"No need to apologize. I was the one pushing it. Your shot was incredible!"
Seeing Yoichi Isagi's astonished expression, Ryūma Banjō—perhaps out of vanity—burst into hearty laughter.
"Oh, come on, no need for that~"
"Get back here already! Stop wasting time and kick off!"
Rin Itoshi's cold voice echoed as he walked toward his own half.
Ryūma shrugged indifferently, waved at Isagi, and headed back as well.
Shōei Barō was already waiting with the ball at the center circle, calling out to the rest of the White Team.
"It's still 1–1! Time to go, boys!"
Hearing Barō's shout, Hyōma Chigiri and Meguru Bachira quickly responded.
"Yeah! Our attack works!"
"Counterattack time~!"
White Team's possession—Barō kicks off from center!
At the whistle, the White Team surged forward. Barō immediately passed the ball to Hyōma Chigiri attacking down the right wing.
As expected, Chigiri was soon intercepted by Jyubei Aryu.
Watching this unfold, Isagi's mind raced.
(Facing Aryu, whose control range is massive… should we go for a breakthrough or rely on passing?)
(But Rin's positioning is perfect! He can handle any choice Chigiri makes!)
(That means Bachira's unmarked!)
(Nagi can't keep an eye on both me and Bachira. This is my moment—while everyone's attention's on Bachira!)
(Time to slip through the blind spot!)
With that, Isagi slightly slowed down, leaning forward before bursting into motion—cutting behind Seishiro Nagi and Meguru Bachira to circle around to their opposite flank.
Having successfully broken through on the outside, Isagi looked toward Chigiri, his thoughts burning with urgency.
(Notice me, Chigiri!)
(Pass it!)
Chigiri didn't disappoint. Blocked mid-run, he timed his pass perfectly toward Isagi's position.
Seeing the ball come his way, Isagi's heart leapt.
(Nice one, Chigiri! Perfect timing—)
But before the ball could even reach him, a shadow cut across the air and intercepted it mid-flight.
(Huh? Rin Itoshi!?)
(Is this guy serious?)
(He completely read my off-the-ball movement!)
(Damn it! Even my run was part of his calculations!?)
Realization hit him as he watched Rin's back retreating into the distance.
(We're seeing the same field blueprint… but Rin's one step ahead, reaching the predicted spot first!)
"Don't even think about it, Rin~"
"Yeah! I'll stop you with my speed!"
Bachira and Chigiri blocked his path together, but Rin didn't even look their way.
Instead, he glanced to his left and said calmly,
"Send it to the front, idiot."
With that, Rin used the inside of his right foot to send a low pass skimming toward the left side of the Red Team's front line.
There stood Ryūma Banjō—closely marked by Shōei Barō.
Hearing Rin's words, Ryūma rolled his eyes so hard they nearly flipped back.
(What am I, his dad or something?)
(Do whatever he says, huh? Did Rin wake up too early and forget to sleep again?)
(Daydreaming already?)
(And seriously, Rin, ever heard of timing your passes? This muscle gorilla's not exactly an easy mark!)
While Ryūma was grumbling internally, Barō seized his chance and sprinted around Ryūma's right side, trying to beat him to the ball.
Seeing this, Ryūma let out a cold chuckle. He extended his right arm and suddenly leaned his back into Barō, slamming into him.
Barō didn't even try to dodge. Though Isagi had told him Ryūma's physical strength was no joke, Barō was confident that, at the very least, he wouldn't lose in a body clash.
But the instant they collided, Barō knew he'd been wrong. He had charged in with full force—only to feel an immense rebound that shattered his balance.
He had underestimated Ryūma's physicality.
If he hadn't gone all-in with that much force, his stance wouldn't have collapsed, and he might've been able to keep blocking Ryūma's next move.
Now, all he could do was struggle to regain his footing.
Ryūma, on the other hand, used Barō's momentum perfectly, channeling the impact to propel himself forward toward the incoming ball.
Seeing the pass skimming along the ground toward him, heat surged in Ryūma's chest.
(Should I go for a miracle power shot?)
(Too far, though… not exactly safe.)
(Screw it! If I don't go for it while I'm young, then when will I!?)
Purple light flashed in Ryūma's eyes. He hopped lightly with his left foot, drew his right leg back, and swung with everything he had as the ball reached him, striking cleanly at its center.
[BOOM!!]
The ball soared through the air in a perfect, elegant arc.
But Ryūma instantly knew—this one was flying too high.
(Damn, that's awkward.)
(Guess I should've played it safe, huh?)
(At this rate, it's gonna smack the crossbar.)
Just then, Chigiri sprinted into the path of Ryūma's shot, clearly intent on leaping to reach it.
But before he could, a shadow from behind jumped even higher—an impossible height.
(Aryu...!?)
"Hey, isn't that range illegal!?"
Jyubei Aryu looked down calmly at Chigiri.
"Ridiculous. This airspace belongs to me."
"And before your speed catches up, I'll just send it off!"
With that, Aryu flicked the ball with a curved kick toward Seishiro Nagi in the center of the White Team's midfield.
As the ball came in, Nagi faced it but wasn't even looking at it—his thoughts were elsewhere.
(Should I shoot? No… Isagi's behind me. Even if I trap it, he'll read me instantly.)
(That'd just waste my shot opportunity.)
(Can't let Barō recover either… so what do I do?)
(Huh? You're already here, Rin? Seriously, I'll never understand your logic.)
Decision made, Nagi stepped forward as the ball arrived and nudged it outward with the outside of his foot.
(Huh? A one-touch pass? Who's he passing to?)
Isagi turned back, confused—only to see a figure that made his stomach drop.
(Rin Itoshi!?)
(Damn it—this is bad!)
(That distance...)
(That's Rin's shooting zone!)
Without another thought, Isagi spun around and dashed full speed toward his own penalty area...
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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