5 5.
No one spoke.
No one needed to.
The game had reached that point.
One mistake
and it was over.
Yusuke stood near midfield, eyes locked forward.
But this time
he wasn't rushing.
"…Slow it down," he muttered.
Riku heard him.
"…Yeah."
The whistle blew.
Kickoff.
Riku tapped it back.
Hiroto received.
Shin stepped.
But this time
Hiroto didn't panic.
He held the ball.
Just for a second longer.
Then passed.
Back.
Riku.
"…We're doing this?" Kaito said.
"…Yeah," Riku replied.
"Then don't mess it up."
The ball moved again.
Short.
Clean.
Controlled.
Southside United wasn't forcing anything anymore.
They were pulling.
Dragging.
Stretching the field.
Takumi drifted wide.
Sora stayed deeper.
Kaito hovered near the last line.
Yusuke
moved everywhere.
Not staying in one lane.
Not waiting.
Constant movement.
Shin followed.
But not fully.
He hesitated.
Just slightly.
"…You feel it too," Yusuke thought.
That was the crack.
The ball reached Hiroto again.
He looked up.
Saw Yusuke drop.
Passed.
Yusuke received.
Back to goal.
Daizen stepped.
Close.
Tight.
Same pressure.
But Yusuke didn't turn.
Didn't push.
He tapped it back.
Riku.
"…Faster," Yusuke said.
Riku didn't question it.
One touch.
Takumi.
Takumi turned.
Kenta stepped.
Takumi didn't hold.
Passed wide.
Sora.
Sora controlled.
Renji closed.
Sora didn't rush.
He passed back.
Again.
Reset.
"…They're dragging us out," Toma muttered.
Shin didn't respond.
But his eyes
narrowed.
The ball moved again.
Hiroto.
Riku.
Yusuke.
Back to Hiroto.
Again.
Again.
Again.
IRONCLAD shifted.
Step by step.
Trying to keep shape.
But
they were moving more.
More than before.
Then
it happened.
A small gap.
Not big.
But real.
Yusuke saw it.
Didn't call for the ball.
Didn't signal.
He just
moved.
Riku saw it.
"…Now."
He passed.
Sharp.
Through.
Yusuke ran onto it.
Daizen turned.
Late.
For once
late.
"…!"
Yusuke didn't slow.
He didn't hesitate.
He pushed forward.
Ryo shifted.
Kaito sprinted.
"PASS!"
Yusuke didn't even look.
He kept going.
One touch.
Two
Then stopped.
Dead.
Ryo committed.
Too early.
Yusuke shifted right.
Past him.
Inside the box.
Eiji stepped forward.
Closing the angle.
Everything slowed.
Just for a second.
Yusuke saw it.
The space.
The timing.
The line.
"…Got you."
He didn't shoot hard.
Didn't force it.
He tapped it.
Low.
Far corner.
Eiji reacted
But it was late.
Too late.
The ball rolled.
Hit the post
Then crossed the line.
GOAL.
6 5.
Silence
Then
"YES!" Yuma shouted.
"FINALLY!" Sora yelled.
Riku exhaled hard.
"…There it is."
Kaito stood still for a second.
"…You didn't pass."
Yusuke smirked slightly.
"…Didn't need to."
Kaito clicked his tongue.
"…Tch."
But there was no anger.
Just pressure.
Just competition.
Kazuo stared at the net.
Then looked at Yusuke.
"…So you finally stopped thinking."
Yusuke met his gaze.
"…Yeah."
"…Good."
Kazuo turned.
"…Then don't fall behind."
The game reset.
6 5.
But now
everything was sharper.
Faster.
More dangerous.
Shin stood over the ball.
This time
he didn't wait.
He tapped it back immediately.
Play resumed.
And just like that
the pressure returned.