Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!-Chapter 214 - 213 - Champions League Final (Part 8)

In Japan, in a small, well-lit office, Hasumi Seiya was intently watching the broadcast.

Her eyes were fixed on the screen, absorbing every detail of the match between Brighton and Bayern Munich.

She leaned forward a little, resting her elbows on her knees, and a subtle smile appeared on her face at the exact moment that Lucas Tanaka reappeared on the screen, gathering his teammates to react to the conceded goal.

Seiya’s expression was one of pure satisfaction. She remembered well the past, the time she coached one team in the summer league and how she once looked into that determined boy’s blue eyes and told him he wasn’t good enough to be a number 10. At that moment, Lucas Tanaka was far from the refined, fearless player who now led Brighton’s midfield against one of Europe’s strongest youth clubs.

She crossed her arms, watching the way Lucas moved around the pitch, taking responsibility, pointing to his teammates and gesturing to reorganize the team after the draw. His control of the situation was impressive. It was then that she muttered to herself:

"I’m glad I was wrong."

She lowered her gaze for a moment and adjusted the collar of the jacket she was wearing. On the right side of her chest, embroidered with discreet refinement, was the flag of Japan. Hasumi Seiya, who had once judged Lucas without hesitation, was now on the coaching staff of the Japanese national team. And it wasn’t just any team: it was the senior team, the one that relentlessly pursued glory on the biggest stages in world soccer.

The sound of the door opening brought her momentarily out of her reverie.

"Seiya! You won’t believe it! The traffic was hell today! I missed most of the game!"

Seiya smiled, already expecting his reaction.

"Come here, coach. You can’t miss this. Two players you’ve mentioned a few times are playing very well."

The man entering the office took off his shirt, clearly uncomfortable with the heat outside. He dropped it on a chair and approached the television, narrowing his eyes to analyze what was happening on the pitch.

The man, now with his arms crossed, tilted his head slightly to one side and watched the match more closely. It didn’t take him long to understand the importance of what was happening. Tsuyoshi Nishida and Lucas Tanaka, two youngsters he had monitored at different times, were putting on a show of talent and intensity. Each of them had already scored two goals, and the game was still wide open.

"My God..." He took a deep breath. "And I missed that because of traffic?!"

Seiya laughed, shaking his head. "There’s still time to see what these two offer. Pay attention, because the game is over."

The coach needed no more encouragement. He pulled up a chair and sat down next to Seiya, ready to analyze every detail of the game and perhaps plan a future in which these two talents could wear the blue shirt of the Japanese national team.

And the game continued to be electrifying, with Brighton and Bayern exchanging intense attacks. Each possession was fought for with an almost desperate fury, as the time on the clock ran out.

Lucas moved around the midfield, distributing passes and coordinating his teammates, while Nishida, on the other side, showed why he was one of the most promising forwards in Japanese soccer.

Then, in a moment of pure genius, Nishida received the ball in midfield and spotted a small space in front of him. With a subtle touch, he brought the ball forward to prepare a long-range shot. The trajectory of his body indicated that he was going to unleash a rocket towards the goal. It was a quick decision, but also one that could define the match.

However, Loki gave his rival no space. He fired in a low, aggressive drive. But something went wrong.

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The impact of Loki’s boot laces on Nishida’s ankle was violent because Loki slid faster than he intended on the wet turf.

The dry sound of contact echoed across the pitch, and the next instant, Nishida was on the ground, rolling around in pain.

The referee raised his arm, signaling a foul, and ran to the spot.

The Bayern players surrounded the referee, demanding a harsher punishment for Loki, while the Brighton players defended their teammate.

"It was with the laces of the boot! It’s red!"

"Are you kidding? Only yellow? That’s a joke!"

Lucas, seeing Nishida on the ground, felt a tightness in his chest. He knew his friend’s physical strength and endurance, so if he was reacting like this, it was because the blow really hurt.

It was then that Lucas ran over to him and knelt down beside him.

"Hey, are you okay?" he asked.

Nishida clenched his teeth, taking deep breaths to contain the pain. His hands were pressed against his injured ankle, and he let out a shaky sigh before answering:

"I’ve... seen worse," he muttered, forcing a smile. "But, man... that really hurts."

Lucas looked over at the Bayern bench and saw that the doctors were already preparing to take the field. He knew that if Nishida received care there, he would have to leave the game for a while and, considering the intense phase of the match, this could jeopardize his team. Lucas didn’t want this match ball to end like this.

"Listen..." Lucas began, leaning closer, "if you can get up now, your team’s doctors won’t come in."

"But they’re hurting a lot..."

"Trust me. I can help you."

Nishida stared at him for a moment, trying to assess whether he could. His ankle was throbbing, but he trusted Lucas. With an effort, he leaned on his friend’s arms and stood up, feeling every fiber of his body protest against the movement.

Lucas then turned to the referee. "I’ll help him off the pitch."

The referee hesitated for a moment, but when he saw Nishida moving with support, he just nodded, signaling that he would allow the assisted exit.

As they walked slowly towards the side of the pitch, Nishida pressed his good leg against the ground, trying to avoid overloading the other. It was then that he glanced at Lucas out of the corner of his eye and asked, in a low, enigmatic tone:

"Are you going to use your ’powers’?"

Lucas’s eyes widened, and his step faltered briefly.