The sun hung lazily over Ember City, casting long shadows over the makeshift soccer field that had somehow appeared in the middle of the ruins. No one questioned it. No one asked why they were all here.
They just knew one thing—they were playing.
Simon stretched his legs. "Alright. Four-on-four. No fouls. No whining. First to three wins."
Chad rolled his shoulders. "Fine by me."
Katsu smirked. "You're going down, old man."
Bethalamoew yawned. "I don't care who wins, just pass me the ball."
The teams were set:
Team Simon: Simon, Katsu, Quinn, Bethalamoew.
Team Chad: Chad, Akiko, Shania, Sir Endrick.
Standing on the sidelines, leaning lazily against a wall, Achtur sighed. "This is stupid."
Beside him, The Mysterious Man stood completely still. No one knew if he was watching. No one even knew if he liked soccer.
He was just… there.
⸻
Kickoff
Chad started with the ball, immediately passing to Akiko.
Katsu charged at her. "I got her!"
Akiko nutmegged him effortlessly, slipping the ball between his legs.
Quinn burst into laughter. "Nah, that's embarrassing."
Katsu turned bright red. "I WASN'T READY!"
Akiko kept dribbling, her small frame darting past defenders. She lobbed a pass to Shania, who stopped it with her chest and took a shot.
BLOCKED.
Simon threw himself in the way, deflecting the ball. It bounced toward Quinn, who immediately launched a counterattack.
"Move up!" Simon called.
Bethalamoew, who had barely moved all game, sighed and started jogging forward. "Don't rush me."
Quinn cut left, evading Sir Endrick. He faked right, then dished a clean pass to Katsu.
Katsu grinned. This was his moment.
He pulled his foot back, swung with all his power—
And missed.
Completely.
The ball rolled past him.
Silence.
"…Did you just whiff?" Chad asked.
Katsu clenched his fists. "THE SUN WAS IN MY EYES!"
Shania cleared the ball, and the game continued.
Chad was an absolute wall on defense. Nobody could get past him.
Simon played like a bulldozer, shoving people out of the way.
Quinn's dribbling was unfair, making Akiko and Sir Endrick stumble more than once.
Shania? Somehow, her aim was perfect. Every shot she took was dangerously close to scoring.
Bethalamoew, when he actually tried, was an insane playmaker, setting up two near goals for Simon.
Katsu?
Katsu ran around a lot.
He was trying.
It happened fast—Bethalamoew sent a through-pass to Quinn, who outpaced Akiko and crossed it into the box.
Simon was there.
One touch. BAM.
GOAL.
1-0.
Simon grinned. "Too easy."
Chad cracked his knuckles. "That won't happen again."
Chad took control. He intercepted a lazy pass from Katsu and drove forward. Quinn rushed him—shoulder to shoulder—but Chad powered through.
He passed to Sir Endrick, who flicked it back to him with a smooth one-two.
Simon saw what was happening. "Stop him!"
Too late.
Chad blasted the ball past Bethalamoew and into the net.
GOAL.
1-1.
Katsu groaned. "Who let him shoot?!"
Bethalamoew looked at him. "You were supposed to mark him."
Katsu scowled. "You expect me to stop Chad?"
Quinn smirked. "He's got a point."
The match got intense.
Shania nearly scored off a rebound, but Simon cleared it at the last second.
Quinn dribbled past Akiko and crossed to Bethalamoew, but Sir Endrick blocked the shot.
Katsu had one more chance—a perfect pass from Bethalamoew left him one-on-one with the keeper.
Everyone held their breath.
Katsu kicked.
Right at Chad.
The ball bounced off Chad's chest.
Katsu dropped to his knees. "I hate this game."
Chad rolled his eyes. "Get up."
2-2. Next goal wins.
The ball whizzed across the field, possession shifting constantly.
Then—Akiko stole it from Quinn.
She sprinted down the left flank, perfect control with every step.
Sir Endrick made a run toward the box.
Akiko crossed it in.
Chad was there.
He rose up—header.
GOAL.
Game over.
⸻
Team Simon collapsed onto the field.
Katsu covered his face. "We lost to CHAD."
Simon sat up. "Relax. We'll run it back."
Chad dusted himself off. "I'll win again."
Bethalamoew waved him off. "Go celebrate somewhere else."
Shania smiled. "That was fun."
Achtur sighed from the sidelines. "Are we done?"
The Mysterious Man simply walked away, disappearing into the ruins.
No one knew if he even watched the game.
But somehow, they all felt like they had lost to him too.
Author's Thoughts
You could also check the author's thought section if you want to read it again.
Hey everyone!
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for sticking with The Stone Mask so far. I truly appreciate all your support and the love you've shown this story. You guys are the reason I keep pushing forward, and I'm so grateful to have you along for this journey.
I'm going to be taking a short hiatus as I refine all the chapters. I know it's been a while, and I want to make sure that each part of the story is as engaging and polished as it can be. This filler chapter is just a bit of fun for you to enjoy while I work on the revisions. It's a small break from the intense action and chaos, and I hope it brings some lighthearted moments to your day.
Please note, I will not be making any changes to the Ember City Massacre Arc—that one is staying as is, and it will be a big part of what's to come. My focus will be on refining the earlier chapters to make the story more engaging.
Once again, thank you all for your patience, understanding, and continued support. I can't wait to bring you the revised chapters and keep this story going. I'm excited for what's ahead!
Stay tuned, and take care!
- faithless_reader