Kira Ryosuke simply standing there gave off a mountainous pressure, so heavy it was suffocating.
That aura made Niko Isshiki feel like he was back to that powerlessness he experienced a few days ago, facing Team V.
When the whistle blew again.
Team Y kicked off, and Hyoma Okawa unexpectedly broke through alone into Team Z's backfield the moment Team Z pressed high.
Niko decisively sent a long pass.
As long as it reached Hyoma Okawa's feet, the top scorer from Kumamoto Prefecture would display his superb scoring skills.
They also had attacking players on their side!
Just as Niko was mentally simulating the attacking route, a dark shadow suddenly darted out from his blind spot, mercilessly intercepted the ball, then used a series of Marseille Turns to shake off two defenders, and shot again.
Goal — — — — — —
Only five minutes into the game.
2:0!
Kira Ryosuke was on a rampage.
He alone was enough to dominate the field.
Even Team Z's players looked shocked; had Kira Ryosuke already figured out Team Y's intentions the moment he touched the ball?
He showed no surprise at Okawa's solo run, as if everything was under his control.
This terrifying spatial awareness.
The pressure it brought was even greater than that of the three players from Team V.
This was Japan's treasure — Kira Ryosuke!
To avoid a severe loss.
Niko decided to tighten the defense; they couldn't concede any more goals. As long as they prevented the ball from reaching Kira Ryosuke's feet, there was still a chance to turn things around.
"Damn it, a turtle formation...?"
Looking at the ironclad defense, Raichi gritted his teeth and spat, then went Forward to contest for the ball.
Team Y's players seemed to have no attacking desire, passing the ball among themselves, wearing down Team Z's stamina.
While moving into position, Kira Ryosuke noticed a subtle gaze, observing him intermittently, like a poisonous snake in the jungle, waiting for the right moment to bare its deadly fangs.
A smile appeared at the corner of his mouth, "Trying to lure me out and play counter-attack?"
"Then I'll grant your wish."
Kira Ryosuke suddenly accelerated towards Niko, extending his foot to try and steal the ball.
A glimmer of light flashed in Niko's eyes, hidden beneath his thick bangs, "I've been waiting for you, genius."
Taking advantage of the slight distance between them, Niko swung his foot and shot the ball with an astonishingly high arc.
It went straight into Team Z's backline.
The ball was calmly received by Hyoma Okawa, who had been waiting for a long time, "The counter-attack begins..."
Niko sneered; everything was going according to plan.
"GO!"
Before the excitement had faded, Kira Ryosuke's soft chuckle came from beside him, "As expected."
"You possess an extremely broad vision and are skilled at commanding the overall situation."
"But..."
Niko sensed an ominous premonition in his words. Kira Ryosuke turned his head and gave a brilliant smile, "Our team has two people with such spatial awareness."
"What?"
As his words fell.
Before Hyoma Okawa could even take a step Forward with the ball, a figure, like a predator, darted out from the shadows, swiftly intercepted the ball, with an "as expected" look in his eyes.
It was Isagi Yoichi.
Kira Ryosuke's accelerated growth had evolved his spatial awareness; he similarly predicted Niko's ball trajectory and positioned himself on the finishing route.
"Well done, Seichi."
"Pass me the ball."
Kunigami advanced into the shooting zone, waving for the ball.
Hyoma Okawa desperately tried to snatch it back, but Isagi Yoichi gave him no chance, also sending a long pass, aiming precisely for the powerful Kunigami Rensuke, who was waiting near the penalty area.
"Stop him."
The goalkeeper screamed desperately.
Everyone who had studied Team Z's footage knew Kunigami's weapon: long-range shots.
Therefore, the moment the Defensive Midfielder advanced, a defender also covered the other side of the goal frame, assisting the goalkeeper's weak spot.
"Good adaptability."
The excellent coordination was flawless even to Kira Ryosuke; it was hard to imagine this was a team composed entirely of Forwards, and their defensive awareness was far superior to Team Z's.
With his shooting lane blocked.
Kunigami let out a frustrated "Tch" and could only pass the ball to Bachira on the right.
In this team.
Although Bachira was an attacking midfielder, he was more skilled at organizing attacks.
Everyone in Team Y immediately tensed up.
"Who will he pass to?"
"Who will shoot?"
At this moment, time itself seemed to stop.
Niko suddenly thought of something, seeing Kira Ryosuke, who was tightly marking him, suddenly dart out like a cheetah.
His position was precisely the baseline on the left half of the field.
"Does he want to replicate that shot?"
In the footage against Team X, Kira Ryosuke's incredible curved shot from the baseline made Niko wary, convincing him that he was the goal-scoring killer. He constantly pieced together methods to prevent him from taking the shot.
"Should I foul him?"
This thought was born in his mind.
As if guessing Niko's thoughts, Kira Ryosuke abruptly turned his head, his gaze fixed on the figure emerging from the midfield.
"No need."
"In our team, I'm not the only egoist who wants to score..."
In an unnoticed moment, Isagi Yoichi, like an obsessive madman, burst out from the unmarked penalty area, tearing through the darkness before him. Rays of light, like laser beams, converged in his pupils.
Bang!
The soccer ball was like a bullet.
It hit the goal with a resounding shot.
Goal — — — — — —
Team Z scored again.
Score 3:0!
After scoring, Isagi Yoichi embraced the cheers and hugs of his teammates, but his gaze was firmly fixed on Kira Ryosuke.
In that moment.
In the puzzle of the field in his mind, Kira Ryosuke was the last piece. As long as he followed his prediction, this shot was bound to succeed.
Everything went exactly as he had thought.
But... was Kira Ryosuke truly being manipulated by him?
How did it feel...
Instead, it felt more like Kira Ryosuke saw the future on a deeper level... Isagi Yoichi wasn't the only one who felt this way; Niko Isshiki, who was in deep shock, also did.
Looking at the tall, handsome genius before him, he felt nothing but endless frustration.
This feeling was even more intense than when fighting against Team V.
Although Nagi and Reo were also unreachable geniuses, their brilliance was more in specific skills that helped them dominate the field.
Kira Ryosuke was different.
Whether it was physical ability, dribbling, passing, ball control, and various techniques, he was exceptionally good.
Enough to rival members of the national U20 team.
His abilities were even far beyond theirs.
What made him even more despairing was that the opponent even crushed him in spatial awareness, the ability he relied on for survival, with a devastating slaughter.
From being deliberately lured into the trap at the beginning, to later cooperating with Isagi Yoichi to distract everyone's attention, all the scenarios seemed to be part of his plan.
Everyone on the field was just a puppet he manipulated.
"Is this the tyrant who reigns over the field...?"
"He's truly a complete monster..."
Niko Isshiki let out a deep sigh.
His eyes, filled with both apprehension and longing, watched Kira Ryosuke as he ran further away.
— — — — //