The stadium roared with excitement as the announcer shouted over the speakers:
"Can Phantom Force really beat a powerhouse like Yellow Storm? A team that's reached the Type 1 tournament finals every single year for the last 12 years?"
In the locker room tunnel, Volt grinned, his energy overflowing.
"Records are made to be broken," he said confidently. "Today's the day we make history — the first team to defeat Yellow Storm in the group stages!"
Alex, tightening his boots, rolled his eyes.
"Shut up, Volt. Don't dream with your eyes open. We can beat them, sure — but don't underestimate them. They're the strongest team in our group. If we win today, we lock in our spot in the semifinals."
Jim quietly laced up his boots, his eyes focused, burning with determination. This wasn't just another match for him — it was his last chance.
Coach Tenjo approached him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Jim… this is it. Your final shot. Make sure you don't waste it."
Alex and Volt both tried to hype him up with smiles and encouragement, but Jim said nothing. His silence said more than words. There was fire in his eyes, like he was ready to devour the field.
The teams walked onto the pitch.
The crowd erupted, the atmosphere electric.
The commentator's voice boomed again:
"Phantom Force — a team that came out of nowhere — defeating big names in this Type 1 tournament… but wait, is that Jim in their starting eleven again? I guess Phantom Force really wants to lose today…"
A ripple of laughter moved through the crowd.
Yellow Storm's players lined up. Their aura was intimidating — calm, composed, and deadly serious. Even Alex, for a moment, hesitated.
"Can we really beat them?" he wondered.
Kickoff.
The whistle blew, and the game began.
Yellow Storm's captain and main striker, Zyro, wasted no time. He activated his Falcon sprite, dashing toward the ball with lightning speed.
Alex moved to intercept — but before he knew it, the ball was gone.
"Huh?! Where—?!"
Zyro smirked.
"Looking for something?" he said, dribbling past him with ease.
The ball was now firmly under Yellow Storm's control.
Alex immediately awakened his Blue Dragon sprite, refusing to back down.
"I'm not going to lose here."
He signaled to Volt, who activated his Griffin sprite and sprinted forward to support.
Zyro, however, danced through Phantom Force's midfield like it was a practice drill.
Suddenly, he found both Alex and Volt closing in from either side.
"I'll be the one scoring this time!" Alex shouted.
But Zyro remained calm.
"Keep dreaming, little kids."
With a sharp pass to the right wing, Zyro launched the ball to his teammate, Tatsuya, who was already sprinting ahead.
The ball was flying — it was a wild, high-speed pass. Tatsuya didn't flinch. With perfect timing, he jumped and performed a bicycle kick.
GOAL!!
The stadium shook. The scoreboard blinked: 1–0, Yellow Storm leads.
The match resumed.
This time, Volt had the ball, racing down the wing. But Yellow Storm's defense was tight — every passing lane was blocked. He searched desperately… and saw only one player unmarked: Jim.
It was a trap. Yellow Storm had left Jim free on purpose, expecting him to fumble and lose the ball like last time.
But this time…
Jim received the ball.
The crowd went silent for a second, expecting another failure.
But something was different.
Jim's movements were sharp. Controlled. Confident.
He dribbled past one defender.
Then another.
And another.
He moved like a pro — like a player reborn.
The crowd erupted.
"What is happening?! Jim is playing like a completely different person!" the commentator yelled.
"He's slicing through Yellow Storm's defense like butter!"