SWNOVELXO Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Clash of Rising Titans
Chapter 12: Clash of Rising Titans
Location: U20 Training Complex – Closed Arena B
Match: Ego Survivors (Top 8) vs. Japan U20 Pre-Team
Time: 90 Minutes
Rules: Standard FIFA + Ego System Integration
Objective: Defeat Japan's National Youth Prospects
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Pre-Match Tension
The Ego Survivors stood shoulder to shoulder in the underground tunnel. Rudou stood at the front, eyes locked on the steel doors ahead. Behind him: Takumi, Shun, Yuki, Kenji, Rensuke, Gojo, and Yu.
A voice echoed through the hallway.
> [SYSTEM NOTICE: FINAL MATCH OF ARC II]
[WINNING SIDE RECEIVES "EGO BOOST" ACCESS – TEMPORARY STAT LIMIT REMOVAL]
[LOSING SIDE FACES POTENTIAL SYSTEM RESET]
Takumi's heart pounded. Reset? That meant everything—stats, skills, progress—wiped clean.
"Bring it on," Rudou muttered.
The doors slid open.
A bright white light poured in, revealing a colossal stadium lit from all sides. Ten thousand silent, mechanical spectators watched from glass walls. And at the opposite end—
The Japan U20 Pre-Team stepped forward.
Wearing black kits with a crimson rising sun across the chest, they radiated intimidation. Their captain, Riku Aratani, glared across the field at Rudou.
"This is the future of Japan?" Rudou smirked. "Let's rewrite it."
---
Kickoff – Minute 0
The whistle blew.
Rensuke passed to Yu, who immediately lobbed it toward Gojo. Quick, precise—fluid football.
But the U20 side was faster than expected.
A sliding interception from Aratani disrupted the play in just eight seconds.
> [SYSTEM UPDATE: OPPOSITION LEVEL = ELITE]
[ACTIVATE INDIVIDUAL PLAYSTYLE STRATEGY]
Rudou's screen shimmered as a new tab opened:
> [Choose Style: Solo / Combo / Disrupt / Adapt]
[Selected: SOLO MODE ENGAGED]
[Temporary Buff: +5 Speed, +8 Shot Power (While in Possession Alone)]
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Minute 5 – First Assault
Takumi danced down the right wing, dragging two defenders with him. He feinted left, cut right, and delivered a low cross.
Shun rose for the header.
But Aratani leapt higher—too high.
> [EGO TECHNIQUE: SKY EMPEROR HEAD – LV.2]
[Trigger: Aerial Duel Advantage]
[Effect: Boosts jump height + timing control during headers]
The ball was cleared effortlessly.
"That's their captain?" Shun landed hard. "We're in for hell."
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Minute 13 – Ego Sparks
Rudou intercepted a lazy pass in midfield.
He surged ahead—3 defenders lined up.
> [EGO TRIGGER: OBSTACLE BREAKER MODE]
[Combo Requirement: Dribble past 3+ defenders]
[Reward: Stat Boosts + Mental Ego Surge]
He twisted around the first defender with a nutmeg. The second, he body-feinted. The third stepped in—
Rudou flicked it behind his back, ran around him, and reclaimed it.
"GO!" Gojo screamed.
Rudou didn't pass.
He took the shot.
It exploded off his boot like a cannon.
> [SHOT POWER: 93]
[GOALKEEPER REACTION: 88]
[GOAL – EGO SURVIVORS 1 | U20 0]
The entire stadium lit red as Rudou's name filled the walls.
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Minute 22 – Retaliation
U20 Captain Aratani wasn't done.
He activated his system.
> [EGO MODE: FIELD CONDUCTOR]
[Passive: Tactical Mapping – Predictive Paths of All Teammates + Enemies (Range: 30m)]
[Unlocked Skill: Phantom One-Two]
A dizzying chain of passes followed—Aratani to Jin, to Koga, back to Aratani. No Ego Survivor could read it.
Yuki lunged to intercept. Failed.
Takumi tried to mark the runner. Too slow.
And then—tap in.
GOAL.
EGO SURVIVORS 1 | U20 1
"They're not just strong," Takumi muttered, panting. "They're a machine."
---
Minute 30–45 – Tactical Chaos
Coach screens flared in the sidelines. Both teams made live adjustments.
Kenji switched to shadow marking Aratani.
Shun pulled deeper into midfield to balance possession.
Rudou ignored all commands and kept going solo.
> [WARNING: LOW TEAM SYNC – -5 Defense Coordination]
Rudou didn't care.
He wanted to break them.
In the 38th minute, he took a long-range shot that rattled the crossbar.
In the 42nd, Takumi assisted Gojo who failed to convert under pressure.
By halftime, both teams stood 1–1, but fatigue began creeping in.
---
Halftime Room – Ego Survivors
Yuki threw his shirt to the floor.
"We're not playing like a team."
Kenji: "There's no time to become one."
Shun: "We can't beat a machine by playing structured football. We have to do what they can't—become unpredictable."
Takumi turned to Rudou.
"Can you trust us for the second half?"
Rudou hesitated.
"…Just feed me the ball. I'll score again."
---
Minute 46–60 – Warzone
The second half began with instant aggression.
Koga dribbled past Rensuke with brutal speed.
Yu body-checked a winger to stop the run.
Red and blue streaked across the pitch.
Then it happened—
Aratani pulled the defenders wide.
Rudou saw it from a distance.
"Trap."
But Takumi moved in anyway.
Too late.
Through ball.
> [GOAL – U20 TAKES THE LEAD | 2–1]
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Minute 63 – Awakening
Takumi activated something new.
> [SYSTEM UNLOCK: UNSEEN HARMONY MODE]
[Effect: Coordinate up to 3 players at 20% enhanced response]
[Trigger: After being outplayed by same opponent 2+ times]
He sprinted back to midfield.
"Shun, Gojo—triangle run. Now!"
They moved in sync.
He passed to Shun. Shun flicked it to Gojo. Gojo back to Takumi.
Then to Rudou—
Rudou didn't shoot.
He backheeled to Takumi who had cut in silently.
Strike. Goal.
> [SCORE: 2–2]
[TAKUMI GOAL – EGO LINK SUCCESSFUL]
The crowd roared for the first time.
Even the U20 coach stood up.
---
Final 15 Minutes – Destiny Line
The system issued a final warning:
> [TIE = NO WINNER]
[SUDDEN DEATH TRIGGERED AT 90 MINUTES IF UNRESOLVED]
Both teams ramped up pressure.
Every second was a fight.
Aratani nearly chipped the keeper.
Rudou took two more shots, one blocked, one saved.
Gojo almost scored with a scissor kick.
Rensuke missed a header.
Time ran out.
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Minute 90 – Final Play
Rudou looked at Takumi.
"You ready?"
"Always."
The final play began.
Shun stole the ball. Passed to Yu. Yu to Takumi.
Takumi to Rudou—instantly.
One defender on him.
Rudou nutmegged.
Two more closed in.
He didn't shoot.
He passed to Gojo.
But it wasn't a pass—it was a fake.
As Gojo moved, defenders followed.
Rudou turned around, spun through the opening, and smashed the shot from the edge of the box.
Top corner.
> GOAL
EGO SURVIVORS WIN 3–2
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Post-Match Update
> [MVP: RUDOU KAGEMORI – 2 GOALS, 1 FAKE PLAY ASSIST]
[SYSTEM REWARD: UNLOCKED PATHWAY – ROYAL ROAD TO BLUE WORLD]
[ALL 8 ADVANCE TO ARC III]
In the stands, unknown scouts watched silently.
A voice said through a communicator:
"They're ready. Send the invite."
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End of ARC II
Next: ARC III – BLUE WORLD INITIATION TOURNAMENT