Chapter 50 – Training

The next day arrived faster than expected, and Kira, Shidou, Nagi, and Raichi gathered for a training session in preparation for their upcoming match against Rin's team. With Shidou's addition to the group, they aimed to explore new options for both offense and defense.

"We'll split into pairs for a 2v2 and work on building chemistry," Raichi took charge of the arrangements. "This way, we can at least link up with one player or score goals ourselves."

"Sure," Kira had no objections and simply allowed Raichi to take the lead.

"Who's playing with whom?" Nagi asked, eager to get started.

"Kira and Shidou, you guys team up. Nagi and I will stop you," Raichi decided. He recognized that with Ryusei Shidou joining the team, their attacking potential had skyrocketed. Combining Shidou's relentless hunger for goals with Kira's natural playmaking ability, it was clear that Shidou would be their ace striker, surpassing both him and Nagi in offensive prowess.

"I live for the explosion. If you can't match my desire, piss off!" Shidou shouted, not caring about his teammates as long as he could score.

"You sure? You might not get the chance," Kira said nonchalantly, his calm demeanor revealing that he didn't mind who his partner was.

"Yeah, let's do this," Raichi responded, with a plan in mind. He knew his strengths—stamina and set-piece mastery—and while they were powerful assets, they only came into play in specific situations. Meanwhile, Shidou represented what a true striker should be, and Raichi was determined to learn from him. He suspected Nagi had similar thoughts.

As the game kicked off, Kira took control of the ball, while Shidou immediately sprinted toward the box, indifferent to Kira's situation. Raichi moved in to pressure Kira, though he knew disrupting Kira's rhythm would be a challenge. Yet, Kira's movements had become sharper since their last encounter. With a fluid step-over using his right leg, Kira's body language suggested he was going to break through on Raichi's right side, tricking Raichi into shifting to block him.

But just as Raichi committed to defending, Kira swiftly changed direction, cutting to Raichi's left. The sudden shift threw Raichi off-balance, causing him to stretch his leg out in a desperate attempt to intercept the ball, but he missed entirely. Kira hadn't even touched the ball until the final moment, guiding it past Raichi with the outside of his right foot and leaving Raichi behind.

Meanwhile, Shidou had won his race down the left wing, battling Nagi for position. Using his left hand to create space between himself and Nagi, Shidou adjusted his run diagonally toward the keeper. Kira, recognizing the opportunity, unleashed a perfect through ball toward the penalty spot on the left side. 'Damn, he put it exactly where I wanted,' Shidou thought, smirking.

Wasting no time, Shidou delivered a powerful shot, aiming for the far post. The ball ricocheted off the inside of the goalpost and hit the back of the net—an unstoppable goal.

Kira and Shidou 1 – 0 Nagi and Raichi.

Despite scoring, Shidou remained dissatisfied with how easily the sequence had played out. The goal was too simple, a mere tap-in from Kira's well-placed pass. He needed something more explosive, something that matched his hunger for action.

"Oi, Kira! Can't you send a pass with more finesse? One they can't even touch!?" Shidou yelled, his voice echoing across the field.

"Calm down, wild dog," Kira shot back, unfazed by Shidou's outburst. "That was just a warm-up. I wasn't even sure you could keep up with a more difficult pass."

Shidou's face twitched, a vein pulsing in frustration at the implied insult. The suggestion that he couldn't handle a more complex pass was like a spark to a powder keg.

"Just kick the pass. I'll show you how I explode!" Shidou barked, his determination flaring. The challenge ignited a fire in him—he was going to prove he could score no matter the difficulty.

Kira simply smirked, unaffected by Shidou's aggressive tone. "We'll see if that's true."

The game resumed, with Raichi taking possession of the ball and Nagi sprinting up the field toward the box. But Shidou was relentless, immediately applying pressure on Raichi, who quickly realized he would lose the ball if he held on to it any longer. With little choice, Raichi passed to Nagi, whose excellent first touch stopped the ball dead. Nagi stood still, locked in a standoff with Kira, who was marking him closely.

However, Nagi had forgotten one crucial factor—Shidou's aggressive playing style. As Nagi paused to think about his next move, Shidou stormed in like a whirlwind, disrupting Nagi's balance as he lunged for the ball.

"Whoa…" Nagi muttered, barely managing to stay on his feet.

"Too slow," Shidou commented, his eyes locked on Nagi. "You don't know what to do with the ball, do you?"

The distraction allowed Kira to swoop in and steal the ball, darting past Nagi and driving forward with a solo run from the midfield. Raichi wasn't going to let Kira get away so easily, though. He rushed to cut him off, declaring, "I'll stop you!" Despite his words, Raichi wasn't confident. He hoped Nagi would recover and help out.

Kira, having played alongside Raichi before, could anticipate his thoughts. Knowing Raichi was stalling for time, Kira decided to keep Nagi in mind but wasn't about to let them corner him. As Raichi closed in, Kira initiated a scissor feint, bringing the ball closer to his feet. Sweat dripped from Raichi's brow as Kira's footwork became more intricate. Backing off slightly to maintain his defensive posture, Raichi unknowingly gave Kira the space to accelerate down the left side.

Raichi scrambled to keep up, but Kira was too quick. In an instant, Kira executed a sharp V-cut, pulling the ball back and changing direction with fluid precision. Raichi, caught off guard, attempted a tackle but was left sprawling on the ground as Kira nutmegged him effortlessly, leaving him in a cloud of dust.

With Raichi beaten, Kira continued his drive toward the goal, but Nagi had finally recovered and was ready to challenge him. Yet, Kira found Nagi even easier to deal with. With a simple body feint, Kira rolled the ball under his foot, shifting his weight to the right before sharply cutting back to the left. Nagi, caught off balance by the sudden movement, struggled to adjust and eventually lost his footing, tumbling to the ground.

Now facing the goalkeeper one-on-one, Kira prepared to take the shot. But just before he could, Shidou appeared out of nowhere. "Yo!" Shidou grinned, stepping in front of Kira.

"Aren't we teammates?" Kira asked with a chuckle, flashing a mischievous smile. He had easily bypassed Raichi and Nagi, but Shidou was a different beast. Kira relished the idea of testing himself against someone as ferocious as Shidou.

"I saw you weren't going to pass, so I thought I'd steal the ball myself," Shidou smirked, lunging to intercept.

What followed was a fierce standoff between Kira and Shidou. Kira tried to break through, but Shidou's aggressive defense matched his every move. Raichi and Nagi, now completely ignored, watched from a distance as if they weren't even part of the game anymore.

"They're acting like we don't exist," Raichi growled in frustration.

Nagi, equally annoyed, hummed in agreement. The rivalry between Kira and Shidou had consumed the field. Nagi decided to intervene, moving in just as Kira seemed to lose the ball. But instead of tilting the balance, Nagi's involvement merely became an opportunity for Kira.

"Oh? Someone wants to be sacrificed," Kira teased, seizing the moment. Using Nagi's presence to disrupt the standoff, Kira flicked the ball with his heel just out of Shidou's reach. He then drove toward Nagi, stopped abruptly, and let Shidou catch up. With a smooth croqueta, Kira slipped the ball between Nagi and Shidou's swiping feet, leaving both players crashing into each other.

Breaking free, Kira found himself one-on-one with the keeper again. With a casual flick of his foot, he chipped the ball effortlessly over the goalkeeper's outstretched arms, watching it sail into the net.

Kira and Shidou 2 – 0 Nagi and Raichi.

Raichi regrouped with Nagi, frustration etched across his face as he admonished his teammate for his misstep in the last play. "You already know he's tricky, so why give him an opening to embarrass you like that?" Raichi demanded, his voice tinged with exasperation.

Nagi, his own frustration simmering beneath the surface, responded quietly, "I'm just… mad that they're not taking us seriously." While Nagi had managed to score a goal earlier, it wasn't enough to shake off the lingering sense of inadequacy. Shidou's arrival on the team had magnified Nagi's insecurities. With Shidou emerging as the dominant attacking force, Nagi feared he was becoming a lesser option—a shadow of his former self.

The game resumed, but once again, Raichi found himself under pressure. Shidou, relentless as ever, pressed hard, forcing Raichi into a mistake. The ball was stripped away in a flash, leaving Raichi helpless as Shidou secured possession effortlessly.

"Now give me that perfect pass!" Shidou called out to Kira as he sprinted ahead, trailed closely by Raichi, who was desperate to atone for his error.

Kira trapped the ball, shielding it with his body as Nagi pressed hard, trying to regain possession. "Alright, let's see if you can reach this," Kira muttered in response to Shidou's demand. He allowed Nagi to push into him slightly before using the momentum to his advantage. With a swift poke of the ball, Kira turned sharply, executing a Cruyff turn that left Nagi momentarily stunned, trailing behind him as Kira accelerated down the pitch.

Kira and Nagi raced side by side, Kira driving the ball forward while keeping his focus on the play rather than Shidou's position. Without even glancing up, Kira trusted his instincts and launched a precise left-footed cross into the goal box. It was a long, high pass, designed to meet Shidou's run at just the right moment.

Raichi, determined not to let Shidou score again, clung to the striker as closely as he could. As the ball descended, Raichi saw a chance to intercept. With all his strength, he leaped into the air, hoping to make contact with the ball and disrupt the play. But his timing was off—Raichi had misjudged the ball's trajectory, and it soared just beyond his reach.

In a flash, Shidou arrived with explosive speed, leaping into the air and unleashing a spectacular kung-fu-style volley. His right foot connected with the ball in midair, sending it rocketing toward the goal. The keeper stood frozen, unable to react as the ball crashed into the back of the net, hitting the right corner with pinpoint accuracy.

Kira and Shidou 3 – 0 Nagi and Raichi.

Raichi lay on the ground, panting and defeated. His thoughts swirled as he reflected on the game. 'Kira's playmaking and Shidou's finishing…' he mused, picking himself up slowly. 'These two seem to have an instinctual connection, like they can sense where the other is, even though they've only just started playing together. Combine that with Kira's dribbling, and we might have the best duo on our hands.'

Meanwhile, Nagi clenched his fists, the weight of his growing frustration pressing down on him. He felt utterly useless, unable to match Kira or Shidou in one-on-one situations. Being carried by Kira's passes had been enough before, but now? Now, it wasn't enough. He couldn't keep relying on others—he needed to evolve.