The air grew heavier with every passing second. The pressure, the desperation—every player on this field knew that survival meant crushing those in front of them. The score still stood at 2-1 in favor of Team 1, but Team 2 was fighting like cornered beasts.
In the center of it all, Kazuya Mori and Kaede Arata locked into a brutal one-on-one. Their footwork was precise, their vision sharp, and their egos clashed like lightning.
"I won't lose to you, Mori!" Arata hissed, his eyes burning with resolve.
"Then try and take the ball from me!" Mori challenged, his calm demeanor masking his ruthless intent.
Arata lunged in, but Mori executed a quick V-Drag, pulling the ball back and shifting direction in one fluid motion. Arata adjusted immediately, cutting off the angle—but Mori was already one step ahead.
"Too slow!"
With a perfectly-timed Sombrero Flick, Mori chipped the ball over Arata's head and spun past him with ease. The crowd of players burst into motion around them, the game accelerating at breakneck speed.
"Cover him!" Riku Saionji barked, but Mori's vision was unparalleled.
He spotted Kazuki Shindo's run and launched a razor-sharp pass down the wing.
"Shindo!"
Shindo took off like a bullet, his speed nearly inhuman. He powered forward, his movements sharp and controlled. But Sora Amagi was right there to meet him.
"Let's see how far you've come!" Amagi grinned, his eyes dancing with excitement.
The two speed demons collided.
Shindo feinted left and burst right, but Amagi's Phantom Step blurred his form, matching him step for step. They clashed, their feet moving too fast for the eye to follow—until Shindo's patience ran out.
"Get out of my way!"
Shindo activated his Thunderclap Drive, his acceleration spiking as he finally broke free—only to find Isamu Oda blocking his path.
"I'm not letting you through!" Oda growled, his defensive prowess on full display.
But Shindo wasn't the same player he had been before.
With a dazzling Elastico, he slipped past Oda's tackle and charged into the box. The goal was in sight—
"You're not scoring that easily!"
Takuma Ogawa stood ready, his eyes locked onto Shindo. But at the last second, Shindo changed direction and crossed the ball—
Straight to Tetsuya Aikawa.
"Finish it!" Shindo roared.
Aikawa planted his foot and unleashed a devastating Volley Shot, the power behind it enough to shake the stadium.
"Not happening!"
Ogawa launched himself into the air—and with an incredible one-handed save, he deflected the shot out of bounds.
"Damn it!" Aikawa cursed, his frustration clear.
The game reset, but the fire on the field only grew hotter.
Renji Kurogami stood at midfield, his eyes scanning every inch of the pitch. He could feel it—the shift in momentum, the hunger in every player. But his own desire burned brighter than anyone's.
"This isn't over," he whispered.
As the ball was thrown back into play, the most intense battle of EOS was only beginning.
To be continued…