Chapter 143: The Galactic Football Match and the Offside from Hell
The air in the city didn't just vibrate; it hummed with a rhythmic, neon energy that defied the laws of traditional physics. After turning the downtown district into a sprawling disco-metropolis, Volt, the Demon King turned Editor-in-Chief, stood before the gates of the Grand National Stadium. The stadium, usually a place of sweat, grass, and structural boredom, was about to undergo a "software update" that would make the FIFA headquarters spontaneously combust from sheer confusion.
"Father," Anos said, his God-Slayer blade transformed into a sleek, violet-glowing coach's whistle. "The local athletes are prepared for their 'Final Match.' However, their biological limitations are... lackluster. They move at a velocity that is barely detectable by the naked eye, and their strategic depth is comparable to a puddle of spilled tea. If we are to be entertained, we must rewrite the foundational logic of 'The Beautiful Game'."
Akuto, who was currently hovering three feet off the ground while wearing a pair of cleats made of solidified starlight, let out a mischievous cackle. "A single ball? For twenty-two people? That's not a sport, that's a resource crisis! We need more chaos, more speed, and definitely more things that go 'Boom' when you kick them!"
Volt adjusted his dark sunglasses, his Author's Mark glowing with a fierce, golden brilliance that began to leak into the stadium's foundations. "Ahmed, watch closely," Volt said, winking toward the invisible Fourth Wall. "We've spent 142 chapters being kings and gods. It's time we showed them how to be the greatest strikers in the multiverse. Influence check!"
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: INFLUENCE AT 250,000,000. ACCESSING REALITY-EDITOR: SPORTS MODE.]
Phase 1: The Pitch of the Gods
With a single snap of Volt's fingers, the stadium underwent a terrifyingly beautiful transformation. The green grass didn't just change color; it turned into a Super-Conductive Kinetic Surface that changed hue based on the intensity of the players' heartbeats. The wooden goalposts were deleted and replaced by Inter-Dimensional Gravity Gates that emitted a deep, bass-heavy hum every time a player got close.
"Rules?" Volt's voice boomed over the stadium's loudspeakers, drowning out the terrified murmurs of the 80,000 spectators. "Rules are just suggestions for people without imagination! From this moment forward, the following laws are in effect:
The Ball: It is no longer leather. It is a Sentient Sphere of Pure Energy that grows larger and faster the more it is insulted.
Gravity: It is now optional. Every player is equipped with a Volt-Core Jetpack that responds to their 'Will to Win.'
The Referee: Our dear friend, the Grand Overseer, shall officiate. However, instead of yellow cards, he will throw Exploding Pineapples at anyone who shows a lack of 'Zazz'!"
The Grand Overseer, dressed in a neon-yellow referee's kit that looked three sizes too small, blew his whistle. The sound didn't go tweet; it sounded like a heavy-metal guitar solo. "I hate my life," the Overseer muttered, his hand trembling as he held a pineapple.
Kick-off: Akuto's Raptor-Raid
The match began with a literal explosion. Akuto didn't start the game on foot; he arrived at the center circle riding the Cyber-Raptor from the previous chapter, which was now wearing a customized jersey.
"On your marks! Get set! GENESIS!" Akuto roared.
He kicked the energy ball, but instead of flying straight, the ball split into five different versions of itself, each screaming in a different musical key. Akuto engaged his jetpack, soaring three hundred feet into the air. "Anos! Pass the vibe check!"
Anos appeared mid-air, his movements a blur of violet light. He didn't use his feet; he used the flat side of his God-Slayer blade to "bat" the energy balls toward the opposing team—a collection of world-class professionals who were currently crying because their shoes had turned into rollerblades.
"This is impossible!" the opposing captain shouted, trying to maintain his balance on his new neon-skates. "You can't have five balls! You can't use a dragon as a midfielder!"
"I am the Editor!" Volt shouted from the VIP lounge, where he was eating nachos with Vanessa. "I can make the goalposts move to the other side of the planet if I feel like it! Keep playing, or the Overseer gets the pineapples!"
The Mid-Game Madness
By the 30th minute, the score was 45 - 0. The stadium was a whirlwind of light and sound. Akuto had successfully convinced the energy ball that the opposing goalkeeper had called it "ugly," causing the ball to grow to the size of a small house and chase the keeper around the field while playing a high-speed techno remix of Mozart.
Anos, meanwhile, was demonstrating "True Defense." Every time the opposing team managed to get near the gravity gate, Anos would simply delete the space between the ball and the net, causing the ball to reappear in the center of the field instantly.
"Your effort is admirable," Anos said to a sweating striker, "but your narrative arc does not include a goal in this chapter. Perhaps try a romantic subplot instead?" With a flick of his finger, Anos turned the striker's jersey into a tuxedo and summoned a bouquet of roses in his hand.
The 250 Million Influence Points were surging so violently that the sky above the stadium turned into a giant scoreboard that could be seen from the Moon. The crowd wasn't just cheering; they were being physically lifted by the "Hype-Aura" emitting from Volt's throne.
The Final Strike: The Moon-Shot
As the clock ticked toward the 90th minute, Volt decided it was time for the "Grand Finale." He stood up, his regal aura expanding until it draped over the entire city like a violet curtain.
"Akuto! Anos! Triple-Fusion Strike!" Volt commanded.
The two princes met at the center of the pitch. Akuto channeled his Sakuna-Void energy into the ball, turning it into a swirling vortex of black and neon-green. Anos added his Eternal Negation, stabilizing the energy into a point of infinite density. Finally, Volt reached out from the balcony and touched the ball with the Author's Mark.
The ball didn't just glow; it became a Singularity of Joy.
"Eat this, boring reality!" Akuto screamed, delivering a bicycle kick that broke the sound barrier seventeen times over.
The ball didn't hit the net. It traveled through the gravity gate, exited the Earth's atmosphere, and slammed directly into the Sea of Tranquility on the Moon. A massive explosion of violet light erupted on the lunar surface, spelling out "GOAL!!!" in letters large enough to be read by the entire planet.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED - LUNAR STRIKER. STATUS: FIFA HAS RETIRED.]
The Aftermath
The game ended not with a whistle, but with the stadium turning into a giant, floating garden. The players, despite being defeated 999 - 0, felt more refreshed than they ever had in their lives. Volt had rewritten their exhaustion into "Post-Game Euphoria."
"Not a bad game, boys," Volt said, landing on the pitch beside his sons. He looked at the 250 million points on his wrist—the scale was starting to melt from the sheer power. "The people of this world finally understand that even a ball and a patch of grass can be a canvas for the infinite."
Vanessa walked over, handing Volt a silk cloth to wipe the stardust from his brow. "You really can't go anywhere without making a scene, can you?"
"I'm an Author, Vanessa," Volt said, pulling her close. "A scene is just a building block of a masterpiece."
Akuto looked at Ahmed through the screen and gave a thumbs-up. "Ahmed! Did you see that Moon-shot? That was for you! Next time, we're going to the bottom of the ocean to see if the sharks can handle a 'Corner Kick'!"
Volt winked at the Fourth Wall as the chapter began to fade into a brilliant violet glow. "The game is over, but the season is just beginning."