"Shinichi…"
Unexpectedly, before the match even began, Nagi approached Shinichi on his own. His face, usually sleepy and indifferent, now bore a rare seriousness.
"Why do you work so hard?"
"Huh?"
Even Shinichi didn't immediately grasp the meaning behind the question. Nagi repeated it.
"You're already this strong. You're ranked number one. So why are you still pushing yourself so hard? Why do you still have passion? And if you do surpass Noa and become the best in the world… what then?"
"…So, you're lost, huh?"
Shinichi's eyes glinted with a playful sharpness as he looked at Nagi. Those deep black eyes seemed to see right through him, dissecting the uncertainty in his heart piece by piece. With that annoyingly insightful mouth of his, Shinichi spelled it out:
"You've lost your sense of purpose. You only got into football because Reo Mikage dragged you into it. You never had much motivation to begin with. Sure, there was a time you worked hard, out of sheer refusal to lose—but now that I've pulled so far ahead of you, you're confused. You don't know why you should keep trying anymore, right?"
"Or maybe… now that Mikage Reo—the one who brought you into football—has found what he was searching for, you feel abandoned. And that overwhelming feeling of no longer being needed makes you feel out of place in the atmosphere of the New Hero Battle. So you're thinking of giving up, right?"
"Seishirou Nagi… you've lost the hunger a striker needs to survive."
"!!"
Nagi's pupils shrank. He stared at Shinichi, stunned. But after a long pause, he finally nodded slowly.
"…Yeah. I don't know why I'm playing football anymore. Even the World Cup dream isn't enough to keep me going. After all, I didn't even know anything about football before coming here."
"I see."
With that, Shinichi turned around and casually waved a hand.
"Then in this match, watch me carefully."
"I'll give you a goal worth chasing for the rest of your life."
...
"…I thought a jerk like you would've crushed that idiot."
As soon as Shinichi returned to Ubers' bench, Barou spoke up with a curious tone.
Shinichi had a habit of mercilessly breaking down players who were lost in their identity, tearing them apart with words. But this time, oddly enough, he hadn't said a single cruel thing to Nagi—someone Barou himself could barely stand. It was surprising.
"Special case. He's just a confused little kid right now," Shinichi said nonchalantly. "And I'm very kind to children. Since he's looking for something to believe in… I'll be his role model."
"Through a painful, one-sided beatdown."
"Hah. I knew it. A leopard doesn't change its spots."
...
BEEP—! (Kickoff)
"Shinichi,"
The moment the match began, Agi, wearing his signature long braids, stopped the ball at his feet instead of charging forward.
He looked straight at Shinichi, eyes glowing with excitement, his voice laced with unconcealed thrill.
"Ever since your name appeared, I've been curious about you. I want to see what your body is truly capable of. That's why, for this match—just for the sake of measuring your limits—I've worked with Chris to assemble this team..."
"Let me witness your full potential!"
As he spoke, Agi suddenly passed the ball to Chigiri Hyoma, murmuring with a hint of manic excitement,
"Let's start… with speed!"
"Tch. Using me as a measuring stick for that guy? Pisses me off," Chigiri muttered as he received the ball—but had no time for complaints. Against a team like Ubers, even a one-second delay meant complete shutdown. His only option was to run—and run hard.
"Fine by me!"
A blaze of red ignited the pitch as the Crimson Meteor began to streak across the field. The moment his foot brushed the ball, Chigiri burst into a full sprint.
That explosive acceleration instantly left Ubers defender Rico in the dust like a motionless training dummy.
Next came Ubers defender stepping up to cover. Chigiri shifted gears, changing trajectory mid-run without slowing down.
He tilted his center of gravity and flicked the ball toward the sideline, dashing around Ubers defender with a quick cut before slicing back inside. His sheer speed allowed him to shake off the defender completely and drive deeper toward the box.
At that moment, Chigiri's long red hair trailed behind him like a comet's tail. The defenders could do nothing but chase shadows. He stormed through the Ubers defense like an unstoppable force.
"What, no one's coming to stop me? Then I'll gladly take this goal for myself!"
Seeing no sign of Shinichi stepping in, Chigiri charged straight into the box. At 19 meters out and 44 degrees from the left flank, he pulled back and unleashed a shot.
"This spot right here—it's my personal goal factory! Better remember it!"
"Calling our penalty area your garden… What a spoiled little princess," A lazy voice cut through the air. Lorenzo stepped in with a grin, leaping to meet the ball's trajectory—
with his face.
Bang!
"But the power's so-so. I'm deducting 5 million from that shot, OK?"
The ball ricocheted harmlessly off Lorenzo's head, flying away from danger. And somehow, even after blocking it with his face, he had the composure to subtly angle his forehead, guiding the ball exactly where he wanted.
"Your Majesty, time for you to lead the charge."
"Then let's begin the counterattack."
Shinichi's voice was calm, but the moment he nudged the ball forward, he exploded like a bullet. By the time Chigiri had recovered from his shot and turned to retreat, Shinichi was already rocketing past the halfway line.
"Holy crap… This guy's burst speed—even Chigiri can't keep up. And this isn't even his full speed, right? Then how about… power?"
Agi, completely fascinated, rushed over to keep pace.
Shinichi ignored him.
Suddenly, he shifted his dribbling rhythm. His left leg shot out in front of the ball, and it collided with his shin, killing all momentum. The ball stopped dead under his foot.
Without any visible wind-up, Shinichi performed an instant deceleration that left Agi stumbling several meters ahead.
Despite Agi's powerful legs digging in to recover, Shinichi was already on the move again the moment Agi halted.
That seamless switch from stillness to motion left Agi frozen—unable to react—as Shinichi danced away with ease.
"Amazing! Shinichi… I have to uncover your secrets!"
-----------------
Want to read 20 advance chapters ahead?
Go to my patreon: patreon.com/Kinglass