The Eternal Era dome was alive long before kickoff. Neon banners lit the skies, drones hovered with live feeds, and the chants of twenty thousand fans echoed like thunder. This wasn't just another league game—it was the second of the season's weekly fixtures, and the team couldn't afford to falter.

Inside the locker room, the Rising Stars of Team A sat tense, lacing boots and adjusting shin guards. The stakes had been hammered into their heads all week: Stay in the top twenty of the Galactic League, or risk losing your slot entirely. Every game mattered.

Jason stood at the whiteboard, arms folded, staring at the formation he'd scribbled half a dozen times already. His jaw was tight, eyes flicking from the magnets on the board to the faces of his players.

Lionel, Grim, Anastasia, Scarlet, Aya, Kenji, Diego, Mikhail, Ryuji, Zara—all accounted for. The backbone of Team A. And then there was Dante—Blaze now, at least on paper—sitting quietly at the far end of the bench, hoodie shadowing his face.

Jason tapped the board with his marker."Listen up. We're facing Orion Breakers tonight. They're bottom of the table, but don't think that makes them harmless. Teams with nothing to lose are the most dangerous."

A few players nodded. Scarlet twirled her wristband, smirking. "Coach, come on. Last place? We'll run them over."

Jason's eyes hardened."You said the same thing last season, and who handed you your first injury? A team dead last. Never underestimate the desperate."

The room went quiet.

Jason continued, drawing arrows on the board. "Our main issue isn't defense. With Lionel locking the back and Ryuji in goal, we're covered. Our weakness is finishing. We create chances but can't always convert. Aya's Moonblade shot is good, Scarlet's footwork can break lines, but we lack a consistent striker presence."

His gaze flicked, just briefly, toward Blaze. Dante didn't move.

"For this match, Scarlet and Aya will alternate attacking through midfield. Kenji plays wide support. Grim, as always, anchors the rhythm. First half is about control. Dominate possession. Wear them down."

Grim nodded, calm as ever. "Understood."

Scarlet grinned and clapped her hands. "Then let's put on a show."

Jason didn't smile. He knew the real test would come when the crowd demanded what he already suspected: Blaze wasn't meant to stay on the bench for long.

Kickoff

The whistle blew, and the pitch lit up under floodlights. The Orion Breakers stormed forward immediately, their kits a dark teal trimmed with jagged silver. They weren't polished, but they were fast and hungry, pressing hard in the opening minutes.

Dante leaned forward on the bench, watching intently. His blood buzzed with the rhythm of the game, every muscle urging him to be out there, but Jason's order held: Wait.

On the field, Aya danced around two defenders, her long strides slicing across midfield. She fed the ball to Scarlet, who executed a dazzling capoeira spin, flicking the ball past her marker. The crowd roared.

But when Scarlet went for the final strike, the ball curled just wide.

"Too flashy," Jason muttered under his breath.

Moments later, Anastasia surged down the right flank, her Autumn Leaf aura scattering two pressing opponents like gusts of wind. She whipped in a sharp cross. Kenji rose, his Thunderclaw Dash propelling him above the defenders, but his header rattled the crossbar.

The fans groaned in unison.

Dante clenched his fists. The openings were there. What they lacked was the finishing bite.

Orion Breakers capitalized on the frustration. Their captain, a wiry striker with jagged hair, countered with ruthless pace. He dribbled past Diego, forcing Lionel to step in.

The crowd gasped as the striker unleashed a power shot—only for Lionel to smother it with his chest, grounding the ball like it had slammed into a wall of stone.

"Stronghold! Stronghold!" the stadium chanted.

Lionel cleared calmly to Zara, who reset the rhythm.

Jason's Dilemma

By the 25th minute, Eternal Era dominated possession but still hadn't scored. Jason paced the technical area, his sharp eyes scanning every movement. Aya was controlling tempo beautifully, Scarlet was relentless, Anastasia was flawless on the wing, but… no goal.

Fans began to murmur.

"Why isn't Blaze playing?""The kid's on the bench again? Waste.""Put the new guy in! We need a striker!"

Jason's jaw tightened. He heard every shout. He ignored them—for now.

On the bench, Dante breathed slowly, eyes fixed on the ball. His Titan Name whispered in his head—Blaze. A name that demanded fire, demanded risk, demanded he stop hiding.

But he also remembered his mother's words: Don't lose yourself. He couldn't just run wild.

Jason finally stopped pacing when Aya slipped a through-ball into space. Scarlet broke the line, sprinting past the last defender. She struck—clean this time.

The ball slammed into the net.

"GOAL!"

The dome erupted in cheers, flags waving, drums pounding. Eternal Era 1, Orion Breakers 0.

Scarlet blew a kiss to the crowd, arms spread wide. Aya jogged over to bump fists with her, a rare smile breaking her calm face.

Jason exhaled slowly, relief tugging at his shoulders. At least the drought was broken.

Pressure Mounts

But as the half wore on, the cracks showed again. Scarlet's energy dipped after her goal, Kenji misfired two more chances, and Aya's Moonblade shot was parried by the Orion keeper in spectacular fashion.

The Breakers, emboldened, pushed back harder. Their midfielders snapped into tackles, their keeper barked orders like a general, and their captain lingered at the halfway line, eyes sharp, waiting for his chance.

At the 40th minute, he nearly had it.

A misstep from Diego allowed a counter. The striker tore forward, Void Dash igniting under his boots. Only Grim's presence slowed him—an eerie distortion of time forcing the striker's legs to feel heavy. Lionel swept in and reclaimed possession before disaster struck.

Still, the warning was clear.

Jason folded his arms, staring at his bench. His eyes landed on Dante.

Not yet, he told himself. Let the kid wait. Let the team prove they can finish this first half strong.

But deep inside, he knew what was coming. The fans wouldn't stay patient forever.

Halftime Whistle

The referee blew, sending both teams jogging into the tunnel. The scoreline read: Eternal Era 1 – Orion Breakers 0.

Scarlet strutted in with confidence, Aya silent at her side. Lionel walked calm as always, Ryuji muttered something to himself, and Grim looked as though he hadn't even broken a sweat.

Jason lingered by the doorway, eyes sweeping his squad.

"One goal isn't enough," he said finally, voice low but sharp. "Not for a team aiming for the top twenty. You think the galaxy cares about flashy tricks and chants? They care about results. And right now, you're barely scraping by."

The room fell silent. Even Scarlet bit her tongue.

Jason's gaze flicked again, inevitably, to Dante. The boy sat on the edge of the bench, hoodie down now, red lightning faint in his eyes.

The coach's lips pressed into a thin line.

The second half loomed. And Jason knew the moment of decision was coming.

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