From the stands, Kento and Ryusei sat motionless, their faces blank, eyes dull as they watched the field in silence.

Ayane leaned back in her seat, her expression just as lifeless, gaze fixed on the pitch without a hint of emotion.

Beside them, Haruma's mother sat quietly, her eyes following the players who were already on the field, taking their positions for the second half. A faint, gentle smile touched her lips, and then, softly, she began to clap.

Shuya scoffed, his tone dripping with mockery. "Why'd they even bother coming back out? The way Kashiwa's playing, they'll probably score three more this half. They should've just forfeited."

Next to him, Ameha sat in silence, her sharp eyes fixed on the field as she took a slow, deliberate sip of wine.

In another VIP box, Ismau watched with a calm, unreadable expression, his gaze sweeping across the pitch where the players were taking their positions.

The senior player with the lazy eyes let out a tired sigh. "What do you think?" he asked quietly. "You think they've got a new plan?"

Beside him, the tallest of them, Toshiro Kujo, gave a firm nod. "They better," he said. "Because the only thing that can stop Kazutora and Yohan now… is a flawless, master strategy."

Out on the field, Raya clapped his hands together, his expression set with determination, lowering himself into position his focus was burning in his eyes as the second half was about to begin.

From the other side, Yohan crouched slightly, a wicked smile curling across his face radiating calm, confident, and completely untouched by the pressure of the game.

Jiho jumped a few times on his feet, stretching his legs, his expressions were fierce and focused as he readied himself for the whistle.

At the center, the ball rested under the foot of one of Kashiwa's forwards, his boot pinning it down as the air thickened with anticipation.

Haruma lowered himself into position, his body coiled and ready, but his eyes weren't on the ball, they were fixed straight ahead, cutting through the players until they locked onto Kazutora.

Across the field, Kazutora was already staring at Haruma. A slow, mocking smirk curved across his lips, his stance was calm, deliberate, carrying none of the tension of the moment. And then, without breaking eye contact, he too crouched down, mirroring Haruma's stance.

The air between them grew heavy, the noise of the crowd fading into nothing but a distant hum. As the two of them were staring down each other, a silent challenge passed between them.

From the stands, Kento and Ryusei were seated quietly, their eyes fixed on the field, concern etched into their faces. Beside them, Ayane was leaning back with her arms folded, her gaze dull and uninterested, while Haruma's mother watched with gentle eyes, a faint, soft smile resting on her lips.

A few rows away, Masaru was seated, nervously biting his nail, tension written all over his face. Toru next to him was leaning slightly forward with his expression serious, eyes locked on the field. Next to him, Rukia sat still, her face carrying a hint of sadness as she watched in silence.

From the dugout, Shiori was watching with anxious eyes, her lips moving in silent prayer. Beside her, Raon stood at the edge of the sidelines, clapping loudly and shouting words of encouragement to the team.

The stadium was enveloped into a hushed stillness, tension thick in the air. Then, the sharp blast of the whistle cut through the tensed air, signaling the start of the second half of the JFC U-17, 2042.

The opposition moved first, sending a swift pass to his side of the team. Their players quickly linked up, exchanging tight, precise passes among each other, slowly and carefully pushing forward into Tokyo's half.

Jiho clenched his teeth and broke into a sprint, charging straight toward the ball. Seeing him move, Haruma took a few steps back, his sharp eyes scanning the entire field, reading every angle and gap.

From the sides, Raya and Nagisa burst forward, racing to close the open spaces, while Jiho, Haru, and Itsuki closed in together, tightening the press around the opposing player in possession.

The opposing player smirked as he noticed the trap closing in. Confidently, he began moving backwards, rolling the ball back with the sole of his foot, trying to slip away, but before he could make any other move, Kabuto came crashing in from behind. Their shoulders collided with a heavy thud as Kabuto snatched the ball cleanly from him.

Watching the tackle, a sudden movement of excitement ripple through the stands.

On the field, Raya and Nagisa exchanged a quick glance before syncing instantly as they began to reposition themselves into open space. Itsuki sprinted forward, raising his arm high, silently calling for the pass, his eyes locked on the ball and his timing perfect.

Kabuto clenched his jaw and kept rushing forward, pushing toward the opponent's side. His eyes darted up, scanning desperately to find Haruma.

But before he could find Haruma, Kazutora came storming in like a force of nature and in the next instant, the ball was gone.

Kazutora's tackle was clean, ruthless, and lightning-fast, snatching possession before Kabuto even realized what happened.

The commentator shot to his feet, eyes wide in disbelief. 'What a clean tackle by Kazutora! Perfectly timed and absolutely clean! He's really turning into an unstoppable force out there!"

"Damn you!" Kabuto hissed before regaining his balance and breaking into a sprint again, chasing after Kazutora with fire burning in his eyes.

'Absolutely! Kabuto looks completely frustrated trying to win the ball back, but look at Kazutora go! What a run, he's giving not just Kabuto, but the entire Tokyo Wolves a nightmare on the field!'

Seeing the loss of possession, Raya clenched his jaw and threw his one arm up. "Cover him!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the noise of the crowd.

Nagisa broke into a sprint, tearing down the field with everything he had, his speed impressive, but still struggling to catch up with Kazutora.

Up ahead, Kazutora was charging forward with a wild smirk twisting across his face, closing in on the goal.

Just ahead of him, Yohan matched that grin, sprinting into position, perfectly reading Kazutora's advance as the two prepared to strike in sync.

Kazutora's run was unstoppable, cutting through the field with impossible speed. Just as he neared the box, Zora came charging in with a wild scream, sliding hard across the turf, but Kazutora barely flinched and with effortless precision, he flicked the ball up and over Zora's sliding tackle, the ball sailing cleanly past over his head.

From behind, Raya's voice thundered across the pitch, filled with desperation.

"Stop him! Someone stop him!"

Then, from the flank, Haru came sprinting in and planted himself directly in Kazutora's path, forcing Kazutora to slow down on his charge before coming to a halt, standing face-to-face with him, his cold, piercing gaze locking onto Haru like a predator sizing up its prey.

Haru stood frozen, clearly terrified and panicked, just holding his ground, trying to keep on blocking Kazutora's path, waiting for Kabuto and Nagisa to catch up.

Kazutora's cold stare was locked onto him when suddenly a faint smirk curved across his lips. Haru's breathing began to rise, his heart pounding so loudly that it drowned out the noise of the crowd. Sweat dripped down his face watching Kazutora with uneven breaths.

Kazutora then began moving forward, slow and deliberate, closing the distance between them with every step, while Haru began to retreat, desperately trying to delay the inevitable.

Haru kept backing away, trying to hold space between himself and Kazutora, who advanced with calm, deliberate steps. Then, in an instant, Kazutora lunged forward.

In a blur of motion. The ball flashed past from Haru's left, leaving him frozen in place, eyes wide, unable to process what had just happened.

Kazutora had already slipped past with a sharp smirk, driving forward with the ball at his feet. Up ahead, Yohan raised his arm, signaling for the pass, with the goal wide open before him.

Kazutora's grin twisted into something wild as he licked his lips in a maniac way, eyes gleaming with frenzy as he drew his leg back and swung hard at the ball.

But before his foot could connect, Haruma came sliding in from nowhere, throwing his body between Kazutora and Yohan. The impact of his slide tore up the turf.

For a split second, Kazutora was frozen, his eyes wide in shock as he was forced to give up on his decision of passing the ball to Yohan.

Behind him, Kabuto roared in fury, changing direction in an instant as he now sprinted past both Haruma and Kazutora, charging straight toward Yohan. On the opposite side, Nagisa moved in fast, joined by Makoto, closing every gap in sight.

Before him stood Haruma, unmoving and unshaken. His stance was solid, his gaze sharp and focused, burning with fierce determination.

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