The roar inside the stadium refused to die.
Every eye remained fixed on the newest player standing on the field.
Riku.
His return had completely changed the atmosphere. Even Nocturne's players watched him carefully, trying to understand why someone would appear this late into a match that had already become legendary.
The referee blew his whistle.
Play resumed.
Before anyone could move, Riku raised a hand.
"Wait."
His voice carried across the field.
Not because he shouted.
Because everyone had gone quiet.
Yusuke looked at him hopefully.
"...Riku..."
Riku took a slow breath before speaking.
"I'm not coming back."
Silence.
Southside froze.
The crowd quieted.
Even the referee hesitated.
Riku looked around at every one of his teammates.
Hiroto.
Yuma.
Takumi.
Ren.
Daichi.
Sora.
Tsubasa.
Finally...
Yusuke.
"I still stand by my decision."
His words landed like bricks.
"I left because everyone forgot about me."
Nobody argued.
Nobody could.
"You all got so caught up chasing Aka..."
He looked toward the opposing striker.
"...that none of you even noticed your own captain disappearing."
Yusuke lowered his head.
The memory hurt.
Riku continued.
"So no..."
"I'm not rejoining the team."
Yuma clenched his fists.
"...Then why are you here?"
Riku looked toward the scoreboard.
3–3.
Then back at his teammates.
"Because what I did wasn't fair."
The team looked up.
"I left without warning."
"I abandoned all of you."
"I don't regret leaving..."
He paused.
"...but I regret how I did it."
The stadium was completely silent now.
"So here's what's going to happen."
Riku pointed toward the field beneath his feet.
"I'm playing."
"This..."
He looked at each member of Southside one last time.
"...is my final match."
"When this whistle blows..."
"I'm officially leaving Southside."
Nobody spoke.
Not even Yusuke.
The words hurt too much.
Coach Daniel folded his arms on the touchline.
He'd hoped Riku had changed his mind.
Instead...
the boy had simply come back to finish what he believed he'd left unfinished.
A faint smile crossed the coach's face.
"...That's enough."
His voice finally broke the silence.
"If this is your last match..."
He pointed toward Nocturne.
"...then make it one nobody forgets."
Riku nodded once.
"...I intend to."
The referee looked between both captains.
"...Can we continue?"
Aka answered first.
"I'm ready."
Riku looked at him.
"So am I."
The whistle shrieked.
The match exploded back into life.
Réservoir immediately received possession and tried slowing the tempo once again, but something had changed.
Riku didn't chase wildly.
He didn't sprint without thinking.
He simply watched.
His eyes tracked every movement Réservoir made.
Every option.
Every passing lane.
Then—
he moved.
One sudden burst.
Réservoir's eyes widened slightly.
Riku stepped directly into the passing lane.
Clean interception.
The crowd erupted.
His first touch of the match.
He didn't celebrate.
Didn't even acknowledge the noise.
Instead, he immediately pushed the ball toward Hiroto before continuing his run.
"Move!" Riku barked.
The entire team reacted instinctively.
Yusuke sprinted through the middle.
Yuma attacked the right side.
Sora flew down the wing.
For the first time all match...
Southside looked complete.
The ball moved quickly.
Hiroto to Takumi.
Takumi to Sora.
Sora back inside.
One touch after another.
No hesitation.
No wasted movement.
Even Nocturne were forced backward.
Theo clicked his tongue.
"...He's already changed them."
Réservoir nodded.
"He has."
Aka's eyes never left Riku.
"So that's their captain."
Riku reached the edge of the penalty area and received the return pass.
Marc stepped forward.
Riku feinted left.
Marc bit.
Riku instantly cut right.
The defender recovered quickly, forcing him wide.
Instead of shooting, Riku laid the ball backward.
Simple.
Safe.
Yusuke arrived onto it first time.
He struck through the ball.
BOOM!
The shot screamed toward the bottom corner.
Adrien launched himself.
Both hands stretched as far as they could.
Fingertips.
The ball deflected around the post.
Corner.
The stadium erupted once again.
Southside supporters could sense it.
Nocturne could sense it.
Momentum had shifted.
Not because Riku was a miracle worker.
Because he'd reminded Southside who they were.
As players gathered inside the penalty area for the corner kick, Aka slowly walked beside Réservoir.
"...This is getting interesting."
Réservoir gave a small smile.
"...Now it finally feels like a final."
To Be Continued.