29 U20: The Turning Point

During the break, Eshin Hachi once again rallied the team.

There seemed to be an unusual surge of mental energy emanating from the players’ tunnel...

Having finished talking with Sister Chigiri and your mother, you returned to your seat. Sensing this aura, you hesitated for a moment, then decided to walk down the stairs.

Inside the tunnel, only Rin Itoshi sat on a bench, a towel draped around his neck, head bowed deep in thought.

When he noticed you, he looked up and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“N... nothing,” you replied.

You weren’t entirely sure about the source of this mental fluctuation, but by the time you arrived, everything appeared normal again.

You suspected it had something to do with Sae Itoshi—after all, one failed shot in the first half happened because Rin tried to replicate Sae’s goal. You didn’t know the nature of the brothers’ relationship, but whenever Rin was involved, he seemed to lose his composure.

Since you were responsible for managing the sentinels, you worried about Rin’s unstable mental state and decided to keep a close eye on him in the second half, ready to step in and assist if needed—this was also why several guides were present at the venue, with medical teams and necessary medications prepared by the Football Association.

“The second half is about to start. I came to check on you all,” you said casually.

At that moment, Kiyoshi stepped out from the locker room, and Rin, rising to his feet, noticed the extra person on the field.

The newcomer closed his eyes, lifted his head, and breathed in the chilling atmosphere of the stadium, a look of enjoyment on his face.

“Tch... that antenna freak is coming on,” Rin muttered, frowning slightly.

The three of you headed outside together. Rin and Kiyoshi encountered Ryusei Shido walking toward them, while you quickly turned a corner to climb the stairs to the viewing stands, wary of facing this formidable opponent.

But fate had other plans.

Ryusei whistled as he approached.

“Oh my, does the guide only support No.1?” he said with a sly glance toward the midfield bench, where a guide was notably absent.

“What a pity. If I were on Blue Prison, there’d be no room for Rin,” Ryusei continued to taunt Rin Itoshi, but his gaze remained fixed on you, a playful smile curling his lips. “Speaking of which, I guess I should ask Sae for some compensation... How about the three of us living together if we win?”

...???

Terrifying, absolutely terrifying. You hurried up the stairs and returned to your seat, pretending not to have heard a thing.

“Hey... don’t say that, Ryusei,” Kiyoshi intervened.

“Shut up, weak dog,” Rin snapped, his face full of impatience, his sharp tongue unleashed. “Golden pest, just keep dreaming. I’ll crush you on the field.”

If it weren’t for the match environment, he would have thrown a punch like before.

Ryusei let out a loud “ha,” his expression exaggerated, ready to retort further but was stopped by Aizora.

Compared to this group of sentinels, the heterochromatic defender Aizora seemed much more mature. Although he was only 19, few in the team dared disobey him.

The farce ended there. Ryusei scratched his ear and moved aside to finish his warm-up.

*

The national team changed their formation, and Anri, sitting in front of you, looked a bit worried.

Eshin, however, wasn’t so tense—after all, the opposing coach couldn’t control Ryusei Shido either. Still, he was eager to see why Sae Itoshi had chosen Ryusei and hoped to find the answer on the pitch.

The score was 1:2 as the second half began.

Finally on the field, Ryusei darted unpredictably among the players like a wild dog long pent-up and now unleashed... well, that was your subjective impression.

Sae aimed for a gap in the defense and passed; Ryusei caught the ball steadily, with Akito Shindo surprisingly roaming nearby. It was clear the lead role had shifted.

The national team’s striker was now assisting the Blue Prison sentinels—truly unexpected.

The Football Association’s president in the broadcast room grit his teeth—winning the match and shutting down Blue Prison like this hardly seemed honorable.

Sae’s connection shifted to Ryusei, whose agile and flexible body was no stranger to tricky passes. He leapt and fired a direct shot—

Just minutes into the second half, Sae’s seemingly unrestrained style collided miraculously with Ryusei’s, bringing enormous unpredictability to the U20 battlefield.

The demon born from Blue Prison struck a heavy blow at this moment. Ryusei Shido, unbridled and wild, unleashed tremendous power under Sae’s guidance, instantly leveling the score at 2:2.

Blue Prison’s advantage vanished.

Ryusei faced the crowd, arms wide open, basking in the cheers dedicated to him. His face flushed as he uttered a strange remark.

“This worth celebrating? It’s just a tie,” Sae said expressionlessly.

Ryusei looked back at him, tone sticky, “Guess my invitation to live together with the little guide wasn’t wrong~ How about the three of us living together then?”

Before Sae could respond, he continued making shocking comments, “Ah, just thinking about it is making me excited...”

“Say something like that again, and I’ll sew your mouth shut,” Sae finally frowned, turning to walk away.

“Tch~ so stingy,” Ryusei muttered.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere around Blue Prison grew much tenser.

You noticed Chigiri Hyoma sitting on the grass, clutching his ankle after an unexpected fall, bent over and gasping for breath.

Had he reached his limit? Or was his leg injury acting up again?

A rush of dark thoughts flashed through your mind.

“Chigiri...” you stood up from your seat.

Chigiri was substituted without any explanation; the next player to arrive on the field was Reo Mikage.

Chigiri looked unwilling as he left the pitch—seeing that expression on him for the first time.

He underwent a brief medical check. His sweat-damp red hair clung to his face.

Chigiri knitted his brows, gritting his teeth, his reddened eyes brimming with frustration and resentment.

You knew what he was upset about. He resented his injured leg, resented not being able to personally bring a bright future to Blue Prison.

Sitting on the bench, Chigiri raised a hand to cover his face.

Unwilling!

Tears soaked his black gloves, and beneath his palm, he almost bit his lips to breaking.

You knew his mother and sister in the stands were equally worried, so you moved to the front row and sat beside Chigiri.

Anri handed you some water, which you accepted with a nod, while covering your childhood friend’s hand with yours.

Chigiri trembled.

Neither of you spoke, but your mental energy gently reached out like stroking a frightened kitten, soothing him as you quietly patrolled the tunnel.

After a brief pause, play resumed.

Blue Prison continued using their triangular formation, immediately passing to break through tough defenses. Unfortunately, a long pass was intercepted, and the ball fell before Sae Itoshi.

Everyone instantly knew who Sae would pass to, but Ryusei Shido on the field had undergone a startling transformation. Even from the stands, you could vaguely feel his blazing, soaring mental energy manifest—

Ryusei started sprinting before Sae even received the ball. Guided by intense intuition and inspiration, he saw an undeniable goal path in his vision. The real green pitch ignited his blood, the rebounding ball seemed to slow in slow motion, and every cell in Ryusei’s body burned. Seizing a moment of insight, he executed a bicycle kick from a great distance.

The ball crashed heavily into the net. The score was 3:2.

The national team had taken the lead.