The ball rested gently at Lucas Tanaka's feet, as if fate had decided to conspire in his favor.
For a brief moment, time seemed to slow down.
The crowd, previously engulfed in murmurs and criticisms of the way Lucas was playing, now watched in silence, waiting for the next move of the boy who had become the center of attention.
Lucas lifted his head and scanned the horizon of the field. He knew he could not falter on this counterattack. Ishikuno was still on his tail, despite the mistake, and the opposing team wasn't going to make it easy.
Every muscle in his body screamed with exhaustion, but the energy he had regained from the elixir gave him a little of what he needed to keep going.
Sweat dripped down his face in thick drops. Despite his fatigue, his feet moved with a precision he didn't even know he still possessed. This was what scientists called skill, basically the result of hard work and consistency in playing soccer.
When the ball hit the turf, Lucas took it with a light, almost affectionate touch and immediately began to run.
Time returned to its normal speed, and with it, the pitch was transformed into a stage of controlled chaos.
The opposing players quickly repositioned themselves, trying to close off the spaces that Lucas could exploit in this counterattack.
The shouts of the coaches mingled with the screams of the fans, who were now completely captivated by the game.
However, a figure appeared on the left side of the pitch. It was Kazuo Inoue, a defensive midfielder from Itou High School, known for his relentless marking and ability to read the game. He had been watching Lucas all game, waiting for the right moment to make his move.
Kazuo was not only a skilled player but also a born strategist. He was the one who used Ishikuno all the time, always setting him up with passes, and he knew that if he could stop Lucas there, Wushia High School's offense would fade along with his energy, and frustration would take hold of the man who had become Itou High School's main obstacle.
Kazuo moved forward with determination, quickly closing the gap between himself and Lucas. The midfielder didn't want to give Lucas any space or time to think about his next move or to make one of his passes. With his gaze fixed on his opponent, he prepared to intercept the ball.
Through his peripheral vision, Lucas saw Kazuo's figure rapidly approaching. Lucas' heart was pounding in his chest, but his face was pure calm. He remembered the skill he had acquired just moments before: Mirage Feint. It was a technique he had never used before, but now it seemed to be the only card he could play to get out of this situation.
Kazuo was only a few meters away when Lucas made the move. With a slight tilt of his body to the right, he gave the impression that he was going to run in that direction.
Kazuo immediately positioned himself to stop him.
Suddenly, Lucas shifted his body weight to the left, the ball following his movement in an almost impossible spin.
The change in direction was so quick and precise that Kazuo, as prepared as he was, couldn't react in time. His feet tried to adjust, but it was too late.
Kazuo still tried to extend his leg to reach the ball, but the illusion created by Lucas' movement caused him to kick into empty air and fall to the ground. His eyes widened in surprise and frustration as he watched helplessly as the junior player moved on.
Shock flashed across his face as he could not believe he had been so easily defeated.
'What the hell? Is he a dribbler like Ishikuno?' Kazuo thought.
He was expecting a simple dribble, but what Lucas did was worthy of a striker. And at that moment, the crowd erupted.
Shouts of admiration and disbelief echoed from the stands as the crowd tried to process what they had just witnessed.
"Did you see that?! How did he do that?"
"That's what?!!!"
"It's unbelievable! He walked past #6 like it was nothing!" Another fan shouted, getting up from his seat to get a better view of the court.
Even the online commentators in their reserved seats were momentarily speechless, until one of them regained his composure and began to describe the play with obvious excitement in his voice:
"And there goes Lucas Tanaka, the boy who doesn't know the word 'give up'! He's just made a spectacular dribble to leave Kazuo Inoue behind! It's a move that will live long in the memory of all Wushia High players, as it seems to mark a shocking turnaround! Lucas' will seems to be catching up with his teammates, because look at him, they're all moving forward with him!"
Lucas could feel his heart beating fast:
'I can do it now! Did you see that, Ishikuno?' he thought with a smile on his face.
The sound of the crowd's shouts seemed far away, almost drowned out by the absolute concentration that filled his mind. The energy that Lucas had created with that spectacular dribble seemed to have spread throughout the entire Wushia High School team, like a bolt of lightning striking the earth and causing everything around it to vibrate.
Nishida, a little further up the court, looked at Lucas and waited for the pass he knew would come.
The ball, which seemed to have a life of its own at Lucas' feet, meandered across the pitch in an almost hypnotic rhythm as he searched for the best moment to make the decisive pass.
Kazuo, still dazed from the previous dribble, tried desperately to reposition himself, but was now just a distant shadow, out of play.
Lucas lifted his head for a moment.
Nishida was free, but not for long. Two Itou High School defenders, like wolves hunting in pairs, began to close in on him, trying to anticipate Lucas' pass, which was logically more likely to go to the team's top scorer.
In fact, Nishidahad the best chance of finishing and scoring; his physique and finishing ability were unique, but the two defenders were already too close.
Lucas realized the risk. If he passed the ball to Nishida at that moment, Nishida might not be able to get away from his markers in time.
The glimmer of opportunity he had seen was fading fast.
Going for the goal alone wasn't possible either. Even if he used
Then, something caught Lucas' eye. A figure standing in the same direction as Nishida, but further back. It was Tsukada, Wushia High School's number 10, running at speed, his eyes fixed on the ball and the space opening up around him. He was free, unmarked, and advancing quickly.
Lucas wasn't so sure about Tsukada, but he made his decision in a split second. He changed the position of his body and directed the pass so that Tsukada was almost alone with the goalkeeper.