Aryu glanced toward Isagi's side and noticed something troublesome.
"They've regrouped again?
Honestly… they're like cockroaches, simply not fashionable."
"Yeah," Kunigami agreed beside him. "Didn't expect Isagi's group to be this persistent."
Chigiri added with a sigh,
"To be honest, this déjà vu… is making us feel like the villains here."
And then came that voice
cold, emotionless, slicing through the air:
"In this world, there are no protagonists or antagonists.
Only the strong… and the weak.
Stop chatting. Return to your positions."
All three stiffened immediately.
They turned toward the source
Ryan Hoshino, eyes flat yet carrying an oppressive authority.
Without thinking, they obeyed, returning to their positions like soldiers before a commander.
Chigiri and Kunigami exchanged a worried look.
They glanced once more at Ryan's silhouette.
But they said nothing.
After last night…
after witnessing that state Ryan entered
they realized:
When Ryan gets serious, he becomes cold, distant, unfathomably composed…
and overwhelmingly dominant.
The first time they saw it, it was almost instinctive
a desire to kneel to a king.
But once the game ends, he returns to his usual ridiculous self.
They just weren't used to the switch.
Red Team's ball.
Kickoff.
Isagi passed to Bachira.
Chigiri stepped up to defend but Bachira unleashed rapid scissors, dazzling him instantly.
"Otoya! Right here!"
Otoya came charging in from the side.
"I see you."
Chigiri noticed Bachira's body angle
he was going to pass!
Chigiri immediately stretched out his leg to block
"Just kidding."
"…What?!"
It was a feint.
Because Chigiri lunged to cut the pass, his balance was destroyed
Leaving an opening.
Bachira nutmegged him cleanly.
But Chigiri quickly recovered, sprinting to chase him down.
Bachira expected this he knew Chigiri's speed could close the gap fast.
So he already had a plan.
He was near the sideline, and Chigiri approached from the inside.
As soon as Chigiri lined up with him
"Now."
With a swift outside flick, Bachira slipped the ball through Chigiri's legs again.
Chigiri's straight-line speed was unbeatable
but asking him to suddenly change direction at full sprint?
Impossible.
First, his reaction time wasn't instantaneous
Bachira's move happened in the blink of an eye.
One moment he thought he'd catch Bachira, the next moment
the ball was already rolling past his legs.
If the opponent were anyone else, they'd have fouled him out of anger.
But Chigiri, unlike many, didn't lash out.
Second, Chigiri didn't have Ryan's steel knees
he wouldn't bend his legs unnaturally to shift direction.
He protected his body.
So all he could do was watch as Bachira dashed into the box.
Seeing Chigiri miss, Kunigami stepped in to block.
His defense far surpassed Chigiri's foot-to-foot dueling, and his physical strength was monstrous.
Even Bachira, with all his dribbling technique, couldn't bypass him immediately.
But that gave Chigiri time to catch up the two formed a tight double-team.
Bachira realized he couldn't break through
so he searched for a teammate.
He spotted Nagi being marked by Aryu.
He feinted inward.
Both defenders bit.
Space opened.
Bachira released the ball:
"Your turn, Nagi. Don't miss."
Someone might ask why didn't he pass to Isagi or Otoya?
Because…
Ryan Hoshino was patrolling near them.
The pressure Ryan gave off was like a black hole
Bachira simply did not dare pass in that direction.
"You really know how to dump everything onto me, Bachira…"
Nagi's pupils burned white-gray flames.
He watched the ball come toward him.
Aryu stood before him, long limbs ready.
"I'll stop your unfashionable shot," Aryu declared, hair whipping dramatically.
Bachira had sent a low ball knowing Nagi couldn't beat Aryu in the air.
Nagi raised his leg
clearly preparing a volley.
Aryu read it.
He too raised his leg to block.
But
When Nagi's foot touched the ball, it didn't shoot forward.
Instead, the spinning force lifted it sharply
over Aryu's head.
"…What?"
Aryu's eyes widened.
Even Isagi was stunned from behind, watching the trick shot.
Nagi sprinted around Aryu
finally free, facing the goal.
Only the goalkeeper remained.
"I won't let you score, Nagi."
"Shut up."
Just then Chigiri burst in from the side to block the shot.
Nagi swung
but again, the ball didn't go toward the goal.
It shot upward.
But this time Kunigami struck it with the instep.
The ball rocketed toward the top corner.
The goalie leaped
but couldn't reach it.
It was going in
A shadow appeared.
"No way !"
Nagi's face contorted.
Ryan emerged out of nowhere, soaring in front of the ball
and headed it away.
"Nice one, Ryan!"
"That was the most fashionable clearance!"
But the ball didn't go out of bounds.
It smashed against the post
bounced back to the edge of the box.
Kunigami moved
but someone else arrived from his blind spot.
A strike.
Instant.
Point-blank.
The ball screamed toward the net.
Isagi's heart leapt.
"YES !!"
But then
a foot slid into his field of view.
Stopping the ball dead.
A silhouette rose.
Isagi froze.
Ryan Hoshino.
When?
How?
How did he get here this fast ?!
All hope drained out of Isagi's chest.
He's everywhere.
He's impossible.
He's… unbeatable.
A silent, crushing despair pressed into him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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