Riku stood over the ball.
Eyes scanning.
No rush.
"Move," he said quietly.
Yusuke didn't look at him.
Didn't need to.
He already saw it.
The gap.
Small.
Barely there.
But real.
Riku stepped forward
And struck it low.
Not toward goal.
Into space.
Between Kiba and Raiden.
Exactly where it needed to be.
Yusuke was already moving.
He met it first.
One touch.
Forward.
Kiba turned
Too late.
Raiden stepped up again.
This time earlier.
Stronger.
Yusuke slowed.
Just for a second.
Then
He chipped it.
Not a shot.
A lift.
Over Raiden's leg.
"Oi !"
Raiden turned.
Yusuke slipped past him again.
Now inside the box.
Sora (bad) closed in.
Calm.
Precise.
Yusuke didn't hesitate.
He swung immediately
Shot
Blocked.
Sora (bad)'s foot met it perfectly.
Clean.
No rebound.
The ball dropped to the side.
"…again," Sora (bad) muttered.
Kaito clicked his tongue.
"Move, man!"
Yusuke ignored him.
The ball rolled loose.
Takumi reached it.
Cross.
Fast.
Low.
Kaito lunged
Missed.
Again.
"BRO "
The ball carried through.
Sora tried to reach it
Too late.
Out.
"Waste," Kiba muttered.
Play reset.
Throw in.
Zen took it quickly.
Back to Shirogane.
Again.
Calm.
Control.
Yusuke watched.
"…There."
He moved.
This time
Not toward the ball.
Toward the lane.
Shirogane looked up
And paused.
Just for a second.
"…Oh."
Yusuke was in the way.
The easy pass to Kurogami
Gone.
Shirogane shifted instead.
Played wide.
To Aoi.
"Good," Hiroto muttered.
Aoi controlled.
Takumi pressed.
Aoi slipped it back.
Reset.
But the rhythm
Was broken.
Yusuke stepped back.
"…That's it."
Next play.
Kiba received.
Turned
Yusuke stepped in.
Intercept.
Clean.
The ball popped loose.
Riku reacted instantly.
"Now!"
He grabbed it and pushed forward.
Yusuke moved again.
This time
Faster.
Riku drove into space.
Kiba chasing.
Shirogane closing.
Riku released it.
Perfect.
Through again.
Yusuke took it.
Half turn.
Forward.
Raiden stepped.
Again.
Again.
Yusuke approached.
But this time
He didn't go left.
Didn't go right.
He stopped.
Dead.
Raiden hesitated.
Just a fraction.
That was enough.
Yusuke pushed forward.
Burst.
Past him.
"Damn it!"
Now
Sora (bad).
Last wall.
Yusuke closed in.
Fast.
No slowing.
Sora (bad) adjusted his stance.
Waiting.
Yusuke feinted right
Then dragged the ball across his body.
Sora (bad) reacted
But not fully.
Yusuke squeezed past.
Shoulder to shoulder.
Inside the box again.
Leon stepped out.
Closer this time.
Cutting the angle.
"Try it," Leon said.
Yusuke didn't answer.
Kaito screamed.
"PASS!"
Wide open.
Again.
Same situation.
Same pressure.
Yusuke's eyes flicked for half a second
Then locked back on goal.
"…Nah."
He struck.
This time
Higher.
Harder.
Near post.
Leon reacted instantly.
Hand up
The ball slammed into his palm
And bounced upward.
Not caught.
Not controlled.
Rebound.
"Mine!"
Kaito rushed in.
Swing
Blocked.
Raiden got there first.
Cleared.
"RESET!" Riku shouted.
The ball flew out to midfield.
Hiroto brought it down.
Calm.
Passed back.
They slowed it.
Controlled it.
Yusuke exhaled.
"…Almost."
"Then finish it," Riku said, jogging past him.
Yusuke didn't reply.
VANTA reset again.
But this time
They looked different.
Not calm.
Not passive.
Focused.
Kurogami stepped forward.
Ball at his feet.
Restart.
He passed it back.
But this time
He moved immediately.
Forward.
Demanding it.
Shirogane saw it.
Of course he did.
Through ball.
Perfect.
Kurogami received.
Daichi stepped.
Kurogami cut inside.
Ren moved.
Kurogami shifted again.
Two defenders
Gone.
Inside the box.
Shot
Tsubasa dove
Saved.
Again.
The ball rolled loose.
Mikael sprinted in.
Touch
Shot
Blocked by Yuma.
"GET IT OUT!"
Keisuke cleared it wide.
The pressure exploded.
For a few seconds
Chaos.
Then
Silence again.
Both teams reset.
Breathing heavier.
Sweat dripping.
But no one slowing down.
Yusuke looked at Kurogami.
"…You're not stopping."
Kurogami looked back.
No expression.
"…Neither are you."
Yusuke smirked slightly.
"…Good."
Play resumed.
Final minutes of the half approaching.
Riku took control again.
"Last push!" he shouted.
The team moved.
Together.
Sharper now.
Faster.
The ball moved cleanly.
Takumi.
Riku.
Hiroto.
Back to Riku.
Yusuke drifted.
Then
Exploded.
Into space.
Riku saw it.
Of course.
Through ball.
Perfect again.
Yusuke received.
Final defender ahead.
Sora (bad).
Again.
Yusuke slowed.
But this time
There was no hesitation.
No thought.
Just instinct.
He pushed right
Sora (bad) followed.
Yusuke snapped it left
Instantly.
Past him.
Clean.
Inside the box.
Leon stepped forward.
Closing.
Yusuke's body shifted.
Shot
Low.
Far corner.
Leon dove
Full stretch
Missed.
The ball rolled.
Slow.
Then
Net.
2 0.
Silence.
Then
Explosion.
"GOOO!"
Riku shouted.
Sora jumped.
"THAT'S IT!"
Yuma screamed from the back.
Takumi nodded again.
"…Better."
Kaito stood still.
Again.
Watching.
"…Tch."
Yusuke turned away.
No celebration.
Just calm.
But this time
His eyes weren't empty.
They were locked in.
And across the field
Kurogami watched him.
Still silent.
Still calm.
But now
Interested.