"I'm counting on you, Okawa!"
Ikki kicked hard, sending the ball in a perfect arc through the air to Hibiki, who was breaking through on the wing.
"Nice pass!" Hibiki controlled the ball smoothly while scanning the center with his peripheral vision.
At that moment, three players blocked Ryōsuke from the defensive line.
Though he would eventually break free, these precious seconds gave Hibiki the distance he needed.
With the entire team joining the attack, Team Y pushed more players forward. Most weren't directly involved in the offensive — their presence was meant to disrupt the defenders!
"Kira, I admit I can't get past you! But what about your teammates?" Hibiki's shout carried his frustration.
Yudai Yamamura rushed to confront him, but Hibiki easily nutmegged him and slipped past.
Though Ryōsuke gave him trouble, Hibiki was far from weak. His offensive skills ranked among the best of all four teams!
"Such speed!" Rensuke and Asahi Naruhaya rushed in to defend.
Hibiki flicked the ball with his right foot, making them shift their weight — then suddenly pulled it back!
The cow-tail feint!
He breezed past both defenders effortlessly.
"Well done, Okawa!" A smile crossed Ikki's face.
His field-reading ability had orchestrated this tactical play perfectly. Some players occupied Ryōsuke while others made strategic runs into the opponent's half, dividing the defenders' attention and clearing Hibiki's path.
Everything was under his control.
"I am the ruler of this field!" Ikki declared with a confident smile, clenching his right fist.
If this shot went in, the match's outcome would hang in the balance once again!
Now only goalkeeper Okuhito stood between Hibiki and the goal. Hibiki had already lifted the ball, poised to shoot!
"Don't even think about shooting!" Okuhito dove forward, determined to deny any chance at goal.
Though he had barely moved, he was already drenched in sweat — Hibiki's attack posed a serious, lethal threat!
When Hibiki lifted his foot, Okuhito charged forward to block the shot. But surprise spread across his face.
Instead of shooting directly, Hibiki pulled back his kicking leg and gently pushed the ball forward to continue his charge.
It was a feint!
The deceptive move fooled Okuhito completely. With his body weight shifted forward, he couldn't retreat in time. Hibiki easily slipped past him.
Okuhito desperately tried to turn and chase but lost his balance and fell to the ground.
This move showcased Hibiki's exceptional technical skill!
"No!" Okuhito roared in frustration from the ground.
A smug smile crossed Hibiki's face, "This goal is mine!"
An empty, undefended goal stood before him. He lifted his foot to shoot — if he scored, the gap would narrow to 2:1!
The shot was certain to go in.
"Don't even think about scoring!"
A familiar voice rang out beside his ear, and his eyes widened in terror.
It was Ryōsuke!
Just as Hibiki was about to shoot, Ryōsuke reached his side and cleared the ball, sending it soaring high into the air!
"How is this possible?!"
Everyone on the field stood dumbfounded, even Team Z's players. They couldn't believe Ryōsuke had materialized there.
"What happened?! How did he do that?!" Ikki cried in disbelief.
He had been so certain of Hibiki's goal that he'd lost track of Ryōsuke's position.
But moments ago, when Hibiki faced the keeper one-on-one, Ryōsuke had been nowhere near — how had he suddenly appeared?!
"This guy... did he manage to get here in just seconds?!"
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"How did he do that?!" Anri's mouth gaped open in surprise.
She had been certain Hibiki's shot would go in, but Ryōsuke's sudden clearance left her stunned.
"He just did it." Jinpachi said, calmly pushing up his glasses.
Despite his composed demeanor, even he felt a surge of surprise.
Ryōsuke had broken free from the three-man containment and chased down Hibiki with breathtaking speed to make the interception.
His physical abilities and speed had reached truly extraordinary levels.
"Impressive..." He couldn't help but express his admiration.
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In that crucial moment, Ryōsuke had entered a state of total concentration breathing to enhance his strength, then activated Thunderclap and Flash to amplify his explosive leg power. This combination gave him the unmatched speed needed to intercept Hibiki.
Thanks to his improved condition and skill mastery, he had largely recovered from using his abilities in the first half. Using both legs had helped minimize the techniques' drawbacks.
Now Hibiki knelt on the ground, his expression blank.
"No, impossible..."
Looking at his interceptor, who had already returned to his defensive position, Hibiki felt fear rising in his heart.
Ryōsuke stood like a giant wall — no, a mountain peak — directly in his path. Could anyone defeat this monster?
Hibiki couldn't help but wonder.
A few seconds later, Ryōsuke's cleared ball finally landed.
Though a Team Y player was there to receive it, he found himself paralyzed by Team Z's intimidating defense. Lacking both courage and skill to press forward, he could only pass the ball back to midfield for Ikki to reorganize the attack.
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