Bologna. Casteldebole Training Ground.Mid-April.
Weeks had passed since the Juventus victory. The adrenaline of the Semi-Final had faded, replaced by the grind of the Serie A schedule. Bologna had fought through the "easy" fixtures—beating Salernitana, drawing with Frosinone, and scraping past Monza. Rio had added 3 goals to his tally, using those matches to fine-tune his Elastic Hips.
But now, the easy road was over. It was Matchday 33. Bologna sat in 4th place. AS Roma sat in 5th place, just 3 points behind. This wasn't just a game. It was a "Six-Pointer." A direct battle for the Champions League spot.
Adrian rolled over to Rio, who was stretching. "Welcome to the endgame, Rio. We are going to the Colosseum."
Stadio Olimpico, Rome.Serie A - Matchday 33.AS Roma vs Bologna.Sunday. 15:00 PM.
"Welcome to the Colosseum," Adrian's voice echoed in Rio's memory.
The Stadio Olimpico was hostile. 60,000 Romans screaming for blood. The atmosphere was thick with red smoke and insults. Roma needed to win to secure a Europa League spot. Bologna needed to win to mathematically cement their place in the Top 4 (Champions League spot).
Rio stood in the tunnel. Next to him stood Gianluca Mancini.
The Roma vice-captain was tall (190cm) and had a face that looked like it was carved out of granite. He wasn't looking at the pitch. He was staring directly at Rio with dead eyes.
"I heard you rejected City," Mancini said in Italian, his voice low and raspy.
Rio didn't answer. He stared straight ahead, focusing on the light at the end of the tunnel.
Mancini stepped closer, invading Rio's personal space. "Big mistake, kid. In England, they play hard. But in Rome... we hurt people." Mancini slapped Rio on the back. It was meant to look friendly to the cameras, but the force nearly knocked the wind out of Rio. "Have a safe flight home. If you can walk."
[Opponent Scan: Gianluca Mancini][Role: Aggressive Defender (The Butcher)][Aggression: 99 (S+)][Special Trait: "Dark Arts" (Hidden fouls are 50% less likely to be detected by the referee.)]
Rio touched his chest. The Bionic Heart hummed steadily. I survived Bremer. I survived Stone. I can survive a bully.
The Match. Minute 10.First Blood.
The game started fast. Roma, under new management (Daniele De Rossi), played with intense aggression. Rio received a pass from Kenjiro in the midfield. He turned, using his Elastic Hips to pivot smoothly. But before he could accelerate, he felt a sharp, stabbing pain in his ribs.
THUD.
Mancini had stepped up. He didn't tackle the ball. He drove his elbow into Rio's side while "jockeying" for position. Rio collapsed, gasping for air. The referee waved play on. "Get up! No foul! Physical contact!"
Mancini stood over him, grinning. "Soft. Is that all you got, 80 Million Euro man?"
Rio clutched his side. It wasn't a foul in the referee's eyes because Mancini made it look like a natural collision. But Rio knew. It was a calculated strike to the floating ribs.
[System Warning][Physical Trauma Detected: Rib Contusion][Pain Level: Medium]
Minute 35.The Trap.
Rio was struggling. Mancini was in his head. Every time Rio got the ball, he flinched, expecting an elbow or a stud to the ankle. His Flow was broken. [Rio Match Rating: 5.8]
Tyler Stone, watching from his office in Bologna, texted Adrian: "He looks scared. The Asset is depreciating. If he gets injured, we lose money."
Adrian typed back: "He's not scared. He's analyzing."
On the pitch, Rio realized something. Mancini was aggressive. He committed fully to every challenge. He relied on intimidation. He gambled on the referee not blowing the whistle. He thinks I will run away from the contact, Rio thought. So... what if I invite the contact?
Rio made eye contact with Kenjiro. He pointed to his feet. Pass it to me. Now.
Kenjiro hesitated (seeing Mancini lurking like a shark), but passed the ball. Rio received it with his back to goal. Mancini came charging in like a bull. "Mine!"
Usually, a striker would pass back to avoid the hit. Rio didn't pass back. He activated [The Eye of the Storm]. La Pausa.
Time slowed. He felt Mancini's breath on his neck. He felt the momentum of 90kg of muscle coming to crush him.
Rio didn't turn away. He leaned into Mancini. He used his Grade A Balance. He anchored his feet and thrust his hips backward.
CRUNCH.
Mancini slammed into Rio. But Rio didn't fly away. He absorbed the impact and used Mancini as a pivot point. Using the Elastic Hips, Rio spun around Mancini's body, rolling off the defender like a judo throw.
Mancini, expecting Rio to collapse, lost his balance. He stumbled forward, grasping at air. Rio was free. He was in the box. Evan Ndicka (the other Roma defender) was too far away to cover. Rio didn't shoot immediately. He saw Mancini scrambling back, angry, desperate to recover his pride.
Rio waited. He slowed down slightly. Mancini slid. A desperate, lunging tackle from behind to sweep the ball. Rio didn't dive. He simply executed a La Croqueta at the last millisecond.
Mancini missed the ball completely. But his trailing leg hooked Rio's ankle. TRIP.
Rio fell. This time, it was undeniable. PEEP! The referee pointed to the spot. Penalty Kick.
And then, the referee reached into his pocket. Yellow Card for Mancini. (His second of the game). RED CARD.
The "Butcher" was sent off. Mancini screamed at the referee, veins bulging in his neck, pointing at Rio. "He trapped me! He waited for it!" Rio sat on the grass, rubbing his ankle. He looked at Mancini and winked. "Soft," Rio mouthed back.
Minute 40.The Penalty.
The Stadio Olimpico was booing so loud the ground shook. Laser pointers flashed in Rio's eyes. Rio stood over the penalty spot. Normally, Zirkzee or Orsolini took penalties. But Rio held the ball. "I earned it," Rio said.
Zirkzee nodded and stepped back.
Rio looked at Mile Svilar (Roma Keeper). Svilar was young but talented. He had surely watched the tapes. He knew Rio chipped the ball against Roma in the first match. He expects the Chip, Rio thought. Or does he expect me to know that he expects it?
Rio didn't have a Penalty Skill. But he had the Bionic Heart. He could control his pulse. While the stadium screamed, Rio's heart rate was a steady 60 bpm.
He ran up. He opened his hips wide, shaping his body for a powerful Golden Arc shot into the top right corner. Svilar bought the body language. He dove early to the right.
Rio checked his swing at the last moment. He didn't smash it. He closed his hips and chipped it gently down the middle. The Panenka.
The ball floated lazily into the net while Svilar watched helplessly from the ground. It was the ultimate disrespect.
GOAL.Roma 0 - 1 Bologna.
Rio stood in front of the hostile Roma Ultras. He didn't taunt them. He just pointed to his temple. Smart beats Strong.
Full Time.Roma 0 - 1 Bologna.
Bologna held on against 10 men. They secured 3 critical points. Rio walked off the pitch, limping slightly. His ribs were bruised, his ankle was swollen. But he was alive.
Adrian met him at the bus. "You baited a Red Card from Mancini," Adrian laughed. "That is Masterclass level Dark Arts. Mourinho would be proud."
"He wanted a fight," Rio grimaced, holding an ice pack to his side. "I gave him a physics lesson."
Tyler Stone sent a message to Rio's phone. [Text from Stone:]"Value retained. Good job. Rest up. The big one is coming."
"The big one?" Rio asked Adrian.
Adrian showed him the calendar. "There are 5 games left in the League. We are safe in 4th place." "So we can rest?"
"No," Adrian swiped the screen. "Next week... is the Coppa Italia Final." "Inter Milan vs Bologna." "Stadio Olimpico. We have to come back here in 7 days."
Rio looked at the empty stadium. To win his +1 Year Lifespan, he had to beat the best team in Italy. Lautaro Martinez. Hakan Calhanoglu. Bastoni. Barella. The final boss of Italian Football.
Rio checked his Lifespan. [312 Days] (Cost of playing matches + training). He had less than a year left. But if he won next week... he would have 677 Days. Almost two years.
"One game," Rio whispered. "One game for a Life."