Stadio Olimpico.Minute 90+5.The Ball is in the Air.
Gravity is a law. What goes up must come down.
Rio lay on his back, his chest heaving, staring at the white ball spinning against the dark Roman sky. It felt like hours. Yann Sommer twisted his neck, watching the ball sail over him, his gloves grasping at nothing but humid air. The Inter Milan fans behind the goal held their breath, a collective intake of despair. The Bologna fans in the opposite curve stood up, eyes wide, witnessing history.
The ball reached the peak of its arc. It began to descend. It didn't go over the bar. It dipped.
Swish.
It wasn't a loud bang like a cannon shot. It was the soft, satisfying sound of the ball kissing the side netting. The sound of finality.
GOAL.Inter 1 - 2 Bologna.
The Explosion.
For one second, there was absolute silence. Then, the Curva Sud exploded. A roar so loud it registered on local seismographs rattled the foundations of the Colosseum. Flares were lit instantly, and red smoke engulfed the stands.
Rio tried to stand up, but his legs refused. He didn't need to stand. Joshua Zirkzee was the first to arrive, sliding on his knees and tackling Rio in a crushing hug. Then Ferguson arrived. Then Beukema. Then the entire bench cleared out. Rio was buried under a pile of blue and red jerseys. He couldn't breathe, and he was crying. Not from sadness, but from the sheer, overwhelming relief of survival.
System Notification: Match Status: ENDED. Result: VICTORY.
The referee blew the final whistle. Three short blasts pierced the air. Bologna had done it. The "Seven Sisters" hierarchy was broken. The Underdogs were Kings.
The Trophy Presentation.
The podium was set up on the pitch. Confetti rained down in a shimmering storm as We Are The Champions blared over the speakers.
Rio stood at the back of the line. He wore a special shirt over his kit. It wasn't his number 10. It was Number 8: Tanaka.
When Rio stepped up to the podium, the crowd chanted his name. "RIO! RIO! RIO!"
He shook hands with the President of Italy. He walked to the trophy. The Coppa Italia. A beautiful golden cup adorned with the Italian tricolore ribbons.
Tyler Stone stood near the trophy, clapping. He looked at Rio and nodded. It was a nod of respect, or perhaps, a nod to a highly profitable asset. Rio grabbed the handles. He didn't lift it alone. He called Lorenzo De Silvestri, the Club Captain. Together, they hoisted the trophy into the sky.
FLASH.
The cameras captured the moment. The kid who bought skills with his life had conquered Italy.
The System text flooded his vision. Objective Complete: Win a Major Trophy. Reward Processing... Current Lifespan: 304 Days. Bonus Added: +365 Days. New Lifespan: 669 Days.
Rio closed his eyes. Almost two years. He could breathe. He could sleep. He could live.
The Hospital.Gemelli University Policlinic, Rome.Thursday, 02:00 AM.
The celebration party was raging in the hotel, but Rio wasn't there. He was sitting in a quiet hospital room. Kenjiro lay in the bed, his leg elevated and wrapped in a heavy cast. The diagnosis was confirmed: Grade 3 ACL Tear.
"You missed the party," Kenjiro said, his voice groggy from painkillers.
Rio placed the Gold Medal on the bedside table. "This is yours. The assist was yours."
Kenjiro looked at the medal. He didn't smile. "The doctor said nine months, Rio. Nine months." Kenjiro looked out the window at the Roman night. "I will miss the start of the Champions League. I will miss the first half of the season."
He turned to Rio, tears welling up in his eyes. "You have to play without me. The Symbiotic Contract... it's useless if I can't walk."
Rio stood up. "I won't play without you," Rio said firmly. "I will wait."
"You can't wait!" Kenjiro snapped, forcing himself to sit up despite the pain. "You have a clock ticking on your heart! You need to keep winning to buy time! You can't pause for my sake."
Silence filled the room. Kenjiro was right. Rio couldn't pause his career.
"I will play," Rio said softly. "And I will win. And when you come back... we will conquer Europe."
Bologna. Tyler Stone's Office.Friday Morning.
The city was still hungover. Red and blue flags hung from every window. Rio walked into the office. Tyler Stone was waiting.
On the desk, two documents sat side by side. To the left was a staggering transfer offer from Manchester City worth ninety million Euros. To the right was a contract renewal with Bologna offering a Champions League level salary.
Stone spun a pen in his fingers. "Pep called again. He saw the chip shot. He said it was 'Bergkamp-esque'. The offer is astronomical." Stone looked at Rio. "If you go, you are rich. I am rich. Everyone is happy."
Stone tapped the second paper. "But if you stay... you become a God in this city. You play Champions League football as the main man. No Haaland to steal your spotlight. No rotation policy."
Rio looked at the City offer. The "Nightmare Mode" warning flashed in his mind. If he went to City, he would be a small fish in a big pond. He needed to be the star to earn High Performance Ratings and maximize his Lifespan rewards. And then he remembered the roar of the Dall'Ara. He remembered Kenjiro in the hospital bed. He couldn't leave Kenjiro behind. Not yet.
Rio took the pen. He pushed the City offer aside. He signed the Bologna renewal.
"I stay," Rio said. "For one more year. We do the Champions League."
Stone smiled. A genuine smile this time. "Good choice. Get ready, kid. The Champions League is a different beast. The defenders there... they don't just tackle. They hunt."
The System Update.Rio's Apartment.One Month Later (June).
The season was over. Rio was on vacation. He sat on his balcony, looking at the sunset. 669 Days left. He felt safe.
Suddenly, the System Interface glitched. The blue screen turned a violent Shade of Red.
SYSTEM UPDATE 2.0.Arc 1 Completed: The Italian Job.Arc 2 Initiated: The European Stage.
New Feature Unlocked: The Global Gacha. The text explained that the database had expanded. It wasn't just historical legends anymore; the database had expanded to include Players from the Future.
New Threat Detected. The screen flashed a warning about a new Rival Identity: The Perfect Human. Location: Real Madrid. Status: Awakening.
Rio frowned. Players from the Future? The Perfect Human?
A final notification appeared, shattering his peace.
Warning: Champions League matches consume 5 Days per match. Reason: The level of competition requires exceeding human limits.
Rio dropped his glass of water. Smash.
Five days per match. The 669 Days... suddenly didn't feel like enough.