CHAPTER 126: THERE IS ONLY ONE MICHAEL STERLING...

The atmosphere inside the Fortress was heavy.

Manchester United were here.

The Red Devils. The biggest club in England. They were desperate. They had lost their first game.

Michael Sterling stood ten meters away. He wore his club suit. He looked calm.

But inside his chest his heart was playing a drum solo.

Arthur Milton sat on the bench. He was chewing three pieces of gum at the same time.

"They look big Boss," Arthur whispered. "Marcus Rashford looks very fast. And Casemiro looks like a tank."

"Tanks are slow Arthur," Michael replied without looking back. "And we have a Carousel."

KICKOFF

The game began with a fury.

Manchester United did not come to defend. They came to destroy. They pressed high. Bruno Fernandes ran at Kai Sora like a heat seeking missile.

Minute 5.

Kai received the ball from Sam Jones.

Fernandes was there instantly.

"Wake up!" Fernandes shouted trying to tackle.

Kai did not panic. He did not run. He just leaned to the side. Fernandes ran past him.

Kai passed to Kenji Sato.

The crowd cheered. The first duel was won.

But United were dangerous.

Minute 12.

Rashford got the ball on the wing. He was fast. Electric fast.

Diego Nunez stepped out to meet him.

The Battle of the Bull and the Speedster.

Rashford did a step over. Diego did not move. Rashford knocked the ball past him and sprinted.

Diego turned. He was big but he was powerful. He chased Rashford.

Rashford prepared to shoot.

Diego threw his body in the way.

CRUNCH

It was a sliding tackle that shook the ground. Diego won the ball. He stood up and roared at the away fans.

"NO ENTRY!" Diego shouted.

The Barnsley fans screamed his name. DIEGO! DIEGO!

But the quality of United was undeniable.

Minute 20.

Bruno Fernandes got the ball thirty yards out. He looked up. He saw a tiny gap.

He hit it.

The ball swerved. It dipped.

Sam Jones dived. He stretched his fingers.

But the shot was perfect.

It kissed the post and went in.

GOAL

0 to 1.

The away end exploded. The United players hugged Fernandes. They looked relieved. They looked like giants who had just remembered they were giants.

Michael felt a stone in his stomach.

"They are good," Arthur groaned. "That was a world class goal."

"Stay calm," Michael said. He walked to the edge of the pitch.

He put two fingers in the air and spun them in a circle.

The signal.

THE CAROUSEL

On the pitch Kai Sora saw the signal. He adjusted his invisible sunglasses. He looked at Arda Guler.

Arda nodded.

The spin began.

Minute 30.

Casemiro was marking Arda Guler. He was following the Turkish playmaker everywhere.

Suddenly Arda sprinted deep into his own half. Casemiro followed him.

But as Casemiro moved Kai Sora sprinted into the space Casemiro had left.

It was a switch.

Kenji Sato had the ball. He saw Kai in the empty space.

Kenji passed.

Kai turned. There was no defender. Casemiro was twenty yards away chasing Arda.

The United defense was confused.

"Who is marking the lazy one?!" Harry Maguire shouted pointing at Kai.

Kai did not wait for an answer. He drove forward.

He saw Isaiah King making a run.

Kai played the pass.

Isaiah controlled it. He was one on one with Luke Shaw.

Isaiah did a shimmy. He went left. He went right.

Shaw got tangled.

Isaiah crossed the ball.

Danny Fletcher was there. The Captain.

He jumped. He headed it.

The ball flew towards the corner.

SAVE!

Onana made a miracle save. He tipped it over the bar.

The crowd groaned.

"It is working!" Michael yelled. "Keep spinning!"

HALFTIME

0 to 1.

The locker room was loud.

Diego Nunez was angry. "Rashford is too fast! He is like a rabbit! I want to catch the rabbit!"

"Be patient Diego," Michael said calmly. "The rabbit will get tired. The Bull does not get tired."

He turned to the midfielders.

"The Carousel is killing them," Michael said. "Casemiro is dizzy. He does not know who to mark. Keep doing it. Faster. More spins."

He looked at Arda Guler.

"Arda. You are dropping too deep. Pull Casemiro out of position then spin behind him. Make him run."

"I will make him run Boss," Arda promised wiping sweat from his face. "He is heavy. He does not like to turn."

SECOND HALF

The game restarted.

Barnsley came out like a storm.

Minute 55.

Kai dropped deep. Arda went high.

Then Arda dropped deep. Kai went high.

Casemiro looked frustrated. He shouted at his teammates. "Help me! They are everywhere!"

Kenji Sato won the ball in midfield. The Engine was running on full power. He stole the ball from Fernandes.

He passed to Arda.

Arda saw Kai making a run into the box. A striker run.

Arda chipped the ball.

It was a magical pass. It floated over the head of Maguire.

Kai controlled it on his chest.

He was eight yards out.

The goal was open.

"SHOOT!" the stadium screamed.

Kai did not shoot.

He saw Danny Fletcher in a better position.

Kai squared the ball.

Danny tapped it in.

GOAL

1 to 1.

The Fortress detonated.

Danny Fletcher ran to the corner. Kai Sora walked slowly after him smiling.

Michael punched the air. "YES! THE CAROUSEL!"

Ten Hag threw a water bottle on the ground. He looked furious.

The game was tied.

But United were not done. They were a wounded animal. And wounded animals bite.

Minute 75.

United brought on fresh legs. Garnacho came on. He was fast.

He ran at Finn Riley.

Finn was tired. He slipped.

Garnacho was through. He crossed the ball.

Hojlund the striker was waiting.

He headed it.

It was going in.

BLOCK!

Diego Nunez threw his head in the way. He blocked the shot with his face.

The ball flew out.

Diego fell to the ground. He lay there for a second.

Then he stood up. He shook his head like a dog shaking off water.

He roared.

"NOT TODAY!" Diego screamed. "THIS IS MY HOUSE!"

The fans went crazy. DIEGO! DIEGO!

Minute 85.

Both teams were exhausted. The game was open. It was end to end basketball on grass.

Kenji Sato was everywhere. He tackled Rashford. He tackled Fernandes. He tackled the referee by accident.

"Sorry!" Kenji shouted bowing to the referee as he ran past.

Minute 88.

Manchester United had a corner. They sent everyone forward. Maguire went up.

The ball came in.

Sam Jones caught it.

"RELEASE IT!" Michael screamed.

Sam threw the ball long.

It landed at the feet of Isaiah King.

Isaiah was on the halfway line. He was alone.

But three United defenders were chasing him. Shaw. Wan Bissaka. Martinez.

Isaiah ran.

"RUN FORREST RUN!" Jamie Weston screamed from the bench.

Isaiah was fast. But Wan Bissaka was faster. The United defender was catching him. The Spider.

Isaiah reached the box. Wan Bissaka slid in.

It was a perfect tackle.

But Isaiah expected it.

He stopped. He let Wan Bissaka slide past him into the advertising boards.

Isaiah looked up.

He was alone with Onana.

He could shoot.

But he saw movement.

Arda Guler had sprinted seventy yards. The Real Madrid loanee had lungs of steel.

Isaiah passed the ball sideways.

Arda was there. The goal was empty.

Arda rolled the ball into the net.

GOAL

2 to 1.

The sound was not human. It was a roar that shook the foundations of Yorkshire.

Arda ran to the fans. He did the Turkish meditation celebration. He sat on the grass and closed his eyes.

Isaiah jumped on him. Diego arrived and pile drived both of them into the grass.

Michael was hugged by Arthur.

"WE DID IT!" Arthur cried. "WE KILLED THE GIANT!"

Minute 90 plus 6.

The referee looked at his watch.

United tried one last long ball.

Diego Nunez headed it clear. He headed it so hard it landed in the car park.

PHWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET

The final whistle.

Barnsley 2. Manchester United 1.

Michael walked onto the pitch. His legs felt weak.

He had done it. He had beaten one of the biggest teams in the world with a tactic called The Carousel and a team of misfits.

Ten Hag walked over. He looked shocked.

"Your team," Ten Hag said shaking the hand of Michael. "They are... very confusing."

"Thank you," Michael smiled. "We try to be."

Michael walked over to Kai Sora.

Kai was lying in the center circle. He had his sunglasses back on.

"You ran into the box Kai," Michael said looking down at him.

"I know," Kai sighed. "It was a mistake. I got lost. But then Danny scored so it was okay."

"It was perfect," Michael said.

He walked over to Diego. The Bull had a bruise on his forehead from the block.

"Does it hurt?" Michael asked.

"Pain is weakness leaving the body Boss," Diego grinned showing all his teeth. "And victory is the best medicine."

Michael looked at the scoreboard.

BARNSLEY 2 - 1 MAN UTD

He felt a vibration in his pocket.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

[MATCH COMPLETE]

[RESULT: WIN]

[REWARD: 1000 POINTS]

[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: GIANT KILLER]

[MEDIA REPUTATION: EXPLODING]

Michael looked up at the stands. The fans were singing his name.

There is only one Michael Sterling...

He closed his eyes.

They had three points. They were mid table. They were safe.

For now.

But as he walked towards the tunnel he saw Arthur Milton looking at the fixture list on his phone.

"What is it Arthur?"

"Next week Boss," Arthur rasped. "Arsenal. At the Emirates."

"Isaiah’s old team," Michael said.

"Yes. And they are top of the league. They have not lost a game."

Michael smiled. He looked at Isaiah King who was currently trying to swap shirts with Marcus Rashford.

"Perfect," Michael said. "Isaiah loves a party."