The final whistle had blown, but Yugen remained frozen on the grass. His body trembled—not from exhaustion, but from something far more volatile. His knees hit the turf with a dull thud, his hands pressed into the earth. Damp blades of grass clung to his skin. He was breathing hard, each inhale jagged, each exhale almost a growl.
And then… he laughed.
It started low, a ragged exhale of disbelief. Then it grew, twisted into something manic. A grin spread across his face—wide, crooked, unhinged.
"I'm not strong enough," he whispered to himself, teeth bared in that wild smile. "But I forced him to make that desperate play."
His knuckles turned white as his fists clenched tighter. The image of Kou's shot—clean, explosive, from an impossible distance—played over and over in his mind. That genius had been cornered, even if just for a moment. Yugen had made that happen.
A breathless giggle escaped his throat.
On the sideline, Akane blinked, then broke into laughter. "Yo, what's with this guy?"
Sosei, ever stoic, toweled off his hair without glancing over. "Did he hit his head or something?"
Jin gave Yugen a wary side glance. "He looks possessed."
Inyo, for once, said nothing. He stood nearby, hands in his pockets, lips curled in a faint, unsettling smile. His gaze was unreadable.
The others dispersed slowly, caught somewhere between confusion and awe.
---
[Observation Room – Level Three]
Behind a one-way glass, Mika sat perched on the edge of her seat, elbows on knees, fingers steepled beneath her chin. Her eyes gleamed with feral joy.
"M-Mika-sama?" her assistant Hojo asked cautiously, glancing nervously between her and the monitors. "You, uh… liked the match?"
Mika didn't respond.
Her lips twitched.
Then curled into a grin.
She was trembling. Not out of fear—but anticipation. She had seen it. The spark. The madness. The hunger.
Hojo took a step back.
---
[Team B Locker Room]
The air in the locker room was dense with sweat and silence. Damp jerseys clung to tired bodies. The hum of the fluorescent lights overhead buzzed faintly.
Yugen sat on a bench in the far corner, towel draped around his neck, his gaze fixed on his open hands. His fingers twitched.
All of them are strong, he thought. Each one a beast in their own way. But Kou…
His jaw tightened.
He's different. That level of control, that final shot. He's not someone you just catch up to. He's a wall. A symbol. A challenge.
His right fist closed slowly. I'll best you. At all costs.
Suddenly, a weight landed on his shoulders.
"Cheer up!" Akane chirped as he flung himself over Yugen's back, arms dangling around his neck like a human scarf. "No shame in losing to that guy. Kou's practically an alien."
Yugen groaned. "Can you not do this after I've had my soul crushed?"
"Nope!"
Akane tightened his grip playfully. "You should be proud. You made him shoot from halfway. That's gotta count for something."
Yugen sighed heavily. Why is this guy always around me?
Across the room, Inyo leaned against a locker, watching them with that same eerie silence. Yuto sat on a bench, towel covering his face, his aura unreadable. Jin mumbled something about showering first before he trudged off.
Then Iori approached.
Yugen straightened slightly.
The quiet boy stopped in front of him, face unreadable. For a moment, Yugen thought he might say something cold, something dismissive.
Instead, Iori simply said, "Nice play."
Yugen blinked. "Oh. Uh… thanks."
Without another word, Iori turned and walked away.
Akane grinned. "Woah, praise from the Ice Prince himself."
"I didn't ask."
"But you needed it."
Yugen didn't respond. He just leaned forward, elbows on his knees, eyes fixed on the floor. Akane finally let him go and flopped onto the bench beside him, humming an offbeat tune.
---
[Kelshea Living Quarters – Common Area]
The vending machine beeped and whirred as a can of soda tumbled into the tray below. Yugen retrieved it and popped the tab, leaning against the wall.
1 point, 1 yen, he recalled. Thank God they at least let us use match points for daily expenses.
A massive screen above flickered, showing replays from Team A's match. Kou's shot played on loop—slowed down, analyzed from every angle.
Yugen took a sip, eyes fixed on the screen.
"What a genius," he murmured, barely audible.
He didn't notice the boy walking past until they collided.
"Ah—sorry!" Yugen reached out to steady him, but the moment their eyes met, the boy recoiled.
For just a second, Yugen's expression had shifted—something unexplainable, primal, and dark flashed across his face.
The boy slapped his hand away. "W-What's his deal?!"
Before Yugen could respond, a blur of motion rushed past. A girl—raven hair swaying, green eyes sharp as glass—chased after the boy.
"Stop!" she shouted.
Her voice was cold. Clear. Commanding.
Their eyes met for the briefest moment as she passed. Hers were piercing, searching—like she could see through him.
Then she was gone.
Yugen blinked. Who… was that?
He stared down the hallway for a long moment before turning back to the screen.
Focus.
I made it into Kelshea—somehow. This team… that psycho woman Mika… these freaks on the field. If I want to survive—
He shook his head.
No. Not survive.
His grip tightened around the can.
I'll be the best striker in the world.
---
[Facility Announcement System – Automated Voice]
> "Team B, head to the meeting room. Repeat, Team B to the meeting room."
Yugen exhaled slowly. His heart was still beating like a war drum in his chest, but his face was calm.
He turned, leaving the soda half-finished.
His footsteps echoed softly as he walked down the corridor, the fire in his eyes refusing to dim.
The real battle was only beginning.
---
[Chapter End]