Chapter 8 – Pecking Order

The game continued, with each player giving their all. As they rotated positions, taking turns as goalkeepers, the results varied from player to player. But as Raichi's turn in goal came to an end, Kira couldn't resist poking fun at him.

"PUAHAHAHA! YOU GOT SCORED ON NINE TIMES IN A ROW!" Kira burst out, his laughter echoing across the field as Raichi stood nearby, visibly embarrassed. Kira mimicked him, saying, " 'I'll block all your shots!' HAHAHA!" He reveled in Raichi's frustration, a grin of satisfaction spread across his face.

Raichi, his pride bruised, clenched his fists and barked back, "Shut it! I don't want to be goalkeeper anyway!" His voice was defensive, trying to recover from the sting of humiliation.

Kira wasn't done yet. "Man, you sure are all bark and no bite, huh?" he added with a smirk, making sure Raichi wouldn't forget this moment anytime soon.

That was the last straw for Raichi. "You looking for a fight?!" he shouted, rushing toward Kira and locking him in a sleeper hold, attempting to choke him. Despite the situation, Kira just kept laughing, his voice unbroken by the physical struggle.

The rest of the team, too exhausted from the intense game, watched the comedic duo from the sidelines without much energy to intervene. Some players sat on the ground, gulping down water and distributing fluids to stay hydrated.

Meanwhile, Isagi stood off to the side, deep in thought. 'Kunigami ended up as our top scorer with 7 goals, followed by Kuon with 3. The rest of us only scored 1 or 2 goals,' Isagi mused. But something still didn't sit right with him. 'Although, Kira didn't score at all. Even I managed to score at least once. Why?'

Isagi's mind wrestled with this conundrum. Kira had proposed the game to determine who the core of the team would be, and Isagi had assumed Kira would score the most goals to establish his place. But in reality, Kira had spent the entire game passing and supporting others in scoring, never once aiming for the goal himself.

'What's his aim?' Isagi wondered, his eyes fixed on Kira, who had now freed himself from Raichi's chokehold and was preparing to address the team.

"Alright, good job, guys. As agreed, Kunigami will be our core—until he's replaced by someone better, anyway," Kira announced to the team, his voice calm and composed, a stark contrast to his earlier playful jabs at Raichi.

Isagi couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Kira's plots than meets the eyes.

"We don't mind," Kuon murmured quietly.

"If it's Kunigami, then it's fine," echoed another, signaling the team's general acceptance of the decision. Despite the consensus, Raichi grumbled to himself, clearly not in agreement but aware that he wouldn't gain any support by voicing his objections.

"Thank you, everyone," Kunigami said, acknowledging his new role. "I promise to be fair when I give you your roles." His words carried a sense of responsibility.

With that, the players began dispersing, ready to return to their scheduled training. They were careful not to overexert themselves, knowing that pushing too hard could lead to injuries.

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Meanwhile, in the control room, Ego was far from satisfied. He muttered to himself in disgust, his voice tinged with frustration. "That was disappointing."

Watching Kira play, Ego had expected more from him after the bold demands Kira had made, forcing Ego to cater to his whim. Sure, Kira played well—his passing was sharp, he controlled the ball effortlessly, and he provided solid assists—but something critical was missing.

Ego's eyes narrowed as he analyzed Kira's performance. 'Where's the ego? Where's the pride? Where's the will to destroy everything in his path to score goals?' Ego mumbles, disappointment flooding his body.

Worst of all, Kira had wasted multiple perfect opportunities to score. Each time, instead of taking the shot, he passed to his teammates. To Ego, this wasn't the behavior of someone with the drive to become the world's best striker.

"That's the last time I let some brat demand anything from me," Ego declared firmly, his frustration boiling over.

Throughout his own career, Ego had seen many players, and Kira's performance wasn't anything exceptional. It was the kind of selfless play you'd expect from a role player on any team—not from someone with the hunger to be a top striker. This realization angered Ego deeply. His mission was to create a miracle forward for Japan, a player with unparalleled thirst for goals. Watching Kira "play nice" even in practice infuriated him.

"He should be making his presence felt. Establishing dominance. Instilling fear in his teammates' minds," Ego muttered under his breath, his frustration palpable.

"What a waste," Ego murmured as he turned away from the screen, disappointment etched into his features.

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After their intense game, Kira and the team returned to their regular training regimen under Ego's schedule. The friendly competition had sparked new motivation, and the players threw themselves into their workouts with renewed energy and focus. The day progressed as usual, with each player pushing themselves harder than before, driven by their desire to improve.

As the training session wrapped up, Kira completed his reps and headed to the showers, his mind wandering as the hot water cascaded over him.

'The only players worth using are Kunigami, Kuon, and Bachira. Isagi too, but he's still a work in progress,' Kira thought, grabbing a bar of soap and rinsing it over his body. His mind continued analyzing his teammates. 'The rest? Nothing impressive. Although Kunigami's accuracy and positioning need work, his left foot is deadly enough that defenses can't ignore him.'

Kira imagined their team's potential. 'With Bachira's dribbling and crossing, Kuon's jumping ability, and Kunigami's powerful left foot, we've got enough threats to spread the defense's focus... making it easier for me to score.'

After finishing his shower, Kira stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying his hair as he continued thinking. His earlier confidence about the core players was overshadowed by a lingering problem.

'However, we still have one issue,' Kira mused, his thoughts turning to Raichi. He recalled Raichi's stubbornness and constant attempts to make himself the core of the team. 'Raichi's only strength is his stamina; the rest of his skills are terrible. He's got too many weaknesses as a striker compared to the others.'

As Kira continued drying off, a potential solution crossed his mind. 'If Raichi played in the midfield, though...'

But no matter how he spun it, Kira couldn't figure out how to integrate Raichi's unrefined abilities into a cohesive team plan. By the time night fell, he still hadn't come up with a solid answer.

'Oh well,' Kira thought with a shrug as he lay in bed, his mind settling. 'I'll just throw him to the sharks and see what happens. I can't wait for a real match now.'

With that final thought, Kira drifted off to sleep.