"Pass it to me already… what a pain,"
Nagi mumbled in a sleepy tone, though a dark fire glittering with stars lit up behind his eyes.
"But challenging the boss is just one more step toward clearing the game."
Shinichi is right behind me. Once the ball comes, I'll fake him out with a trap and nutmeg him with a rebounding shot? No… that won't work. His reflexes are too sharp—he'll definitely block it. Then… I'll trap the ball with my back to him, shield my movements with my body, and perform a new, unexpected move the moment the ball enters his field of vision so he can't react in time!"
Without Reo's assistance to build on a pre-formed idea, Nagi had to come up with a solution himself.
And thanks to Agi's forceful push, he was forced to think for himself—his mind racing like never before.
A new feeling awakened, and his eyes lit up.
"This kind of thinking… it's like a puzzle game. Not bad… kinda fun."
"Oh? But I should warn you—my puzzles come with a time limit."
Shinichi's voice snapped Nagi out of his thoughts. A raw force—so overwhelming that even Nagi's body, strengthened through Premier League training, couldn't withstand it—shoved him aside.
While Nagi was still figuring out his next move, Shinichi had already used his superior physicality to muscle in, step in front, and intercept Agi's pass before it even arrived.
"If you only act after the chance reaches your feet, you'll never have a grip on your fate," Shinichi said coldly as silver lightning flared in his eyes.
He launched a long pass from just outside the penalty area, sending the ball flying into Manshine's half.
"The opportunity's yours now."
"It's mine!"
At that instant, Kunigami and Barou both bolted forward.
The ball landed in an open pocket of space, slightly closer to Kunigami.
Barou clicked his tongue and adjusted his run.
As much as he disliked Shinichi, he trusted that Shinichi's pass was aimed at the most optimal spot.
If he didn't get there first, that only meant his instincts weren't sharp enough—simple as that.
"Quit acting like you've already got us figured out!"
But Manshine wasn't going to let them break through so easily.
Kunigami drew immediate attention as Arthur and Driver closed in.
Yet Kunigami struck the ball hard, sending it through the gap between them. As they instinctively turned to follow the ball, he charged between them while their footing was unsteady and blew past them with sheer strength, catching up to the ball he'd just launched ahead.
"What a brute-force style of attack..."
But Manshine's defense didn't crumble so easily. Left-back Busby stepped in, cutting off Kunigami solidly. His powerful build was nearly equal to Kunigami's.
"Sorry—but I'm good at this too!"
"Tch, so this is my limit, huh? In that case—Barou! You owe me one!"
Realizing he couldn't break through before the defenders recovered, Kunigami spun, shielding the ball with his back, and used his heel to flick it up to Barou, who had sprinted ahead into the box.
But just as the ball rose into the air—
A red comet sliced through the sky.
Chigiri crashed down with the ball at his feet, panting, his crimson hair whipping behind him and eyes locked with fierce resolve.
"Looks like without your Batman leading you, you're just another second-rate hero, huh?"
"You've gotten way more mouthy since changing leagues, prin-cess!" Kunigami snarled, pressing in to stop Chigiri from gaining speed.
Chigiri quickly adjusted, pulling the ball back—
But from behind, Barou came in like a beast, roaring as he lunged.
Surrounded front and back, Chigiri lost control, and Barou kicked the ball loose.
"It's mine!" x3
As the ball bounced away, Barou, Kunigami, and Sendou all dove toward it, shouting in unison. But before they could clash, another figure barreled into the chaos—Reo!
Sliding in hard, he swept the ball out of bounds between the tangle of legs.
"Don't act like you can just do whatever you want, you bastards!"
[Ohhh! From the kickoff, an intense back-and-forth unfolded! Manshine's sharp passing got the ball to Nagi Seishiro, but Shinichi stepped in front and intercepted to launch a full-field counter. Kunigami dribbled past defenders but was stopped by Busby, and his pass was cut off by Chigiri's swift return. Then, with Barou and Reo both joining in, possession changed hands multiple times before going out of bounds.]
[Now it's Ubers' ball.]
"Nice one, Reo."
With the Ubers attack finally broken, Chigiri let out a long sigh of relief, jogging over to help Reo up. But Reo only offered a wry smile.
"…Still, this means that guy's coming next."
Shinichi— about to join Ubers' next offensive push!
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