Suddenly, Bachira bared his teeth in a wide, manic grin. "Mah, mah... I've been used to him being like this for a long time."
"As for how to wake up this dictatorial Demon King... I have a suggestion."
He turned to Isagi Yoichi and extended a hand. "If you want to win, your only choice is to cooperate with me. Otherwise, we'll both just be sacrifices on this pitch."
"We either wake this Demon King up... or we kill him. That's the only way to win this game!"
"Why? Aren't you and Yoru Ryoshu friends?" Isagi asked, looking at Bachira with a dazed, confused expression. He couldn't wrap his head around it. Was the bond between friends really this fragile?
Bachira burst out laughing. He glanced toward Aki's distant silhouette. "Friends are meant to be stepping stones... only the strong get to walk beside him."
"Instead of praying for someone else to hand you the victory, it feels much better to take it yourself, don't you think?"
Isagi's mind felt like it was exploding. Suddenly, Ego's words echoed in his skull: This pitch doesn't need team spirit. It needs an extreme Egoist!
Slowly, Isagi tightened his fists. "Fine... let the two of us crush this pitch."
In that moment, Isagi's perception of the world shifted.
If the goal was to turn "Zero into One," then Barou was the one leading that charge for Team X. But no... his eyes drifted back to Aki.
Isagi's pupils trembled violently. No... it's not Barou. It was Aki who forced Team X to unite.
If our side is a mess of scattered sand, then Yoru Ryoshu is the tiger born from that sand. Team X... they only united because they felt a massive, existential threat. They became a pack of wolves because they were terrified of the predator in front of them.
Isagi took a deep, shuddering breath. That's why we're losing. Aki knows he can't break a wolf pack alone, so he stopped trying? Or does he have the power to break them and just wants to see us fail first?
"Hey... the next round is starting."
Bachira's voice snapped Isagi out of his trance. Isagi rubbed his chin, his eyes darting between Barou and Aki. His own aura was beginning to change.
"Shut up for a second... I'm thinking. About something that leads to victory!"
Bachira let out a delighted chuckle, his eyes narrowing. Is another monster about to wake up? Aki, look at the mess you've made... This is finally getting interesting.
As the restart whistle approached, Bachira's eyes filled with a sharp, murderous intent. He was in the zone. "Ready to go?"
"Obviously," Isagi replied. A blueprint was forming in his mind. He looked back at Aki one last time. If we need to turn Zero into One, you don't necessarily have to be the person who does it. I'll be the one to break this deadlock...
Bachira stood over the ball, looking up at the stadium lights, and grinned. "Run, Isagi Yoichi. See you at the goal."
"Copy that, Bachira."
The whistle shrieked.
Isagi immediately sprinted off the ball, charging toward the opposing half. The rest of Team Z stood frozen, confused as to why he was running into the backfield without the ball. But the real players on the pitch knew exactly what was happening.
Bachira, holding the ball, was immediately swarmed by three defenders. He kept his eyes locked on Isagi's position, his feet performing a masterclass of rhythmic dribbling. He danced past two men before letting fly.
BOOM!
The ball screamed off Bachira's foot. He stopped in his tracks, his smile widening. "Right there, Isagi Yoichi! Show me if you have the power to wake that monster!"
Isagi felt the trajectory of the ball. He stopped dead, trapping the flying pass perfectly under his boot. "Great pass, Bachira!"
He looked at the open goal ahead, his mind racing. With my power, one-on-one, I can score!
But a second later, Barou Shoei appeared in front of him. The King of the Pitch had seen their intent the moment Isagi started his run. He wasn't about to be played for a fool.
Barou's eyes radiated a terrifying pressure. "Try and get past me if you have the balls, rookie..."
Staring into that killing intent, a wave of primal fear washed over Isagi. It was like facing a legendary beast. The fear paralyzed him; his foot hovered over the ball, unable to commit to the strike.
In that moment of paralysis, a virtual map of the pitch flickered in his brain.
Everyone was moving, but he saw one figure glowing with a violent, blinding red light. It was like a sun—searing, radiant, and inevitable.
To the shock of everyone watching, Isagi's leg moved—but not for a shot. He sent a low, driven pass across the field.
He sent it toward Yoru Ryoshu.
No one knew why Aki was there. Even Team Z hadn't noticed him moving, because after conceding two goals, everyone's focus had been glued to the ball. The man who had been the center of the world minutes ago seemed to have vanished.
But Isagi had found him. And the ball was now at his feet.
"Good ball." Aki's lips curled into a smile. In his crimson eyes, a flame seemed to ignite. "I have to hand it to you, Isagi... finding me in this mess. I'll take the gift."
One of the Team X defenders let out a panicked laugh. "No way... from that distance? There's no way he shoots!"
BOOM!
The ball left Aki's foot like a guided missile. It was a straight, terrifying line of force that slammed into the back of the net before the keeper could even flinch.
Score: 2 - 2.
There was no cheering. Only the sound of twenty players simultaneously catching their breath.
A standing, ultra-long-range strike.
Even Kunigami was awestruck. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. As a power player, Kunigami knew his own "Golden Zone"—the specific range where he could guarantee a goal.
That was how he knew the gap between them. Kunigami needed a run-up to generate that kind of power.
But Aki? Aki had done it from a standstill. If he actually used a run-up... just how far did his range go?
Kunigami swallowed hard and cursed under his breath.
"Monster!"