Chapter 31: Dream
The crowd cheered as I walked into the limelight.
"Ryan! Ryan! Ryan!" They said my name countless times as I walked into the field with my arms high.
My team following behind me.
They knew their roles, and I knew mine. Some of them came to this sport for money and influence.
Others wanted to share in my fame.
Regardless, this showmanship I did before the match started made my fans hungry for more.
As usual, I'd show them my victory.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! I am happy to announce the preliminary match for the Annual Glowing Rain Cup. We have our dark horses debuting tonight. Cheers for the Rain Makers!" As the announcer hyped, a strong crew walked out.
Compared to my relatively 'normal' teammates wearing our team colours and numbers, these shirtless giants looked intimidating. Overall, I could say they had a good quality of front members.
There was no imbalance in showmanship like my own team. They all rolled out in one unified stand.
Making it hard to figure out their main attacker.
This naturally put me at a disadvantage. It was hard to say exactly how this team worked together.
The sport of Shaolin Soccer was something that needed either talent or the preplanning to win.
Which was why I was a bit nervous.
We had no information other than most their group being confirmed as rare 'Dark Specialists'.
Unlike normal Specialists that used the Affinity of the five elements, they could all control darkness.
And what limits did this Affinity have exactly?
Since the Dark Affinity was just that rare, I could hardly figure out how such a team was even formed.
Perhaps they managed to recruit enough Dark Specialists by scouring Valkcry's Capitol... but how were they all so jacked up? Was this performance enhancers? I thought steroids were all off-limits?
...Maybe they passed the drug test by waiting until the drugs got out of their system. It was a loophole.
If one managed to rid themselves of the steroids circulating their body, then it was entirely possible to pretend their physiques were 'natural'. Definitely having nothing to do with performance enhancers.
The fact that they were even here spoke wonders.
I'm sure this team had some backing, unlike my pitiable crew that was simply a well-known team.
We didn't have such a broad team synergy as our opponents. All of us randomly capable in elements.
A fire specialised Defender, an earth specialised mid fielder, etc... Well, I had faith to carry this team.
Even if they were simply 'carrying' me by being the best supports to my extensive arsenal of strategies.
I looked at each one of them and patted my chest.
"Don't worry." I'm here, so there was no need to be worried about anything. Just do your jobs right.
To my affirmation of their roles here, they gave me a resolved look to fight with me to attain victory.
Their resolve boosted my confidence.
Yes... Now this is right.
My team was here and to support. With them all being committed, I could focus on my own goals.
"Team 'Valkcry Abes', a team that has shown their metal time and time again, versus the new giants on the street, Team 'Overlord Blades'! Who will win and who will have to try hard to stay in the Annual Glowing Rain Cup? It's time to find out!"
The announcer gave cues to the referee standing between us. Making sure there were no fouls.
No eye plucking or lower vital region striking...
My team all got in their positions around the field. I myself walking up to the front with confidence.
A ball was placed in the centre of the fairly big soccer field. After all, there were only eight on each side.
But still large enough to accommodate an audience.
I looked at the screen and saw my father up in the stands as usual. He'd come to see me with my brother. The cute little guy looking like he was praying for my success. Hyping me up further.
Finally, I stood face-to-face with the Goliath that had came out of who knows where. He stood up to me.
"Puny..." It looked like the trash talk commenced.
For a big guy like this bastard, I probably seemed like a bug to him... but I had no retorts.
Simply looking into his eyes.
I could see my silvery eyes reflecting in his own. A look of terror started from his face, and to his body.
I'd show him how I was the son of the man that this Divine Cup was based off of. Sheer power.
The sounds of the crowd gradually blurred out.
I refocused my senses on only my opponents, with a bit of my mental power spared for my teammates.
Using a secret art taught to me by my father...
'Cognitive Drive!' A amethyst purple hue appeared in my eyes. Electricity surging through my body.
One of the seven Affinities I was capable of using.
The timer began and the starting bell rang. I kept my eyes peeled for any tactics they might apply here.
As expected, their 'striker' acted almost immediately.
A fist headed straight to my face from above. An act that the referee nor audience found to be strange.
After all, battle was an aspect of Shaolin Soccer.
I found that he was adding an E Rank level of Magic Capacity into the thrown fist. Right at my face.
...Pretty dirty.
Rather than dodging it, I activated my Gift. A shield made of D Rank Dark Qi appeared in my hands.
Bouncing off his fist.
A baton of D Rank Earth Qi appeared in my other hand. Bashing him away dispute his large stature.
The ball was mine!
While he staggered back, I immediately jumped into enemy frontlines with the ball near my foot.
Dribbling it since touching it with our hands wasn't allowed... A 'guideline' we technically followed.
"Get him!" Several of the big guys tried tackling me like they were intending to break some of my bones.
Some even trying to grab onto my clothes.
But I wasn't completely helpless.
The dark shield and earthen bat fused in my hands.
'Gravel Dusk!' A bat of both Earth and Dark energy manifested into a corporeal object in my hands.
Looking like an extremely intricate manifestation.
I swung my bat around. Not caring about the projectiles woven between them coming my way.
Boom. One of the projectiles was interrupted in midair by my teammates. A light affinity user.
One of the fastest of Specialist that existed.
The moment they got close enough to me, I passed the ball behind me to someone else for a moment.
Those covering themselves in shadows turned their heads instinctively. Almost ignoring me being here.
"Like hell you will...!" Rather than letting them attack my allies, I fought them all up-front.
Waving my bat around to beat them up like a thug.
It was finally showtime!
Through their unified movements, shadows converged to where I was to blind me in a domain.
A zone of dark energy.
They had completely blocked out sunlight, making it harder for me to see any of them approaching.
It was too crude of a tactic...
A pistol made of Light Qi appeared in my hand. Only a second or two required to make my first shot.
Bang. The opposing forces of light and dark happened on the outside thanks to my companion.
And on the inside thanks to me.
Thanks to clearing the darkness, I was able to see a fist that was aimed straight towards my chin.
They seemed trickier than I'd expected.
Time slowed down thanks to my Cognitive Drive enhancing my ability to take in information.
Allowing me to process the world faster.
I could see the joy in the giant man's face from knowing it was too late for me to dodge.
Though slowly in my eyes, the fist was half a second away from impact. Too fast for me to take on.
The best I could do was tilt my face away.
Following the flow of his straight and leaping back.
I rammed and scratched my shoulder a lot onto the ground upon impact, but my brain was intact.
The shock of the fist hadn't knocked me out.
That much was enough...
A silver glow emanated from my eyes beyond the purple hue. I simply turned off Cognitive Drive.
There was no use for thinking anymore.
Out of the two ways to end this match, I chose the most difficult and arduous path among them...
...which was knocking them out!
After flipping my body, I raced towards my first victim while wrapping my body in Wind Qi.
Two more weapons appeared besides the Light Pistol in my hand. A knife of wind and igniter of fire.
The buff of Wind Qi vanishing upon getting close.
I shot at him multiple times through his magically reinforced body. Knocking him off his feet.
The rest of the team tried to pin me down.
While the giant striker was knocked away, my hands moved with fluidity to grab the knife and lighter.
I put the manifested red lighter under the magazine of the Light Pistol. Transforming it into a 'Beam Blaster' that harmonised with Fire and Light, then enhanced that base using the green knife.
Turning it into a Beam Sword of Fire, Wind, and Light. A contraption bordering blades and guns.
Or to be more specific: This was a gunblade.
The blade my hands moved elegantly. Switching from close quarter to ranged without any flaws.
Shooting multiple crimson beam blades at them.
Of course, because I put no killing intentions into this attack, all the blades merely made them 'feel' like they were burned. As if the blades had truly stabbed into their bodies and injured them.
I stopped in my tracks and pointed at their team.
"Get them." Before they could display the rest of their abilities and tactics, we took them down.
Once seeing the opportunity, the rest of my team charged forward and struck the weakened group.
The one who I passed the ball to gave it back. Letting me run down the field unhindered by the rest.
There was only one left.
That goalkeeper shivered when he saw me. The fact I wasn't in a rush seemed to make him more nervous.
After all, the rest of his team were being taken down just behind me. It made my heart feel the peak.
I felt like the most powerful man in existence.
The light in my eyes intensified when I made my move. All seven energies within me congregated.
Entering my foot when I took the shot.
There was no tricky curve or spin on the ball. I had simply spiked it straight into the goalkeeper.
For a brief moment, it looked like he believed I'd made a bad choice by 'passing' it to him like this.
Darkness congregated into armoured limbs that came out of the shadows. The ground and net.
Several layers of defensive measures were formed.
The shot I took hit that thick armour, but it didn't curve or bounce off. The ball continued to head his way while breaking the manifested arms. Only being able to strip some of the protection I laid on the ball.
The temporary enchantment of energy I put while leaving out anything meant for boosting power.
After all, my leg strength was enough.
To prove that point, the impact of the ball hitting the goalkeeper's stomach rang out through the field.
Arching his body into a bow while being thrown off his feet and into the air. Being pushed right back.
...Until the ball finally lost momentum and fell.
"Y-you..." The goalkeeper tried to speak while reaching out in a rage. He finally figured it out.
I wasn't trying to score in the first place.
That shot was intended to knock him out, and before he could speak any further... he fell to the ground.
"A rare occurrence has ended the match! The entirety of Team 'Overlord Blades' are unable to continue. Winner is Team 'Valkcry Abes'!" The crowd became even livelier with those words.
Only some of them disappointed since I couldn't show them my usual moves from other matches.
But there was a reason I ended this quick.
I went out and left the rest of the team to deal with the commotion this time. It was their glory.
Bowing out early while finding my father.
"Dad!" I jumped at the white-haired man who looked too old to be anyone's father at that age.
Behind him was my little brother, who was quite shy for a teenager almost becoming a young adult.
He said nothing as usual. Hiding behind our dad.
"Is uncle coming today?" I couldn't hold in my excitement while jittering and hopping on my toes.
My body bouncing in place.
"Uncle Gerald is coming from a long way away. He said he'll teach you some swordsmanship this time if you behave properly. No shouting or destroying public property with your Gift again." Dad patted my head and looked at me straight in the eyes.
I turned away in embarrassment.
"That was an accident." I pleaded my case.
"And your uncle is going back if that 'accident' happens a second time. Gerald Knightly had spoken that, and he is a man of his word. What else do you expect of someone with 'knight' in their name?" My father rolled his eyes before taking me home.
I wondered what we were going to eat today.
Hotpot? Hmmm... Maybe something else to celebrate the coming of my favourite uncle.
I couldn't wait to greet see him again.
Ah... It felt like I was born again today. Like I'd awoken from a nightmare I couldn't remember.
Meh, it's probably nothing important.
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