NOVEL NEXT Chapter 57: Tactical Resolve
The locker room of Eternal Era pulsed with quiet intensity. Neon-blue walls hummed with the academy's power grid, the soft vibration matching the heartbeat of the players.
Jason stood before the team's holographic display, hands clasped behind his back, eyes sharp.
"Three matches in," he began slowly. "Two losses. One win."
He paused, letting the words hang. "Our victory against the Black Meteors wasn't luck. It was discipline, courage, and belief. But one win doesn't make a comeback — consistency does."
The players listened in silence. Blaze sat near the corner, elbows resting on his knees, eyes calm. Across the room, Diego kept his head low, pretending to tighten his boots.
Jason tapped the console, and a rotating galaxy map appeared, zooming in on the Galactic League standings. Eternal Era glowed in 15th place, up three spots after their recent win.
"That win kept us in the conversation," Jason said. "But slip again, and we fall back into obscurity. The next game decides if we're rising — or fading."
The projection shifted again — highlighting their next opponent.Solar Blades – Rank 14.
Their logo, twin suns crossed by swords, burned on the display.
"Do not underestimate them," Jason warned. "They may be ranked low, but their counterattacks are vicious. They thrive on chaos — exactly the kind of team that punishes arrogance."
He swiped the air, bringing up a 4-3-3 holographic layout. The midfield pulsed brighter.
"We'll hold formation. Lionel and Stronghold — guard the wall. Anastasia and Scarlet — choke their transitions before they reach midfield."
Anastasia twirled a holographic ball between her fingers, focused. Scarlet cracked her knuckles, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Then Jason looked toward the forwards. "And up front…"
The air changed.
"…Blaze starts."
A ripple of surprise spread through the room. Scarlet grinned. Anastasia's lips curved in approval. But Diego's shoulders stiffened.
Jason's gaze flicked toward him, just long enough to register the tension. Then back to Blaze.
"You earned this," he said. "But remember — leadership isn't scoring alone. It's keeping the team's pulse steady."
Blaze nodded. "Understood."
Jason stepped closer to the center, voice low but charged. "You've all sacrificed to be here. Blood, sleep, family. The galaxy doesn't remember who tried — only who wins."
He pointed toward the holographic pitch. "Play like your names depend on it. Because they do."
Silence held — then Scarlet smirked. "Let's make it two in a row."
Laughter rippled through the team, tension breaking. Even Diego forced a small grin.
Jason allowed himself the faintest smile. "That's the spirit. Suit up."
The tunnel buzzed with electric anticipation. Lights strobed across the metal walls, reflecting off plated boots and chrome helmets. Above, the roar of seventy thousand fans rolled like thunder.
"E-ter-nal! E-ter-nal! Blaze the way!"
Blaze flexed his hands, sparks of crimson lightning flickering along his arms. His teammates lined beside him — Anastasia's emerald aura swirling like falling leaves, Scarlet's red blaze pulsing bright, Lionel's gray energy dense and grounded.
Across the tunnel, Solar Blades stood ready. Their captain, tall and smirking, carried twin sun sigils glowing across his armor.
Jason's calm voice came through Blaze's comm-link.
"Patience. They'll burn hot and fast. Let them tire themselves."
"Got it," Blaze murmured.
Scarlet nudged him. "First goal's yours?"
He smirked. "You'll see."
Anastasia raised an eyebrow. "Something flashy again?"
"Maybe something new." His lightning pulsed faintly. "You'll know when you see it."
The referee's whistle sliced the air.
Both squads stepped onto the pitch, greeted by the storm of light and sound.
Eternal Era vs. Solar Blades — Galactic Division Match 4.
Blaze glanced toward the sideline. Jason stood calm, arms folded. Diego sat behind him, eyes hard and unreadable.
"Kick-off in 3… 2… 1…"
The field shimmered as the match began.
Solar Blades burst forward, flaring light energy with every step — a storm of brilliance.
Lionel met the first assault head-on. His Titan ability, Stronghold's Grasp, activated — gravitational ripples locked him in place as he deflected a blazing shot.
"Not today," he growled, sending the rebound toward Anastasia.
She twisted through the midfield with dancer's grace, her Autumn Step scattering golden particles. Scarlet closed in, their rhythm fluid — two halves of the same beat.
"Now, Blaze!" Anastasia called, flicking the ball forward.
Blaze darted through the line — crimson trails igniting in his wake as Elemental Speed kicked in. The pitch trembled under his surge.
Two defenders lunged. Blaze smiled.
"Too slow."
He vanished in a flicker — Vanishing Step — reappearing meters ahead, the ball magnetized to his foot. Gasps rippled through the stadium.
He twisted mid-sprint, lifted the ball, and unleashed his new technique: Infernal Coil.
Lightning spiraled around the ball, coiling like a serpent of fire and plasma.
The keeper dove — too late. The ball bent mid-flight, swerving violently before detonating into the net's top corner.
GOAL! 1–0 Eternal Era!
The arena exploded. Chants thundered through the stands: "BLAZE! BLAZE! BLAZE!"
Scarlet jumped onto his back. "That's the 'something new,' huh?"
He grinned, catching his breath. "Just the opening note."
Jason's voice came through the link. "Good execution. Stay disciplined — the match has only started."
"Understood, Coach."
But beneath the calm, something old and fierce stirred — the hunger to lead, to prove.
Eternal Era kept pressing. Scarlet's relentless wing runs tore gaps in Solar Blades' defense, Anastasia's sharp crosses carving paths for Blaze. Lionel anchored the backline like a wall of iron.
Jason watched from the sideline, silent but proud. They were finally playing like a unit — no fear, no hesitation.
And yet, just behind him, Diego sat stone-still, jaw tight, eyes locked on the field. Every time Blaze touched the ball, Diego's aura flared faintly — golden, restrained, but burning with something darker than ambition.
The first-half whistle blew.
Eternal Era led 1–0.
Jason exhaled, nodding once. "Good. But don't lose focus," he murmured to himself.
Because he knew the real test wasn't the opponent ahead — it was the storm simmering on his own bench.
And somewhere in the shadows beyond the stadium, the Hunters waited — their message clear and cold:When the time comes, call Diego.