The locker room still hummed with the aftershocks of Jason’s halftime words. Scarlet leaned back against her seat, chewing her lip. Aya sat in silence, her head bowed as if replaying every moment in her mind. Lionel, calm as stone, rolled his shoulders with quiet discipline.
And then there was Dante. Hoodie gone, jersey clinging to his frame, his hands trembling—not from fear but from the caged fire inside him. The name they had given him—Blaze—was more than a Titan Title. It was a weight, a crown, a destiny waiting for ignition.
Jason stood before the whiteboard again, this time with fewer arrows, fewer options. His voice was firm but low, cutting through the tension."We’re leading, but barely. One mistake and they’ll equalize. This game was supposed to be a statement, and so far, we’ve been shaky. We need control. We need decisiveness."
Scarlet broke the silence first. "Coach, I already scored. Why not just let me run the attack through again?"
Jason shook his head. "You’re flashy, Scarlet, but they’ve read you now. They’ll double up the second you show that spin. Aya can hold tempo, but she needs a reliable finisher. That means..."
His eyes swept toward Dante.
The entire room shifted. Scarlet stiffened, Aya’s lips parted in a faint gasp, and even Grim—ever the statue—looked toward the young substitute. Lionel merely gave a small approving nod.
Jason’s jaw tightened. "Blaze. Warm up. You’re going in second half."
The words crashed through Dante like thunder. His heart pounded, his legs itched to sprint. He rose slowly, nodding once. "Understood."
Scarlet muttered under her breath, "The rookie? In this match?" Aya elbowed her lightly, silencing her.
Grim’s deep voice rumbled, steady as always. "Trust the coach. If he’s sending him, we’ll make it work."
Jason leaned forward, eyes locked on Dante. "Listen carefully. This isn’t about showing off. You’re not here to burn the pitch with lightning or to prove you’re stronger than everyone else. You’re here to finish. Find space. Deliver when it matters. Nothing else. Clear?"
Dante swallowed the fire clawing at his chest and nodded. "Clear."
Jason smirked faintly. "Good. Then earn your name."
Second Half – Blaze Enters
The crowd’s murmur turned into a roar when the substitution board lit up.
OUT: Diego (MF)IN: Blaze (FW)
The announcer’s voice boomed through the dome:"Ladies and gentlemen, the Rising Stars debut of Blaze!"
Chants erupted instantly, some mocking, some desperate, most curious.
"Finally, the new kid!""Don’t choke, Blaze!"
Dante jogged onto the pitch, his red-tinted aura faint but undeniable. His boots struck the turf like drums. Aya met him at midfield, giving him a quiet nod. Scarlet scoffed and looked away, but Lionel, jogging past, clapped him on the shoulder once—silent affirmation.
Grim’s voice, calm and commanding, echoed across the formation. "Stay sharp. Control the rhythm."
The whistle blew. The second half began.
At first, Dante played as Jason demanded: disciplined. He pressed defenders, tracked runs, and made simple passes to Aya to maintain possession. The Breakers tried to body him off the ball, but his balance held. He didn’t flash his lightning, didn’t unleash anything reckless.
Then came the first chance. Aya threaded a pass through two defenders, and Blaze darted forward. A roar lifted from the crowd as he found himself one-on-one with the keeper.
His instincts screamed for the Jörmungandr—his sweeping red lightning arc—but he hesitated, remembering Jason’s warning. He went for a controlled low strike instead.
The keeper blocked it with his leg.
Gasps echoed through the stands. Dante clenched his fists, jaw tight.
"Stay calm!" Jason barked from the sideline. "It’s coming!"
Aya retrieved the rebound, recycling the play. Scarlet muttered something under her breath, but Grim’s aura smothered the rising tension.
At the 68th minute, disaster struck.
The Breakers’ captain intercepted a pass, slicing through midfield with his Void Dash ability. Grim tried to distort time around him, but the striker had anticipated it, bursting free with a counter-twist of momentum.
He struck from the edge of the box—a thunderous shot that screamed past Ryuji into the top corner.
The dome shook with mixed cries: cheers from Breakers fans, groans from Eternal Era.
Jason cursed under his breath. Scarlet slammed her fist into the ground. Aya’s expression hardened, eyes narrowing. Blaze stood frozen, fire coiling in his chest, demanding release.
The chants began almost immediately."Blaze! Blaze! Blaze!""Show us why they call you fire!"
Jason crossed his arms, eyes narrowing. This was it—the moment of truth. Would Dante stay disciplined, or would he unleash?
The 75th minute. Aya received the ball deep in midfield. She glanced once toward Blaze, her eyes flickering like starlight.
"Now," she whispered.
She threaded a perfect through-ball, and Dante surged forward, lightning sparking faintly at his heels. The defenders closed in, two at once, but his Elemental Speed kicked, twisting space around his strides. To the crowd, he blurred.
He remembered his father’s Serpent Fang, Jason’s warnings, Lionel’s steady trust. He didn’t hesitate this time.
With a snap of his boot, he unleashed Jörmungandr 2.0—a red lightning strike coiling like a serpent through the air.
The keeper dove. The net rippled.
The dome exploded in noise. Fans leapt from their seats, chanting his Titan Name until it shook the rafters.
"Blaze! Blaze! Blaze!"
Scarlet stood frozen, Aya actually smiled, and Lionel simply nodded once, calm as stone. Grim looked toward Jason, who gave no outward reaction—but his clenched fist behind his back told the truth.
Blaze jogged back to the halfway line, heart hammering, the fire inside finally roaring free.
Score: 2 – 1. Eternal Era leads.
As the clock ticked toward 90, Eternal Era made the fatal mistake: complacency. Scarlet danced too long on the ball. Aya tired, her passes just a fraction slower. Blaze pressed, but his young legs burned.
The Breakers pounced.
In stoppage time, their captain found space again, ripping through the defense. Lionel slid in, blocking the first shot, but the rebound fell cruelly to another Breaker striker.
Before Eternal Era could reset, the referee allowed one last play. The Breakers went long, a desperate aerial ball. Their forward out-jumped Kenji, heading it across goal. Chaos in the box. Ryuji dove, missed.
Score: 3 – 2. Orion Breakers.
The Rising Stars trudged off the pitch, heads heavy, the scoreboard burning like shame behind them. They had lost. To the last-placed team.
Scarlet cursed under her breath, Aya clenched her fists, and Grim, though composed, had an edge to his silence. Lionel kept his calm, helping Kenji up as if nothing had happened.
Jason’s face was unreadable, but his eyes blazed with disappointment and calculation.
Dante—Blaze—walked off slowly, the fire in his chest burning both hot and hollow. He had scored. He had awakened. And yet, they had lost.
In the stands, the chants didn’t stop.
"Blaze! Blaze! Blaze!"
Not even defeat could smother his arrival.
Jason gathered the team in the tunnel, his voice low and razor sharp."Remember this. Glory means nothing without results. If you want to stay in the top twenty, sacrifices will be made. You think you’ve given enough? You haven’t even started."
His eyes met Dante’s last."And Blaze—you lit the fire. Now learn how not to burn the house down with it."
The dome lights dimmed behind them, the crowd still buzzing. The season had truly begun. Follow current novels on noveⅼfire.net