"Am I the only one left?"
These thoughts echoed in Tachibana's head as he ran across the pitch, chasing after the ball. He occasionally glanced at his teammates lifeless expressions and couldn't help but feel anger rise within him.
This anger stemmed from the fact that he came to this tryouts to improve himself, and yet his teammates were pulling him back.
"Why are they so shaken?" He couldn't help but ask himself.
"I mean sure the youth team beating us while playing in unfamiliar roles is crazy, but this is Esperion Fc, so of course it's gonna be tough. Besides we all came here putting our whole careers and talent on the line, so isn't giving up here stupid?"
Tachibana really couldn't understand their thoughts. Soon the whistle signifying a corner kick against them, pulled him out of his reverie.
Looking at the ball floating past him and towards Akutsu's head, he sighed disappointedly and was already expecting a goal, when suddenly a someone passed by him a blur.
Under his watchful gaze, Aoi leaped with momentum and reached the ball just before Akutsu's head could connect with it and sent the ball flying past the throw in line before letting out a beastly shout.
"WHO THE HELL IS GIVING UP?!!"
....
Aizaki watched as Aoi unknowingly changed the momentum of the game. For the past 5 minutes, he was everywhere on the pitch blocking shots and winning fouls by putting his body on the line.
Even the crowd of onlookers began clapping and cheering him on, after all everybody loves a story of an underdog fighting against overwhelming odds and coming out on top.
Under the applause of the crowd, the players who had once given up began to gradually regain their belief and soon began fighting back.
Fweeep!
The whistle sounded signifying a free kick for the exam takers after a handball. As Otomo stepped up to the deadball, the assistant coach announced that there were three minutes remaining in the match.
"We're four goals down with three minutes left, and I haven't done a single thing worth remembering," he thought, frustration tightening in his chest.
"If this keeps up, I'll be eliminated. I have to make this count—I have to score now!"
His grip on the ball tightened, determination flashing in his eyes as he set the ball down and lined up for a shot.
As soon as the whistle blew, he sprinted up to the ball, striking it cleanly with the inside of his foot. The sensation was perfect, sending a thrill through him.
"It's perfect!" he thought, a grin spreading across his face.
The crowd collectively held its breath as the ball sailed through the air in a flawless arc, heading straight for the top right corner. The keeper was rooted to the spot, his eyes widening as he watched it soar past, entirely out of reach. The shot was brilliant, unstoppable—or so it seemed.
Just as the ball neared the goal line, a figure launched into view. Akutsu, who had broken from the wall in a split-second decision, hurled himself into the air, twisting his body. With a perfectly timed bicycle kick, he cleared the ball off the line, shattering the hopeful midfielder's dreams in an instant.
The crowd erupted, stunned and awed by Akutsu's incredible save. Otomo could only stare in disbelief as his shot, his perfect shot, was denied in the final moment.
Akutsu's eyes tracked the ball as it soared toward Yuuma, who was positioned just outside the box. He saw the opportunity instantly and knew it was time for a counterattack.
"To Asari!" he shouted, pointing to Asari, who was wide open with only a single defender marking him.
However, Akutsu's shout got caught in his throat. His eyes widened in disbelief as he spotted Aoi—who had been standing beside Otomo during the free kick—now directly in front of Yuuma, the ball secured firmly against his chest.
Aoi had somehow intercepted the play in a flash, reading the move before it even began.
"Aoi, that idiot pulled back way too fast…" Akutsu thought, his eyes narrowing to slits.
"He was right beside the kicker during the free kick, which put him directly in front of the goal. But even before I blocked the shot, he was already at Yuuma's side."
His eyes widened as a realization hit him like a jolt. "Did… he somehow predict exactly where the ball would land—even before I got to it."
Though the realization was both infuriating and impressive, Akutsu didn't waste a second on it. His body was already in motion, charging toward Aoi, determined to shut down any chance of a play.
Aoi, calm and composed, brought the ball down with precision and took a low shot aimed for the left side of the goal. Akutsu lunged, but with a swift whoosh, the ball zipped past him, angling toward the net.
The goalkeeper reacted immediately, diving with confidence as the ball approached. It seemed like a straightforward save—until, at the last second, the ball veered away, curving sharply toward the sideline. A flicker of confusion crossed the keeper's face before realization dawned.
"It's not a shot—it's a pass!"
As if on cue, an outstretched boot appeared, meeting the ball midair and redirecting it in a perfect arc over the keeper's reach and into the back of the net.
Fweep!!
The whistle confirmed the goal. An elated Tachibana scooped up the ball, grinning as he dashed toward the kickoff line, pausing only to give Aoi a thumbs-up.
The crowd erupted into a roar of cheers as the exam takers swarmed Tachibana, celebrating the goal with exhilarated shouts and fist pumps. Their excitement was electric, but the celebration was brief. With fierce determination in their eyes, they broke away, jogging back to their positions in their own half. Each player moved with renewed focus, ready for the next play, their minds and bodies fully locked onto the path ahead.