Chapter 27: Pure Evolution
Drop!
Team Z kicks off!
Standing tall at midfield was Kunigami Rensuke,His stance was firm, his expression sharp with focus.
He inhaled deeply—then launched the ball forward to Chigiri Hyōma.
Chigiri received the pass cleanly, spun on his heel, and sent the ball straight to Yūshin Seiichi at the heart of midfield.
Simultaneously, Team Z's frontline burst forward like a volley of arrows, stretching Team V's defensive line and giving Seiichi room to orchestrate the attack.
The atmosphere was electric. Every player was fighting tooth and nail, giving no quarter. The field was a battlefield—and no one was holding back.
After a tense exchange of possession, the ball rolled back to Seiichi's feet.
With signature finesse, he took a few touches, then—boom—fired a slick pass to Chigiri breaking down the left wing.
"Not happening!" Zantetsu Kiyora shadowed Chigiri, sticking to him like glue.
"Tch… you again."
Chigiri grit his teeth. In their last duel, Zantetsu had outrun him. As the speedster of Team Z, that was unforgivable.
"You may have the better burst—but I'll show you something else."
Boom!
Chigiri tapped the ball forward and exploded after it like a cheetah.
"There's no support there. Are you bluffing?" Zantetsu scoffed.
But before the words even finished, Chigiri tore forward, blazing across the pitch with a speed that left wind in his wake.
"What the hell…?"
Zantetsu blinked as Chigiri passed him in a blur.
"I told you. I'm faster than you think!"
Zantetsu responded immediately, catching up—but only briefly.
"In the first ten meters, sure. But long sprints? You're a turtle!"
He pushed harder, but Chigiri had shifted into another gear—nitro acceleration.
In seconds, Zantetsu was left behind.
I've got it!
Chigiri pulled back to shoot—when suddenly, a towering figure loomed before him.
Nagi Seishirō.
That guy?! When did he—?
Chigiri slammed on the brakes. No angle. If he shot now, it'd be blocked. If he hesitated, he'd lose the ball to Zantetsu closing in.
What do I—?
"Over here, Chigiri!"
A familiar voice cut through the pressure.
It was Isagi Yoichi.
Without hesitation, Chigiri curved a pass into Isagi's path.
"You're glowing with ego, Isagi," he whispered to himself.
What?!
Nagi turned just in time to see Isagi surge into the box.
That guy… the one I thought was a nobody?
Isagi didn't hesitate.
Boom!
A direct shot—no extra touch, no adjustment.
The ball screamed toward the top corner, just out of the keeper's reach.
Swish!
GOAL. Team Z leads 2–1.
"YESSS!!" Isagi roared.
This was it. This was his proof—he belonged here. He could rise, even among monsters.
"You're amazing, Isagi!" Bachira cheered, jumping onto his back.
"That shot! One touch, straight to the corner!" added Chigiri, beaming.
"This guy… keeps evolving," muttered Kunigami, sweat trickling down his temple.
"Let's finish this. Let's win it all!"
The bench erupted.
—
This is it, Isagi thought, clenching his fist.
I'm not fast. I'm not the strongest. I don't have flashy skills. But I can read the game—I can see the goal.
My weapon isn't just spatial awareness.
It's prediction.
I saw it all—Chigiri's run, Nagi's block, the opening. That's my formula.
Direct Shot.
Just one strike to end it all.
—
What's… with this guy?
Nagi stared at Isagi's retreating figure.
No talent… yet he's shining like this?
Why… is he always exactly where he needs to be?
—
"Looks like Isagi's found his own formula," Seiichi murmured, lips curling.
But more than the goal, what caught Seiichi's attention was Isagi's eyes.
He saw it.
That kind of vision—that kind of evolution…
"This speed… of growth…"
He could feel it—his blood heating up, boiling under his skin.
His body thrummed with energy.
Seiichi calmly untied the band in his light blue hair, brushing his bangs back and retying it higher, tighter.
In that moment, he looked sharper. Leaner. Lethal.
The fire inside him had reignited.
With each breath, his aura shifted—no longer overwhelming and oppressive, but refined. Balanced. Pure.
He opened his eyes—twin flames of focused light.
Let's see, Isagi Yoichi…
Can you keep up with me now?