As expected, Julian Loki—his direct opponent—quickly closed in to block him. Without hesitation, Yoichi Isagi passed the ball toward the right flank.
On the right, the tall, slender figure of Jyubei Aryu raced to meet the incoming ball. At the same time, Dada Silva's massive, tank-like frame barreled toward it with full force.
"Get back here!!"
Ryūma Banjō roared, throwing his whole body into a collision with Dada Silva.
The impact stopped Dada from jumping cleanly, and he clearly didn't take that lightly. He immediately exploded with another surge of power, pushing back against Ryūma with brute strength. But Ryūma wasn't about to back down either.
Gritting his teeth, he pushed back with everything he had, holding his ground under Dada's crushing pressure.
In the end, neither man could overpower the other.
Using the moment Ryūma had bought him, Aryu finally managed to leap up and meet the ball midair.
But just as he landed, Adam Blake pressed into him from behind, blocking him completely from following up his header.
No matter how hard Aryu struggled, he couldn't break free. In the end, he could only watch helplessly as Adam intercepted the ball.
Ryūma noticed Aryu's situation but couldn't intervene—he was still locked with Dada. By pinning the tank down, he'd trapped himself too.
"Run, kid!"
With that, Adam turned sharply and sent the ball toward midfield.
Julian Loki received it, muttering under his breath, "Man, what a slave driver."
At that moment, Seishiro Nagi sprinted into midfield, blocking Loki's path. But Loki didn't even look at him—instead, his gaze flicked elsewhere, and in the next instant, he passed the ball toward the left flank.
Only two figures were there: Leonardo Luna, smiling as brightly as sunlight, and Rin Itoshi, his expression cold as ice.
Rin was at a disadvantage. Luna was closer to the incoming ball, forcing him to react passively.
As the ball reached Luna's feet, he suddenly shifted his body backward. The instant Rin reacted, Luna stomped his left foot hard into the turf, using the force to stop dead—then launched forward again with explosive acceleration.
A green gleam flashed in Rin's eyes as he read Luna's next move and intercepted. His anticipation was perfect—twice in a row, he'd predicted Luna's direction.
But Luna's amused voice followed immediately.
"As expected of Sae Itoshi's little brother. Your anticipation's sharp—but like I said…"
"Lack of experience narrows your vision. You're too focused on me."
As he spoke, Luna twisted his body again, retreating before flicking the ball with precision.
The pass soared high, arcing toward the Red Team's goal.
Yoichi Isagi's heart clenched as he tracked the ball's trajectory—and saw Pablo Cavasoz waiting right beneath it.
(What do I do? I'm the only one back here! Aryu's retreating too, but Adam's closing in from his side!)
(Nagi's close to me, but Loki's even faster! At this rate, he'll blow past us before the ball drops!)
(Damn it! Ryūma's pinned Dada down, but that means he can't move either!)
(Can I really stop Pablo Cavasoz…?)
As those thoughts raced through his mind, Yoichi finally made it back in time, positioning himself beside Cavasoz, ready to challenge for the falling ball.
(Don't rush… wait for the perfect timing.)
But a moment later, Cavasoz suddenly leapt and headed the ball backward.
(Huh? A missed header?)
Yoichi frowned, confused—but then it clicked.
In a flash, Julian Loki appeared in front of him—or rather, in front of the ball. Loki swung his right leg back in a wide arc, clearly planning to use the run-up to fire a direct shot.
Then, chaos erupted.
Ryūma broke free from Dada's grip, launching himself sideways into Loki's shooting path.
"Heh, so you saw it coming, didn't you, my adorable grown-up?" Loki sneered, instantly flicking the ball toward the right flank again.
Ryūma hit the ground hard but didn't waste a second. "Yoichi! Nagi! Stop him!!" he shouted.
Pablo Cavasoz received the pass. His pupils darted erratically as Yoichi and Nagi closed in—one from the front, one from behind.
He adjusted his stance, dragging the ball slightly outward. The instant they left an opening, Cavasoz snapped his right leg forward. The motion was subtle—but the shot's elegant curve slipped perfectly past Yoichi and grazed Nagi's hair before flying straight into the Red Team's goal.
GOAL!! Red Team 2 : 3 White Team
"Damn it!!"
Ryūma had just started to rise when the ball hit the net. Furious, he slammed a fist into the turf.
(Still not enough? Aryu's too lightweight. Against regular opponents, it's fine—but against world-class players, his flaws are exposed completely.)
(The same goes for Yoichi. His anticipation's almost on par with Rin's now, but his physical strength is still average.)
(Nagi's only just begun acting on his own. Most of the time, he still waits for someone to tell him what to do.)
(Damn it! I'm no better! If I could suppress even one of Dada or Adam, we wouldn't be in this mess!)
"You okay, Ryūma?"
Hearing Seishiro Nagi's voice, Ryūma grabbed his outstretched hand. Nagi hauled him up with effort, saying,
"Yeah… Next ball."
"Pass it to me, Ryūma. I want to give it a try."
Ryūma blinked, surprised, then asked, "You've got a plan, Nagi?"
"No. But I want to try."
Seeing the fierce determination in Nagi's eyes, Ryūma couldn't help but smile. He patted Nagi's shoulder and said,
"Alright. Do it your way."
"Worst case, I've got your back. Just get the ball to the goal—Rin and I will take it from there."
"Got it."
Meanwhile, Yoichi Isagi leaned forward, hands on his knees, panting heavily.
(No way… They're too strong.)
(This is what real world-class players are like!!)
(Damn it—I feel like they're toying with me!)