Bologna. Piazza Maggiore.Tuesday. International Break.
The scent of espresso and heavy rain filled the air. Rio sat at an outdoor cafe under an umbrella, his hood up. Across from him sat Adrian Vance. And between them sat a ghost.
Kenjiro Tanaka didn't look like a footballer. He looked like a shadow of one. He was 19 years old, slim, with messy black hair and eyes that looked perpetually tired. He wore a heavy, industrial-grade brace on his right knee, visible over his jeans. On the table lay a file: Borussia Dortmund Academy - Release Papers.
"I am retired," Kenjiro said softly, his English heavily accented with German. "My knees are... kaputt. Gone."
"You are 19," Adrian countered, sipping his coffee calmly. "You are not retired. You are just rebooting."
Kenjiro laughed bitterly. He tapped his metal knee brace with a spoon. Clink. Clink. "I have had three surgeries. The cartilage is like powder. Bone rubs on bone. Dortmund released me. No doctor in Europe will pass me for a medical. Why do you want a cripple, Adrian?"
"Because you are a genius," Adrian said simply. "I saw your data from the U-17 World Cup before you got hurt. Your pass completion rate was 98%. You see lines that don't exist." Adrian pointed at Rio. "This is Rio Valdes. He sees the same lines. But he needs someone to give him the ball."
Kenjiro looked at Rio. He analyzed him with cold, analytical eyes. "The Del Piero kid," Kenjiro muttered. "I saw your goal against Inter. Nice curve. But your positioning before the shot... you were drifting in the half-space. Like you were invisible."
Rio blinked. Kenjiro was the first person (besides Giroud) to notice the Ghost movement without being told. "I need help," Rio said honestly. "I can't carry the team alone. I need an architect."
Kenjiro sighed, picking up his cane. "I would love to play, Rio. Really. But I can't run for more than 10 minutes without my knee swelling to the size of a melon. I am useless to you."
Rio looked at Kenjiro's knee. He activated the System Scan.
[Target: Kenjiro Tanaka][Role: Deep-Lying Playmaker (Regista)][Potential: S-Grade (Modric Archetype)][Status: Critical Injury - Chronic Patellar Degeneration][Career Expectancy: 0 Days]
It was hopeless. Medically, Kenjiro was finished. But then, the System text flickered. A new option appeared, unlocked by Rio's desperation to win.
[System Offer Detected][Item: The Symbiotic Contract][Effect: Links the Host's vitality to a Target. The Host pays Lifespan to suppress the Target's injury pain and reinforce their structure temporarily.][Cost: 1 Day of Lifespan per Activation (Duration: 3 Hours)]
Rio stared at the text. 1 Day per Match. It wasn't a permanent cure. It was a subscription service. If Kenjiro played 30 games a season, Rio would lose 30 days of his life. Just to keep his friend on the pitch.
Is it worth it? Rio looked at Kenjiro's sad eyes. He looked at the potential (S-Grade). If he had Kenjiro, Rio wouldn't have to run as much. He wouldn't have to tackle. He could focus on scoring. It might actually save him lifespan in the long run by reducing his own injury risk.
"I can fix you," Rio said.
Kenjiro froze. "What?"
"I know a... method," Rio lied, leaning forward. "Alternative therapy. Energy work. I can make you play again."
Kenjiro looked at Adrian. Adrian shrugged, but his eyes were calculating. "I don't believe in magic," Kenjiro scoffed, standing up to leave.
"Come to the training ground," Rio challenged. "Give me ten minutes. If you still hurt, you can walk away and never see us again."
Casteldebole. Private Pitch.Sunset.
The training ground was empty. The rain had stopped, leaving the grass slick. Kenjiro stood on the pitch, wearing his boots for the first time in six months. He winced as he put weight on his right leg. The trauma was etched into his face. "This is stupid," Kenjiro muttered, trembling. "I feel the pain just standing here."
Rio walked up to him. "Trust me." Rio placed his hand on Kenjiro's knee. He closed his eyes.
[Purchase: Symbiotic Contract (Trial)][Cost: 6 Hours (Training Mode)][Activate?]
Yes.
[System Link Established.][Transferring Vitality...]
A golden pulse traveled from Rio's arm into Kenjiro's leg. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, but Kenjiro felt it. To Kenjiro, it felt like liquid nitrogen pouring over a burn. The burning throb in his tendon vanished instantly. The grinding sensation of bone-on-bone disappeared. It was replaced by a strange, synthetic strength. Like his knee was wrapped in titanium.
Kenjiro gasped. He stepped back. He put weight on it. Solid. He hopped once. No pain. He looked at Rio, terrified and hopeful. "Was ist das? What did you do?"
"I bought you time," Rio said, feeling a sudden wave of dizziness as 6 hours of his life vanished. "It's not a cure, Kenjiro. It's a... patch. It only works when I am near you. When we play together."
Kenjiro looked at the ball at his feet. He hesitated. The memory of the pain was still there. He took a small step. Then another. Then, he swung his leg. Ping. The ball flew 40 meters, perfectly straight, landing on the crossbar.
Kenjiro fell to his knees. He wasn't in pain. He was crying. He had his leg back.
Adrian rolled onto the pitch, holding a contract. "The club has one EU slot open. You have a German passport," Adrian smiled. "Base salary. Pay-as-you-play. If you play, you get paid. If you break, we terminate."
Kenjiro grabbed the pen. He didn't even read the salary. He signed the paper against his thigh. "Give me a jersey," Kenjiro whispered. "I want to play."
One Week Later.Serie A. Matchday 4.Bologna vs AS Roma.Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
The team sheet was announced. The fans were confused. [STARTING XI]...8. Tanaka (New Signing)10. Valdes...
"Who is Tanaka?" the commentators asked. "A reject from Dortmund? He hasn't played in a year!"
In the tunnel, Jose Mourinho (Roma's Coach) stood with his arms crossed. He looked at Kenjiro's knee brace. Mourinho leaned toward his captain, Lorenzo Pellegrini. "The Japanese kid," Mourinho whispered. "He is scared. Press him hard. Make him feel the contact. He will break."
The game started. Roma pressed high. Their midfielder, Bryan Cristante, charged at Kenjiro immediately like a bull. Kenjiro didn't move. He stood still in the center circle, waiting for the ball from the defense. The pass came to him. Cristante was two meters away. I have him, Cristante thought. He's dead.
Kenjiro didn't control the ball. He didn't need to. He saw the picture before the ball arrived. He hit it first time. A one-touch half-volley pass. SWOOSH.
The ball swerved 50 meters diagonally across the field. It flew over the entire Roma defense, spinning backward.
It landed in the path of Rio Valdes, who was running into the Del Piero Zone. Rio didn't even have to break stride. The ball slowed down upon landing, waiting for him like a loyal dog. The pass was an invitation.
Rio controlled it. He looked at the goal. Rui Patricio was the keeper. Rio had the Golden Arc. He had the Ghost movement. And now, he had the Ammo.
Boom. Rio curled it. Top corner.
GOAL.Minute 1.Bologna 1 - 0 Roma.
The stadium erupted. Rio didn't run to the crowd. He ran to the center circle. He pointed at Kenjiro. Kenjiro stood there, stoic, adjusting his sleeve. He bowed slightly to Rio.
In the SkyBox, Adrian Vance whispered to himself. "The Glass Cannon and The Glass Passer. We are building a team of monsters."
Rio wiped his nose. He saw red on his sleeve. A nosebleed. The physical toll of sustaining Kenjiro's knee was real.
[System Notification][Symbiotic Contract Active][Daily Cost Deducted: -1 Day][Current Lifespan: 329 Days]
Rio smiled, wiping the blood away before anyone saw. He lost a day. But he felt infinite.