Endless tournament

Chapter 10.

Daiane stands trembling, trying to gather herself as she mutters under her breath, "What could possibly go wrong? I'm a footballer, I'm great at free-kicks... There's almost no one else here that's good at football, right? What could go wrong?" She takes a deep breath, attempting to calm herself, but as the soldier leads her to her opponent, her heart drops.

Before her stands a 16-year-old boy, his face streaked with tears, his wrist device marked with two X's. The sight sends a chill through Daiane's entire body. She shakes her head in disbelief, fear overcoming her. "N-no, no. I can't do this!" she stammers, her voice breaking. "Put me against someone else... please! Someone with no X's or at least one X. I can't let anyone die because of me!" Her eyes fill with tears as she pleads with the soldier.

Suddenly, Diego, who has already lost his match, comes running toward her with a hopeful expression. "And? What's the score?" he asks excitedly before noticing her tears and the sobbing boy in front of her. His face falls instantly. "No..." he mutters, realizing the heartbreaking situation.

Patricia and Antonio, having also lost their rounds, approach with concern. "Hey, what's going on?" Patricia asks, her smile fading as she sees Daiane's tear-streaked face and her young opponent.

The soldier remains unmoved by Daiane's pleas. "There's no switching opponents. Play, or receive your third X," he says sternly.

Daiane shakes her head, her voice cracking. "No! Please, isn't there any way? Can't we just... draw?" she begs through her tears.

"No," the soldier snaps, his tone cold. "Now play... or die."

Daiane swallows hard and turns slowly to the crying boy, her heart heavy with guilt. Patricia, Diego, and Antonio exchange pained looks, understanding the impossible decision she now faces.

Meanwhile, Aasir is engaged in his own match, facing off against the Romanian man. Aasir lines up his shot, and with a powerful kick, sends the ball flying into the goal effortlessly. The Romanian man's face twists in panic. "No, no, no! You said you'd let me win!" he pleads desperately.

Aasir's expression remains impassive. "Yeah, after I've had my fun," he says dryly, taking another shot, this time even more precise, leaving the Romanian no chance to defend.

The Romanian steps up for his turn, kicking the ball hard, but his shot lacks the precision of Aasir's. Aasir blocks it effortlessly, stopping the ball with his foot just before it reaches the goal. The man starts to cry harder, his sobs filling the space between them.

Annoyed, Aasir sighs. "Alright, alright. I'll let you win. Just stop crying," he grumbles, returning to his push-ups while waiting for the game to continue.

As the score climbs, the match reaches 4-5 in favor of the Romanian man. Aasir decides to toy with him, defending the last shot with ease and evening the score to 5-5. The Romanian stands trembling, his body visibly shaking from fear. Aasir, sensing the man's near mental collapse, lightly taps the ball towards the goal. "Yo, I'm letting you win. No need to freak out, man," he says calmly, watching the ball roll slowly towards the net.

But the Romanian, frozen with fear, doesn't react at all.

Confused, Aasir runs to stop the ball just before it crosses the line. "Hey, do you hear me? I'm letting you win," he repeats, but the man stands still, unresponsive.

Aasir's brow furrows. "He's blacking out..." he mutters under his breath. Realizing the man is too terrified to even move, Aasir grabs him and drags him toward the ball. "C'mon, at least shoot," he says, frustration building. When the Romanian still doesn't move, Aasir uses his own foot to push-kick the man's leg, forcing him to make a weak shot.