April 2015 – Shadows and Spotlight
Itoshi Sae sat alone in the Valdebebas training center. The room was dark except for the projector showing match footage. His own match footage.
He didn't rewatch his Champions League debut for the glory. He rewound moments where his timing was just a second off. A pass too safe. A movement too reactive.
He paused the screen on a slow-motion cut of himself passing to Ronaldo.
> "The tempo was wrong," he murmured. "He had to slow down for it."
A week ago, he'd scored in the Champions League Round of 16. The youngest Japanese player ever to do so. The world was in awe.
But Sae wasn't.
> "That wasn't even 70%."
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Trust of the Giants
Ancelotti called him into his office again.
"Luka's managing a muscle load," he said. "You're starting against Valencia."
Sae nodded.
No excitement. Just understanding.
But the murmurs began. Some veterans weren't happy.
Illarramendi, a former starter, crossed him in the hallway with a sneer. "You don't even sweat, kid. You think that's confidence? Looks like arrogance."
Sae tilted his head. "If I wanted your place, I'd have taken it a month ago."
Illarramendi lunged, but Ramos stepped in with a smirk. "Relax. The kid's not wrong."
Even Ronaldo chuckled. "He plays like he's already seen the match in a dream."
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Matchday – La Liga: Real Madrid vs Valencia
The Santiago Bernabéu buzzed with anticipation. Valencia were third in the table and desperate to close the gap.
Sae started as the central attacking midfielder, Modrić resting.
In the 11th minute, he sent a vertical pass between three defenders that split the lines and set Benzema one-on-one.
Goal.
Fans stood up.
In the 24th, Sae pressed high, intercepted a lazy pass, and chipped it toward Ronaldo with his weak foot.
Header. Goal.
By halftime, Real Madrid were up 2–0. Sae had both assists.
But Valencia fought back. In the 70th minute, they equalized. 2–2.
And in the 85th minute, Sae stood over a free kick. Kroos gestured to take it, but Ronaldo stepped back and pointed at Sae.
"Let the kid crown it."
Sae didn't hesitate.
He struck with a sharp, knuckling drive. The wall flinched, the keeper dove, but the net rippled—
3–2.
Sae didn't celebrate. He just jogged back.
But the Bernabéu erupted.
The headline wrote itself:
"The Prince of Madrid"
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Off the Pitch – Media Frenzy
Every sports channel replayed his free kick. Every journalist wanted an interview. Japanese networks called him the heir to Hidetoshi Nakata and Keisuke Honda—combined.
But Sae turned down all interviews.
> "Talking won't make me better."
Social media didn't care. Clips of him went viral. He was trending on Spanish Twitter for 3 straight days.
Rin saw them.
In a quiet locker room at La Masia, he scrolled past Sae's goal on his phone.
"The Prince of Madrid."
He clenched his teeth.
> "Then I'll become the Emperor."
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Internal Friction
As Sae's minutes increased, so did tension in the dressing room. Some players whispered he was being favored because he was "a marketing tool."
One night after training, Nacho confronted him.
"You think you've earned everything already?"
Sae looked him dead in the eyes.
"I don't think. I prove."
He walked away.
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Champions League Quarterfinal – Real Madrid vs Juventus (First Leg)
April 29, 2015
Allianz Stadium, Turin
Ancelotti started Sae again.
This time, Pirlo was on the opposing team.
A master of control.
For the first 20 minutes, Sae was muted—Pirlo read every pass, closed every lane.
Then something shifted.
Sae stopped chasing the ball.
He started controlling space.
He moved to open zones, drew defenders subtly, then released split-second passes that left Juventus scrambling.
Pirlo looked at him with something close to amusement.
> "He's only sixteen?"
In the 78th minute, Sae received a laser pass from Marcelo at the edge of the box.
He didn't trap it.
He let it run past and flicked it with his heel into Ronaldo's path.
Tap in. Goal.
The match ended 1–1.
But the press called it Sae's tactical breakout.
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Behind Closed Doors – Ancelotti's Verdict
In a team meeting the next day, Ancelotti paused the tape during Sae's assist.
"This," he said, "is intelligence under pressure. This is what separates players from greats."
He looked directly at Sae.
"Don't lose this."
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Rising Tensions, Rising Future
The Japan Football Association sent scouts to Spain. Discussions began around Sae being called up to the senior national team—despite being only sixteen.
One report said:
> "We've never had a player ready for the World Cup at sixteen. But this kid… isn't normal."
But Sae wasn't thinking about Japan.
He was already watching footage of Barcelona vs Bayern, analyzing movement, patterns, angles.
He whispered:
> "I need better opponents."
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Epilogue – Two Paths, One War
That same night, Rin finished a La Masia U18 match with 2 goals and 1 assist. He looked up at the sky and thought:
> "You can have Madrid. I'll conquer the world."
And somewhere across Spain, Sae walked past a trophy case in the Bernabéu's halls, whispering:
> "When I'm done… even history will kneel."
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End of Chapter 12