The city was still buzzing, and the team felt an extra spring in their step during training sessions. Leon was at the center of it all.

His name, once just a whisper in transfer rumors, was now shouted from headlines and debated on every sports show.

The week after the Derby was a whirlwind. Leon found himself constantly checking his phone, devouring every article, watching every video that celebrated his stunning winning goal.

He saw his face splashed across newspaper covers, heard pundits praise his "vision" and "nerve." He reveled in the ecstasy of success, a feeling as intoxicating as the roar of the San Siro.

Their next Serie A match was against Fiorentina, a strong team known for their attacking flair.

The atmosphere at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, Fiorentina's home ground, was always passionate, but Leon felt no nerves. Only absolute confidence.

He stepped onto the pitch, the familiar green expanse feeling like his personal stage.

From the first whistle, Leon was everywhere.

He seemed to glide past challenges, anticipating tackles before they even formed.

Around the 20th minute, Inter launched a swift counter-attack.

Leon received the ball on the left wing.

He dribbled forward, drawing two Fiorentina defenders towards him.

He saw the shimmering legs and converging tackle icons, but instead of using his skill to escape, he decided to be audacious. He executed a quick, almost arrogant flick of the ball behind his standing leg, nutmegging one defender and leaving the other lunging at thin air.

"Leon Fischer! What a move!"

"He's left two defenders for dead!"

Leon was now in acres of space inside the box. He looked up, and saw Lautaro Martínez (Current: 88) making a darting run towards the far post.

Above Lautaro, Leon saw the head and a powerful header icon. He knew exactly where to put the ball.

With a delicate touch, Leon conjured a magical assist, a perfectly weighted cross that floated over the heads of the Fiorentina defenders and landed precisely on Lautaro's head.

BOOM!

Lautaro met it with a powerful header.

GOOOAL!

The net bulged! Inter Milan were 1-0 up! Lautaro rushed to Leon, clapping him on the back.

"What a ball, Leo! Perfect!"

"Just serving it on a platter for you, captain!" Leon grinned, feeling a thrill of satisfaction.

The connection with Lautaro was growing stronger with every game.

Fiorentina pushed back, but Inter's defense held firm.

Then, in the 38th minute, it was Leon's turn again. He received the ball just outside the Fiorentina box, slightly to the right.

A defender rushed him, but Leon, with a quick shimmy, left him stumbling. He had a sliver of space.

He looked up, and saw the Fiorentina goalkeeper, Pietro Terracciano (Current: 83), slightly off his line. Leon's 'Vision' showed him the diving save to the left icon above Terracciano, anticipating a shot to the near post.

Leon decided to go for the audacious. He wound up, and with a powerful strike, curled the ball towards the far top corner. It was a difficult shot, requiring immense precision.

The ball soared, a beautiful arc, bending away from the goalkeeper's dive.

GOOOAL!

The ball kissed the inside of the post and nestled into the net! Inter were 2-0 up!

"UNBELIEVABLE! LEON FISCHER AGAIN!" the commentator roared, his voice filled with awe.

"A stunning, curling effort from outside the box! This young man is simply on fire!"

The match ended 2-0 to Inter Milan, another clean sheet and another dominant performance, largely thanks to Leon's brilliance. The media frenzy only intensified.

Fischer Fever" was sweeping Italy. Every sports show had a segment dedicated to him, analyzing his goals, his assists, his seemingly impossible passes. Leon devoured it all, watching replays of his own highlights, a wide smile plastered on his face. This was what he had dreamed of, the adulation, the recognition.

During training sessions in the days that followed, Leon's confidence was soaring. Perhaps a little too high. He found himself trying more complex dribbles in simple situations, attempting flashy passes that weren't always necessary.

One afternoon, during a casual passing drill, Cole Palmer (Current: 85) was jogging into position to receive a simple pass from Leon. Leon, instead of playing a straightforward ball, decided to get fancy. With a quick, almost casual flick, he backheeled the ball to Palmer. It was perfectly weighted, landing right at Palmer's feet.

Palmer caught the ball, a smile spreading across his face.

"Nice one, Leo! Showboating a bit, are we?" he chuckled, impressed by the flair.

But as Palmer looked up, he caught a glimpse of Coach Cristian Chivu (Current: 90) on the sidelines.

Chivu's gaze was fixed on Leon, and it wasn't a smile. It was a faint, almost imperceptible frown, a look of disapproval that quickly vanished as he turned his attention back to his clipboard. Palmer's smile faltered slightly.

He knew Chivu valued efficiency and teamwork above individual flashiness.

"...."

The general mood in the team was one of quiet confidence, bordering on casual dismissal. "Copenhagen? Easy," Lautaro Martínez (Current: 88) said over lunch.

"Just a European stroll before we get back to the real battles in the league."

"Yeah, we'll get a few goals early, then rest some players for the weekend," added Nicolò Barella.

Leon listened, a strange feeling in his gut. While he shared their confidence, he couldn't shake the feeling that underestimating any opponent, especially in the Champions League, was a dangerous game. He looked at Coach Chivu, who remained stoic, his 'Current: 90' betraying no emotion. Leon wondered if the coach shared the team's casual optimism, or if that fleeting look of disapproval during training meant something more.

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A/N: Thank you for reading and sticking with the story this far. I'm always incredibly curious to hear what you're all thinking, so please don't be shy drop your thoughts in the comments below

And speaking of support, if you're enjoying the journey, a little help goes a long way! If you have power stones, votes, or gifts, they genuinely make a huge difference and keep me motivated to write even faster.

See you in the comments and in the next chapter!