Kira stared intently at the opponents from Dormitory 174. Ren, with the composure of a seasoned player. The goalkeeper, who had made an incredible save. And now, Hiroto Kazama — the Joker. A striker with no fixed team, who would play with everyone. A stranger… who didn't feel like a stranger to the game.
They're incredible, Kira thought, biting his lower lip. With players like these… how are we supposed to win?
The whistle blew. The match had begun.
Kira received a pass from Tanaka, but he was distracted. The touch he gave to Yuta was weak — a gift for Ren. He intercepted it easily and started advancing, his steps firm, his eyes predatory. The path to the goal looked wide open.
But Tanaka appeared like lightning. He slid across the field with a clean, precise tackle, taking the ball from Ren before he could set up the shot. The ball rolled toward the sideline, almost going out… until Min-jun showed up.
Like an arrow, he sprinted down the line, regaining control and leaving two defenders behind with a light, sharp touch.
The opponents tried to trap him, but his speed was unreal.
Then the Joker appeared — Hiroto. Silent, like a moving shadow. Min-jun didn't panic. He passed the ball with precision to Yuta, who immediately returned it to Tanaka.
Tanaka advanced calmly, raising his pinky finger in the air. Yuta understood.
The two sprinted toward the box.
Tanaka delivered a perfect cross.
Yuta leapt for the header, hitting it hard toward the goal. The keeper reacted fast and deflected it… but the ball landed at Min-jun's feet — already in place.
Without hesitation, he fired it into the corner.
Goal.
Tanaka turned to Kira, lifting his hand in a calm gesture.
— Come on, Kira. Take a breath and calm down. There's still a lot of match left.
Kira swallowed hard, closed his eyes for a moment, and thought:
Yeah… I need to calm down. They're amazing — but so are we.
The ball was back in play. The opposing team's midfielder passed to Ren, who moved forward and played it to the Joker. Hiroto crossed it into the box, but Tanaka won the aerial duel. Still, the ball fell at the feet of another striker, who shot hard.
Min-jun, like a blur, hurled himself into the ball with his insane speed, blocking the shot at the last second. Tanaka then cleared it far away — breaking the threat.
The ball ended up with Kira, who started running forward. Ren came after him, grabbing him slightly to hold him back. Kira passed to Yuta and kept charging toward the box. Yuta then sent a cross toward him — a bit off to the side.
Kira twisted his body mid-air and fired a first-time volley — just like the Joker had done before.
The ball hit the inside of the right net.
Goal.