The whistle blew.
Kickoff again.
VANTA moved first.
The ball rolled back to Shirogane.
He didn't rush.
Didn't even glance at the score.
Like it meant nothing.
"Stay sharp!" Riku called.
Yusuke walked forward slowly.
Hands relaxed.
Eyes locked ahead.
Shirogane took one touch
Then passed sideways to Kiba.
Kiba didn't hold it.
He sent it straight forward.
Into Kurogami.
Again.
Same pattern.
Kurogami received with his back to goal.
Daichi was already on him.
This time
Kurogami didn't pass.
He turned.
Sharp.
Too sharp.
Daichi reacted late.
Kurogami slipped past him in one clean motion.
"…shit," Daichi muttered.
Now he was facing Ren.
Ren stayed calm.
Didn't dive in.
Didn't panic.
Kurogami slowed.
Then
A tiny shift.
Just enough.
Ren stepped.
Wrong step.
Kurogami pushed the ball past him.
Gone.
Inside the box.
Tsubasa stepped forward.
Set.
Ready.
Kurogami swung.
Low.
Fast
Blocked.
Daichi had recovered.
Threw his body in.
The ball deflected wide.
"Clear it!" Tsubasa shouted.
Yuma rushed in and smashed it upfield.
The ball bounced once.
Twice
Riku controlled it.
"Good block!" he shouted.
Yusuke didn't react.
He was watching Kurogami.
"…So he moves now."
The game resumed.
This time
VANTA pressed higher.
Aoi stepped up immediately on Takumi.
Guren pushed onto Yuma.
Kiba moved onto Riku.
They weren't waiting anymore.
They were hunting.
"Faster!" Daniel shouted.
Hiroto dropped deeper to help.
Received.
Turned.
Passed.
But Kiba was already there.
Shoulder.
Pressure.
Ball loose.
Mikael picked it up.
"…thanks," he said casually.
He dribbled forward.
Loose style.
Almost lazy.
But effective.
Hiroto stepped in.
Mikael flicked it past him without looking.
"Yo "
Now Mikael was through the middle.
He looked left.
Guren sprinting.
He looked right.
Aoi cutting inside.
Then
He chipped it.
Soft.
Perfect.
Back to Kurogami.
"AGAIN?!" Yuma shouted.
Kurogami was already there.
Of course he was.
He didn't jump.
Didn't rush.
Just let it drop.
Volley.
Clean.
Tsubasa moved.
Fast.
Palm up
Saved again.
The ball flew out for a corner.
"…He's getting closer," Ren said.
"No shit," Daichi replied.
Yusuke exhaled.
"…Tch."
Corner kick.
Shirogane walked over.
Placed the ball.
No rush.
No pressure.
He lifted his hand.
Signal.
The ball curled in.
High.
Dangerous.
Raiden jumped.
Dominant.
Header
Over.
Just wide.
"Lucky," Yuma muttered.
"Not luck," Tsubasa said.
"Positioning."
Play continued.
Riku took control again.
"Settle down!" he shouted.
The team reset their shape.
Slower now.
More controlled.
Yusuke drifted.
Finding space.
Not forcing it.
The ball reached Sora.
"Finally," he grinned.
He charged forward.
Zen stepped in again.
But this time
Sora cut early.
Too early.
Zen missed.
"Got you."
Sora pushed forward.
Cross.
Low.
Kaito lunged
Blocked.
Sora (bad) stepped in.
Clean again.
"Bro what is wrong with this guy?" Kaito snapped.
Sora (bad) didn't respond.
Just passed it out.
Again.
Shirogane.
Again.
Control.
Yusuke watched.
Every time.
Same thing.
Ball → Shirogane → Kurogami → chance.
"…Then stop it."
He moved.
Not toward the ball.
Toward Shirogane.
Next play
Hiroto intercepted.
Passed to Riku.
Riku turned.
Looked up
Shirogane stepped forward.
Yusuke was already there.
Blocking the lane.
"…Oh?" Shirogane smiled slightly.
Riku saw it.
Passed wide instead.
Takumi received.
Aoi pressed instantly.
Takumi slipped it inside.
To Yusuke.
First touch.
Clean.
Kiba stepped up.
Heavy.
Strong.
Yusuke didn't challenge.
He shifted.
Passed back.
Reset.
"…Still not fully in it," Riku muttered.
The game kept building.
VANTA pressed.
Your team adapted.
Back and forth.
Then
It happened.
Hiroto won the ball again.
Stronger this time.
Clean.
He passed forward instantly.
To Riku.
Riku didn't hesitate.
He flicked it first time.
Straight into Yusuke.
Between the lines.
Now
Space.
Kiba turned.
Too late.
Yusuke was already moving.
He pushed forward.
Raiden stepped up.
Again.
Yusuke slowed.
Then exploded.
Left.
Right.
Raiden reacted
But not fast enough.
Yusuke slipped past him again.
"…Damn it," Raiden muttered.
Now
Sora (bad).
Last defender.
Yusuke approached.
This time
He didn't slow.
He went straight at him.
Sora (bad) stayed calm.
Waiting.
Yusuke pushed right
Then instantly cut left.
Sora (bad) adjusted
But Yusuke had already created half a step.
Enough.
Inside the box.
Again.
Leon stepped forward.
Set.
Focused.
Kaito was open again.
"PASS!"
Same moment.
Same choice.
Yusuke didn't even think this time.
He swung.
Shot.
Fast.
Low
Leon moved.
Faster than before.
Saved.
This time
Clean.
Caught.
"Not twice," Leon said.
Yusuke clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
The ball was thrown out quickly.
Counter.
Guren sprinted.
Aoi joined.
Mikael drifted in.
Kurogami
Already ahead.
"GET BACK!" Riku shouted.
The attack came fast.
Too fast.
Mikael carried it.
Then slipped it left.
Guren cut inside.
Shot
Blocked by Yuma.
Ball loose.
Kurogami moved.
Of course he did.
He reached it first.
Shot
Tsubasa dove
Saved again.
"CLEAR IT!"
Daichi smashed it away.
The field reset.
Both teams breathing harder now.
But neither slowing down.
Yusuke stood still for a second.
Looking at Leon.
Then at Kurogami.
"…Not enough."
Riku jogged past him.
"Then do more."
Yusuke smirked slightly.
Just a little.
"…Yeah."
The whistle blew briefly.
Foul.
Free kick for your team.
Riku stood over it.
Looked up.
Everyone moving.
Yusuke stepped forward.
Quietly.
Unnoticed.
The ball was kicked.
Low.
Sharp.
Into space.
And Yusuke
Was already there.