Barnsley led 1 to 0. Arda Guler's goal had poked the sleeping dragon in the eye. Now, the dragon was awake, and it was breathing fire.

Michael Sterling stood on the edge of his technical area. The rain was lashing down, soaking his shirt, ruining his shoes, but he did not move. He could feel the ground shaking under his feet.

Erik ten Hag was screaming. The Manchester United manager was waving his arms like a windmill, urging his players forward.

"PRESS!" Ten Hag roared. "KILL THEM!"

MINUTE 55

Manchester United attacked with a fury that was terrifying to watch.

They abandoned defense. Maguire pushed up to the midfield line. Luke Shaw was playing as a winger.

Bruno Fernandes got the ball. He looked angry. His face was red. He whipped a cross into the box.

Rasmus Hojlund, the Danish powerhouse, jumped.

Benjamin Pavard jumped with him. The World Cup winner versus the Viking youth.

THUD.

They collided in the air. Pavard won the header, but he landed awkwardly. He grimaced, holding his back.

"Are you okay?" Michael shouted.

Pavard stood up immediately. He waved a hand. "I am French Boss. We do not break. We just complain."

The Barnsley fans laughed nervously. But the pressure did not stop.

MINUTE 65

The dam broke.

It had to happen. You cannot defend against giants forever without a shield.

Marcus Rashford picked up the ball on the left. He faced Tom, the young academy defender.

Tom had played the game of his life. But he was eighteen. And he was tired.

Rashford did a step over. Fast. Too fast.

Tom bit. He shifted his weight.

Rashford exploded past him. He reached the byline. He drilled a low cross.

It bypassed Pavard. It bypassed Higgins.

It found Hojlund.

The striker did not miss. He smashed it into the roof of the net.

GOAL.

1 to 1.

Old Trafford erupted. The sound was deafening. Seventy thousand people screaming relief and rage.

Hojlund grabbed the ball out of the net and ran back to the center circle. He roared at the crowd, pumping his arms.

Michael felt a pit in his stomach.

"They have the momentum," Arthur Milton whispered, clutching his beanie hat. "The tide is turning Boss. We are going to drown."

"We are not drowning," Michael said, though his voice was tight. "We just need to swim harder."

MINUTE 75

The game became a brawl.

Shaun Higgins was in his element. The Butcher was tackling everything that moved. He tackled Mount. He tackled Mainoo. At one point, he tackled the corner flag by accident.

"Sorry flag!" Higgins shouted, running back into position.

But Barnsley were hanging on by a thread.

Sam Jones made a double save that defied physics. First from a Fernandes rocket, then from a Garnacho rebound.

"WAKE UP!" Sam screamed at his defenders. "I CANNOT DO THIS ALL DAY!"

Michael looked at his bench. He had no game changers. His best players were on the pitch, and they were running on fumes.

He looked at Kai Sora.

The Architect was walking. He looked exhausted. His shirt was heavy with mud.

"Kai!" Michael yelled.

Kai looked over. He didn't say anything. He just nodded. A slow, tired nod.

MINUTE 82

Manchester United wanted the win. They pushed everyone forward.

They won a corner.

Maguire came up. Varane came up.

The ball swung in.

Pavard headed it clear.

It fell to Isaiah King on the edge of the box.

Isaiah was isolated. He had three United defenders around him.

"Hold it!" Michael shouted. "Keep the ball!"

Isaiah didn't hold it. He tried a nutmeg.

It failed. Shaw took the ball.

United countered instantly.

Shaw played a long ball to Rashford.

Rashford was in behind.

"NO!" Arthur cried.

Sam Jones came rushing out. It was a race.

Rashford got there first. He lobbed the ball.

It floated over Sam's head.

The stadium held its breath.

The ball bounced.

It hit the outside of the post.

CLANG.

It went wide.

Old Trafford groaned. It was a sound of agony.

Michael let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "We are still alive Arthur. We are still alive."

MINUTE 88

The clock was ticking. A draw meant a replay. A replay meant another game in an already crowded schedule.

Michael didn't want a replay. He wanted history.

"Push!" Michael signaled. "One last time!"

Kenji Sato intercepted a lazy pass from Casemiro. The Japanese Engine had run fourteen kilometers. His legs should have been jelly. Instead, they were steel.

Kenji drove forward.

"Go Kenji!" the away fans screamed.

Kenji passed to Arda Guler.

Arda turned. He saw the picture.

The United defense was disjointed. They had been pushing for the winner and left the back door open.

Arda passed to Isaiah King on the right wing.

Isaiah was tired. His pink boots were brown with mud. But he saw the space.

He controlled the ball. Luke Shaw was backing off, terrified of the pace.

Isaiah cut inside.

He looked up.

He saw Danny Fletcher making a run into the box. But Maguire was tracking him tight.

Isaiah couldn't pass directly. The angle was blocked.

He needed magic.

He needed a video game pass.

Isaiah slowed down. He pressed R2 in his mind.

He wrapped his foot around the ball.

THE R2 THROW BALL.

It wasn't a normal cross. It was a finesse through ball. A curved, spinning masterpiece that bent around the entire United defensive line.

It swerved away from Maguire. It swerved away from Varane.

It curled perfectly into the path of Danny Fletcher.

The pass was so good it eliminated four defenders in one second.

Danny Fletcher saw it coming. The Captain. The Prince.

He didn't trap it. He didn't volley it.

He dove.

A full length diving header. Like a torpedo launched from a submarine.

He connected with the ball.

THUMP.

The contact was sweet.

Onana didn't move. He couldn't move. The pass had frozen him.

The ball flew into the bottom corner.

GOAL.

MINUTE 89

The silence of the home fans was instant.

The roar of the Barnsley fans was eternal.

Danny Fletcher slid on his stomach through the wet grass. He slid all the way to the corner flag.

Isaiah King sprinted over and did a knee slide next to him.

Then Kai Sora arrived. He didn't slide. He just fell over on top of them because he was too tired to stand.

"GOAL!" Michael Sterling screamed, running down the touchline. He jumped into the air and punched the sky. "THE CAPTAIN! THE CAPTAIN!"

Arthur Milton was dancing. It was a terrible, old man dance, but it was the most beautiful thing Michael had ever seen.

BARNSLEY 2 - 1 MAN UTD

Ten Hag threw his notebook on the ground. He looked like he wanted to cry.

MINUTE 90+6

The board went up. Six minutes of added time.

"Hold!" Michael yelled. "Build the wall!"

Manchester United threw everything. They launched long balls. They shouted for penalties.

But the Misfits were a fortress.

Higgins headed a ball so hard it nearly burst. Pavard cleared one off the line with a bicycle kick that looked like ballet.

Kenji Sato tackled Bruno Fernandes and then apologized while stealing the ball.

And then, the moment came.

United had one last free kick. Onana came up.

The ball was whipped in.

Sam Jones caught it. He clutched it to his chest like it was his firstborn child. He fell to the ground.

He lay there.

The referee looked at his watch.

He put the whistle to his lips.

PHWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

The Theatre of Dreams belonged to Barnsley.

The players erupted.

Danny Fletcher fell to his knees and pointed to the sky.

Isaiah King took off his shirt and waved it around his head like a helicopter.

Diego Nunez, who was in the stands, tried to jump onto the pitch with his crutches but was held back by security.

"LET ME GO!" Diego roared happily. "I WANT TO HUG THEM!"

Michael walked onto the pitch.

He felt the rain on his face. It tasted sweet.

He walked over to Danny Fletcher.

"You did it," Michael said, pulling his captain up. "You killed the ghost."

Danny smiled. He looked exhausted, bruised, and perfect. "That pass from Isaiah Boss... it was a cheat code."

"It was R2," Michael laughed. "Pure finesse."

He found Isaiah.

"Isaiah!" Michael shouted. "That pass! world class!"

Isaiah grinned. "I pressed the finesse button Boss. I saw the curve in my head before I kicked it."

"You are a genius," Michael said.

They walked over to the away fans. Three thousand people singing in the rain.

"WE ARE BARNSLEY! SUPER BARNSLEY!"

Michael looked at the scoreboard one last time.

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 - 2 BARNSLEY

He felt the phone in his pocket vibrate violently.

[SYSTEM ALERT]

[MATCH COMPLETE]

[RESULT: WIN]

[ACHIEVEMENT: THE GIANT KILLER II]

[REWARD: FA CUP QUARTER FINAL]

[MANAGER REPUTATION: LEGENDARY]

Michael looked at Arthur.

"We are in the Quarter Finals Arthur. We are fourth in the league. We just beat United at Old Trafford."

"I know Boss," Arthur sniffed, wiping his eyes with a soggy handkerchief. "It is ridiculous. It makes no sense."

"That is why we love it," Michael said.

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