บท 32: [32] Realization
"He's coming way too fast!" Eita muttered instinctively as he saw Shinichi charging toward him with overwhelming momentum.
At the same time, his sharp eyes scanned the field, analyzing the situation.
'That blue-haired guy is marking Aryu with front-position defense… Even with Aryu's wide reach, passing to him would be risky. Behind me, there's that monster. With him there, there's no chance of passing back to Karasu either.'
"If that's the case, I'll just go solo!" Eita muttered to himself.
With his back against the defender, he suddenly pushed the ball through the opponent's legs.
As the defender instinctively turned to locate the ball, Eita used his quick footwork to accelerate and spin around, executing a brilliant nutmeg dribble.
The outmaneuvered defender even ended up acting as an unwitting barrier to slow Shinichi down.
But…
"Watch out, Eita! That guy isn't the same anymore!" Karasu shouted desperately while chasing Shinichi, his voice filled with urgency.
However, even that brief delay was enough.
In a flash, Shinichi had caught up, stepping on the ball and halting Eita's advance.
"When did he… get behind me?" Eita turned in disbelief.
Somehow, Shinichi had managed to maintain his incredible speed while perfectly maneuvering around the defender blocking him.
During that split-second turn, Shinichi used the defender's body as a shield to avoid Eita's peripheral vision, making it seem like he had been successfully delayed.
It was the perfect combination of Isagi's blind-spot utilization and Eita's off-ball movement!
"Damn it, I won't let you go so easily! Even if it means fouling, I'll stop you," Eita thought grimly, knowing that taking the ball from Shinichi with pure skill was near impossible.
Deciding to take a risk, he lunged forward, wrapping his arms around Shinichi in a desperate bear hug.
"Aryu is tied up with that blue-haired guy, I can't match his speed, and Karasu alone won't stop him from the back. My only option is to foul and reset our formation."
"Sorry, I'm not used to such passionate hugs from another man," Shinichi quipped, denying even this desperate move.
He placed his hand on Eita's side, controlling the distance with surgical precision.
Despite being so close, it felt as though an unbreachable chasm lay between them.
With Eita immobilized, Shinichi calmly lifted his foot and sent a spinning long ball flying toward the front field.
The pass was flawless, landing right at the feet of Hiori, who had already broken free from Aryu's defense with a clever counter-run.
"You even copied my passing style, Shinichi… you bastard…" Hiori muttered, catching the perfectly delivered ball with a mix of frustration and awe.
As he smoothly controlled it, his tone shifted to one of resolve. "Damn it, you're not forcing me to do anything, but with this insane rate of evolution, this crushing pressure… it's like you're telling me I'm not allowed to stop moving forward."
"Fine. Then let me show you what I can do!"
Hiori surged forward with the ball, pursued relentlessly by Aryu, who stayed on him like a shadow. "A beautiful counter-run," Aryu remarked, "You created just enough space to receive the ball within my reach. But the stylish me will stop you right here."
"Don't forget about me!" Karasu suddenly intercepted, veering off his initial pursuit path to block Hiori's route instead. "As expected… Shinichi might be stronger now than ever, but something's off about his condition!"
Hiori's eyes sharpened as he heard Karasu's words, but Karasu continued analyzing aloud.
"He avoids turning whenever possible. The only time he did was that scoop turn during the breakthrough earlier, a half-turn rather than a full rotation. Even when he dispossessed Eita, instead of immediately counterattacking, he opted for a long pass. He's deliberately avoiding full rotations!"
"New data has been input," Karasu declared, teaming up with Aryu to close down Hiori. "Now it's time for the output. Finally, I've caught you. This new information will change the entire game."
"Annoying pests!" Hiori's eyes narrowed as he pushed off into action.
With his right foot, he approached the ball but suddenly lifted it, circling counterclockwise around it in a deceptive move.
As both Karasu and Aryu shifted their weight to respond, Hiori used the outside of his foot to flick the ball outward.
Outside flick, a pass?
No, impossible! Shinichi isn't in position yet, and Hiori wouldn't risk passing to anyone else. It's a feint!
Karasu and Aryu reacted simultaneously, both lunging for the ball.
But…
"I guessed you'd figure it out," Hiori muttered, watching their movements unfold. "But did you really think I'd use such a basic feint?"
At the same moment, Hiori's foot, seemingly set for an outward flick, abruptly dropped down, his toes slipping under the slightly lifted ball.
With a quick motion, he flicked the ball upward, juggling it over both defenders.
The two were left stunned as the ball arced elegantly over their heads.
Hiori dashed past them, his movements smooth and fluid, completely outwitting the combined block.
The ball soared into the air, narrowly evading the crisscrossing legs of the defenders.
Hiori, already anticipating the trajectory, positioned himself perfectly under its landing point. "You really underestimated me," he remarked.
"I never… said I lost!" Aryu's voice roared from behind as his long leg stretched out, poking the ball away from Hiori's control.
The interception caused Aryu to tumble to the ground, rolling twice before sprawling out, visibly exhausted. "The one shining on this field… is me!"
"Impressive," Hiori commented, glancing at Aryu on the ground, his expression mixed with awe and admiration. "To recover and make it here in time… your defensive range really is enormous."
But in his eyes, there wasn't a trace of surprise.
"Too bad," Hiori continued. "You making it here was part of the plan. You're right on time, Your Majesty."
"Good work, Hiori."
In a blur, Shinichi darted past Hiori, reclaiming the ball Aryu had deflected. It was already under his control.
"What's the point of all this showing off?" Karasu yelled as he charged in from the side.
With all his strength, he collided with Shinichi, forcing him to stop momentarily, even halting Shinichi's momentum with the sheer force of his tackle. "Count me in too!"
"Annoying!" Shinichi growled in frustration, raising his arm to push Karasu back.
But Karasu merely shifted his body slightly, swiping Shinichi's arm away with a flick of his own.
"Don't get too cocky, genius!" Karasu gritted his teeth, locking horns with Shinichi in a fierce contest of strength. "I know my moves better than anyone. You think you can crush the original with the stolen version? You're out of your league!"
"I second that. Your holier-than-thou attitude really pisses me off," Eita added, circling around to Shinichi's blind spot. He suddenly lunged, aiming for a tackle. "And you still can't make a proper turn, can you? Gotcha!"
"Shinichi! Over here!" Hiori shouted from the other side, ready to receive a pass.
But Aryu, now recovered, spread his long limbs wide, completely blocking Hiori's line of sight and path. "Sorry, but this way is closed."
Completely sealed off.
Hiori's passing, Eita's agile movements, Karasu's upper-body feints, and even Isagi's blind-spot utilization—none of it worked.
The copied abilities failed to produce results, and two pairs of legs relentlessly pressed against Shinichi's dribbling space, methodically closing off his final escape routes.
Yet, even in such a dire situation, Shinichi's expression remained stoic, though his inner frustration raged.
'What am I missing…?'
'Even when pushed to this extreme, I can't achieve that last-second breakthrough like a protagonist.'
'What's the piece I've overlooked…?'
'Who's left…? Aryu?'
Like a flash of lightning, realization struck.
Shinichi felt as though his entire being shattered into fragments, breaking apart into pieces.
In the same instant, an infinite stream of data surged from the minds of everyone on the field, reassembling him anew.
Borrowed abilities… a missing individual… when pieced together, it all leads to…
'Why?'
'Why haven't I copied Aryu's abilities?'
'Ah, so that's it… I understand now!'
His escape routes completely blocked, Shinichi stood on the brink of losing possession for the first time in his life.
But instead of despair, a sudden laughter erupted from him.
"Hahaha! So that's it. Something this simple has been tormenting me for so long?"
He turned his gaze upward, the intensity of his realization burning in his eyes.
"Shogo Haizaki… I've uncovered the secret of your 'Devour' ability!"
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