The break had already begun.
Aka's shift had cracked something open.
And now
it didn't close.
He moved.
Fast.
Not in a straight line.
Never in a straight line.
The ball stayed glued to his foot, but his body didn't follow any pattern.
Left.
Stop.
Right.
Pause.
Then sudden acceleration.
"…Don't chase," Hiroto called out.
"Hold shape!"
But shape didn't matter when the rhythm itself was broken.
Kaito stepped in first.
Not waiting this time.
"Enough of this."
He timed it better.
Closed the angle.
Forced Aka toward the sideline.
For a moment
it worked.
Aka slowed.
Turned his body slightly.
Then flicked the ball behind his standing leg.
Kaito froze.
Just for a fraction.
Aka was already gone.
"…Tch."
"Close him!" Riku shouted, sprinting back again.
This time
Southside collapsed properly.
Ren stepped up from the side.
Daichi held center.
Yuma tracked back hard.
Three angles.
Three options cut.
Aka stopped again.
The ball rolled slightly forward.
He didn't touch it.
"…What are you doing?" Yuma snapped.
Aka tilted his head.
"…Thinking."
Then
he didn't dribble.
He passed.
Sharp.
Sudden.
Réservoir.
"…Finally," Réservoir muttered as he received.
He didn't hold it long.
Didn't need to.
One touch.
The entire Southside defense shifted toward him.
That was the mistake.
"Wide," Réservoir said calmly.
Theo was already there.
The ball moved again.
Fast.
Clean.
Theo cut forward.
Ren chased.
Again.
"Not again!" Ren snapped.
Theo didn't slow.
But this time
he didn't force it.
He cut the ball back.
Marc Pelletier stepped forward.
Controlled.
Waited.
Then
slipped it through.
A narrow gap.
Into the center.
Jules Caron made the run.
But he didn't shoot.
He didn't even try.
He let it pass.
"…What?" Daichi muttered.
Too late.
The ball rolled through.
Into space.
Aka.
Again.
He didn't rush.
Didn't sprint.
He walked onto it.
Like he had already seen it happen.
"…You're late," he said quietly.
Riku lunged.
This time
he almost got there.
Almost.
Aka shifted the ball just enough.
The contact missed.
"…DAMN IT!"
Tsubasa stepped forward.
Closing the angle.
Now.
Finally.
Pressure.
Real pressure.
Aka stopped.
The ball rested under his foot.
Everything froze.
Tsubasa's eyes locked on him.
"…Shoot," Tsubasa muttered.
"…I dare you."
Aka smiled.
Then
he didn't shoot.
He tapped it sideways.
Soft.
Precise.
No one reacted in time.
Because no one expected it.
From that position
everyone thought he'd finish.
But he didn't.
The ball rolled cleanly.
Right into space.
And someone was already there.
Réservoir.
He stepped onto it calmly.
No rush.
No hesitation.
One touch.
Strike.
Clean.
Low.
Tsubasa reacted
Too late.
The ball hit the net.
2 0.
Silence.
Heavy.
"…They're playing with us," Sora muttered.
Riku stood still.
Breathing hard.
His fists clenched.
"…No."
His voice was low.
"…He is."
Yusuke didn't speak.
His eyes stayed on Aka.
Watching.
"…That wasn't random," Hiroto said quietly.
"…That was planned."
Réservoir walked past them slowly.
"…You're starting to see it," he said.
Aka didn't celebrate.
Didn't even look at the goal.
He just turned.
Looked at Yusuke.
"…Catch up."
The ball rolled back toward center.
Southside moved into position again.
No words this time.
No complaints.
Just tension.
And pressure.
The whistle hadn't even blown again yet
But it already felt like they were falling behind faster than the score showed.