Chapter 81

"Let's hold back a bit, after all, I... am not some kind of demon."

Hasegawa Izumi smiled to himself.

As the ball fell and bounced back up, he finally made his decision, like a fully drawn bow being released, and kicked the ball with tremendous force and astonishing spin.

"Call out!!"

The football flew out instantly, tracing a rainbow-like arc, like an eagle soaring into the sky with a cry, before suddenly plummeting down at an even faster speed than before!

The goalkeeper didn't react at all, his eyes wide open, standing motionless.

The scene looked somewhat comical.

"Laugh...!"

The spinning football hung on the net, spinning continuously until it was completely inside, without falling.

"What's this!?"

He turned his head in disbelief.

"What kind of shot is that?!"

"I've never seen a shot like that before!"

"Unbelievable, am I real? Or am I hallucinating?!"

Other members of the Soubu High School Soccer Club shared his feeling of living in a dream.

"Is this all he's got?! No wonder you all trust him so much..."

Hayama Hayato was stunned, and murmured in disbelief.

Right next to them, Shuchiin's number 5 player stopped and, upon hearing these words, couldn't help but laugh as a fanboy.

"Don't misunderstand, Hasegawa is actually quite easygoing. If his opponent doesn't interest him much, his emotions will be completely calm like this..."

"It's a pity you can't send someone more capable than Busujima Senpai and Shinomiya-san, otherwise, you might have been able to get Hasegawa to get serious~"

The record of 93 "strongest" is etched on Shuchiin...!

"No, how could this be!?"

Miura Yumiko, who was watching the spectacle from the sidelines, was utterly incredulous and shocked. She clutched her hair with both hands, and only after feeling the pain did she realize that this was indeed reality.

Just now, the man she questioned broke through the defenses of Soubu High School entirely on his own.

Even the newly joined first-year student, who is now the ace of the Soubu High School Soccer Club, Hayama Hayato, was easily intercepted. The whole process was smooth and fluid, like a dancing elf on the field.

"Honestly, he's really handsome."

Even a complete novice can appreciate its beauty, and she is no exception.

"Could the rumors be true? That guy really wasn't lying? Turns out I was just being presumptuous..."

"By the way, that guy seems pretty handsome? How come I never noticed before?"

"Oh no, I should never have said those things..."

Thinking of this, the girl couldn't help but cup her burning cheeks.

The other girl beside her also looked amazed at the scene.

"That's truly astonishing."

Yukinoshita Yukino's mouth was slightly open, and she couldn't close it for a moment.

After seeing it with her own eyes, she was no longer skeptical of the previous rumors, but completely convinced of them.

This led to an even greater curiosity about the man.

Is it really true that there's only a fine line between genius and madness?

"As expected, it was a reckless act. There's only one outcome to challenging Sage: failure!"

Takanashi Rikka looked as if she hadn't expected this at all.

"After all, that's all the heights that mortals can see! They simply cannot comprehend the Lord Sage's immense death! You must know that the Lord Sage even we hold in the highest esteem!"

With one hand on her hip and the other swinging her long ponytail, Dekomori Sanae said proudly.

"Even if it's just a useless supporting role, just thinking that the Far East Magic Society has Club President like him makes you unconsciously stand up straight."

Natsukawa Masuzu her eyes like a cat, secretly mocking the two of them.

Nibuya Morika completely ignored the three of them, her gaze fixed on the man running on the field, her heart filled with endless emotions.

If only I hadn't gone my own way, but had instead followed in the footsteps of those Seeker of Truth.

So perhaps things will be very different now?

She genuinely wanted to fit in, but the harsh realities of life always made her hesitate.

The more I think about it, the more upset I become...

Beyond the complex ideas.

The crowd, however, was already buzzing with excitement.

"Invincible... Hasegawa!"

"The strongest...!"

"Supreme...!"

Hearing these shouts, Hasegawa Izumi calmly ran back to her own half of the field.

"Sorry, I accidentally went too far. I was originally planning to cooperate with everyone."

When he saw Sunohara's tearful expression, he suddenly remembered everyone's previous request and felt a little guilty.

"However, I have already tried my best to suppress my strength."

He was serious when he said that.

If they don't show some strength, their team will probably have a hard time defeating the opponent, since this is a team game with eleven people.

"What are you saying, Hasegawa! We're the ones who should apologize. If we hadn't been so out of sync, you wouldn't have had such a hard time playing."

Sunohara, wiping away tears.

"Sigh! I understand now. We can't show off even if we want to, because we're just not good enough! Hasegawa-kun, just play the way you want."

The Forward from Shuchiin also ran over, sighing as he spoke.

"This is the difference between ordinary people and geniuses."

"It doesn't matter, as long as we win! As long as we can protect the honor of Shuchiin Soccer Club!"

Other members shared similar opinions.

"Beep~ Shuchiin is in the lead! 1-0!"

The referee blows the whistle.

This goal was so shocking that it was a huge blow to the Soubu High School team, severely damaging their morale.

How can such an enemy be defeated?

Even their ace, Hayama, was powerless to resist.

"Don't be discouraged, everyone! Cheer up! Just play your own game! Show yourselves, that's the meaning of football."

At this critical moment, Hayama Hayato, displaying leadership qualities, promptly addressed the team, saving it from collapse.

"No matter what, we have to finish this match. Don't let Soubu High School down! It's only one goal we've conceded! We still have a chance to come back!"

Another key figure, their captain Takayama Satoru, spoke up.

"That's right, the game has only just begun! How can you assume you're going to lose just because you're at a disadvantage?"

"Don't worry, it's just that one of them is strong; the others are only average. We can avoid a direct confrontation and break through from other angles!"

The conversation flowed freely, and although it was somewhat chaotic, it did boost morale.

"Alright, the counterattack from the Soubu High School team is about to begin!"

Goalkeeper Kusukabe Akutami retrieved the ball from the net, raised it high, and his expression brightened once more.

He threw the ball out, which was caught by a defender, and then kept passing it forward. Relying on the players' tacit understanding, they were able to ignite an even stronger fighting spirit despite setbacks, and their offensive became even more fierce than before!

"You can't stop us!"

Hayama Hayato, dribbling the ball, was more flamboyant than before, because he knew he had to boost morale, otherwise there was no chance of winning.

The midfielders of Soubu High School quickly passed each other, and in the blink of an eye, they passed through the midfielders and wingers of Sunohara and Shuchiin.

"So fast!"

Sunohara couldn't catch up and could only sigh in despair.

Once the opposing team sped up, they simply couldn't keep up.

Just as the situation was becoming critical, a figure suddenly darted out from the side.

"Thud."

Hasegawa Izumi stretched out her right foot, intercepted the pass midway, and stepped on it.

"Relying on passing to avoid face-to-face confrontations with me is a bit too naive."

He said calmly.

"Yuano, Eiji, you guys..."

Hayama Hayato looked in the other direction.

"Sorry, that guy was too fast!"

"They really disappeared in the blink of an eye."

The two men who had just been called over to keep an eye on the opposing team's ace looked embarrassed and rather helpless.

"It's not your fault, get back to defense immediately."

Hayama Hayato, working diligently to operate the equipment.

"Don't let that guy do whatever he wants!"

"We must defeat him!"

Just as Hasegawa Izumi dribbled the ball past half-field, several players from Soubu High School, led by Sato, attacked from three sides.

They exchanged glances, leaned down simultaneously, and slid across the grass, using the outside of their feet to perform a sliding tackle.

"This isn't a 10-to-1 protection strategy; targeting me won't work."

Seeing this, Hasegawa Izumi simply smiled nonchalantly, showing no fear whatsoever.

He was originally planning to continue his solo breakthrough when his gaze fell upon his teammates who were working hard to coordinate with his attack, and a thought struck him.

Even though it's just a game, everyone has put in so much effort, so let's encourage everyone to participate more.

"Number 7!"

Because he didn't know the name, he called out the opponent's number directly. Just as the three opponents tackled him, he caught the ball between his feet and jumped up, dodging the three-sided attack, before landing and passing the ball.

"Thanks!"

Number 7 almost burst into tears of joy.

He understood that Hasegawa's pass was not intended to prevent one player from dominating, but rather to provide support for the others.

Leave it to me.

Chun Yuan also gave a thumbs up, smiling broadly.

The Shuchiin members were naturally full of confidence because of their score advantage.

However, despite their confidence and technical skills, they still have weaknesses in these areas, including teamwork.

Number 7 quickly dribbled forward, but when he was about to pass the ball, he realized he had missed the best opportunity and was dispossessed by the opposing defender with a legitimate tackle.