With a single swing of its torch, the Hilichurl smashed Luka aside and continued charging toward the goal with unstoppable momentum.
"I—I—screw this!"
The more Sampo looked at it, the more terrified he became.
In the end, he simply turned around and ran, abandoning the goal completely.
Bang!
The Hilichurl barreled straight through the net, tore it apart, and didn't stop until it crashed into the stands behind the field, where it finally reverted back into a soccer ball.
Score: 1–0.
The entire stadium fell silent.
"What… exactly did I just watch?"
"So that's what a special move looks like."
Many players began wondering what their own ultimate techniques would be.
"Sampo! You're the goalkeeper! How can you just run away?"
Trailblazer (Female)—Star—was furious.
"That thing was terrifying! Why don't you try blocking it?"
"I'm a midfielder!"
Star's answer left Sampo speechless.
That… was technically a valid point.
But being a midfielder didn't mean you were exempt from defending.
Who made that rule?
Back at midfield, Bronya passed the ball to Seele.
"Watch this."
The other side had already used a special move, and Seele was eager to show off one of her own.
She dribbled forward at full speed.
"Pass! Pass the ball!"
"I'm open over here!"
Seele ignored everyone completely.
Who cared about passing?
If the other team could use a flashy special move, she was going to score in style too.
Even Valerius didn't know what to say.
She was an absolute ball hog.
Just as Seele was happily charging ahead, a sharp whoosh cut through the air.
A spinning figure flew toward her from the distance.
It was Rosaria.
Her leg stretched out in a brutal flying kick.
Wham!
The kick landed squarely on Seele.
Seele was sent hurtling through the air.
"Heh. You're not the only one with a special move."
Rosaria snorted, then took the ball and started dribbling away.
She had no intention of passing, either.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, another figure came flying in from afar.
A perfectly executed slide tackle.
Well… aimed at the player, not the ball.
"What the hell?!"
"She slid from that far away?"
The crowd gasped.
Star had been at least twenty meters away, yet she covered the distance instantly.
"March! Take it!"
After flattening Rosaria, Star kicked the ball forward to March 7th.
"Leave it to me!"
March 7th was pleasantly surprised.
She had assumed everyone wanted to hog the spotlight.
She hadn't expected Star to pass.
This was true teamwork.
She moved into position.
Fortunately, she was perfectly placed.
The moment she received the ball, she found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
"Oh, it's that guy called Razor."
Seeing Razor standing alone in front of the goal, March flicked the ball into the air and leaped.
"Watch my special move!"
She struck.
The soccer ball transformed into a giant camera.
As it flew toward the goal, it repeatedly snapped photos, each flash blinding everyone nearby.
Several spectators had to shield their eyes.
Razor, standing directly in front of it, took the full force of the flashes.
He was completely dazzled.
"What kind of nonsense is this?!"
Bronya wanted to cry.
March 7th's special move was a giant camera.
What bizarre thing would her own special move turn into?
The camera was nearly at the goal.
Razor still couldn't see.
So he roared and launched himself upward with a fierce uppercut.
At the very least, he felt like he hit something.
That should have been a save.
Tweet! Tweet!
The whistle blew.
Razor was confused.
He was sure he'd punched the ball.
Then why had the whistle blown?
Once his vision recovered, he looked up.
The scoreboard read 1–1.
"Huh?"
He had hit something.
So why was it still a goal?
He looked around.
Nearby, Bennett lay sprawled on the ground, eyes rolled back.
The crowd burst into laughter.
"That was incredible! He knocked out his own teammate!"
"Razor's too strong!"
"You can tell those two have a deep grudge."
Everyone had seen what happened.
Bennett had rushed in to help block the shot.
Razor, blinded by the camera flashes, had mistaken him for the ball and launched a devastating uppercut.
"Th… sorry."
Razor struggled to force the apology out.
"It's okay. Better luck next time."
Jean stepped forward to comfort him.
This wasn't Razor's fault.
Even from the stands, the flashes had been blinding.
And unlike Sampo, Razor had actually tried to make the save.
Back at midfield, Jean gave Diluc a meaningful look.
Diluc nodded.
Kickoff.
The ball went straight to him.
"Watch my shot."
Without caring how many defenders were in front of him, Diluc jumped and fired immediately.
The torch-wielding Hilichurl appeared once more.
His logic was simple.
Sampo had already proven he wouldn't defend.
So as long as Diluc got the ball, it was basically an open net.
It was a solid plan.
Unfortunately, reality was cruel.
The first shot had been taken close to the goal, allowing the Hilichurl to charge at full power.
This time, Diluc shot from midfield.
By the time the Hilichurl reached Sampo, it looked utterly exhausted.
Its pace was sluggish.
Even its torch swings had become weak and limp.
"Heh."
Sampo grinned.
"You call that a shot?"
Smack!
As the Hilichurl approached, Sampo casually slapped it across the face.
The creature instantly reverted into a soccer ball.
The crisp sound echoed throughout the stadium.
Diluc froze.
It felt like that slap had landed directly on his own face.
The humiliation was indescribable.
Weren't you the one who ran away earlier?
And even if you wanted to stop it, you could have punched or kicked it.
Did you really have to slap it?
Kaeya nudged him with his elbow.
"So? Does your face feel hot?"
"Get lost."
Your own brother had no heart.
"Why are you all standing there? Fight for the ball!"
Valerius's reminder snapped everyone out of their daze.
The match was still ongoing.
"Right! Right! The game!"
Even Jean had been stunned by what she'd just witnessed.
But by the time she reacted, Bronya had already reached the loose ball first.
"Seele, catch!"
Bronya immediately passed the ball to Seele.
Her reasoning was simple.
As long as she got rid of the ball quickly, no one would target her.
After all, she was a midfielder.
Scoring was Seele's job.
"Perfect!"
Seele beamed.
As expected of her best friend.
Bronya understood her.
Not like everyone else.
She shot Bronya a confident look and burst forward.
Her previous special move attempt had been interrupted.
This time, she was determined to unleash it.
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