Before kickoff, Team Z huddled in a circle, arms over each other's shoulders.
Their war cry was about to begin.
Kuon spoke first, voice firm and confident.
"We've got our strategy ready. Just play like we trained. Stick to the plan, and the win is ours."
When he finished, Ryan Hoshino stepped forward, his grin sharp and fearless.
"That rooster-haired punk on the other side is pissing me off. Give me one minute I'll score first.
With me here, Team Z is unbeatable. So go all out. Crush them. Got it?"
"OOOH!" everyone roared in unison.
Both teams took their positions.
The referee's whistle echoed across the field kickoff.
Isagi started the play, passing straight to Ryan.
Without hesitation, Ryan charged forward like a storm.
A defender rushed him nutmeg. Gone.
"Double team him! Don't let him through!" someone from Team Y shouted.
Two defenders closed in, cutting his angles. Ryan didn't slow.
He feinted right and both defenders lunged to block that side.
Watching from behind, Futago frowned. Something felt off, but he couldn't place it. Ryan had always relied on raw speed almost no dribbling tricks. So he assumed Ryan really was going right and sprinted there to intercept.
He'd studied Ryan's footage countless times these past few days. But every time he watched, he came up empty.
Ridiculous speed, monstrous strength, perfect finishing both short-range and long shots.
The only reliable way to stop him was fouling.
And that was when the trap sprung.
Still sprinting at full pace, Ryan suddenly slammed on the brakes.
Then a flawless Marseille turn, spinning horizontally across the defenders' line and leaving them behind before they could even react.
"Nani?!"
By the time the front defender realized what happened, Ryan was already gone.
Futago gave chase from midfield.
No surprise Ryan blew past him instantly.
But Futago hadn't meant to stop him. His plan was to slow him.
As Ryan sped past, Futago grabbed a handful of his jersey, pulling back with all his might.
He underestimated what kind of monster he was dealing with.
Ryan didn't even notice the extra weight he just kept running, dragging Futago along like a rag doll.
Futago's shoes tore through the grass as he was yanked forward, sliding helplessly across the turf.
What is this guy made of?! he thought, horrified.
He just went from full sprint to a dead stop and spun and his knees didn't explode. His control's insane!
Eventually, Futago couldn't take it anymore.
His backside burned from the friction; he released Ryan's jersey, collapsing onto the field as Ryan thundered into the penalty area.
Team Y's defenders panicked.
He was nearly inside the box and every attempt to intercept had failed miserably.
One of them made a desperate decision.
Even if it earned him a red card, he had to stop Ryan.
He sprinted from the side and went in for a slide tackle straight for Ryan's legs, not the ball.
Ryan saw it coming.
So, that's how it is? You're not even going for the ball.
He smirked.
I wasn't using my strength because I didn't want to break anyone… but don't think my body's paper just because I look calm. You think I can't take a hit? I'm built like Murasakibara, idiot.
He leapt lightly, clearing the tackle
and "accidentally" brought his landing foot down on the tackler's ankle.
A scream tore through the field. The defender clutched his leg, rolling in pain.
Ryan didn't even look back.
I went easy on him. Two, maybe three months of rest. Not my fault if he went for my legs first.
His principle was simple:
Don't mess with me, and I won't mess with you. Touch me and you'll regret it.
He pushed forward again.
The remaining defenders might as well have been cones he sliced through them effortlessly, sprinting straight for goal.
Now only the goalkeeper stood in his way.
But Ryan wasn't in a hurry. He wanted to have fun.
He tensed his body, feinting a powerful shot.
The keeper's nerves spiked heart racing, mind spinning.
Left or right? High or low?
He forced himself to calm down, studying Ryan's posture.
Left side. He's going left!
The keeper dove.
Got you! he thought triumphantly
until he saw Ryan pull his leg back mid-swing, the motion stopping dead just before contact.
What ?! That control… that's not human!
The keeper, now airborne and helpless, could only watch as Ryan gently tapped the ball the other way
a soft, effortless push that rolled straight into the empty net.
GOAL!!!
Ryan glanced at the clock.
Exactly one minute.
On Team Y's bench, Ōkawa Kyōki was furious.
"Ref! That was a foul! He stomped on our guy!"
But the AI referee displayed the replay the tackle had been aimed at Ryan, not the ball.
A "counter-foul," accidental contact during evasion.
Verdict:
No card for Ryan.
Yellow card (Sapphire) for Futago (jersey pull).
One injured player substituted out.
Despair fell over Team Y.
Even after fouling, even after double-teaming him, they'd failed to take the ball and he'd still scored.
That one goal hit harder than ten from tactics. It broke their spirit.
On Team Z's side, laughter and cheers erupted.
Kuon grinned.
"They've lost a man and their morale's gone. Now it's our turn. Let's use the new system to widen the gap and finish this!"
"OOOH!" everyone roared again.
Meanwhile, on Team Y's bench, Futago sat silently, guilt eating at him.
If only I'd been stronger. If I could've held him back just a little longer… none of this would've happened.
Ōkawa noticed and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
"Not now, man. Don't blame yourself. We need your brain. Help us figure this out how to come back from this."
Other teammates chimed in:
"Yeah, Futago, we're not out yet."
"There's still forty minutes left. Anything can happen in football."
"You're smart we believe in you."
Futago looked around at his teammates' determined faces.
The fire in his chest reignited.
Alright then… I won't give up. Not yet.
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~> Bonus Chapter every 300PS!!