Watching Eita Otoya charge forward, Ryūma's lips curved into a triumphant grin.
He gathered strength in his legs, extended his left arm toward Otoya, and used his left hand to press against the opponent's shoulder for leverage.
"Thanks, Mr. Ninja."
With that, Ryūma exploded upward, leaping toward the falling ball.
Otoya was just about to say something when a deafening sound split the air.
[BOOM!]
GOAL!! Team V 2:1 Team X
Eita Otoya slowly came back to his senses, shaking his head helplessly as he thought to himself:
(Karasu was right… These two's offense is just as terrifying as ours.)
(Especially that monster, Ryūma. Once the ball reaches the area near the penalty box…)
(You never know when he'll unleash one of those ridiculous, cannon-like shots.)
Tabito Karasu walked over to Otoya with a frustrated expression. He had been the only one fast enough to react and try to block Ryūma's shot.
Or rather, it wasn't that he reacted—it was that the moment he saw Ryūma charging at full speed without slowing down,
he instantly knew what Ryūma was planning. But knowing and stopping it were two very different things.
Even though Karasu threw himself into the path of the shot with everything he had, he was still a split second too late.
By the time he jumped, the ball had already rocketed over him and into Team X's goal.
Karasu stood in thought for a moment, then shook his head and let his trademark confident smile return. Turning to Otoya beside him, he said,
"Don't lose, Eita."
"You should worry about yourself," Otoya replied flatly.
...
On the other side, Yo Hiori hurried over to Ryūma, his voice tinged with guilt.
"Sorry, Ryūma… that last ball—"
Before he could finish, Ryūma waved it off.
"Ah, forget it, Hiori. That was on me. No need to apologize."
"Come on, they're about to restart."
"Alright, Ryūma."
As they walked back to their positions, both were lost in their own thoughts.
(Hang in there, Yo Hiori. Ryūma doesn't blame you—he's just always been like that.)
(Even when there's a misplay, he only ever looks at himself. But you can't think that way, Hiori!)
(If that pass had been a bit sharper, Karasu wouldn't have intercepted it.)
(Come on, pull yourself together, Yo Hiori! Don't let Ryūma down!)
Hiori kept encouraging himself quietly as he took his spot.
Meanwhile, Ryūma was thinking something completely different.
(Even though I ruined his shot, he didn't blame me… he actually apologized instead.)
(He's too damn kind… I'm gonna cry, seriously T﹏T.)
...
Team X possession! Kickoff by Tabito Karasu!
Right after the whistle, Karasu dribbled forward into Team V's half, facing the triplet brothers rushing to intercept him.
Team V's formation was set: four defenders near the box, Ryūma on the left flank, Rin Itoshi on the right.
Yo Hiori stayed just behind the triplets, ready to intercept if they were beaten.
Despite the pressure, Karasu showed no sign of worry.
Wearing his usual confident grin, he charged straight into the triplets' encirclement.
"Walking right into our trap? You're done for!"
"Get the ball!"
Under the three-on-one assault, Karasu calmly used both arms to keep two of them at bay.
The remaining triplet tried to tackle, but Karasu didn't give him the chance—he pivoted while dragging the ball, his arms expertly maintaining distance and control.
Even surrounded, he smiled and said,
"Just as I thought. Individually, you're no different from ordinary players."
As he spoke, Karasu started to move—his arms disrupting the balance of the two closest triplets while keeping them off him.
He then pushed the ball forward, straight toward the only brother he wasn't physically restraining.
The triplets immediately realized he was planning a direct breakthrough and rushed to block his lane.
"Hook, line, and sinker~"
Karasu suddenly tightened both arms, completely throwing two of the triplets off balance.
The remaining one lunged at him to steal the ball—but Karasu flicked it back with the sole of his right foot, pulling it neatly between his legs and out of reach.
Before they could recover, he accelerated, bursting past all three of them from the left and driving straight toward the center of Team V's midfield.
(What the—? We can't even get close! His arms keep blocking us!)
(And his control… he keeps the ball perfectly between his feet, no openings at all!)
(Sheesh, this guy really is on the same level as Ryūma and the others…)
As the triplets regained their footing, Karasu was already deep in Team V's midfield.
Thankfully, Yo Hiori was right there to cut him off, stopping his advance.
Ryūma also dashed over from the left flank.
But instead of pushing forward, Karasu stopped, seemingly analyzing the field.
Hiori frowned.
(Huh? Ryūma's still a bit away—why isn't he making his move now?)
(Could he be hesitating? No way. That's not him. He's definitely setting something up.)
(Forget it! Let's test him—see what he's planning.)
Hiori moved in cautiously to probe him.
Karasu smiled.
"Same as always, Hiori."
As he spoke, he kept flicking the ball lightly between his feet, denying Hiori any space to close the gap.
(What do I do… If I push any closer and he slips past me, I'm done.)
(Maybe I should wait for Ryūma—wait, Ryūma's almost here?!)
"Oh no!"
Hiori's eyes darted across the field in a flash of realization.
Not only was Ryūma almost at his side, but the triplets and even the defenders near the box were converging toward them.
That meant… the right flank was completely open—only Rin Itoshi was there!
But it was already too late. With a sly grin, Karasu said,
"You've all taken the bait."
Without giving Hiori a chance to react, Karasu sent a lightning-fast ground pass toward the right side of Team V's midfield.
There, a shadowy figure was already sprinting toward the incoming ball.
Hiori's heart sank as he watched.
(Sigh… Otoya's always lurking near Karasu, waiting for his moment.)
(Unless you constantly track his position, he'll appear out of nowhere when you least expect it.)
But just as Eita Otoya was about to reach the ball, a cold voice suddenly cut through the field.