Rin Itoshi only noticed that figure because, after glancing toward Ryūma and pulling his gaze back,
he caught a flicker of movement in his peripheral vision—someone suddenly changing position.
(Yoichi Isagi!?)
(Hmph, so that's your plan? What an infuriating guy.)
(Still… you're doing a damn good job as bait!)
As Rin thought that, the descending ball reached his feet.
Leonardo Luna had already shifted most of his weight to block the path ahead—Rin's shooting lane.
But what happened next caught him completely off guard: Rin didn't shoot. He passed.
It wasn't the act of passing that surprised Luna—it was the direction.
Rin used his heel to flick the ball backward, sending it behind both of them.
When Leonardo Luna turned his head to look, Rin seized that instant to break free from his mark and dash forward!
And there, behind them, Luna caught sight of Yoichi Isagi—his pupils glowing faintly green.
Before Luna could turn back toward Rin, Isagi had already swung his foot,
sending the ball diagonally forward to the right—essentially returning it to Rin, who was now sprinting ahead.
Though Leonardo Luna wasn't playing seriously and kept his usual lazy posture,
even at his baseline, he was still a formidable opponent.
Yet, with their sudden chemistry, Rin Itoshi and Yoichi Isagi had cleanly slipped past him.
"How interesting. None of you five are pushovers."
Even so, Rin didn't have much time. Luna might've been bypassed, but not completely beaten.
The moment he saw Isagi, he had already read the play ahead of them.
So as he turned, he immediately accelerated after Rin.
Rin didn't waste the brief window he'd been given.
He steadied his breath and went for the shot—
but his movement was a little slow, almost like a deliberate pause.
"Oh crap!"
Before the sound faded, Rin's right foot came down hard, striking the center of the ball precisely.
BOOM!!
Unfortunately, Rin's perfectly curved shot was blocked by Adam Blake.
Across the field, Ryūma's eyes lit up with excitement, a grin tugging at his lips.
(Nice one, Rin!!)
(Beautiful! That delayed shot only fooled Dada, but that's all we needed!)
(Adam's at the goal—3 on 2. No way I'm missing this chance!)
"Nagi, Aryu—buy me some time!"
"Yeah."
"OK."
Seishiro Nagi immediately stepped up to block Pablo Cavasoz,
while Jyubei Aryu moved in sync with Ryūma's run.
The instant Ryūma sprinted forward, Aryu slipped into his former position to stall Julian Loki.
Though "stall" might've been generous—he only managed to delay him slightly.
Unless Aryu fouled him outright, that was the best he could do.
But that was all Ryūma needed.
He never expected Aryu to stop Loki completely.
As long as Aryu could buy him enough time to adjust for a clean shot, that would be enough.
(Nice one, Aryu!)
(Picking you to block Loki was the right call! I knew it the first time we went one-on-one.)
(That guy's height and reach always make him a pain to deal with.)
(That kind of physical advantage—it's repeatable, and it works every time.)
(For someone like me who relies on speed, no matter how quick your reaction, I can always slip past you.)
(But him—with those long arms and sharp reflexes—he lunges at close range so fast it's hard to dodge.)
(It always takes me longer than normal to evade—and even Loki wouldn't escape that in time!)
As Ryūma reached the ball, he pushed off the ground hard, soaring into the air.
His arms swung back wide as he gathered tension through his body—
then, with explosive force, he swung his right leg, striking the falling ball.
BOOM!!
A thunderous sound echoed as the ball rocketed toward the upper-left side of the goal.
The five White Team players reacted differently—some curious, some surprised, some admiring, and some simply impressed.
Yet one thought flashed across all their minds:
(Kaiser Impact!?)
"Ha! Let's see me stop this one!!"
Ryūma's eyes widened at Dada Silva's reaction—not because he'd appeared in front of the goal,
but because he was trying to block the shot with his head.
(This guy… he really lives up to being called the Heavy Tank!)
(This is a full-power Kaiser Impact after I adjusted my stance!)
(And you dare to head that? Look at him—he's completely fine!?)
(If Isagi tried to head one of my Kaiser Impacts…)
(Hah, a concussion would be the least of his problems.)
But Ryūma had already expected the shot to be blocked.
After so many combinations with Rin, both of them understood perfectly—
their first two powerful attacks were meant to build shot momentum,
wear down the defense, and find sharper angles through continuous movement.
The third one—that would be the real finisher.
Meanwhile, Rin's situation was still under control thanks to Yoichi Isagi,
who was pushing himself to the limit to keep Leonardo Luna from getting close.
Isagi's defense was skirting dangerously close to a foul.
Leonardo Luna's eyes gleamed, but instead of forcing his way past,
he watched Ryūma's side with quiet amusement.
Isagi noticed Luna's gaze and thought,
(He's predicting Ryūma's next move?)
(Wait—does he plan to do the same thing as before, blocking Ryūma's shot from the blind spot again?)
(Damn it! I can't let that happen!)
(Even if I have to foul, I won't let him reach Ryūma now!)
As that thought ran through his head, Rin clenched his jaw, took a short hop forward,
and met the speeding ball head-on. His right leg swung back wide—
then, with every ounce of strength he had, he fired.
BOOM!!
Whether it was Ryūma's influence or simply Rin's true nature,
this shot wasn't perfectly accurate—but its raw power was absolutely terrifying.