The whistle blew again.
3 0.
No one spoke.
Southside stood in position.
Still.
Quiet.
The field felt bigger now.
Heavier.
Riku looked down at the ball.
"…Late," he muttered.
Yusuke stepped beside him.
"…Then fix it," Yusuke said calmly.
Riku didn't respond.
He tapped the ball.
Kickoff.
This time
it was different.
Not faster.
Not slower.
Sharper.
Hiroto received.
Didn't call.
Didn't shout.
He passed immediately.
Takumi.
Takumi didn't hold.
One touch.
Sora.
The ball moved.
Quick.
Clean.
No hesitation.
"…Good," Hiroto said under his breath.
They weren't forcing it.
They were flowing.
For the first time since the match began
Nocturne reacted.
Theo stepped in.
Late.
"…Huh," he muttered.
Ren moved wide instantly.
"Here!"
Sora passed.
Ren received.
No pressure yet.
He pushed forward.
Daichi shifted behind him.
Covering.
"Keep going!" Yuma shouted.
Ren accelerated.
Then
cut inside.
Not forced.
Controlled.
Lucien stepped in.
But Ren didn't challenge.
He passed.
Back.
Riku.
The ball reached him.
And again
everything slowed.
Aka was watching.
But this time
Riku didn't lock onto him.
He scanned.
Everyone.
Positions.
Spacing.
Movement.
"…Now I see it," he said quietly.
Réservoir stepped in.
"…Show me."
Riku moved.
Not forward.
Not directly.
Diagonal.
Pulling space.
He passed.
Yusuke.
Yusuke received.
Lucien stepped.
Yusuke didn't hold.
One touch.
Back.
Riku again.
"…Again," Riku said.
Now
they were moving together.
Short.
Fast.
Riku → Yusuke → Riku → Hiroto.
The defense shifted.
Just slightly off.
That was enough.
"Forward!" Takumi called.
Hiroto threaded it.
Through the gap.
Yuma ran onto it.
For once
perfect timing.
He broke through.
"…FINALLY!"
He pushed forward.
One on one.
The goalkeeper stepped.
Yuma shot
Saved.
Clean.
Adrien Lefevre didn't even react.
He just moved.
Perfect positioning.
The ball deflected out.
"…DAMN IT!" Yuma shouted.
But something had changed.
"…We broke them," Sora said.
"…No," Yusuke replied.
"…We touched them."
The ball reset.
Throw in.
Southside again.
This time
Nocturne stepped higher.
More pressure.
More intent.
Réservoir moved closer.
"…Better," he said.
"…Now it's interesting."
The ball came back into play.
Takumi received.
Marc pressed instantly.
Hard.
Takumi held.
Barely.
Passed.
Riku.
This time
Aka moved.
Direct.
Fast.
Closing.
Riku didn't panic.
He waited.
Just long enough.
Then
slipped it past him.
Clean.
"…Oh?" Aka smiled.
Riku pushed forward.
For the first time
he passed Aka.
The field opened.
"Push!" Hiroto shouted.
Riku drove forward.
Réservoir stepped in.
"…There you are."
Riku didn't stop.
He cut.
Left.
Then right.
Almost through
Réservoir took it.
Clean.
"…Not yet."
The shift came instantly.
Nocturne attacked.
Fast.
Marc → Theo → Jules.
Then
back.
Reset.
Controlled.
And then
Aka moved.
Into space.
Again.
The ball reached him.
Everything tightened.
Riku stepped.
This time
earlier.
Closer.
Reading.
Aka moved.
Riku followed.
Step for step.
"…You're catching up," Aka said.
Then
he changed.
Suddenly.
Passed.
Réservoir.
Again.
The defense shifted.
Too fast.
Too much.
"Hold!" Hiroto shouted.
But it broke.
Réservoir slipped it through.
Theo.
Wide.
Ren chased.
Theo crossed.
Low.
Dangerous.
Jules stepped
Missed.
The ball rolled through.
Open.
And then
Aka.
Again.
Always there.
He stepped forward.
Shot
Blocked.
Daichi.
The ball bounced.
Chaos.
Tsubasa dove.
Got a touch.
But not enough.
The ball rolled loose.
Still alive.
Riku turned.
Sprint.
But
Aka was already there.
He didn't rush.
Didn't need to.
One step.
One touch.
Finish.
Goal.
4 0.
Silence.
Again.
Riku stood there.
Breathing.
"…Still late."
Yusuke stepped forward.
"…Not for long."
Aka turned.
Looked at them both.
"…Then hurry."
The ball rolled back.
The gap
was growing.