"Ryo, we're even now; we both made two mistakes," Ren mentioned as Ryo messed up a risky pass.
"What are you talking about, Ren-nii? You made three mistakes, so I'm still winning."
"Oh, really? What were my three mistakes, then?"
"Well," Ryo started, "First, you messed up a pass by hitting it too hard."
"Uh-huh."
"Second, you tried passing it with your left foot and sent it straight to a defender."
"Yeah, I'll admit that, but that's still only two mistakes."
"And your third mistake," Ryo grinned, "was when I hit the ball between your legs."
Ren paused, his expression freezing in an instant. "That doesn't count since I was on defense," he stumbled, trying to argue his case.
"Sure, sure, but I still beat you that time. So that's three losses for you and two for me."
"But that's not how it wor—"
"Sorry, Ren-nii, I'm switching in as a defender now," Ryo said, interrupting his brother. "Remember, it's 3–2."
He jogged off as Ren sighed behind him. This Rondo is definitely some good practice. It exposes our weaker areas, which forces us to target those weaknesses.
Just like in a game, the rondo forces the players to act instinctively. When they act on instinct, if their reactions are off a tiny bit, the players are bound to make more mistakes.
All the while, Matsumoto stood nearby, hands behind his back, quietly observing the two groups. His sharp eyes moved between the two groups, offering feedback only when necessary.
After thirty minutes of the fast-paced rondo, Matsumoto finally called for the end of the drill. Some of the players were visibly exhausted, and Ryo himself was working up quite a sweat.
However, that was just the beginning. Now, we need to apply it in the scrimmage. Ryo was looking forward to the coming week. He hoped to see how well the team would improve their coordination and ball possession.
Plus, I get to test Misdirection during the scrimmage.
He'd been restless for the entire day, his leg bouncing so much that Ichida-sensei called him out for being too loud. All day, he looked like a child waiting to unwrap presents on his birthday, only thinking about testing his new skill.
"Alright, now that the second team is here, we'll get started," Matsumoto called out to the first team. "We'll stick to our usual 4–4–2 formation, but this time, try to focus on controlling possession of the ball. The fewer mistakes you make, the better."
The players quickly got into a groove as the game started; already, their passing was noticeably cleaner. Even against the second team, which wasn't quite at Takayama's level, they kept possession of the ball much better than in the game a few days prior.
As a result of their practice, they had fewer turnovers and a stronger possession, which led to a more controlled pace of play.
Still, Ryo could barely contain himself. He wasn't thinking about possession—he wanted the ball.
Please, anyone! Pass me the ball!
As if on cue, Taiga, seemingly sensing Ryo's impatience, passed the ball to him, turning the play into an attack.
Taiga, my hero! Thank you for your benevolence! I will repay you with a snack later.
Ryo sprinted forward with the ball the instant it touched his foot. Running up the side, he dribbled past one player; the urge to use his skill burned in his chest.
Not yet! It has to be perfect!
Another player closed in quickly, trying to take the ball away. Ryo recognized him instantly.
Perfect! It's Ren's friend, Yuto! It's now or never!
As the two gravitated towards each other, Ryo analyzed Yuto's movements.
He's got good technique. He's aware of the open space behind him, and he's intentionally angling his body to block that path.
But with such a weak spot behind him, Ryo could take advantage of that to predict how he would move.
So finally, after two days of waiting, Ryo activated his skill.
{Skill Activated}
—[Misdirection – B]
The instant the skill took effect, a bold, steady feeling washed over him. In that instant, he felt like a magician on a grand stage, preparing for his Chef-d'œvre. With an extravagant display, he would direct attention away from the actual trick.
In that moment, Ryo brought his foot back and his arms out, as if stabilizing himself for a long pass. Yuto, anticipating the strike, ran even closer to him, abandoning his guard over the space behind him.
Ryo swung his foot downward, but instead of hitting it hard, he nudged it to the left at the last moment, sending Yuto scrambling after the unexpected feint.
I'm not done, though!
Yuto quickly recovered and once again committed to lunging after the ball; his momentum could only carry him forward now. Ryo took advantage of this and reached out his left foot, spinning the ball back around, letting Yuto slip past him.
{Bonus Activation!}
—[Misdirection – B]
Yuto lost sight of the ball as he ran past Ryo, triggering the skill's Bonus Activation.
So is the ball invisible to him right now?
Putting all his hopes into The System, Ryo sent the ball through Yuto's legs as he came back around for the last time, hitting it up the field into the open space. Yuto, having been completely outmaneuvered by Ryo, didn't see the ball slip by under him and remained rooted in place as Ryo shot past him.
Ryo reached the ball once again as two other players converged on him. Not wanting to risk losing the ball, he passed the ball forward to Ken before being surrounded. Then, with a beautiful touch, Ken sent it to Ren as he broke into the box, and with one decisive hit, the ball made it in the back of the net.
Holy shit! I can't believe that worked!
Ryo could feel his heart beating through his chest, exhilarated by the play. This was Ryo's first truly offensive skill, and the results didn't disappoint him.
To put it bluntly, Yuto had been completely outplayed.
So the skill made my feints more convincing? Yuto took each of my movements at face value, so whenever I changed it up, the feint had maximum effect on him.
On top of that, he seemed completely lost after the bonus activation—as if he were taking a shot in the dark.
Ryo thought back to each of his movements during the skill. He first wound up for a long pass, instead hitting it softly to the left, then spun back around to the right.
Hmm… At that moment, the Bonus Activation was triggered…
He shut his eyes tightly as he tried to recall every minute detail of that moment: Ken breaking free from his mark, Yuto planting his cleats into the ground, turning his body, and the ball becoming slightly hazy.
Wait, that's it! The ball became slightly hazy when The System indicated the Bonus Activation. That's probably when it became invisible to Yuto.
And it had stayed invisible long enough for Ryo to slip it past Yuto as he came back around. Ryo couldn't help but be amazed.
This skill is insane.
—————————————————————————————————
Ryo and Ren stayed behind after practice once again, but not as long as they usually did. Today, they had to go to the restaurant for Ren to help out.
Ryo was tired, but not the bone-deep exhaustion he'd felt after Saturday's match. His stamina was improving, and his skill's success only boosted his mood. During the scrimmage, he was able to activate Misdirection all three times, and every time it worked flawlessly.
From what he observed, his opponents were guaranteed to fall for his feints whenever he used his skill.
"We're here," Ren said, pushing open the restaurant door.
"Oh, welcome, boys," their mom called from behind the counter. "Take a seat, I'll be with you in a bit."
The two of them sat down in their usual spot, both exhausted from their long day. Before long, she came over, wiping her hands with a towel. "Oh my, you two look tired," she said warmly, noticing how both of them were barely keeping their heads up.
After talking to them for a bit, she got to the main point. "Ren, are you ready to help out now?"
"Oh, yeah…" Ren answered, "But what will I be helping with?"
"Didn't I tell you this morning? I need your help at the register."
Both Ryo and Ren were shocked.
"Huh?" They said in perfect unison.