239. Villareal knows nothing but fear

Time: wednesday, april 14th 2034 : 18:30 CET

Location: Estadio de la Cerámica, Villarreal

Caos welcomed another match. He was more ready than ever.

The Estadio de la Cerámica was already shaking before the players entered the pitch.

Yellow filled the stands.

Flags moved above the supporters. Scarves were raised. Drums echoed through the stadium.

Villarreal had suffered against Caos before.

They remembered those matches.

They remembered how quickly a competitive game could become impossible once Caos found space.

This time, they wanted to prevent that space from appearing at all.

For weeks, their coaching staff had studied his movements.

They built another 5–4–1, but with several adjustments.

The three closest defenders would collapse on Caos whenever he received possession.

The midfield would press immediately after losing the ball.

Tactical fouls would be used before he could accelerate.

The wing-backs would push forward aggressively.

And whenever Villarreal recovered possession, they would send long balls behind Real Madrid’s defensive line.

There was a risk.

They knew it.

But Villarreal were not interested in waiting.

They wanted to attack the problem.

#VillarrealVsCaos was trending #1 in Spain, with approximately 7.9 million posts in 36 hours.

@Marca:

“Villarreal have prepared another aggressive defensive structure for Caos. The Yellow Submarine believe pressure and numerical overloads can prevent him from finding his rhythm.”

@TheAthletic:

“Caos has scored 22, 21, and 20 goals in recent matches. Villarreal now attempt to solve the same problem that has defeated almost every previous opponent.”

A new training video of Caos spread across social media.

The first clip showed him accelerating.

500 mph.

The second showed a 350,000-Newton strike.

The third showed him inside the Triassic simulation, fighting enormous prehistoric creatures.

One caption became particularly popular:

“They prepared tactics. He prepared against monsters.”

Gerard Moreno stood in front of his teammates.

The noise from the stadium could be heard through the walls.

Gerard Moreno:

“We know what happened before. Maybe, we cannot win.”

He looked around the room.

“We know how quickly he can change a match.”

He pulled his shirt straight.

“But we’re playing at home.”

His voice became firmer.

“We don’t wait for him. We don’t give him time. We fight for every second.”

Dani Parejo sat nearby, finishing his preparations.

He looked toward the door.

Dani Parejo:

“He’s going to get the ball.”

Gerard nodded.

Dani Parejo:

“So the important thing is what we do after that.”

He stood.

“Three players close him. The midfield moves with him. Nobody watches from a distance.”

He looked at his teammates.

“We stay connected.”

Caos sat quietly.

Mbappé walked toward him.

Mbappé:

“Villarreal are going to press harder than last time.”

Caos looked up.

Caos:

“They have to.”

Mbappé smiled.

“They’ll try to trap you near the sideline.”

Caos stood.

Caos:

“Then I’ll leave the sideline.”

Mbappé laughed.

Mbappé:

“And where are you going?”

Caos looked toward the tunnel.

“Where they aren’t.”

The noise became louder as kickoff approached.

Xabi Alonso stood beside Caos.

His hand rested briefly on Caos’s shoulder.

Xabi Alonso:

“They’ve prepared specifically for your first movement.”

Caos looked toward the pitch.

Caos:

“Then I’ll give them a second one.”

Xabi smiled.

Xabi Alonso:

“Adapt.”

Caos nodded.

Xabi Alonso:

“And don’t rush.”

Caos took a slow breath.

Then the tunnel doors opened.

Zeraphina, Keyla, and Michaela watched from above the pitch.

Zeraphina’s hand rested over her growing belly.

She watched Villarreal’s players take their positions.

Zeraphina:

“They’re confident.”

Keyla looked down at the field.

Keyla:

“They’ve spent weeks preparing for him.”

Michaela smiled.

Michaela:

“So did everyone else.”

Zeraphina looked toward Caos.

Zeraphina:

“And every time, he changes.”

The referee blew the whistle.

Villarreal attacked immediately.

Their midfield pressed high.

Caos received his first pass near the halfway line.

Three players moved toward him.

He released the ball.

The crowd applauded.

A minute later, he received it again.

Three players.

A fourth stepped across.

A tactical foul.

The referee stopped play.

Caos stood up and adjusted his shirt.

No complaint.

No argument.

He simply looked at Villarreal’s shape.

The La Liga commentator described what he saw.

Kempes:

“Villarreal have committed heavily to the same principle we’ve seen from several opponents recently. They want three players around Caos before he can turn, and they are willing to stop the attack with a foul if necessary.”

Real Madrid continued circulating the ball.

Caos kept moving.

Ten minutes.

Fifteen.

Twenty.

Villarreal’s structure held.

At twenty-six minutes, Caos received the ball near the right side.

Three defenders closed.

He tried to turn.

The fourth player arrived.

Caos passed backward.

The supporters roared.

Villarreal had forced him away from goal.

For now.

Thirty minutes passed.

Still 0–0.

The crowd grew louder.

Then Villarreal nearly scored.

A long ball went behind Madrid’s defensive line.

Gerard Moreno reached it.

He struck first time.

The shot hit the outside of the post.

The stadium gasped.

Real Madrid recovered.

Caos received the next pass in his own half.

He stopped.

Looked forward.

Then looked toward the sky.

His mother.

A memory.

A breath.

Then he moved.

36th minute

The first defender approached.

Caos waited.

The second came closer.

The third committed.

Caos shifted the ball slightly to his left.

All three moved.

Then he accelerated.

500 mph.

The Triassic Vortex activated.

The first defender disappeared behind him.

The second tried to turn.

The third reached out.

Nothing.

Caos was already across the halfway line.

He continued forward.

Then he reached approximately 81 meters from goal.

He planted his foot.

His body rotated.

The strike exploded.

350,000 Newtons.

The ball accelerated at approximately 845 km/h.

The goalkeeper moved.

The ball was already past him.

The net snapped violently backward.

The La Liga commentator shouted:

La Liga Commentator:

“GOAL! CAOS!”

The replay appeared.

“Villarreal had three players around him! They had the structure they wanted, they had the pressure they wanted—and he still found the smallest opening!”

Caos turned toward the stands.

Then looked upward.

His right hand touched his chest.

He stood there for a moment.

Then walked back toward the halfway line.

The Yellow Submarine pushed higher.

Their midfield stepped forward.

The wing-backs moved aggressively.

That created space behind them.

Caos saw it immediately.

The second goal came through the middle.

2–0.

Then another.

3–0.

A Herrera Snap from outside the penalty area.

Then 4–0.

A 500-mph run between two defenders.

Villarreal tried to close the center.

Caos moved wide.

They followed.

He moved inside.

They followed again.

Then he dropped deeper.

Three players followed him.

That opened space for Mbappé.

Caos passed.

Mbappé finished.

5–0.

The stadium became quieter.

But Villarreal did not stop.

They continued pressing.

They continued attempting long balls.

They continued fighting.

Caos continued finding the gaps.

The goals kept coming.

Six.

Seven.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Then another Plateo Crush disrupted the defensive line.

Another finish.

Another sprint.

Another strike.

Caos kept changing the way he attacked.

By the end of the first half, he had scored 19 goals.

The referee finally blew for halftime.

Caos had 19 goals.

He had also created several goals for his teammates.

The Villarreal players walked toward the dressing room exhausted.

Their plan had worked for thirty-six minutes.

Then the match had changed completely.

SECOND HALF

Villarreal returned with a different midfield arrangement.

Xabi Alonso walked toward Caos.

Xabi Alonso:

“They’re trying to close the passing lanes now.”

Caos looked at the Villarreal formation.

Caos:

“Then they’ll leave the running lanes open.”

Xabi smiled.

Xabi Alonso:

“You saw it.”

Caos nodded.

Xabi Alonso:

“Go.”

The second half became faster.

Caos moved deeper.

Villarreal followed.

He released the ball into the space behind them.

Real Madrid attacked.

Caos accelerated into that same space.

The defenders turned.

They were already behind.

Another goal.

Then another.

The score continued to rise.

But Villarreal finally found their moment.

A long ball went behind Real Madrid’s defensive line.

The Villarreal attacker controlled it.

One touch.

Two.

Then he finished into the corner.

The Estadio de la Cerámica erupted.

The Villarreal players celebrated together.

Caos watched from the center circle.

He nodded.

They had earned the goal.

Several minutes later, Real Madrid attacked again.

The ball rose high into the penalty area.

Caos tracked it.

Then jumped.

Higher.

His body rotated backward.

He reached approximately 66 feet above the ground.

His foot connected with the ball.

The strike was clean.

The ball flew into the upper corner.

The La Liga commentator shouted:

La Liga Commentator:

“WHAT A GOAL!”

The replay appeared on the stadium screen.

“Sixty-six feet above the ground! Caos has done it again!”

Caos landed.

He turned toward the private box.

Zeraphina was standing.

Her hand rested over her belly.

Caos pointed toward her.

Then touched his chest.

For the children.

The match continued.

Caos scored again.

And again.

Villarreal continued attacking.

They refused to abandon the match.

Late in the game, another long ball created an opening.

The Villarreal attacker finished.

The supporters celebrated.

Their team had scored twice against Real Madrid.

The final whistle came moments later.

Villarreal 2–28 Real Madrid

Caos:

• 22 goals
• 6 assists
• 45th consecutive Man of the Match award in all competitions

The players slowly left the pitch.

Caos remained near the center circle.

He looked around the stadium.

Then toward the sky.

His right index finger rose.

His left fist pressed against his chest.

His mother.

His father.

The memories that still followed him.

He lowered his FACE.

The private exit was quieter.

Zeraphina, Keyla, and Michaela were waiting.

Zeraphina stepped forward.

She looked at Caos and smiled.

Zeraphina:

“Twenty-two.”

Caos smiled.

Caos:

“Twenty-two.”

She shook her head.

Zeraphina:

“You keep making the number larger.”

Caos looked at her.

Caos:

“The number isn’t the important part.”

Zeraphina placed his hand against her belly.

Zeraphina:

“Then what is?”

Caos looked down.

For a few seconds, he said nothing.

Then he answered.

Caos:

“This.”

His hand remained against her belly.

“You.”

His eyes moved toward Keyla and Michaela.

“All of you.”

He paused.

“And the children.”

Zeraphina watched him closely.

Caos:

“I don’t want them to inherit pressure.”

His voice became quieter.

“I don’t want them to think they owe me a career because I played football.”

He looked at her.

“They won’t owe me my name either.”

Zeraphina smiled.

Zeraphina:

“And the legacy?”

Caos gave a small laugh.

Caos:

“Legacy can wait.”

Keyla raised an eyebrow.

Keyla:

“That’s a dangerous thing for you to say.”

Caos laughed.

Caos:

“Maybe.”

Michaela stepped closer.

Michaela:

“So what are you building?”

Caos looked at the three women.

Then at Zeraphina’s belly.

“A life.”

He smiled.

“Everything else comes after that.”

Zeraphina leaned against him.

For several seconds, none of them spoke.

The stadium was still roaring somewhere behind them.

But Caos no longer listened.

The twenty-second La Liga match had ended.

Villarreal had studied Caos.

They had built another aggressive system.

For thirty-six minutes, it worked.

Then he found the opening.

After that, every adjustment created another space.

28–2.

Twenty-two goals.

Six assists.

Forty-five consecutive Man of the Match awards.

The numbers continued climbing.

So did the questions surrounding him.

And beneath Madrid, far away from the football stadiums, the Dragon Protocol continued.

Caos had conquered another match.

But football was becoming only one part of what he intended to build.

To be continued…