𝐒𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓 | 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙠

14. 𝘦𝘤𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺

"𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐀𝐍'𝐓 𝐁𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐋, 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓?" Those were the words that rang inside the head of Julian Loki, the youngest football superstar in the world.

He and his team—the world five— stood on the pitch, preparing to go against the final team that had passed the selection.

The five were given names of each of the players they were to be facing, Ryusei Shidou, Ranze Kurona, Gurimu Igarashi, Mikage Reo, and Akito Kaguya.

Another batch of second rate players that they were tasked with the evaluation of, then he'd gather his money and be on his way.

Thats where he saw the man, towering over the rest of his team, and it was there that the frenchman felt years of hatred reawaken.

Adonis Saint.

Everything that Loki had done through his youth, all the work he put in, all the star preformances, it all was always overshadowed by the man.

All the youth international headlines were constantly filled by that man's name, taking the space that should've belonged to him.

He was always second to the man. A second option to club teams, to PIFA, to the world.

He was never seen as the best, soley because of the existence of Adonis Saint. It was a cruel fate.

When the world began calling the two the best strikers of the Next Gen, Loki finally felt some happiness, finally, he was atleast equal to the boy.

Atleast, that's what he thought.

The focus still remained on Adonis. They were equal on paper, but in the eyes of PIFA, the eyes of any common viewer, it was all still the Saint.

Everything that Loki should've had for himself, stripped away by this man. Adonis was the favorite child, while Loki was left to fend for himself. That's what he felt like.

Yes, he was still more than great, and he was on a path to become one of, if not the best ever, and there were so many that would swap lives with him in an instant. So really, he should be grateful.

But he wasn't, not by any means at all. After all, they say that second place is just the best loser.

And by no means, was he a loser.

The day his eyes lay upon the headline that read the retirement of Adonis Saint, felt like god's blessing for him.

How ironic, the retirement of the 'child of the heavens' being his biggest blessing.

Finally, he could take his rightful spot in the glory. The spot he deserved.

He was even meant to be the New Gen XI replacement for the boy, but he didn't want that, to be a mere replacement for someone he hated.

He could finally, unconditionally, be the best striker of his generation, and he basked in the glory.

So why was it, that this man stood infront of him, within this trash facility, with no more than a blank stare on his face.

The boy's eyes were black, nothing like Adonis's heterochromia, it threw Loki off, but he'd never mistake that face.

The small scars peeked out of the collar of his uniform, the black bandage that he assumed covered the scar across the mans nose, that face he hated with every fiber in his being.

Someone he never thought he'd have to worry himself about again in his life.

"You alright, Julian?"

The words brought him out of his thoughts, his eyes flicking up to the low-lidded ones of the englishman