Saturday, August 24th, 2022 - 6:00 PM
San Siro Stadium, Milan
The system notification appeared as the team bus turned onto Via Piccolomini, the stadium's twin towers rising through the windshield like monuments to Italian football history.
「NEW MATCH MISSION」
「OBJECTIVE: Match Rating 7.8+ AND 1 Assist」
「REWARD: 200 TP + 30 MP」
「MISSION ACTIVE」
The panel faded as the bus slowed to a crawl, security personnel forming a corridor through the gathering crowd outside San Siro's away entrance, and Demien's chest tightened because missions meant pressure and pressure meant he needed to perform regardless of opposition quality.
The bus stopped completely, the engine cutting to silence that lasted exactly two seconds before the roar from inside the stadium filtered through concrete and steel—seventy thousand voices creating a sound that felt physical, that pressed against the windows and made the air inside the bus feel heavier.
