"Ladies and gentlen!"
The presenter's voice rang out across the field, cutting through the noise with renewed energy.
"Hold your hearts, because this is no longer just Hanaka High vs. The U19 Tokyo Wolves."
A brief pause, just enough to build the tension.
"Now… it's Hanaka High vs. Japan U20!"
The reaction was imdiate as a surge of cheers swept through the crowd, louder and more charged than before, pulling everyone to their feet in excitent.
On the sidelines, the principal sat clapping with a wide, satisfied grin, while Haruma's mother watched quietly, a soft smile resting on her face as she took it all in.
Along one side of the field, Haruma and his squad moved through their warmups, stretching and loosening their bodies with a calm, controlled rhythm, their focus already settling into the ga.
On the opposite end, Hanaka High gathered around Toru who was all charged up as he was roaring out instructions, laying out the strategy with intensity, while the team listened closely, fully locked into every word.
The announcer's voice carried across the field.
"This match will be played a little differently from what you're used to."
A brief pause, letting the attention settle.
"Due to the busy schedule of Japan U20, today's ga will be limited to 45 minutes, with no extra ti."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd before fading again.
"And as you all know, Hanaka High was initially set to play, matching the number of players Haruma would bring. However, on the request of captain Kurogami, Hanaka High will now play with their full eleven."
The response rose instantly, cheers grew louder, more energized than before, as the crowd began chanting in unison once again.
"Haruma! Haruma! Haruma!"
Hearing the chants echo his na across the field, a bead of sweat slid down Toru's forehead. He wiped it away quickly, exhaling before turning his attention to the opposite side.
Across the sideline, Haruma was loosening up, rolling his shoulders, stretching his back, before pushing off the ground into a clean, controlled leap, before coming down with a firm, sharp landing.
Nearby, Kurogami slipped on his gloves, adjusting the fit and testing the grip before lifting his gaze toward the team.
"Alright, guys," he said, clapping once to gather their focus.
The squad turned toward him.
"Haruma, you'll play as the only striker."
Haruma gave a small nod, calm and composed, as if he had expected nothing less.
Kurogami turned to the rest of the squad.
"Raya, Jiho, Izaya, you three take the middle. Kabuto, Nagisa, you hold back."
Acknowledgnts ca quick, and without hesitations as Kabuto gave a confident nod, a faint smirk resting on his lips, while Jiho bounced lightly on his feet, energy barely contained.
Raya held a calm, steady smile, while Izaya's expression carried a bright, almost playful excitent. Nagisa remained composed, focused, already locked in.
Kurogami clapped once more, sharp and decisive, then shifted his gaze toward the field.
Without another word, he stepped forward, his team moving with him, aligned and ready.
On the opposite sideline, facing them from a distance stood Toru, with his teeth clenched, breathing heavy and uneven. Behind him, the team carried a visible tension, uncertain, a step away from being overwheld. Shino's face was soaked with sweat, while Masaru stood still with his eyes closed, drawing slow, steady breaths.
Looking at Kurogami, fully set and ready, Toru's thoughts churned as flashbacks of that final crash back into him, where Kurogami made save after save, each one shutting him down, leaving no angle, no opening, no way through. The mory clung to him, pressing against his focus like a weight he couldn't shake.
Across the field, at the edge of the pitch, stood Kurogami, standing tall, staring at him with a faint, knowing smirk resting on his lips as if he had already read what was coming.
Behind Kurogami, the squad held their shape with quiet certainty, no rush, no tension, just a controlled, almost effortless confidence, each of them settled into the mont.
In contrast, the air around Hanaka High felt tight, charged, every breath a little heavier.
The stands were buzzing with anticipation, a low, restless energy running through the crowd as every gaze remained locked onto the field, waiting for the ga to kickoff…
The field was set. The players had already taken shape across the pitch.
The players from Hanaka High were spread out but tight in structure, every player holding space like it mattered, closing angles, staying alert, not giving anything easy.
On the other side, Japan U20 looked different. Fewer in number, but every one of them felt placed with intent. Not scattered, not rushed, just precise.
At the back, Kurogami stood in front of the goal with his arms crossed, calm and composed, watching everything without a word. A few steps ahead, stood Kabuto, with an easy grin playing on his face, while Nagisa stood nearby with a faint smile, like the two had just finished so light, casual banter.
At the center, Haruma stood over the ball, his boot resting on it, calm and steady. No rush in his posture, just quiet focus. Beside him, Raya waited in silence, just as composed.
On the sidelines, Haruma's mother watched with a soft, proud smile. The principal looked noticeably charged, a wide grin forming as he leaned forward slightly, already caught up in the mont. From the stands Rukia stood with bright, excited eyes, barely holding back her anticipation.
The entire field stayed suspended in that quiet tension, like it was holding its breath.
On the field, Raya turned slightly toward Haruma, a small smile forming as he broke the silence.
"You planning to feast on them?" he asked lightly, almost teasing.
Haruma didn't answer right away, just a faint smile spread across his face.
Raya nodded once with a grin, already accepting the silence as an answer.
"Alright then… just give the ball."
With that, he stepped back into his position, easing into place.
Haruma stayed where he was, still over the ball, calm, composed, and focused as the mont stretched on.
The referee lifted the whistle to his mouth and blew it sharply.
Kicking off the ga. Haruma tapped the ball lightly back, a clean, controlled touch that sent it rolling gracefully into the play.
The Hanaka high players exploded in movent, throwing themselves in action.
The ball gracefully went to Raya who trapped it under his foot, not moving, just standing coldly.
In an instant, the players of Hanaka High exploded forward, boots striking the ground, throwing themselves into motion with explosive speed, collapsing space with urgency and intent.
As the ball rolled, it found Raya, who with all the calm trapped it under his sole and stopped it dead.
Just cold stillness in the middle of the storms of players rushing at him.
As one of the players rushed in, sliding his boot in for a tackle, Raya reacted at the last mont, snatching the ball back just enough to dribble the ball past that player. And in one smooth motion, he pushed forward, only to find another player standing on his face, blocking his path.
Without even flinching, Raya with clean, controlled movent, drifted past the player before he could even attempt sothing.
As Raya was moving another player stepped in almost imdiately, trying to shut him down again.
But Raya with a quick touch and a sharp turn, glided past once more, leaving them all behind in his dust.
Just as Raya broke through the pressure, he released a sharp, precise pass forward, threading it cleanly through the defensive line.
The ball went slicing sharply through the midfield with pinpoint accuracy, skipping past a few stunned defenders who could only turn and watch it travel untouched.
The ball rolled and went straight into Haruma's path.
The crowd surged to their feet in an instant, eyes snapping wide as the mont hit, while Rukia felt her heartbeat spike, rising sharply in her chest.
Charging onto it without breaking his run, Haruma struck the ball hard with a thunderous connection, the impact cracking through the air.
From just outside the 18-yard line, the shot left his foot like a missile, explosive, violent, tearing through the air and defensive shape in a single breath.
The ball ripped past everything in its path, crashing into the back of the net with a sharp resounding thud.
The ball dropped and bounced inside the net.
The clock was frozen at 13 seconds.
The crowd fell still, jaws dropped, eyes stretched wide, the reaction hitting all at once. Rukia stood the sa, breath caught mid-inhale, unable to move.
On the sidelines, the principal froze in place, eyes wide, while Haruma's mother stood stunned beside him, her gaze fixed ahead.
Toru didn't react, just stood there, jaw slightly open, a cold shiver running down his spine. Masaru swallowed hard, the air in his chest feeling empty, and Shino remained completely still, locked in pure disbelief.
A complete, heavy stillness dropped over the field, like everything had been cut off at once.
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