Unbeaten vs. Unbeaten
The mood in Alabama was electrified, surging straight toward the sky.
An unprecedented 8-0 record.
In the middle of a historic season, every day in Tuscaloosa felt like a festival.
Smiles overflowed from people's faces, and with all that ease came an outpouring of kindness.
But the moment game day finally arrived, the city began to buzz all over again.
“Roll! Tide! Roll! Tide!”
“Who are we?!”
“Roll Tide!”
“Rebuild the dynasty!”
“Roll Tide!”
A crimson march rolled through the streets like a wave. Today's game was an Alabama home game as well.
But the LSU Tigers were no pushovers either.
Despite playing away from home, their fans had swarmed all the way to Tuscaloosa.
With close to thirty thousand of them in attendance, the sheer power of the LSU Tigers was on full display.
As a result, the stadium split neatly in two—one side dyed crimson, the other soaked in purple.
“The energy here is absolutely incredible! The fans of both teams are locked in a fierce standoff, neither side giving a single inch!”
“Both teams are sitting on a remarkable 8-0 record. One of those perfect seasons is about to end today, folks!”
Watching the fans' fervor flood the screen, the broadcast crew strained to keep their composure.
But they were football fans through and through—there was no way they could help being more invested in this game's outcome than anyone else.
“Number 0 for the LSU Tigers! One of the hottest players in college football right now, wouldn't you say? The NCAA D1's one and only two-way player, the receiver-cornerback hybrid Elijah 'Zero' Larson, is warming up on the field!”
Before kickoff.
Players from both teams stretched and loosened up across the field, and naturally, all eyes gravitated toward the stars of today's show.
“Despite being only a junior this year, he's already seized the team captaincy. He's been posting monstrous numbers since last year and has firmly established himself as the ace of the LSU Tigers.”
“He's got an ideal frame, too—6'1", 195 pounds.”
“A deep-threat receiver with explosive quickness and elite cutting ability. Great hands, outstanding spatial awareness, and he can even line up in the wildcat formation.”
“On defense, his receiver background makes him exceptional in man coverage, and he's a highlight machine who hauls in interceptions.”
“And here's what makes him such a special talent—from his number 0 jersey all the way down to his nickname, 'Zero,' everything about him just fits. They say that nickname came from the fact that he never makes mistakes in a game and has absolutely no concept of giving up.”
A body that looked both sturdy and solid, its deep black sheen gleaming like polished metal.
Even as he jogged lightly through his warmups, Elijah Larson kept one eye trained on the opposing side.
There was only one thing he was checking, of course.
'A freshman who beat out Ryan for the starting ace job...'
Far across the field stood an Asian player who stood out more than anyone else, his features marked by a slightly fierce edge.
And right on cue, the broadcast crew moved on from 'Zero' to introduce Alabama's ace.
“Alright, ladies and gentlemen! Are you seeing this on your screens?!”
“A truly rare sight in college football—an Asian player! None other than Redline, Kim Jaehyuk!”
The camera found Jaehyuk, staring blankly into space as he stretched, his expression betraying nothing of what might be going through his mind.
“He stands 5'10" and weighs 172 pounds. Pretty lean, right? And yet the inexplicable strength and explosive power bursting out of that body have already hooked football fans across the entire nation!”
“Fitting his nickname Redline, a red afterimage trails behind him whenever he starts running! See it with your own eyes even once, and you can't help but be stunned.”
“Even more astonishing is the fact that he's a True Freshman. He just got to college, and from the very first season he's been raining down points? He's already on the verge of breaking the all-time college rushing touchdown record.”
“If they make the playoffs, breaking that record is practically a foregone conclusion—and he'll have done it in barely his first year of playing! College football these days is like a golden generation all crammed into one era!”
While the commentary rolled on, a reporter approached Jaehyuk mid-stretch and quickly requested a brief interview.
“Hello there, Jaehyuk! This is ESFN!”
“Okay.”
Jaehyuk rose from his stretching and turned to face the reporter.
“Would you happen to have a moment for a quick interview?”
“Sure.”
“Haha, thank you! So, Alabama and LSU are both sitting at a perfect, unbeaten record. Today, one of those streaks finally comes to an end. What are your thoughts on that?”
At the reporter's question, Jaehyuk answered without a moment's hesitation, as if there were nothing worth thinking about.
“We're going undefeated all the way to the championship.”
“Wow! Are you nervous at all?”
“No.”
Jaehyuk replied with a light nod, then looked at the reporter with an expression that seemed to say, why are you asking me something this obvious?
Intrigued by that reaction, the reporter tossed out one more question.
“The LSU Tigers have a star player just like you—Elijah Larson. What are your thoughts on Elijah?”
“No idea who that is.”
“...Excuse me?”
The flustered reporter blurted out a follow-up without meaning to, and Jaehyuk simply shrugged and answered again.
“I said I don't know who he is. I don't really pay attention to other players.”
“Ah, right, well. He's a two-way player who's been instrumental in LSU's perfect record this season.”
“Got it.”
And that was that.
Apparently deciding the interview was over, Jaehyuk gave a curt bow and wandered back to his warmups.
The reporter, utterly dumbfounded by the response, shot the cameraman a bewildered look on live television.
“Ahem! It seems Jaehyuk is focused entirely on the game! Much like his incredible skill, he clearly has little interest in worldly matters!”
With that parting remark, the live interview ended—and the broadcast crew, who had been watching in stunned silence, were caught on camera.
“Uh... wow.”
“An incredible player in many, many ways. To think he doesn't even know the opposing team's ace...”
The live chat immediately erupted.
Amid the flood of heated reactions, the players finally headed back to the locker rooms.
The clash between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the LSU Tigers was about to begin.
“An unbeaten-versus-unbeaten showdown is finally upon us!”
“In a sense, this is Redline versus Zero! Which of them will emerge victorious?!”
Elijah Larson was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and graduated from Edna Karr High School. Back then, he was rated a five-star receiver—the #5 prospect in the nation.
Fifth place was where he'd been left, but his true worth revealed itself only after he arrived at college.
While the high school prospects ranked above him failed to adjust to the college game and sank into obscurity, Elijah alone kept climbing.
As a freshman, he redshirted and appeared in three games as a substitute.
Even then, his flashes of brilliance caught the coaching staff's eye.
Then came his sophomore year.
On the strength of that short redshirt stint alone, Elijah earned a starting job, and he began blowing up the field in earnest.
By mid-season, he was even playing two-way snaps.
Fans loved to say that if Elijah had been playing two-way from the start, LSU would have made the playoffs that year too.
And true to that talk, this season he became a full-time two-way player from the very first game.
Number Zero.
Wearing that fierce number on his back, he radiated a fighting spirit and passion more intense than anyone else's.
An obsessive hunger for the game and for victory.
In some ways he resembled Jaehyuk—yet before taking the field, in the brief moments spent in the visiting locker room, Elijah heard a piece of news from his teammates.
“Redline says he doesn't know who you are.”
“Hahaha, our ace's pride just took a hit.”
The LSU Tigers players looked utterly relaxed.
But beneath the surface, they were quietly seething.
“Is that so.”
Elijah answered flatly, finished checking his laces with meticulous care, and rose from his seat.
“Then it's time they found out.”
“Tiger Bait!”
“Tiger Bait!!”
The Tigers' signature taunt crackled through the locker room from every corner.
Redline was just another meal for the tigers.
And at the head of the hunt would stand 'Zero' himself.
“Geaux Tigers!”
“Go! Tigers! Hah!”
At last, the call to take the field came down.
Sprinting down the long corridor and onto the away field, the LSU Tigers strode out into a wall of cheering and booing—and, befitting a storied powerhouse, their swagger didn't bend an inch.
“WOOOOOAH!!”
“This is our time now!!”
“THIS FIELD IS MINE!!!”
The players blazed around the field radiating ferocious energy, put on a show for the crowd, and returned to the bench.
And then—
Boom!!
To the beat of thunderous drums, the Alabama Crimson Tide entered—slowly, a stark contrast to the Tigers.
For some reason, today they simply walked out, step by measured step.
And somehow, that unhurried arrival landed with an even heavier weight of intimidation.
Gulp.
Even the spectators in the stands held their breath as they watched the Tide's entrance.
No war cries, no shouting, no raging crowds—
The Crimson Tide entered in absolute silence, like specialists who had come to clean up a battlefield.
“That's badass.”
“Who came up with this entrance?”
“Wow...”
And then, as always, Jaehyuk followed in last.
He changed his helmet often, but today he wore one with an eye shield.
Somehow, it made his presence feel even more imposing.
The calmly entering Crimson Tide cast a single glance at the Tigers, then naturally headed for their bench.
The Tigers shouted something back that sounded like a provocation, but the Tide didn't so much as flinch.
Finally, Jaehyuk.
Everyone else had followed their assigned path onto the field—but Jaehyuk alone stopped in front of the Tigers and left them with a single line.
“Don't think your unbeaten record is the same as ours.”
The subtext was unmistakable: you and us are not the same class. With that, Jaehyuk turned and walked away.
The Tigers exploded and lunged forward, and the staff had to scramble to hold them back.
Luckily, the cameras were following his every step, so every word was caught on the mics.
The entire stadium shrieked at Jaehyuk's remark.
“WOOOAAAH!!”
“That's it! THAT'S what I'm talking about!”
“LET'S GO TO WAR!!”
“Your streak's about to shatter! Ours is just getting started!! Hahaha!!”
The performance set the entire stadium on fire.
Then came the coin toss.
“Heads, Tigers. Tails, Crimson Tide.”
Ting! Thunk.
“It's heads. Tigers, what's your call?”
“We'll take the ball first.”
Everyone was stunned by LSU Tigers captain Elijah's words—even the viewers watching at home tilted their heads.
Winning the coin toss and choosing to go first.
Which meant...
“Hey. Feeling confident, are you?”
Trevor asked with a smirk.
Elijah fixed him with the eyes of a starving tiger.
“By the end of today, you won't need to dye your uniforms. It'll be your blood staining them.”
With those final words, Elijah put on his helmet and walked off.
With the whole exchange being broadcast live, Trevor just laughed and shrugged.
“I can spare some blood. Unfortunately for you, though, the win's ours.”
Trevor oozed confidence of his own, and the sight of the two captains trading barbs sent the crowd into an even wilder frenzy.
At last, the game began.
Just as Elijah had chosen, the Tigers opened on offense.
Every eye in the stadium burned with tension, and even the players waiting on the bench watched that first drive intently.
“Set, hut!”
Thump!
The Tigers' quarterback was a pretty famous player in his own right, and his passing connection with Elijah was already the stuff of legend.
Thwack-boom-boom!!
And in a flash, Elijah was off and running.
At that shocking speed, several Tide players watching from the bench jumped to their feet in alarm.
“H-he's fast!”
The player who'd let the thought slip clapped a hand over his mouth—but nobody contradicted him.
That's how far beyond the rest Elijah's speed truly was.
“Ah!”
Then it happened.
With a sudden change of direction, Elijah shook off a Tide defender.
A pained groan drifted over from the Tide's bench.
And as advertised, the Tigers' quarterback was a superb talent.
He wasn't about to let a chance like this slip by.
Whoosh—! Thwip!
A laser-precise pass, and Elijah plucked it out of the air effortlessly.
The instant the ball hit his hands, he spun to freeze the defense, then burst forward upfield.
“STOP HIIIM!!!!”
“Aw, damn it!!”
It had been a pass play from the start, meaning Elijah had already caught the ball deep in open field.
Seconds later, he crossed into the end zone at overwhelming speed.
“TOUCHDOOOWN!! A touchdown on the opening drive!!”
“What in the world?! The kind of opening-drive touchdown Redline so often delivers—this time it's the LSU Tigers showing it off!”
“That's Elijah for you! What absolutely dominant play!!”
The LSU fans in the stands roared with delight, while the Tide fans forced their boos and swallowed their pride.
But the players were taking it far harder.
A touchdown conceded barely minutes into the game. The Tigers' morale was soaring through the roof.
As joy and despair crossed paths on opposite sidelines, the Tide offense preparing to answer couldn't help sneaking glances at Jaehyuk.
They knew all about his steel-plated mentality—but just in case, they wanted to check whether this drew any reaction out of him at all.
“Hm?”
But against all their expectations,
Jaehyuk was tilting his head, puzzled.
“What's up, Jaehyuk?”
At Horton's question, Jaehyuk stroked his chin and said,
“I'll need to watch a little more.”
“Watch what?”
“Nothing.”
“Man, you're killing us.”
But everyone was burning with curiosity.
What on earth had that reaction from Jaehyuk meant?
And the object of all that attention was thinking to himself, alone.
'Elijah, was it?'
He was undeniably a great player.
But setting that aside entirely—
'Isn't that guy... playing on an injury?'