As the crowd dispersed after the match, a visibly upset Demian approached Orochi. Demian's cold gaze betrayed his dissatisfaction.
"Why did you help me?" Demian asked, his face closed.
Orochi, still calm, replied: "Because you have potential. But you must understand that talent alone is not enough. It is effort and will that will make you progress."
Demian remained silent, absorbing Orochi's words. After a while he left.
Claire, who was next to him, quickly spoke up when she saw her brother's behavior: "Sorry, my brother is not talkative. Thank you for your help."
"You don't need to apologize, it's nothing, I don't take it badly at all." Said Orochi with a slight smile
Seeing his smile, Claire, who usually remained impassive, blushed unconsciously. Then left quickly because she was embarrassed.
Am I that beautiful? I can understand her blushing but running away. Anyway.
Orochi left the field to find his family. His father, Takechi, was chatting with Avan, while his mother, Maria, and Alejandro were waiting for him.
"Great job, Orochi," Takechi said, smiling. "I saw how you helped Demian. It was a great show of leadership."
"Thank you dad." Orochi replied. "I think he needs someone to guide him."
Avan, nodding his head, added: "You have a promising future ahead of you, Orochi. Continue on this path. With the abilities you showed today you can directly join the U10 group."
"Seriously ? Orochi, you did it!" Alejandro said happily.
A few hours later, as the evening match approached, Orochi and Alejandro went to the entrance to the stadium locker rooms, eager to meet the players. Orochi had insisted that Alejandro accompany him.
Walking towards the entrance, a curious Alejandro asked: "Orochi, why are you so keen to meet the Sabadell FC players?"
Orochi, his eyes bright with excitement, replied, "There's a player I'm really interested in. His name is Fukuda Tatsuya."
"Fukuda Tatsuya? Japanese? What makes him so special?" asked Alejandro.
Orochi smiled before responding, "Fukuda is known for his incredible technique and his ability to inspire others with his determination and charisma. I want to see with my own eyes what makes him unique."
They continued on their way to the entrance to the locker rooms. The excitement in the air was palpable as fans gathered, hoping to catch a glimpse of their rival team's players. Orochi and Alejandro pushed their way through the crowd, getting closer to the entrance.
When they got off the bus, the players were greeted by journalists and FC Barcelona supporters. The atmosphere was electric.
"You have courage to come here Sabadell!" shouted a supporter.
"Why do you bother showing up here? The outcome of the match is already clearly decided. We will be merciless!" shouted another supporter.
"Yeah ! Go home ! Forfeit!" shouted one last.
The Sabadell players who had just gone down were under enormous pressure from the supporters.
"Haha. Garulla your former supporters are quite scary. Without these security guards, he would have overturned the bus by now." Says a Sabadell FC player.
"It's true that this is your first match at this level Hiero. Plus it's your first time at Camp Nou. Avoid being overwhelmed by pressure." Said Garulla
Heiro was clearly under pressure, he had difficulty moving forward and was sweating a lot.
"And it's nothing, at this rate, you're going to faint when you get into the stadium." Said Garulla
"Where are our supporters anyway? We're only thirty minutes from here. However, I haven't seen any since the bus." Said Heiro panicking.
"You will see." Said Garulla calmly and serenely.
While each player managed the pressure as best they could. There is a player who did not escape the gaze and the opposing pressure. He went directly in front of the Barcelona supporters. This man was Fukuda Tatsuya.
Realizing this, the coach went to him to bring him back to his senses. But the look and the intensity he gave off had nothing to do with fear, it was more determination and desire.
"Fukuda, what are you waiting for? It's best that they don't think you're provoking them, hurry up and go home. This stadium and the Real Madrid Bernabeu are special, don't do anything rash." Said the coach.
"I don't provoke anyone." Fukuda said quietly. "I just enjoy the pressure."
Looking closer, Fukuda saw a child no older than 7 years old juggling a ball.
He spotted me, huh?
To get Fukuda's attention, Orochi grabbed a ball and began juggling with impressive skill. He executed technical movements with disconcerting ease, using both feet fluidly and demonstrating incredible mastery. His face remained impassive, displaying a slightly bored look.
Fukuda, intrigued by the demonstration, approached him. "You have talent, kid. Your ball control is like handling water." he said. "What's your name?"
"Orochi," he replied, his gaze meeting Fukuda's. "Orochi Tsukugami."
Fukuda nodded, clearly interested. "Well Orochi is trying to pass me with the ball. Show me what you can do."
Orochi took a deep breath and prepared himself. The duel began, with Orochi attempting to dribble past Fukuda with his usual technique. Fukuda, experienced and quick, anticipated his moves and blocked his initial attempts with impressive agility.
Seeing that passing Fukuda would be more difficult than he thought, Orochi decided to activate his Emperor's Eyes. Everything became clearer and more precise. Fukuda's every move seemed predictable, as if he saw in advance what his opponent was going to do.
With astonishing precision, Orochi feinted left, then right, leaving Fukuda slightly off-balance. Fukuda, impressed by this sudden increase in skill, began to play more seriously. He redoubled his efforts, trying to block Orochi at every opportunity. But Orochi, using his Emperor's Eyes, anticipated every blocking attempt and dodged them with ease.
To end the duel in style, Orochi decided to use the breath of lightning. He made a series of rapid, almost imperceptible movements and suddenly accelerated. Fukuda had no time to react as Orochi rushed past him with lightning speed, leaving Fukuda motionless behind him.
Fukuda was stunned for a moment, then he burst out laughing, admiring. "Amazing! You managed to surprise me, Orochi. Keep training hard, and you will become an exceptional player."
The whole crowd couldn't believe it. The murmurs of astonishment quickly turned into cheers. Spectators, visibly amazed, reacted with enthusiasm.
"It's incredible ! This kid has talent!" exclaimed a supporter.
"He dribbled past Fukuda like it was nothing!" added another, eyes wide.
"I've never seen anything like this," one man murmured, amazed.
Applause echoed throughout the stadium, as people continued to talk about Orochi's feat. Some were recording the scene on their phones, others were discussing what they had just seen with friends, and everyone had their eyes fixed on the young prodigy who had just captured their attention.
Orochi, out of breath but satisfied, smiled at Fukuda. "Thank you. I'll train even harder." Alejandro, who had observed the whole scene, could not hide his admiration for his friend. "That was amazing, Orochi! I knew you were talented, but this...this was beyond anything I imagined."
Orochi nodded, his eyes still bright with determination. "It's only the beginning, Alejandro. Well, we have to join mom and dad. Besides, the match will start soon."
Alejandro nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, let's go. Today's match is going to be electric."
As they made their way to the stands, the admiring gazes of the spectators followed Orochi. Discussions around his demonstration continued, with some already speculating about his future in football.
"This is fun," Orochi thought, a discreet smile on his lips. They joined their parents who were impatiently waiting for them. Takechi, his face beaming with pride, hugged his son.
As the match's kickoff approached, the Tsukugami family sat back and watched the spectacle. The stadium was buzzing, with supporters of both teams singing and cheering. Orochi, despite his young age, knew that he had just taken an important step towards his dream.