15. The Phoenix

"Don't make me think you're weak, L/n Y/n."

Y/n froze. He grit his teeth, and under provocation just...snapped. He surged forward, heading straight for Ren. The brunette had aimed to crush Y/n's ego and rebuild it from the ashes it had left.

So far, it was working.

Ren stared at the boy charging at him, angry and desperate to prove that he was anything but weak. Even so, he seemed to forget that Aoi was on par with Ren's speed. Ren's appearance gave more of a "Hi! I'm gonna make you look like a fool!" vibe and Aoi's appearance emitted some sort of "I'm not even trying" vibe.

Ren tried to go in for a tackle, knocking the ball from Y/n's clutches only for it to be picked back up and thrust far into the air as he chased down its landing point. Ren caught wind of this first, and Aoi followed suit almost immediately.

Did he care? Hell no. He was having so much fun while under immense amounts of pressure at the same time, like the two subjects clashed disgustingly like dragons fighting over territory. His body wasn't shutting off or going into autopilot. He was finally enjoying his time playing soccer, taking in information and spitting out answer just as quickly.

While he ran, Y/n swore he saw Ren crack a satisfied smile. And to that, he smiled too. A smile full of determination that refused to waver.

Ren stepped to get the ball, and Y/n moved to the left. Ren stepped to the left, Y/n stepped to the right. Aoi stayed back, Y/n moved forwards.

Ren retreated, being lenient with the boy. Y/n just ran by him, only to be chased a pressed by them again. Now he knew why they were annoying.

They were hard to shake off and were sort of like cameras that locked onto their target and just followed it around. Ren's chest went and hit right against Y/n's back, causing Y/n to grunt at the sudden contact. He pushed against Ren's chest, keeping the ball at a decent distance. He turned to look at Ren as he whipped around the side closest to Aoi, now at Ren's back.

But Ren made a crucial mistake.

Y/n didn't hesitate to meg him. As he did so, he ran past Ren again, ultimately freeing himself—but just momentarily—from their cage-like press.

This made Ren wonder if Y/n's monster was giving him leeway, or just dormant and observing. If that was the case, he was glad Y/n had the time to rewrite his soccer playstyle and undergo rebirth until it came back.

But what was really relieving is that the boy was finally starting to think before he made a move. Although he was improving, too much thought pertaining to the next move to which he was committed would slow him down drastically.

Y/n weaved and tore straight to the goal. With each step he took, he could feel his excitement growing as he awaited for every possible outcome after he scored what he needed to.  He will score. Nothing was stopping him now. Nothing but the two hot on his tail, and the hologram that stood at the ready before him.

He took a breath before he approached the ball like every other person that was undeniably willing to shoot and score. He bent his leg and locked his ankle. Only his ankle. He knew how wrong it was to sacrifice accuracy for power, but at that moment he didn't care. He was experiencing a certain excitement he hadn't ever felt before. A certain excitement only brought out of him when he was faced with a challenge.

Ren and Aoi swore they saw him grow wings, as if a little bird, only a few weeks old, had taken flight.

No, that was the wrong analogy.

A bird reborn from its ashes. A bird that kept returning after its death. A human symbol of ego renewal, and a body burning with a fervency.

A phoenix.

It seemed as if time slowed. It was as if a dancer before them was painting a picture of their dedication to their craft with their hasty footwork, flames standing tall and proud with each step. The burning wings of a fiery ego was blinding, but beautiful. It spoke volumes of the boy's natural talent and how he revered the sport as if it was the only thing keeping his poor heart beating.

And with that, he shot.

The whole thing now grew clear. The curve it made was achingly beautiful. It was like a painting made by Van Gogh himself. It made it way perfectly into the left corner of the net. Its path came to a screeching halt as the ropes cradled its ferocity, calming it and letting it drop delicately.

A loud whirring noise came before an even louder beep, signaling the conclusion of his hundred goal acquisition.

The hologram disappeared and Y/n's knees almost gave way. The two behind him stood tall, arms crossed and small smiles gracing their faces. His head turned and he faced them, smiling as well.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Aoi asked. "Go on, proceed."

Y/n nodded slowly and started to walk out, his face full of pride. Even so, he began to feel as if he was distancing himself from his selfish personality, and he hated that. But he shook it off and exited the room.

A maze of halls awaited him.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Y/n shouted in anguish.

Ren peeked out the door. "Hey, buddy, door's right on the left."

"Oh, thanks," Y/n replied, turning to the left and walking calmly through the door.

The room was...deserted. Y/n shrugged and made his way over to a rather comfortable looking chair and sat down immediately. His body sunk into the cushions and he hummed happily.

Sooner rather than later, Y/n decided to inquire about why he was the one to face those two, and not anyone else. He wasn't even notified of it, and it was practically a surprise.

"Ego," Y/n said.

A voice came over the intercom. "Yes?"

Y/n sighed happily, clearly satisfied that Ego had answered. "Why didn't you tell me I was going to play against them? That wasn't a very pleasant surprise, but it sure did challenge me."

"I did tell you," Ego replied.

Y/n's face contorted in confusion as he hummed in question.

"I told you a few minutes before their arrival. I specifically told you that you would be facing them instead of a hologram, but had decided against letting them loose from the very beginning. You seem to have forgotten my statement prior to their arrival," Ego stated, clearly rather annoyed.

Y/n scratched his head, as if digging deep into his memories to find when Ego had exactly mentioned such a challenge. "Oh..."

"And if I may be so nosy to inquire, what went on in the week that those two trained you?" Ego asked.

Y/n jumped slightly at the sudden question, but obliged in giving him a few details. "Lots of physical training. I mean lots. They had also schooled me on technique and partially being a tactician when the ball reached my feet, as they said you told them I'm rather short on intelligence in that department. Other than that, nothing else, really."

Ego, who was currently having Anri write all this down, sat calmly in his chair. "Okay, thank you for sharing this information with me, Y/n."

Just as Y/n nodded as a form of saying "you're welcome," someone walked through the doors.

His hair was a deep green, and his eyes were a teal color. His bottom lashes were rather long and he looked like one of those stereotypical emo kids you'd see in middle school. He sighed deeply and looked rather annoyed.

The pentagons that held their ranks spazzed and rolled numbers.

Y/n looked at the pentagon on his left shoulder.

"Zero..?"