To Isagi Yoichi's surprise, Team X, which had been just as chaotic as Team Z, suddenly put aside their selfish desires after Barou Shouei scored with his overwhelming individual ability. They quickly fell into their respective roles and began to play the game centered around Barou.
The reason was simple.
Barou had shown them the hope of winning and advancing.
The small group that Kira Ryosuke had painstakingly assembled was instantly shattered by the now-organized Team X. Two defenders immediately rushed towards him, forcing Kira to pass the ball back to Isagi, attempting to set up another two-on-two play.
However.
Before the ball could reach Isagi's feet, Kira's diagonal pass was intercepted by a Team X player.
In an instant, Team X's counter-attack began.
The defensive midfielder launched a long pass to a teammate in the center, who then gave it to the player on the right wing, before finally moving it to Barou's feet.
Seeing this, the players of Team Z swarmed towards Barou. He alone attracted the defense of a full five players. And the formation Team Z was using in this match was a 4-3-3, meaning they only had four defenders in total!
"Is this okay? Sending so much trash to defend against just me?"
His Majesty the King's gaze coldly swept over the soccer trash before him. He suddenly executed a backheel, and the ball was cleverly passed to a supporting teammate.
At this moment, Team Z's defensive line was in complete chaos.
With just three passes, thwack, thwack, a Team X forward got a one-on-one opportunity with the goalkeeper.
Without hesitation, facing the amateur goalkeeper, the opponent rushed to the edge of the penalty area and coolly slotted a shot into the far corner, scoring again.
2:0!
Team X extended their lead.
Just ten minutes into the game, Team Z was already two goals behind.
"This is bad. If this goes on, we'll definitely lose!" Isagi's face was grim. The opponents had already started to play with coordination, while his own teammates were still blaming each other.
"Just a little while ago, Team X was also playing in a chaotic mess... Is it because of that guy?" Isagi's gaze couldn't help but drift towards Barou. With a single goal, the other guy had transformed a scattered Team X into a cohesive unit.
A cohesive unit?!
Suddenly, Isagi seemed to understand something.
"If the chaotic, swarming style of play is a '0,' then Barou's outstanding performance is not a '0,' but a '1'!"
"With this '1' as the center, the team built a strategy for victory. This is what Ego Jinpachi meant by 'creating football from zero'!"
At this moment, Isagi finally understood.
But...
"I can't become that '1'!"
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He could already sense a major defeat sweeping towards them. And the more devastating the loss, the more the players on the team would want to become the top scorer to secure their own advancement, and the more intense the fight for the ball would become. If this continued, their Team Z would inevitably be eliminated.
Kira Ryosuke's expression was also extremely ugly. Since he was a child, he had always been the center of attention, like the moon surrounded by stars. His outstanding talent always allowed him to become the absolute core of the team. It was the same in elementary school, middle school, and high school. All his coaches would build the team around him, and his teammates would consciously create opportunities for him.
Because he could lead them to victory!
But here...
"These damn guys! Don't they know who the jewel of Japanese football is?!"
He hated these guys to the extreme, his face contorting.
"These kids are beyond saving."
Anri Teieri, who had just arrived, saw this ugly scene the moment she walked in. Team X had already begun to organize effective attacks, while the members of Team Z were still fighting amongst themselves over the ball. If this continued, they would all be eliminated sooner or later.
"It's about time."
It was at this moment that Tendou, who had been paying close attention to the bullet comments, finally began to move. He felt the time was right. It was time to make his heroic entrance in the most explosive way possible.
Team Z kicked off for the third time. But not long after, because they fell into disarray and fought amongst themselves, they lost possession of the ball.
The players of Team X, on the other hand, had clear roles. Using basic give-and-go and one-two passes, they helped Barou get a chance to face the goalkeeper directly.
A position 30 meters from the goal!
Barou didn't hesitate. He aimed for the corner of the goal and was about to unleash a furious shot.
However.
Just at this moment, Tendou's figure took a step forward.
Unlike his "self-destructing" and "mutually complaining" teammates, his objective was clear. He instantly closed in on Barou.
"Hmm?" Barou was startled. He hadn't even noticed when this guy had gotten there.
Tendou said nothing, simply poking the ball away from Barou's feet with the tip of his shoe.
"Tendou?!" Isagi was stunned for a moment, then immediately turned, planning to coordinate with Tendou to complete this attack. Victory was what mattered. As long as he could show these guys a hope of winning, there was a chance to unite the team.
"Here, Tendou!" Isagi shouted, raising his hand for the ball.
But Tendou didn't respond. Under Isagi's gaze, facing a double-team, Tendou's body once again emitted that familiar white light.
And then.
With a swoosh, Tendou's body violently tore through the air, bursting out from the two-man encirclement in an instant.
'Holy Crap!'
The audience in the real world shouted out the national expletive.
A black monster was seen clinging to Tendou, making him look like Rice Shower from Uma Musume, radiating a black and white aura as he sprinted at high speed.
"So fast!"
Everyone was stunned by Tendou's astonishing athletic ability. Isagi wanted to come over to support him, but found that even without the ball, he shockingly couldn't keep up with the fully unleashed Tendou.
"A direct breakthrough in the center?!"
In the control room, Anri Teieri was dumbfounded.
Why has the legend of the "fast horse on the wing" always been passed down on the football field, while the legend of the "fast horse in the center" is rarely heard? Because compared to a breakthrough on the wing, a central breakthrough is much more difficult. Compared to the wing, the midfield is much more crowded with people and legs.
In the last two to three decades of world football, the number of players who could use a central breakthrough as a regular weapon could be counted on one hand. In Anri Teieri's memory, the only one who could do this was that Son of God, the eternal Prince of San Siro, Kaká!
This Brazilian emperor used this central breakthrough move to single-handedly charge AC Milan to three Champions League titles. The Kaká of 2007 was, in the eyes of the fans, the best player in the world. He alone led AC Milan to win the Champions League. Whether it was Bayern Munich, Manchester United, or Liverpool, they all fell at the feet of the Prince of San Siro.
Now, a taller and younger talent than Kaká was replicating the Son of God's signature long-striding run.
"Stop him! Don't let him get near the penalty area!"
The players of Team X were also panicking. This number 7 from Team Z was like a silver sports car going at full speed. In an instant, three Team X players swarmed towards Tendou from all directions.
Tendou still didn't pass. His azure eyes locked onto everyone, searching the future for a way to tear apart the enemy's defensive line.
And then.
With a swoosh, Tendou threw his body forward again, sweeping across the green field like a gust of wind, using a pure power dribble to get past all the defenders. Before most people could even react, he had already reached a position 30 meters from the goal.
Without any hesitation, his right leg swung quickly, and he blasted a shot straight for the far corner.
"Dismantle!"
BOOM!
The ball flew like a beam of light, crashing straight into the net. The exaggerated speed of the ball gave the goalkeeper no chance to react. By the time he turned his head, the ball was still fiercely rubbing against the net, completely over the goal line.
"Goal!!!!!!!"
...
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