Chapter 11 : Trivela!

Isagi's smile widened as the ball slipped past the goalkeeper and into the net. Relief surged through him. The new skills he had been honing had finally borne fruit. They weren't just tools he had to consciously think about using anymore; they had become a part of him, ingrained and instinctive. Still, his elation was tempered by the situation. They had only equalized the score, and there was no time for celebration. Turning on his heel, he jogged back toward the center line, his mind already racing with strategies for what was to come.

But before he could take his position, a firm grip yanked him back. Startled, Isagi found himself face-to-face with an all-too-familiar scowl. Raichi's veins bulged as he pulled Isagi closer, his voice dripping with frustration.

"Why didn't you pass to me? I was wide open!"

Raichi's yell echoed across the field, drawing a few curious glances.

Isagi sighed internally. From the very beginning, Raichi had been an irritant—a volatile, loud-mouthed presence that grated on his nerves. In the manga, Raichi's unyielding determination and straightforward personality had been admirable, even endearing. But playing alongside him? It was another story entirely. Isagi resisted the growing urge to retaliate, forcing himself to stay calm. Just as he opened his mouth to brush Raichi off, Kunigami and Kira stepped in.

"What're you yelling about? You didn't pass in that situation either!"

Kira snapped, shoving Raichi back. Raichi, ever quick to anger, spun around to retaliate, but the shrill blare of the intercom interrupted, signaling the restart of the game.

Team X resumed play, but their coordination had crumbled. Driven by selfish ambitions, they ignored each other, each player seeking individual glory. Barou stood open, a clear opportunity for a pass, but his teammates refused to feed him the ball. Instead, they squabbled over possession, tripping over their egos.

Seizing the chaos, Kira intercepted a loose ball, only to find Kunigami right beside him, both vying to make their mark. Meanwhile, Team X's disarray continued. One player broke away with the ball, aiming for the goal. Gagamaru and Isagi closed in, their defense like a solid wall. With his imposing height and reach, Gagamaru intercepted the ball, his touch directing it toward Isagi.

Barou charged toward Isagi, his eyes burning with the determination of someone who had already been humiliated twice. He wouldn't let it happen again. Isagi, unfazed, executed a flawless trivela pass, sending the ball spinning with precision toward Bachira, who had made a well-timed run.

"What the…?"

Barou's expression betrayed his shock. After Isagi's earlier selfish play, Barou hadn't expected him to pass, let alone with such finesse.

Bachira's eyes sparkled with anticipation. Trapping the ball expertly, he surged toward the penalty box. Two defenders closed in, but Bachira danced around them, his stepovers fluid and mesmerizing. With a cheeky nutmeg, he left the second defender floundering and faced the goalkeeper. Without hesitation, Bachira chipped the ball, sending it arching gracefully over the keeper's outstretched hands and into the net.

Bachira, grinning from ear to ear, sprinted toward Isagi and leaped onto him, nearly knocking him over. Their teammates joined in, piling onto the duo in a joyous celebration. For now, they were in the lead, and the glimmer of survival felt tangible.

Raichi, however, stood apart, his frustration simmering.

"Tch. So he'll pass to Bachira but not me?"

He clenched his fists but held his tongue, knowing it wasn't the time for complaints.

Barou stepped up to restart play, but his teammates' dysfunction persisted. The right winger's protests fell on deaf ears as another player broke formation, greedily chasing the ball.

"Stay in your position!"

The winger yelled.

"Position? I'm a striker! If we're losing, I need to score two goals to become the top scorer. Don't get in my way!"

Snapped the rogue player, only to be tackled by his own teammate.

"Same here"

The tackler said coolly before sprinting off with the ball.

Isagi watched the chaos unfold with a small, calculating smile. The gaps in Team X's defense were glaring. He and Gagamaru moved to intercept the ball again. This time, Isagi's precise timing and ball control made stealing the ball look effortless. It felt like magic; the ball obeyed his every command, responding to even the subtlest of his movements.

Leaving defenders stumbling in his wake, Isagi pushed forward, weaving through the midfield. As he approached the left flank, Kunigami and Kira called out, positioning themselves as options. Isagi noticed Kunigami's strong left foot, a reliable weapon in critical moments. He prepared to pass, but Barou anticipated his intent, closing in to block the route. With his teammates marking Kira and Bachira tightly, Barou had gambled on marking Kunigami. It was a calculated move, but one born out of necessity rather than teamwork.

Isagi's mind raced. He recognized Barou's determination and skill. If Team X could rally around Barou, their chances of victory would rise exponentially. But right now, they were fractured, and Isagi had no intention of letting their disarray go unpunished.

"Time to turn this into another goal"

Isagi thought, a predatory glint in his eyes as he shifted his weight and made his next move.

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