The King and The God
Team Z vs. Team X
Kickoff.
The stadium was massive, but empty. Just the twenty-two players and the hum of the electronic lights.
Team X wore red. Team Z wore blue.
At the center of Team X stood a giant. Barou Shoei. With his spiky hair and arrogant scowl, he looked more like a villain than a high school student.
Target acquired, Isagi thought. Barou Shoei. Physical stats: S-Tier. Technique: S-Tier. Personality: Trash.
The whistle blew.
START.
Immediately, chaos erupted.
Despite Isagi's plan, the instinct of the other strikers took over. Raichi, who was supposed to be defending, ran forward.
"Screw the plan! I'm scoring!" Raichi yelled.
"Me too!" Igarashi sprinted.
The entire Team Z formation collapsed. Everyone swarmed the ball like a bunch of six-year-olds.
Isagi stood near the center circle, watching the stupidity unfold.
Idiots. Absolute donkeys.
Team X was confused for a second, but then they saw the opening.
Barou didn't even pass. He just bulldozed through the crowd.
"Out of my way, peasants," Barou growled.
He shouldered Raichi into the ground. He stiff-armed Kunigami. He was a tank.
"I am the King of the field!" Barou roared.
He was fast. He was approaching the penalty area.
Team Z's goalkeeper, Iemon, was trembling. "He's coming!"
Isagi watched from behind. He hadn't moved yet. He was waiting for the data to accumulate.
Barou's range is 29 meters. He's right-footed. He's selfish. He won't pass.
Barou wound up his leg. A thunderous shot was coming.
But just as Barou planted his foot, a blur of blue motion cut across his vision.
It wasn't a defender blocking the shot.
It was Isagi.
He hadn't run to block. He had run to intercept.
Isagi slid in, not at the ball, but into the space where Barou needed to step for his follow-through.
Barou, forced to adjust his balance to avoid tripping over Isagi, shanked the shot slightly.
The ball hit the crossbar with a loud CLANG.
Barou landed, staring down at Isagi. "You little bug... you tried to trip me?"
Isagi stood up, brushing dust off his shoulder. "Trip you? No. I just occupied the space you wanted. It's called positioning, King."
Barou's eyes narrowed. "You're annoying."
Isagi smirked. "And you're predictable. You never look at your teammates. You're playing 1 vs 11."
Barou laughed. "I don't need teammates. I'm the only one who matters."
The ball had rebounded out to midfield. Bachira picked it up.
"Nice block, Isagi!" Bachira yelled.
Bachira started dribbling. He danced past two Team X defenders. His style was fluid, crazy.
Isagi started running.
Metavision: Activate.
The grid returned.
He saw the passing lanes. He saw the defenders' blind spots.
"Bachira!" Isagi commanded, pointing to a spot of empty grass. "Drop it there!"
Bachira didn't hesitate. He trusted the monster. He lobbed a spinning pass into the open space.
Isagi sprinted.
Barou was chasing him now. "Don't think you can outrun me!"
Barou was faster. He was closing the gap. Ideally, Barou would crush Isagi physically.
But Isagi wasn't playing a physical game.
He looked over his shoulder. He saw Barou coming like a freight train.
Use him.
Isagi suddenly stopped.
Barou, expecting a sprint, couldn't stop in time. He ran past Isagi.
Isagi used that split second to cut inside, behind Barou's back.
He trapped the ball. He was at the edge of the penalty box.
The Team X goalie came out. Isagi had a clear shot.
But two defenders were sliding in.
Direct Shot? No. The angle is blocked.
Isagi saw Kunigami running on the right.
Pass?
No. If I pass, I lose my hunger.
Isagi looked at the defenders. He saw their weight shifting.
He wound up for a shot. The defenders jumped.
Fake.
Isagi gently chipped the ball over their heads. It wasn't a shot. It was a self-pass.
He ran around the falling defenders, met the ball on the other side, and volleyed it into the net.
GOAL.
Team Z: 1 - Team X: 0
Isagi landed. He didn't celebrate. He just turned to look at Barou.
"You might be the King," Isagi said, his eyes glowing blue. "But this is my kingdom."
Barou stood there, fuming. His aura turned dark red. He looked like a demon.
"I'm going to kill you," Barou whispered. "I'm going to devour you, you average little shit."
Isagi smiled. A genuine, terrifying smile.
"Try it."
But the game wasn't over.
Barou Shoei wasn't a rank amateur. He was a monster too.
On the next kickoff, Barou didn't dribble. He passed.
Not because he wanted to, but because he used his teammate as a wall to bounce the ball off of.
He tore through Team Z's defense.
Raichi? Useless.
Igarashi? A traffic cone.
Barou got to the 28-meter line.
"Don't look down on me!" Barou screamed.
He unleashed a shot. It was a rocket. It curved viciously into the top corner. Iemon didn't even see it.
GOAL.
Team Z: 1 - Team X: 1
Barou ripped his shirt off (mentally, anyway). He pointed at Isagi.
"I'm not done with you."
Isagi wiped sweat from his forehead. The adrenaline was pumping through his veins.
This is it, Isagi thought. This pressure. This fear. This is what I was missing in high school.
He looked at his trembling teammates.
"Why are you scared?" Isagi shouted at them. "The game has just started! Giving up is for losers!"
Bachira ran up to Isagi, grinning. "This is fun, Isagi! What do we do next?"
Isagi looked at Barou, then back at Bachira.
"We destroy him," Isagi said. "We use their chaos against them. Give me the ball, Bachira. I'm going to show this 'King' what despair looks like."