Inyo wiped his brow with a lazy smirk. "Ohh, how scary."
Kumi exhaled, shaking his head. "Wow, he's good."
Beside them, Akane grinned as sweat dripped down his temple. "Things are getting interesting."
Jin remained silent, as always.
Yugen's breath caught in his throat. That play just now... His eyes widened. From Inyo's interception to every movement on the field—it was all orchestrated by him. He wields his teammates like weapons, exploiting weaknesses with ruthless efficiency. To him, there are no allies. Only pawns.
A shiver ran down his spine. Itoku is a genius, but... what were those flashes? He shook his head sharply, forcing himself to focus.
---
[Kuzan's Locker Room]
Itoku sat with a towel draped over his head, the fabric shadowing his eyes. Around him, his teammates buzzed with tension.
Shinsei sighed. "Those guys are really good. Especially that Kou."
Kagura crossed his arms. "Hmph."
Tetsu said nothing.
The door swung open, their coach stepping inside with a clap. "Good job out there, team! Let's do our best!"
Itoku's head snapped up. "Shut the hell up."
The coach faltered. "Itoku-kun, calm down—"
"Let's go." Itoku stood abruptly, cutting him off.
Kagura chuckled nervously. "Okay, okay, boss."
Tetsu and Shinsei fell in step behind him—until Itoku whirled around, his gaze piercing. The room stilled.
"You're all just pawns," he declared, voice cold. "Make yourselves useful to me."
The locker room erupted.
"Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"Get off your high horse!"
Amid the chaos, one player stood silent—Sakuya Tachibana. His eyes shone with something like reverence as he stared at Itoku.
Itoku's lip curled. "Looks like at least one of you has a brain."
Then he was gone, leaving behind a room seething in his wake.
---
[Restart]
The formation shifted.
Kou and Kumi led the charge, Yugen and Iori flanking wide. Sosei anchored the midfield, while Jin, Kaito, Inyo, and Akane held the backline.
Kuzan attacked with desperate fury, their passes sharp and relentless.
Yugen gritted his teeth. They're throwing everything at us.
Yuto stepped into Kagura's path with a sneer. "Come on, shrimp."
Kagura grinned. "Hehe."
Yugen's nails bit into his palms. Right now, I'm nothing. No presence. No impact. A sharp exhale. Forget my own goal. Watch Kou. Learn.
Kou intercepted Kagura's pass, linking up with Kumi in a fluid motion.
Itoku's voice cut through the noise. "Come."
Kou didn't respond.
Itoku's grin turned feral. "If you're not coming... I'll come to you."
He charged.
Yugen's breath hitched. No wasted movements. No gaps. They're fighting in a realm of their own.
Kou feinted—a false rainbow flick. Itoku adjusted instantly, but the opening was enough. The ball rolled back to Jin, deep in their own half.
Kagura blinked. "To the back?"
Shinsei's eyes narrowed. "What's he trying to pull?"
Yugen's mind flashed to Kuro's goal. Kou's copying his play.
Jin's bullet pass found Yuto in a blur.
"Wha—?!" Shinsei staggered.
Tetsu paled. "So fast!"
Kagura leaped—only for Yuto to soar higher, his aerial dominance absolute. The pass to Kumi was flawless.
Shinsei cursed as Kumi controlled it effortlessly.
Yugen's pulse spiked. What control!
Kumi feinted the overhead pass—then, with impossible precision, slipped past Shinsei and volleyed left-footed toward the top corner.
The goalkeeper's fingertips grazed it. The crossbar rattled. The rebound fell to Kou—
—Until Itoku materialized. "Hoy hoy, did you forget about me, Kou-kun?"
Yugen's instincts screamed.
Behind him, the air shifted.
Inyo moved like a phantom, his footsteps silent. His eyes—a blazing, unnatural blue—locked onto the ball with predatory focus.
Then—
A cycle kick.
The impact was thunder. The net shuddered.
Silence.
Inyo landed, his expression icy, his aura unrecognizable.
Yugen's mouth went dry. He knew. He knew this would happen. His thoughts raced. Instinct? No... His eyes, his posture—it's like he's someone else.
A split personality.
Akane's voice snapped him back. "Yugen, you're really good at analyzing. In that single play, you deduced Inyo-kun."
Yugen barely registered the words. "Huh? Yeah." His fingers trembled. Never mind that. What are these flashes...?
[Chapter End]