On the pitch, it seemed as though the cheers had actually empowered Raiden Ei.
After bulldozing through two defenders, she finally found herself one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
"Heh, if you can score on me, I'll eat the goal!"
Boothill was completely unfazed.
Everyone knew Ei's special ability was designed for dribbling and ball protection.
That meant her shooting ability had to be mediocre.
He was certain he could stop her.
But Ei was in a difficult position.
Her own shooting was indeed weak.
And Arataki Itto was being tightly marked by two defenders, making a pass nearly impossible.
She glanced at her other teammates.
All of them were leisurely strolling around the field.
Their positioning was terrible.
"Hm? Miko!"
Suddenly, Ei spotted Yae Miko.
She was completely unmarked.
"Miko, take it!"
Without hesitation, Ei passed.
"Ah… me?"
Miko was horrified.
Are you trying to get me killed?
Sure, she had space.
But the instant she received the ball, defenders would rush her.
And then she'd inevitably get flattened.
But if she passed it right back, it would expose the fact that she'd been loafing around all game.
Left with no choice, she leapt and shot.
The ball instantly transformed into a pink fox and trotted toward the goal.
"Heh. You think that speed is enough to score?"
The fox was absurdly slow.
It had none of the terrifying momentum of Itto's charging Ushi.
Boothill relaxed immediately.
This was an easy save.
"Miko, that's all the power you've got?"
Ei was furious.
Such a perfect opportunity, and Miko had produced this limp, harmless little fox.
Ei was seriously beginning to suspect she'd taken a bribe.
"I… how should I know?"
Miko turned her head away.
This was her first shot of the match.
How was she supposed to know what her special move did?
She had used her ultimate.
If it didn't score, that wasn't her fault.
The fox ambled forward like it was out for a casual stroll.
"Come here, you little—"
Boothill lunged.
At that pace, he didn't even need a Rising Dragon Punch.
He simply dove to catch it.
Then, right as he reached it—
The fox sidestepped.
"…What?"
Boothill had not expected the fox to dodge.
His momentum carried him out of position, leaving the goal wide open.
The pink fox casually padded into the net.
2–1.
"Awesome!"
"No way, that special move has AI!"
The entire Belobog section erupted in cheers.
When they first saw Miko's special, they had been utterly despairing.
There was no way that shot looked like it was going in.
But the result was immensely satisfying.
As expected of Yae Miko—even her shots were sly and underhanded.
"Excellent, Miko. You have not betrayed our trust."
"I am the great Yae Miko, a woman of both beauty and wisdom. Naturally, this was all according to plan."
Miko first glanced at Penacony's players.
Seeing that none of them seemed especially alarmed, she proudly lifted her chin toward Ei.
Weren't you criticizing me earlier for not trying?
This was strategy.
What would you know?
Blackie, say something now.
"Good. I'll pass to you again."
"…Ei, if someone's marking me, please don't."
"Why?"
"Strategy. Strategy."
If Ei passed to her under pressure, she'd get knocked flat instantly.
Ei considered this.
"Hmm… Very well. I'll break through. You look for openings."
"Of course."
The match restarted from midfield.
Ruan Mei carried the ball forward and quickly noticed something strange.
Aside from a few key players, Inazuma's team was practicing what could only be described as "eye-contact defense."
Everyone stayed at least three meters away from her.
This meant she could advance, but there were always bodies packed in front of her.
And Ruan Mei was, first and foremost, a researcher.
Heavy physical labor was not her specialty.
She had to observe the field, search for passing lanes, and remain wary of Ei, who might appear at any moment.
"This is troublesome."
By the time she reached the top of the box, the entire Inazuma team had collapsed into the penalty area.
Even Penacony's forwards looked uncertain.
How were they supposed to get a shot through that crowd?
Whoosh!
A gust of wind erupted behind her.
Itto came charging back at full speed.
"I need to pass."
Ruan Mei had no desire to challenge him physically.
Without bothering to check whether Rappa was marked, she sent the ball over.
"Scientific ninja, watch this!"
Rappa accepted the pass with complete confidence.
She didn't realize Ruan Mei had basically kicked it out of desperation.
All she knew was that she could reach the ball.
And if she could reach it, she could shoot.
That was enough.
Just as the ball was about to reach her—
Kujou Sara burst in, stole it cleanly, and took off.
"You! That was my ball! Give it back!"
Rappa was outraged.
How dare this tengu steal a ninja's possession?
But Sara had only one thing on her mind.
The Shogun.
The instant she gained possession, she passed directly to Ei.
"I'm coming after you!"
Rappa sprinted after Ei.
A second later, she was lying flat on the turf.
"Wow… the Raiden Shogun is fierce."
The audience was stunned.
Ei often appeared a little airheaded off the field, but in crucial moments, she was frighteningly dependable.
She surged into the attacking third again.
This time, Jade stepped up to challenge her.
"Your Excellency, perhaps we can make a deal?"
Ei shook her head.
"No."
"Even if you win, you won't receive any reward. Why work this hard?"
Jade genuinely didn't understand.
This match offered Ei no tangible benefit.
So why was she fighting with such determination?
Internally, Jade was screaming.
Was her path to the prize really about to vanish because of this woman?
If Penacony won, they would tie Belobog at nine points.
Whether it led to a shared championship or a tiebreaker, they would still have hope.
But Ei was personally trying to crush those dreams.
Ei answered calmly.
"This is a competition. A contest of victory and defeat. There is no reason to hold back."
As long as there was a winner and a loser, she intended to win.
Rewards were irrelevant.
With a spin, she sent Jade sprawling and entered the penalty area again.
Boothill grinned.
Itto was double-marked.
Miko was now being watched after her previous goal.
"Come on. You can't pass, can you? Why not shoot?"
If Ei couldn't find a pass, all her dribbling skill would be meaningless.
"Heh."
Ei cast him a cool glance.
Then she pushed the ball forward and charged straight at him.
My shot may be weak.
But I can still dribble.
I'll simply beat you too…
…and score into an empty net.
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