April 11th 2025
'Think! Is there anything I can do?
Fujimura is too good of a player...
Tanaka is also a very good striker, they seems like the two main pillars of the team...
So think! How do I outplay Fujimura?'
Morita is furious on the ball, he passes it to Hayashi.
Hayashi runs with it and crosses it over to Morita again.
Fujimura is challenging him.
Morita passes it over to Itoshi.
Itoshi runs up a bit.
Itoshi has Shirota in front of him, Fujimura, Morita, Takanashi, and Hayashi to his left.
But there is an opening between Morita and Takanashi.
'There! If I run through that opening then I only have to get past Kaito Endo!'
Ren runs up.
Itoshi keeps the ball away from Shirota, but he sees Ren running up.
Itoshi simply crosses it, and Ren gets great control over it.
'I can go with this!'
Then Ren looks to his right.
'What!? How is he here!?'
Fujimura is there to challenge him.
'Surely I can beat him, right? Just...
He's probably going to think I'll skill, because that's the obvious thing to do...
But what if I just simply run forward?'
Ren tries this, Fujimura throws out his foot. Ren rolls it back, dodging it.
Ren looks at Fujimura, who isn't looking at the ball, just staring into his eyes.
They looks sad and tired, but filled with anger.
'How can he not look at the ball?
...
Wait...
He's watching my movements... Not just my feet...
That's genius!
That's how he's so good at intercepting and passes and tackles!
It's not possible to move your feet without atleast moving part of your body, and he can see where you're looking, and if you're going to block with your arms...
Does he keep a mental note of the whole pitch then?
Because how can he afford to only look at his opponent?
May-'
"SLEEPING BEAUTY!"
Morita's shout shoots through Ren's ears, bringing him out of his thought.
Morita is asking for a pass?
Ren then sees Fujimura turns his head around to look at Morita.
'If I were just looking at my feet I wouldn't be able to use this!'
By the time Fujimura turns around Ren's already run off.
Morita jumps forward at insane pace.
'I can't just run forward in time... He'll catch up... So I'll...'
Ren just stops in place, kicking the ball up.
'Please work!'
He jumps up into the air, he sees Fujimura struggling to stop behind him.
Ren Splits his legs, and Fujimura runs underneath him.
'Yes!'
He goes to header the ball.
"Hand it over."
Kaito Endo headers it first.
It flies over.
"Thanks!"
Carlos Silva gains control of the ball.
"Hate." Fujimura says.
"Do you ever say more than one word?" Ren asks.
"Sometimes." Fujimura runs forward.
'That was insane. I somehow managed to push my legs to their limits... But that guy Kaito Endo still jumped higher, faster, than me.'
Carlos Silva crossed it over to Tanaka, it was an insanely well placed cross as Tanaka is now through the defence.
'Not again.'
Tanaka is through on goal, no one is there to stop him.
He gets into the box and shoots.
Morita jumps, and barely deflects it.
But the ball lands at Tanaka's feet, and Morita can't get to it.
He slams it in.
...But Endo blocks it!
It flies over the goal.
It's a Kyoto corner.
'Let's go Endo, amazing save!'
"I don't like YOU" Tanaka says angrily to Endo.
On the corner, Endo is near the goal, Morita is marking Fujimura, Ren is marking tanaka.
Keisuke Shirota crosses it, clearly headed for Fujimura.
Fujimura jumps higher than Morita.
'Damn!'
But, suddenly, Onishi leaps up and kicks it, clearing it.
Hayashi recieves it, running up the pitch.
They have one defender back, Kaito Endo.
Hayashi meets him, and his footwork surpasses Kaito's.
Hayashi gets past and is through on their goal.
'Score Hayashi!'
Hayashi slams it as hard as he can.
Ryohei Matsumoto, flying to get it, but he won't be able to.
"Bad."
Fujimura blocks it.
'What!?'
It flies to the right.
'This is why I positioned myself here!'
The second Hayashi got the ball earlier, Ren instantly started sprinting up the pitch.
Now the balls just landed at his feet.
'SHOOT!'
He slams his foot into the ball, it rockets towards the net, tearing through the air.
...
'My goal!'
...
...It hits off the crossbar, and lands at Morita's feet.
At the 10th minute, Morita scores to make the score 2-1.