章 35: Chapter 35 – Calm before the Storm
In Team Z's video room, the players sat intently watching footage of Team V's tactics and play styles. On the screen, Team V's fluid movement, precise passing, and relentless pace unfolded. Their coordination was flawless, dismantling every opponent in their path with ruthless efficiency.
"Team V's key players are these three," Iemon said, clicking a button on the remote. The screen shifted to display three profiles: a player with spiky dark hair wearing fake glasses, another with chin-length purple hair and striking violet eyes, and a third player with lean muscle, medium-length white hair forming a V-shaped fringe, and large gray irises.
"Zantetsu Tsurugi, Reo Mikage, and Seishiro Nagi, respectively" Iemon read aloud, pointing to each player on the screen. "Their counterattacking play and link-ups will have to be disrupted if we want any chance at winning."
"Zantetsu's one-on-one skills are dangerous. We'll need two defenders on him," Kuon remarked, leaning forward with a serious look.
"Not just that," Chigiri added, his sharp eyes picking up on details. "He's got insane acceleration over short distances." As a speedster himself, Chigiri had a keen eye for players who relied on bursts of speed.
"Reo is their midfield maestro," Isagi chimed in, contributing to the discussion. "He links the play between the three of them, distributing and recycling possession."
"But the real anomaly is this guy," Iemon said, pressing another button to highlight Nagi's actions. The screen played clips of Nagi effortlessly trapping difficult passes from Reo. Some balls seemed impossible to control, yet Nagi contorted his body in unnatural ways to bring them down with ease, like a magnet drawing the ball to his feet.
"That ball control is ridiculous!" Bachira exclaimed, bouncing in his seat, a grin spreading across his face. "With a guy like that upfield, you can just lob him the ball and he'll do the rest!"
"Which is why we can't let him receive the ball at all," Kuon said with a determined look, folding his arms.
After reviewing the key information and discussing how to handle Team V's dynamic trio, the players turned to a strange sight. Kira sat in the middle of the room, seemingly ignoring the conversation as his eyes remained glued to the screen. But what stood out most was Kunigami, still clinging tightly to Kira's right leg, begging shamelessly for Kira to teach him a shooting technique. The contrast was almost comical—the taller Kunigami clutching the much shorter Kira like a child throwing a tantrum, while Kira wore a serious expression, completely focused on the footage.
"Sorry guys, I need to study this match in more detail," Kira said without breaking his gaze from the screen, tracking a certain player's movements. "Let's discuss our game plan tomorrow."
However, his irritation was growing. He shot a frustrated look at Kunigami, who was still wrapped around his leg. "How long are you going to keep this up?!" Kira snapped, shaking his leg in an attempt to free himself.
"Until you agree to teach me!" Kunigami doubled down, refusing to release Kira's leg, his desperation evident.
With Kira's patience wearing thin, the rest of Team Z stepped in to forcibly pry Kunigami off. Despite his dejection as he was pulled away, Kunigami didn't give up hope. He sulked toward the door alongside the others, feeling defeated. Just as he was about to leave the room, Kira's voice cut through the air.
"Go practice your one-touch inside shot," Kira instructed, still focused on the screen. "Use Raito Fuwa's footage as a reference."
Kunigami froze for a moment, processing what Kira had just said. A smile slowly spread across his face. His shameless strategy had worked, and he now had a blueprint for his training. Elated, he left the room with renewed determination, while Kira returned to his analysis, not giving Kunigami another thought for the rest of the day.
As the day turned into night, Kira remained glued to the screen, meticulously studying footage of Team V. His desk was cluttered with notes, sketches, and tactical diagrams as he analyzed every aspect of their playstyle. His eyes moved with sharp focus, absorbing each movement, pass, and formation. "Aside from their pace, their playstyle is actually pretty straightforward," he muttered to himself, flipping through his notes.
"But this guy..." Kira's voice darkened, his irritation simmering as he fixated on one player in particular. "Is he even trying? Is he a rookie or something?"
Kira's eyes narrowed as he replayed the same clip over and over, scrutinizing the player's body language, positioning, and attitude. 'After scoring, he practically stops moving. No motivation at all. No love for the game,' Kira thought, his annoyance growing with each passing second. Every frame of this player's apathetic approach only stoked the fire within Kira, making him grind his teeth in anger.
'This guy doesn't take football seriously,' Kira concluded, his gaze hardening as an intense flame of determination ignited in his eyes. It was a fire that threatened to consume anything in its path, fueled by disdain for this player's lack of passion.
The next morning, Team Z gathered once again in the video room, ready to formulate their strategy for the upcoming match against Team V. Kira stood at the front, commanding the team's attention as he explained the tactics they'd use.
"Raichi will handle all dead-ball situations," Kira began, pointing to the screen. "The rest of us will support Bachira or Kunigami on their breakthroughs."
He tapped the screen again, bringing up their formation. "Here's the layout for our personnel distribution on the field."
As the team examined the display, Isagi raised an eyebrow. Something seemed off. "Wait, Kira… why are you positioned as a right-back?" he asked, puzzled.
The rest of the team leaned forward, scanning the formation more closely. Sure enough, Kira had placed himself at right-back, a defensive position far from his usual attacking role, while Raichi occupied the deep midfield.
"Our plan is to flood the attack from the flanks, with the full-backs joining the offense from the start," Kira explained. "By overwhelming Team V's defense, we can force mistakes and pick them apart."
Bachira cocked his head, still unconvinced. "Yeah, but wouldn't it be more effective to have you in the center, leading the attack?" he asked, eyes searching Kira's face.
Kira remained silent for a moment, recalling his late-night analysis. His expression darkened, "Because I'm going there to crush someone," he finally said, his voice cold and filled with venom.
The room plunged into an uneasy silence, the weight of Kira's words pressing down on everyone. A palpable tension thickened the air, as if a storm were about to break. Kira's eyes glinted with a dangerous intensity, a fanatical gleam flickering in their depths. His voice, low and simmering with rage, sliced through the quiet like a knife.
"In this final match of the round-robin..." he said, his tone cold and unrelenting, "I'm going to make sure Seishiro Nagi has no intention—ever—of playing football again."
His declaration was more than just words. It felt like a vow, a promise of destruction aimed squarely at his target, and the entire team could feel the burning hatred behind it. The air around him seemed to hum with the ferocity of his resolve, leaving his teammates frozen in place, caught between awe and unease.
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