The restart barely lasted.
Southside tried to move it again.
Hiroto to Takumi.
Takumi to Sora.
Sora
cut off.
Marc Pelletier stepped in cleanly.
No hesitation.
No wasted motion.
The ball was gone again.
"…DAMN IT!" Yuma snapped.
But Nocturne didn't rush.
They never rushed.
Marc passed.
Réservoir.
One touch.
And then
Aka.
Again.
The moment the ball reached him
everything shifted.
"DON'T LET HIM TURN!" Hiroto shouted.
Too late.
Aka didn't turn.
He exploded.
Forward.
Instant.
Like a switch flipped.
"GO!" Yuma shouted, already sprinting after him.
Kaito followed.
Ren cut across.
Daichi pushed up.
Everyone moved.
Everyone chased.
"…Stop him!" Sora yelled.
Aka didn't look back.
Didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
The ball stayed tight to his foot.
His movement
still unpredictable.
Left.
Then sudden right.
Then straight.
Kaito lunged.
Missed.
Ren tried to cut him off.
Too slow.
Daichi stepped up
Aka slipped past.
"…What the hell is this guy?!" Yuma shouted.
They were all chasing now.
All of them.
Every player.
Focused on one thing.
Stopping Aka.
Except
Riku.
He had started running.
But slower.
Just a fraction slower.
Then more.
Then
he stopped.
His footsteps faded behind the others.
He watched.
Watched as they all surged forward.
Yuma.
Kaito.
Ren.
Daichi.
Sora.
Even Yusuke.
All of them
locked onto Aka.
None of them looked back.
None of them noticed.
"…Right."
Riku stood still.
The distance between him and the play stretched.
The sound of footsteps ahead grew louder.
And he was left behind.
"…Of course."
His voice was quiet.
Flat.
He looked down for a second.
Then back up.
They were already far ahead.
Chasing.
Shouting.
Struggling.
And him
standing still.
"…No one cares."
The words came out without resistance.
No anger.
No denial.
Just truth.
"…Not right now."
He clenched his fists.
His chest tightened slightly.
But he didn't move.
He just watched.
Watched them all run ahead.
Watched the game continue without him.
Watched himself
fall out of it.
Ahead
the chase continued.
Yuma closed in again.
"I've got him!"
Aka stopped.
Suddenly.
Yuma overshot.
"…AGAIN?!"
Aka shifted.
Gone.
Kaito stepped in.
Blocked.
Ren tried to angle him.
Aka slipped through.
The defense collapsed again.
Everything narrowing.
Everything focused.
"CUT HIM OFF!" Hiroto shouted.
But it didn't matter.
Aka wasn't reacting.
He was deciding.
Tsubasa stepped forward.
Closing the angle early.
This time
earlier than before.
"Try it," Tsubasa muttered.
Aka slowed.
The ball rolled softly ahead.
Tap.
Tap.
He smiled.
Then
accelerated.
Sharp.
Clean.
Past the last line.
Tsubasa moved
Shot.
Low.
Precise.
Goal.
5 0.
Silence.
Heavy.
Absolute.
Riku didn't react.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't move.
He just watched the ball hit the net.
Watched the others slow down.
Watched them turn back.
Breathing hard.
Frustrated.
"…We can't stop him," Sora muttered.
Yuma kicked the ground.
"…This is bullshit."
Kaito stayed quiet.
Ren looked away.
Yusuke turned.
His eyes moved
past them.
To Riku.
Still standing.
Still behind.
Still alone.
"…You stopped," Yusuke said.
Riku didn't respond.
"…Why?"
A pause.
Then
"…Because it doesn't matter," Riku said.
His voice was low.
"…You were all there."
Another pause.
"…Did it change anything?"
No one answered.
The scoreboard stayed the same.
5 0.
Aka turned slowly.
Looked at all of them.
Then
at Riku.
"…There you are."
A faint smile.
"…I was wondering when you'd disappear."
Riku's eyes sharpened slightly.
But he didn't move.
Didn't respond.
The whistle hadn't blown yet.
But something had shifted.
Not on the field.
But inside it.