Football isn't chess

[On the Field]

The sun was high and blazing over the stadium, casting golden heat over the turf. The stands buzzed with energy as both teams jogged out.

Elijah's heart pounded in his chest.

Today's the day… my first time playing real football, he thought, gripping his gloves tightly, his nerves coiled like springs.

Kyren stood in front of the team, calm but commanding.

"Remember what we practiced yesterday. Stick to the routes. Trust your instincts," he said, eyes scanning each of them.

"We're not just here to play. We're here to win."

Matthew cracked his neck with a smirk.

"There's no way we're losing not when we've got the great Architect on our team."

Fugo grinned but rubbed the back of his neck.

"Let's hope your ego can back up your passes…"

Suddenly, a shift in the crowd's roar Team A stepped onto the field. They were calm, cocky, and sharp. Five players walked with synced confidence. At the center of them stood a tall, broad-shouldered figure with slicked-back dreads, cool eyes, and a grin that screamed arrogance.

Kairo Takeda.

Cloe's eyes narrowed.

"There they are… Team A."

The two teams approached the midfield, facing each other. Kairo didn't break stride. He stopped inches from Kyren, smirked, and let his voice slice through the air.

"So this is my opponent? The Architect?" Kairo scoffed.

"Sad, really. You might be talented, but today... I shut you down. Because I'm the king of this field."

He turned and brushed past Elijah, giving him a rough shoulder bump. Elijah stumbled slightly, his fists clenching.

"Don't mind him," Matthew said, placing a hand on Elijah's shoulder. "He's always like that."

"You know him?" Fugo asked.

Matthew nodded grimly. "Yeah… We used to play on the same team. He was a beast back then, and now? He's worse."

The whistle blew.

First play.

Kyren took position behind Cloe. "Let's go!"

He caught the snap and dropped back to pass but before his eyes could even track a target, Kairo blitzed the pocket like lightning.

"What the—?!"

Kyren tried to dodge, but Kairo was already there, cutting off his escape route, hands slapping the ball free.

In a blur, Kairo scooped it up, turned, and hurled it to his teammate streaking down the field.

The player caught it in stride Elijah chased hard, but was juked with a lightning spin.

Fugo dived missed.

"TOOOOOOOUCHDOOOOOOWN!!!"** shouted the announcer.

Team A: 7 — Team D: 0

Kairo turned around, walking backward toward them, arms wide like a king receiving praise.

"I told you, didn't I?" he shouted over the field.

"I'm the king that shuts down your weak little blueprints, Mr. Architect."

Kyren's jaw clenched.

"That was luck," he muttered under his breath.

Matthew glanced at him.

"You good?"

Kyren's eyes narrowed, focused. The ego flared.

"Yeah... but if he thinks I'm going down like this, he hasn't seen what the Architect can build from pressure."

Team D huddled up.

Kyren's face was stoic, but the fire in his eyes betrayed his calm.

"Elijah, you need to apply pressure faster. Don't wait for him to move predict him. Fugo, Matthew, sharpen your cuts. We'll hit them back."

"Got it," Elijah said, bouncing on his toes.

"Let's hit them,"*Matthew added, slapping his chest.

Play resumed.

Kyren took the snap. He scanned the field Cloe snapped to his route, Fugo cut in

But there he was again. Kairo. Like a storm.

He leapt through the O-line and batted Kyren's arm mid-throw. Fumble.

Team A's player scooped the ball, and in a blink, they were running it back.

Elijah charged.

But Kairo moved into position, blocking him off just enough.

TOUCHDOWN.

Team A: 14 Team D: 0

Kyren slammed his fist against his thigh. "Damn it!"

Kairo jogged back, smirking. "Is that all, Architect? I expected you to actually design.

Coach Zidane sits with his arms folded, eyes locked onto the field monitor. The sound of defeat still lingers in the air.

"Figure it out, you genius…" he mutters, voice dripping with disdain.

Zalika's voice cuts in, filled with confusion.

"How is he even losing? My brother's one of the best QBs I've ever seen."

Zidane turns his head slightly, but his gaze remains icy.

"Your brother is a great quarterback. But he's not a king. Not yet."

Zalika flinches. "What do you mean?"

Zidane leans forward, eyes sharp like blades.

"Being great at throwing a football isn't the same as controlling the battlefield. Kyren's plays don't fail because of his talent. They fail because he hasn't dominated the field with his drive. He hasn't bent the game to his will."

He taps the screen where Kairo is shown celebrating another sack.

"Kairo is a king at his role. He doesn't just play linebacker he owns that space. Every snap, every blitz, every tackle… he imposes his existence onto the field. That's drive. That's what your brother lacks right now."

He stands up now, voice rising.

"Football isn't chess. You don't win with safe moves and good ideas. You win by making everyone else submit to your vision. Until Kyren understands that... he's just another talented player trying not to drown."

A pause. Silence.

Then Zidane cracks a smirk.

"Let's see if the so-called Architect can build himself out of this mess."