Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818093087122434729/episodes/16818792436277272283
“He’s amazing, isn’t he?”
Tsubaki Sanada muttered quietly. Her gaze was fixed firmly on senpai, who was leaping about on the field.
“…I’ve known that for a long time.”
“Yeah, I guess so. I knew it the first time I saw your eyes. I knew you liked him.”
“…”
His skills are outstanding, his ability to lead the team is extremely high, and…
“—What’s most amazing about Ren is his physical strength.”
Before she knew it, Hasegawa Aota was standing slightly behind her.
“Ren certainly has incredible skills. But he prioritizes using those around him, so he doesn’t even think of it as important.”
“You’re Hasegawa-kun, right? Hmm, your words carry weight because they’re based on your own experiences. Could you tell me more?”
“Sure. Ren… probably doesn’t realize it himself, but he’ll keep going until the very end, no matter what, never letting up for a single moment.”
His eyes sparkled with joy. It was the same expression of childlike admiration he had when he first saw his beloved superhero.
Just from that, I felt like I could see the true relationship between Ren-senpai and Hasegawa Sōta.
“From your perspective, Hasegawa-kun, do you think Hayami-kun can win this match?”
“Well, if our ‘Demon King’ is serious about winning, then I think so. In terms of probability, about 80%.”
＊＊＊
“Okay! Here we go! Taito!”
The ball rolls across the ground, darting sharply toward Tokai from under the Rain God’s feet.
Through the gaps between friend and foe.
First half. Why did they suffer such an easy defeat? The answer was deduced by Tokai, who had observed Hayami’s movements from deep in the front lines.
“Why were our passes kept getting cut off? It’s probably because of that guy in the middle’s instructions. …He’s setting the rules.”
One, don’t go after the ball one-on-one.
Two, if you can’t find a passing option after holding the ball for three seconds, kick it out.
And the last one. If you’re in trouble, look for Hayami Ren.
“If I just understand that, I can do it!”
He perfectly received the ball, maintained his speed, and charged toward the goal.
“This time, I’ll score!”
Tokai raised his leg and took his shooting stance.
However, in that moment, another player slipped past him.
“—Yeah. That’s right, Tokai.”
“!!”
The ball was already gone from under Tokai’s feet.
“!! Hayami-san!!”
Without any hesitation, the ball was stolen in an instant as they passed each other.
But even that was something Tokai had anticipated.
“I knew this would happen! Of course!”
Instantly, three players surround Hayami Ren.
“We’ll stop you even if it kills us!” “Yeah!”
To be honest, as beginners, they couldn’t perform effective defense against Hayami Ren.
But they could at least block his path.
That’s what Amagami was thinking.
“Tokai! The counterattack is coming! Retreat!”
“Ah!”
Three out of eleven. Not a small sacrifice. However, there was no one who could stop Hayami one-on-one, and there was no other way to deal with it.
It was a desperate measure. But it was the right choice. It should have been.
Yet.
“Is that okay? If you assign three people to me, that means you can’t cover the space.”
It was already a monster. Switching between acceleration and deceleration. Dribbling and feints with varying speeds.
In an instant, he passed the three of them. It was as if he were a professional playing against elementary school students.
“What?!” “Kwaa!”
The offensive turned into a sudden crisis.
In a moment of confusion, Hayami moved.
“Let’s attack from the left.”
He slowed down and waited for his teammates to come up.
Then, with a smooth and flowing pass motion
“Stop it!”
“Leave it to me!”
One of his teammates quickly ran over and stretched out his foot to try to steal the ball.
“Hmm, not bad. But I’m not so slow that I’d let you take the ball in one move.”
He dodged lightly and accelerated rapidly. His movement was
“Damn it! Were you lying earlier?”
“Ha, you caught me. Sorry, scoring isn’t my specialty, but in this situation, the most effective thing is for me to take the ball up.”
Defense designed from the start to create this situation. Using the space created by having multiple markers on himself to score. That was the goal.
“──demon king, you’re absolutely right.”
Win. Challenge, fight, and win. That was the proof of what he had been doing.
Amagami and Tokai retreat deep into their own territory.
“Taito! You take care of the goal area!”
“Ah!”
Tokai challenges Hayami one-on-one.
He lowers his hips and lifts his heels. He spreads his arms slightly to create space.
“Hayami san, let me buy some time, okay?”
“Tokai, you’re really good. Are you in the youth team now?”
“Yeah, I feel more comfortable in a club than in a school club.”
Their spaces intersect.
Hayami, who is handling the ball, swings it back and forth, left and right, to lure Tokai’s feet.
“You’re not biting. Then…”
“Hmm… This is definitely within shooting range!”
“You’re right. Actually, I’m better at long shots than dribbling.”
His form is supple and textbook-perfect.
His left arm rises, his pivot foot is slightly to the side of the ball, and his posture is slightly tilted.
“No way!”
The purpose of defense. It’s not about preventing points. Ultimately, it’s about preventing shots.
No matter what kind of shot it is, as long as it hits the frame, it can lead to a point in the subsequent play.
That’s why Tokai hides both hands behind his back and blocks the shooting path in front of his dominant foot, the right foot.
To prevent the ball from being passed forward.
However, even that—the Demon King had anticipated it.
“! No! That person!”
“What!?”
A feint. The right foot, which was certain to take the shot, suddenly changed direction.
“That person! He’s ambidextrous!”
“Haha, you figured it out. But it’s too late now.”
The left foot that swung through was identical to the shot fired in the first half. No, it was even sharper.
“You’ve changed since the first half. Then—Step 2.”
That single strike sent the goal net trembling once more.
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