Chapter 40: Chapter 39: The Team Talk
"What?" Luca’s voice came from beside him as his roommate had stopped when he noticed Demien standing still, and Luca’s expression showed confusion as he asked, "What are you talking about? Who’s the author?"
Demien blinked as reality snapped back into focus, and he realized he’d been speaking out loud to the system while Luca had been right there listening.
"Nothing," Demien said quickly while shaking his head, and he added, "Nothing, just... thinking out loud about the goal."
Luca’s eyebrows raised with skepticism, but he didn’t push as he said, "Alright, weirdo," and he clapped Demien’s shoulder before adding, "Come on, Coach is probably waiting."
The system provided the final calculation as Demien started walking again.
「Total Power Stones Received: 27」 「Rewards Calculated: 27 TP」
「New Balance: 146 TP | 6 SP | 0 MP」
Demien dismissed the panel with a mental command, and one more notification appeared before it faded completely.
「Mission Progress Summary」
「Objectives Complete: 2/2」 「Accurate Passes: 14/5」 「Goals Scored: 1/1」 「Current Match Status: 1-1 (Draw)」 「Victory Bonus: AVAILABLE IF WIN」
「Rewards Pending Distribution Until Match Conclusion」
The panel faded, and Demien pushed through the dressing room door where his teammates were already gathering while Coach Rossi stood at the front of the room with his arms crossed.
The dressing room buzzed with energy as players found their spots and grabbed water bottles, and the mood was electric despite the score being level because everyone felt the momentum shifting in Atalanta’s favor.
Coach Rossi waited until the last player entered before he began speaking, and his voice cut through the chatter with authority that demanded attention.
"First half," Rossi said while pacing slowly in front of his team, and he continued, "You played well, you created chances, you pressed them effectively, and Demien’s goal was exactly what we needed."
Several players nodded while catching their breath, and Rossi’s expression shifted to something more critical as he stopped pacing.
"But," he said while his tone hardened, and he pointed at specific players as he continued, "Esposito, you’re getting caught too high when they counter, drop five yards deeper when we’re attacking."
Esposito nodded while absorbing the criticism, and Rossi moved on.
"Parisi, your movement in the box needs work, you’re arriving too early and defenders are reading it," Rossi said while the striker’s face showed frustration, and the coach added, "Wait half a second longer before making your run."
Then Rossi’s eyes locked on Demien, and his voice rose sharply as he shouted, "Walter!"
Demien straightened in his seat as every head in the room turned toward him, and Rossi stepped closer with his face intense.
"What is going on with you?" Rossi demanded while his voice echoed off the walls, and he continued, "That tackle in the first half was reckless, stupid, and completely unnecessary!"
Demien opened his mouth to respond, but Rossi wasn’t finished.
"Are you homesick?" Rossi asked while his eyes bored into Demien’s, and he added, "Are you playing for them? Do you want Fiorentina to win?"
"No," Demien said immediately while shaking his head, and his voice was firm as he repeated, "No, Coach."
"Then what was it?" Rossi pressed while his arms crossed again, and he asked, "Because that yellow card could have been a red, and then where would we be?"
"It won’t happen again," Demien said while meeting his coach’s eyes directly, and he added, "I lost my composure for a moment, but it’s under control now."
"I know it’s a friendly," Rossi said while his voice softened slightly, and he continued, "But I brought you here to show Fiorentina what they lost, not to get yourself sent off over personal grudges."
Demien nodded while shame and determination mixed in his chest, and Rossi held his gaze for another moment before his expression shifted completely.
"That being said," Rossi said while a smile broke across his face, and his voice rose with enthusiasm as he added, "That goal was magnificent!"
The room erupted with laughter and clapping as the tension broke instantly, and Rossi clapped Demien’s shoulder twice before continuing.
"The Marseille Roulette against their best player?" Rossi said while shaking his head in appreciation, and he added, "That was perfect, that lofted pass to Parisi was excellent vision, and that long shot was clinical."
Demien’s smile grew as his teammates called out encouragement, and Rossi’s grip on his shoulder tightened.
"Second half, I want more of that," Rossi said while his voice carried expectation, and he finished, "Show them what you can do when you’re focused on football instead of revenge."
"Yes, Coach," Demien said while his determination solidified completely.
Rossi turned to address the entire room as he raised his voice and said, "Everyone, listen to me, this match is ours to win if we keep pressing, they’re defending with ten men behind the ball because they’re scared."
He paused while looking at each player individually before continuing, "Their wonderkid has been the one carrying their team, their defense is tired from absorbing pressure, and we just showed them we can score when it matters."
Several players leaned forward while absorbing every word, and Rossi’s intensity grew as he said, "Second half, we come out strong, we press high, we force mistakes."
Rossi grinned while responding, "This might be a friendly, but I want to win, and so do you."
The room responded with affirmations and clapping, and someone near the back murmured, "Is he going to make subs?"
Another voice whispered, "Probably, we need fresh legs."
But Rossi heard them and shook his head while saying, "No substitutions for now, this team has shown me you have more to give, so I’m trusting you guys to go out there and put on a better performance."
The murmuring stopped as players processed the vote of confidence, and determination spread across faces as the message landed clearly.
"Six minutes," Rossi said while checking his watch, and he added, "Drink water, stretch if you need to, use the bathroom, and then we go back out there and show them what Atalanta U23 is made of."
Players dispersed to follow instructions while energy hummed through the room, and Demien leaned back against the wall while closing his eyes briefly as he prepared mentally for the second half that would determine everything.
The mission was half complete, the supporters were behind him, and Fiorentina was there for the taking.
Time to finish what he started.