Hyōma Chigiri and Meguru Bachira both shouted excitedly.
"Barō…!!"
"Woo! Long live the King!!"
Yoichi Isagi, having discovered a way to break through Rin's defense, thought with rising excitement.
(Barō's been obsessed with 'devouring' me—his entire strategy revolves around stealing the ball from under my feet and scoring himself.)
(To Rin Itoshi's brilliant mind, he's an unpredictable 'anomaly'!)
(Rin's tactical genius lies in perfectly grasping both sides' abilities, forcing them to their limits, then predicting and exploiting them rationally...)
(But he can't possibly predict the self-centered playstyle of the 'King of Villains,' Shōei Barō!!)
As the realization struck, Yoichi paused, the pieces in his mind aligning.
(That's it! If we can make ourselves unpredictable, Rin won't be able to control us!)
(Barō's existence itself is the 'anomaly' on this field—and I'll use that 'anomaly' to our advantage!)
...
On the Red Team's side, Jyubei Aryu was the first to break the silence.
"Well… that just made things interesting."
"The flow of this match has become unpredictable."
"That guy's a real problem—stealing the ball from his own teammate like that."
Rin Itoshi's voice carried a hint of irritation as he replied,
"I've noted it. There won't be a next time."
Then Rin turned his cold gaze toward Ryūma, staring at him wordlessly.
Ryūma tried pretending not to notice, hoping it would blow over—but Rin clearly wasn't going to let it go.
Feeling the weight of Rin's stare, Ryūma scratched his head and forced a weak laugh.
"Uh, heh~ heh? Let's just focus on getting it back next play, Rin. Don't dwell on that last goal, haha."
But Rin kept his eyes fixed on him, expressionless and silent.
Sighing, Ryūma rubbed his forehead before finally giving in.
"Ah, fine! My bad, Rin—it's on me. I didn't expect that muscle gorilla to suddenly snap like that."
"He's been shadowing me since the start, so I didn't pay much attention to his movement."
"Plus, my Metavision's not exactly top-tier. When he cut through my blind spot and charged you, I couldn't react in time."
"And seriously, can you really blame me for him stealing from his own teammate?"
After listening, Rin finally averted his gaze with a sharp exhale.
"Hmph. I'll take the kickoff."
"Alright, I'll support you! Let's take one back!"
"Support isn't needed. I'll crush them myself."
"All you have to do is run—don't do anything unnecessary."
"Yeah, yeah~"
...
Red Team possession—Rin Itoshi kicks off from center!
Without hesitation, Rin passed directly to Jyubei Aryu.
"I'm attacking."
Receiving the ball, Aryu twisted sharply to evade Hyōma Chigiri's interception—but Yoichi Isagi rushed in from the other side.
"Two-on-one, huh? I'll glide past you both—beautifully!"
Even under pressure from both sides, Aryu's enormous control range left Chigiri and Isagi unable to find a clean chance to press.
"There! Watch me break through!"
After several quick adjustments, Aryu spotted an opening and sent the ball flying past Yoichi.
But instead of panicking, Yoichi's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
(Now! Devour it, Barō!)
"Thanks for the meal."
With Barō's low growl, he intercepted the pass cleanly. But before he could take more than a few strides forward, a figure wreathed in purple flames came crashing in—launching the ball out of bounds with a thunderous kick.
[Beep—Beep!]
Out of bounds!!
White Team possession!
Barō roared in frustration.
"Damn it!!"
Ryūma smirked, his tone laced with mockery.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, muscle gorilla."
"Huh? You wanna die?"
"Hmph. Try it, then. I won't hold back next time."
Expression unreadable, Ryūma turned and walked back to his position, waiting for the throw-in.
Yoichi watched Ryūma's retreating back, his expression tightening. He had momentarily forgotten there was another top-class monster on the field.
(Damn it—Barō's role as the 'anomaly' just got neutralized!)
(With Ryūma fully unleashed, Barō will never be able to shake him off!)
(He's too fast. Unless Barō cooperates with our passing game—but how could the 'King' ever pass?)
(What now? Without Barō restraining Rin, our flow will collapse...)
(No! Why am I relying on someone else again? If I can't beat Rin myself, how could I ever become the world's top striker!?)
(From here on... I'll defeat Rin with my own strength!)
Yoichi's eyes gleamed with green light as he stared at Rin, his fighting spirit ignited.
Rin's gaze met his—cold, unreadable, and unwavering.
...
White Team possession—Hyōma Chigiri to throw in!
"Yoichi!"
Chigiri threw the ball to Yoichi Isagi, trusting him to win the challenge.
In the distance, another figure watched the two with growing excitement—Meguru Bachira, the "little bee."
Gazing at their backs, he thought joyfully,
(Isagi and Rin... they're incredible...)
(They're reading each other's minds, sparks flying with every play.)
(Right now, there are two 'monsters' on this field!)
[If Ryūma could hear Bachira's inner thoughts, he'd probably sigh and mutter—]
[So you only like monsters with Anticipation, huh? Guess raw power doesn't do it for you.]
(They're both monsters... but who's stronger doesn't even matter anymore.)
(The soccer I've been yearning for—it's happening right before my eyes!)
(My dream is finally coming true... I get to play alongside the monsters!!)
Overwhelmed with excitement, Bachira sprinted toward Rin and Yoichi as they battled for control.
But when they closed in, both players passed right by him—without even looking his way.
Bachira's pupils shrank.
(Huh!?)
(Why...?)
(I'm right here... I'm finally not alone anymore!)
(But in Rin and Isagi's world... I don't exist!)
(This field... belongs only to the 'monsters' that Rin and Isagi can see!)
(And I'm not one of them!)
(We finally got to play together—so why...?)
(Rin and Isagi are playing in a world I can't reach...)
(Don't leave me behind...)
(To me, you two are the 'monsters'!)
(But to Rin and Isagi... what am I?)
(...Ah, I get it now.)
(The one being tested... is me.)