The stadium was still trembling with the shouts when Isagi raised his gaze and saw his teammates running toward him.
Tada was the first to reach him, a wide smile stamped on his face, arms open wide.
"YOU MADMAN! HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH A GOAL LIKE THAT?!" He grabbed him by the shoulders, shaking him so hard that Isagi nearly lost his balance.
Isagi let out a small laugh, scratching the back of his neck. "Ah, I don't know... it just happened."
"'It just happened'?!" shouted Haruto, coming right behind, still trying to catch his breath. "You went through their entire team, nutmegged two guys, and did a bicycle kick using the defender as a trampoline! That doesn't happen by accident, you damn genius!"
The group exploded into laughter. Takeshi came right after, giving Isagi a light punch on the shoulder.
"Dude... I was gonna curse you out for not passing the ball, but after that..." He took a deep breath, breaking into a satisfied smile. "I don't have any right to complain."
"You'd better not," commented Tada, laughing. "If he wants to dribble all the way to the goalkeeper, let him dribble! If it means seeing a goal like that again, I'll help carry the defenders' coffins from the other team."
The burst of laughter made the group seem lighter, more united. The tension from the start of the match had vanished, replaced by pure euphoria. Even Ryoga, the most reserved on the team, let a discreet smile escape while giving Isagi a light pat on the back.
"Good. Keep playing like that..."
Isagi lifted his gaze for a moment, observing the stands.
The sound of the crowd was still deafening—shouts, laughter, flashing cameras. He noticed the "girls" looking in his direction with complex emotions and feelings on the surface, considered what he would do about it, wanted to resolve everything before the Inter High...
But Tada's touch on his shoulder brought him back.
"Isagi, seriously, if you keep this up, they're gonna have to mark you with a chain."
"Or two teams..." added Shiba, laughing. "One to try to take the ball and another to watch."
Isagi let out a small sigh, the calm smile returning to his face. "It's not that big a deal. We're still just getting started."
On the other side, however, the atmosphere was completely different.
Aizawa stood still in the center of the field, his gaze fixed on the ground. His breathing was controlled, but his clenched jaw revealed the effort to keep the frustration from escaping.
Tsubaki kicked the turf in anger, grass scattering in small chunks. "He went past all of us... like it didn't matter."
"Calm down..." replied Aizawa, his voice low, almost a whisper. "He's good. Really good. But no one is invincible!"
Mizoguchi ran a hand over his face, panting. "So how do we stop him? That wasn't football. It was witchcraft."
Aizawa raised his gaze, his tone firm again. "We don't stop him alone. Regroup. Close the spaces. Force him to pass. He'll have to make a mistake at some point."
But inside, he knew what he had seen wasn't something explained by tactics.
On the Ichinan side, coach Saito crossed his arms at the edge of the field, his expression divided between pride and amazement.
"That kid..." he murmured. "He doesn't even do that in training."
The assistant beside him chuckled softly. "Maybe he's just showing what he's capable of when there's an audience."
"If that's the case, I hope there always is," replied Saito, with a slight smile.
The referee whistled, and the sharp sound echoed across the field, marking the restart of the match.
The ball rolled again at Minamida's feet, but this time, the air felt different. The confidence that had once guided their passes had turned into caution. Instead of advancing, after receiving a pass, Aizawa made a long touch to the defender who passed to the goalkeeper, who kicked it to the full-back, and the dry sound of the ball being played backward drew murmurs from the stands.
Isagi watched from afar, standing in his position, body relaxed, arms hanging at his sides.
Aizawa, from the center of the field, raised his hand and shouted quick instructions:
"No rush! Hold the ball! Don't give space!"
But the nervousness was visible. The passes were shorter, hesitant. One extra touch before passing, one extra glance before deciding. The choreographed harmony that had enchanted the crowd minutes earlier now seemed broken.
"Press, let's go!" shouted Takeshi, his voice vibrating with excitement.
And as if Isagi's energy had infected everyone, the Ichinan team charged forward with everything.
Tada ran like lightning toward the opposing right-back. Shiba advanced alongside, closing the middle, while Haruto anticipated the passing lane. The sound of footsteps echoed on the field, the cleats digging into the turf, the rhythm of a hunt.
The Minamida full-back tried to play out, but Tada arrived too quickly.
"Thought you had time to think, huh?" he shouted, flashing a mischievous smile.
The pass went awry under pressure, and Takeshi intercepted with his chest, cushioning the ball and passing it first-time to Shiba.
"Go, Isagi!"
Shiba's voice cut across the field, but Isagi didn't even need to respond.
He was already moving.
The two markers instructed to follow him came toward him, one from the front, the other from behind. But Isagi's movement was so subtle it seemed like a mistake—a slight step to the side, a minimal shoulder dip—and the first defender bit the bait.
In the next instant, Isagi spun his body, receiving Shiba's pass with a heel touch. The ball ran between the two markers, and he escaped through the middle, as if the space had opened just for him.
"Not again!" shouted Mizoguchi, coming from the left flank.
Isagi raised his gaze and saw Tada running diagonally, calling for the ball. For a moment, he seemed to consider the pass... but the corner smile gave it all away.
"You never learn, do you, Tada?"
Isagi's foot touched the ball, and it spun sharply to the right, fooling the defender. He advanced, his body flowing in natural rhythm, the touch light, the ball glued to his foot.
The sound from the stands began to build again, that buzz of anticipation that only arose when Isagi had the ball.
"HOLD HIM!" bellowed Aizawa, retreating quickly.
But Isagi was waiting for him.
The Minamida captain came at full speed, trying to block the pass before he reached the box entrance.
Isagi braked suddenly. His body leaned back, and the sole of his cleat touched the ball, rolling it back between Aizawa's legs for the second time.
"You really don't learn, do you, captain..." he murmured with a half-smile.
Isagi ran a few more meters and fired a perfect low ball toward the right, where Tada appeared free, breaking the defensive line.
"It's yours!"
Tada controlled it first-time and shot.
The goalkeeper dove, stretching his entire body, and the ball exploded off the post with a metallic clang.
"AAAAH, SO CLOSE!!" the fans shouted in unison.
The rebound fell back onto the turf, and the first to arrive was Isagi.
He didn't even look. A quick chest touch, then a short half-turn, and the shot came dry, accurate, straight into the left corner.
The goalkeeper was still on the ground.
GOOOOOOOOOOL!
The stadium vibrated again, even louder than before.
Twice.
In less than five minutes.
For an instant, the stadium fell silent.
And then, as if the world had started breathing again, a wave of shouts exploded in the stands, mixed with whistles, applause, drums, and flags waving high.
The crowd was divided between shock and pure euphoria.
Tada ran to Isagi and enveloped him in a hug, nearly knocking him to the ground. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU'D GET THE REBOUND!"
"It was obvious," replied Isagi with a calm smile, breathing deeply. "The ball was begging to go in."
Haruto arrived right after, shouting louder than necessary. "YOU'RE A DEMON, ISAGI! A DEMON IN JERSEY 11!"
The entire group piled around him, pushing, laughing, vibrating. Coach Saito, on the sideline, simply crossed his arms and laughed silently, the kind of laugh from someone who knows the impossible has just become routine.
But on the other side, Minamida's morale was even lower! I mean, first the enemy team's striker humiliated all of them and scored that unbelievably beautiful goal, then the enemy team, enthused by it, stole the ball and in a combined attack scored another goal, all in just five minutes! How could they not be demoralized by that?
Aizawa tried to gather the team in the center circle, breathing heavily, eyes wide.
"Come on, guys... focus! We can still do this!" he shouted, but his voice no longer had the same strength.
Even so, they returned to position.
The referee whistled again, and the ball rolled.
Minamida charged with everything.
It was visible—the quicker touches, the aggressive advance, the haste to strike back.
Mizoguchi carried the ball through the middle, Tsubaki opened on the left, and Aizawa followed, forcing the pace. It was desperation disguised as courage.
But Isagi was already moving.
He observed the passes, the positioning, and used his [Misdirection] to move freely across the field.
The next pass came crossed, trying to pierce Ichinan's defensive line.
But before it could reach its destination, Isagi appeared between the two opposing midfielders like a ghost.
The dry impact sound echoed as he intercepted the ball with the tip of his foot and, in one motion, spun his body, leaving both players completely behind.
"ISAGI, AGAIN?!" shouted Tada from somewhere behind, more surprised than excited.
He didn't respond.
With each touch, the ball seemed to obey without resistance, flowing with his body's movement. A short dribble, then another. The first marker came from the front; Isagi went past him with a perfect roulette. The second tried to intercept; he lifted the ball and chipped it cleanly, leaving the opponent planted on the ground.
Aizawa came at full force, face contorted, determined to stop it any way he could.
But when he extended his leg for the tackle, Isagi gave a light lateral touch and accelerated, passing the captain like a white-and-black lightning bolt.
"You're still trying to catch me, captain?" he said, his tone calm, almost amused.
The goalkeeper, desperate, came out of the box, arms wide.
Isagi slowed down.
For an instant, it seemed he would shoot. But instead, he stopped, literally stopped the ball with the sole, and with a light spin, lobbed it over the goalkeeper.
The ball rose in a perfect arc.
Absolute silence.
It fell slowly into the goal, touching the net softly.
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!
The stadium exploded.
The sound was deafening.
The black-and-white Ichinan flags fluttered frantically in the stands, while the drums echoed in a pulsating rhythm, as if the crowd's own heart was beating in time with the game. The shouts, whistles, and applause mixed into a vibrant cacophony, and the Ichinan students seemed unable to contain themselves.
"ISAGI YOICHI, YOU DEMON!" bellowed a student in the middle of the crowd, waving an improvised banner with the number 11 painted in black ink. "YOU'RE HUMILIATING THEM!"
"Three goals in less than ten minutes?!" shouted another, eyes wide, holding his phone to record every second. "This is cheating! He's from another planet!"
"I swear I saw the goalkeeper give up on that last shot!" laughed a girl, pointing to the field where Minamida's goalkeeper was still lying on the turf, staring at the sky as if questioning his own existence. "The guy's thinking about changing careers now!"
In the middle of the crowd, Marin was practically in ecstasy, jumping nonstop, her blonde hair flying as she waved the little flag so hard she nearly hit the classmate beside her.
"ISAGI! YOU'RE MY HERO! SCORE ONE MORE, SCORE ONE MORE!" she shouted, her voice hoarse from enthusiasm. Her eyes sparkled, and the blush on her cheeks was visible even from afar. For Marin, that moment was like living inside an anime, with Isagi as the invincible protagonist who destroyed any obstacle with a calm smile. She turned to her friend beside her, almost out of breath. "Did you see that lob over the goalkeeper? He stopped the ball and made it look like the easiest thing in the world! How does he DO that?!"
Her friend, laughing at Marin's energy, shook her head.
"Marin, you're shouting so much that Isagi can probably hear you from the field. Calm down, or you'll faint before halftime!"
"Impossible!" retorted Marin, with a mischievous smile. "I won't stop until he scores another goal! Or two! Or three!"
Unlike Marin's excitement, Kaguya, Yuki, and Alya seemed more reserved. They were obviously on an "emotional rollercoaster" regarding the soccer game unfolding before their eyes.
The restart of the match seemed like just a ritual for the inevitable.
Minamida passed the ball with forced discipline, trying to maintain possession at any cost. Aizawa shouted frantic instructions, calling for calm, control, strategy. It was an admirable effort, but futile.
Isagi read every pass before it was even made. His movement was subtle, almost lazy at first glance, but with each Minamida advance, he was already at the exact spot where the ball would end up.
The first opposing attack was dismantled still in midfield, when Isagi anticipated the lateral pass and stole the ball without even needing to accelerate. The second, a quick infiltration attempt, was interrupted before the midfielder realized the danger—Isagi was already marking him from behind, intercepting the touch with a light heel deflection.
There was no hurry, no need for effort.
Gradually, the game ceased to be a contest and turned into an exhibition.
Isagi dictated the rhythm—when Minamida tried to advance, he prevented it. When Ichinan regained possession, he created beautiful plays.
He was an unstoppable striker!
_________________
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