Ryo set the ball in motion, advancing quickly but with controlled touches, testing his opponents, waiting for a mistake. The two defenders rushed toward him shoulder to shoulder, expecting to strip the ball away. Wanting to play it safe to start, Ryo did not do anything too flashy, so the moment the players were getting ready to tackle him, Ryo struck.
He rolled the ball to the right, luring the two in, then cut sharply left, slicing between them before they could react. Sprinting into the box, he met the ball with his left foot, curling it into the top corner, far beyond the keeper's reach.
The three froze, stunned that a first-year had carved through them so easily. Ryo didn't give them time to recover. "What are you standing around for? Pass it back—I still need four more."
From there, the goals only got cleaner. The second, he blew by them with sheer speed, leaving both defenders lunging at his shadows in his wake. The third, he nutmegged them in succession, slipping the ball through their legs as if they weren't even there. The fourth, a sudden change of direction, sent one defender sprawling onto the turf.
By then, a small crowd had gathered around the minigame—students, players, even a few parents—buzzing at the display.
On the sideline, Ren shook his head. "Why would they pick a fight with him?" he muttered. He knew better than anyone how dangerous Ryo could be; even he only managed to stop his brother half the time when on the defensive. These three? Second-team benchwarmers with rumored family connections. They never had a chance.
As Ryo's last approach came, he smiled to himself. Should I put the final nail in the coffin? Ryo approached the defenders one last time, but although they were in low spirits, they were being overly cautious. He wanted to get them to both run towards him at the same time, and his best approach to do so was to hesitate at the edge of the box, baiting them. He stepped forward, then back, feigning doubt. And as he'd hoped, both defenders lunged in together. You took the bait.
He darted straight at them. Slightly surprised at Ryo's change in play, one carelessly thrust out a leg, while the other put himself in his path. Unfazed, Ryo flicked the ball up with his toe, lobbing it clean over their heads. Gasps rose as he burst past, shaking free even when one grabbed at his shirt. The ball dropped, bounced once, and Ryo met it in midair, kicking it on the volley into the top corner.
At first, there was only a stunned silence; then came a variety of reactions. Some gasped, some mocked the defeated trio for losing while wearing the team jersey. Ryo didn't care. He simply stood there, expression steady, as if it were routine, but in reality, he was focused on the translucent screen in front of him.
{Quest Complete!}
(Situational Quest – Can You Even Play Football?)
[Rewards – New Skill: Mental Fortitude (D)]
{New Skill!}
[Mental Fortitude (D) – A Passive Skill That Improves Resilience To Provocation. The Higher The Skill Level, The Higher The Resistance To Them.]
This skill feels a little vague. How does it make me less prone to provocation? Ryo sighed. It's not like I'm complaining about my skill, though.
"Thanks for the quick warmup, seniors," he said, turning back to the three sulking players. "Good luck making the team."
They had no reply—they must be feeling a bit down after losing to me. After leaving the area, Ryo surveyed the pitch and spotted Ren on the sideline, so he slowly jogged over to him.
"Where were you, Ren-nii? What took you so long?"
Ren scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "Hahaha… I definitely did not forget my cleats at home, and I definitely did not run back home to get them."
"WHAT?" Ryo shouted. "You rushed me this morning, yet you're the one who forgot your gear?"
"Oops~," Ren said playfully.
Ryo sighed. "Hahhh… whatever. At least you made it before practice started."
Ren smirked, jerking his chin toward the three players still hanging their heads. "Looked like you were doing fine without me."
"They wouldn't leave me alone, so I turned it into a warm-up," Ryo muttered.
Ren laughed, "Of course you did…"
"Are you not going to warm up, Ren-nii?" Ryo asked, ignoring his brother's comment.
"Nah. They'll put us through plenty anyway," Ren said with a shrug. "Might as well save my energy."
—————————————————————————————————
Fweeet
"Alright, everyone, gather up!" The assistant coach's whistle cut through the chatter.
"Welcome to Ryusei Elementary's football club," he called out. "I'm Takigawa, the assistant coach, and this is Head Coach Matsumoto. Today's session will decide the rosters for the season. The test has three parts. First, physical drills. Second, fundamentals—passing, shooting, dribbling. Finally, scrimmages, where we'll assess teamwork and positioning. Don't worry about winning or losing. Play your best—that's what we're looking for. We know it's the first day of school, and we apologize for holding tryouts today, but the league starts soon, so we need to build our teams now. Give it everything you've got."
The players were split into smaller groups, each with a coach overseeing them. The first drill started very quickly and included short sprints, ladder runs, and agility drills. Ryo found the pace easy, his body responding smoothly after weeks of self-training. Glancing around, though, he noticed others already faltering—lungs burning, legs heavy, faces flushed. The gap between those with stamina and those without was already starting to show.
The second stage brought cones, passing drills, and shooting drills. Ryo cleanly progressed through the drills, each touch precise, while many students clipped cones or missed their passes. At the shooting station, his strikes found the corners with practiced ease, drawing a few glances from the coaches.
So far, so good. Now to show them what I can really do.