"Kira, you should just give up. It's better not to waste everyone's time. Amitabha."
Igarashi, the "Chestnut Head" who had been hiding on the sidelines, had somehow scurried back to stand with the group. After observing from safety, he had concluded that Kira couldn't possibly win against eleven opponents and decided to throw his lot in with the majority. The others silently despised his opportunism.
"Oh? Is that so?" Kira replied, remaining still.
He wasn't idling; he was adjusting to the violent physical transformation brought on by the Shidou Ryusei Experience Card. His body felt scorched, coursing with an inexhaustible, predatory energy. So this is Shidou Ryusei? Kira thought. This wild, beast-like power explained the man's erratic, frenzied behavior on the pitch. Even Kira's basic stance and ball-trapping movements began to shift, taking on a jagged, aggressive edge that made the others uneasy. They could sense a fundamental change in his aura.
"Hey, Kunigami. Catch this," Kira said, his smile stretching into a distorted, exaggerated grin.
He took several steps back, then sprinted forward. Raising his right leg high, he struck the lower-right side of the ball with his laces in a powerful, slicing drive. The ball took flight, spinning violently.
The crowd was baffled. The ball wasn't heading toward Kunigami; it was curving sharply toward the empty left side of the room.
"Hahaha! What's wrong with his aim?"
"There's no one over there! Where is he even kicking?"
Kunigami stared, equally lost. Can this 'National Treasure' not even kick a straight line? he wondered. Is he just a hollow name?
Kira simply placed a finger to his lips. "Shh. Let the ball fly for a second."
Isagi, however, was mesmerized by the ball's flight path. No... that arc... A sudden realization struck him. The ball wasn't straying; it was rotating. It was going to snap back.
"It's a banana shot! Kunigami, look out!" Isagi screamed.
Kunigami's head whipped to the left, his pupils dilating in shock. The ball followed a perfect semi-circular trajectory, suddenly banking and accelerating directly toward him.
"Damn it!" Kunigami dropped into a desperate crouch.
Whoosh! The ball whistled past, inches above his head.
"That... that was close." Kunigami slumped to the floor, heart hammering against his ribs. He was shaken. Such a precise banana shot required meticulous control over power and the angle of impact. His own "power-shot" style felt clumsy in comparison. He glanced gratefully at Isagi, but Isagi remained pale, staring past him.
"It's not over, Kunigami! Here it comes again!"
Kunigami whipped his head around. In the distance, Kira was already airborne. He hung in the air, body tilted horizontally, striking the ball as it rebounded off the wall with the outside of his right laces.
The hang-time was unnatural. An outside-foot volley!
POW!
The ball screamed back even faster than Kunigami's previous cannonball. I can't... I can't dodge this, Kunigami thought, closing his eyes in despair. For the first time, the "Hero" felt utterly powerless on a football pitch.
BOOM!
A heavy impact. The ball slammed squarely into Kunigami's face, knocking him flat on his back. A deep, red circular welt began to bloom on his skin.
"Too... too fast."
"He hit that while he was still in the air?"
"Kunigami... he got hit?"
The room was paralyzed. First, a high-precision banana shot, followed immediately by a mid-air outside-foot volley. It was freakish. Isagi stared at the fallen Kunigami. The powerful Kunigami... didn't even last 20 seconds?If it were me... how long would I survive?
Kunigami lay dazed, a trail of blood leaking from his nose as he stared at the ceiling. "So fast..." he muttered.
Anri Teieri stood frozen, slowly turning her gaze toward Ego Jinpachi. That banana shot was a professional-grade highlight, but while a pro aims for the goal, Kira had aimed specifically for Kunigami's face—a much smaller target. The accuracy was terrifying.
"VAR test. What was the speed of that last shot?" Ego asked. His face was calm, but his interest was piqued.
"VAR shows... 100 km/h," Anri read out, her voice trembling. That was elite professional territory. Ego smiled thinly. A truly unpolished gem.
The Final Countdown
In Room Z, the icon on the screen shifted to Kunigami. 65 seconds left.
The ball had bounced away, and Kira walked toward it with measured steps, reclaiming it under his foot. The 'Tag' icon flickered back to Ryosuke Kira. 60 seconds left.
"Now... who's next?" Kira asked, dribbling slowly toward the group. He looked like a hunter stalking prey with a shotgun in hand.
"Run! Just run!" Igarashi shrieked. The group, shattered by the display of skill, scattered into the corners of the room. Kira pursued them at a leisurely pace, turning Room Z into a frantic chase.
30 seconds left.
Thud! In the chaos, Igarashi was struck in the back of the head. His stamina and agility were the lowest in the room; he couldn't react in time. The 'Tag' icon shifted to Igarashi Gurimu.
Kira paused, looking slightly annoyed. I was just planning to toy with them... I didn't mean to hit someone so early, he thought.
Isagi noticed Kira's reaction. Something is wrong. He challenged everyone, but since Kunigami fell, he's just been chasing us? And he wasn't in a hurry to pass off the 'Tag' status... Kira, what are you planning?
"No, no, no! I'm the 'Tag'!" Igarashi screamed. He looked at Kira but immediately dismissed the idea. There was no way he could hit someone that fast. He refused to spend his life as a monk. He needed a realistic target—someone closer to his own level.
After only a second of hesitation, Igarashi spun and fired the ball at the person standing right behind him: Isagi Yoichi.
BOOM!
The ball struck Isagi squarely.
"Hey! You coward!"
"Why didn't you kick it at Kira? We were supposed to be a team!" the others shouted.
"Kira is a monster! Do you really think I could hit him?" Igarashi retorted, his face set in grim determination. "Look at the time! I'm making sure I don't get eliminated! This is our entire careers on the line!"
The room went cold. It was true—in this game, it was either you or someone else. Igarashi's move was unethical, but for the sake of survival, it was logical.
The screen flashed. 30 seconds remaining. The 'Tag' icon now sat on Isagi Yoichi.