Chapter 40: Hold Me Tight
"Go for it, Zantetsu! That's your 'zone', right?"
After passing the ball, Reo shouted with a grin.
"Zone? Hmm… This is my 'zone'!"
Zantetsu Tsurugi dribbled a few steps, then pushed off with his left foot, unleashing a long-range shot.
Boom!
The ball flew straight towards the top left corner of the goal.
Gagamaru's attention was also on Nagi when he suddenly noticed the surprise shot. Even though he reacted quickly… the ball still sailed over his fingertips and into the net!
Score: 3–1.
The lead was extended again.
"Completely… finished…" Isagi panted, even though Kira had assigned him to a defensive midfield position to help. But Team Z's defensive line had already collapsed. They simply couldn't stop them.
Zantetsu Tsurugi adjusted his glasses coolly, then asked Reo in a cool, clueless way: "Reo, what does 'Zone' mean?"
"…"
Reo fell into silence. The Team Z players also fell silent.
"Pfft… hahaha… Idiot Zantetsu…" Nagi unusually showed a smile. His usually expressionless face finally showed a different emotion.
"Hahaha…" Reo also laughed unrestrainedly, even sticking out his tongue. "An idiot wearing glasses doesn't become smart…"
What a weird expression! Simultaneously, his eyes scanned the dejected Team Z players.
"Nagi, looks like they're losing their will to fight again…"
"Ah, that means this match is getting boring again."
…
Monitoring Room
Anri Teieri was also silent.
This wasn't a contest on the same level. At the very least, Team Z's defensive line was completely outmatched. And Team Z's passing couldn't even reach the frontline. Kira hadn't touched the ball since the opening kickoff.
Could it be that Team Z is about to lose their first match?
Anri felt somewhat unwilling. She had become a Team Z fan, influenced by Kira.
"You seem quite dejected…" Ego sharply observed Anri's expression.
"Ah, it's not that… I just feel it's unfair for Kira to lose like this," Anri voiced her thoughts.
Ego shook his head. "On the pitch, a team's win or loss concerns every single player…"
"None of the opponents Team Z faced before had offensive power as strong as Team V's… If they maintain the same style of play, waiting for passes from their midfield in the final third…"
Ego made a gun gesture with his hand, pointing it at his own head. "Boom! That's suicidal. Kira needs to seek change too. His off-the-ball movement is his strength, but it's also his weakness!"
The screen focused on Kira. But contrary to their expectations, Kira's face showed no panic whatsoever. He still looked completely calm.
"Quite interesting…" Seeing Kira's expression, Ego guessed it. This match won't end so simply.
…
"Damn it, we can't stop them at all…" Raichi sat slumped on the ground, looking distressed.
Gagamaru was also panting heavily. To be honest, you couldn't really blame the goalkeeper for those goals. When the defensive line is full of holes, how many of those lethal shots can even the best keeper save?
"The spirit of never giving up… never…" Igaguri kept muttering to himself, trying to pump himself up. But recalling those superhuman goals, he couldn't help but think, 'Maybe we should just give up.'
Kunigami also looked helpless. He hadn't contributed much at all. He'd even been dispossessed earlier. His face was full of self-blame.
Chigiri also looked dazed. He thought that after breaking through his shackles, he would be the fastest on the pitch. He never expected someone on the other side to be faster than him. This was hard for him, who took pride in his speed, to accept immediately. Without the talent of speed, Chigiri felt he was no different from an ordinary person.
"What's wrong with everyone…" Isagi noticed the change in the team's mood.
A hard-to-describe gloom permeated the entire Team Z. Perhaps their previous matches had been too smooth, making everyone think they could win this one too. They never expected the opponents to be this strong.
Isagi wiped his sweat. 'What should we do? Should I say something to boost morale? But will everyone be convinced by my words? Someone needs to step up and encourage everyone, or we'll really lose.'
Kira's figure surfaced in Isagi's mind. 'Right! Kira! Only he can change the team's morale right now!'
"Aiyo, what's wrong everyone? Why the long faces…"
In their sight, two figures walked towards the Team Z players. Kira wore a smile, as if being down 3–1 was no big deal. Beside him, Bachira looked excited, constantly swinging his arms.
"Interesting, interesting…"
Isagi's heart settled slightly, but he was puzzled. 'Kira being this calm is one thing, but why is Bachira also so excited? What's going on?'
Clap, clap, clap…
Kira clapped his hands, calling the Team Z players to gather around.
"So, how does it feel? Getting dominated by the opponents?" Kira's question sounded like that of a parent. But no one felt displeased; Kira was a player with natural leadership qualities.
"It's 3–1 now. I feel if we don't find a way to limit those three… we'll lose if this continues…" Isagi analyzed calmly.
'Not bad, Isagi Yoichi. Still keeping your cool.' Kira nodded, signaling for Bachira to speak.
Bachira smiled slightly, understanding the cue, and said, "Those three on the other side are super amazing, right? No matter how perfect our defense, no matter how foolproof the tactics we devised yesterday, we still can't stop them. That just means they are extremely Super Special."
"Beating them is actually very simple. We just need to become Super Special like them…"
The Team Z players listened, utterly bewildered. 'What is Bachira talking about?'
Chigiri, however, seemed to have some understanding. His gaze towards Bachira became somewhat different from before.
Kira nodded, agreeing with Bachira's statement. "If you don't understand, just leave the next part of the match to me and Bachira! You'll definitely understand then… what it means to become Super Special."
The Team Z players looked at each other, completely failing to grasp what Kira and Bachira were saying. But out of trust in Kira, a flicker of fighting spirit ignited in their hearts. 'If Kira hasn't given up, how can we give up?'
To be honest, Kira himself didn't know what Bachira was talking about either. He had been bullshitting all this time; his only reliance was the system, after all.
But he could feel Bachira's refusal to admit defeat and his heart full of fighting spirit. So, he decided to join Bachira in firing the first shot to overturn Team V.
"Huh? What are they doing over there? Haven't lost their will to fight yet?" Reo asked curiously.
Nagi glanced over. "Ah, how troublesome. That means we need to score a few more goals before we can rest…"
Zantetsu Tsurugi also looked surprised. "It seems these opponents are unrelated to the guys we defeated before. They can actually maintain their morale under our overwhelming offense…"
"You didn't use a single idiom correctly, you idiot Zantetsu!"
"Well said, but don't say it again, Zantetsu."
Beeep.
The match continues. Team Z's kickoff.
Kira received the pass, closed his eyes, and whispered: "Use Zantetsu Tsurugi Attribute Trial Card."
[Zantetsu Tsurugi Trial Card activated successfully!]
[Speed +25 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
Kira felt the change in his body and glanced at Bachira beside him.
"Hold me tight! Bachira!"
"Huh? You mean keep up with me, right?! Kira!" Bachira was puzzled but quickly understood Kira's meaning.
'Damn it.' Kira felt his brain had a momentary glitch. This Zantetsu Tsurugi Trial Card... I should use it more often—No! I should use it less in the future!
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