Turin, Italy.Allianz Stadium.Matchday 2. Sunday, 20:45 PM.
The nickname of Juventus is "La Vecchia Signora"—The Old Lady. But there was nothing frail about them. As Rio stood in the tunnel, the air conditioning chilling his sweat, he looked at the black-and-white jerseys beside him. He didn't see an old lady. He saw a paramilitary unit. They were tall, broad, and exuded the arrogance of a team that had won 36 Scudettos.
Gleison Bremer, the Brazilian center-back, stood next to Rio. Bremer was a statue carved from obsidian. 188cm. 90kg of fast-twitch muscle. He was arguably the best defender in Serie A. He looked down at Rio—who was barely 175cm and 68kg even after his "Hell Week"—and smirked. "False Nine?" Bremer asked in Portuguese-accented Italian. "Where is Zirkzee? Did they send the ball boy instead?"
Rio didn't respond. He kept his eyes forward, but he checked his System.
[Opponent Scan: Gleison Bremer][Role: Stopper][Strength: 92 (S-Grade)][Aggression: 90][Trait: "The Man-Eater" (Stats increase by 15% when engaging in physical duels)]
Rio swallowed. Lorenzo was right. If I fight him head-on, I die.
First Half. Minute 15.Score: Juventus 0 - 0 Bologna.
The game was a cage fight. Juventus didn't play frantic football like Milan. They suffocated you. They were a python. Every time Bologna tried to build up, a black-and-white shirt was there to intercept.
Rio dropped deep into the midfield to receive the ball. This was his job as a False Nine: drag the defender out of position to create space for the wingers. But Bremer didn't follow him. Bremer was smart. He held his defensive line perfectly, communicating with his team. He let his defensive midfielder, Manuel Locatelli, smash into Rio instead.
THUD. Locatelli hit Rio from behind just as the ball arrived. Rio stumbled forward, gasping for air. His new muscles—the E+ Strength he gained from Hell Week—absorbed the shock. Before, he would have flown two meters face-first. Now, he only stumbled two steps and kept the ball.
I can take a hit, Rio thought, shielding the ball. But I can't turn. I'm stuck.
Minute 35. Bologna had zero shots on goal. Rio was frustrated. He was isolated. He looked at the sideline. Coach Rossi was shouting, "Move him! Pull him out!" Rossi wanted Rio to drag Bremer out of the box. But Bremer was a wall. He refused to take the bait.
Rio decided to change tactics. If Bremer wouldn't come out, Rio would go in. He ran into the box, posting up against Bremer. Back to chest. Mistake.
As soon as Rio leaned back against Bremer, he felt a sharp, stinging pain under his armpit. Bremer had pinched him. Hard. Right in the tender flesh where the ref couldn't see. "Go home, kid," Bremer whispered, leaning his heavy chest onto Rio's back, crushing him with 90kg of dead weight.
Rio gasped. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't move. The ball came towards him, but Bremer simply stepped around Rio's paralyzed body and cleared it with a laugh.
Rio fell to the grass, rubbing his bruised ribs. He is too strong. It's like wrestling a bear.
Halftime.Locker Room.
The mood was tense. 0-0 was a good score in Turin, but Bologna was drowning. Adrian Vance wheeled himself into the room. He didn't look at the tactics board. He looked straight at Rio.
"Bremer is comfortable," Adrian said, cutting through the silence. "He is leaning on you because he knows you are static. You are trying to shield the ball like a target man. You are not Drogba. You are not Lukaku." Adrian pulled up a clip on his tablet. It was a grainy video from 2002. Dennis Bergkamp vs Newcastle United.
"Don't be a wall," Adrian said. "Be a revolving door. When he leans on you with all his weight... open the door."
Rio nodded, wiping sweat from his eyes. He touched his inventory. He had bought the skill yesterday. [Skill: The Judo Turn (Dennis Bergkamp)][Cost: 12 Days (Permanent)][Status: Ready]
12 days of my life, Rio thought. Let's see if it works on a Brazilian tank.
Second Half. Minute 72.Score: 0 - 0.
The game was entering the "Critical Zone". Legs were getting heavy. Focus was slipping. But Bremer looked fresh. He hadn't broken a sweat because Rio hadn't threatened him once.
Bologna countered. Lorenzo De Luca won a massive tackle in defense and punted the ball forward. It was a hard, low pass aimed at Rio, who was standing just outside the Juventus penalty box.
Rio saw the ball coming. He felt the massive shadow behind him blocking the stadium lights. Bremer.
The Brazilian saw the pass. He saw Rio standing still with his back to the goal. Easy prey, Bremer thought. He is stationary. I will crush him through the back and take the ball.
Bremer accelerated. He committed his weight forward, preparing to slam his chest into Rio's back. Rio felt the ground shake. [System Alert: High Impact Incoming][Opponent Momentum: 100% Committed][Activate Skill?]
NOW.
[Skill Activated: The Judo Turn]
Time seemed to warp. Rio didn't brace for impact. He didn't try to be strong. He waited until the ball was inches from his left foot. Bremer was millimeters away from his back.
Rio flicked the ball with the inside of his left boot. Not stopping it, but spinning it behind himself, to the right side of the defender. Simultaneously, Rio spun his body the other way—to the left side.
It was pure physics. Bremer had committed 100% of his momentum forward to hit a solid object. But the object vanished. Rio spun around Bremer like a ghost.
Bremer slammed into... nothing. His momentum carried him forward. He stumbled, his heavy legs tangling. He clawed at the air, trying to grab Rio's jersey, but Rio was already gone.
"QUE?!" Bremer gasped, his eyes wide as he realized he had been spun.
Rio reconnected with the ball on the other side of the defender. The "Judo Throw" was complete. He had used Bremer's own aggression to throw him out of the play.
Rio was through on goal. Wojciech Szczęsny, the Juventus keeper, rushed out, looking terrifyingly large.
Rio didn't panic. He had paid 12 Days for the Turn. He wouldn't waste it on a selfish finish. He saw a flash of blue on the right. Riccardo Orsolini (the winger) had cut inside, filling the space Rio had created.
Rio squared the ball. A simple, selfless pass. Szczęsny was stranded. Orsolini tapped it into the empty net.
GOAL.Juventus 0 - 1 Bologna.
The Allianz Stadium went dead silent. Only the screams of the Bologna players echoed off the roof. Orsolini tackled Rio. "YOU MAGICIAN! WHAT WAS THAT?!"
Rio lay on the grass, laughing, looking up at the night sky. He looked back. Bremer was standing there, hands on his hips, staring at the ground. The "Man-Eater" looked confused. He looked... mortal.
Full Time.Juventus 0 - 1 Bologna.
The final whistle was the sweetest sound Rio had ever heard. Bologna had stolen a win in Turin. A historic victory.
Rio tried to walk to the tunnel, but his legs finally gave out. The E+ Stamina was empty. He sat on the grass. A shadow blocked the stadium lights.
Rio looked up. It was Gleison Bremer. The giant Brazilian took off his black-and-white jersey. He held it out. "Bergkamp," Bremer grunted, his face serious. "That move... it was Bergkamp."
Rio took the jersey. He stood up, handing over his red-and-blue shirt. "Valdes," Rio corrected, smiling tiredly.
Bremer shook his head, half-smiling. "You got lucky, kid. Next time, I break your ribs for real." "Next time, I'll turn you again," Rio replied.
The Locker Room.
Champagne was spraying everywhere. Lorenzo was dancing on the table in his underwear. Coach Rossi was crying in the corner, hugging his assistant. They had beaten the Old Lady.
Rio sat in his corner, away from the chaos. Adrian wheeled over. He wasn't celebrating. He was looking at his phone with a frown.
"What?" Rio asked, sipping water. "We won. I got an assist. I beat Bremer."
"You did," Adrian said seriously. "But you made a mistake." Adrian turned the phone screen to Rio. It was Twitter (X). #WhoIsValdes was trending #1 in Italy.
"You were supposed to be a secret weapon," Adrian whispered. "Now? You are the story. The media is digging." Adrian swiped to a news article from Gazzetta dello Sport.
[BREAKING: The Mystery of Rio Valdes. No Academy Records found in Indonesia. Sources say he failed a medical in Jakarta due to a heart condition. How is he playing in Serie A?]
Rio froze. The champagne bottle in his hand felt heavy. His medical history... the Heart Condition. If the Serie A authorities investigated and found out he had a Bionic Heart (or worse, if the System hid his heart beat and he appeared 'dead' on scans), they would ban him. They would dissect him.
"The spotlight is on you, Rio," Adrian warned. "Now we play a different game. Defense against the Media."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION][Reputation Level Up: "Wonderkid"][Warning: Secret Identity at Risk][Lifespan Bonus (Victory vs Rival): +5 Days][Current Lifespan: 348 Days]
Rio looked at the celebration around him. The game on the pitch was over. The game off the pitch—the game for his survival—had just begun.