The stadium buzzed with a fever pitch of energy. After Volt's thunderous goal, the crowd was in awe. Commentators were still catching their breath, struggling to describe what they had just witnessed.
But amid the chaos and celebration, the Crushers didn't flinch. In fact, they looked calm. Too calm.
On the sidelines, Raiku smirked as the Phantom Force players huddled together. "Volt is dangerous," he thought coldly. "We need to take him out."With a subtle nod, he gave a silent signal to his teammates. The plan was set: use any means necessary—dirty or not—to eliminate Volt from the game.
The match resumed.
Raiku received the ball at the center. But before he could blink, a thunderbolt of speed sliced past him. The ball vanished from his feet.
He spun around.
Volt stood there, casually saying "You looking for something?" he said with a flash of lightning in his tone.
But then—Volt winced. Pain shot through his ankle like a jolt.
Alex, watching from the midfield, noticed. He sighed, almost knowingly. "Tch… I was expecting this," he muttered. "That move isn't a gift. It's a curse."
He was right. Lightning Waltz was designed for high-speed dribbling, not for launching Volt across the field like a missile. The sudden burst of speed had put serious strain on his legs.
Rento, Crusher's defensive midfielder, picked up on the hesitation.
He swooped in and stole the ball from Volt with ease. "Football is a game of speed and accuracy," he jeered. "No place for turtles. And you, my friend—you're the turtle."
Their taunts weren't just mindless trash talk—they were strategic. The Crushers had figured out Volt's weakness. If he kept forcing Lightning Waltz to boost his speed unnaturally, it would eventually destroy his legs.
Alex yelled from afar, "Don't listen to them, Volt! That move is cursed for you. They're trying to bait you—because they're scared of your speed!"
Volt clenched his teeth, nodding slightly. "Understood."
But the Crushers weren't done. Mind games weren't enough—they moved to physical tactics.
Rento intentionally made a "mistimed" pass, giving Volt a clean chance to intercept. Volt took the bait, chasing down the loose ball—only to be brutally tackled mid-sprint. He collapsed, hitting the turf hard.
The referee let it slide. "Just a clash," he ruled.
Minutes later, Jim passed the ball back to Volt again. But this time, Raiku came charging—not for the ball, but for Volt's ribs. He landed a sharp elbow into Volt's side.
The whistle never came.
Jim's eyes widened. His Predator Instinct activated.
"This isn't football anymore," he thought. "This is war."
To make things worse, Raiku took advantage of the confusion and scored a goal. The stadium erupted with mixed cheers and jeers as the whistle blew for halftime.
In the locker room, Volt was quietly sipping water, trying to hide the pain.
Jim leaned toward Alex. "Did you see that tackle? And the elbow? They're targeting Volt."
Alex kept his voice calm. "Accidents happen."
Jim shook his head. "No. I saw it. My ability lets me read patterns and behavior—they've been targeting Volt from the start. They're trying to remove him from the field."
Alex narrowed his eyes. "So it's intentional."
"Exactly. They know Volt is dangerous. He's the one threat they can't deal with. So they're doing the only thing they can: playing dirty."
Just then, Alex clapped his hands. "Team huddle!"
The players circled around. Alex stood tall in the center, his eyes burning with quiet fire.
"You all saw what happened to Volt. They can hit us. Elbow us. Tackle us like it's a street fight. And the referee? He's letting it slide. So what do we do?"
The team remained silent.
"Do we play scared like kittens?" he roared. "Or do we ROAR BACK like lions?!"
Volt, grinning despite his injuries, stood up and shouted, "HELL YEAH! I've been waiting for you to say that! Finally—my favorite part!"
The rest of the team erupted in cheers, fire igniting in their hearts.
As they jogged back out onto the pitch, their eyes had changed.
They weren't just playing to win anymore—they were fighting for pride, for Volt, for their dream.
Alex looked at Raiku across the field.
"You wanted a war? Now you've got one. And trust me… we know how to finish what you started."