The halftime whistle hadn't blown yet but it felt like the match was already in overtime.Kei stood alone in the midfield his breath even but his mind in overdrive
The opponent's adaptation wasn't slowing down anymore.It was accelerating
Their passes were sharper.Not smarter but more efficient.As if every failed attempt taught them exactly what not to do
By the time Ren broke through the left side again he was met with a block that mimicked Kei's own earlier strategy
They were learning everything
But not just tactically
Emotionally too
The opposing captain started to speak in patterns.Kei noticed it mid-play.The pauses the phrases the way he said relax before a throw-in or the way he muttered numbers as if they were time stamps
Kei's heart pounded louder than the crowd now
"They're mapping us psychologically" he whispered to Amano when the ball went out again
"You're kidding right" Amano muttered back wiping sweat from his temple
Kei didn't answer
He didn't have time
Because suddenly the opposing team dropped all pretenses
They rushed
Not with power but with precision
Not to score but to expose
The next sequence saw Dazai intercepted perfectly after only his second touch
Then Ren forced wide with three men closing him into a corner they never used before
It was like someone had taken their match data and ran simulations overnight
But this was live
Kei looked toward the bench
No substitute was coming
This was the test
And there was nowhere left to hide