As the game resumed, the Esperion youth team surged forward with an air of dominance, executing quick and precise one-touch passes that mesmerized spectators. Swiftly, they carved through their opponents' defense, the ball flowing like water in motion.
With a deft cross into the box, anticipation swelled as Shimura(CF) rose majestically, meeting the ball with a thunderous header that echoed through the stadium, only to be denied by the cruel crossbar's resounding thud.
As if his bad luck wasn't enough, the rebound fell gracefully at the feet of Ueda(CB) of the examtakers, who with a graceful spin, seized possession and charged forward with intent.
With eyes ablaze, he scanned the field, before spotting Aoi frantically asking for the ball at the middle of the pitch.
With finesse and precision, he sent a long, arcing pass towards Aoi, who cushioned the ball down with his chest.
"Alright, it's time for a counte—" Aoi's thoughts were abruptly halted as an opponent's boot connected with the ball, unleashing a thunderous shot from just before the halfway line, hurtling towards the goal with menacing velocity, and sending Aoi tumbling through the grass.
Every eye in the stadium widened in astonishment as the ball connected with the inside of the crossbar, producing a resounding echo, before gracefully nestling into the back of the net.
"Fweeep!!" The referee blew his whistle confirming the goal.
"Whoooaaah!" The spectators once again erupted in cheers.
"What a crazy goal, how did he even score that?"
"Tokyo city's youth team are on a different level"
Aoi just sat there dazed on the ground, looking like he had seen a monster.
"H-how?" Aoi's voice quivered with astonishment as he struggled to comprehend the lightning-fast sequence of events. "He stole the ball from me and scored, all in one touch. It's as if he anticipated my every move in an instant."
Eventually, As the halftime whistle echoed across the stadium, signaling the end of the first half, players began to trudge off the pitch, their minds still reeling from the whirlwind of action.
Amidst the shuffle of departing players, Akutsu, turned towards Aoi, his eyes gleaming with contempt. He observed him for a moment, before speaking.
"Hey, those shoes are interesting. Are you so poor that you can't afford new ones?" Akutsu said, his words dripped with disdain as he eyed Aoi's worn-out boots.
"S-s-so what if I am?" Aoi's voice wavered, but his defiance burned bright.
Closing the distance between them, Akutsu leaned in, his demeanor dripping with superiority.
"How pitiful. You have no talent whatsoever, you and everyone else around you. You're just here for fun, aren't you? Then you're nothing but trash. Do us all a favor and disappear."
While he was speaking, a hand abruptly grasped Akutsu's shoulder, halting his tirade. Startled, he turned to find a blonde-haired figure behind him, with a small smile on his face.
"I think you've said enough." Aizaki stated. "Resorting to mind games in a game like this is a bit pathetic, don't you think? Besides your last goal was a fluke, rather than actual skill."
"Oh? A fluke? Hehehe" Akutsu let out a low chuckle. "I guess trash will be trash after all."
Aizaki shook his head, his expression morphing into one of disappointment and said "I've been observing you closely, and your playstyle doesn't quite fit that of a striker. Although you're your team's CF, you've played the majority of this game stuck inside your own half, despite your team having all the possession. Also other than your goal just now, the only other way you've contributed to this game, is by winning tackles, heck you've probably made the highest number of interceptions and tackles in this match. Hence I can only conclude that your true position is either a defender or defensive midfielder."
Akutsu stood frozen, his gaze locked with Aizaki's, who now had a calm smile on his lips. Before Akutsu could muster a response, Aizaki spoke once more.
"Well, it might just be useless rambling," Aizaki remarked casually, his tone laced with a hint of playful mischief. "So feel free to ignore me."
Turning his attention back to Aoi, who watched the exchange with wide eyes, Aizaki let out a sigh. "Let's get your nose treated," he said , pointing a finger towards the sidelines.
Together, they made their way off the pitch towards where Hana awaited them, leaving behind a lingering sense of intrigue on the field.
***********
"W-w-wait a moment, are you the one treating me?" Aoi's voice quivered with embarrassment, his cheeks tinged with a rosy hue.
As Aoi struggled to compose himself, his attention was momentarily diverted by the sight of Akutsu making his way off the pitch towards where Fukuda was seated. Aoi's gaze followed Akutsu's departure, a mixture of frustration and curiosity dancing in his eyes.
""I see," Hana remarked, her gaze following Aoi's. "So, you were looking at Akutsu, huh?"
"What's with that guy?" Aoi grumbled in annoyance, his irritation palpable in his tone.
"He's really intimidating," Hana muttered under her breath. "When it comes to our team, most of them on the team were raised here, but he came from the outside. While, in his first year, he effortlessly surpassed the regulars on the youth team. And let's not forget, he was the sole player to earn his spot through the tryouts last year."
Meanwhile with Akutsu.
Walking off the pitch, Akutsu's eyes met a frowning Fukuda.
"Akutsu what was that all about? you didn't say anything funny did you?" Fukuda asked with furrowed brows.
"Nothing of the sort," Akutsu replied smoothly, his smile masking any hint of mischief. "Just offering some friendly advice to my fellow competitors."
Turning his head, Akutsu glanced towards where Aoi and Aizaki were seated, his smile fading into a neutral expression.
"Fukuda-san, who is he?" He asked gesturing at Aizaki.
"Huh? Aizaki? His a talent that caught my eye on one of my journeys. He has an interesting gift."
"I see..." Akutsu replied, his smile making it's way back to his face, only this time, it looked more dangerous.
"I'm going to destroy you." Akutsu thought to himself, staring straight at Aizaki.
Aizaki, who had been sitting quietly, listening to Hana and Aoi, suddenly felt a sharp gaze upon him. Turning his head, he met Akutsu's intense stare. This silent confrontation continued for a short while, before Akutsu made a 'bring it on' gesture with his hand, and walked away.
Aizaki's lips curled into a confident smile as he silently mouthed the words "it's on."
Just then, the referee blew the whistle, signalling the end of the break.
Walking unto the pitch, his smile widened, as he thought to himself.
"I am so gonna enjoy this."
Walking back to the pitch, where his teammates where gathered, Aizaki saw Otomo trying to raise the teams morale, but he paid no attention to that.
He glanced at Aoi who locked eyes with Akutsu, as they stared each other down. He walked up to him and stood besides him, shifting Akutsu's attention to him.
"You good? " Aizaki spoke to Aoi, his eyes still fixed on Akutsu.
Aoi didn't reply and just stood there with clenched fists, recalling what Akutsu had said to him.
Not minding the lack of reply, Aizaki continued.
"You know, you have good eyes." Turning to look at Aoi, he continued "Let's see whose is better."
*******
The second half commenced with the Esperion youth team maintaining their dominance, albeit with a change in tempo. Opting for a simpler, slower approach, they effortlessly maneuvered the ball with short, precise passes, leaving their opponents scrambling in their wake.
They orchestrated a symphony of short passes, seamlessly weaving the ball between them with effortless precision. Each touch was purposeful, each movement calculated, leaving the opposing team scrambling to keep pace, their frantic efforts resembling headless chickens darting across the field.
While this was going on, Aizaki silently observed his opponents, patiently biding his time for the perfect opportunity to strike, much like a predator stalking its prey. And soon enough, that opportunity presented itself.
Yuuma, the Esperion youth's center-back, received the ball in the opponents half and observed the aggressive defensive stance of the opposing team. Noting this, he decided to take a risk. He went on a daring dribble through their ranks, skipping past player after player, and drawing defenders towards him.
Undeterred by the pressing defenders closing in around him, he maintained his composure, continuing to show off his footwork.
Just as it seemed he had run out of options and space, he executed a swift maneuver.
He hit the ball with the outside of his foot, propelling the ball through the legs of an oncoming defender.
The ball sailed towards the right flank, and looked perfectly timed for the advancing right back to seize control and continue the team's relentless assault.
However, before the ball could even travel a meter away, a boot came into his view, intercepting the ball with lightning speed. With a deft touch, the opponent stole possession and seamlessly transitioned into a swift counterattack, setting their sights on Esperion youth's goal with determination in their stride.
Aizaki, who was now in possession of the ball, sprung into action. With lightning reflexes, he seized possession of the ball, and with a burst of speed, he dashed towards the opposition's goal, his eyes fixed firmly on the prize.
Due to the fact, that Esperion high had moved up the field in a bid to break down their opponents defense, Aizaki was left with only a few defenders standing in his way.
With the abundance of space before him, he accelerated into his opponents half, never looking back.
His opponents reacted quickly, with Takasugi(RB) running by his side and putting pressure on him.
Aizaki responded with a high speed Ronaldo chop, cutting into the pitch, and leaving his marker shocked.
He looked up and saw that the two center backs had caught up, and where now standing in his way.
Just when he decided he was going to beat the defender with his with pace, a figure materialized at the corner of his eyes. Tachibana, who had finally caught up raised a hand, asking for the ball.
Noticing Aizaki was about to pass, the defender threw his leg out trying to intercept the pass, but the pass never came.
Using Tachibana as a distraction, Aizaki rolled the ball through the defenders legs, before circumventing him as the spectators burst into gasps of awe.
Now outside the 18-yard box, Aizaki didn't even bother to run in. He looked up and fired a curved shot towards the top right corner of the goalpost
However, just as his leg was about to connect with the ball, he felt someone crash into him, disrupting his balance, and ruining his chance. As he tumbled on the ground, the ball flew out of bounds. He looked up only to see a smiling Akutsu stretching out a hand to help him up.
Sensing the annoyance behind his friendly façade, Aizaki couldn't help but chuckle out loud. Ignoring Akutsu's hand, Aizaki got up and dusted himself, before locking eyes with Akutsu.
Under the applause and chatter of the spectators, Akutsu and Aizaki stood there holding each others gaze with smiles on their faces. One masking annoyance, the other showing amusement.
For both parties, the game had changed, from a mere tryout match, into a battle of pride, with their reputation on the line.
As they made their way back to their positions, no words where said, but the message was clear:
" I will be victorious! "
On this fateful day, a rivalry was birthed.