The restart came quickly.
Too quickly.
Nocturne wanted control back.
Southside wanted another goal.
The crowd wanted chaos.
And for the first time all match—
all three sides were getting exactly what they wanted.
The whistle blew.
The ball rolled.
The game exploded back into motion.
Yuma immediately charged forward again.
Like scoring had only made him hungrier.
The striker hunted every loose ball, every bad touch, every pass that wasn't perfect.
He wasn't playing smart.
He was playing desperate.
And somehow—
it was working.
The pressure kept building.
Nocturne couldn't settle.
Not completely.
Not anymore.
Aka received possession near midfield.
Immediately, Yusuke appeared.
Again.
The crowd laughed nervously.
At this point, it felt inevitable.
Where Aka went—
Yusuke followed.
Like a shadow.
Like a curse.
"You're still here?" Aka asked.
Yusuke wiped sweat from his chin.
"Unfortunately."
For the first time all match, Aka actually laughed.
A short laugh.
A real one.
Then he pushed the ball forward and the duel began again.
Meanwhile, far away from the stadium—
a bus pulled up beside a quiet stop.
The doors opened.
A handful of passengers stepped on.
Among them—
Riku.
His soccer bag hung over one shoulder.
His boots were packed inside.
His Southside jacket was zipped halfway up.
And for the first time in weeks—
he was wearing his uniform.
The bus doors closed.
The vehicle pulled away.
Riku sat near the back.
Alone.
Outside the window, buildings drifted past slowly.
Cars.
Shops.
Streetlights.
People living normal lives.
Meanwhile his thoughts wouldn't leave him alone.
Yusuke crying in the street.
"We gotta beat Aka together."
The memory annoyed him.
Still.
"...Idiot."
He stared out the window again.
Trying to forget it.
Trying to stay angry.
Trying to convince himself he'd made the right choice.
Then another memory appeared.
Training.
Winning.
Laughing.
The team.
He clicked his tongue.
"...Tch."
Outside, the city continued moving.
The bus continued moving.
And slowly—
so did Riku.
Back at the stadium, Southside launched another attack.
Takumi intercepted a pass.
The crowd erupted.
"FORWARD!"
The ball moved quickly.
Hiroto.
Sora.
Yusuke.
One-touch football.
Fast.
Sharp.
Dangerous.
Nocturne retreated.
Not panicking.
But respecting it.
Réservoir watched carefully.
"They're getting better."
Theo frowned.
"Don't tell me you're impressed."
Réservoir smiled slightly.
"I am."
The answer irritated Theo more than it should have.
The attack continued.
Yusuke reached the edge of the area.
A defender closed.
Then another.
He slipped the ball sideways.
Takumi arrived.
SHOT.
SAVE.
Adrien barely pushed it away.
The rebound bounced loose.
The crowd exploded.
Bodies crashed together.
Players sprinted.
Everyone chasing the same ball.
Pambara got there first.
For one second—
he froze.
Goal.
Pass.
Shoot.
Think.
Move.
Too many choices.
Then he remembered something.
Simple.
Always simple.
He laid the ball backward.
Hiroto arrived.
BOOM.
The shot flew.
BLOCKED.
Marc Pelletier again.
The defender threw his body in front of it without hesitation.
The ball flew out for a corner.
The crowd roared.
Southside players gathered.
Breathing heavily.
Sweat dripping.
Hope growing.
Meanwhile—
the bus continued rolling through the city.
Riku sat silently.
Watching the streets pass.
Watching the distance disappear.
Watching himself run out of excuses.
His hand slowly tightened around the strap of his bag.
The stadium was getting closer.
Much closer.
But he still hadn't decided what he was going to do when he got there.
The corner kick was placed.
The crowd stood.
Every person in the stadium knew how important this was.
One goal.
That's all Southside needed.
One goal.
The whistle blew.
Sora delivered the cross.
The ball curled into the danger area.
Yuma jumped.
Daichi jumped.
Marc jumped.
Everyone jumped.
And as the ball dropped into the middle of the chaos—
the chapter ended.
To Be Continued.