20 Chapter 20: Ace vs Ace

Isagi Yoichi looked at the chaotic state of the X Team and couldn't help but swallow nervously. He turned his head to look at Kira Ryosuke, who was by his side.

"If it weren't for Kira anticipating this situation and taking appropriate measures in advance, our Z Team might have ended up in the same predicament... Kira truly lives up to his reputation."

While the X Team was on the verge of internal strife, a tall figure directly intercepted the ball from under a teammate's feet and charged towards the Z Team's half at an astonishing speed.

"Baro Shoei!"

His teammates desperately chased after him but couldn't keep up with Baro Shoei's pace.

"Fast! We must stop him!"

Isagi Yoichi immediately reacted and stood in front of Baro Shoei.

Meanwhile, Baro Shoei, expressionless, charged towards Isagi Yoichi with a gaze that carried a disdainful look, as if looking at an ant. He exuded a terrifying aura of oppression, rendering Isagi Yoichi almost immobile.

"Don't appear in front of me."

"Trash."

"I will kill you."

Isagi Yoichi could feel the intense pressure emanating from Baro Shoei, making it difficult for him to breathe.

"From where will he attack? The left or the right?"

Just as Isagi Yoichi was lost in thought, Baro Shoei made a new move.

He quickly lifted his foot and placed it in front of the ball, then exerted force with his heel, flicking the ball up.

The ball soared directly over Isagi Yoichi's head. While Isagi Yoichi was still a bit stunned, Baro Shoei suddenly accelerated, effortlessly evading Isagi Yoichi. With his chest puffed out behind Isagi Yoichi, Baro Shoei skillfully stopped the ball and continued to charge towards the goal.

With just one move, Baro Shoei demonstrated football skills far superior to Isagi Yoichi.

"Quick, stop him!"

Isagi Yoichi shouted loudly.

"Quit your babbling!"

Raichi Jingo shouted loudly and immediately rushed towards Baro Shoei, while Kunigami Rensuke on the other side also moved in to provide defensive support.

However, Baro Shoei effortlessly dribbled past them with a swift nutmeg and quickly arrived in front of the goal.

He took the shot!

The football soared in a perfect arc, bypassing the goalkeeper with tremendous speed. Iemon, the goalkeeper, didn't even react in time and could only watch as the ball entered the net.

The members of the Z Team were stunned. Baro Shoei showcased unparalleled attacking ability and quickly equalized the score.

The joy that had been evident on their faces just moments ago had vanished completely.

"Listen, remember this, you idiots. Football is not a friend or anything else to me—"

"It's just a servant that allows me to shine."

"Standing on the field, I am the king."

Expressionless, he stood in front of the Z Team's goal, slightly spreading his hands. Both his actions and demeanor exuded an arrogant contempt for others, as if everyone else were nothing more than ants to be crushed.

Meanwhile, Baro Shoei's gaze focused on Kira Ryosuke, as if declaring an insurmountable gap between their strengths.

Kira Ryosuke frowned, looking at Baro Shoei with a serious expression. Others thought he might have been provoked by Baro Shoei's taunting words. After a few seconds, he opened his mouth.

"Um, did anyone ask you a question? Isn't it cringeworthy to blurt out such juvenile words on your own?"

"..."

Baro Shoei paused for a moment, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes. But then the veins on his forehead bulged, and he became the one who was slightly provoked.

"You... you!"

However, Baro Shoei didn't say much or perhaps didn't know what to say. He left the opponent's penalty area muttering phrases like "This is so annoying."

"Hey, Iemon, what are you doing?! Can't you even do your job as a goalkeeper?"

"I've never been a goalkeeper..."

Looking at his teammates on the verge of arguing, Kira Ryosuke walked over and placed a finger in front of his mouth.

"Shh, don't argue. We're teammates on the same team now, and it's definitely not the time for internal conflicts."

Kira Ryosuke then pointed his finger towards the opponent's half of the field.

"Look, after that guy named Baro scored, the opponent's formation is no longer chaotic—they have realized their own shortcomings."

As Kira Ryosuke said, Baro Shoei's impressive performance served as a calming agent for his teammates, making it clear to them that their only chance of winning was by making Baro Shoei the absolute core.

The once chaotic team gradually regained their spirit, and the goal that equalized the score boosted their morale significantly.

Listening to Kira Ryosuke's words, the others quieted down.

"What should we do next? Double-team defending Baro?" Isagi Yoichi asked from the side.

"It is indeed necessary to have more people defending Baro, but not just after he gains possession of the ball. The key is to prevent him from receiving the ball in the first place."

A composed smile appeared on Kira Ryosuke's face as he turned his head to look at the opponent's half of the field.

"I'll take care of the next offensive. I will confront Baro head-on and defeat him."

Although Baro Shoei successfully scored and equalized the game, it wasn't a bad thing for Kira Ryosuke.

This goal would make the Z Team feel threatened, and if he could lead the team to victory, the others in the Z Team would trust him even more after this match, believing that he could lead them to success.

In this way, he could avoid the occurrence of the betrayal that happened in the original story.

Moreover, the more goals Kira Ryosuke scored, the more his teammates would realize that they could only rely on the team's victories to advance, and they would work harder on the field.

On the other hand, Baro Shoei was also seen as a lifeline by the X Team. They considered him as the team's top ace and would do their best to assist him, which made their attacking style become predictable and easier to counter.

The current X Team's confidence soared solely because of Baro Shoei's impressive performance.

As long as Baro Shoei is completely crushed, the morale of the X Team will be completely shattered.

Kira Ryosuke had already decided to create a one-on-one situation with Baro Shoei later

And then completely crush them.