Arc1: Chapter12
Ouch.
Isagi made a face, and Kunigami put a hand over his face. Even Reo had a dumbstruck look on his face.
Chigiri realized that he said something awkward. He coughed into his hand with a dust of pink coating his cheeks.
Restart!
Another round of fighting for the goal. The ball laid at Isagi’s feet and he passed it to Nagi, and Nagi passed it back to Isagi, again.
Isagi observed first, without making a move.
Chigiri, Kunigami, and Reo… without a doubt, they are strong! Their offense and defense is balanced at a super high level. A team with no weakness and yet…
Isagi thought back to his experience.
After he fell back to the 2 vs 2 with Nagi, they fought against Barou and Igaguri. Baruo was a formidable opponent. But he realized that there was something wrong with Barou’s mental state.
It was different from the usual ‘King’ Barou. He wasn’t domineering and bulldozing as usual. No, to be exact, he was still domineering and bulldozing, but it was weaker. His usual energy and presence weren't there.
His mind wasn’t there in the match.
As if he was seeing someone who wasn’t there, he would snap his head at random places with frightened startledness.
It wasn’t the Barou who would believe in his place as the ‘King’. It wasn’t the Barou who was afraid of nothing. It wasn’t the Barou he knew at all.
In addition to Barou’s strangeness, Igaguri kept pulling at his feet. They won the match easier than anyone could have ever guessed.
At the end of the match, he chose Barou. Even though there was clearly something wrong with him, anyone with the right mind will choose Barou over Igaguri.
Besides, he didn’t want to see such a talent getting buried.
To his frustration, due to not facing a strong opponent enough to oppress them, Isagi hadn’t evolved.
That’s why, when faced with Reo’s provocation in the bathhouse, he jumped at that chance.
Isagi wanted to become better.
Far better than he was right now.
After all, his goal was to be the best striker in the world.
… I’m shaking with excitement to see what facing these guys will bring me. I’m full of anticipation. Bring it on Kunigami, Chigiri, Reo!
“Let’s go!”
Isagi said, his eyes burning with determination and hunger.
“I’m always ready.”
Nagi had barely broken a sweat at this point. The one to blame for the lost goal was completely Barou. It was due to his mistake. He wanted to prove to everyone, to Leon, that he wasn’t useless.
He charged ahead, despite knowing he couldn’t do that. He refused to pass to Isagi. His stupidity was what cost them a goal.
Nagi side-eyed Barou.
Until the crestfallen King had accepted his loss and mended his mistake, he was logically and practically, very useless.
He was sure Isagi understood that too.
“Nii-chan!” A body rammed into Leon, engulfing the shorter boy in a bear hug.
Leon blinked and make no attempt to pry the taller boy off him.
“Nii-chan, listen! I-” He picked up a piece of streaming steak with his fork and brought it up to his mouth, chewing slowly and savoring the taste.
David continued speaking, and when he noticed that Leon hadn’t reacted to him as if he didn’t exist, his face cracked.
While he still couldn’t get over how delicious the steak was, Leon noticed the voice above him was getting weaker, and weaker.
He sighed quietly.
And shoved a piece of steak into David’s mouth.
He knew that David loved this steak. Actually, David just loved meat in general. And Leon was into balanced meals. He wouldn’t complain unless there were bell peppers.
This was one of the differences between the two brothers.
The taller boy’s face brightened again, and he came back to his usual self, ecstatic to be near his big brother again.
Really, he was too simple to please.
“Barou!” Isagi was in a pinch with Reo guarding him, and Chigiri at a perfect distance to react to him in case he try something.
Kunigami wasn’t guarding Barou anymore. Instead, he was restraining Nagi.
That left Barou, who only had Chigiri staring down at him from afar.
Barou was alone since the opponents knew he wouldn’t be that much of a threat in this game yet still too wary to leave him alone completely.
Thus, Chigiri positioned himself in a place he could react to both Isagi and Barou. Nagi might have a natural athletic body, but his strength wasn’t superior to that of Kunigami.
I have to train more. What a pain. The paper-white haired boy thought to himself as he barely competed against Kunigami’s strength.
Isagi had the ball but he chose to pass it to Barou, in the hope of awakening him and causing a chemical reaction. Plus, the ‘King’ was opened.
The ball rolled over to his feet and Barou blankly stared at it. After a second, he moved his right foot.
“Useless.”
He flinched, the shadow loomed over him once more. For a moment, he was still in the match against Leon, with the blonde backing him into a corner.
Again, Barou was slowed by a margin and his lacking reaction caused the ball to be taken away by Chigiri.
“What’s wrong with ya, huh King! Not so arrogant now, are you? You are falling too far behind.”
Chigiri hollered and ran.
The tide of the battle shifted once more. Team Red was the first to score. Prepared and determined, Team White was ready to get their point back.
But it seemed like this battle was bounded to be difficult for Team White.
Barou Shoei.
He was the one disturbing the road toward victory.
Not Reo.
Not Chigiri.
Not Kunigami.
Not Team Red.
It was Barou Shoei of Team White that was an obstacle.
Toward his own team, nonetheless.
“Get a grip, King!” Isagi gritted his teeth, Damn, what’s up with him!? Nothing will work out at this rate! What should we do!?
Nagi was a real lifesaver. He intercepted Chigiri on the way and Chigiri being Chigiri, reacted quickly. Nagi stalled Chigiri and another member of Team Red came to double up on him.
Nagi Seishiro vs Chigiri Hyoma + Mikage Reo!
Kunigami, for his part, decided to stay behind. The threat here was Isagi, and being on the same team with him once, he knew what Isagi was capable of.
As for Barou…
Everyone and their mother knew that Barou Shoei was useless.
Frustrated, Isagi kept glancing at Barou. Hating iron for not being steel. He had a field vision, and he knew that Barou missed several opportunities; being useless more often than not.
It frustrated him to no end.
Chigiri, Reo, and Nagi were near Team White’s penalty area. The ball still in Nagi’s possession, steadily kept within his grasp with his skillful handling of the ball.
Still, Reo and Chigiri were determined to steal it back.
This was a 3 vs 3 match.
With Nagi being in the company of Team Red’s two members, the last member of Team Red was Kunigami who kept an eye on Isagi.
The only one who kept looking at Barou was Isagi.
Even Nagi, with on the same team as Barou, had already regarded Barou as a dead man.
There’s no use for Barou, why couldn’t you accept that Isagi? We could win with only two of us. He’s nothing more than a dead weight.
Nagi’s thoughts were clearly conveyed through their brief eye contact.
Isagi knew that Nagi was right. Damn right. However… for some reason, he was hung up on Barou.
Damn, why couldn’t I fxxking get over Barou’s uselessness!? The flashbacks of all of his encounters with Barou surfaced in his mind. To their first encounter, where Barou’s sole presence loomed over Team Z, and their first match lost in despair. Toward his words of Isagi not being suitable to be a striker. In Isagi’s impression, Barou was a man with an overwhelming strength. He’s not supposed to be like this!
At this moment, the ball was kicked in Isagi’s direction. Isagi might be with his own turmoil facing him, but his head and body were still in the game.
Kunigami was wary. Why wouldn’t he be? It’s Isagi, after all. He could suddenly go Super Saiyan.
I got this–
Barou, the Barou Shoei that all the players were ignoring, stole the ball from his teammate, pushing Isagi’s shoulder in the process.
“Fucking move, donkey!”
“Agh..”
Isagi winced as he fell straight to the ground. Kunigami spoke, “Now, I’m pissed ,” Isagi had proven to be a great teammate and he was a friend. And it was a rational, most of all, a great decision for Team White to hand the ball to Isagi.
And Barou was doing nothing but destroying the chances of Team White.
“Are you actually a traitor, King? Y’know, just ‘cuz you’re trying to throw the game doesn’t actually mean we will pick you when the time comes.”
Chigiri commented, hounding Barou right after he stole the ball, and was actually close to catching him up.
Reo didn’t say anything and decided to keep Nagi some lovely company.
Nagi’s expression didn’t change but he knew that Reo was going to be extra serious and extra make it difficult for him.
But…
“Why are you being such a pain, Reo?” Nagi rubbed his neck and acted as if he was considering a friend. “After all…” The white-haired teen’s tone changed, and his eyes swirled in a black mass.
“You know you can’t defeat me.”
“So…”
“Stay obediently and quietly like a loser you are, Reo.”
