Chapter 99: Ouji's Brief Respite

Only six players remained on the field, a stark disadvantage in a game where every player counted. Aiko stood on the sidelines, tension coiling in her chest as she watched the medics tend to Ouji. The sight of his bloodied nose had sent a chill through her, and now, with him temporarily sidelined, the weight of the situation pressed down even harder.

"They just need five minutes," Aiko muttered under her breath, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles turned white. Her eyes darted from the medic's tent to the field where Seiryuu's remaining players were holding their ground with a tenacity that filled her with equal parts pride and worry. Five minutes. They just had to hold on for five more minutes.