Chapter 19: Make way for the king.
Street music blasted in the background as crowd buzzed to the rhythm. The street lamp flickered in the distance as it provided the only dim lighting in the abandoned lot. Torches shone on the small centre circle as it illuminated the playing field.
3 vs 3
[ Pavement Panthers ] vs [ Footpath Flyers ]
"The usual plan? Raven asked their captain, Kaiser.
"Of course. We'll blast right through them!" A man with long unkempt hair that was tied in a messy bun replied. He wore a typical street drifter outfit and on his feet were a pair of dusty old sneakers that yearned to be replaced. This man was Kaiser, leader and dictator of the Pavement Panthers.
[ Author: I'm not being subtle here. You know who Kai(ser) is... Right? ]
Raven grinned. His cheeky smile emitted an exuberance of confidence
.
The ball was thrown into the field by one of the spectators. The game has begun!
Raven expertly controlled the ball with the underside of his sole. Once a showboat, always a showboat. The explosive teen with an afro dazzled the audience with his mesmerising footwork as he toyed with his opponents. His speedy legs kept the ball in his grasp as he grinned at humiliating his opponent. Raven juggled the ball so blatantly before his enemy.
However, the Flyers Captain Ace, had already been humiliated multiple times by Raven. It certainly wasn't the first time they played against one another. Ace gritted his teeth as he stared down at Raven. Petty showboating will achieve nothing! Only goals will prove who's stronger.
Raven snickered as he glanced at Ace. "Tsk. You're no fun."
The showboating punk was displeased. Ace's cowardice ruined his fun. He stopped his shenanigans as he eyed the goal. I will show you who's king!
Raven suddenly charged into a sea of Footpath Flyers players. The audience gasped at this attempt, was he doing a solo run?
3
Raven dashed. His speed was explosive, but more impressive was how he was able to control the ball even at such a volatile manner. Raven was the epitome of street football, the flair, the tricks and the phenomenal elegance that can only be found in hidden locations like these.
A Flyers player hawked at Raven as he witnessed the young footballer with lightning-fast reflexes and impeccable footwork. Raven was known for his incredible dribbling skills, and the crowd were hoping to witness some of his magic in action. The crowd was on their feet as the ball was under the control of the magical Raven.
As he received the ball, Raven took off at a sprint, his feet moving faster than the eye could follow. Spike closed in, trying to intercept him, but the trickster seemed to glide past them effortlessly, twisting and turning with the ball at his feet.
A Roulette.
2
He dribbled past the first defender with devastating efficiency, causing the player to lunge in the wrong direction.
Ace was next. Raven performed a series of quick stutter-step, his constant body feints left the Flyers captain uncertain whether to tackle or intercept.
"So slow..."
Raven made his move. His right foot guiding the ball around Ace as he dared to burst past him with his raw speed. Ace lunged in, ambitious in the tackle as he needed only a poke, a slither of touch to win the ball back. Raven gleamed as his right foot was a ball magnet. The ball's direction changed in a flash, outside then inside. Raven sent Ace tumbling to the ground.
An Elastico.
1
The last player was next. Trickster feinted to the left, then juked to the right, but Diesel was an unmoving wall. He didn't fell for such petty tricks as he wasn't fooled. Raven had his eye opened wide at the challenger. You think you can stop me? There's no one I can't get past!
The audience held their breath as the witnessed the audacity, the impossible, the unspeakable.
Raven clipped the ball with his two feet. His devious smile and his darkest devil brewing inside him. He leaped in the air, just like his street name, he was gliding in suspense. It was as if gravity doesn't apply to his nimble body. Like the Raven he was, he soared into the heavens against every's imagination of reality.
The audience gasped. Their mouth left ajar as their voices was stuck in their throat.
Diesel was without words. As the ball soared over his head right before his eyes. A magician before an awestruck audience, a god before a mortal, an unbearable existence having fun with mere subjects.
A rainbow flick that was like a shooting star streaking across the night sky. The ball soared high above the Diesel's head, leaving him rooted to the ground like a tree in a storm.
The defender's jaw dropped in amazement as he watched the ball arc gracefully over him, like a Raven taking flight. It was as if the attacker had conjured a rainbow out of thin air, with the ball as the vibrant colors that shone brilliantly against the dark sky. And just like a rainbow, the flick was a fleeting moment of pure beauty that left the defender in awe, unable to do anything but stand there and admire it.
A Rainbow Flick
0
Now the goal was in sight, and the Raven surged forward, his speed increasing with every step. It was nothing more than a performance, like a dancer charming its audience with his finesse and grace.
With the goal wide open, the trickster took a deep breath and struck the ball with all his might. The ball sailed past the defenders who had given chase as it sparked an explosion of cheers and applause from the crowd.
Raven struck the ball.
*Peng*
In a moment of pure horror, the audience was in disbelief as the ball ricochet off the goal post. Raven had his eyes popping out of his head when he heard the ball missing his target, and all his efforts were for naught.
Miraculously, the ball rebounded as it recoiled into the field. The ball arrived at none other than Kaiser.
"Such a ball hog." Kaiser stated nonchalantly as he ball obediently remained still under his authoritative stomp. Ace eyes widened as his breathing became rapid. The air around him became thick with tension and suspense. His body stiffened, his muscles tensed, as if he was preparing for the worst.
As Kaiser looked up, his eyes scanned the field, trying to anticipate the moves of his opponents. He felt the weight of the ball in his feet. Every muscle in his body was coiled, ready to spring into action. He felt like a king addressing his subjects, commanding and leading them into battle.
Finally, Kaiser made his move. It was simplistic, yet elegant. His pass was like threading a needle in between the finest of gaps. It was effortless for Kaiser. Even when they blocked the goal, for him it was like Moses parting the sea. They would make a gap for him, for he was king, for he was god's chosen one, for he was gifted by this divine blessing, for he was the one that was above all.
Raven stolen the limelight, but the predator was silently waiting his moment. The crucial moment that he would struck at a moment of inattentiveness. He was undetected, his movement fluid like a predator hunting its prey. Viper received Kaiser's pass at the edge of the box.
"You should've passed, Raven." Viper stated as he licked his lips
He stood at the edge of the box, poised and patient like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His eyes were fixed on the ball, as if he could will it into the back of the net with his gaze alone.
The defenders were closing in around him, but he remained calm and collected. He waited for this opportunity. He pounced. He lunged forward, like a snake leaping on its prey, and connected with the ball. It rocketed off his foot, soaring through the air like an arrow towards its prey.
As the ball soared into the net, the crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers and applause. But as the excitement died down, a hush fell over the abandoned lot as everyone watched in awe at the sheer brilliance of what they had just witnessed.
The silence was deafening, as if the entire crowd was holding its breath, trying to absorb the moment. The crowd stared in disbelief, mouths agape, as if they couldn't quite believe what they had just seen.
Slowly, the sound of applause began to build again, as the spectators came out of their trance and started to realize the enormity of what had just happened. The goal had been nothing short of spectacular, a work of art that had left everyone in awe.
Ace punched the floor as he stared at the ball in the back of his own net. Kaiser eyed the defeated team captain, a satisfaction that he couldn't quite hide.
26 matches undefeated and counting.
*Ding*
[ Reward: + 50 Player Points ]
[ Bonus Reward: +25 Player Points for Assist ]
[ Player Points: 5140 ]
Weekly Power Status
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