The echoes of cheering from Dark Clawd still lingered across the league, yet in another part of the city, the atmosphere was strikingly different.
Inside the Zeriot Malin Stadium, the Devertary United players were deep in preparation.
The locker room buzzed with focused energy, the thud of boots being laced, the sharp hiss of spray on sore muscles, and the constant hum of determination.
Captain Deo stood before his teammates, reviewing tactics on the digital board. "Northin Way's defense collapses when pressured wide," he said, pointing at a rotating schematic. "We exploit the wings, keep pressure on their left flank. No hesitation."
The players nodded — Ronoa, Leon, Ness, and Ryan Shark among them — their eyes sharp, their minds already in the game.
But as the team huddled, across town, another meeting was quietly being set in motion.
---
Molis Harrison, dressed in a sleek gray suit, sat in the back of his car parked beside a dimly lit café.
The night was cool, the city still humming with post-match chatter from the Fire Milan draw.
He scrolled through his phone, checking updates, before finally tapping on a name, Vincent Greenwood.
The phone rang twice before a voice answered.
"Vincent Greenwood."
"Harrison here," came the calm yet commanding tone. "I need to see you. Tonight."
There was a pause. "Is this about the Northin Way FC game?" Vincent asked.
"In part," Harrison replied. "But mostly about what comes next. Devertary United are gearing up and I have a feeling things are about to shift faster than anyone expects."
Vincent hesitated, glancing out his hotel window. The skyline still flickered with the lights of celebration from the draw, but Harrison's tone carried weight something urgent, something beyond football.
"All right," Vincent said finally. "Where?"
"Café Lumeré. Corner of the old Zeriot junction. Can you make it in an hour time."
The call ended.
Vincent sighed, tossing his phone onto the bed before grabbing his jacket. The faint hum of the city outside filled the silence of his room.
The Devertary United players voices echoed through the tunnel as they made their way to the pitch.
Unaware that, just a few streets away, a quiet meeting between Harrison and Vincent was about to set the stage for something much larger than the match ahead.
The kind of meeting that could change everything in the league and beyond.
The tunnel was quiet now. The echo of the players had faded into silence, leaving behind the faint hum of equipment being packed and the distant clatter of closing metal doors.
Molis Harrison, the coach of Devertary United, waited in the café Lumére, clipboard under one arm, expression calm but clouded by thought.
The win his team had just secured against Maraford was a test of endurance a reminder that progress demanded more.
Moments later, the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps approached. Vincent Greenwood, the club's new executive director, emerged from the shadows poised, collected, with eyes that seemed to study everything in motion.
Harrison turned slightly, giving a brief nod.
"Vincent," he began, his voice low and controlled, "we might have a problem with our next match."
Greenwood arched an eyebrow. "Go on."before sitting opposite Harrison.
"Northin Way FC," Harrison said, his gaze drifting toward the empty pitch, "they're built like a fortress, organized, disciplined, structured.
Today last time we played well agaist Maraford, but our win showed cracks. If we don't adjust, they'll expose us."
Greenwood listened without interruption, hands buried in his coat pockets, his silence sharper than most words.
Finally, he nodded. "You're right, Molis. A win's three point earned, but a loss…" — his tone turned firm — "…a loss means we didn't prepare well enough."
He looked Harrison directly in the eye.
"I want a report, every training need, every equipment upgrade, every facility request. Send it to my office tonight."
Harrison straightened. "Understood."
"Good," Greenwood said simply, turning away. "Let's not stay at the same level for too long."
As his footsteps faded down the corridor, Harrison exhaled deeply. Then, despite the weight of expectation, a quiet smile crossed his face.
Greenwood murmured under his breath, "I didn't make the wrong decision coming here. Harrison understands what it takes… unlike Paulo Lourenço, who clung to pride and refused to adapt."
With renewed determination, Molis Harrison returned toward the café window, his mind already on the challenge ahead — Northin Way FC.
Evening had finally come. The players of Northin Way FC players arrived at Zeriot Malin Stadium, their confidence high, their focus unshaken.
The air carried the cool edge of autumn, and the roar of the home crowd rolled through the tunnels like thunder.
Inside the home locker room, anticipation pulsed like electricity. The players laced up, shirts crisp in their home kits gathered around their coach.
Molis Harrison paced before them, his voice steady but commanding.
"Reinforce the defense," he began. "But strike when the chance comes. We play a balanced game disciplined, creative, efficient. Remember, we represent Anozira, our new sponsor, with pride. The airway brought us here… now make the journey worth it."
Nods all around. Gloves tightened. Armbands adjusted. The energy was right.
Moments later, the tunnel lights flared. The players lined up Deo, Leon, Shark, Ronoa, Axel faces set, hearts steady.
Ahead of them, in blue and back, stood the away side: Northin Way FC, led by their towering captain Johnsen Torbjørn and their talismanic forward Conzalo Jesús.
The crowd erupted as both teams emerged onto the pitch. Club anthems roared. Flags waved. Cameras flashed. The stage was set.
After the coin toss between captains Wolf Deo and Johnsen Torbjørn, the referee signaled for kickoff.
A crisp start with a pass from Wolf Deo to Foxx Leon, a quick one-two down the right flank. Their early rhythm drew cheers from the traveling fans.
Leon darted forward, slicing through Griffith Hughes Northin Way FC center midfielder and Fage Abdoulaye the teams center midfielder with silky precision.
His sharp pass found Ryan Shark, who burst into open space.
Devertary dictated tempo, moving the ball with confidence. Their midfield trio kept Northin Way pinned back, their short passing weaving patterns of control.
But the away side's response was swift.A misplaced touch from Shark, stolen by Guillermo Vázquez Northin Way FC Striker.
Vázquez exploded forward in a blur of pace. He found Torbjørn the team third Center midfielder, who danced past Ruyne Ness and connects with Conzalo Jesús.
Jesús saw an opening and unleashed a ferocious strike from distance,the ball whistled through the air, destined for the top corner.
Shawn Lucius, Devertary's keeper, reacted like lightning leaping high, palms outstretched punching it away to safety.
The rebound fell to Jonas Poker, who wasted no time launching it forward to Nicolas Ronoa, igniting a counterattack.
Ronoa sprinted down the flank, pursued by Blake Murphy Northin Way FC right midfielder.
The duel was fierce shoulder to shoulder until Murphy regained ground and played it back to Jesús.
Jesús feinted inside, but Poker slid in, perfect timing, winning possession cleanly.
Devertary pushed again. Ness lofted a diagonal pass to Leon, who nodded it to Deo. With a swift motion, Deo curled in a dangerous cross toward Shark in the box.
Shark rose high, his header powerful but Timothée Valentin, Northin Way's goalkeeper, stretched full length to his right, tipping it just wide.
The home fans groaned in disbelief. So close.
Valentin's quick throw sparked another away attack. Torbjørn, Hughes, and Abdoulaye the team center midfield trio combined beautifully,one-touch passing that carved open space.
But once again, Poker read it, intercepting at the perfect moment to cut off the final through ball.
Devertary transitioned instantly, Poker to Damian Night, who surged forward down the left and whipped in a cross.
Leon met it in stride, slipping it to Shark, who delivered a quick low cross to Axel.
Axel's first-time strike was venomous, arrowing toward the far post but Valentin dove again, producing a world-class save.
The crowd rose as Northin Way retaliated. Valentin rolled the ball out to Facundo Matias the team Left back, who accelerated downfield, leaving Shark behind.
He threaded a pass to Hughes, who flicked it toward Vázquez. A clever chip over Poker's challenge and a square ball to Jesús, who struck it cleanly, low and fast.
Lucius dropped quickly, parrying it wide. Another heroic save.
The tempo was blistering — attack meeting counterattack — both sides fearless, both goalkeepers unshaken.
Leon was chopped down brutally by Fake Abdoulaye upon connecting with the throw from Lucius, the referee whistle shrieked, earning a stern warning for the midfielder.
Axel stood over the free kick, twenty-five yards out. His right boot curled the ball over the wall, dipping late but Valentin was there again, fingertips pushing it aside.
The loose ball connects with Shark fee meters away from the Northin Way FC box.
Devertary United is awarded another free kick as a result of Maarten Goossens rough tackle that left Shark on the grass.
Axel stepped up once more, determination in his eyes. He struck hard, clean but it sailed agonizingly over the bar.
Deo jogged over, patting him on the back.
"Keep your head up Axel," he said calmly. "We still have another half."
The referee's glance met his watch then came the sharp blast.
Players on both sides exhaled, sweat-soaked and weary.
Devertary had dominated possession. Northin Way had hit back with deadly counters.
Neither side found the breakthrough, but every fan in the stadium knew the second half promised fireworks.
Halftime:
Northin Way FC 0 – 0 Devertary United
Possession: 43% – 57% (Devertary United)
Shots on Target: 4 – 5
Saves: Valentin (3), Lucius (2)
Fouls: 2 – 0
The battle lines were drawn. Both teams had shown heart. The difference in the second half would come down to resilience and who dared to take the risk first.