[175] The Mad Doctor, Agi

[Ohhh! It's in! Shinichi scores! Taking advantage of his teammates drawing the defenders forward, he powered through Agi's tight marking, flicked the ball up, and finished with an overhead kick! Ubers' attack this time relied on Shinichi's incredible individual skill, putting the defenders in a bind—whether to guard him or prepare for rebounds. That moment of hesitation cost them everything.]

[Ubers takes the lead, 1–0!]

"We were too careless. Against someone like him, even the slightest hesitation becomes a massive opening. Trying to defend both him and the others at once just guarantees failure," Reo muttered in frustration, shaking his hands as the ball hit the back of the net. Nearby, Nagi, having failed to catch up in time, patted a dazed Agi on the shoulder. "You okay, Agi? Need to get checked out?"

"Huh? No, I'm not hurt." Jolted from his thoughts by Nagi, Agi shivered slightly. "I just got spooked—by that talent monster called Shinichi."

"Faster than Chigiri, top-tier power… and during our duel, his strength suddenly spiked. I think it's a special kind of power release, maybe involving the whole body. But the scariest part… was that shot."

"The shot?"

"Yeah. Sure, his dribbling, physical duels, and tactics were all impressive—but that shot was something else." Agi's eyes sparkled as he walked over to the goal, gesturing with his arms as he examined the spot where the ball had gone in. "Even though Reo and Aryu hesitated a little, they'd already almost completed the block. The opening was tiny—probably not even larger than a football."

He gestured beside his head. "Maybe this much space. Even if you told me about a shot route like that in practice, I probably wouldn't try it. But Shinichi not only spotted that line during a chaotic clash—he used a ridiculously hard-to-control power shot to hit it."

"Incredible… really incredible." Agi marveled, lost in analysis. Nagi scratched his head and didn't offer any comment, but a quiet flame of frustration burned in his heart. We're behind now.

"…Then let's hurry up and start the next play."

…

"Damn it, that bastard used me as bait again," grumbled a voice on the Ubers side. Unlike the still-stunned and self-blaming Manshine team, Ubers was already full of gripes. Kunigami tapped his calf and muttered, "Yeah, changing the tactic last-minute and even tricking your own teammates… should I say that's selfish or just typical of you?"

"Hah, you guys complain now, but when it really matters—even if your legs feel like they're about to break, even if you think you're just a decoy—you'd still sprint forward with everything you've got," Shinichi replied casually, waving it off as he headed back to his own half.

But… as he crossed the halfway line, he suddenly turned around. With an expression that was half smile, half something unreadable, his pitch-black eyes swept over every teammate on the field.

"Because… I've always believed in you guys."

"…"

The stadium fell momentarily silent. Only after Shinichi turned back and walked away did the rest of Ubers finally let out a collective breath.

"Phew, that was terrifying… With that face and tone, I couldn't tell if he was praising us or threatening us," Lorenzo said dramatically, clutching his chest like he'd survived a horror film.

Sendou scoffed, "Tch. That kind of line sounds exactly like something a shady CEO would say to keep his workers grinding. What a damn egoist."

"I don't really think so," said Niko. "Honestly, Shinichi might be the one who best fits Ego Jinpachi's ideal of the world's greatest striker. But strangely enough, he's never once clashed with his teammates during a match. Maybe it's because of his win-at-all-costs mindset. Even if Rin and Shidou can't get along, Shinichi somehow makes use of both Shidou and Barou without issue."

Niko ignored Barou Shoei's death glare and continued analyzing calmly, "Even though he's like this, I feel like he'd fit right in as the captain of one of those hot-blooded sports anime teams."

"Tch, like I care about that crap! I'm scoring the next goal myself!" Barou shot back, clearly annoyed.

This guy actually dared to lump him together with that pink-haired freak? Still, after training together for so long, all Barou could do now was channel that fury into motivation.

He glared daggers at the Manshine players. "I'll crush you first, then take out Rin and Isagi—those bastards standing above me. And in the end… I'll drag Shinichi down from his throne too!"

...

BEEP!

After a short break, Manshine kicked off. As the other players sprinted ahead, Reo gradually picked up pace with the ball.

As his movements shifted, half his body morphed into the illusion of Yukimiya Kenyu. In the very moment his mimicry completed, Reo launched a long pass.

"Damn it, this guy… always copying the most annoying people. Even without their full skill sets, he's a pain in the ass!" grumbled Sendou, who had failed to intercept Reo's move. He could only watch as the ball slipped cleanly through his legs and landed perfectly in front of the waiting Agi.

"Nice pass… but the situation's still a headache," Agi muttered as he received the ball almost without pause. His eyes were already scanning forward—and there stood Aiku, ready and waiting.

With Manshine's current lineup, the only real hope of exposing more of Shinichi's potential lies in someone awakening… and right now, only Nagi has that kind of untapped talent.

In that case... Nagi!

With everyone watching in shock and the commentators' voices leaping eight octaves, Agi suddenly passed the ball ahead to Nagi—just as Aiku lunged in. And standing before Nagi…

Was none other than Shinichi.

"Agi, are you insane?!" Reo shouted, outraged by what Agi had just done. "What the hell are you—wait…"

Agi turned back. His cold, detached expression sent chills down Reo's spine, cutting his voice short. Then Agi spoke, his tone utterly clinical.

"An eagle must one day leave its parents' shelter and fly on its own. I'm just playing the role of the one who pushes him off the cliff."

"This is Nagi Seishiro's trial. He either awakens and soars to the skies—or crashes and shatters. But the fortunate thing is… he'll get another shot regardless. Isn't that a risk-free investment?"

That terrifyingly cold logic made Reo's mind go blank for a second. And in that moment, he finally understood the true meaning behind Agi's title.

Despite his usual friendly and helpful demeanor—always lending Nagi a hand during training—at his core, Agi was still:

The Mad Doctor of Football Theory.

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