One minute.
That was all that remained.
The scoreboard still read:
Southside 3 – 3 Nocturne
One attack.
One mistake.
One goal.
That was all it would take.
The referee glanced at his watch as the ball bounced loose near midfield.
Yusuke reacted first.
He slid in front of Theo, poked the ball free, and recovered it in one smooth motion.
The stadium exploded.
"GO!"
Yusuke accelerated.
His first touch carried him past the halfway line.
His second split two defenders.
His third pushed him into acres of open grass.
The crowd was screaming his name.
"YUSUKE!"
"YUSUKE!"
"YUSUKE!"
He heard none of it.
His eyes were fixed on the goal.
This is it.
We're going to win.
Behind him...
Riku stopped.
For just a heartbeat.
The cheers echoed through his ears.
Yusuke.
Again.
Always Yusuke.
His breathing slowed.
The fire inside his eyes burned hotter.
Then—
he moved.
One step.
Fast.
Another.
Faster.
He surged past Hiroto.
Past Takumi.
Past Yuma.
Every stride became quicker than the last.
His legs pumped harder.
His body leaned further forward.
The gap disappeared.
"If Yusuke never showed up..."
Another burst.
He was twice as fast as he had been only moments before.
The distance shrank rapidly.
"If Yusuke never showed up..."
His fists clenched.
"People wouldn't have started ignoring me..."
His pace climbed again.
Three times faster.
The wind screamed past his ears.
The crowd slowly realized someone was charging from behind.
Their cheers turned into confused murmurs.
"Who's that?"
"Wait..."
"Riku?!"
Yusuke glanced over his shoulder.
His eyes widened.
"Riku?"
Riku didn't answer.
His fire only burned brighter.
"I'm sick of you stealing my thunder, Yusuke."
His body surged again.
Faster.
Four times the pace he'd started with.
He caught Yusuke in an instant.
Without slowing down, he hooked his foot around the ball.
Clean.
Perfect.
He stole possession.
Yusuke stumbled to a stop.
"Riku!"
Riku didn't even look at him.
"...Out of the way, loser."
He exploded forward.
The stadium fell silent.
Theo stepped in first.
Riku cut left.
Theo grabbed nothing but air.
Marc Pelletier rushed him.
Riku slipped between Marc and Jules through a gap that barely existed.
Lucien chased desperately.
Too slow.
Réservoir finally stepped forward.
For the first time all match...
The calm midfielder looked genuinely surprised.
Riku dropped his shoulder.
Réservoir committed.
Wrong side.
Riku was already gone.
Only Aka remained.
The stadium held its breath.
Aka stood perfectly still.
Waiting.
Watching.
Riku charged straight at him.
Neither player blinked.
At the last possible moment, Riku tapped the ball to the outside and burst past.
Aka spun to recover.
Too late.
For the first time all game...
Someone had beaten him cleanly.
The crowd erupted.
Only the goalkeeper remained.
Adrien stepped off his line.
He spread his arms.
Closed the angle.
Riku didn't slow.
Twenty-five metres.
Twenty-four.
Twenty-three.
Then...
Twenty-two.
He planted his left foot.
His right leg swung forward with everything he had.
The strike cracked through the stadium like thunder.
The ball left his foot like a missile.
Adrien dove.
Full stretch.
Everything he had.
He wasn't even close.
The shot screamed into the top corner.
The net exploded backward.
For a heartbeat...
Nobody reacted.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Then—
GOAL!
The stadium detonated.
The referee blew his whistle.
FULL TIME!
The scoreboard changed one final time.
Southside 4 – 3 Nocturne
Southside had done it.
They had completed the comeback.
Yusuke stood frozen near midfield, staring at Riku.
His emotions were impossible to read.
Shock.
Relief.
Confusion.
Riku didn't celebrate wildly.
He simply stood there in front of the goal he'd just won the match in, breathing heavily.
Coach Daniel let out a long breath on the touchline.
A small smile crossed his face.
"...You really did make it a match nobody will forget."
Around them, Southside's players rushed toward Riku, while Nocturne stood in stunned silence.
Even Aka watched him without saying a word.
For one unforgettable moment...
The entire stadium acknowledged only one player.
Riku.
The captain who returned for one final match.
The hero who disappeared.
And the one who made sure nobody would ever forget his name again.
To Be Continued