Chapter 65: Wild Dance!!!
"You've got to be kidding me. Kira, that guy!"
Nagi turned back to look at Kira, with disbelief in his eyes.
"How can we possibly stop Kira?"
Isagi asked himself internally, but also tried to console himself. 'Even though I couldn't stop him this time, I'm starting to understand the meaning behind every single one of his movements.'
'And besides, just now... if it hadn't been for Itoshi Rin, I should have been able to steal that ball!'
In that critical instant, Rin's off-the-ball movement on the flank had distracted Isagi.
It prevented him from joining Chigiri in time to stop Kira.
'As long as I devour him, we can win!'
'Think! What way is there to devour Kira?' Behind Isagi, the puzzle pieces began to shatter as his brain spun relentlessly.
"Nice pass, Kira!!" Bachira cheered, running over to Kira to celebrate.
"A very stylish sequence of moves. Stylishness rating plus one star." Aryu didn't hold back his praise.
Rin walked slowly up to Kira.
"Predicting the future of the battlefield several moves ahead, leaving the opponent no time to think, forcing them to fall into your plan... Ryosuke Kira, you really are different from them." A hint of interest appeared in Itoshi Rin's cold eyes.
"However, the fact that you used me to score pisses me off a little." Rin's tone shifted, returning to his usual icy demeanor.
"Just luck. It was thanks to your positioning that I could complete the final link in the plan."
Kira wasn't arrogant. This was the result of practicing with Itoshi Rin's Trial Card multiple times.
His mind would naturally begin deploying plans the instant he received the ball.
For a moment, he looked toward the White Team with a somewhat grave expression.
"Isagi, over there... he can see through my movements and keep up with my thinking."
"Oh?" Itoshi Rin looked at Isagi.
"So what if he saw through it? Don't forget, I'm on your side, too." Itoshi Rin didn't consider Isagi a threat at all.
The match continued.
"Let's go! It's only 1-1."
"Our offense is effective!"
"Counterattack! Counterattack!"
The four of them cheered each other on.
"Start!" Isagi immediately kicked the ball, passing it to Chigiri on the wing.
Chigiri acted as the speed pivot for the White Team.
As long as Chigiri had the ball, he could use his speed to challenge the long-limbed Aryu.
Pass or break through?
That was the choice facing Chigiri.
Defend the pass, or prevent Chigiri's breakthrough?
Likewise, this became the dilemma for the opposition.
'Right, Kira?!'
Sure enough, Chigiri began to accelerate down the wing with the ball.
To help defend against Chigiri, Kira had to drop back to respond to whatever choice Chigiri made next.
But then, that left Nagi unmarked.
"Uh oh, someone's open!" Bachira exclaimed.
everyone's perspective shifted to the unmarked Nagi.
'This is the moment. Use Nagi to draw everyone's attention, and I'll quickly start my run. Right, Kira?!'
Images floated through Isagi's mind of every match he'd played with Kira before, how Kira always appeared in exactly the right pocket of space.
Isagi finally understood how those pockets were created.
It was by utilizing teammates' positioning—using teammates to attract the defenders' attention—and then running in the opposite direction.
'I've devoured you, Kira.'
Isagi changed direction, making an off-the-ball run into open space.
'Chigiri, you'll definitely notice me, right?'
Chigiri's eyes had also become sensitive. While everyone else was looking at Nagi, Chigiri noticed the instant Isagi shifted his body.
A flash of inspiration!
'Isagi, playing with you is getting more and more interesting!'
He lifted his leg!
Boom!
A truly beautiful long pass.
Chigiri's passing had been improving constantly since joining Team Isagi.
Seeing that long ball, even Kira couldn't help but marvel at Chigiri's progress.
However, he wasn't anxious.
He remembered what Itoshi Rin had just said. 'I'm on your side, too.'
'For real?' Isagi was just preparing to receive the ball when Rin suddenly appeared.
He extended his leg at exactly the right moment and intercepted Chigiri's pass!
"What the hell? This guy saw through me, too?"
"My Off-the-Ball Movement was noticed by him?"
Isagi noticed Kira in the distance, grinning and holding up two fingers.
'What does that mean? Two against one? That's a little unfair, isn't it? Someone besides Kira can predict my behavior.'
Isagi stared blankly as Itoshi Rin dribbled the ball toward Isagi's own goal.
'No, he shook off the others!'
'Our field of vision should be the same.'
'I was just a little short of the step I envisioned, but Rin was faster than me!'
'I'm only one step away!'
Isagi's eyes grew even more excited. He had touched the world of Kira and Rin.
"Don't think you're getting past!"
Barou and Nagi reacted, intercepting in front of Rin.
Rin didn't force a breakthrough. He distributed the ball to Bachira with a single touch.
"Eh? For me? Rin-chan?" Bachira was a little surprised.
"Kira is already up ahead waiting for you. Go, quickly." Rin had already glimpsed Kira starting his run on the other side.
"Yes, sir!"
Bachira immediately began charging forward.
"Track back! They're counterattacking from there!"
"Watch Kira's position!"
Isagi chased from behind, trying to stop Bachira.
'So amazing. The originally unremarkable Isagi has grown enough to have a dialogue with Kira and Rin now.'
'They're all a bunch of disloyal guys. How could they leave me behind?'
'I can be better, too. I want to play soccer even more happily!!'
Bachira lifted his leg!
"Shooting from there?" Isagi couldn't believe it.
BOOM!
The ball spun as it flew toward the goal.
A long ball soaring upward from the ground with super-long hang time?!
Isagi looked back.
'Crap, I was tricked again?'
'He didn't pass to Kira?'
Kira also understood Bachira's idea and looked at him from a distance.
Bachira stuck out his tongue and smiled back.
'This Bachira... he's actually copying me. He's starting to use his teammates, too.'
'Using my run to draw the defense, creating an attacking opportunity for Aryu!'
'Bachira, you've changed!'
'You're no longer the guy who only looks for me.'
"A very beautiful vertical pass. So stylish, this pass~"
Aryu praised it as he ran.
"Aryu, watch out for Chigiri and Nagi!"
Nagi, who had originally been guarding Kira, and Chigiri, who was rapidly tracking back on the other side, both converged on Aryu's position.
In terms of speed, Chigiri should reach the landing spot faster than Aryu.
In terms of height, the 190cm Nagi could compete with Aryu.
'This pass has no threat, Bachira.'
Kira quietly observed the spinning arc of the ball, and suddenly his gaze sharpened.
'As expected of you, Bachira.'
Kira noticed the trick behind Bachira's pass.
"Hey, hey, hey, pay attention, Mr. Stylish. This pass is a Line, not a Point." Bachira muttered to himself from afar.
"I see." As a fellow genius, how could Aryu fail to understand Bachira's thinking?
"This passing route is telling me that if I wait for it to land, it will definitely be stolen..."
"So what I need to find is that point along the path of the [Parabola] that only I can reach..."
"The highest point in the sky! Right? Bachira!"
Aryu understood Bachira's idea internally.
He leaped high just as the ball began its descent.
"No way. Jumping now?"
"Seriously?"
Nagi and Chigiri hurriedly prepared to intercept.
"Watch me... Wild Dance!!!"
High in the air, Aryu barely reached the height of the ball.
A header!
He smashed the ball viciously into the goal.
GOAL!
The Red Team took the lead again, 2-1.
"Phew. Thanks, Meguru Bachira. Your pass let me show off a style I've never seen before~"
Aryu flicked his hair stylishly, preening a bit.
Internally, however: 'Damn, finally got to be stylish for once. Kira and Rin stole way too much of the spotlight before.'
In the distance, sweat dripped continuously from Isagi's forehead.
Originally, Isagi thought that as long as he stopped Kira, there was a chance to win.
But Rin's appearance made Isagi realize he also had to stop Itoshi Rin's performance.
And now, Meguru Bachira's inspiration had created yet another synergy for the Red Team.
'Is this a do-or-die match?'
Isagi's face fell instantly. On the field, it seemed he was the only one on his side who could keep up with the thinking of Kira and Rin.
'What do I do?'
'What can I do?'
'Then I just have to devour them all!'
Isagi's eyes began to burn with fanaticism. 'What a thrilling match. I have to enjoy this properly!'
------
HAND OVER YOUR GODDAMN INFINITY STONES!!
Every 100 stones = +1 extra chapter!
If you want to read chapters early and show some support, check out my P4trƐon!
Just search "Demonic_Fiction" on "P4trƐon" (link in the synopsis)