The air rippled as every Seraphim’s wings flared open at once, white feathers bursting out in a blinding wave of mana. And this time, they were much faster than before, and were also moving together. ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭·𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢·𝗇𝗲𝘵 The ball shot forward like lightning, passed between them so fast it left trails of gold behind. Eric didn’t even touch it; his teammates did everything, guided by the faint light threads that connected their bodies to him. "Left flank!" Tyrian yelled. "I see it!" Kael growled, sliding in. His boot clashed with one of the Seraphim’s, sparks flying as the ball ricocheted between them. "They’re moving like one mind!" "The Blessing’s linking them!" "How do you even stop that?!" I dashed back into position, scanning the field with Odin’s Eye. Every movement was pure rhythm as each Seraphim passed the ball without hesitation, like they could sense exactly where everyone else was. One cut through the center. Another sprinted up the right side. A third dived in from above, literally flying a few meters off the ground before kicking the ball mid-air. "Kael! Cover the right!" The ball hit the ground once, bounced, then twisted past Tyrian before slamming toward the goal. Our keeper blocked it, but the rebound rolled straight into another Seraphim’s path. I lunged forward, slamming my foot into the ball before it crossed the line. The impact shot a jolt through my leg, but it worked. The crowd roared in chaos. "They almost scored again!" I barely had time to breathe before another Seraphim swooped in, his expression fierce, golden veins pulsing under his skin. Their aggression was insane; they didn’t hesitate to crash into us, to use their wings, to push every advantage. Tyrian took a hit to the shoulder and stumbled while Kael kicked the ball upward to buy time. He didn’t need to think twice. He flicked the ball my way, which I caught mid-sprint, using my thigh to absorb the impact before rolling it along my foot. Two Seraphim came from both sides instantly, like predators closing in. A cold breath escaped my lips as I twisted left, then abruptly stopped. My mana pulsed out, a faint wave of pressure spreading beneath my feet. Their shoes lost traction for a split second, and that’s all I needed. The ball went right, then behind me, then forward again. My teammates caught on fast. Tyrian rushed forward, catching the pass and slamming his heel into the ball, sending it to Kael on the far side. Kael intercepted perfectly, tapping it in a crescent motion to dodge a diving Seraphim. We moved, not as smoothly as they did, but just enough to get past them. "Middle!" Kael called out. I jumped ahead, intercepting as the ball curved back toward me. A gust of light cut past my face, one of the Seraphim trying to body-check me mid-run. I ducked under his arm, feeling feathers brush my cheek. My knee hit the turf, then I twisted, flipping the ball between his legs. "He slipped past him again!" The crowd was wild now. Half cheering, half screaming. The field itself had become a blur of gold and silver light, wings clashing, mana bursting with each collision. Eric finally moved from the backline, golden eyes locked on me. He raised his hand, and the air shimmered again, threads of light pulsing stronger between his teammates. Their speed suddenly doubled. Kael was knocked aside by a heavy shoulder. Tyrian barely managed to block a long pass before being kicked off balance. "They’re syncing faster." "Don’t stop until he breaks," Eric’s calm voice carried across the field. "Tsk..." I spat, catching the ball off a deflection. "Then come break me yourself." "Gladly," he smirked faintly. The next few seconds blurred. Eric charged head-on, wings trailing radiant light, his mana pressure distorting the air. Every time I tried to pass, one of his teammates was already there, reading, cutting, intercepting. The Blessing made them terrifyingly coordinated. "They’re choking the center!" Kael yelled from behind. "Then we play wide!" I snapped back. I kicked the ball toward Tyrian on the far right. He caught it with his chest, spun, then curved it in a long arc toward the left side, straight to Kael. Kael ran, dodging two diving Seraphim, then kicked it again, high, toward the center. The moment it came back to me, I launched forward, Eric right in front of me. "Your turn to dance, newbie," he grinned widely at me. I took one step... then feinted left. Eric followed perfectly. So, I dropped low and kicked up. The ball soared straight over his shoulder, grazing his wing feathers. Tyrian was already there, eyes sharp. He jumped, his head slamming against the ball... It slammed into the goal. Golden light exploded as the barrier shattered. The crowd instantly erupted. "Unbelievable teamwork!" "They actually beat the Blessing’s defense!" "LET’S GOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!" Kael shouted. I just smiled faintly, breathing hard. "Good pass," Tyrian laughed, panting. But across the field, Eric wasn’t smiling this time. His wings flared wider, a deep golden light rising like fire around him. We were back to our positions. And shortly after, the whistle screamed again. The moment it did, Eric vanished. I barely saw him move. One blink and he was already gone from his starting point, leaving a golden afterimage floating in the air. A shockwave tore through the grass where he’d been standing, dust exploding upward. The ball spun once, then launched forward with him, his mana dragging it like a comet. He was practically flying, each step breaking the air apart. Our front line moved to intercept. "Get him!" Kael shouted. Three of our players dashed in, spreading wide to cut off his angle. Eric didn’t slow down; instead, he leaned forward, his wings folding tight behind him. He kicked the ball once, it curved left, one of our guys blocked, but in the same instant, Eric vanished again and reappeared on the other side, the ball already at his feet. Tyrian lunged from the side, using a mana burst to match his speed. For a second, their feet collided. Sparks, mana pressure, and light flared between them. Eric twisted his body backward, his heel tapping the ball up, juggling it mid-air before spinning once, letting it drop behind Tyrian’s shoulder. He passed through him like wind. "Did you see that feint?!" Kael gritted his teeth, dashing in from the right. "Aestrea, left flank!" I instantly started sprinting towards him. He kicked the ball high, leapt after it, and used his wing as a springboard, launching himself mid-air. I jumped too, swinging my leg to intercept. Our boots met with a deafening sound as a shock ran up my spine. My body jolted back a few meters, but he... barely moved. "You’ll need more than that to defeat me!" His foot flicked again, the ball spinning past my leg in a tight spiral. He landed perfectly, caught it on the rebound, and sprinted. He went straight through the defense without even looking around for teammates, a complete solo play. Each time someone tried to block him, he slipped by, a shoulder drop, a sudden stop, a backheel that looked effortless. By the time he reached the goal, even the keeper was trembling. He didn’t even kick hard. He just looked up... smiled faintly... and tapped. The ball curved once, twice, and slid smoothly into the corner of the net. The barrier around the goal shattered in a burst of golden dust. The crowd went insane. "SERAPHIM CAPTAIN ERIC DOES IT AGAIN!!" "A SOLO RUN! A SOLO RUN FROM HALF FIELD!" I stood there, frozen, my breath heavy as I looked at him. My chest burned from the recoil of that clash. He turned his head slightly, looking straight at me across the field. That same calm smile. That same golden aura flickered faintly behind him. "Keep up, new captain," he said quietly, his voice carrying through the mana waves. Kael groaned from behind me, clutching his head. "We’re so screwed..." Tyrian spat dust from his mouth. "He just danced through all of us." "Okay, so, how the hell are we supposed to stop that? He’s basically a flying nuke with good aim." Kael rubbed the back of his neck, staring at the scoreboard with a grimace. Tyrian sighed, wiping a bit of dust off his chin. "We can’t outpace him, that’s for sure. His reaction time’s too clean. And those wings? He’s getting aerial support from divine mana currents... We’d need at least three people marking him." "Three?" Kael muttered. "We barely managed one before he disappeared." I stayed quiet, watching Eric in the distance. He was talking to his teammates, calm and relaxed, like he hadn’t just humiliated half our lineup. "We need a plan, man. Otherwise, he’s gonna walk all over us until the timer runs out." Both of them turned sharply toward me. "...You?" Tyrian raised an eyebrow, half-amused, half-concerned. Kael blinked. "You sure about that? You saw what he did—" "I’m sure." I met his gaze, voice even. "Don’t worry about it. Just keep your focus on the field. If you see me open, pass. I’ll get it done somehow." Something in my tone must’ve convinced them, because neither argued after that. "Alright, captain. We’ll back you up." Kael clicked his tongue, nodding. " Tyrian grinned faintly, giving a small salute before turning to the others. "You heard him! Adjust formation — Aestrea’s taking the front!" They scattered to reposition. I stayed still for a moment, letting out a slow breath. The tension around me thinned, sound fading until all I heard was my own heartbeat. The faint crimson shimmer in my eyes dimmed, the glow of my vertical slits fading until they looked human again. The referee raised his whistle once more.