The match resumed.
Near the end of the game, Coach signaled me to go in.
"And here comes Orochi Shin onto the field!" the commentator announced as I stepped into position.
The momentum shifted again.
A throw-in was awarded to us, Kuramochi quickly took it and passed it to me. Without hesitation, I charged straight toward the opposing goal. Just before the defenders closed in, I struck the ball with a rabona, a daring move.
The ball curved beautifully into the net.
"Magnificent goal by Orochi!" the commentator shouted as the crowd erupted.
Moments later, the final whistle blew. The scoreboard read 2-0.
"The representatives of the Osaka Prefecture for the National Tournament are Azumaichi!!" the commentator cried out with excitement.
[ Kojiro Hyuga's POV ]
"I see. I've seen everything I needed to." I said calmly.
"You sure, captain?" my teammate, Takeshi Sawada asked beside me.
"I'm sure."
[ Shin's POV ]
We had just finished celebrating our victory. And with that, our qualifiers came to an end.
The real journey was about to begin.
The following days, the qualifiers across the rest of Japan were wrapping up. One by one, teams secured their spots for the National Tournament. And across the country, training intensified.
[ In Another City ]
"I have something to tell you, Tsubasa. I won't be able to play in the national tournament. My injury is worse than I thought." said Wakabayashi, his voice heavy. "I'll need time to recover. So I have a favor to ask—you need to lead the team forward. Push through the tournament until you face Kojiro Hyuga and Meiwa FC."
"Wakabayashi..." Tsubasa said, clearly affected.
"I'll do everything I can to recover before then. I'm counting on you." Wakabayashi finished.
"You got it. We'll keep winning until you're back with us." Tsubasa replied, firm and determined.
[ Shin's POV ]
We were in the middle of a training session—and not just any training. Today, Coach had brought us to the beach.
"More intensity! You want that title or not?!" he shouted across the sand, wind whipping his voice.
"Yes!" we responded in unison, breath heavy but spirits focused.
"Then run!" he yelled again.
Our legs sank into the sand with every step, our muscles burning, but we didn't stop.
Still in the middle of training, I called out. "Nakai, Kuramochi, work on your one-twos."
"Yeah, we'll get on it." they answered.
At the end of practice, Coach clapped his hands and shouted. "Good work today, boys. Go cool off in the water."
"I almost forgot, Orochi you become captain." he added.
And just like that, we sprinted toward the sea, laughter echoing across the shore.
The days continued like that, hard work, drills, bonding, until finally, the big day arrived.
I was at home, packing my bag. The whole team was supposed to meet at the train station. From there, we'd head to Tokyo, where the National Tournament would take place.
Once I was ready, my grandparents drove me to the station.
Right before I got out of the car, my grandmother asked gently. "Will you be okay?"
I knew exactly what she meant. It wasn't about the tournament, it was about going back to Tokyo.
I smiled and reassured her. "Don't worry, Grandma. I'll be fine."
She gave a nod and a warm smile in return.
We stepped into the station together. On the platform, my teammates were already gathered, surrounded by family wishing them luck.
After exchanging farewells, we boarded the train.
During the train ride, some of the guys played cards, others napped or snacked, just passing the time until we reached our destination.
"These team tracksuits are seriously comfortable." Tsuji commented, stretching his arms behind his head.
We all nodded in agreement.
A little while later, we arrived and began stepping off the train.
"I hope none of you forgot anything." Coach Ikeda said as we regrouped on the platform. "We're heading to the hotel to drop off our bags first."
We followed him down the station stairs, making our way toward the exit. Outside, a driver stood waiting with a sign that read Azumaichi FC.
We greeted the man politely, then boarded the bus that would take us to the hotel.
After being dropped off at the hotel, we dropped off our things, then we were directed to another hall where the draw for the group stage would take place.
As we entered, the room was already packed, forty-eight teams from all across the country participated in the tournament so we expected it.
"So many people…" Soda muttered, scanning the crowd.
I spotted the players from Nankatsu SC in the distance—Tsubasa, Misaki, in conversation with Matsuyama and other players from Furano. Off to my right, I saw the Tachibana twins from Hanawa FC, shoving each other around.
"Shin."
Someone called my name.
I turned toward the voice and saw Jun, who had joined the Nankatsu and Furano players, standing alongside Yayoi Aoba, the team manager from Musashi.
"You know him?" Soda asked beside me.
"I do." I replied simply, then added. "Follow me."
We began walking toward them.
"It's been a while." Jun said with a calm smile.
"Yes, it has. Good to see you again, Jun." I replied, returning the smile.
"You two know each other, Captain?" Aoba asked, glancing between us.
"Yes." Jun nodded. "He was at Musashi before you joined."
I took a step forward, deciding to introduce myself to the others properly.
"I'm Shin Orochi, captain of Azumaichi FC, from Osaka."
A boy with sharp eyes and a confident aura stepped forward and extended his hand. "I'm Tsubasa Ozora. Nice to meet you."
I shook his hand.
One by one, the others introduced themselves.
Just then, the large doors at the back of the room opened again as another team entered.
Meiwa FC.
Leading them at the front, exuding pressure, was none other than Kojiro Hyuga.
"Kojiro Hyuga…" Tsubasa murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"All teams are now present. Please follow us for the draw." one of the officials announced through a microphone.
The large hall buzzed with movement as players and coaches began to organize themselves. Each team regrouped and made their way to the assigned seating area, guided by staff members.
On the stage, a large notice board showed the tournament brackets and blank group slots labeled 1 through 8.
An official walked up to the podium and took the microphone.
"The draw for the National Tournament will now begin. Eight groups, six teams each. The top two from each group will advance to the knockout stage."
Everyone leaned in, waiting to see who they would be up against.