NOVEL NEXT Chapter 86: The First Strike
Raya exhaled slowly, lifting his fist to the side where Haruma stood. Haruma, calm and focused, met his fist with his own, a silent gesture sealing their resolve before the two stepped out together, leading the pack of Wolves behind them.
The instant the Wolves emerged, the stadium erupted, cheers crashing down like thunder. Ruri and Seiji jumped to their feet, voices raised in excitement, while Keiichi remained seated, watching in silence.
Ruri and Seiji sprang to their feets, roaring cheers while Keiichi remained seated.
'Here comes the young wolves, The Tokyo Wolves U17!'
Kazutora's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of them, his stare locked firmly on the two at the front.
Standing on their feets, Masaru and Rukia joined the applause, their faces glowing with excitement, while Toru clapped lightly, a small smile tugging at his lips.
From the other side of the stadium, Kento and Mio cheered at the top of their lungs, clapping with all their energy, with Ryusei matching their energy, a big smile crossed on his face.
Ayane, however, sat with her arms crossed, her eyes narrowed on Haruma alone. Beside her, Sumiko clapped slowly, her eyes shimmering with tears as she watched her son step onto the field.
Raya, Haruma, Nagisa, Jiho, and the rest of the Wolves lined up at the sidelines, each of them wearing a thin black armband tight around their biceps. Their gazes stayed fixed straight ahead, firmly locked on the Tyrants standing across the dugout.
Behind them, Minato-sensei, Raon, and Shiori stepped into view. Minato and Raon carried themselves with steady confidence, while Shiori's eyes betrayed a trace of unease.
The entire stadium was roaring, voices colliding in waves of cheers and chants, the atmosphere crackling with anticipation.
Haruma's eyes remained locked firmly onto Kazutora, the two standing far apart yet staring straight into each other's souls as if the rest of the world had vanished. Kazutora's gaze was sharp and unyielding, while Haruma answered with the same unwavering fire.
'The teams have arrived!' the commentator's voice thundered with excitement. 'We are all set for the final!'
A second commentator quickly followed, 'That's right! But before we begin, a major blow for Tokyo, their captain, Kurogami Shikyo, will not be taking part in today's match!'
Raya stood tall with his arms folded neatly behind his back, the captain's band tight around his bicep, his expression set in firm determination.
From the stands, Toru stood with furrowed brows. "Kurogami is missing today's final?" he muttered in disbelief.
Masaru, just as unsettled, shook his head. "That's bad… Kurogami was the strongest one we had."
"Of course, I'm not sure if that new goalkeeper can hold up," Toru added. "But with Yohan in this form, we really needed Kurogami."
Toru, Masaru, and Rukia all looked tense, their eyes locked on the field with concern.
Across the stadium, Ryusei's brow furrowed. "Mr. Kento, why is Kurogami missing today? Is everything okay?"
Kento let out a soft sigh and offered a faint, reassuring smile. "It's unfortunate, but the reason is significant. I'll explain after the game."
Ryusei nodded, turning his attention back to the field, his expression still serious…
Up in the VIP box, Shuya, the betting expert, leaned forward with a sly glint in his eye. "So… the captain's out huh?"
Ameha swirled her glass and took a slow sip of wine. "I just hope it doesn't affect the performance of the rest," she murmured.
From the other VIP box, the senior Tokyo Wolves watched their juniors take the field with quiet smiles playing on their faces.
"They look confident," Daiki said, his grin calm and confident.
The player with the lazy eyes forward slightly, voice flat but edged with concern. "Yeah… let's just hope that confidence lasts once the match begins."
Ismau, still smiling faintly, never took his eyes off the pitch. "Well, good luck, boys,"
Raya's eyes stayed fixed on the Tyrants across the dugout. Beside him, Jiho's jaw tightened, Kabuto wore the hint of a smirk, and Nagisa stood confident, his focus unshaken.
On Kashiwa's side, Yohan crouched low in a scout's stance, his lips curling into a chilling smile as he studied the Wolves.
"I was looking forward to facing my old friend," he muttered darkly, eyes narrowing on Subaru, who stood with gloves ready. "But with that little twerp, I can score whenever I want… Don't worry, Kazutora," he said with eerie confidence, "The victory is already ours."
Kazutora's eyes were burning with a firm, unblinking focus as he stared across at Haruma. Haruma stood just as ready, his gaze locked in return, the air between them heavy with heavy, unspoken challenge…
At the center of the pitch, the ball was set down. The players spread into their positions, and a hush fell over the stadium, anticipation thick enough to feel.
With Jiho standing over the ball, his shoulders squared, his eyes fixed firmly on the opponent across from him. To his right and left, at a distance, Haruma and Raya waited, their presence anchoring him as the silence pressed in from every corner of the stadium.
From the VIP box, Ismau watched the pitch with a faint smile tugging at his lips.
From the stands, Masaru and Toru leaned forward, brows creased with nervous tension, while Rukia, seated beside them, pressed her hands together in a quiet prayer.
On the sidelines, Minato was standing tall, his sharp gaze never leaving the field. Raon stood tall, outwardly confident though his steady breaths betrayed the pressure, while Shiori's unease showed plain on her face.
At the center circle, Jiho stood poised over the ball. The only sound he was hearing was his own breathing. He waited, perfectly still, for the whistle.
From the stands, Ryusei and Kento stood ready, their eyes fixed on the pitch with restless anticipation. Beside them, Ayane sat tense, her brow faintly furrowed, her gaze drawn to one figure alone.
Haruma's mother watched with anxious eyes before slowly closing them, steadying herself with a deep breath before whispering to herself.
"Best of luck, Tokyo." and in that same instant, the whistle rang out, sharp and piercing, cutting through the stadium.
'And we are underwayyy!'
Snapping his eyes wide open, Jiho quickly met the ball with precision, sending it slicing to his left, from where Raya received it cleanly, pausing just a heartbeat to read the field. The Tyrants were settled into position, some already closing in on him.
Without wasting a moment, Raya fired a sharp pass forward, arching it between defenders with perfect accuracy. Jiho collects it effortlessly before instantly moving forward as the opposing players rush at him to intercept.
Haruma was sprinting from the left while from the right, and Jiho with the ball dancing at his feet, charged from the center.
The field erupted into controlled chaos, with the trio exchanging constant sharp passes, tearing through the Tyrants' defenses like an approaching storm.
The stands buzzed with a wave of loud cheers and roars, as everyone kept their eyes locked on the field.
Jiho, focused and determined, kept on moving forward until an opponent lunged at him, sliding his foot in for a tackle, but with quick reflexes, Jiho dribbled past and sent a sharp pass backward from where Nagisa received it cleanly.
Taking a few steps back, Nagisa scanned the field to find another opponent already at him with a terrifying speed, sliding his foot in for a challenge. Instinctively, Nagisa reacted, sending a precise pass further behind him.
As that opposing player's gaze followed the ball he saw Itsuki with clenched teeth rushing at the ball.
As the opposing player's eyes stayed locked on the ball, Itsuki, teeth clenched, charged toward it.
The defender raised his fist, preparing to block Nagisa, but by the time he reacted, Nagisa was already gone, leaving him stunned.
As the defender turned to find, Itsuki already fired a sharp pass back at him, which quickly slipped past him and was about to reach Nagisa's feet, who had just evaded that player's reach.
With anger burning in his eyes, the opposition twisted his body and stretched out his long leg, aiming to block both Nagisa and the ball with precise timing.
Nagisa, with his eyes wide in concentration, stepped over the ball with his left foot, while his right foot gently struck it in a graceful one-touch, sending it out from between the defender's outstretched legs.
The opposition's eyes widened in disbelief as the ball slipped past him. At that exact moment, Itsuki sprinted forward and struck the ball hard, sending it soaring toward the opposition's goal.
Toru, Ryusei, Masaru, Kento, and Raon followed the ball with tense anticipation, jaws clenched as they watched it arching through the air.
The ball bent through the air, heading toward the edge of the box when suddenly. The golden boots slammed into the turf and Haruma Kusaka with his jaw clenched and eyes burning with determination, launched himself into the air.
His body stretched to its limit, every muscle coiled with power, as he prepared himself to meet the soaring ball with a thunderous header.
The crowd held their breath, eyes fixed on Haruma soaring through the air, jaws dropped in awe. The commentators leaned forward, eyes wide with disbelief.
Ayane, Rukia, and Shiori stared, stunned, mouths slightly open, while Ameha's face glowed with admiration.
Ismau watched with wide eyes and a faint, impressed smirk. Masaru and Toru were rooted to their spots, eyes fixed unwaveringly on Haruma. From the dugout, Raon watched with tense anticipation, while Kento and Mio beamed, their smiles bright and infectious. Ryusei looked on, clearly stunned, and at last, Haruma's mother held her gaze on her son, eyes wide and brimming with tears.