Chapter 66: Regional Qualifiers, Seiryuu High versus Daikyo High

Sota sat in a quiet corner of the locker room, his head lowered and a towel draped over it. He had separated himself from the rest of the team, trying to block out the ambient noise and focus on what lay ahead. His heart drummed a steady rhythm in his chest, matching the distant hum of the crowd outside. He shut his eyes, letting the faint scent of sweat and turf mix with the tension in the air. The weight of the moment pressed down on him, but he welcomed it.

He had to be ready.

Soft footsteps approached, barely audible over the locker room's bustle. Sota didn't look up. Instead, he felt a gentle nudge on his arm, followed by the cool touch of a water bottle being pressed into his hand.

"You all right?" Aiko's voice cut through the haze, clear and calming.

Sota lifted his head slightly, meeting her gaze. Her eyes were filled with concern, but there was something else—an unspoken trust that he could carry them through this. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "Never better," he replied, voice low but steady.

Aiko studied him for a moment longer, as if searching for any cracks in his resolve. Satisfied, she gave a slight nod. "Good. We'll need you at your best out there."

As if on cue, the PA system crackled to life, breaking the moment. A mechanical voice echoed through the room, announcing, "Attention, all participants. Seiryuu High School and Daikyo Academy, please proceed to the field."

Sota clenched his fist around the water bottle. The time had come.

Aiko straightened up, her demeanor shifting as she turned to face the team. "Everyone ready?" she called out, her voice commanding but laced with an encouraging tone.

The team gathered around her, forming a tight circle. Sota joined them, slipping the towel off his head. He could see the mix of emotions on their faces—nervousness, excitement, determination. Kazuma and Daigo, despite their rough exterior, looked serious for once, their eyes flickering with anticipation. Ryuji, ever the wildcard, wore a grin that suggested he was itching to get out there and prove something. Even Kaminari, usually laid-back, seemed focused, his eyes scanning the faces of his teammates.

Aiko took a deep breath, her hands clasped in front of her. "Listen, I know some of you might be nervous. This is big, I get it. But remember why we're here. We didn't come all this way to back down now. We're going to go out there, give it everything we've got, and show them what Seiryuu High is made of. No matter what happens, we do this together."

The locker room fell silent as her words sank in. Sota could feel the tension lifting, replaced by a growing sense of unity. He glanced around at his teammates, seeing the fire ignited in their eyes.

"We've worked hard for this," Aiko continued, her voice rising with each word. "This is our chance to prove ourselves. So let's go out there and give them a fight they'll never forget!"

A chorus of determined nods and muttered affirmations followed. Aiko smiled, the tension in her shoulders easing slightly. "All right, let's do this."

The team moved as one, heading for the tunnel that led to the field. As they approached the entrance, the roar of the crowd grew louder, a wave of sound that crashed over them, sending a jolt of adrenaline through Sota's veins. He could feel the energy in the air, the anticipation of the spectators as they waited for the next match to begin.

Stepping out into the open, Sota was greeted by a sight that sent a shiver down his spine. The field was vast, a sea of green stretching out under the bright lights of the stadium. The bleachers were filled with spectators, their faces blurred into a single, shifting mass of color and sound. There were more people than he had expected—not quite as many as at the nationals, but still enough to make his heart skip a beat.

He glanced at the other side of the field, where their opponents were warming up. Daikyo Academy, one of the top sixteen schools in the region. They moved with a practiced ease, their passes sharp and their formations tight. Sota could see the confidence in their movements, the way they carried themselves as if victory was already assured.

But they hadn't faced Seiryuu High yet.

Sota's gaze flickered back to his teammates, who were also taking in the sight. Kazuma and Daigo whispered to each other, their usual bravado tempered by the magnitude of the moment. Ryuji stretched his arms, cracking his knuckles with an audible pop as if loosening up for a fight. Kaminari's expression was unreadable, his eyes locked on Daikyo's quarterback, who was busy barking orders at his team.

Aiko's voice broke through the noise. "Let's get ready," she called, her tone brisk and business-like. "We've got a job to do."

The team gathered on their side of the field, going through their final warm-ups. Sota could feel the eyes of the crowd on them, could hear the murmurs and whispers of the spectators. Some were cheering, others were more skeptical.

"Who are these guys?"

"Never heard of Seiryuu High before…"

"They look like they came from the rural side of town... and they're just a bunch of students."

"Yea, don't they have a coach? That must suck."

Still, amidst the noise of negativity, there were others whose voices that carried a note of hope. "Come on, Seiryuu! You can do it!"

Sota clenched his fists, blocking out the chatter. It didn't matter what they said. The only thing that mattered was what happened on the field.

Aiko called them into a huddle, her voice low but urgent. "Don't worry about what they're saying. Let them talk. We're here to play our game. We've trained hard for this, and we're going to show them what we can do. Focus on the game, nothing else."

Sota nodded along with the others, feeling a surge of resolve. This was it—the moment they had been working toward. He took a deep breath, letting the tension drain from his body, replaced by a calm determination.

The referee's whistle blew, signaling for the teams to line up. Sota and his teammates took their positions, facing Daikyo Academy across the centerline. The Daikyo players moved with an almost arrogant confidence, their eyes flickering over Seiryuu's lineup with barely concealed disdain.

Sota felt a flicker of anger but pushed it aside. They would show them—on the field, where it mattered.

The two teams approached each other, extending their hands for the traditional pre-game handshake. As Sota clasped hands with Daikyo's quarterback, he looked the boy straight in the eye, his grip firm.

Daikyo's quarterback smirked, a faint, mocking smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Good luck," he said, his tone dripping with condescension.

Sota's jaw tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. "You too," he replied, his voice even.

The handshake ended, and the teams broke apart, moving to their respective sides of the field. Sota could feel the tension in the air, a palpable, electric charge that set his nerves on edge. But beneath it all was a simmering determination, a fire that had been stoked by weeks of hard work and preparation.

As they lined up for the kickoff, Sota glanced at his teammates, seeing the same fire reflected in their eyes. They were ready. They were here to fight.

The referee blew the whistle, and the game began.