The First Whistle

The referee's whistle echoed through the stadium, signaling the start of what could be Kagoshima's final match. With their club on the verge of being shut down, this was their last chance to prove they deserved to exist.

Ryota placed the ball at the center circle, eyes scanning the field. Takahashi stood beside him, arms crossed, looking distant. Gabriel, standing just behind them, exhaled sharply.

"Let's go," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.

The ball rolled, and Kagoshima started with possession. From the get-go, Izumi High's players didn't rush in recklessly. They merely applied a light press, staying disciplined, waiting for their opponents to make a mistake. Their relaxed body language spoke volumes—they knew they were the better team, and their confidence showed.

Gabriel received the ball near the center of the field, instantly scanning for an open play. But Izumi's players were positioned too well, cutting off passing lanes. With no immediate options, he decided to take matters into his own hands and pushed forward.

Ryujin, Izumi's defensive midfielder, stepped up. A solid, physical presence, he was quick to engage, matching Gabriel stride for stride. The moment Gabriel tried to cut inside, Ryujin read him perfectly and muscled him off the ball.

Gabriel stumbled slightly, cursing under his breath.

Izumi had possession now.

What followed was a display of their signature style—quick, precise passes, shifting the ball from one side to the other effortlessly. Gabriel clenched his jaw as he watched their control, their ease with the ball.

"They're comfortable in possession," he thought. "Which means most of their players are good on the ball. That makes them the worst possible opponent for us."

Frustration boiled in his chest. He refused to let them dictate the match. If they wanted possession, then Kagoshima needed to press harder.

"Go!" Gabriel called out, charging forward to initiate a press.

Kenta and Renji followed him, closing in on their marks. For a moment, it seemed like they could disrupt Izumi's flow. But then Renji hesitated, leaving an open space in the midfield. Izu, one of their central midfielder, spotted it instantly and threaded a vertical pass upfield.

Akon received it.

Despite his languid movements, Akon was dangerously skilled. He barely looked like he was exerting himself, yet his natural talent was undeniable. In a one-on-one situation with Gen, the lone defensive midfielder, he shifted his weight left before darting right, completely losing his marker.

Now with time and space, Akon sent a perfectly weighted diagonal ball to the opposite side of the field.

Aiko, their left winger, sprinted forward as the pass landed right at his feet.

Jun, Kagoshima's right-back, immediately closed in. Aiko attempted to use his speed to blow past him, but Jun had anticipated it. With a perfectly timed interception, he cut off the attack.

A brief sigh of relief passed through the Kagoshima players.

Jun turned, looking for an option, and spotted Gen free in the middle. Without hesitation, he passed the ball.

But Gen's first touch betrayed him.

The ball bounced off his foot awkwardly, and before he could recover, Izu swooped in and stole it.

Seeing Kintaro making a run, Izu wasted no time delivering a crisp pass to his feet. Kintaro controlled it, eyes darting for an opening. However, by then, Renji, Kenta, and Gabriel had returned to their positions.

Instead of forcing an attack, Kintaro played it back to Izu, and Izumi resumed their possession game.

For the next five minutes, they passed the ball around effortlessly, making Kagoshima chase shadows. Every attempt to close them down was met with a simple, precise pass to escape pressure. Gabriel watched in frustration, feeling powerless. It wasn't just their skill—it was their chemistry, their understanding of each other's movements.

They were playing a different sport entirely.

Then, finally, a mistake.

One of Izumi's defenders misplaced a pass near their own half.

Ryota intercepted it.

A burst of energy shot through him as he surged forward. With Izumi's defensive structure momentarily broken, he had space. Izumi's players scrambled to recover, but Ryota was already accelerating.

He drove toward the box, the goal in his sights. But then, just as he entered the penalty area, Fubuki stepped up.

Ryota braced himself for the impact.

Despite his slim frame, Fubuki was unshakable. Ryota tried to muscle past him, but it was like hitting a brick wall.

Realizing he couldn't break through, Ryota looked up and spotted Takahashi making a run. Without thinking, he whipped a cross into the box.

The ball sailed through the air.

Too high.

Takahashi leaped, but it was beyond his reach, bouncing harmlessly away.

A wasted opportunity.

Gabriel clenched his fists but forced himself to stay composed. Instead of dwelling on it, he shouted encouragement.

"Keep pushing!"

If nothing else, they had to keep fighting.

The match continued in the same pattern—Izumi dominating possession, Kagoshima scrambling to keep up. Every attempt to win back the ball was met with relentless passing, as if Izumi was toying with them.

Gabriel's patience was wearing thin. He could see it in his teammates too. Even Ryota, normally composed, was growing restless.

Then, another chance.

Jun, still sharp from earlier, intercepted a risky pass from Izumi's backline. This time, he didn't hesitate. Instead of passing to the midfield, he sent a long ball straight to Gabriel.

Gabriel controlled it smoothly, already looking ahead.

Izumi's defense was shifting, adjusting their shape. He needed to act fast.

With a sharp turn, he drove forward.

Ryujin was on him again.

But this time, Gabriel was ready.

As Ryujin lunged in, Gabriel flicked the ball to his right, spinning away from the challenge. A clean escape.

Now in space, he saw an opening—Takahashi making a diagonal run behind the defense.

Gabriel didn't hesitate.

He threaded a perfectly weighted through-ball into the box.

A moment of hesitation—

Takahashi didn't caught up he didn't expect him to throw him that pass.

The goalkeeper anticipated and caught the ball in his hand

A groan of frustration rippled through Gabriel.

It was close.

Gabriel exhaled sharply, hands on his knees. He wasn't sure if he was more exhausted or frustrated.

The goalkeeper didn't waste a second.

Seeing that Kagoshima's players hadn't fully reset their positions, he launched a long throw toward Fubuki, who was already advancing. The ball traveled swiftly, and Fubuki controlled it effortlessly, pushing forward with purpose.

Ryota, realizing the danger, rushed to close him down, shoulder to shoulder. He tried to use his physicality to disrupt Fubuki's run, but Fubuki barely budged. He was deceptively strong for his lean build.

With a quick glance up, Fubuki saw Akon standing unmarked in the midfield. Without hesitation, he played a sharp pass to him.

Renji had anticipated the pass and lunged in to intercept. But Akon, ever aware, sensed him coming. Just before Renji could reach him, Akon shifted his body as if he was going to take the ball left—only to feint and cut right instead. Renji lost his balance momentarily, and in that split second, Akon took full control of the midfield.

Kenta stepped up, attempting to pressure him, but Akon was unfazed. With a smooth directional touch, he eliminated Kenta as well, gliding forward unchallenged.

Izumi's players were moving in perfect sync. Kintaro had drifted into space, capitalizing on the defensive gaps left by Jun, who had shifted inside to cover Renji's mistake. Akon spotted the run immediately and delivered a precise pass to Kintaro's feet.

Kintaro controlled the ball and cut inside, his eyes scanning the field. Further up, Moriyama made a run toward the box. Kintaro, ever the playmaker, knew exactly what to do. He curled a pass between the defenders, threading it into the danger zone.

Kirin and Akira both reacted, trying to intercept.

But Moriyama was quicker.

With perfect timing, he slipped between them, rising into the air as the ball arrived. He met it with a powerful header, directing it toward the goal with precision.

The net rippled.

Goal.

For a moment, there was silence in the Kagoshima camp. Then, a sharp exhale from Gabriel.

Moriyama didn't celebrate.

He simply turned back toward his position. As he passed by Gabriel, he muttered with a sigh, "It's not even funny. Why did we even come?"

Gabriel clenched his fists, his blood boiling at the sheer indifference in Moriyama's voice. His teeth ground together as the referee's whistle blew to signal halftime.

Kagoshima trailed behind Izumi, and the weight of their club's future pressed heavier on their shoulders.