A terrifying ideology.
Even Barou, looking back at the players trailing behind Yoru Ryoshu, felt a flicker of something resembling pity. If Barou was a King who led his subjects forward, then Aki was a dictatorial Tyrant, forcing his people to keep pace with his shadow.
If they fell behind, they were simply discarded.
It was this realization that made Barou's wariness of Aki grow. This man wasn't just talented; he was dangerous.
On the pitch, the chaos had reached its zenith. While Team X began to coalesce around Barou's undeniable strength, Team Z was a fractured mess of competing egos.
Isagi Yoichi watched the shift with a sense of mounting dread. Ego Jinpachi's lectures echoed in his mind, and suddenly, his eyes widened in realization.
So... this is what "Zero to One" means?
The strength of one individual had forced the rest of Team X to unite. No—it was more accurate to say that one person's overwhelming power had acted as a gravity well, pulling the entire team together.
Isagi looked back at Team X and let out a bitter, silent laugh. He was too late. He had grasped the theory just as the opposition had perfected the practice, while his own side remained in shambles.
He looked at Aki, his brow furrowing in confusion. Aki is smarter than me. He has to know this. So why did he just let them score?
In the meta-dimension, the audience chuckled at Isagi's bewilderment.
[Confusion is the correct reaction. Just came from Aki's POV—poor Isagi has no idea what's coming.] [What do you mean? Is Aki planning something malicious?] [You don't get it... Aki is playing a high-stakes game of chess. If these guys can't reach the level he demands, he's going to let them all get purged.] [Damn... that's cold.]
The influx of comments caught Aki's attention. Oh? Can they hear my thoughts?
As the thought crossed his mind, the System interface flickered into existence.
[Notice: The audience observing you can hear "portions" of your internal monologue. However, any memories regarding the original anime, plot-sensitive spoilers, or your status as a transmigrator are strictly filtered and hidden.] [The Host does not need to worry about your secrets being exposed.]
Aki smirked. So that's how it works.
It explained why the comments often mirrored his own logic. The audience had access to the "heart-voices" of the cast. For Aki, this was a massive advantage. If the audience knew what everyone was thinking, and Aki could read the audience...
Audience Knowledge = Aki's Knowledge.
By reading the scrolling text, he could effectively peer into the minds of everyone on the pitch. This just got much more interesting.
But he didn't have time to dwell on the mechanics; the match was still live. Isagi seemed to have grasped the "Zero-to-One" concept and was finally trying to take initiative.
"Bachira, can you give me the ball?" Isagi asked, intercepting the ball at the restart. He knew Bachira was the most technically gifted player on the team—the only one who consistently made Aki look comfortable on the pitch.
Bachira Meguru flashed him a "thumbs-up" in agreement.
The whistle blew.
Just as Isagi prepared to make his move, he heard the thundering of footsteps behind him. He looked back to see Raichi and the rest of Team Z charging toward him instead of the goal. They were going to steal the ball from their own teammate.
"You guys—!!" Before Isagi could finish his sentence, Raichi slid in and ruthlessly dispossessed him.
"I don't need you dead-weights to score!" Raichi roared, sprinting forward. "Just sit back and watch!"
His bravado lasted all of three seconds.
The ball was immediately pinched by Igarashi, who made a mocking face as he pulled away. "Joke's on you! If you can score, then I can become a Buddha!"
"You bald freak! I'll kill you!" Raichi snarled, looking ready to throw hands right there on the grass.
Igarashi's joy was also short-lived. A Team X defender stepped in and stripped the ball with ease.
"Your ball control is pathetic," the defender sneered. "My dog plays better than this."
He immediately looked for Barou. Team X had learned their lesson: support the King, and the King will provide.
"Get it to Barou!" "As long as he has the ball, we win!"
Team X's movements were now sharp, purposeful, and synchronized. They had a core. Isagi watched it all happen, feeling utterly powerless to stop the momentum.
The ball reached Barou's feet. As he bypassed Aki, he slowed his pace slightly, his voice dripping with provocation. "Is this really okay?"
"As the only one on your team capable of scoring, you're just going to stand there? Letting these fledglings try to stop me is an insult. I'll be taking this game now."
Aki didn't move. He didn't even blink.
BOOM!
The sound of the strike echoed as Team X scored again. Score: 2 - 1.
Raichi stomped over to Aki, his face inches from Aki's. "What the hell is your problem?! This is a match! If we lose, we go home!"
"Home?" Aki's eyes shifted toward him, his lips curling into a jagged smile. "Let me make this clear to all of you. If you can't manage to score even a single goal on your own before this match ends... don't expect a single drop of help from me."
"My team doesn't need trash."
"You...!" Raichi's fist trembled, but he didn't swing. He didn't understand the nuance, but he knew one thing: Aki had stopped trying.
Bachira let out a long, weary sigh. "I figured it would turn out like this. I was hoping this place would keep Aki's interest a bit longer... sigh."
Isagi turned to him, confused. "You sound like you knew he'd do this."
Bachira rubbed his chin. "Aki loves football, but his 'love' is a little different from ours."
"We play to enjoy the game. But Aki? He's an Absolute Controller. An extreme Egoist."
"He hates it when his teammates fall outside his range of control. Because of that, he 'manages' everyone on the pitch—allies and enemies alike. But the moment his own players prove to be useless..."
Bachira looked at Aki's cold silhouette. "In Aki's eyes, they've been sentenced to death."
"Unless... they find a way to entertain him."