But this was exactly the moment Rin Itoshi had been waiting for. His pupils narrowed, a faint green glow flickering in his eyes.

The instant Ryūma charged to the right, Rin moved at the same time—kicking the ball toward Ryūma’s right side before sprinting ahead and winding up for a shot.

Whether it was a real or fake shot didn’t matter—Ryūma had to block it. This was an open, unavoidable move. If he didn’t go for it and Rin actually fired, they’d be done for.

Watching Rin plant his foot, Ryūma thought helplessly,

(It’s probably a feint… but that motion looks way too real.)

(Damn it, this guy could win an Oscar with how convincing that looks.)

(Forget it—it’ll all come down to my reaction speed. I just need to read his shot in an instant!)

(Wait, no… Rin knows my physical ability. At this distance, even if he fools me with a feint, I can recover with my reflexes.)

(Ah—my head itches. Am I actually growing a brain right now?)

(Why does this training match feel more stressful than an official game?)

(This is all Nagi’s fault—his fighting spirit’s so contagious it’s got me fired up too!)

As Ryūma grumbled to himself, Rin suddenly changed his shooting form.

(Huh? What’s he doing?)

(Nagi!? Oh no!)

Sure enough, Seishiro Nagi couldn’t hold back any longer and went for a sliding tackle—right toward Rin.

“Seriously?”

Nagi hadn’t expected Rin, even with his back turned, to perfectly predict the timing of his tackle.

Seeing it, Ryūma sighed inwardly.

(Still too young, Nagi. I was wondering why Rin’s shot looked sluggish—it was bait.)

(And now Aryu’s completely unmarked!)

There was no time to think. Ryūma exploded into motion, sprinting toward Jyubei Aryu. But it was too late—Aryu leapt high, using his height advantage to head the ball forward.

Halfway through his charge, Ryūma cursed under his breath, quickly turning his gaze to the opposite side.

As expected—Rin was already there, perfectly positioned, his body aligned for a shot. The ball dropped right at his feet.

【Thud!】

GOAL!! Red Team 3 – 3 White Team!

“Ryūma, I—”

“Nagi, promise me—no more sliding tackles.”

“Forwards like us… tackling’s just a dead weight.”

“Yeah… I agree.”

Ryūma patted Nagi’s shoulder, then walked back to the center circle for the kickoff.

Watching Rin’s cold stare and Aryu casually twirling his hair, Ryūma sighed in frustration.

(This is tough. Neither Nagi nor I are good at defending.)

(Tell Nagi to defend, and he’ll just nod all innocent and clueless.)

(Same for me—my defense relies purely on explosive speed and reflexes.)

(But Rin keeps predicting my moves, using his field vision to outplay me.)

(He’s a perfect counter to my style. Unless the situation’s just right, stopping him is nearly impossible!)

White Team possession! Ryūma Banjō takes the kickoff!

Taking a deep breath, Ryūma glared at Rin and Aryu, then growled,

“One-on-one, Nagi!”

“Got it!!”

This time, Ryūma decided to take Rin head-on himself.

Smirking as he closed the distance, he taunted,

“My turn this time~”

“Rin, don’t let me blow past you too fast~”

“Hmph. As if you could.”

After exchanging some trash talk, Ryūma launched his attack.

He started with lightning-fast stepovers, making it impossible for Rin to read his next move. As he approached, he suddenly kicked the ball sharply to the left.

Rin reacted instantly, moving calmly to intercept—but Ryūma hadn’t expected to beat him with that alone.

Keeping his rhythm, Ryūma spun into a Marseille Turn, twisting the ball to the right just before Rin could cut him off.

Against anyone else, that would’ve been enough—but Rin Itoshi wasn’t just anyone. He was a monster on Ryūma’s level.

Rin, who had shifted left, quickly reversed his movement to block right—proof that he’d held back his full strength earlier.

He’d read Ryūma’s left dash as a feint, countering with one of his own. His leftward block had just been a bluff. If Ryūma had actually forced through on that side, Rin wouldn’t have been able to stop him—but Rin trusted his intuition, and it paid off.

Ryūma understood his situation perfectly, yet the grin on his face only widened.

“Heh, your reads have gotten sharper, huh?”

(Yeah… after those four matches, I’m not the only one who’s evolved.)

“You’re strong, Rin. But…”

“This time, I’m not the main character~”

Ryūma’s next move made Rin frown slightly.

Without hesitation, Ryūma shifted into a full shooting stance—it looked completely real.

【BANG!!】

As the ball curved past Rin, Ryūma muttered,

“Take it, Nagi.”

“So it was for me after all.”

Jyubei Aryu leapt high again, expecting to trap the ball against his chest—but instead, a figure appeared before him, trapping it midair with his thigh.

Seeing this, Aryu could only exclaim,

“What a trendy trap!”

Landing, Nagi was just about to shoot when Aryu stretched out his long leg, using his reach to block the path.

Nagi had no choice but to stop—and that brief hesitation cost him his perfect timing.

Rin was already closing in on his shooting lane. Even though he and Ryūma were still blocking each other, forcing a shot now would turn the play into chaos.

Still locked with Rin, Ryūma saw Nagi standing frozen in thought and sighed internally.

(Seriously, this airheaded bunny just stands there thinking until someone steals the ball.)

(But what do I do here? I need to get beyond Rin’s expectations.)

(Hmm… Got it! He might see through it, but who cares? With my speed, even if Rin reacts, he won’t catch me!)

Without another thought, Ryūma slowed down, broke off his standoff with Rin, and shouted,

“Nagi!”