Rivals (2/2)

Clear droplets of sweat could be seen falling from Sugiyama's forehead as he looked at the incoming ball. 

He knew that he was far from being one of the strongest in his team, let alone the whole stratum. And yet, he now had to face 3 players at the same time. One of them being a monster at the level of Jude. 

Time slowed for him as he watched the spinning ball slowly descending.

"Fuck it!" Sugiyama yelled out as he leaped up, it was his first time raising his voice in a game. He knew that it was a lost cause, but he would never forgive himself if he didn't give it his all after seeing all his teammates doing their best. His dream would die if he were to back down now.

Two of the opposing midfielders also leaped up, each of them guarding one of Sugiyama's side. 

All three of them had similar heights and physiques. With Sugiyama suddenly giving it his all, the result of the duel was no longer as apparent. 

They all pushed each other in the air, hoping to be the one to catch the ball. However, at the last moment a figure towered over all of them. 

The boy was taller than all of them, and yet jumped higher than they ever could. His sudden appearance blocked their view of the ball. 

None of them could do anything other than watch in shock as Jude trapped the ball with his chest. 

After rushing back to the defense, he noticed that Yanagi's absence left a weakness in their formation. A weakness Sugiyama was unable to fill on his own. 

As soon as he realized it, his body reacted on its own. His speed allowed him to reach Sugiyama just in time to jump in front of all of them. And thanks to his superior physique he was able to easily jump higher than any of them, effectively stealing the ball. 

A satisfied smile formed on his face as he watched the strong pass bounce on his chest and almost completely stop spinning. 

Right as he was about to trap it with his foot and go for a counter attack, Hiori suddenly appeared from his blind spot once again. He launched a tackle at the perfect time to steal the ball right under Jude's nose. 

"I'm surprised, I never expected your field awareness to be this great. But when it comes to that, you're nothing more than an amateur in front of me. Your plays are too predictable." Hiori voiced out in a monotonous voice. 

Jude's brain didn't even get the time to process what happened, he watched in shock as Hiori stole the ball from him before twisting his body and turning his back on him. 

Jude tried to stop him but it was already too late, Hiori had already armed his leg and passed the ball forward. 

Shun and Kentaro, Team X's defenders, had a single task. 

Stopping Karasu. 

However, that single task was harder than any task they might've been previously given.

They improved a lot since their first game with Team X, but would that be enough to stop one of the best high school players in Japan? 

On the other side, Karasu had a serene smile on his face, his knees were slightly bent, his whole body weight was rested on the two players who stood behind him. No matter how much they pushed, Karasu was immovable. 

He calmly waited until Hiori's pass reached him.

As soon as the long awaited ball arrived to his feet, Team X's defenders turned even more aggressive. Ironically, Karasu was as calm as ever.

He calmly trapped the ball under his foot before sharply moving away from the goal and the two defenders. They instinctively followed after him, but he used that occasion to change his direction once again. He turned around, using his arms to keep them at bay. He effortlessly dribbled past the two players. 

Finding himself alone in front of the keeper, a teasing smile formed on his lips. 

"I'm going to shoot left!" Karasu yelled out as he sent out a full power shot to the right. 

Michio was caught off guard by his words and couldn't react in time to stop the ball, he was powerless as he watched it find its way to the net. 

After shooting the ball, Karasu didn't even glance at it. He didn't celebrate either. Instead, he turned to face Jude who was watching him from a distance. 

The two players didn't share a word, but as if reading each other's minds they both flashed a wide smile. Everyone on the field was left bewildered at the sight of their two aces almost bursting out laughing in the middle of the game, and at such a tense time. 

'The fuck is wrong with those two?'

Unaware of those thoughts, the two maintained their stance.

To them nothing else existed anymore, it was a duel. A sacred duel between rivals. Winning the game didn't matter much to either of them, they knew deep down that this wouldn't change anything in their future career. 

Yet none of them was going to allow that to happen. It was now a matter of pride. 

To everyone present, one thing was clear. The dynamic of the game changed. It was no longer Team V against Team X, but rather Karasu against Jude. Everyone else was doomed to be nothing more than a supporting character — or perhaps a tool. 

'I've finally found it. The reason I abandoned my friends and family and came to Japan.' A wide smile formed on Jude's face, complementing the almost manic look on his face. 

'It's this excitement, this tension, this euphoria. That's the foggy treasure I've been running behind for those past years.'

"Thank you, Karasu. Truly." He whispered to himself.