Chapter 36 Football 36 The Day with Passion

Human emotions often go through a series of subtle stages.

From the innocent joy of first meeting, to the harmonious conversations during time together, to the cold war caused by misunderstandings or conflicts, and even to the brink of a complete break.

Then came another contact, and finally, a renewed sense of guilt and complete trust.

Ten no Michū knew that he had to win this match by a large margin.

Only in this way can he establish his absolute authority within Team W and make his words an unshakeable force of power.

Despite having only one match left in the remaining games and having increasingly limited time to spend with his teammates, Tennominaka still made the firm decision to do so.

We might meet again in the next match.

Something that's easy to use is always better than something new.

The so-called "maintenance" means bringing the hearts of eleven people together, like the internal structure of a precision machine, where all kinds of gears are in their proper places, just right.

Once the switch is turned on, these seemingly tiny gears work together in coordination under the connecting link, driving the entire behemoth.

All of this cannot be achieved in an instant; it requires rigorous training and refinement.

The scorching flames would expel impurities from the iron, a uniform giant hammer would flatten the dents on the iron, and a specially made sharpening knife would smooth out the bumps formed by the burst of iron gas.

After this forging process, the iron was finally placed into the mold and forged into a standard sharp blade.

The impurities have been removed, and the inappropriate remarks and ideas have disappeared without a trace.

It's the perfect time; everything is ready.

Amanominaka initiated [synchronization], or more accurately, [maintainment].

He liked the name, and the weapon stemmed from his profound understanding of Suoh Koki's "harmony".

Although it cannot achieve shared thoughts and emotions like "Synchronization," the ability to quickly connect is undoubtedly its greatest advantage.

After practicing in the first two games, Tenno Minaka has fully mastered the "maintenance" skill derived from "synchronization".

"Ryosuke!"

With a shout, Tenno Minakataka accurately passed the ball to Kira Ryosuke's feet.

Ryosuke Kira advanced with the ball without hesitation, while the W team players tacitly took off-the-ball runs, preparing to create the best opportunity for the next attack.

V's Kenjou Zantetsu had a gloomy expression as he stared intently at W's every move, his heart filled with impatience.

Team V seemed to be encased in an invisible barrier, unable to even touch the ball. Whenever a player tried to approach the ball handler, the ball seemed to come alive, instantly flowing among Team W players, passing at least three people, making it impossible for Team V to defend against.

“That’s enough…” Kenjou Zantetsu murmured.

He charged towards Kira Ryosuke, attempting to intercept the continuous stream of passes.

Kira Ryosuke's movements were swift and cunning. Almost at the same time that Kenjo Chizuru was closing in, he cleverly passed the ball to W team's number 10 player.

Kenjou Zantetsu had to immediately adjust his direction and rush toward number 10, but just as he was about to touch the ball, it was transferred to number 7's feet like a phantom, and then returned to Kira Ryosuke's control.

This series of dazzling and exquisite passing combinations not only completely deprived Kenjou Zantetsu of his ability to anticipate the ball, but also lured him step by step into the heart of W team's midfield.

At this moment, Kira Ryosuke was already close to V team's goal, and V team's defense was facing an unprecedented severe test.

Seishiro Nagi and Reio Mikage stepped forward to defend, and the ball was kicked out of bounds.

As Kira Ryosuke delivered a perfect corner kick, the announcement of the goal was made.

2:2

They tied the score.

Reio Mikage quickly gathered the V team players, forming a circle to conduct an emergency match analysis and tactical deployment.

Beside him, Nagi Seishiro tilted his head slightly, the veins on his neck bulging slightly, and looked at Kenjo Zantetsu, asking, "Zantetsu, aren't you going to go over and listen?"

“I don’t like being told what to do.” Kenjou Zantetsu adjusted his glasses.

Although the three of them always walked together and appeared to be good friends to outsiders.

However, Kenjou Zentetsu's attitude towards Mikage Reio is actually quite complicated.

Reio Mikage is an outstanding, dazzling, and normal person, unlike a fool like him.

Kenjou Zantetsu preferred Nagi Seishiro, who was always by Mikage Reio's side, to Mikage Reio.

Weirdos and idiots.

From any perspective, they are a perfect match.

“…I see.” Nagi Seishiro responded softly before turning and walking toward Mikage Reio.

Oh no... Am I really going to have to play soccer for the rest of my life?

Thinking of this, Nagi Seishiro felt flustered, short of breath, and weak as he walked.

Nagishiro's original plan was to introduce Kenjou Zentetsu to Mikage Reio, thereby freeing himself from this endless and painful football journey.

In his view, Reio Mikage's love for football bordered on obsession, and if he could find a replacement who shared the same passion and possessed considerable skill, he might be able to regain his freedom.

Of course, the best alternative is Kira Ryosuke, even though Kira Ryosuke is not as good as himself.

I'm so hungry. When will this kind of life finally end?

Seishiro Nagi has absolutely no interest in soccer; he only stayed here because Reio Mikage dragged him into playing.

As soon as the whistle blew, the situation on the field remained deadlocked, with the scales of victory clearly tipping in favor of Team W.

Kenjou Zantetsu staggered across the field, as if pulled by invisible threads. Every attempt to intercept missed, and anger and frustration surged in his chest, finally turning into a deafening roar as he fixed his gaze on Kira Ryosuke, who was halfway across the field.

He felt like a fool, completely fooled by Team W.

Ryosuke Kira, dribbling the ball, moved like a ghost, quickly approaching the V team's goal.

"So slow."

With a clean and crisp sweeping kick, Nagi Seishiro sent the ball flying through the air in a beautiful arc, landing precisely at Mikage Reio's feet. The tacit understanding between the two seemed innate.

Am I really a genius?

Nagi Seishiro muttered to himself once again.

Kira Ryosuke remained silent, head bowed, seemingly lost in his own world. Mikage Reio decisively turned and dribbled the ball towards Team W's goal.

Amano Minaka, who was not far away, saw this scene and his expression changed instantly.

? !

Ryosuke, why are you making that face? Do you think you'll lose if you choose me?

Amano Minaka acted swiftly, intercepting Mikage Reio's attack with astonishing speed and firmly controlling the ball at his feet.

The competition has entered a heated phase, with every second unpredictable. Only by maintaining a calm and composed mindset can victory be secured.

Since Kira Ryosuke can no longer maintain stability, let's replace him.

A precise pass landed steadily at the feet of W team's number 10, who immediately took a shot, throwing V team's defense into chaos.

Based on Reio Mikage's guess and his analysis of Team W's strength, in order to win, Tenno Minaka would only pass the ball to Ryosuke Kira.

As arranged by Reio Mikage, most of the V team players surrounded Ryosuke Kira, offering virtually no defense against the other W team players. Even the goalkeeper came out to defend Ryosuke Kira.

"Peng—"

A dull, loud thud shattered the tense atmosphere of the match, but instead of the expected tremor of the net, it struck Kenjo Zantetsu's head.

Kenjou Zentetsu was not involved in Mikage Reio's tactical arrangements and was unaware that they intended to defend against Kira Ryosuke to the death.

He knew he was an idiot, clueless about the intricacies of the game, and couldn't think of any other way than to follow the football.

"Cut the iron!"

Reio Mikage rushed forward, his eyes filled with concern. He carefully examined Kenjo Zantetsu's condition and confirmed that apart from his slightly damaged glasses, Kenjo Zantetsu himself was unharmed.

Kenjou Zentetsu watched as Mikage Reiō observed the way he wore his glasses.

Maybe... this guy can be trusted.

"Um?"

Reio Mikage gently picked up Kenjo Zantetsu's glasses, examined them carefully through the lenses, and frowned slightly. "Why didn't you remove the protective film from these glasses? Won't things be blurry like this?"

"Oh, my glasses don't have a prescription."

"You don't think wearing glasses makes you look smarter, do you?"

Rei-ou Mikage smiled slightly, gently patted Kenjou Zantetsu's shoulder, and said with a laugh, "Silly boy, if you don't remove the protective film, you might actually get nearsighted the more you wear it."

Kenjou Zentetsu looked at Mikage Reio, his expression turning serious. He asked solemnly, "Tell me, Reio, what should I do next? Whether it's tactical adjustments or personal skill enhancements, I'm willing to give it my all."

Upon hearing this, Mikage Rei-o paused for a moment, then a glint of tears flashed in her eyes.

"Fool, you're cutting iron."

"What's wrong? Should this situation be called idiotic?"

"A dishonest person is an idiot."

"Huh?"

Seeing this, Nagi Seishiro breathed a sigh of relief.

Great, looks like I can retire now.

Congratulations, Ling Wang.

I'll be playing games and applauding you both when you and Zhan Tie win the W Cup.

They seemed to have temporarily forgotten everything around them, including the still-rolling football.

Kira Ryosuke keenly seized this opportunity and rushed forward without hesitation, trying to make up for his teammates' oversight.

Due to the angle of the shot, his powerful kick only caused the ball to make brief contact with the goalpost before it bounced dramatically to the feet of V team's number 4.

Team V's number 4 reacted quickly, seizing the rare opportunity and dribbling the ball like an arrow towards Team W's penalty area. Faced with this sudden attack, a direct shot became the wisest choice.

The football drew a beautiful arc in the air, but was unfortunately saved by the W team's goalkeeper.

Team W's number 8 reacted quickly, controlling the ball. Kenjo Zantetsu pounced like a cheetah, stealing the ball back and attempting a shot, but it was thwarted by Tenno Minaka's amazing reflexes.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Reio Mikage skillfully regained possession of the ball from Minakata Amano and prepared to launch a fatal attack.

Kira Ryosuke pursued relentlessly, and at the crucial moment, kicked the ball away, stopping Mikage Reio's shot.

At this critical moment, Nagi Seishiro appeared in front of the goal like a ghost, and almost instinctively, he headed the ball into the goal.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and everyone held their breath.

3:2

Team V is in the lead.

!

How could I do such a thing?

I'm so hungry!

Before his head, Nagi Seishiro's stomach reacted strangely.

This feeling is so strange.

This feeling is amazing.

Nagi Seishiro slowly lowered his head, his silver hair cascading down like a waterfall, obscuring his wide-open eyes filled with shock.

He roughly grabbed his collar and wiped the fine sweat that had seeped from his chin due to nervousness.

His brain was like a high-speed machine, constantly analyzing the fluctuations in his inner emotions.

What is this feeling? Why do I have this feeling? Is there anything different about this match compared to the previous ones? Could it be that this opponent is stronger than the previous ones?

Nagi Seishiro pondered to himself, his heart filled with doubt and confusion. He tried to recall every detail of the match, attempting to find the source of that strange feeling.

Even... to the point where I could lose?

Lose?

Will I lose?

Will Rei and I lose?

Even with the addition of the Iron-Cutting Technique, will I still lose?

Nagi Seishiro's body trembled involuntarily, and an indescribable emptiness welled up in his stomach again, as if it had been emptied by an invisible force, leaving behind endless emptiness and longing.

"Nagi, you truly are my treasure."

"Ah! Well done."

Reio Mikage suddenly charged forward, leaping into the air and placing his hands firmly on Seishiro Nagi's strong shoulders. Immediately afterward, Kenjo Zantetsu also rushed over like lightning, his broad arms tightly encircling Seishiro Nagi's neck.

Unable to withstand the sudden movement of the two, the three of them fell to the ground together due to the loss of balance, kicking up a cloud of dust.

I see!

My stomach churned again.

It wasn't a groan of hunger, but rather a surge of excitement and exhilaration from within.

Is this what it feels like to be filled with adrenaline?

Is this what it feels like to be evenly matched?

That's incredible!

I can't believe that the plot of this kind of action-packed anime has ended up happening to me.

Nagi Seishiro stood up and looked at Mikage Reio, who had already walked away.

You really did it, Rei-oh!

The day when I was filled with enthusiasm has finally arrived.

A note from the author:

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