Bachira laughed lightheartedly, hugging his head, "Ryosuke, they seem to be unhappy with you."
"They've been watching you."
Kira Ryosuke shook his head, trying to shake off the sleepiness, "It's fine."
"Just remember to follow me."
"Yes, yes, emperor."
Team V took the kickoff.
As the mastermind of Team V's offense, Mikage Reo eagerly dribbled the ball towards Kira Ryosuke. He wanted to see who was stronger: the genius he had discovered or the treasure promoted by Japan.
As for the result...
He would judge it himself.
Reo's dribbling skills, though not as good as Bachira's, were very agile.
In the blink of an eye, he sprinted next to Kira Ryosuke. Seeing the opponent still looking sleepy, he had a mind to toy with him.
The soccer ball changed rhythm under his feet.
With just an acceleration, he passed Kira Ryosuke.
"Is this all you've got, genius?"
"Or are you not fully awake and need to go home for your mom to coax you?"
Reo was a little disdainful.
In terms of talent, both he and Nagi had achieved success in half a year, pushing many geniuses who had played soccer since childhood into despair.
In his eyes, if he and Nagi hadn't entered the soccer world so late, then the focus of the Japanese media would definitely have been on the two of them.
In an instant...
He swept past like the wind. As soon as he completely got past Kira Ryosuke, he would make a long pass to Nagi, who was advancing into the opponent's backfield. Nagi would then use his world-shocking Super Stop to break free from the defense and score.
All these thoughts were so beautiful.
Only... the ball...
The moment he passed Kira Ryosuke...
It disappeared.
A cold smile appeared on Kira Ryosuke's lips. Although he wasn't at his peak, did they think they could break through him with this?
Too arrogant!
An emperor has his majesty, which no one is allowed to infringe upon.
The crimson Eye of the Heavenly Emperor once again descended, and combined with Murasakibara Atsushi's oppressive defense, the flaws in Reo's dribbling became crystal clear in his eyes.
He very deftly intercepted the ball.
He launched a powerful kick, and the ball arced with an astonishing curve, landing directly behind the opponent's defensive line.
Bachira, waiting there, stably brought the ball down. Taking advantage of the opponent's defensive block, he also launched a kick.
He cleanly passed the ball to Chigiri, who was sprinting along the sideline.
"I'll take this goal."
His flowing red hair shone on the stage, ready to launch a fatal blow.
However, a dark figure blocked the ball's path in advance, and his speed was no less than Chigiri's. He quickly intercepted the ball with his chest.
"Well done, Zantetsu."
Reo roared excitedly, while also casting a wary glance at Kira Ryosuke, no longer choosing to confront him directly but instead bypassing him and pushing forward into the backfield.
After this round of probing...
He had already discovered the terrifying aspect of Kira Ryosuke.
That astonishing pressure drenched his back with sweat.
"To win, we must be wary of this guy."
With this thought, after receiving the pass from Zantetsu, Reo decisively crossed the ball.
The target was Nagi Seishiro, who was caught in a triple-team.
"Nice, stop him."
Isagi Yoichi praised his teammates' perfect defensive setup.
Little did he know that in Kira Ryosuke's eyes, all of this was full of loopholes.
The three players' cooperative defense was good, but they were too close to the opponent, giving him enough space to operate.
Especially... they were defending Nagi Seishiro, known as the Super Stop monster.
The ball arced overhead. Isagi Yoichi wondered, "Was that a mistake?"
"The pass seems a bit too high."
The next second...
Nagi leaped into the air. His legs were very long, and with just one foot, he perfectly cushioned the ball that came from over 20 meters away, absorbing its force like a suction cup and firmly attaching it to the arch of his foot.
Then...
He shot.
He scored.
Goal — — — — — —
From the loudspeaker came an excited and high-pitched cheer:
"With Nagi Seishiro's beautiful Super Stop and shot, Team V takes the lead."
"1:0."
Even though he knew the opponent's weapon, observing it firsthand, Kira Ryosuke still found it incredible. The soft way he cushioned the ball contrasted sharply with his tall physique. No wonder he became Reo's proud treasure.
The other members of Team Z were even more terrified.
They had thought that with Kira Ryosuke, they would take an early lead, but they hadn't expected the opponent to also hide such an ace.
There were now two monsters on the field!
Reo walked over with a proud look, "Even though you're hailed as Japan's treasure, after this game, everyone will know who is the inferior product and who is the true treasure."
"Reo."
Nagi, after scoring, still looked unmotivated. He lazily walked over to Reo, "Is this enough? I feel like you guys wouldn't lose even if I didn't step in."
Reo put his arm around Nagi's shoulder and pointed at Kira Ryosuke, "What are you talking about? You still need to score at least 5 goals in this game. You are the treasure I discovered. Defeat this fake king, and I'll reward you afterwards."
"Game consoles, phones, anything you want, you can have them all."
They chatted as if no one else was there, seemingly proclaiming a prophecy of victory.
Bachira laughed, enjoying the spectacle, "What should we do, Ryosuke? It seems you're being underestimated?"
Kira Ryosuke was a little speechless.
As expected, the hype spread by the media always attracted attention wherever he went. However, he wasn't someone with a good temper. As an emperor on the field, how could he remain indifferent when being mocked?
He grinned.
The coldness in that smile made even Bachira, his teammate, shiver.
He knew it too well.
That was Kira Ryosuke preparing to get serious.
After the commotion of the goal, Kira Ryosuke had woken up a bit. He simply walked to the midfield, quietly waiting for Bachira's kickoff.
Beep!
With a whistle.
The ball was passed by Bachira to Kira Ryosuke's feet.
Reo, seeking revenge, also wanted to stop Kira Ryosuke's attack.
Kira Ryosuke merely glanced at him indifferently. That cold gaze, like a monarch looking down at an ant from his throne, greatly annoyed Reo. His athletic abilities were outstanding, and all his skills were excellent.
However, he had an insurmountable talent gap compared to a true monster.
That was originality.
Kira Ryosuke used Aomine's wild acceleration to directly get past his opponent.
Facing Nagi's cooperative defense...
He was even more dismissive, passing the ball without looking, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Behind him...
Was Isagi Yoichi, who had been observing and shared the same vision as Kira Ryosuke.
Isagi Yoichi, who had already grasped some rudimentary Metavision, always appeared in the position Kira Ryosuke needed most, completing a one-two with him.
That kind of first-time, yet incredibly skilled, chemistry made even Bachira, who always trained with Kira Ryosuke, envious.
This kind of linkage was like a single, unified entity.
It was simply unstoppable.
Reo gritted his teeth and shouted, "Stop them quickly!"
Team V's defensive line collectively rushed over. Five or six players blocked all routes, attempting to stifle the attack of this genius renowned throughout Japan.
Kira Ryosuke and Isagi Yoichi were not flustered at all.
They simultaneously split in opposite directions.
Interfering with Team V's judgment.
After successfully drawing the attention of the defensive line, Kira Ryosuke chose not to shoot, but instead made a pass. The ball's landing spot was not in front of Isagi Yoichi, who had been linking up with him.
It was Bachira, who had come from behind.
"You're really competitive, aren't you? You wanted this kind of pass, right, Ryosuke?"
A mischievous grin, like a little devil, appeared in Bachira's eyes as he sent the ball far with the inside of his foot.
The ball was like a crescent moon, spinning with a high-rotation arc.
Reo's pupils constricted.
Wasn't this the same ball he had passed to Nagi earlier?
Could it be... Indeed, just as he had predicted, Kira Ryosuke extended his right foot and, with the same soft touch, stably brought down the rapidly spinning ball.
Immediately, a cannonball shot pierced through the net!
Goal — — — — — —
"Kira Ryosuke returns the favor! In just five minutes, he scores into Team V's goal with the same technique, earning 1 point."
"1 to 1, tied."
"The exciting suspense of the match continues."
From the loudspeaker, the commentator's voice was like soaring music, stimulating everyone's nerves.
Zantetsu frowned deeply, "Reo, that stop, could it be..."
"Yes." Reo's expression wasn't very good either, "It's Nagi's Super Stop."
Nagi, the person involved, remained silent. He had never seen anyone else possess such delicate stopping technique like him. A long-lost flame of excitement ignited in his eyes.