Chapter 11 – Control

Kira calmly pulled the ball back, letting Raichi rush past him without a second thought. With the field opening up, he pushed forward, dribbling the ball up the pitch. Several defenders from Team X were already positioning themselves to stop him.

"Just press him, we can steal the ball back that way," one defender called out.

"On it!" the first defender replied, charging toward Kira.

The defender lunged, aiming to intercept, but Kira remained unfazed. With a swift touch, he pushed the ball to the other side of the defender's foot, easily bypassing him. Kira kept his dribble steady, his mind already planning the route to dismantle the rest of the defense.

'Since they're all forwards, they overcommit when applying pressure,' Kira analyzed as he surveyed the field. 'This will be easy.'

With that, Kira set his plan in motion. He nutmegged the second defender, slipping the ball between the player's legs with effortless precision. Then, with a quick pullback, he twisted to the right, leaving the third defender scrambling in the wrong direction. Without breaking stride, Kira executed a clean step-over, accelerating past the fourth defender who could only watch in disbelief.

"What!?"

"Damn it," the defenders cursed, frustrated by how easily Kira was slicing through their lines.

Undeterred, Kira kept moving forward. The fifth defender, recognizing the threat, rushed in and bodied Kira, hoping to slow him down long enough for reinforcements to arrive. But Kira had anticipated this. He used the defender's body to his advantage, shoving him into another defender, causing the two to collide and get tangled up with each other.

"Shit, somebody just stop him!" a desperate voice called out from the back.

Kira, completely in control, saw his opportunity. "Ready to rumble," he said, grinning as he passed the ball into an empty space on the field. Bachira, running in tandem with Kira's dribble, darted forward to receive the ball.

"Nice run, Kira!" Bachira called out as he caught up to the play, now ready to continue the attack alongside Kira.

Kira's brilliant solo effort had shredded Team X's defense, leaving them scrambling as the play moved deeper into their territory.

The rest of the team, both from Team Z and Team X, were left scrambling to catch up with the unfolding play. All eyes were on Kira and Bachira as they effortlessly played off each other, dribbling and passing in perfect harmony, weaving through defenders as though they had been teammates for years. Their fluid coordination left the defenders struggling to keep up, unable to break their rhythm.

Finally, the last pass came, and Kira took control. With no hesitation, he lined up his shot, sending the ball low and fast toward the right corner of the goal. The keeper stretched desperately, but it was too late. He could only watch as the ball flew past his outstretched fingers and hit the back of the net.

The scoreboard changed: Team X: 1 – 1 Team Z.

Team Z erupted into celebration, cheering for Kira as their first goal brought new life to the game. Players gathered around him, clapping him on the back and shouting words of support.

Isagi, meanwhile, was still in disbelief, his mind replaying the sequence over and over. The way Kira had dribbled past six defenders, the effortless manner in which Bachira had slotted into the play to support him, and how they tore Team X's defense apart—it felt magical.

'It was like he danced with the ball at his feet,' Isagi thought, trying to make sense of the play. 'And he knew exactly where Bachira was going, even before I noticed the open space.' Isagi's eyes were wide with awe and admiration as he broke down every detail, marveling at the synergy between Kira and Bachira.

Raichi, on the other hand, stood apart from the group, his teeth clenched in frustration. His plan to score the goal and take control of the team felt further out of reach than ever. He had envisioned himself pulling off a one-man show like Kira did, dribbling past the defense, scoring, and proving that he was the one they should rally around.

'I knew he was good, but I didn't think he was THAT good,' Raichi thought, his earlier bravado shaken by Kira's display of skill. For the first time, Raichi felt a twinge of intimidation as he realized how far ahead Kira was. 'Damn it,' he muttered under his breath.

As Team Z's celebrations died down, they moved back to their half of the field to reset. Kira took the moment to speak up, his voice steady but firm.

"If you want to play, then play correctly," Kira said, his gaze sweeping across the team. "Follow Kunigami's plan as he sets it. Anyone else who wants to fuck around is Welcome To Stay Away On The Side of The Field!" His tone left no room for argument, and he made sure to look each player in the eye, driving his point home with an intensity that demanded respect.

The tension in the air shifted as the rest of Team Z nodded in agreement, offering silent confirmation. Even Raichi, sensing that now wasn't the time to push back, retreated, thinking it best to follow for now. After all, they were willing to listen to Kira after that goal.

As Team X prepared to kick off once again, Team Z's focus sharpened, ready for the next phase of the match.

"Don't mind it, we have Barou ourselves," one of Team X's players said confidently.

"And the rest of us are no pushovers," added another as Team X began an intricate passing sequence, methodically moving the ball forward. As expected, they continued using Barou as the focal point of their offense.

"Get ready," Kira warned his teammates, his eyes sharply tracking the movement on the field.

Naruhaya was the first to come face-to-face with a Team X player. "You won't get past me," he declared, positioning himself defensively.

"I seem to have already gotten past your tiny feet before," the player taunted, reminding Naruhaya of an earlier failure.

A vein popped on Naruhaya's forehead, frustration bubbling up. "That was only one time!" he shouted back, closing in to intercept the ball.

"Stop! Don't do that, just stay where you are!" Kira called out, halting Naruhaya's advance. Naruhaya reluctantly obeyed, and his opponent, who had been ready to blow past him, was forced to stop as well, realizing Naruhaya had now closed his space.

The Team X player clicked his tongue in frustration, recognizing the reduced room to maneuver. With no other option, he passed the ball backward to reset their offense.

Team X restarted their attack, passing crisply through the middle with quick, precise one-touch passes. This time, Raichi stepped in to disrupt their flow.

"Oi! That ball is mine!" Raichi growled, lunging in for a tackle, but his opponent swiftly dodged the challenge.

"Hah! Too easy. Are you that much of an idiot?" the Team X player taunted as he passed the ball to a teammate, continuing their attack. Raichi, undeterred, immediately chased after him.

"Shut up!" Raichi barked, unwilling to back down.

"Pass it to Barou," came the shout from one of Team X's players, and in a flash, the ball was delivered to Barou in a prime position.

Barou effortlessly trapped the ball, then dribbled into the middle of the box with a menacing air. "Out of my way, vermin," he sneered as he prepared to take a shot.

But this time, the ball didn't find the back of the net. Kira slid in at the last second, cleanly blocking the shot and changing the trajectory. The ball skidded away, preventing the goal.

"Are you always this edgy?" Kira quipped as he finished the defensive play, his tone calm and composed despite the intensity of the moment.

The ball sailed out toward Chigiri, who immediately saw the opportunity to counter. He passed it quickly to Isagi, who was waiting in the midfield, ready to turn defense into offense.