Bachira sprinted forward, blocking Rin Itoshi's path.
But Rin didn't even look at him. His gaze swept to the other side, and in the next instant, he sent the ball flying toward the left wing.
There, Seishiro Nagi was already in the air. As the ball reached him, he cushioned it cleanly with his thigh.
Though Hyōma Chigiri was closing in to defend, even at his physical peak, stopping Nagi wouldn't have been easy.
Now, with his stamina nearly spent, Chigiri could only do the bare minimum to limit Nagi's movements.
The moment the ball touched down, Nagi gave Chigiri no time to react. He immediately kicked it across the field toward the right wing.
In truth, while trapping the ball in midair, Nagi had already assessed the situation on the opposite side.
Yoichi Isagi locked onto the incoming pass while keeping Jyubei Aryu in his peripheral vision.
(Here it comes!! If we can intercept this pass, we win!)
(I can't beat Aryu in an aerial duel, so I'll give up the highest point...)
(I'll time my jump differently!!)
As the ball approached, Aryu leapt high and stopped it with his chest.
(Now!!)
The instant Aryu landed—before the ball could even fall—Isagi sprang upward with explosive force.
Just as he'd planned, he intercepted Aryu's chest trap in midair.
"How rude, but…"
"Excuse my clumsiness!!"
As soon as Isagi landed and the ball began to drop, Aryu swung his long leg out, snatching the ball away before Isagi could control it.
(Damn it!! He's breaking through!!)
(But I can't let Rin move freely!!)
Out of the corner of his eye, Isagi spotted Rin's shadow approaching.
(Isagi… you're a pain as always.)
(Then, I'll pass it to the flashiest guy on our team right now!)
(Ryūma!!)
With a smooth curve, Aryu's pass arced toward the left side of the White Team's field.
Seeing it, Isagi frowned in confusion.
(Huh!? Is he passing to Nagi?)
(But Nagi's too far—he can't reach that ball!)
(Strange… Aryu's pass—)
Then his pupils shrank. He saw Ryūma, his body wreathed in blazing violet flames.
(It's over! Ryūma got the ball!!)
(Damn it! Is this the end!?)
(No... calm down. Think! There must be a way!)
(That's right—Chigiri! Chigiri can still block his shot!!)
A flash of insight shot through Isagi's mind, puzzle pieces snapping together in an instant.
(Wait! Hold on!)
(Ryūma's shot? Why do I assume he'll shoot?)
Green flames flickered in his eyes as his field of vision expanded, every movement on the pitch becoming crystal clear.
(The Red Team's positions... our positions...)
(Ah, I see now! But that alone won't win it!)
(Just reading the play isn't enough—I need to be one step ahead of Rin!!)
Isagi, who had been running neck and neck with Rin, deliberately slowed down, dropping just behind her.
Rin noticed but didn't care. She didn't believe the current Isagi could find any way to turn this around.
As Ryūma charged toward the goal, Hyōma Chigiri and Shōei Barō closed in together to block him.
Ryūma's expression didn't waver. He swung his right leg far back, ready to fire.
Chigiri gritted his teeth and pushed himself to his absolute limit. He knew how terrifying Ryūma's shot was.
At their current speeds, they couldn't even reach it—let alone stop it.
With no other option, Chigiri poured out the last of his strength. The rest was up to fate.
"Time to leave the stage, princess!"
Using his left foot as his pivot, Ryūma twisted sharply left, sending the ball toward the center of the White Team's defensive zone instead.
"A feint!?"
Chigiri's disbelieving cry rang out as his final sliding tackle missed completely. He hadn't expected Ryūma, in the most critical moment, to pass instead of taking the shot himself.
(It's over, Rin. You owe me one for this pass.)
Though Barō sprinted after the ball with everything he had, Rin Itoshi gave him no chance.
The ball cut across the field, and as it reached the perfect spot, Rin's right foot met it in perfect sync.
[BOOM!!]
Without even stopping it, Rin fired straight at the White Team's goal!
"Right here, Rin!!"
Rin's eyes widened in disbelief as a figure blocked his shot.
(I've devoured you, Rin!!)
"Counterattack!!"
But before Isagi could finish shouting, the deflected ball dropped mercilessly in front of Ryūma.
His eyes glowed an intense violet. Using his previous sprint as momentum, he leapt toward the falling ball.
As it descended to the perfect height, he poured every ounce of strength into his right leg and unleashed a thunderous strike.
[BOOM!!!]
Too fast—only Bachira and Barō remained standing to intercept.
But though they chose different methods, the result was the same.
Bachira tried to read Ryūma's landing timing; Barō focused on following the ball's trajectory.
But if the Kaiser Impact could be read, it wouldn't be called the Kaiser Impact—and this was Ryūma's refined version.
Thanks to his monstrous physique, Ryūma's shot had evolved—its speed and trajectory were impossible to predict.
The result was inevitable. Ryūma's upgraded Kaiser Impact brought the match to its end.
GOAL!! Red Team 5:4 White Team
The mechanical female voice echoed across the field.
Beep~ Beep!! Match over!!
Final score: 5–4. Red Team wins!
As soon as the announcement ended, Yoichi Isagi dropped to his knees, slamming his fists into the ground as a guttural cry escaped his throat.
"AAAHHH!!!"
On the other side, just as Ryūma tried to stand, Seishiro Nagi pounced on him, shouting in excitement,
"We won! We won, Ryūma!!"
"You were incredible!!"
"Yeah, yeah—but could you not tackle people every time you get excited?"
Ryūma sighed helplessly at Nagi, who was still beaming with joy. He finally pulled him upright, smiling faintly.
"Well, looks like it's time for the next thrilling player selection. Everyone already have someone in mind?"