Chapter 152: Meta-Vision
The second the ball hit Kira's laces, several offensive routes mapped themselves out in his mind like glowing neon veins.
'So, this is what the inside of Snuffy's brain looks like? The clarity is terrifying.'
"Pressure him! Now!" Karasu barked.
"On it... I'm... coming!" Tokimitsu stammered, already lunging forward.
The two of them converged on Kira from both sides. Karasu's eyes were narrow and analytical; he couldn't wrap his head around why Kira had suddenly dropped deep to receive the ball, but his instincts were screaming. If Kira was allowed to turn and ignite, the French squad was finished.
On the sidelines, Julian Loki watched with a calculating gaze. Aside from Rin, Shidou, and Charles, Karasu was the player he respected most. The Crow had the tactical IQ and the ball-shielding ability to grow into a world-class anchor. All he needed was more experience in high-stakes duels.
And today, Kira was providing the ultimate masterclass.
"Whoa, easy there..."
Kira executed a smooth lateral drag, slipping through the seam of the double-team before Karasu's press could even lock in.
'His movement is liquid,' Karasu thought, his frustration mounting. Kira's style had shifted again. Gone was the explosive, serrated edge of Loki's speed. In its place was something soft, fluid, and impossibly hard to pin down.
"I'm here, Karasu!"
Tokimitsu charged in from the flank, and Karasu saw the opening. If one man couldn't strip him, they'd do it together.
Kira didn't flinch. As Tokimitsu's massive frame bore down on him, Kira leaned into the impact, using the tank's own momentum to pivot. He extended an arm, keeping Karasu at a professional distance while shielding the ball with a nonchalance that bordered on insulting. With a clinical touch, he rolled the ball into clear space, leaving both defenders clutching at shadows.
'That ball retention...' Loki stood frozen.
Having world-class speed was one thing, but Kira's response to a high-pressure double-team was something else entirely. That wasn't just talent; that was the ghost of a veteran pro living in his movement.
Loki glanced at Snuffy. The Crown Messenger looked smug, as if he'd personally carved the kid out of marble. He had clearly handed over his entire playbook, and Kira was executing it with terrifying efficiency.
***
"Offensive mode. OK?"
Kira released a crisp pass to Lorenzo, who didn't miss a beat. He immediately recycled the ball to Niko.
"The gears don't stop turning..." Niko muttered, driving forward.
This was the "Ubers Machine." Even without Snuffy on the pitch, Kira had stepped into the role of the Architect. The team was operating like a single, multi-headed organism again.
"Stop right there, Bangs!"
Shidou moved with predatory speed. He wasn't a defensive specialist, but even he could feel the danger radiating from the Ubers' midfield. He lunged to disrupt the cycle.
"You think you can stop a machine? You're just a manic, tongue-flicking freak-show, Shidou," Niko retorted, his voice cool as he flicked the ball wide.
Kira received it instantly. The triangle was complete: Lorenzo, Niko, and Kira. They were carving through the P.X.G. ranks like a hot knife through butter. Kira's vision expanded, catching a glimpse of Barou ghosting through the crowd.
He fired a no-look pass.
The French defense was mesmerized by Kira's movement, leaving Barou with nothing but green grass and the keeper between him and the net. The P.X.G. goalie looked like he was about to have a panic attack. There were too many angles to cover; Barou was a King who didn't miss from there.
"DRINK THIS!"
Barou roared, his leg swinging like a sledgehammer.
"Not today, King of Garbage!"
"Keep dreaming, Dark King!"
Two voices cut through the roar. Rin, his eyes shimmering with a dark aura, and Charles, the number six, dove into the lane simultaneously. They executed a perfect double-block, their bodies forming a wall that smothered Barou's cannon blast.
Charles's eyes suddenly took on a strange, radar-like glow as he scanned the field for the rebound.
[Ding!]
[Detected an absorbable skill: Meta-Vision]
[Significantly enhances peripheral and dynamic vision...]
[Passive Skill. Once absorbed, it can be used at will with no cooldown.]
[Absorb?]
In a corner of the pitch no one was watching, Kira felt a jolt of excitement. 'Now that is a legendary drop.'
Charles and Rin let out a breath of relief, thinking they'd saved the game. If they'd conceded again this quickly, it would have been a humiliating blowout.
"Second ball!" Karasu screamed.
Suddenly, Charles saw a shadow blurring toward the drop point. It was Kira.
'What the FUCK?!' Charles cursed inwardly. 'How did he know?'
From Kira's previous angle, the ball's trajectory should have been obscured by the pile of players. There was no way he could have tracked the deflection. Yet, he was running toward the landing spot before the ball had even reached its peak.
Charles ignited, trying to close the gap, but his legs couldn't match Kira's anticipation. Rin watched from the ground, a sense of cold dread settling in his gut. He was too far away to intervene.
Kira arrived at the spot, his body perfectly balanced. He met the falling ball with a thunderous volley.
The ball screamed past the keeper's outstretched fingertips and buried itself in the top corner.
3-1.
Beep! Beep! Beeeeep!
"Match over. Ubers wins!"
The pitch erupted.
"YEAH! Kira, you monster!"
"What a finish! He's the King of Ubers!"
The Ubers squad swarmed Kira, lifting him up.
"Alright, Kira, spill it," Niko said, catching his breath. "How did you know where that ball was going? There was a wall of people in front of you."
"Haha, just a lucky guess, Niko. I just ran where my gut told me to," Kira laughed, playing off the impossible play as pure intuition.
But on the sidelines, Snuffy's eyes were wide. He'd seen the whole thing. Kira hadn't just reacted; he had predicted the chaos. He'd seen the field from a perspective that only a handful of people in the world possessed.
'The kid didn't just learn my style,' Snuffy thought, his hand stroking his chin. 'He just awakened Meta Vision.'
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