Captain Tsubasa: My Way

The stadium suddenly fell silent, you could've heard a pin drop.

Then, my right foot connected with the ball.

I struck.

The sound of the ball hitting the net echoed, followed by the final whistle.

"Well done, Shin!" my grandfather shouted, piercing through the heavy silence.

"Yes, it's in—GOAL! Orochi seals the match! Azumaichi FC will face Nankatsu SC in the final!" the commentator recovered, his voice triggering the crowd back into motion, bursting into cheers and noise.

It was simple, really, my shot hadn't been flashy. No spin. No curve. Just a flat, low-driven strike.

That alone seemed to throw off Wakashimazu, who stood frozen, unable to react.

My teammates rushed in, celebrating around me.

Hyuga dropped to his knees, head lowered.

"We lost..." he murmured.

From the stands.

"Stand up, Kojiro!"

"Big bro, you gave it your all!"

"You were amazing!"

His younger siblings were shouting encouragement through the tears.

Hyuga slowly rose, lifted his head, and walked toward me.

"Congratulations, Shin Orochi. Next time we meet… I'll be stronger."

"So will I, Kojiro Hyuga." I replied.

In the stands.

"Looks like you were wrong." said Ishizaki.

"Indeed. I didn't expect that outcome." replied Wakabayashi.

"It's a shame… I really wanted to get my revenge on Hyuga. But I'm looking forward to facing Orochi nonetheless." Tsubasa added, standing up from his seat.

Back on the field.

I was near the stands, talking with my grandparents.

"Shin, you were amazing." my grandfather said.

"Thanks, Grandpa."

"Your grandfather kept yelling every time you touched the ball." my grandmother added, shooting him a glance from the corner of her eye.

"Can't a man be proud of his grandson?" he replied, and she just laughed.

"Alright, I'll leave you two for now. I'm heading to the locker room." I told them.

On my way there, I ran into Roberto.

"Nice job, kid. Tomorrow's the day we find out if you were right." he said, walking past me.

"We'll see tomorrow." I answered as he passed by.

That evening, in the hotel room.

"We've made it." said Soda. "Just one more match to win." he added, lying on the bed.

"It all went by so fast." said Tsuji.

"You've got that right." I said from the bathroom while brushing my teeth. I rinsed my mouth and then joined them in the room.

"You'll need to be ready to take care of Misaki, Soda. I'll handle Tsubasa." I told him.

"Nankatsu has a lot of weapons we'll have to deal with—not even counting Tsubasa. There's Misaki, the Otomo quartet, and Wakabayashi who returns in goal." I added.

After talking with my roommates, I stepped outside to get some air.

"Hard to believe this is only the first step." I murmured.

The next day… it was the big day.

A massive crowd was heading to the stadium. We walked onto the pitch after our coach's final words in the locker room.

Coach Ikeda's speech was brief.

"I want to congratulate you all for your journey so far. The road has been tough, but we always came out on top. Makoto, you've proven yourself to be an exceptional defender, capable of cutting off even the best aces."

"Thank you, Coach." Soda replied sincerely.

"Toru, your vision has allowed us to move the ball with greater ease." he continued.

Nakai nodded in acknowledgment.

"And you, Shin, your talent has carried this team to new heights."

"Thank you for the kind words, Mr. Ikeda." I replied. He nodded in return.

"And all of you, you've done great. None of you have anything to be ashamed of. Now give it everything you've got in this final match!" he finished.

"Yes, Coach!" we all responded.

We lined up side by side with the Nankatsu team.

The sun beat down on us as we emerged from the tunnel, greeted by the roar of the crowd.

We bowed to the audience, then greeted our opponents.

"This is the final of the National Tournament! Facing off, Nankatsu SC, representing Shizuoka Prefecture, versus Azumaichi FC, representing Osaka Prefecture!

At the end of this game, we will know the name of our champion! The match is about to begin!" the commentator announced with excitement.

We took our positions on the field.

[ Tsubasa Ozora's POV ]

'Even though I thought I'd be playing this final against Hyuga and Meiwa, it doesn't matter in the end. What matters is that I made it here. Roberto, I hope you're watching closely. I'm going to win this match, and just like you promised, you'll take me to Brazil.

We have to win this game, no matter what.' I thought to myself, glancing at the stands, then across the field toward Orochi.

[ Shin's POV ]

I stretched a bit, feeling my muscles loosen up, when I suddenly sensed someone's gaze fixed on me. It was Tsubasa.

He was staring at me with determination.

I understood exactly what was going through his mind.

[ Kaori Matsumoto's POV ]

My assistant looked down at the pitch. The stadium was buzzing with excitement, the stands packed with fans waving banners and chanting.

"This match will decide who we recruit." he remarked. "But... if it ends in a draw, if I may ask, madam, who will we go for in that case?"

I glanced at the field.

"Don't concern yourself." I replied calmly. "The player we'll take has already been chosen. No matter the result today. Let's enjoy the match."

He leaned back slightly. "Understood, as you wish."

[ Shin's POV ]

The tension on the pitch was thick as the referee walked to the center circle, the ball in his hand. Nankatsu had won the toss and would start with possession.

I bounced on my toes, loosening up, roar of the crowd echoed in my ears.

Then, he raised his whistle to his lips.

As I looked across the field, I noticed Tsubasa staring right at me. His expression was calm, but I could see the fire in his eyes.

So, he's ready. So am I.

The whistle blew.