Two weeks later, the day of the semifinal arrived.
The buzz around Tokyo FC was insane. Local newspapers were running stories about the "miracle youth team"that had made it further than anyone expected. Parents who'd never shown up to matches were suddenly buying tickets. Even the first team players were coming to watch.
This is what happens when you give people hope.
Takeshi stared at his reflection in the locker room mirror, trying to calm his nerves. The system had been going crazy all week:
[CURRENT STATUS]
Level: 9
Rank: Starter S (Ready for promotion)
New Skills: Advanced Ball Control, Leadership Aura Level 1
Special Mission: Defeat future professional player
"You nervous?" Hiroshi asked, sitting down beside him on the bench.
Nervous? I'm terrified. Not of losing—of what winning might mean.
"A little," Takeshi admitted. "This is bigger than anything we've done before."
"Yeah, but we've got you." Hiroshi grinned. "You're like our secret weapon. Whatever happens out there, I know you'll figure something out."
The weight of everyone's expectations. In my previous life, this pressure crushed me. But not this time.
Coach Tanaka gathered them in a circle for his pre-match speech, but he looked different. Older, more emotional.
"Boys," he said, his voice thick with feeling, "thirty years ago, I played for this club. We came close to winning this trophy, but fell short in the final. I've been coaching youth teams ever since, waiting for another chance."
He paused, looking at each of them.
"You've given an old man hope again. Whatever happens out there, you've already made me proud."
Fuck. Now I'm gonna cry.
As they walked out onto the pitch, Takeshi spotted the scout from before sitting in the VIP section. Next to him were two other men in suits, equally focused, equally serious.
Word is spreading. After today, there's no going back to being just another kid.
The Yokohama team was warming up on the other side of the field, and Takeshi immediately spotted him, Daichi Suzuki. Even at eight years old, the kid moved like a predator. Quick, confident, dangerous.
He scored forty-three goals this season. Forty-three.
[OPPONENT ANALYSIS ACTIVATED]
Target: Daichi Suzuki
Strengths: Clinical finishing, positioning, pace
Weaknesses: Relies on service, struggles when isolated
Threat Level: MAXIMUM
The system is analysing him in real time. This is new.
The match started at a frantic pace. Yokohama came out swinging, pressing high and fast. Within ten minutes, they'd created three clear chances.
They're good. Really good.
Then, in the fifteenth minute, it happened. A perfect through ball split Tokyo's defense, and Daichi was through on goal. One-on-one with the keeper, ice in his veins.
Goal. 1-0.
Just like I remembered. He doesn't miss those.
But instead of panic, Takeshi felt something else: determination.
"Heads up!" he shouted to his teammates. "We've got seventy-five minutes to show them what we're made of!"
The response was immediate. Hiroshi won the ball back from the kickoff. Matsuda made a perfect overlapping run. And Takeshi... Takeshi activated something he'd been saving.
[ZONE ENTRY LEVEL 1 - ACTIVATED]
[All stats temporarily boosted by 50%]
The world slowed down. Every blade of grass became visible. Every opponent's movement telegraphed their intentions.
Takeshi picked up the ball in midfield, nutmegged the first defender, spun past the second, and threaded a pass that curved around three players to find Sato in the box.
Goal. 1-1.
The crowd erupted. Even the scouts were leaning forward now.
[ASSIST REGISTERED - Technical +1, Special +0.5]
That's what thirty-four years of experience gets you.
The match became a war. Both teams are trading blows, neither willing to give an inch. Daichi scored again just before halftime, a header from a corner that was pure class.
2-1 to Yokohama.
In the locker room, Coach Tanaka was pacing like a caged animal.
"They're not better than us," he said. "They're just more clinical. We create chances, we just need to take them."
He's right. We're matching them everywhere except the scoreline.
Takeshi stood up. For the first time all season, he felt the weight of leadership settling on his shoulders.
"Coach is right," he said, and the whole room turned to look at him. "We belong here. We've earned this. Now let's go show them."
The second half was pure chaos. Tokyo equalised through Matsuda in the fifty-fifth minute. Yokohama scored again in the sixty-second. Takeshi answered back five minutes later with a curling shot that kissed the inside of the post.
3-3 with twenty minutes to play.
This is it. This is the moment that defines everything.
But Daichi wasn't finished. Two goals in the final fifteen minutes, both absolute worldies- sealed the match for Yokohama.
And the Sad part is that they ended up winning the tournament.
5-3. Game over.
As the final whistle blew, Takeshi dropped to his knees. They'd lost, but something incredible had happened.
[QUEST COMPLETED: "Miracle Run"]
[Tokyo FC Youth - First semifinal in 30 years: ACHIEVED]
[MASSIVE LEVEL UP INCOMING]
The system exploded with golden light only he could see.
[RANK PROMOTION: Amateur Rank E]
[New Abilities Unlocked: Professional Insight, Team Chemistry Boost]
[Special Reward: Enhanced Physical Development Protocol]
[WARNING: Advanced features now available]
Amateur rank. Finally.
As he sat on the grass, processing the loss and the victory simultaneously, someone approached.
"Exceptional match, young man."
Takeshi looked up to see the European scout standing over him, business card in hand.
"Erik van der Berg, Ajax Youth Academy. Let's talk."
His teammates were crying, some from disappointment, others from pride. They'd lost, but they'd also achieved something no Tokyo FC youth team had managed in three decades.
This is what a moral victory feels like.
Daichi jogged over, sweaty and exhausted but respectful.
"You're good," he said simply. "Really good. See you around."
In another timeline, you dominated me completely. This time, I gave you a fight.
As the team gathered for photos with their runner-up medals, Takeshi felt the scout's business card burning a hole in his pocket.
Everything changes now. The system is stronger, the scouts are circling, and I've proven that this timeline is completely different.
But am I ready for what comes next?
The boy who'd died at thirty-four looked around at his teammates, his friends, and realised that some victories were bigger than trophies.
We did it. We actually did it.
Now comes the real test.'
And the worst,
In the finals, Daichi scored 4 goals with a score line of 12-3.
True monster!!