The scoreboard read:
4 3.
But no one relaxed.
Not a single player.
"Focus!" Riku shouted.
"Don't drop now!"
Yusuke walked back slowly.
Breathing steady.
Heart calm.
But his eyes
Sharp.
Locked.
Across the field
Kurogami stood over the ball again.
Still.
Silent.
Watching.
"…Come on," Yusuke muttered.
The whistle blew.
Kickoff.
Shirogane moved first.
One touch.
Forward.
Again.
Direct.
Mikael received.
"Last push," he smiled.
He flicked it past Hiroto.
Again.
Hiroto spun.
"…Not again!"
Mikael pushed forward.
Then
A sudden burst.
He drove straight through the middle.
Daichi stepped.
Mikael slipped it wide.
Guren.
Already sprinting.
Yuma chased.
Guren cut inside
Shot
Blocked.
Yuma again.
"…not happening," Yuma said.
The ball popped up.
Kiba smashed it back in.
High.
Dangerous.
Raiden jumped.
Header
Down.
Inside the box.
Kurogami moved.
Perfect.
Shot
Tsubasa
Saved.
Again.
"GET IT OUT!"
Ren cleared.
The ball flew out wide.
Takumi chased.
Kept it in.
Passed back.
Reset.
"Hold it!" Riku shouted.
They slowed.
For a second.
Just one.
Then
Back forward.
Hiroto.
Riku.
Takumi.
Back to Riku.
Yusuke moved.
Not drifting.
Targeting.
The pass came.
Yusuke received.
Turned.
Kiba stepped.
Heavy.
Strong.
Yusuke didn't force it.
He passed.
Moved.
Again.
"…Good," Takumi said.
The rhythm built.
Clean.
Sharp.
Then
Exploded.
Riku drove forward.
Yusuke ran.
Through.
Perfect timing.
Riku passed.
Again.
Yusuke received.
Raiden stepped.
Yusuke slowed.
Then burst.
Left.
Right.
Raiden caught.
Stayed.
"…not this time."
Yusuke smirked slightly.
"…then watch."
He pushed forward
Sora (bad) closed.
Two defenders.
Yusuke dragged the ball back.
Both stepped.
Too far.
Yusuke slipped between them.
"…!"
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Closer.
Faster.
Yusuke shot
Low.
Near post.
Leon reacted.
Saved.
The ball bounced out.
Kaito rushed
Shot
Blocked.
Raiden.
Again.
"CLEAR IT!"
Zen cleared wide.
"…Damn it!" Kaito shouted.
Yusuke exhaled.
"…Still not enough."
The game didn't slow.
It couldn't.
Not anymore.
VANTA attacked again.
Shirogane.
Quick.
Precise.
Passed.
Kiba.
Forward.
Mikael.
Backheel.
Kurogami.
Inside.
Shot
Goal.
4 4.
Silence.
Then
noise.
"…shit," Yuma said.
Riku clenched his fists.
"Reset!"
Yusuke stood still.
Looking at Kurogami.
"…you don't stop."
Kurogami looked back.
"…neither do you."
Kickoff.
Final minutes.
Everything equal.
Everything on the line.
Riku tapped.
Play resumed.
Fast.
Sharp.
No hesitation.
Hiroto.
Takumi.
Riku.
Yusuke.
Again.
Flow.
Yusuke demanded the ball.
"Here."
Riku passed.
Yusuke received.
Turned.
Kiba stepped.
Yusuke shifted.
Passed.
Moved.
Again.
No wasted motion.
The ball came back.
Again.
He pushed forward.
Raiden stepped.
Yusuke feinted.
Raiden didn't bite.
Yusuke passed.
Reset.
"…wait," Riku said.
"…no," Yusuke replied.
"I'll end it."
Riku smirked.
"…then do it."
Next play.
Takumi cut inside.
Passed.
Riku.
Looked up.
Saw it.
Yusuke.
Perfect.
Through ball.
Again.
Yusuke ran.
Full speed.
Raiden chasing.
Sora (bad) closing.
Yusuke reached it.
Touch.
Forward.
Inside the box.
Leon stepped.
Everything slowed.
Kaito screamed.
"PASS!"
Wide open.
Again.
Same moment.
Same choice.
Yusuke didn't even glance.
Shot.
Low.
Fast.
Leon dove
Saved.
Again.
Rebound.
Loose.
Kaito rushed
Shot
Saved.
Leon again.
"…you've gotta be kidding me," Kaito said.
Yusuke clicked his tongue.
"…fine."
The ball rolled out.
Corner.
Riku jogged over.
Placed it.
"Last chance," he muttered.
Yusuke walked into the box.
Eyes scanning.
Players moving.
Bodies clashing.
The whistle.
Riku swung it in.
High.
Dangerous.
Daichi jumped.
Header
Blocked.
Ball loose.
Chaos.
Kiba tried to clear
Missed.
The ball dropped.
Right in front
Yusuke.
Time stopped.
Just for a second.
Then
He swung.
Shot.
Through bodies.
Low.
Hard.
The ball slipped past everything
Past Leon
Net.
5 4.
Silence
Then
explosion.
"GOOO!"
Riku shouted.
Yuma screamed.
Takumi nodded.
"…that's it."
Kaito stood still.
"…finally."
Yusuke turned.
No celebration.
Just calm.
But this time
There was something else.
Something real.
Something sharp.
The whistle blew.
Final.
Game over.
5 4.
Yusuke looked across the field.
Kurogami stood still.
Watching him.
No smile.
No reaction.
But
Clear.
Recognition.
Yusuke smirked slightly.
"…next time."