Soccer System: All the Skills, One Player!

Lucas listened attentively as the coach named each player who had stood out in the sift.

Jimenez was direct, starting with Felix Vogler, followed by Hillebrand Graumans, Luiz Fernando, Daniel Riber, Raphael Portiolli, Aidan Perry, Aton S. Schultz and, of course, Lucas Tanaka.

In addition, Jimenez mentioned William B. McCarthy. However, he said that he would not be included in the B-Team. William was one of the base manager's main bets, being exactly the piece they felt was missing from the A-Team. This was, for Lucas, a reminder of the barrier he would have to overcome: even though his talents had been recognized, he was on the second line, being groomed and polished to where, perhaps, he could cross the threshold into the A-Team.

At the end of the call, Jimenez congratulated him again, highlighting the potential of the new group and, making it clear that the road would still be arduous.

Lucas thanked him and, when he hung up, he felt a surge of energy that made him run to the same place.

Even with the excitement of the opportunity, the fact of having to adapt to a new team, far from Japan and without the presence of friends and family, would make it a challenge of unprecedented proportions.

-:|:-

The next few days were filled with responsibility. Lucas and John returned to Japan to take care of the paperwork and organize the school documentation, emancipation and all the details that would allow them to move to England.

Back in his small town in the rural part of the Chubu Region, Lucas felt like he did when he went to Tokyo to study at university. However, this time, the hardest part wouldn't even be leaving it all — after all, he'd already done that in his other life — but his teammates.

Three days after his return, in the cool morning air, a light mist still enveloped the soccer field at Wushia High School. The smell of wet earth and freshly cut grass filled the atmosphere, and Lucas Tanaka, after a long time away from that field, felt a mixture of nostalgia and anxiety as he approached the place where so many memories were created.

When he arrived at the school, the first thing Lucas saw was the team in action. The boys were lined up in two rows, practicing passes and dribbles under the watchful eye of Coach Yamamoto. Yes, it was early, very early, especially for boys who were in the middle of summer vacation, but there was still a week to go before school started again and a month until the regional qualifiers that would give them two places in the National High School Football Championship.

"Come on, boys! Concentrate! Make the passes count!" Coach Yamamoto's voice echoed across the field, interspersed with the sounds of boots hitting the grass and the players' panting.

The young athletes were organized into two different groups, one on each side of the pitch. One section was practicing a rehearsed passing move, while the other was practicing offside line positioning.

Yukihiro, the speedy striker, was using his main characteristic: quick cuts to the left, leaving Tsukada and Hidefumi trying to keep up with him.

When Lucas finally crossed the field gate, he hesitated for a brief moment, watching his former teammates. A wave of emotions flooded his chest: longing, anticipation and a hint of fear. How could he tell everyone? Would they be angry that they hadn't been invited too? Was their friendship really that fragile?

Lucas' hesitation was interrupted when Kuwabara suddenly looked over and, spotting Lucas, stopped abruptly, the ball still stuck in his feet.

"Hey, look who's there!" shouted Kuwabara, letting go of the ball.

The other players also turned to Lucas, a mixture of amazement and joy on their faces. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

"Guys, what do you think if we take a break and..." Coach Yamamoto said, but was interrupted.

"Lucas!" Yuuga exclaimed, being the first to run towards Lucas.

Obviously, most of the other players ran towards Lucas as well. Coach Yamamoto watched the scene with a discreet smile at the corner of his mouth. He knew that the connection between the players went beyond the pitch. It was a bond of friendship, of shared stories, of dreams and frustrations. He was proud to see the camaraderie between them, even if Lucas was now on a new path.

"Man, and I thought he wasn't even coming to say goodbye." Tsukada muttered as he strolled with a smile on his face.

Nishida, who was close behind, gave Tsukada a weak slap on the back. "And that silly grin? You saw at the end how special Lucas is, didn't you?"

"I must admit that it's not too bad for my reputation that I lost my position to him during a few matches," admitted Tsukada.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Lucas!" Yuuga was the first to reach him, jumping in front of him as if he had just won the lottery. "Dude, you're back! I can't believe you're here!"

"Hi, Yuuga." Lucas replied, a little hesitantly. He looked at the familiar faces around him and saw the joy in his friends' eyes. "I... I'm back."

"You're back, and with a supernova to boot!" Kuwabara commented, laughing out loud. "Looks like you got ahead, huh?"

Lucas put a hand to the back of his head and ducked his head a little. "Yeah, I'll try my best. I hope I don't let you down."

Kenji appeared, patting Lucas on the shoulder. "Let you down? Please! We know you're going to rock."

Lucas felt a chill in his stomach when he heard that. "Thanks, guys. I hope we can keep in touch."

Nishida's laugh suddenly rang out as he approached. "You'll always be one of us, Tanaka. That doesn't change just because you're going to England. In fact, we're all rooting for you already."

"Yeah, and if anyone gives you a hard time, we'll take care of the rest. You just have to worry about playing, right?" added Kuwabara, with a mischievous grin.

As they gathered around him, the feeling of belonging returned, warming his heart. However, there was one question that bothered him.

"How did you know about me passing the sieve?"

Kuwabara's expression turned into a thoughtful frown. "Well, Coach Yamamoto sent a message to let us all know. A few days ago, we heard that you'd been selected, and look, everyone's excited! It's like having a hero in our team. When we go to nationals, we'll be able to say we had a teammate who went to Brighton."

Lucas laughed, even if he didn't feel like a hero. "It would be heroic if I didn't have to leave, right?"

"Oh, don't start with that." Hidefumi crossed his arms. "We know this is an incredible opportunity. Many of us here dream of becoming professionals. Now, even I want to. No one here blames you for accepting this opportunity with your eyes closed."

"Exactly, we'll be your number one fans." Toshinori, the goalkeeper, said. "Besides, something tells me you'll be in the professional team before you're eighteen."

The words of encouragement echoed in Lucas' ears, and he felt more confident. Playing for a new team was daunting, but having his friends cheering him on made it easier to bear. And as they talked, Lucas realized that even with the distance and the changes, nothing could break that special bond they shared.

"Hey, let's get back to training!" Yamamoto shouted, breaking the conversation. He looked at Lucas with an approving smile. "I know you haven't had the week's rest that everyone else here has had, but I want you to get out on the pitch with the others. Let's warm up and play a few games. It'll be good for everyone, Tanaka."

"Of course!" Lucas replied enthusiastically, as if he'd been expecting it.

"Right, boys!" Coach Yamamoto held out his arms, indicating that it was time to start. "Let's have a quick team huddle. I want two balanced teams. Today, I want you to use the wings more, and remember to communicate! A good pass starts with a good call!"

Lucas quickly paired up with Nishida. The two had known each other for years, and the familiarity between them provided a comfort.

"Come on, Tanaka! Show us what you learned in England!" Nishida exclaimed, throwing a ball to Lucas with enthusiasm.

And so the practice game began.

"Great, great!" Yamamoto praised, watching the moves with a satisfied smile. "That's exactly what I want to see! Keep up the intensity!"

As time went by, Lucas realized that there was an obvious difference in his physique. He was stronger, more agile, as if the days spent in England had shaped his body for the performance that soccer demanded. What's more, thanks to his <Risk Analysis> skill, he could see all the holes in Wushia College's defense and therefore didn't miss a normal pass. Of course, this didn't go unnoticed by his friends.

"How you're playing! You look like a monster!" Kuwabara shouted, laughing as he struggled to keep up with Lucas.

The day began to pass quickly. They had lunch in the school cafeteria, chatted for a while, and then went back to playing. As the afternoon wore on, the sun began to set, tinting the sky with orange and pink hues. The frenetic pace of training had shown everyone that Lucas had improved, and this wasn't just a superficial observation.

"Hey, you remembered how to dribble, huh? You must have learned something out there!" Hidefumi said.

Lucas laughed and nodded. "Just a few things."

After training, Lucas and Nishida walked back home with the same old conversations and constant laughter. The day had been better than he could have asked for.

Suddenly, Nishida stopped and, with serious eyes and no smile, said: "Tanaka, we need to talk about something."