Bologna. Adrian's Data Lab.Thursday. Three Days before Quarter Final.
The room was filled with the rhythmic pounding of Samba music. Adrian wasn't playing it for fun. He was playing it to analyze a mathematical pattern. On the main screen, Silas was destroying defenders in 4K resolution.
"He is playing at 120 beats per minute," Adrian said, tapping his desk in sync with the drums. "Look at his dribbling. Step, step, feint, accelerate. It matches the tempo of the song perfectly."
Rio sat in the corner, icing his legs. His stamina had recovered to 90%, but the deep fatigue from the 'Meat Grinder' still lingered in his bones. "He treats football like a dance," Rio said, watching Silas humiliate a defender.
"Exactly," Adrian turned the music off abruptly. The silence was jarring. "And that is why defenders can't stop him. Defenders operate on logic: 'If ball is here, tackle there.' But Silas operates on Rhythm. He moves between the beats."
Adrian brought up a graphic: The Joga Bonito System. "I analyzed his 'Style Points'. He doesn't just want to score. He wants to humiliate. If he nutmegs you, his stats get a boost. If he does a rainbow flick, he gets stronger." Adrian looked at Rio. "He feeds on the crowd's energy. He is a Showman."
"And I am a Machine," Rio muttered, touching the cold metal casing under his skin.
"Yes," Adrian nodded. "You are efficient. You are calculated. You are boring." Adrian smirked. "To beat a Dancer... you don't try to out-dance him. You will look like a stiff robot. To beat a Dancer... you must kill the music."
The Training Ground.Friday.
Rio stood in the center of the pitch. Kenjiro Tanaka stood 20 meters away, leaning on his cane (he used it off-pitch to save energy). "Again!" Kenjiro shouted.
Rio received the ball. He tried to do a rapid step-over. He tripped over the ball and stumbled. "Terrible," Kenjiro sighed. "You have the grace of a refrigerator."
Rio kicked the grass in frustration. "I can't move like him, Kenjiro. My body is Grade E+. My hips are stiff. I can't do Samba."
Kenjiro walked over. "You are trying to be fast. Silas is fast. Don't be fast." Kenjiro held the ball. He stood perfectly still. "Be Slow."
Kenjiro didn't move. He just waited. Rio lunged to take the ball. At the last possible second—when Rio was fully committed and off-balance—Kenjiro simply shifted the ball one inch to the left. Rio flew past him, tackling air.
"See?" Kenjiro smiled. "I didn't dance. I just... waited. La Pausa." "The Pause," Rio whispered.
"It is the weapon of the old masters," Kenjiro explained. "Iniesta. Riquelme. Bochini. They stop the world for a split second. The defenders panic because the rhythm stops. And in that silence... you kill them."
Rio nodded slowly. Silas was Speed and Chaos. Rio would be Silence and Control.
System Shop.Friday Night.
Rio lay in bed, staring at the holographic ceiling. [Current Lifespan: 322 Days]
He searched for "La Pausa". It wasn't a physical skill like "Jump" or "Power". It was a Mental Skill. It required altering his perception of time.
[Skill: The Eye of the Storm (La Pausa)][Archetype: Andres Iniesta / Juan Riquelme][Effect: Allows the user to enter a state of "Time Dilation" for 2 seconds. The user freezes physically, but mental perception accelerates by 200%. Defenders react to the stillness by freezing or over-committing.][Cost: 18 Days]
18 Days. It was his most expensive purchase yet (besides the Cannon which was a rental, this was permanent). But the stakes were -50 Days if he lost to Silas. Spending 18 to save 50 was good math.
"I buy the silence," Rio whispered.
[PURCHASE CONFIRMED][Skill Acquired: The Eye of the Storm][Remaining Lifespan: 304 Days]
Rio closed his eyes. The world didn't change. But the ticking of the clock on his wall seemed to get louder. Distinct. Tick... ... ... Tock. He was ready.
Matchday.Coppa Italia Quarter Final.Bologna vs AC Milan.Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
The atmosphere was electric. This wasn't just a cup game. It was the duel of the "Wonderkids". Silas vs Rio.
In the tunnel, the contrast was blinding. Silas was dancing. Literally. He had huge headphones on, bobbing his head, shaking his shoulders. He wore bright pink Nike boots. Rio stood like a statue. He stared straight ahead, motionless. He wore blacked-out boots.
Silas noticed him. He pulled one headphone ear cup back. "Hey, Robot," Silas grinned. "Ready to dance?"
Rio turned his head slowly. His eyes were cold. "I don't dance," Rio said.
Silas laughed. "Boring! The fans came for a show. I'll make sure they get one. Try not to break, okay? I heard your heart is fragile." Silas tapped Rio's chest with two fingers. Thump. It was a provocation. He knew.
[System Alert][Rivalry Event Started][Objective: Obtain a higher Match Rating than Silas.][Current Ratings: Rio (6.0) - Silas (6.0)]
First Half. Minute 15.The Showman.
The game began, and Silas exploded. He was unplayable. He received the ball on the wing. Stefan Posch (Bologna defender) tried to close him down. Silas did a Reverse Elastico through Posch's legs. The crowd gasped.
Silas sprinted into the box. He didn't shoot. He passed... with a Rabona. The ball curled perfectly to Rafael Leão. Leão shot hard. Skorupski saved it with a fingertip.
Silas clapped his hands, urging the crowd to be louder. He didn't care about the miss; he cared about the highlight reel. [Silas Match Rating: 7.2 (Big Chance Created)][Rio Match Rating: 6.1]
Rio was struggling. Milan's midfield was pressing him hard. Every time Rio got the ball, Silas (who didn't track back defense) would stand nearby and laugh. "Too slow, Rio! The beat is faster!"
Minute 30.The Trap.
Milan attacked again. Silas was dribbling through the middle this time. He was coming straight at Rio. It was a 1v1 duel in the midfield. The crowd stood up.
Silas feinted left. Fast. Rio didn't move. Silas feinted right. Faster. Rio didn't move.
Silas frowned. Why isn't he reacting? Usually, defenders bite on the first feint. Silas decided to use his ultimate move: The Rainbow Flick. He planted his foot to launch the ball over Rio's head and sprint past him.
NOW.
Rio didn't tackle the ball. He activated [The Eye of the Storm].
The world turned grey. The sound of the crowd faded to a low hum. Silas's motion slowed down. Rio saw the muscles in Silas's calf tense up. He saw the ball rolling up Silas's heel. Rio saw the Rhythm. And he saw the gap between the beats. He calculated exactly where Silas would land.
Rio took one small step forward. He didn't extend his leg to trip Silas (that would be a foul). He simply planted his feet and dropped his shoulder, occupying the space. Shielding.
Time resumed.
Silas launched the ball up. He jumped to chase it. But he slammed chest-first into Rio's shoulder. Rio stood firm (thanks to E+ Balance and the Stillness). It was like a bird flying into a window pane. THUD.
Silas bounced off Rio and fell backward onto the grass. The ball hit Rio's chest and dropped obediently to his feet. No foul. Just pure physical displacement.
"No dance today," Rio whispered.
He looked at the fallen Brazilian. Silas looked shocked. His flow was broken. The music had stopped.
Rio took the ball. Counter-attack. Milan's defense was out of position because they were watching Silas's tricks. Rio ran. He saw Kenjiro making a run, but the passing lane was blocked. He saw Zirkzee, but he was offside.
Rio was alone. 25 meters out. He was in the Del Piero Zone. Mike Maignan (Milan Keeper) saw Rio open his hips. Maignan knew the scouting report. He always curls to the far post.
Rio shaped his body for the Golden Arc. Maignan bought the bait. The keeper shifted his weight to the right, cheating to cover the far post.
Rio saw Maignan move. Freeze.[The Eye of the Storm]. In the slowed time, Rio saw Maignan's ankles lock into the wrong direction. The near post was open. But only for a split second.
Rio cancelled the curl animation. He snapped his hips closed. He didn't finesse it. He smashed it Low and Hard to the near post. A "Snake Shot" that hugged the grass.
Maignan tried to correct his footing, but his own momentum betrayed him. He was frozen. The ball hissed past his ankle. Thud.
GOAL.Bologna 1 - 0 Milan.
Rio didn't run. He didn't backflip. He stood perfectly still in the D-Line. He raised one finger to his lips. "Shhh."
He silenced the music.
[System Notification][Rio Match Rating: 7.5][Silas Match Rating: 6.8]
Silas sat on the grass, staring at Rio. The smile was gone. The gum chewing stopped. The Dancer had realized something terrifying. The Robot had a gun.