Adam Blake and Dada Silva stood in front of the goal, watching Ryūma Banjō.
"Interesting. What a cocky kid."
"Hmph, well, well, well!"
Leonardo Luna looked genuinely impressed and said with a grin,
"Yo—pretty awesome!"
Pablo Cavasoz, however, looked annoyed, pouting slightly.
"He's no pushover. He actually got past me."
After a brief moment of surprise, Julian Loki smiled and walked straight toward Ryūma.
Meanwhile, the Red Team was buzzing with excitement. Scoring against world-class players proved they still had the strength to compete.
"Nice one, Ryūma!"
"You're seriously on fire!"
Hearing Seishiro Nagi and Jyubei Aryu praise him, Ryūma didn't look too pleased.
He knew full well that the goal only happened because the opponents had underestimated them and held back.
Yoichi Isagi watched Ryūma, his heart pounding.
(Amazing! Ryūma just tore through a world-class defense with his own skill!)
(But this has nothing to do with me!)
(Damn it, that's fine! I'll be the one to score next!!)
Julian Loki slowly approached with a calm smile.
"Your dribbling style and speed are a lot like mine. Watching you run almost feels like watching myself."
He extended his left hand politely.
"I'm Julian Loki."
Ryūma didn't immediately respond—he waited for Nagi beside him to translate.
Once he understood, Ryūma smiled and shook Loki's hand.
"I'm Ryūma Banjō. Nice to meet you!"
After hearing Nagi's translation, Loki chuckled as he walked back toward midfield.
"I'll remember that name."
Adam Blake, hands in his pockets, said coolly,
"Ohhh—so that's how it is."
"I thought playing against sprout-level players from a soccer backwater would be easy cash."
"Guess we'll actually have to play seriously now."
Dada Silva laughed carefreely.
"Hahaha! As long as we don't lose, who cares?"
Pablo Cavasoz toyed with his fringe and added,
"Yeah, the contract says we don't get paid if we lose."
"Plus, it's ten thousand yen per goal."
"Alright, let's go."
Leonardo Luna raised one finger, grabbed the ball, and headed to the center circle.
Julian Loki hopped lightly on the spot, grinning.
"Alright—let's do this."
White Team possession. Leonardo Luna kicks off from the center circle!
At the whistle, Luna sent the ball forward to his right—right into the path of Loki's sprint.
By the time Loki reached Red Team's front line, Yoichi Isagi had already stepped up to block him.
(Come on, French prodigy—we're the same age!)
Loki stopped moving forward. Seeing that, Isagi thought,
(If I can hold my ground in a one-on-one, keep him from slipping past me…)
(Then we can avoid getting caught off guard!)
As Loki drifted slightly to the left, Isagi frowned.
(He's edging closer… Is he looking for a passing lane?)
"Are you ready?" Loki asked softly.
"Your defensive line is full of openings."
The moment his words fell, Loki nudged the ball forward.
(Here it comes—his first step!)
Before Isagi could even react, Loki launched forward like a fired bullet—gone in an instant.
Despite Ryūma's earlier warning, Isagi couldn't process what had happened.
(Too fast!! What kind of explosive acceleration is that!?)
(Incredible… this must be the 'more perfect version' Ryūma mentioned!)
Shocked, Isagi quickly turned his head.
"Nagi!"
But Seishiro Nagi had already been passed as well, Loki's terrifying speed leaving him behind.
"Damn it! Even if I react, my body can't keep up!"
Watching Loki race toward their defensive zone, Isagi analyzed in awe.
(He reaches top speed instantly—and sustains it without slowing down!)
(His strides are huge, and his ball control never falters!)
(Ryūma showed traces of this ability before, but Loki has mastered it completely!)
As Loki entered the Red Team's backfield, Rin Itoshi stepped up to intercept.
"Your movement's way too obvious."
Loki glanced at him from the corner of his eye, smirking.
"Your prediction's sharp—but I'm faster."
He burst forward again, blowing past Rin with mere centimeters to spare.
"What!?" Rin's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't thought anyone could move even faster.
"Now!!"
From the opposite side, Ryūma lunged in with a slide tackle, using Rin as bait.
Noticing Ryūma's move in his peripheral vision, Loki's expression didn't change.
"Your speed's impressive—and your timing's good…"
"But my shot's faster."
Using his unbroken sprint as a run-up, Loki struck forward with all his momentum.
[BOOM!!]
GOAL!! Red Team 1 : 1 White Team
Sitting on the turf, Ryūma stared at Loki's back, frustrated.
(Damn it, that ball flew too fast! Just a second late!)
(Damn, that felt like a Blitz Shot…)
(We'll have to find a way to slow him down while he's dribbling—otherwise, stopping his shots is impossible.)
Yoichi Isagi also watched in disbelief.
(He accelerated even at that speed!?)
(And when Ryūma slid in, he didn't hesitate for a second before shooting… that confidence!)
(This is the 'Godspeed' of the prodigy, Julian Loki!!)
On the White Team's side, Pablo Cavasoz groaned.
"Ughhh, Loki's hogging all the spotlight, unfair!"
Dada Silva laughed.
"Pass the ball next time, idiot!!"
Loki just smiled indifferently.
"Alright, alright."
"I've had my fun."
"Let's wrap this up and hit the showers."
...
Seishiro Nagi brushed his hair and turned to Ryūma.
"Hey, Ryūma. Even with your speed, you can't keep up with that guy?"
Ryūma's expression darkened. After a pause, he said quietly,
"I can't catch him."
"At full sprint without the ball, I'm just barely equal to the speed he showed when he accelerated again."
"If he can go even faster than that… then I've got no chance."
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser