"…Now this is fun."
Yusuke's foot met the ball mid stride.
First touch forward.
Clean.
He was already inside the box.
Raiden was chasing from behind.
Sora (bad) closing from the side.
Leon stepped out.
Everything compressed into one moment.
Yusuke didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
He swung
Shot.
Low.
Driven.
Leon reacted instantly
Hand down
Saved.
The ball bounced out.
Rebound.
Kaito rushed in.
"Mine!"
He struck
Blocked.
Raiden again.
The clearance flew wide.
"…Damn it!" Kaito shouted.
Yusuke exhaled slowly.
"…Again."
VANTA didn't wait.
Leon threw it immediately.
Fast counter.
Aoi received.
Turned.
Passed.
Shirogane.
One touch
Through.
Kurogami.
Always him.
Daichi stepped early.
This time
Kurogami didn't turn.
He flicked it back.
Mikael.
Mikael smiled.
"Let's break it."
He drove forward.
Loose control.
Unpredictable.
Hiroto stepped.
Mikael flicked it past him again.
"Bro "
Now open.
He slipped it right.
Aoi.
Cross.
Sharp.
Low.
Kurogami moved.
Perfect timing.
Shot
Blocked.
Ren.
Again.
"Stay on him!" Ren shouted.
The ball bounced loose.
Kiba smashed it back in.
Chaos.
Tsubasa punched it clear.
The game refused to slow.
Yusuke walked forward again.
But this time
There was no dullness.
No boredom.
His eyes were sharp.
Locked in.
"…I get it now."
Riku smirked. "Took you long enough."
Play resumed.
Your team.
Controlled.
Short passes.
Riku.
Hiroto.
Takumi.
Back to Riku.
Yusuke moved.
Not drifting.
Targeting.
The ball came.
He received.
Turned.
Kiba stepped.
Heavy.
Strong.
Yusuke shifted left
Then instantly passed right.
Takumi.
Overlap.
Cross.
Kaito jumped
Missed.
Again.
"BRO "
Sora tried
Blocked.
Sora (bad).
Still there.
Still perfect.
"…He's annoying," Yuma muttered.
"No," Yusuke said quietly.
"He's good."
The ball reset.
Throw in.
Zen took it.
Quick.
Shirogane.
Again.
Calm.
But
Yusuke moved.
Cutting.
Blocking.
Shirogane paused.
Just a second.
"…Persistent."
He passed wide instead.
Aoi received.
Takumi pressed.
Forced back.
Reset.
"…You're disrupting him," Riku said.
"…Yeah."
"And?"
"…I'll do more."
Next play.
Hiroto intercepted.
Again.
Stronger now.
Passed.
Riku.
Turn.
Forward.
Yusuke ran.
Full speed.
Riku saw it.
Of course.
Through ball.
Perfect.
Yusuke received.
Raiden stepped.
Yusuke didn't slow.
He went straight.
Raiden held.
Sora (bad) closed.
Two defenders.
Yusuke pushed forward
Then suddenly stopped.
Both defenders adjusted.
Too late.
He slipped between them.
"…What "
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Closer.
Sharper.
Yusuke shot
High.
Power.
Leon jumped
Palm
Deflected.
Crossbar.
Out.
"…Damn," Riku muttered.
"Closer," Takumi said.
Yusuke clicked his tongue.
"…So close."
VANTA countered.
Again.
Relentless.
Mikael received.
Smiling.
"Again?"
He pushed forward.
Hiroto chased.
Mikael flicked.
Passed.
Kurogami.
Inside.
Shot
Goal.
2 2.
Silence.
Then noise.
"…Shit," Yuma said.
Riku clenched his jaw.
"Reset!"
Yusuke stared.
"…So this is you."
Kurogami didn't respond.
Just walked back.
Same expression.
Same calm.
But now
Equal.
Kickoff.
Game reset.
Everything even.
The tension doubled.
No more advantage.
No safety.
Just skill.
Riku tapped it.
Play resumed.
Your team pushed harder.
Faster.
Cleaner.
Yusuke demanded the ball now.
"Here."
Riku passed.
Yusuke received.
Turned.
Kiba stepped.
Yusuke shifted.
Passed.
Moved.
Again.
The rhythm changed.
Now
He was part of it.
Fully.
The ball came back.
Again.
He pushed forward.
Raiden stepped.
Yusuke feinted.
Raiden didn't bite.
Yusuke passed.
Reset.
"…Patience," Riku said.
"…No," Yusuke replied.
"Timing."
Riku smirked.
"…Fair."
Next play.
Takumi cut inside.
Passed.
Riku.
Hiroto.
Back to Riku.
Yusuke moved.
Sharp.
Into space.
Riku saw it.
Through ball.
Again.
Perfect.
Yusuke received.
Sora (bad).
Last man.
Again.
Yusuke approached.
Slower.
Eyes locked.
Sora (bad) waited.
Calm.
Precise.
Yusuke stepped right
Sora followed.
Yusuke cut left
Sora matched.
Still there.
"…So you learn too."
Yusuke smirked slightly.
Then
He pushed the ball behind Sora (bad).
Not forward.
Behind.
Unexpected.
Sora (bad) turned
Too late.
Yusuke ran past him.
Clean.
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Final wall.
Kaito screamed.
"PASS!"
Wide open.
Again.
Same moment.
Same choice.
Yusuke didn't look.
Didn't think.
Shot.
Low.
Fast.
Leon dove
Hand out
Saved.
Rebound.
Loose.
Sora rushed in
Shot
Blocked.
Raiden cleared.
"BRO " Sora shouted.
Yusuke exhaled.
"…Still not enough."
The game was breaking.
Both sides attacking.
No control.
Just intensity.
Then
Hiroto stepped in again.
Intercept.
Clean.
"Now!"
Riku took it.
Drove forward.
Yusuke ran.
Full speed.
No hesitation.
Riku passed.
Perfect.
Again.
Yusuke received.
Raiden chasing.
Sora (bad) closing.
Yusuke pushed forward.
Inside.
Leon stepped.
Everything slowed.
For a split second.
Yusuke's eyes locked.
On the goal.
On the space.
On the moment.
Then
He smiled.
"…Now."
Shot.
Driven.
Perfect.
Leon dove
Full stretch
Missed.
The ball hit the net.
3 2.
Silence
Then explosion.
"GOOO!"
Riku shouted.
Yuma screamed.
Takumi nodded.
"…That's it."
Kaito stood still.
Again.
Watching.
"…Tch."
Yusuke turned.
No celebration.
Just calm.
But this time
There was something else.
Something real.
Something sharp.
Across the field
Kurogami watched him.
No expression.
But
Acknowledgment.
The game wasn't over.
Not even close.
But now
Yusuke wasn't just playing.
He was competing.