The ball rolled back to the center.
5 2.
But the energy
had shifted.
Not calm.
Not controlled.
Tense.
Kazuo stood still for a second, staring at the scoreboard.
Then he smiled.
"…Alright."
He tapped the ball back.
Shin received.
And this time
he slowed it down.
No immediate attack.
No rush.
Just control.
"…He's changing it," Hiroto muttered.
"Yeah," Riku replied. "Stay sharp."
Shin held the ball longer than usual.
Pulled players in.
Waited.
Then
passed.
Short.
Toma.
Back to Shin.
Then wide.
Renji.
Yuma stepped up.
"Try something new!"
Renji didn't force it.
He passed back.
Reset.
"…They're not rushing anymore," Takumi said.
"They don't need to," Hiroto replied.
"They're setting something up."
Yusuke watched.
"…They're drawing us out."
And they were.
Southside United shifted forward slightly.
Pressing higher.
Trying to close space.
That's when
Shin moved.
One touch.
Forward.
Sharp.
A pass that didn't exist a second ago.
Through the line.
Kazuo was already running.
"…DAMN IT!" Daichi shouted.
Too late.
Kazuo slipped between Daichi and Ren again.
But this time
he didn't shoot.
He slowed.
Just for a second.
Ren stepped.
Expecting the shot.
Kazuo passed.
Cutback.
Perfect.
Hayate Sudo ran onto it.
Unmarked.
Shot
GOAL.
5 3.
Silence.
Then
"Tch," Yuma clicked his tongue.
"…They got one back."
Kazuo jogged past the goal.
"…You're too focused on me."
Yusuke stared at him.
"…You used us."
"…Of course."
Riku clapped once.
"Reset! Don't drop!"
No panic.
But the lead
was thinner now.
Kickoff.
Riku tapped it back.
Hiroto received.
Shin stepped.
Pressure again.
Hiroto passed wide.
Takumi controlled.
Kenta closed.
Takumi shifted
then passed back.
Reset.
"…They're pressing smarter now," Takumi said.
"They're forcing mistakes," Hiroto replied.
Yusuke moved.
But this time
Daizen didn't follow immediately.
He stayed deeper.
Blocking the space behind.
"…So now you're adjusting too."
Daizen said nothing.
Just watched.
The ball moved again.
Riku received.
Turned.
Shin stepped.
Closer.
Faster.
Riku pushed forward anyway.
Forced it.
Shin matched.
Body in.
Contact.
Riku lost balance
Just slightly.
That was enough.
Shin stole it.
Clean.
"…SHIT!" Riku snapped.
Instant counter.
Kazuo ran.
Explosive.
Again.
Daichi turned.
Ren covered.
Kazuo drove forward.
Shot
Saved.
Tsubasa.
But not clean.
The ball bounced.
Loose.
Dangerous.
Renji was already there.
Shot
Blocked.
Yuma.
Cleared.
"…That was close," Yuma muttered.
Too close.
Yusuke exhaled.
"…They're coming back."
"No shit," Kaito said.
The game didn't slow.
IRONCLAD kept pushing.
Now
with purpose.
Shin controlled everything.
Every pass.
Every movement.
Every shift.
He wasn't just playing anymore.
He was dictating.
"…We need to take it back," Riku said.
"Then do it," Kaito replied.
Next play.
Hiroto intercepted.
Clean.
Passed.
Riku.
Riku turned.
Shin stepped.
Same pressure.
But Riku didn't slow.
He drove forward.
Takumi moved.
Sora wide.
Kaito sprinted.
Yusuke
changed his run.
Again.
Different angle.
Riku saw it.
Passed.
Yusuke received.
Inside space.
Daizen stepped.
Same wall.
Yusuke pushed forward.
Daizen matched.
No gap.
No opening.
"…Not again."
Yusuke passed.
Back.
Reset.
"…We're getting shut down again," Takumi said.
"Not completely," Hiroto replied.
"Just… slowed."
That was the problem.
The game pace had shifted.
It wasn't chaos anymore.
It was control.
Their control.
Shin's control.
Then
mistake.
Sora miscontrolled a pass.
Just slightly.
Renji took it instantly.
"…Damn it!"
Counter.
Fast.
Shin received.
One touch.
Forward.
Kazuo ran.
Again.
Daichi stepped.
Kazuo cut inside
Then outside
Gone.
"…NOT AGAIN!"
Ren moved across.
Kazuo didn't shoot.
He waited.
Just a moment.
Then passed.
Through.
Renji.
Wide.
Open.
Shot
GOAL.
5 4.
Silence.
Heavy.
Real.
"…They're back," Yuma said quietly.
Riku clenched his jaw.
"…Yeah."
From 5 2…
to 5 4.
Just like that.
Kazuo walked back calmly.
"…Now it's a game."
Yusuke stared at the scoreboard.
5 4.
The gap
was gone.
The pressure
was back.
"…Good."
Kaito looked at him.
"…You serious?"
"…Yeah."
Yusuke stepped forward.
Eyes sharp.
"…Now it actually matters."
The whistle blew again.
Kickoff.
The next play
was everything.