Chapter 12 – A Striker

Isagi glanced up, scanning the field to see who was in position to support his attack. Both Bachira and Kunigami were within his passing range. 'Kira and Barou brought their teams together with their goals,' Isagi thought as he initiated a passing sequence with Bachira to move the ball forward.

'Their strength brought stability and order to a fragmented team.'

"Alright, Isagi, let's see if you can keep up!" Bachira teased as he dribbled past one defender with ease before passing the ball back to Isagi.

'Is this what Ego meant by rebuilding football from zero?' Isagi wondered, continuing to push forward. He passed the ball off to Kunigami, who spun around, using his strength to push a defender off-balance. But now two defenders were closing in on him, flanking him tightly. With no room to dribble, Kunigami spotted Kuon free on the side and passed the ball to him.

Kuon wasted no time, kicking a precise through ball to Bachira, who was now positioned on the right wing. Bachira received the pass smoothly and immediately sent it across to Isagi, who had been shadowing him throughout the play.

Isagi positioned himself, feeling the adrenaline as he prepared to take the shot. 'If that's what it takes, then I'll make it there too,' he resolved. 'I don't want to be left behind!'

With determination, Isagi kicked the ball, watching it soar toward the left side of the goal. It seemed perfect, the shot beautifully timed and aimed. But just as it was about to reach its target, a Team X defender blocked it, and the ball ricocheted off, landing right into the goalkeeper's hands.

'Damn it,' Isagi cursed under his breath, feeling the sting of the missed opportunity.

Kunigami jogged over, offering a bit of advice. "Isagi, you should've made one more pass to me. If I had kicked it, it would've gone in," he said calmly, not scolding but providing an alternative.

"Sorry, I really wanted to score that goal," Isagi admitted, frustration and disappointment evident in his voice.

"It's fine," Kunigami reassured him, waving off the apology. "Let's do it again next time."

Isagi nodded, focusing on the next play.

Team X began their offensive play, passing fluidly between each other, but Team Z was always there to disrupt their rhythm. Every time Team X tried to push forward, Team Z's defense broke their flow, forcing them to reset. The same thing happened when Team Z launched their own attacks—Team X would quickly intercept and block any progress. This back-and-forth struggle continued for the remainder of the first half and into much of the second. Both teams were still figuring out how to play together, how to synchronize their movements and build a cohesive rhythm.

Barou, however, was growing increasingly frustrated. Every time he tried to break through Team Z's defense with his signature dribbling, Kira was there, swooping in to steal the ball at just the right moment.

"Did you think you can stop me, the King?" Barou growled, his red eyes flaring as he confronted Kira.

"I don't think so. I already have," Kira replied coolly, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

"You...!" Barou's veins pulsed with rage, his temper rising. "I'll kill you!"

"Like I said, are you always this edgy?" Kira quipped back, unfazed by Barou's outburst.

As the game entered its final minutes, Team X launched one last offensive push. This time, they gave the ball to Barou and rallied around him, supporting his run.

"Time to die, scum!" Barou snarled as he started his scissor routine, testing Kira's defense. He feinted left, but Kira quickly cut off his route, forcing him to change direction. Undeterred, Barou twisted and turned, trying different moves to shake Kira, but no matter what he tried, he couldn't break past him.

"So far, you've done nothing but dance like an idiot," Kira taunted, his voice calm, cutting through Barou's frustration like a knife.

That was the last straw for Barou. Abandoning his skill and finesse, he charged forward, determined to force his way past Kira with raw power. "No one makes fun of me!" Barou roared, charging like a bull.

As Barou pushed forward, thinking he had finally broken through, he stepped straight into a perfectly timed ambush. Iemon closed in from the side, his foot blocking Barou's path and clinching him between himself and Kira. Barou had no room to escape, and the ball came loose. Kira swiftly seized control of the loose ball

"What!?" Barou gasped in disbelief, realizing his mistake too late.

"Thanks for the ball," Kira said, smirking as he dribbled away, leaving Barou behind in a fit of rage.

"Kunigami, start this last play!" Kira called as he passed the ball to Kunigami in the center. Kunigami trapped the ball under his foot, quickly contemplating how to proceed.

"Bachira, Kira, Isagi, support me as I break through the center!" Kunigami commanded, kicking the ball to Bachira to begin the play.

"Okay! Time to win this game!" Bachira responded with his usual enthusiasm as he dribbled forward, smoothly weaving past two defenders. Isagi, determined not to fall behind, shadowed Bachira's movement, positioning himself as an outlet for a quick pass.

Kira arrived, and the three formed a triangle, overloading the midfield with rapid passes, ensuring the ball never stayed in one place for long. They effortlessly shredded through Team X's defense, the ball moving forward with precision. The pressure was mounting on Team X, and panic set in as they couldn't stop the trio. Desperate, they sent in more defenders to clog the passing lanes, but that was exactly what Team Z had been waiting for.

Kira, cool and composed, made a through pass between the defenders' feet, threading the ball perfectly into space. Kunigami, already making the run into the open gap, was left one-on-one with a single defender and the goalkeeper. Without hesitation, Kunigami unleashed a powerful left-footed shot. The ball flew like a missile, cutting through the air with speed, the defender ducking as it soared just over his head.

By work of fate or just bad luck, the ball crashed into the crossbar with a deafening clang, rebounding back into the field.

"Damn it, I put too much power into it," Kunigami cursed, frustrated with himself. He had the shot but misjudged the power, a flaw he struggled with despite having such a strong left foot.

Immediately, Team X pounced on the opportunity, securing the ball and sending a long cross forward, aiming to find Barou for a swift counterattack. Barou charged after the ball, with Imamura desperately trying to cling to him, but Barou's sheer strength made it impossible to slow him down.

Iemon, too, tried to block his advance, but Barou easily dribbled past him with a powerful stride. Now one-on-one with the goalkeeper, Barou didn't hesitate and blasted the ball into the net.

"I'M THE KING!" Barou roared, his voice echoing across the field as Team X celebrated wildly.

The scoreboard flashed: Team X: 2 – 1 Team Z.

"No way," Naruhaya muttered in disbelief, devastated by the sudden turn of events.

"There's only 5 minutes left," Kuon said, glancing at the clock. "Can we win with the time left?"

Imamura, guilt-ridden, lowered his head. "I'm sorry, guys. He was too strong."

"What are you guys moaning about?" Kira's voice cut through the despair as he turned to face his team, who had lost their spirit after Barou's spectacular play. "You guys giving up?"

No one answered. Many of the players were in shock, some already listless and fatigued, accepting the loss as inevitable. Kira scanned their faces, then focused on Kunigami, their supposed core.

"Kunigami, it's your fault for not scoring that goal," Kira said bluntly, walking over to him. He locked eyes with Kunigami, forcing him to look up. "What are you gonna do to make up for it?"

Kunigami was silent. He knew he should have scored. With only a few minutes left, he also knew Team X would put all their efforts into defense, wasting time to secure their win. He racked his brain for a solution but came up with nothing. Feeling the weight of his failure, Kunigami looked away from Kira, unable to answer.

Seeing Kunigami's defeat, Kira didn't waste time. He grabbed the ball and brought it back to the center.

"It seems like it'll just be us, Bachira," Kira said with a determined tone. "Let's go!"

"Sure!" Bachira replied, his eyes alight with excitement, ready for one last push.

The game restarted with Bachira kicking the ball to Kira. But Team X, having learned their lesson, immediately swarmed Kira, not giving him any room to maneuver. They closed in from all sides, determined to shut him down.

Faced with this intense pressure, Kira simply smiled. He expertly weaved through the crowd, keeping the ball close to his feet, securing it from being stolen. However, despite his brilliant ball control, he wasn't making much progress up the field. Team X's defense was tight, and the space to move forward was minimal. Kira patiently waited for his opportunity, and finally, he saw a gap. He made a precise pass to Bachira, breaking through the left flank.

"Nyaha! I knew you'd come through, Kira!" Bachira exclaimed as he flicked the ball forward without stopping, keeping the momentum alive.

The defenders scrambled to close in on him, but Bachira's dribbling was too fast and fluid, drawing more players toward him. He glanced up and saw that Kira had made a run into an open space.

"Here you go, Egoist!" Bachira called out, sending a perfectly timed cross into the box. The ball was delivered so precisely that Kira barely had to raise his leg to trap it. Now, he found himself one-on-one with the keeper, but before he could take the shot, Barou appeared in front of him.

"Try and get past me, losers!" Barou roared, his aura seemingly amplified, exuding an oppressive miasma as he locked all his focus on Kira.

"Well, aren't you dandy?" Kira shot back, unfazed by Barou's intimidation. He drove forward, stepping over the ball and accelerating to the right, feigning a move to get past Barou.

Barou saw the movement and adjusted, but it was all part of Kira's trick. The drive was a fake, designed to separate Barou from the ball and block his recovery route. With a quick flick, Kira passed the ball to his right. "You're always at the right place, huh, Isagi?" Kira said with a smirk.

Isagi had been following the flow of the attack, positioning himself perfectly. His heart raced as the ball reached him, knowing this was his moment. Among the team, Isagi still had the fighting spirit to keep pushing forward, refusing to give up.

Without hesitation, Isagi struck the ball cleanly, sending it flying through the air. It soared past the keeper and hit the top right corner of the net with a satisfying thud.

Team X: 2 – 2 Team Z.

"YEEAAHHH!" Isagi shouted, his voice filled with delight as he celebrated the equalizer.