealing another goal.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
3 - 1
I walked over to Reo, my face a mask of disappointment. "You better get your head in the game. If you're too scared to shoot the ball, then just get lost."
Shidou appeared beside me, a manic grin on his face. "He's got no spark, Prince Charming! If you've got no spark, you get no explosion! And if you get no explosion, you're nothing at all!"
Reo clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white.
The kickoff restarted, and Reo found himself marking Nishioka. Hiori kicked off to him, and Nishioka's dribbling was a flurry of quick, choppy movements. Reo went for the steal, but his instincts were a moment too slow. Nishioka spun past him, and I had to compensate and play help defense. Nishioka saw his chance. He lobbed a perfect ball to Saramadara, who hammered it into the back of the net.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
3 - 2
I pushed past Reo, a cold fury rising in my chest. I side-glanced at him, a withering look on my face. "You can drop dead, you fake-ass striker."
Reo took his position, his eyes fixed on me as I took the next kickoff. I dribbled, each movement delicate, each touch precise.
A feint to the left, a twitch of my shoulder, and I'd left Hiori in my wake. Nishioka went for the steal, but my dribbling was an illusion, a ghost that he couldn't grasp. I took a sharp, beautiful curve shot that bent into the top right corner, right past Blue Lockman's fingertips.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
4 - 2
'I want to fight with everyone.'
A/N: Italics are Reo's thoughts.
I deflected a pass, the ball again landing at Reo's feet. 'Why is this happening? Why is the ball coming back to me? Is it a test? Is this what they want?' He just stood there, the ball a silent orb at his feet.
'Is he really right? Am I nothing at all? Am I a fake?'
REO POV
The ball sat at my feet, a spotlight directly exposing me. And I couldn't move.
Is he really right? Am I weak?
My mind was a whirlpool of questions, of doubts. My blood felt hot and cold at the same time. The words, fake-ass striker, echoed in my head.
'Who am I? What kind of striker am I?'
My body, my entire being, felt like a hollow shell. Empty. Useless. I had spent so much time being the perfect sidekick, the all-rounder, the one who supported Nagi's genius. I was the one who was supposed to stand beside him. But here, without him, I was nothing. A vessel with no one to hold.
I was tossed aside by my teammate, partner...my friend. All because the genius decided I wasn't worth anything anymore, that piece of shit Yoichi Isagi was more important.
I closed my eyes, and I saw Nagi's face. His lazy smirk. The effortless genius that I respected and admired so much. And then I saw myself, falling behind, standing still while the rest of the world ran past. I had to prove I was worth standing beside again. To prove that I wasn't nothing.
I wasn't a genius like Nagi. I wasn't a walking explosion like Shidou. I wasn't a puppet master like Hibari. I had nothing but my ability to copy, to become what I needed to be for someone else. I was a chameleon, and now I had no color of my own.
My shame became a bitter, cold hatred that I aimed at the one who took everything from me. That walking ego. That piece of trash who stole my treasure. He had an ego, a monstrous hunger that made him see things others couldn't. I realized in that moment that I wasn't jealous of his talent. I was disgusted by his ego. And that disgust was something I could use. That disgust was something I could become...
I am not a fake. I am not useless.
A fire started burning inside me, a hot, vicious flame that licked away at the shame and doubt. It wasn't the kind of fire that ignited explosions like Shidou's. It was a hot, precise burn that melted away the shame and humiliation. It was a new kind of ego.
My ego...
My eyes snapped open. I could feel my cells buzzing, humming with an electric energy. The world looked different. I could feel every movement, every subtle shift in the players' bodies, every single possibility.
Fine. If I am nothing, then I'll become something.
I stuck out my tongue, a physical manifestation of a neurological impulse. I could feel my ego taking over, transforming me. It wasn't about being a weapon anymore. It was about being everything.
I'll change into whatever color I want to.
I saw Hibari moving, and I instinctively mirrored him. I carved past Hiori, my body swaying with a ghost-like grace that he couldn't comprehend. He reached for me, a look of shock on his face. "That's my dribbling…how-"
Hiori stumbled, and I just kept going. I saw Nishioka charging at me, his eyes wide. He went for the steal, but I already had become a blur of motion that was out of his reach. My body became a beautiful illusion.
I arrived at the edge of the penalty box, and I saw the goal. A memory flashed in my mind: Hibari's curve shot. I acted on impulse. I bent my body, my foot shaping itself to the curve of the ball. My shot whipped from my foot, a perfect, logical line that tore through the air, right into the top right corner of the net. The perfect arc. The perfect shot. The perfect ego for Reo Mikage.
The whistle blew.
TEAM WHITE vs. TEAM RED
5 - 2
This sensation, it feels like electricity crawling underneath my skin.
The whistle of the goal rung in my ears as I attempted to catch my breath.
Shidou barreled over, practically tackling me with one arm slung around my shoulders. "Ohhh YEAH, that's what I'm talkin' about! You finally cracked open that pretty little shell!" He leaned closer, eyes wide and wild. "I could feel that explosion in my teeth, man! I might kiss you!"
"Please don't," I muttered, though I didn't move away.
A cunning voice cut through Shidou's manic glee. "What kind of man would I be if I wasn't a man of my word?"
I looked up. Hibari stood with his hands in his pockets, his gaze fixed on the other team. Hiori's expression was calm, but Nishioka and Saramadara looked dejected, their bodies lazy and limp.
"I promised to show you a world without your vision," Hibari continued, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "And you got a front-row seat. But, I'll be taking one of you with me to the next stage."
He held out his hand, his eyes landing on the one person who stood with an unbroken spirit.
"Hiori. You're coming with us."
Nishioka's body shook, his fists clenching, and with a guttural roar, he slammed a fist into the ground, a crater forming in the turf beneath his knuckles.
Saramadara stepped forward, his lazy grin gone, replaced by a scowl. "What are you talking about, man? Why him? We knew each other, the flow was real."
Hibari's smirk widened. He looked at Saramadara with a cold, condescending expression.
"You're a joke," he said, his voice flat. "Are you kidding? You've got nothing but a decent balance and a lackluster ego. You're a stray I took in on my path to the top. Welcome to rock bottom. "
The four-man roster for the next stage was set.
ADVANCED TO THE NEXT STAGE.
HIBARI YAKUSHIJI, YO HIORI, REO MIKAGE, RYUSEI SHIDOU
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A/N: Well this chapter was fun, I enjoyed writing this one. Hopefully I did Nishioka right and his weapon aswell. Weird that they would nickname someone as a "Messi" type player but never show any of his skillsets at all.
Anyway real quickly, I want to say I appreciare y'all who are still here and keep reading. I know updates haven't been the best, I'm trying the best I can with the time I have and I wish I could be doing more for y'all. I love the support I been getting so far, it's been amazing to see.
Leave a review to let me know what you think so far and let me see them powerstones hehehe. (im kidding btw.)
Have a great rest of your day or night everyone!
Ussylliss out