From the very first minute of the match, Shirase's side was completely suppressed by Koshigoe High.
Compared to Shirase's hastily assembled line of total newbies, their opponents had three solid years of teamwork behind them, clearly surpassing Shirase's team in both offense and defense.
Yet even then, both sides had their own uncomfortable moments.
For instance, Hayama Hayato, who had excellent athletic abilities, ruthlessly marked the opposing team's genius player thanks to Isshiki Iroha's intel. By constantly harassing him physically, Hayama ensured the so-called genius barely touched the ball, making him miserable enough that by the fifteenth minute, he still hadn't made a single meaningful play.
The defender assigned to mark Shirase had it even worse. With Shirase's physical stats boosted repeatedly by that damned system, his speed and stamina had reached the peak level of a high school player.
As a result, every time Shirase sprinted around looking for opportunities, the opposing defender had to grit his teeth and chase desperately behind. After several rounds of cat-and-mouse, Shirase's stamina had only dropped slightly, while his opponent panted raggedly, face pale, looking as miserable as a dog who'd just had his precious jewels snipped off and no longer wanted to live.
Koshigoe's supervising teacher also quickly noticed Shirase's terrifying stamina, repeatedly shouting instructions from the sidelines, signaling defenders to prepare immediate double-teams whenever Shirase received the ball.
Seventeen minutes into the game, the score remained locked at 0:0.
Hayama once again received the ball, considering briefly whether to attempt a solo breakthrough. After all, his own side was full of inexperienced rookies, and it was unrealistic to expect them to carry the ball into enemy territory.
But just then, he noticed Shirase subtly signaling with his hand.
The meaning was clear: Send it forward.
Hayama hesitated briefly. The distance between him and Shirase was considerable, and Hayama wasn't that precise with long passes.
But seeing Shirase persistently signaling, he pushed off a defender and forcefully booted the ball forward.
At precisely that moment, the two defenders prepared to double-team Shirase felt a gust of wind rush past them. The player their coach had ordered them to tightly mark suddenly accelerated violently, blitzing straight past them.
"What kind of acceleration is that?" the opposing coach-teacher gaped, dumbstruck.
That kind of explosive burst that left defenders helplessly trailing far behind was something he'd never seen from his own players.
"Finally, an opportunity!" Isshiki clenched her fist tightly. As the soccer club manager who closely observed Shirase's daily training, no one understood his raw speed better than her.
Seeing Shirase madly accelerate forward, like a hawk diving fiercely towards its prey, she stood up involuntarily.
Isn't this exactly what we've been practicing for?
As Shirase reached top speed, teammates and opponents alike desperately sprinted behind him, yet no matter how hard they tried, the gap between them only widened.
The ball descended in front of Shirase, bouncing once. Without breaking stride, he skillfully trapped it, his exceptional control letting him carry it forward at full speed, tearing through midfield like a violent gust of wind.
Next step: breach the enemy's goal.
Every movement was executed fluidly, seamlessly, igniting shockwaves through the crowd. The opposing defenders now decisively moved forward to intercept Shirase.
Charging along the right wing, Shirase saw two defenders approaching, slowing down and readying themselves to intercept. Just as they lunged forward, Shirase deftly chipped the ball upward with his right foot. The rapidly spinning ball sailed elegantly over their heads, leaving them flailing in vain.
By the time they turned to chase, it was already too late.
Shirase was now unstoppable.
All they could do was helplessly watch Shirase's retreating figure vanish ahead, unmatched and unreachable.
Indeed, speed alone was never enough to win a soccer game.
But at this moment, Shirase's speed became absolute, dominating the entire field.
Teammates like Hayama and defenders trailing desperately behind were almost ready to give up. Watching Shirase already approaching the goal, while they strained every muscle yet still fell hopelessly behind—that sheer oppressive dominance of speed and explosive power crushed their spirit entirely.
Shirase ignored everything behind him. Seeing the opposing goalkeeper choose to stay put, and defenders from the left and center swiftly converging on him, Shirase began slowing down slightly to stabilize himself.
With outstanding flexibility and flawless footwork, Shirase's left foot firmly planted on the turf, his right foot raised high—straightened sharply until perpendicular to the ground—and hammered viciously down on the upper half of the spinning ball with his instep.
Boom!
The spinning ball burst forward violently, kicking up grass and dust that scattered in every direction, tracing a fierce trajectory toward the goal like an unstoppable missile.
A shot.
A summons answered, a battle fought, victory certain.
This was the soccer creed Shirase Haruto believed in.
Already shaken by Shirase's stunning acceleration, the opposing goalkeeper instinctively flung himself toward the top-left corner, arms spread wide, desperately trying to reach the speeding ball.
His judgment was correct—but not quite accurate enough.
When he felt his fingertips brush against the violently spinning ball, his heart sank.
Unlike professional players, high schoolers' bodies were still developing. Against such a powerfully explosive shot, unless judgment was 100% precise and the ball fully secured, there was no way to stop its ferocious momentum toward the net.
As the ball slammed forcefully into the net, the goalkeeper landed heavily, dropping to the grass with a dull thud.
Still stunned, he sat on the pitch, staring numbly at the ball bouncing furiously within the goal.
A brief, stunned silence gripped the entire field for barely a second—then exploded into an overwhelming, roaring wave of cheers.
Shirase's teammates sprinted excitedly toward him, while Koshigoe's players stood rooted in place, their vision almost dimming into despair.
Despite their clear advantage on paper, it was Shirase's team that struck first.
The opposing "genius" who'd mocked them earlier now wore an expression so ugly he seemed on the verge of loudly cursing.
Among the spectators, Nakano Nino leapt to her feet, cheering wildly, a beautiful blush spreading across her usually pale cheeks from sheer excitement.
Yet immediately afterward, she realized she'd probably overreacted, and embarrassed that her sisters might tease her, she quietly lowered her arms and peeked sideways.
To her surprise, none of them seemed to have even noticed her.
"He really is incredible," Nakano Ichika murmured dreamily, resting a delicate cheek in her hand, eyes sparkling. She added softly, "I have to admit, when he was running just now, he looked really, really cool."
"Yes, yes! I thought so too!" Nakano Yotsuba nodded excitedly.
Nakano Nino's smile slowly faded.
Hey—what exactly do you two mean by that?