Chapter 50: Defeat
DING!
Blue Prison Team scores! The scoreboard reads: 4 – 3!
The sudden whistle echoed through the field, snapping everyone back to reality.
"Ahhh!! You two are monsters!!" Bachira Meguru jumped onto Yūshin Seiichi's back, nearly knocking him over. "You and Zeya actually broke through five world-class players like it was nothing!"
"I've never seen anything like that," said Hiori Yo, wide-eyed, walking up beside Yūshin Zeya. "That was… world-class synergy."
…
Inside the monitoring room…
"Mr. Jinpachi… this—" Anri covered her mouth, stunned by what she saw.
Jinpachi Ego leaned forward, gripping the armrests of his chair so tightly they creaked.
"It seems… our plans must change," he muttered, a twisted grin crawling across his face.
In that moment, the image of Japan hoisting the World Cup flickered vividly in his mind. The source of that vision? Two glowing silhouettes on the field—Yūshin Seiichi and Yūshin Zeya.
…
"Damn," muttered Luna, emerald eyes narrowing. "I was just here for a quick paycheck… but this is something different."
"I've never seen a connection like that," said Cavazos seriously. "Individually they're strong, but together… it's terrifying."
"For the first time, I'm actually interested," Blake added, calmly adjusting his wristband. His eyes shimmered with quiet resolve.
"I want to crush those two to pieces," Silva growled, rotating his massive neck like a hydraulic machine.
Meanwhile, Loki's eyes were dark—inky shadows rising in them. There was no smugness left. Just fascination.
The World Stars had decided.
It was time to get serious.
…
DING!
Kickoff.
Luna stormed forward with the ball, carving through the Blue Prison defense.
Seiichi met him immediately, cutting off the angle. "You again, braid-boy?" Luna smirked. "Alright… I'll give you a little gift."
His emerald eyes burned gold. Chains of brilliance wrapped around his legs like armor.
But Seiichi didn't flinch. Zeya arrived beside him like a phantom, both brothers collapsing Luna's space with synchronized pressure.
Yet Luna stayed composed. One hand braced each of them off as if swatting aside wind.
"Tch…!"
Even Seiichi gritted his teeth. "He's strong."
"I'll set it up for you," Luna muttered to his teammate. With a swift pivot, he sent the ball to Cavazos on the left.
Cavazos saw the window and flicked the ball with the outside of his boot—
A long curving pass.
"Obvious route!" shouted Hiori, charging in.
"No, no," Cavazos chuckled. "Watch the curve."
Just before Hiori could intercept it, the ball bent away from his path like it had a mind of its own.
"—!"
Rin Itoshi reacted instantly, coming in from the opposite side.
"Got it!" Rin declared.
But Loki had already arrived.
"You're sharp… but not sharp enough."
In a flash, Loki blurred past Rin like he'd teleported.
BOOM!
The ball rocketed into the net like a missile.
DING!
World Star Team scores! Final: 5 – 3.
The whistle blew.
Match over.
…
Seiichi stood frozen, sweat dripping from his chin. The golden glow in his eyes faded to soft blue, the intense clarity he felt before now gone.
"Even though we lost…" he whispered, "that moment… it felt like we could take on the whole world."
The synchronization between him and Zeya—it wasn't just coordination. It was telepathy. At that height, it felt like his thoughts were an extension of Zeya's. They weren't two players.
They were one.
"…I need to figure out how to enter that state again."
…
Luna walked toward them after the match, smile relaxed, gaze honest.
"What are your names?"
Zeya straightened. "Yūshin Zeya."
Luna's eyes glimmered. "I'll remember that."
"And you?" he turned to Seiichi.
"Huh?" Seiichi looked at Zeya. "What's he saying?"
Zeya sighed. "He's asking for your name, baka."
"Oh! Name?"
Seiichi looked at Luna with renewed fire. "Then remember this name well! The man who will become No. 1 in the world!"
"I'm Yūshin Seiichi!"
Luna chuckled. "Alright, Yūshin Seiichi and Yūshin Zeya. Let's meet again—on the real stage next time."
He turned and followed the rest of the World Star team down the tunnel.
…
Seiichi and Zeya stood quietly on the pitch.
They had lost.
But something much more important had awakened.
And next time, they wouldn't fall short.