The noise became overwhelming and Demien felt his entire body tense while watching the French players celebrate, and the shift in momentum was complete—two goals in ninety-seven seconds had erased Argentina's control entirely.

Luca's voice carried disbelief somewhere to Demien's left while his jaw stayed tight and his hands gripped the armrests, and the clinical efficiency of Mbappé's execution was undeniable—no wasted motion, no hesitation, just decisive action at the critical moment.

February couldn't come soon enough, and the thought arrived unbidden while his eyes tracked the celebration on the pitch.

90' —

The final minutes of regulation passed with both teams creating half-chances but neither finding the decisive moment, and when the referee blew for full-time the scoreboard showed Argentina 2-2 France with thirty minutes of extra time ahead.

Elena recorded the stadium atmosphere on her phone while Demien stayed quiet, and his right leg ached from sitting in the same position for ninety minutes, and he stretched it carefully while the teams gathered near their benches for instructions.

EXTRA TIME — FIRST HALF

The first period of extra time was cautious from both sides as fatigue began affecting decision-making, and neither team created clear chances despite possession changing hands multiple times.

Argentina had the best opportunity in the ninety-eighth minute when Lautaro Martínez was played through on goal, and he was clear with only Lloris to beat but his shot went wide right.

Luca had his hands on his head while Demien watched without reacting externally, and the missed chance could prove decisive.

EXTRA TIME — SECOND HALF

108' —

The goal came from persistence rather than brilliance, and Demien watched the buildup with his focus narrowed completely.

Lautaro Martínez drove toward goal and his shot was blocked by Lloris, and the ball bounced loose inside the six-yard box with bodies everywhere.

Messi didn't admire the chaos—he followed the ball's movement and when it spilled toward him he reacted first, and his touch was simple and directed toward the goal line.

Koundé scrambled to clear but the ball had already crossed the line before his foot made contact, and goal-line technology confirmed it immediately.

ARGENTINA 3-2 FRANCE

The confirmation came moments later on the screen and the stadium erupted, and Demien exhaled while watching Messi's celebration—no wild emotion, just resolve and focus.

118' —

The response came with two minutes remaining when Mbappé's shot inside the box struck Montiel's arm, and the referee pointed to the spot immediately while French players surrounded him demanding the decision.

Mbappé placed the ball down and his confidence was unchanged despite the pressure of the moment, and when the whistle blew his run-up was identical to his first penalty—direct, powerful, decisive.

The ball went low to the right corner again and Martínez guessed correctly again but couldn't reach it again, and the power was too much for any goalkeeper to stop.

ARGENTINA 3-3 FRANCE

Luca's voice was barely audible somewhere beside him while Demien's jaw remained too tight to speak, and his focus was completely absorbed by what he'd just witnessed—Mbappé had scored three goals under maximum pressure without any visible hesitation or doubt.

120' — END OF EXTRA TIME

The final whistle came with the score still level at 3-3, and the penalty shootout would decide the World Cup.

PENALTY SHOOTOUT

The teams lined up in the center circle while the kicks would be taken in front of the Argentine supporters, and Demien's hands gripped the armrests while his breathing stayed controlled.

Mbappé took France's first penalty and scored—low to the right, Martínez getting a hand to it but not enough.

Messi took Argentina's first and scored—calm placement to the left, Lloris diving the wrong way entirely.

Coman took France's second and Martínez saved it—diving right and pushing the ball away with his hand.

Dybala took Argentina's second and scored—straight down the middle while Lloris dove left.

Tchouaméni took France's third and missed—pulling his shot wide left of the post.

Paredes took Argentina's third and scored—low to the right corner, Lloris guessing wrong.

Kolo Muani took France's fourth and scored—powerful to the left, Martínez guessing wrong.

Montiel took Argentina's fourth with the chance to win it, and the stadium noise became deafening.

His run-up was measured and his strike was placed rather than powerful, and the ball went low to the left while Lloris dove right.

ARGENTINA WIN 4-2 ON PENALTIES

The Argentine section erupted completely and players sprinted onto the pitch while Messi was mobbed by teammates, and the French players collapsed where they stood.

Demien sat without moving while the celebration happened around him, and his focus wasn't on the winner but on the clarity of what he'd watched—every goal had been born from decision-making under pressure, not inspiration.

Luca was shouting something beside him and Sophia had her hand on his shoulder, and Elena was recording the celebration on her phone while tears ran down her face, and the noise around them was overwhelming but Demien's mind stayed focused on the patterns he'd observed.

The Torch Doha Hotel

11:34 PM

The city was still alive outside when they returned to the hotel, and groups of Argentine supporters filled the streets celebrating while cars honked continuously.

Demien sat on the edge of his bed in his room and stretched carefully, and his right leg responded without sharp pain though the tightness remained.

The system activated without him calling it, and the blue interface materialized in his peripheral vision while text appeared in clean lines.

「SYSTEM STATUS CHECK」

「Current Status: Rehabilitation Phase」

「Overall Rating: 78」

「Active Missions: None」

「Match Participation: Suspended」

「Physical Condition: Stable」

「No decline recorded」

「No progression available」

「Recovery continues as scheduled」

The numbers held steady—no decline from watching rather than playing, no growth from passive observation, just stable maintenance while his body healed.

Demien dismissed the panel with a thought and the interface faded, and he lay back on the bed while his eyes stayed open.

February still felt far away, but the distance felt necessary now rather than frustrating.

His mind wasn't replaying specific goals or celebrating Argentina's victory—instead it was processing movement patterns and decision points.

Where Messi had positioned himself before receiving the ball.

When Mbappé had started his runs relative to when the pass was played.

How both players had decided what to do before the ball arrived rather than reacting after receiving it.

Outside the window the celebration continued with horns and shouting, and inside the room Demien lay awake while his understanding shifted.

Football hadn't returned yet.

But his comprehension of it had changed.

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