"Everyone, please move towards your designated field. The first match of the First Selection will begin shortly."
Everyone was gathered inside the locker room, preparing themselves for their first game in Blue Lock. No one knew what to expect, considering they were apparently the worst team in Blue Lock. No one but Isagi knew the truth, that the teams were organized randomly, and that the rankings were mostly a hoax. Already, he gained enough info on Bachira to assume that he was definitely better than half of the players currently residing in the facility.
It made him curious on how good team X was. Were the players there better? Were they worse? A combination of good and bad players? The possibilities were endless in his mind, making him all the more excited to play. He stood up, clapping his hands to garner attention.
"Alright, does everyone remember our plan and formations?" Isagi asked, receiving nods of confirmation in return. "Good, then I don't have to spend useless time going over it. We're going to destroy those idiots in team X, right?!"
"Hell yeah we are! Our team is fucking stacked, there's no way they'll get the drop on us!" Raichi, ever the bombastic character, yelled out. He launched to his feet. "We're going to crush them!"
"Haha~, that's the spirit, Raichi. Let's go team Z, we have a game to dominate!" Bachira was the first to make his way to the entryway, quickly followed by all the others.
Isagi took the lead, having become the unanimous leader of their team. The tactics and plays he designed were incredible, and their light practice beforehand hinted at the monstrosity that rested within Isagi's soul.
Even now, the memory of his elite shots flashed through them.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, they were greeted with a giant soccer field, enclosed by enormous walls with cameras mounted on them. Team X were already situated on the field, and Isagi immediately started assessing their potential value.
'Most of them look shit, to be honest, but that spiky haired pompadour looking striker stands out like a sore thumb. So he's number 250, huh?' Isagi thought, calculations running rapidly in his mind at the dynamics of their team. They seemed pretty weak, but only one of them managed to catch his attention. 'It'll be interesting to see if there's any stock in that, or if he's just as shit as the rest of them.'
"Hey Barou, they seem pretty weak, don't you think?" one of them whispered, looking at the striker Isagi hadn't written off.
Barou didn't reply. The atmosphere of arrogance and superiority he gave off was amusing to see, especially since Isagi realized that Barou completely ignored his teammates' comment to him. Still though, the mocking comment directed towards them fueled Isagi's desire to crush them.
"That big one seems like he's tough." Coming from behind him, Bachira slung his arm over Isagi's shoulder. "Who do you think should guard him?"
"I'll do it." Isagi never got a chance to reply as Kunigami walked over. "I have the strongest physique out of all of us, so I think it'd be best if I guard him."
The urge to rebuke that claim was massive in Isagi, but he managed to hold it back in time. It wouldn't do him good to chain himself to defend the guy when he could score instead. "Alright, we'll let you handle him then, hero."
As they stepped into their positions, the air grew heavier with tension. The countdown for the match initiation blinked above the field, numbers ticking down at an agonizingly slow pace. The moment it hit zero, the walls pulsed with a metallic hum, signaling the start of the game.
Team X took possession first and the ball was immediately fed to Barou. Isagi had a feeling that would be the case, so he had already stood in the way of his adversary. The spiky-haired striker stood tall, his imposing figure exuding a raw, dominating presence. He barely acknowledged his teammates as he controlled the ball effortlessly, a predator sizing up its prey.
Isagi closed in, not diving to the ball but pressuring him to make a mistake. He didn't want to leave himself open, and by keeping him close he was able to limit his options.
Red eyes stared at him scornfully, looking at Isagi as though he were an ant. His dribbles were crisp and presentful, tantalizing like prime steak. Barou glared at Isagi.
"Move it, peasant. When I'm on the field, I'm the king."
With a sudden jerk, Barou moved full speed towards Isagi, doing step overs on the ball to confuse his direction. Isagi didn't waver, following every movement carefully.
With a touch, Barou shifted to his left, taking strong leaps in that direction. He didn't get far, however, as Isagi slammed his shoulder into the imposing striker, causing him to falter in his balance.
"All yours, hero." Isagi grinned, moving away from the ball and towards team X's defense. Barou was confused, but he suddenly had other concerns to address.
Namely, the ball missing at his feet.
Kunigami moved in fast, his imposing frame blocking Barou's direct path to the goal while he closed in. "You won this fair and square, Isagi." he declared, legs stretching as he stole the ball. Barou hadn't realized until it was too late, and by the time he tried to reach it, it was already sent flying. "Take it!"
Isagi did just that. He controlled the ball with a perfect first touch, pushing it ahead with a sharp flick of his foot. The space he had immediately swarmed, team X's defenders closing in hunger in their eyes, vying to steal possession. But Isagi had already mapped out the field, analyzing their formation in real time.
'They're collapsing on me too fast. If I try to force a direct attack, they'll smother me.'
A grin pulled at his lips. 'But that's exactly what I want.'
Feigning a drive toward the center, Isagi suddenly cut to his right, forcing the nearest defender to lunge in panic. The moment his opponent's weight shifted, Isagi executed a flawless roulette, spinning past him like a wraith.
"Oi! Stop him!" one of Team X's players shouted.
Too late. Isagi continued dashing forward with the ball, noting Bachira in the corner of his eye. The second defender came rushing in, attempting to steal the ball. Dipping his right shoulder, he waited for the moment the defender's attention would shift.
Isagi vanished. He didn't bother to pay attention to the scream of shock that came from behind him, he was too focused on the ball.
With a sharp burst of speed, Isagi hopped past another defender, who slid under him a second later. His movements were precise and calculated. Every step he took was fueled by instinct and strategy, his mind running a hundred calculations a second.
The final defender loomed ahead, his stance wide, trying to predict Isagi's next move. Isagi could see the hesitation in his opponent's eyes, the slight lean in his posture. He was trying to anticipate a pass to Bachira.
'Wrong choice.'
Exploiting that moment of uncertainty, Isagi flicked the ball forward, pretending to accelerate into a direct challenge. The defender reacted instantly, shifting his weight to block—but Isagi had no intention of taking him head-on.
At the last second, he cut sharply to his left, dragging the ball along with the inside of his foot. The defender, caught mid-step, stumbled.
A lane to the goal had opened.
'Now!'
Isagi raised his foot, ready to take the shot, when suddenly he felt something coming from behind him.
A heavy presence bore down on him like a collapsing tower.
"Not so fast, trash."
Barou.
"I told you, didn't I? When I'm on the pitch, I'm the King!" Like a lion, Barou pounced on Isagi, his shoulder charging to collide with Isagi's own. It would have succeeded, if Isagi hadn't adjusted at the last second.
"I heard you…" Slamming his raised foot onto the ground, Isagi braced himself for the charge, propping up his shoulder to act as a tool for his plan. Barou saw the opportunity, and collided with Isagi for the second time.
"Huh?" His shoulder met air. No collision occurred, resulting in him falling to the ground with a heavy thud. That opportunity he spotted turned out to be a bait.
Isagi, at the last second before impact, jumped backwards, leaving the ball there as he did so. The ball acted as bait for Barou, who had his eyes trained on it during his charge, easily distracting him from Isagi's true motive. It was a gamble– he didn't know if Barou would hit the ball or not– but he won it.
And boy was it satisfying to see him fall like that. Truly hilarious.
"...I just thought it was the rambling nonsense of a delusional slave." With no more obstacles towards his goal, he launched his right foot into the ball, rocketing it past the keeper and into the net, a satisfying thud sounding out afterwards.
Team X 0 - 1 Team Z
"Apparently," Turning to the prone Barou, Isagi's eyes glared with a hurricane in them. "I was right."
The words hit like a direct strike, a verbal goal just as satisfying as the one he had physically scored. It served to do its purpose, judging by the way his victim was trembling.
A muscle in Barou's jaw twitched. For the first time, shame and humiliation filled him. For so long, Barou was the top dog on the team, always better than everyone else. But now, enclosed in this facility, he was beaten so soundly. He could feel his ego crack. Slowly, he lifted his head, crimson eyes burning with fury and disbelief. His entire aura had shifted from arrogance to something else.
Rage.
"Isagi!"
Bachira's excited voice echoed across the field as he sprinted toward Isagi at full speed. Before Isagi could react, Bachira jumped onto his back, wrapping his arms around his shoulders in an overenthusiastic hug. The impact nearly sent them both tumbling to the ground, but Isagi managed to keep his balance, barely.
"What the hell was that?!" Bachira practically shouted in his ear, shaking him with excitement. "You just obliterated them! That goal was insane!"
Isagi let out a chuckle.
"I told you," Isagi said, shaking off the lingering tension in his limbs. "We're going to be winning this game."
Bachira finally hopped off him, but his grin only widened. "That's right! But you completely destroyed them with that move. Did you see their faces?! They had no idea what hit them!"
Indeed they didn't. Looking back, Isagi could see the looks of confusion and despair written all over team X. It was apparent that they were devastated, anyone would be if they were scored on in the first play of the game.
He couldn't help but frown. 'All it took was one play for them to end up like this? They're a lot weaker than I thought.'
He wasn't allowed to ponder, however, as the rest of his teammates ganged up on him.
"Nice work, Isagi!" Kunigami came up, clapping him on the shoulder with a delighted grin.
"SHAHAHAHA!! That'll show them to mess with us!" That one was Raichi, and for some reason he was gloating like it was the entire team that dismantled team X and not just Isagi. Well, Kunigami helped too, but that was minimal. "The next goal will be mine! I'll score a sexy goal for sure! SHAHAHAHAHA!!"
Their cheering and congratulations were music to Isagi's ears, a symphony of validation that fueled the hunger inside him. It wasn't just the normal goal hunger either. This one was powerful, an endless pit of gluttony that clawed at his insides, demanding more to devour. The monster inside him stirred, awakened by the taste of a perfect goal, and now it drooled for more.
Right now, no one on the field was more gluttonous than him.
Bachira, noticing the shift in Isagi's presence, caught the change in his eyes. No longer was it cool and blue. Now, it was predatory, a beast of reckoning that screamed danger. Excitement thrummed through him as he bounced on his toes, his grin stretching wider. "Looks like someone is fired up. Did the monster wake up, Isagi~?"
"Defini-"
"Oi."
A low growl cut through the air like a blade, slicing through their momentum.
Turning to see the source of it, Isagi was met with the sight of Barou pushing himself up from the turf. His movements were slow, mimicking a beast recovering from a wound in battle, its rage only growing stronger at its pain
The air shifted.
The sheer bloodlust radiating from him was suffocating almost everyone around them.
A thick, heavy tension settled over the field, forcing everyone to take notice. Barou's glare was sharp enough to cut steel, his muscles coiled with restrained fury.
He had been humiliated.
A king never accepts humiliation
"You," he seethed, crimson eyes locking onto Isagi with undisguised fury. "You bastard."
Isagi met his gaze without flinching. "What?"
Barou's lips curled back into a snarl, his teeth bared like a lion about to sink its fangs into his prey. "Don't you dare look down on me, trash!" He slammed a foot against the ground, his entire body trembling. "I'll rip you apart if you do! No one looks down on me!"
Everyone stared at the guy, bewildered at his behavior. It was like seeing a manchild throw a tantrum over some food.
'Pathetic.'
"Get a grip, loser." Isagi scoffed, making his way back to the center circle. "If you're going to be making threats like that, actually have the skill to back it up."
"All you are is a clown masquerading as a king."
Bachira let out a low whistle. "Woah, Mr. Kingy looks really pissed~. You might actually make him pop a blood vessel, Isagi."
"I definitely wouldn't be against it."
Kunigami, standing nearby, shook his head with a sigh. "Cut it out, you guys. We don't need to start anything before the match even resumes."
Barou barely seemed to hear him, his rage fully honed in on Isagi. His entire life, he had been the king, the untouchable ruler on the pitch. And yet, in just a single moment, Isagi had flipped his world upside down.
Isagi, however, was already moving forward, leaving Barou behind. He wasn't here to entertain a tantrum, he was here to win.
With everyone reassembled in their positions, Barou and an unnamed teammate of his lined up to begin the kick off.
The whistle blew.
Barou exploded forward the instant the ball moved, his rage manifesting in sheer aggression, his gaze still locked onto Isagi. He wouldn't accept the humiliation Isagi dealt to him, charging at him once again, determined to prove his dominance.
"Are you a masochist or something, clown?" Isagi grinned, getting into a defensive stance once again. "You already saw that I-"
"OUT OF THE WAY!!"
Isagi wasn't prepared for the brutish approach Barou used. The spiky-haired striker barreled toward him like a battering ram, his malicious intent clear as day. Isagi, seeing the intent in his eyes, moved out of the way quickly. With the feeling he got from Barou, he knew right away that his soccer career could have been in jeopardy from such a collision.
Luckily, he succeeded, but a quick shoulder check again sent him off balance, launching him off his feet.
His body hit the ground with a thud, his head spinning as he was flattened under Barou's sheer force. His teammates gasped in shock as Isagi struggled to regain his bearings, but Barou was already making his move, his eyes locked onto the goal.
"Isagi!" Bachira cried, looking shocked at the seemingly blatant foul that had been committed. Unfortunately for him, the shoulder check was clean, since Isagi's retreat left his shoulder exposed for Barou to take advantage of.
"You're trash," Barou sneered, barely glancing back as he sprinted toward the goal, leaving Isagi behind on the ground.
Isagi, still dazed, pushed himself up, his chest heaving as he fought to shake off the disorientation. He was furious, but he couldn't let the anger cloud his focus. Barou had just charged through him like he was nothing, like there wouldn't be any repercussions.
His face contorted on itself angrily. 'I swear to God I'm going to destroy that fucking clown!'
Kunigami was the next to show up against Barou, rage also prominent on his face. He glared heartedly at the man with the ball. "You scum! I won't let you get past me!"
"Just try it, peasant!"
The match turned brutal in an instant. The beautiful game twisted into a war of strength and resilience as Barou bulldozed his way forward, his movements precise yet overwhelming. Every feint, every cut of his foot against the ball, was laced with raw power and precision. He executed a La Croqueta, smoothly shifting the ball from one foot to the other to slip past Kunigami's initial press.
Kunigami, fueled by his unshakable sense of heroism, refused to back down. He adjusted his stance, lowering his center of gravity as he shadowed Barou's movement. The moment Barou tried to push past him with a shoulder drop, Kunigami stepped in, using his body to block the direct path to the goal.
But Barou was ruthless
Seeing the block, Barou used his sole to drag back the ball before immediately cutting it forward again with a powerful push and run. He knocked the ball past Kunigami and surged forward like a charging bull, slamming his shoulder into him in the process. Kunigami staggered but planted his foot down, forcing himself to stay in the duel.
However, no one could ignore the truth.
Kunigami was losing ground.
Barou's presence was suffocating, his raw strength undeniable. With every shove, every explosive touch forward, he was winning.
It didn't matter though, because he wasn't alone. Raichi stormed in like a rabid beast, his eyes blazing with anticipation. He positioned himself directly in front of Barou, a cocky grin stretching across his face. "Not so fast, Your Highness!" Raichi sneered, his eyes blazing with challenge.
Barou barely spared Raichi a glance, too focused on keeping Kunigami away from the ball. His brute force kept Kunigami at bay, shoving past his challenges like a wall getting battered. It was working… until it wasn't.
In a rare misstep, Barou overshot his touch.
The ball rolled just a little too far ahead, a fraction of a second's mistake, but that was all Raichi needed.
His instincts flared, and his body moved on its own.
"Take this! SEXY TACKLE!!!"
It was not sexy at all, but by all things mighty was it effective.
Raichi launched himself into a powerful slide tackle, cutting through the grass like a bullet. His outstretched foot made perfect contact, knocking the ball out of Barou's reach and sending it flying toward Kira.
The split-second shift sent shockwaves through the pitch. Barou, caught mid-stride, stumbled forward as his momentum betrayed him. His foot clipped against Raichi's leg, and the self-proclaimed "King" found himself losing balance again. It was clean, since Raichi touched the ball first, so no foul was called on the play.
Raichi, still on the ground, grinned like a devil as he watched the flicker of shock flash across Barou's face, especially after it planted itself on the turf.
"Ohhh, didn't see that one coming, did ya, king?" Raichi cackled, his satisfaction undeniable.
Kira, seizing the opportunity, controlled the ball with ease. "Nice one, Raichi!" he called out before swiftly passing back to Kuon in a clean one-two exchange.
Lifting his head, Kira's eyes scanned the field. His mind worked fast, calculating his options before launching the ball to the side of the pitch.
"Chigiri!"
"I hear you, Kira!" Chigiri's voice rang out as he dashed forward, his crimson hair a blur. The ball landed perfectly at his feet, and with a silky touch, he controlled it effortlessly. Two Team X defenders scrambled to close in, their footsteps pounding the grass, but they were too slow. Chigiri had already flicked the ball forward.
Straight to Bachira.
"Aha~! This one's all mine~," Bachira sang, his mischievous grin growing as he surged forward, the thrill of the game coursing through his veins. His eyes twinkled with that familiar, playful gleam, the kind that made him a nightmare for defenders.
With no need to wait around, he surged towards the opposing team. The first defender lunged in, attempting to take the ball, but Bachira flicked the ball through his legs in a silky nutmeg, slipping past him before he could react. The second one tried to body him off the ball, but Bachira twisted his hips, rolling the ball away and spinning out of reach.
Like a wild beast let loose on the field, he was untouchable. With the ball at his feet, he weaved through the defenders with an unpredictable rhythm, every touch a masterpiece of chaos. His movements were fluid, like he was dancing to a beat no one else could hear. Two more defenders from Team X closed in on him, but Bachira was too quick, too slippery. He feinted left, then right, spinning between them like a whirlwind.
Again, one of them lunged.
Predictable.
Bachira dodged with a sharp sidestep, his body dipping just out of reach. The defender's outstretched leg missed by inches, and Bachira grinned even wider, his excitement palpable.
"Not fast enough!" he taunted with a laugh, already taking another touch toward the second half of the field. More defenders stood in front of him, ready to challenge him for the ball once again.
"Bachira!" Isagi's yell drew the dribbler's eyes towards him.
"Looks like you're back, Egoist!" The delighted cheer was understandable on Bachira's part, passing the ball quickly to Isagi's feet.
Isagi grinned, using his first touch to chip the ball over the defender in front of him. With open grass for him to use, he took off down the field. "A little bump from a clown isn't going to put me down, Bachira!"
"It would be sad if it was!"
A defender came up to Isagi, who passed the ball back to Bachira. He quickly got the ball back after he juked said opponent.
Team X started to get desperate.
"Hikigaya, stop number eleven NOW!!!"
Hikigaya, the goalkeeper, stood ready, focusing on the ball with all his strength. He didn't know where number eleven was going to shoot, so he had to be quick about it.
He watched as Isagi swung his right foot, launching the ball towards the top right corner of the box. He followed it, stretching his arm as far as he could, and deflected the ball beautifully.
"HIKIGAYA WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!"
At least, he would have if the ball was there.
The goalkeeper's eyes widened, realizing he had been duped. Upon landing on the ground, he looked to where Isagi stood, but was confused when he saw the lack of ball at his feet.
A second later, those same eyes filled itself with despair when he saw it already in the goal.
Team X 0 - 2 Team Z
"ALRIGHT!!!" Isagi's triumphant roar shattered the stillness, his voice echoing across the field. His fist pumped into the air, his entire body surging with adrenaline. It wasn't just thanks to his goal, but also because of the shot he executed.
'I did it! It worked! My Mirage Shot actually worked!' He internally cheered.
Isagi's heart pounded in his chest, his mind replaying the moment over and over. The ball had already hit the back of the net, but the rush of executing his new technique left him breathless.
The Mirage Shot, a weapon born from his obsession with finding the most efficient way to score.
It was a technique built entirely around deception. Instead of a standard shot, it involved faking a striking motion with his shooting leg while using his planting leg to deliver the actual shot. The motion would be fluid, so precise that in the blink of an eye it creates an optical illusion, making it seem like the ball was struck from one direction when, in reality, it was already flying toward the opposite side.
The moment of misdirection was crucial.
The key to the Mirage Shot rested in the sequence of movements. The kicking leg would swing forward in an exaggerated shooting motion, making the goalkeeper's natural instinct track the movement, forcing him to react to where the strike seemed to be aimed.
Never realizing until it was too late that the real shot had already been made.
His plant leg was the real weapon. It may have seemed to just be used to stabilize his balance, but it was so much more than that. Just before committing to the fake swing, he had subtly angled his foot and delivered the actual shot with a precise flick of his instep.
It was a shot built on vision. A shot that forced goalkeepers and defenders to react to what they thought was real, only to leave them helpless when reality struck a split second later.
A shot that made the impossible possible.
—
In a dimly lit room, dozens of screens lined the walls, each displaying live footage of the match from different angles. They were watching the team X vs team Z game, both Anri and Ego, and the spectacle they witnessed stunned them. His sharp eyes gleamed behind his glasses, locked onto the screen displaying Isagi's latest play. A slow, manic grin stretched across his face, exuding a mixture of amusement and satisfaction.
Standing beside him, Teieri Anri was frozen in place, her hands clenched on her tablet, her mouth slightly agape. Her wide eyes reflected pure disbelief as she witnessed the goal
"W-what was that…?" she muttered, barely able to form the words.
The goal had been bizarre, unnatural in every sense of the word. The goalkeeper had reacted completely wrong, leaping in the opposite direction of where the ball had actually gone. It didn't make any sense. From her perspective, the keeper should have easily saved it. But instead, he was tricked, left helpless as the net rippled from the perfectly placed shot.
Ego let out a sharp exhale, his breath almost shaky with exhilaration. Then—he laughed.
Not just any laugh. A low, rolling chuckle that grew into something wicked, something thrilled.
"Heh… Hahahahaha…"
Anri shuddered violently. She had seen Ego excited once before, two months ago after a trip somewhere, but nothing at this level. This was completely different from the usual composure he has.
"This damn brat…" Ego breathed, his voice laced with unrestrained glee. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the table, his mind racing faster than ever. "He tricked them. The defenders, the goalkeeper, he completely devoured them"
She turned sharply toward Ego, seeking answers. "Why did he jump the wrong way, Ego? How did that shot even go in the opposite direction?! This doesn't make any sense!"
Ego let out another chuckle, his fingers laced together as he leaned forward. "It's Beautiful, isn't it?"
Anri's confusion only deepened. 'Beautiful?' "Ego, that wasn't just beautiful, it was incredible! There was nothing normal about that goal! It was like the goalkeeper was hypnotized into moving the wrong way!"
Ego finally looked at her, his smirk widening. "My dear Anri, what you just witnessed was the evolution of a striker."
He jabbed a finger at the screen, eyes alight with an almost feverish enthusiasm. "Look at it closely. Watch it again. You are partially right in that the goalkeeper seemed hypnotized, but you're also wrong. Isagi Yoichi's shot was not the result of some mere fluke of hypnosis, everything he did was intentional."
Anri's brow furrowed. She turned back to the replay, squinting at Isagi's lower body, trying to see what Ego had caught. Not being able to see it, she slowed down the video by half.
But even at half-speed, it still looked like a normal shot. His right leg swung forward, perfectly selling the motion of a clean strike.
"I-I don't get it," she admitted, frustrated. "It just looks like he shot it normally."
Ego let out a sharp breath, his eyes narrowing slightly. "It does, doesn't it?," he asked, his tone sharp but electric with excitement. "But you couldn't be more wrong. You're looking at the wrong leg."
Anri's eyes widened slightly.
"The wrong—?"
Ego instantly rewound the footage, slowing it down to a crawl.
"Watch his plant foot,"
Anri's eyes locked onto Isagi's left foot, the one that should have been anchoring him to the ground.
She saw it in motion, looking as though he were going to stomp it down. Everything was perfectly normal, nothing was telegraphed what-so-ever. Then, she saw it.
Her breath caught in her throat.
"Wait… wait, no, that—that can't be—"
Her voice faltered as the realization struck her.
It was subtle. Deceptively subtle. The movement happened in the blink of an eye. While every pair of eyes on the field was locked onto Isagi's right leg, expecting it to make contact with the ball, his left foot did something entirely different.
It snapped forward first, and toe punted it into the goal.
The second after it made contact with the ball, his right leg came and finished its follow-through.
Anri's hands flew to her mouth.
"No way…" she whispered, voice barely above a breath.
Ego let out a low, almost reverent chuckle, running his tongue over his teeth.
"That's right," he said, his voice dark with admiration. "Isagi Yoichi used his plant foot to shoot the ball, not his shooting one."
Anri whirled toward him, still barely able to comprehend what she was seeing. "But—but that means—"
Ego's grin widened, eyes gleaming with wicked delight.
"Exactly," he cut her off. "The shot his body sold wasn't the one he actually took. It was a complete scam."
He gestured toward the screen, his voice growing more animated, his excitement bubbling over.
"It's a layered deception. His dominant leg, the one that the goalkeeper was watching, was nothing but a decoy. His posture, his movement, even his follow-through were all lies. A complete fabrication. A shot that lies to the entire field."
He slammed his fist lightly on the table, eyes burning with exhilaration.
"And by the time anyone realized the ball was already gone, the goalkeeper was reacting to phantom movement, not reality."
Anri's eyes remained locked on the footage, still struggling to process it.
Her voice came out small, almost disbelieving. "But… that's impossible… How could he execute something like that so perfectly?"
Ego let out a breathy, almost disbelieving chuckle of his own. He leaned back in his chair, running a hand through his hair, as if trying to process the sheer audacity of what he had just witnessed.
"He's an egoist, down to his very core. His hunger for goals is outmatched, leading him to create and invent new methods and styles to score. Styles and methods unheard of in order to win. That is what matters to Isagi more than anything, to win the game with his own goals. A true Egoist if I ever saw one."
Anri, still reeling from the revelation, slowly turned toward him, her brows furrowing. Her voice was hesitant, almost disbelieving.
"...How do you know so much about him?" she asked softly, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You're talking as though you know him personally."
For a moment, Ego said nothing. The smirk on his face didn't waver at all. In fact, it only deepened.
Then, with a slow, deliberate motion, he turned his chair toward her, the lenses of his glasses catching the light, briefly obscuring his eyes. And when he finally spoke, his voice was steady, firm, and laced with unmistakable satisfaction.
"That's because I do."
Anri's eyes widened slightly. She stared at him, confusion flashing across her face.
"Huh?" she blinked, feeling disbelief run through her. "Wait, you actually know him?!"
Ego exhaled sharply through his nose, his lips curling into a wolfish grin. With a calm, deliberate motion, he removed his glasses and polished them slowly, as though savoring the moment.
He slid them back on, staring directly at Anri, the sharpness in his gaze cutting through her.
"Tell me…" His voice lowered, slow and deliberate, the words dragging out like a predator toying with its prey. "Do you remember when I told you I had a protégé?"
Anri's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes widened, hands trembling faintly at the implication behind his words.
Her voice came out barely above a whisper.
"No… no way…" she muttered, eyes enlarging slightly in disbelief.
But Ego's smirk only widened, a cruel glimmer in his eyes. He turned back toward the screen, where Isagi stood triumphant, his teammates cheering around him. The glint in Isagi's eyes, the sharpness of his grin, the wild euphoria in his expression– that was the face of a player who was utterly addicted to scoring.
The face of a true Egoist.
"Yes. What you are thinking is correct, my dear Anri.."
Anri staggered back half a step, her eyes blown wide. Her heart slammed against her chest as the pieces finally clicked into place.
"No way…" she whispered hoarsely. "He's your protégé?"
Her voice was tinged with disbelief, her hands trembling slightly as she stared at Isagi's face on the monitor, the face of a player she had dismissed as just another hopeful striker. A nobody. But now, she saw him differently.
Ego let out a slow exhale, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smirk.
"For two months," he confirmed, his voice dark with self-satisfaction. "I personally trained him."
He turned toward her, eyes narrowing slightly, his smirk stretching just a fraction wider.
"Two months of breaking him down. Rebuilding him. Shattering every limitation he thought he had."
His eyes gleamed behind his glasses, sharp and predatory.
"I take credit for many things he's become, but this shot that he made?" He gestured toward the screen, his voice dripping with exhilaration. "I never taught him anything like that."
Anri's throat tightened, her hands trembling faintly at her sides. She glanced back at the footage, watching Isagi's eyes go wild with triumph, his grin sharp and feral. Her voice came out soft, barely audible.
"Then… that means…" Her breath hitched.
Ego's grin widened, his eyes narrowing.
"His hunger for goals eclipsed the conventional norms of soccer, giving birth to a new weapon for him to utilize. In other words, he created this shot on his own."
Anri's pulse quickened. Her hands curled into trembling fists as she watched the footage, the realization sinking in like a stone in her chest. Her voice came out, barely above a whisper.
"If he's already capable of this…" she muttered, staring at Isagi's feral grin. "Then… what the hell is he going to become?"
Ego's eyes glittered with dark satisfaction. He leaned forward slightly, steepling his fingers together. His voice lowered to a whisper, barely more than a breath.
"Something even I can't predict."
His grin stretched into something wicked and unrestrained, his eyes glimmering with mad exhilaration. "Now, show me more, my finest masterpiece."
—
The ball was back in action.
Barou stormed down the field once again, a ruthless predator on the hunt, his eyes locked onto the goal with a singular, unyielding obsession. His legs churned with raw, explosive power, each stride fueled by the frustration of his previous failures and the insatiable craving for his first goal.
Around him, Team X moved with swiftness, passing the ball between each other and across the pitch in a bid to disorient Team Z's defense.
Chigiri pressed one of Team X's wingers, his scarlet hair flashing as he maintained the perfect distance, poised and ready. His footwork was pristine, measured but quick, cutting off passing lanes while keeping himself mobile enough to intercept.
Team X's cohesion was quick. The ball exchanged feet in rapid succession, a sharp one-two, then another diagonal pass.
One of their midfielders, a scrawny-looking player with jittery eyes, found himself cornered by Raichi. Panicked, his eyes darted around the field, desperate for an escape route.
He saw Barou in the box, guarded by Kunigami and Kuon, growling as he was stuck between the two.
His eyes widened slightly, and without another thought, he launched the ball into the box with everything he had. It was a desperate gamble, a wild and hopeful clearance aimed at the hulking figure of Team X's self-proclaimed king. Their desperation for a goal was immense.
In the box, Barou was already moving.
He bulldozed his way into position, muscling through the clustered crowd of defenders with sheer brute force. His imposing frame easily shoved aside the smaller Team Z players.
As the ball descended, Barou surged forward, his eyes wild with hunger.
"MINE!!"
He jumped into the ball's path, chesting it down with perfect control. The impact reverberated through his torso, but his touch was clean, smooth, and practiced. The ball dropped softly at his feet.
Kunigami was on him in an instant, charging in with his arms out wide, determined to close the distance. His eyes were fierce, his powerful frame closing in like a battering ram.
But Barou was ready, shifting his body weight to turn and swung his leg back with dramatic force, a bait meant to trap the defender.
Kunigami took the bait.
"Shit!" he snarled, lunging to block the nonexistent strike.
Barou's lips curled into a wicked smirk. In a fluid, predatory motion, he pulled his leg back in a split-second recoil, using Kunigami's misstep to create just enough space for the real shot.
Barou's foot made contact with brutal precision, sending the ball rocketing forward. The sharp thunk of leather against leather echoed across the pitch as the ball tore through the air like a cannonball, streaking toward the goal with lethal speed.
His eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction, watching the ball cut through the box. His lips curled into a cocky grin.
'Finally.'
But just as his mouth began to open in order to roar in triumph, his eyes widened.
A flash of navy and white blurred into his vision.
'No...'
Yes. Barou gazed at the person who ran past him with misery, already assuming the truth of what was about to happen
A sharp, crisp smack split the air, and in a blink, the ball's trajectory was obliterated.
Barou's mind was in shambles. It didn't make sense. The ball was supposed to be in the net. No, it had been absolutely going in, of that he was sure. He could already hear the cheers of his teammates. He could already see Team Z's crushed expressions in his mind.
But it never happened. Because instead of the net bulging with his goal, the ball had been stopped.
The play was dead, and so too, was team X's hope.
Standing in front of him, foot still outstretched from the block, was Isagi, the thorn that had been humiliating him this entire match.
Isagi stood up from the ground, having landed there after his impressive defensive play. His eyes were sharp and clear with unwavering focus, staring Barou down with intensity. His breathing was steady, but the smirk tugging at his lips was unmistakable.
"Pathetic." Isagi clicked his tongue, looking back at Barou with casual confidence. His eyes gleamed with cool defiance, as if he hadn't just nullified Barou's shot with ease.
He slowly straightened his form, the faintest smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.
"You're gonna have to do better than that, 'king,'" he taunted softly, his voice a low, lethal drawl.
Barou's eyes narrowed angrily. His hands curled into fists at his sides, his knuckles turning white.
Isagi decided to not linger any further, sprinting past the frozen "king" with confident strides. His mind was moving at rapid speed, processing the field in a heartbeat.
The ball had deflected perfectly into open space, a deliberate touch that signalled a counter attack. He had redirected Barou's power with surgical precision, sending the ball exactly where he wanted it.
And he was already moving. Without hesitation, Isagi surged forward, his eyes locked on the goal that was far ahead. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kira making his way to the ball, successfully evading danger with a perfect outside touch.
A plan formed in Isagi's mind, and he sprinted to implement it. He ran slightly closer to Kira, quickly overtaking him in position.
"Kira!" He called, quickly receiving the ball from the called person. He could see Bachira up ahead, and launched to him with perfect accuracy. "Go on a rampage, Monster!"
"Alrighty then~," Bachira, seeing the ball still in the air, heeled above his head when it got to him, stupefying the defender closing in on him.
"Hah?!" the defender gawked, eyes wide with disbelief.
The ball soared briefly, spinning just out of reach. Before the stunned defender could react, Bachira twisted his body with liquid ease, catching the ball on the downward arc with the outside of his boot. With a silky smooth first touch, he tamed it effortlessly, pulling it back under his control.
It was a massacre after that.
With a sudden burst of speed, he exploded forward, slithering past more defenders with dazzling footwork. His movements were fluid, flowing between opponents like he was dancing with the ball, twirling around their desperate lunges and flailing feet.
"Don't mind if I do~!" he chimed with a sing-song lilt, his grin widening wild and unrestrained.
The defenders scrambled, their faces contorted with frustration, but they were utterly powerless to stop him.
Bachira was chaos personified, dribbling with unpredictable, joyful recklessness. His feet moved in a hypnotic rhythm, toying with his opponents as though they were nothing more than practice cones.
One defender lunged. 'Too slow'. Bachira slipped past with a casual nutmeg, never breaking his stride.
Another player dove in to block his path. 'Too stiff.' Bachira pivoted mid-stride, scooping the ball over the defender's leg with an audacious rainbow flick.
"Oops~! You almost had me there!" he teased, flashing them a wicked grin over his shoulder.
Bachira continued his rampage ruthlessly, leaving a trail of confused and disheveled opponents in his wake.
By the time he reached the edge of the box, it was already too late.
His final marker, a panicked center-back, hesitated for just a fraction of a second, just enough time for Bachira to feint left before cutting right with step-overs at blinding speeds, sending the defender sprawling.
"Bye-bye~!" Bachira chirped cheekily, skipping past the poor soul without a shred of mercy. Now it was just him and the keeper. Bachira slowed slightly, his eyes glimmering with predatory glee. He locked eyes with the goalkeeper, holding his gaze just long enough to let him feel the terror of uncertainty.
Then, without warning, he dragged the ball with the inside of his boot, pulling it across his body in a sudden, sharp cut. The goalkeeper flinched, moving instinctively toward the fake-out direction. Bachira's grin widened.
In the next beat, he deftly shifted his balance and scooped the ball with the tip of his boot, sending it sailing over the keeper in a graceful chip. It arced elegantly, time seeming to slow as it hung in the air, before gently dipping into the back of the net.
The net rippled softly.
Everyone stood in place, watching the goal with mixed expressions. Team Z were full of delight, while team X were shattered. They were powerless in stopping the chaotic dribbler. All they were able to do was nothing more than watch the score increase yet again.
Team X 0 - 3 Team Z
"Bang~!" Bachira sang out, playfully pointing his finger guns at his teammates with a cheeky wink. His grin stretched wide, eyes gleaming with childlike glee, as though he hadn't just torn through an entire defense with humiliating ease.
He cocked his imaginary guns with a smug clicking motion, blowing on the tips with exaggerated flair, like a gunslinger flaunting his latest showdown victory.
"That was way too easy~!"
Before he could flash another cocky gesture, he was swarmed by his teammates.
"You crazy bastard!" Raichi bellowed, the first to tackle him, slinging a heavy arm around Bachira's neck and pulling him into a half-stranglehold. "Where'd you go off doing all that from, hah?!!"
"Oi, lemme go~!" Bachira laughed, squirming with faux protest, his voice muffled by Raichi's crushing embrace.
Kunigami followed next, giving Bachira a firm shove from the side, his face breaking into a happy grin.
"That was ridiculous," Kunigami praised, patting the bumblebee's shoulder roughly. "Where the hell did that chip come from?"
"You liked it, huh~?" Bachira chirped, flashing him a mischievous grin, still half-trapped in Raichi's grip.
"Hell yeah! You were awesome with those moves, dude."
Isagi sprinted over with a bright grin. Without slowing, he leapt lightly into the group, slapping Bachira on the back with a playful smack.
"You're such a show-off," Isagi's eyes shone with amusement. "You left them trailing your dust."
"Aww~! You guys are just jealous because I'm too good." Bachira teased, puffing out his chest dramatically.
Raichi scoffed, tightening his hold with a mock headlock. "Just you wait, Blunt Bangs! I'm gonna score the next goal and prove my sexy soccer is better than you!"
"Gack— Oi! You're gonna crush my genius!" Bachira whined dramatically, flailing slightly in Raichi's grasp, drawing a chorus of laughter from the group.
Bachira finally wrenched himself free from Raichi's grip, hiding behind Isagi in search of protection. Isagi denied him of that, walking back to their side of the field to restart the match. Glancing at the clock, he noted the time that had passed.
'We're in the 39th minute huh? Might as well try to squeeze one more goal in there too.'
With everyone situated again, the ball was back in motion. The atmosphere was tense, thick with the weight of desperation. Team X's players were on edge, their frustration mounting with each failed attempt to close the gap.
Barou, with his usual imperial presence, stormed forward the moment the ball was passed his way. His eyes gleamed with feral hunger, and his legs coiled with power, ready to tear into Team Z's territory once again.
But before he could take his second stride, something unprecedented happened.
"Sorry, Barou," a sharp voice cut through the field. The source of it darted in front of him, cutting off his path. "But I can't let you screw this up for me."
Barou barely registered the words before he realized what was happening. One of his own teammates was now standing between him and the ball, shielding it from the self-proclaimed king. With a sharp pivot and a quick touch, he stole possession right from under Barou's nose.
For a split second, there was nothing but stunned silence.
"HEY, WHAT THE HELL'S THE BIG IDEA, HINOMORI?!!" one of the defenders barked in disbelief.
"WHY THE HELL ARE YOU STEALING FROM YOUR OWN TEAMMATE?!!" another shrieked, his voice cracking from the sheer absurdity of what happened.
"WHAT THE FUCK, MAN?! ARE YOU SERIOUSLY BETRAYING US RIGHT NOW?!"
But the offender, Hinomori, was unfazed. He barely even glanced at his furious teammates, his eyes locked straight ahead, focused on nothing but the goal. His face was cold, devoid of remorse.
"Don't be ridiculous," he scoffed, his voice sharp with disdain as he broke into a sprint with the ball. "We're down by three points. There's no way we're winning this."
His eyes narrowed with ruthless determination.
"I need to secure my position as the top goal scorer if I want to advance."
His voice dripped with self-interest, his words slicing through his teammates' stunned disbelief. Barou's eyes flashed with fury at Hinomori, his hands clenching into tight fists. His teeth gnashed together, the veins in his neck straining as a guttural snarl clawed at the back of his throat.
"You… fucking trash."
Before Barou could storm after him, another blur shot across the field.
THWACK!
In a flash of motion, one of Hinomori's own teammates came sliding in from the side with a sudden, aggressive tackle. The sharp clash of cleats against leather echoed across the field.
The ball jerked from Hinomori's feet, breaking free of his control and rolling away.
The offender, a sharp-eyed striker named Sakurai, quickly scrambled to his feet, snatching possession before Hinomori could recover. He locked eyes with him, cold and defiant.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Sakurai spat venomously.
Without hesitation, he turned on his heel and took off down the field, clutching the ball as though it were his lifeline.
Hinormori blinked in brief confusion before his expression twisted into rage.
"You bastard…!" he seethed, lunging forward to give chase.
But Sakurai was faster. With powerful strides, he surged ahead, his face twisted with steely desperation. His chest heaved with every breath, his legs pumping furiously as he sprinted down the field.
His voice rang out as he pushed forward, filled with frenzied resolve.
"If we're gonna lose, then I'm scoring for myself!" he roared, his eyes wild with selfish hunger. "I won't let you guys sabotage my dream!"
The other members of Team X, still scattered across the field, looked on in stunned disbelief. Their eyes flicked between the two players—their own teammates—now battling each other with the same ferocity they once directed at Team Z.
It was utter chaos.
In the span of mere seconds, Team X had collapsed into a civil war.
Strikers fighting strikers.
Teammates turning on one another.
They were no longer playing to win. Now, they were playing for themselves.
On the sidelines, Team Z's players watched with a mixture of shock and predatory amusement.
"Are you seeing this?" Chigiri muttered, eyes wide in disbelief.
Kunigami's brows furrowed slightly, his voice low with restrained caution.
"They're falling apart…" he muttered, eyes narrowing slightly as he read the situation. "They're not a team anymore. They're just a bunch of desperate guys trying to one-up each other."
"Can you even call this soccer?" Kuon questioned, striding away from his position with a frown on his face. He looked disappointed at the squabbling mess their opponents turned into. "It looks like they're playing rugby instead. Or, at least, something similar to that."
"Can't say I have an answer to that. It's just…" Kunigami frowned. "It's just a sorry sight to see."
Bachira, standing nearby, let out a low whistle, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.
"Looks like the monsters inside them are waking up too~," he mused, golden eyes glimmering with amusement.
Isagi, standing next to him, gave a glance of bemusement. "I don't think those are monsters, Bachira."
A shrug and raspberry were his answer.
Back to the mess that was team X, everything there was chaos. The ball was a frenzied blur in the cluster of Team X players, ricocheting between feet and bodies in a chaotic flurry. The fractured team swarmed around it like a pack of starving dogs, desperate to snatch it away from one another. It was like watching a bunch of mortals trying to pounce a goddess of beauty and keep her to themself. It was a pitiful sight to see.
No longer were they teammates. The only thing they were to each other was nothing more than rivals.
Elbows jutted, cleats scraped, and shoulders slammed. Their once-coordinated attack had disintegrated into a violent free-for-all, each player fighting to claim possession for themselves.
Hinomori lunged, his face twisted with wild desperation, attempting to trap the ball under his cleat. But before he could gain control, another one of his own teammates, a stocky defender for their team named Koba, crashed into him from the side, their legs tangling together as they both stumbled.
"Get the hell off me!" Hinomori roared, shoving Koba with a feral snarl.
But before either could recover, another player, Shiraishi, barreled in from the opposite direction, his boot swinging wildly in a frantic attempt to kick the ball free. He clipped it with the tip of his cleat, sending it pinging off another defender's shin. The ball bounced awkwardly, spinning back toward the crowd. Players shoved, scrambled, and fought with reckless abandon, each one trying to claw their way to the prize.
Barou was among them, his massive frame plowing through bodies like a battering ram, muscling aside anyone in his path. His eyes were alight with fury, teeth gritted so hard it looked like his jaw might snap.
"Out of the way, you peasants!!" he roared, slamming into one of his own teammates and sending the smaller player sprawling to the ground.
But outside the chaos, another waited to make his move. With the stealth of a tiger, Isagi lurked.
He didn't need to outmuscle them, nor did he need to overpower them. All he needed to do was be smarter.
While Team X tore at each other like animals, Isagi lingered at the edge of the fray, his sharp eyes darting between the gaps and loose touches. He read the movements, tracking the unpredictable bounces and ricochets with calm eyes, running calculations and predictions in his head.
Finally, he found his opportunity.
A sliver of an opening was made.
The ball bounced off one player's shin, rebounded off another's cleat, and briefly slipped into free space between the tangle of bodies.
A gap—small and fleeting, barely there for even a heartbeat.
It was more than enough.
'NOW.'
BAM!
Isagi exploded into the fray, his body slicing through the chaos with ruthless efficiency. His foot struck the ball with a sudden, snatching motion, his touch swift and clean. In a single motion, he ripped the ball from the scrum, snatching it like a thief in the night.
And before the others could even register what had happened, he was gone.
"WHAT?!" Hinomori shouted, his eyes snapping to the empty space where the ball had been.
"Where did—?!"
Barou's head jerked up sharply, his eyes widening as he spotted the blue streak of Isagi's jersey already cutting through the field.
"YOU AGAIN?!!" Barou's voice was a loud, venomous snarl, his knuckles whitening as his fists clenched, quickly giving chase in hopes of reclaiming the ball.
But Isagi wasn't looking at him, completely zoned in and locked onto the goal.
The entire field seemed to slow around him.
The disjointed shouts of Team X players blurred into static, the rapid footsteps behind him fading into dull thuds. The only sound he could hear was the rhythmic pounding of his own heartbeat as he rushed to the goal with everything he had.
His legs burned with exertion, but he kept running, driving forward with everything he had. His sharp breaths cut through the cold air, chest heaving but relentless. The entire defense was still out of position, leaving a gaping emptiness in their backline. No one was ready for Isagi's sudden breakout.
"HE'S THROUGH!!" one of the Team X defenders shrieked, his voice raw with panic.
"GET HIM!!"
The goalkeeper widened his stance, arms outstretched, ready for the incoming shot. His eyes were shaky, nervous out of his mind at the incoming striker. He didn't want to increase the gap again, it would only bring further distress to their team, but history had its way of reminding him that things just aren't fair.
Just as Isagi reached the edge of the box, he slowed, setting up his shooting form perfectly. The keeper's eyes immediately locked onto the motion, determined to not mess up again.
'Is it another fake, or is it the real deal?! Please, please let me block this!'
As Isagi cracked down on the ball, he connected with his shooting foot.
'It's the real one!' The goalkeeper lunged, committing fully to the motion. His body twisted mid-air, arms stretched wide toward the corner.
But he was wrong. Yet again, Isagi tricked him into a false reality.
With a sharp, fluid motion, Isagi's plant leg struck the ball instead, the surprise strike launching it toward the opposite corner. The ball rocketed low and fast, whistling through the air like a bullet.
The keeper's eyes widened in brief, stunned horror.
"No—!"
He twisted mid-dive, but he was already off-balance. He was helpless in the air and could only watch yet again the ball moving behind him.
The net gave a violent snap as the ball tore into the bottom corner, the impact shaking the goalpost with a deep, resonating thud. The sound echoed through the facility, reverberating against the walls. The buzzer shrieked through the air, cutting through the bedlam.
The score shifted on the display.
Team X 0 - 4 Team Z
For a heartbeat, there was no sound. Just the quiet thrum of breath in the air, thick with the tension of the moment.
Then the despair began.
"No... no fucking way..." Hinomori muttered, his voice cracking, hands gripping his head in disbelief. His knees buckled, and he collapsed, falling to the ground brokenly. His eyes were wide, glassy, as if he couldn't process what had just happened. "This can't be happening..."
One of the midfielders for team X, Kagurazaka, slammed his palms into the grass with a strangled scream. His face twisted in anguish. "How? How do we stop him?" he yelled, his voice breaking with the weight of utter defeat. His knees hit the ground, and tears began to streak down his cheeks, but his hands still gripped the turf, as if the earth could somehow anchor him to reality.
The goalkeeper remained on the ground, lying still for a moment as the weight of failure settled in. His body was limp, his arms sprawled out beside him as if he had nothing left to give. His chest heaved with shallow breaths, and his gaze remained fixed on the net, where the ball rested, mocking him. Slowly, he dragged himself into a sitting position, his fingers digging into the grass as he glared at the spot where the ball had penetrated.
Across the field, Isagi stood with the slightest shift of his weight, eyes never leaving the ball as it settled in the net. His breath came steadily, his chest rising and falling in controlled rhythm. He had already forgotten about the keeper. Forgotten about the defenders. Forgotten about the tears. His gaze was sharp, cutting through the air as he scanned the field again. It wasn't the goal that mattered now. It was what came next.
Isagi took a slow step forward, his boots grinding against the synthetic turf. He wasn't in a hurry. There was no need. It was almost halftime.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to catch the keeper's gaze, a cold smirk playing at the corner of his lips. His voice, when it came, was low and deliberate, cutting through the air like a razor. "And that's three..."
The keeper's fists clenched, fingers digging into the grass in silent fury. His eyes burned with frustration, but there was no fight left in him. He had been beaten, again, and there was nothing he could do to change it.
Looking around, Isagi stared at the broken expressions his opponents held, not caring for his teammates who lingered behind them. As we gazed, he felt a familiar sensation. Sadistic ecstacy numbed his mind, giving him the same high he felt only once before.
'Ahhh~, there it is… There's that feeling I've been craving for~...' He thought, covering his face in his hands. 'This feeling of supremacy! Of pleasure! Only the best on the pitch can feel it! I'm the only one who can feel it! It's good, it's so fucking good!
His breath caught as the sheer weight of his dominance washed over him, exhilarating him with powerful, undeniable force. It was enthralling. No… enthralling wasn't nearly strong enough to describe what he was feeling. It was far more than that.
It was madness. It was bliss. It was addicting.
It was everything.
'My brain is boiling~!'
As the moments stretched on, the rush began to fade. The fire inside him simmered down, becoming a controlled, focused intensity. His chest still rose and fell with the remnants of that wild high, but his mind sharpened, no longer clouded by the chaos.
"That's a good look on you all," Isagi's voice carried to the defenders, his words a taunting torture. His eyes flicked over to the players still scattered across the field, their faces contorted with frustration and despair. He could see their shoulders slumped, their spirits crushed beneath the weight of their incompetence. "Meritless losers like you should stay groveling on the ground. Don't even try to fight back."
Another defender let out a guttural sob, his head lowered into his hands, his body shaking with the sobs that wracked his chest. "We can't do it. We can't even get close."
Isagi's gaze lingered for a moment, then he turned away, dismissing them with a casual sweep of his hand. He turned, seeking the eyes of the one he vowed to destroy.
His sharp gaze locked onto Barou.
The self-proclaimed king remained frozen in place, his eyes fixed on the ball nestled in the net, his fists limp at his sides, as though unable to process the destruction of his pride.
Isagi's grin twisted into something far darker, a dangerous smile that spoke of more than just triumph.
He raised his hand to his face, fingers curling slowly, deliberately, until they formed the motion of holding a crown. Then, with all the mocking intent in the world, he placed it atop his own head, a silent yet searing declaration.
Mockery. Pure and unfiltered mockery.
Barou's eyes flared with a venomous fury, his teeth grinding together so hard the sound of it cut through the tension like shattered glass. His entire body shook with rage, but still, Isagi didn't move.
As his teammates surged toward him, their excitement thick in the air, Isagi's gaze never wavered from Barou. His eyes locked onto him with an unyielding coldness.
Then, with a voice low and lethal, sharp enough to cut steel, Isagi spoke, just loud enough for the king to hear, his words cutting through the air like a blade.
"Your throne is mine…"
---
HELLO EVERYONE! Once again, I hope you all have thoroughly enjoyed yourselves reading this chapter. Please, I beg of you all, give me your thoughts and opinions in the comment sections. I love and absolutely adore every single one of your comments and cherish every one of them. You don't know how many times a day I check the comment section for something new lol~ >v<
Anyways, I'm so glad you're all here. If you want to get ahead on the story (Chapter 9 is dropping tonight) please check out my Patreon.
Chapter 5: Team X vs Team Z: Final!
Chapter 6: Y isn't for preparation, but we'll prepare for Y anyways.
Chapter 7: Return of the Crimson Jaguar.
Chapter 8: Team Y's Crushing.
Chapter 9: An Awakening, A Chess Showdown Between Aces.
Have a blessed and wonderful day my friends!
\_(^v^)_/