Everyone froze for a second before bursting into laughter.
"What the hell is 'Sexy Soccer'?"
"Are you planning a muscle show on the pitch?"
"You usually look so fierce, why are you being so hilarious?"
Raichi Jingo's face flushed with pure embarrassment. Kira, suppressed a sigh at Raichi's single-cell brain, stepped in to save him. "You're talking about your endless stamina, right?"
"Ah! Yes, exactly! You really get me, Kira!" Raichi exclaimed, suddenly enlightened about what his weapon actually was.
Next was a slender player with a ponytail named Gagamaru Gin. This was the guy who usually ate with his hands in the cafeteria because, according to him, he spent much of his childhood in the wild and liked interacting with animals. After a moment of thought, Gagamaru said, "I guess it's my physical flexibility."
Looking at the future dedicated goalkeeper of Blue Lock, Kira desperately wanted to just put him in the net right then and there.
"Okay, good. Imamura? Naruhaya?" Kira asked the next two. To be honest, Kira didn't have much of an impression of these two from the original manga.
"Speed and technique," Imamura Yudai answered.
"One-on-one breakthroughs," Naruhaya Asahi added proudly.
Kira wrote them down, though he wasn't entirely convinced. Kunigami followed with a calm, "Mine is my left-footed shot." Igarashi shouted immediately after, "Mine is a never-give-up spirit!" Well, Kira thought, at least that's a rare quality.
Then came Iemon Okuhito, who looked like a reliable older man despite his age. "I guess I'm an all-rounder," he said without hesitation. Kira's pen paused. Buddy, you mean you're mediocre at everything? Still, he smiled and moved on. "And you, Isagi?"
Isagi hesitated. "Uh... my weapon... passing? But a striker shouldn't rely on passing..."
"Next! If you can't even name your own ability, you're just not good enough!" Raichi snapped, completely forgetting his own 'Sexy Soccer' moment.
"I still need to think about it. Sorry, Kira," Isagi said dejectedly.
"No worries, you'll find it. Finally—Chigiri Hyoma?" Kira looked toward the long-haired beauty squatting in the corner. Man, he really does look like a girl from this angle, Kira thought. "Chigiri, what's your weapon?"
"I don't want to say..."
Kira took a deep breath. He suddenly understood why Kuon Wataru had wanted to betray this room. Everyone had their own issues—how was he supposed to play with this? He decided to just take charge.
"For tomorrow's match, I suggest a 4-4-2 formation. Kunigami and I will be the twin strikers. I'll be on the right, he'll be on the left. Chigiri and Bachira will handle the wings. Raichi and Isagi will be central midfielders. Iemon is the goalkeeper, and the rest form the defense. Any objections?"
Kira had a plan. He could draw the defense and set up Kunigami for long-range threats. He placed Bachira and Isagi on the right, hoping their familiarity and recent practice would tear open the flank. He gave Chigiri the left wing out of respect, despite not expecting an "awakening" yet. Raichi was the defensive anchor to force him to realize his true potential.
"Wait! Why do you and Kunigami get to be the strikers?" Raichi shouted.
"I don't want to play defense," Gagamaru added.
"I accept Kira, but why Kunigami?" Igarashi chimed in.
Kira replied coolly, "Because of the bet I won during the 'Tag' game. I have the say in this room's soccer. If you listen to me, we will enter the next round as the top team in this building, and no one will be eliminated."
The room fell silent. Kira's strength was undeniable.
"Kira, I believe in you," Bachira said first, smiling.
"I agree. Don't let me steal all your spotlight," Kunigami added, shrugging.
"Fine! I'm only agreeing to win!" Raichi muttered.
With the leaders on board, the rest of the room fell in line. Isagi watched, realizing that Kira's "light" was already changing the team. This was the birth of soccer from "0 to 1"—a team organizing itself around an absolute offensive core.
"Isagi, what do you think?" Kira asked.
Isagi sighed internally. Kira, you won again. "I agree."
Kira nodded, satisfied. He felt a surge of excitement for the match against Team X. In the original story, Team Z lost that game 5-1. He was eager to see how the current Team Z would perform under his leadership.