The whistle blew.
Halftime.
No one celebrated.
Not properly.
They walked off the pitch breathing hard, sweat running down their faces, shirts sticking to their backs.
Yusuke didn't say anything.
Didn't look at anyone.
He just grabbed a bottle, took a sip, and sat down.
"…You're finally playing," Riku said, dropping beside him.
Yusuke shrugged. "Maybe."
"Don't 'maybe' me. That second goal was clean."
"…It went in."
Riku laughed. "You're annoying."
On the other side, Kaito clicked his tongue. "Should be 3 0."
"Then score one," Hiroto replied lazily.
Kaito didn't respond.
Daniel D. stepped forward.
"Listen."
Everyone looked up.
"You're winning."
No reaction.
"That doesn't mean anything."
Silence.
"They've already adjusted."
Yusuke's eyes shifted slightly.
Daniel pointed toward the field.
"They're not playing the same anymore."
"They've stopped waiting."
"They're forcing it."
A pause.
"That's when they're most dangerous."
Riku nodded. "So we keep control?"
"No."
Daniel's eyes sharpened.
"You finish it."
The air tightened.
"No hesitation."
"No playing safe."
"If you get the chance…"
His gaze landed briefly on Yusuke.
"…end it."
Silence.
Then
"Back out."
Second half.
Kickoff.
VANTA.
This time
No slow buildup.
Shirogane took one touch
Then instantly played forward.
Direct.
Into Mikael.
"…Fast," Hiroto muttered.
Mikael turned.
Smiling.
"Let's speed it up."
He flicked the ball past Hiroto with a casual touch.
Hiroto spun.
Too late.
Mikael pushed forward.
Daichi stepped.
Mikael slipped it wide.
Guren.
Already sprinting.
Yuma reacted.
Chased.
Guren cut inside
Shot
Blocked.
Yuma got there.
"Not twice," Yuma said.
The ball popped loose.
Kiba arrived.
Heavy.
He smashed it back into the box.
Chaos.
Kurogami moved.
Of course he did.
He reached it first.
Shot
Deflected.
Ren got a foot in.
"Clear it!" Tsubasa shouted.
Keisuke blasted it wide.
The pressure was immediate.
"Stay tight!" Riku yelled.
Yusuke walked forward.
Watching.
"…They changed."
"Yeah," Takumi said beside him. "No patience now."
Another attack.
Aoi received.
Cut inside.
Passed.
Shirogane.
First touch
Through ball.
Kurogami.
Again.
Always him.
Daichi stepped earlier this time.
Stronger.
Body to body.
Kurogami didn't force it.
He rolled it back.
Mikael.
Shot
Saved.
Tsubasa again.
"Stop giving him space!" Tsubasa snapped.
"…We're not," Ren said.
"But he keeps finding it."
Yusuke exhaled.
"…Then stop the source."
He moved again.
This time
Closer to Shirogane.
Next play.
Kiba received.
Turned
Passed to Shirogane.
Shirogane looked up
Paused.
"…Again."
Yusuke was there.
Blocking.
Cutting the line.
No easy pass.
Shirogane shifted wide instead.
Aoi received.
Takumi pressed.
Forced back.
Reset.
"…Annoying," Shirogane muttered.
Yusuke stepped back.
"…Yeah."
Your team gained possession.
Hiroto controlled.
Passed to Riku.
Riku turned.
"Go!"
Yusuke moved.
Fast now.
No hesitation.
Riku drove forward.
Kiba chased.
Riku slipped it through.
Perfect.
Yusuke received.
Raiden stepped.
Again.
Yusuke slowed.
Then
Burst.
Left.
Right.
Raiden got left behind.
"…Not again "
Sora (bad) stepped up.
Calm.
Ready.
Yusuke didn't slow.
He pushed forward
Then dragged the ball back suddenly.
Sora (bad) adjusted
Yusuke slipped past him.
Clean.
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Closer.
Sharper.
Yusuke swung
Shot
Saved.
Leon caught it clean this time.
"Not happening again," Leon said.
Yusuke clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
The ball was thrown quickly.
Counter.
Again.
Mikael received.
He smiled.
"This is fun."
He dribbled forward.
Loose.
Unpredictable.
Hiroto stepped.
Mikael flicked it past him.
Again.
"Yo !"
Kurogami ran.
Through.
Mikael chipped it.
Perfect.
Kurogami controlled.
Shot
Tsubasa
Saved.
Again.
The ball bounced.
Guren rushed in.
Shot
Blocked by Daichi.
"Get it out!"
Ren cleared.
The game was accelerating.
Faster.
Harder.
More direct.
Yusuke stood still for a second.
Watching everything.
"…This is better."
Riku smirked. "You enjoying it now?"
"…A little."
Riku laughed. "Finally."
Play resumed.
Your team controlled again.
Short passes.
Quick movement.
Takumi cut inside.
Passed.
Riku.
Hiroto.
Back to Riku.
Yusuke drifted.
Then
Exploded.
Into space.
Riku saw it.
Of course.
Through ball.
Perfect.
Again.
Yusuke received.
Raiden stepped.
Yusuke pushed forward.
Raiden held.
Yusuke feinted
Raiden didn't bite.
"…Good."
Yusuke shifted direction.
Tried to force it.
Raiden got a touch.
Ball loose.
Sora (bad) cleared.
"Not this time," he said calmly.
Yusuke exhaled.
"…Yeah."
The match kept going.
Back and forth.
Relentless.
Then
A mistake.
Kiba miscontrolled.
Just slightly.
Hiroto jumped in.
Won it.
"Now!"
Riku took over instantly.
Drove forward.
Yusuke moved.
Kaito too.
Both options open.
Riku looked
Then passed.
To Yusuke.
Again.
Yusuke received.
Sora (bad) ahead.
Last man.
Yusuke slowed.
Eyes locked.
Sora (bad) waited.
Yusuke stepped right
Sora followed.
Yusuke cut left
Sora matched.
Still there.
Still perfect.
"…Damn."
Yusuke pushed again.
This time
He used his body.
Forced through.
Contact.
Sora (bad) resisted
But Yusuke slipped past.
Half step.
Enough.
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Kaito screamed.
"PASS!"
Wide open.
Again.
Yusuke didn't even look.
Shot.
Low.
Fast.
Leon dove
Saved.
Rebound.
Kaito rushed in.
Shot
Blocked.
Raiden.
Again.
"GET IT OUT!"
Cleared.
Kaito kicked the ground.
"BRO "
Yusuke didn't react.
"…Almost."
The pressure didn't stop.
VANTA pushed again.
Shirogane.
Kiba.
Mikael.
Quick passes.
Kurogami.
Through.
Inside.
Shot
GOAL.
2 1.
Silence.
Then
noise.
VANTA didn't celebrate wildly.
Just reset.
Kurogami walked back.
Same face.
Same calm.
"…Finally," he muttered.
Yusuke stared.
"…So you score too."
Riku clapped.
"Focus! Still ahead!"
Daniel shouted from the sideline.
"Don't drop now!"
The tension doubled.
Kickoff again.
Your team.
Riku tapped it.
Game on.
Now
Everything mattered more.
Every pass.
Every movement.
Every mistake.
Yusuke moved.
Fully engaged now.
No more drifting.
No more half effort.
He wanted the ball.
Riku saw it.
Passed.
Yusuke received.
Turned.
Kiba stepped.
Yusuke shifted.
Passed.
Reset.
"…Faster," Takumi said.
"Yeah."
The ball moved quickly.
Left.
Right.
Center.
Back to Riku.
He looked up.
Saw it.
One chance.
One line.
He passed.
Threaded.
Perfect.
Yusuke ran.
Full speed.
Raiden chasing.
Sora (bad) closing.
Yusuke reached it first.
Touch.
Forward.
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Yusuke lifted his head.
For a split second
everything slowed.
Then
he smiled.
Just slightly.
"…Now this is fun."