[187] Germany vs. France — The Final Match of Phase One (2)

As the group continued their discussion, Isagi suddenly broke into a sprint, shaking off Charles who had been trailing close behind.

At that moment, a perfectly timed pass from Hiori arrived right on cue. Without even taking a touch to settle the ball, Isagi unleashed a powerful volley from 23 meters out—fluid, precise, and devastating.

The shot tore through P-X-G's defense and found the back of the net, pulling one back for Bastard München.

[Ohhhh! It's Isagi! A beautifully orchestrated movement between Isagi and Kaiser has completely shredded P-X-G's formation! Their seamless coordination makes one wonder—could these two become a legendary duo once they enter the professional stage? Regardless, Isagi's stunning volley brings Bastard München back into the match!]

"Pffft—hah! That commentary killed me," one of the players burst out laughing. "They're talking like those two are best friends or something, but they've been trying to kill each other this whole time. I swear, the look Kaiser gave Isagi when he beat him to the ideal position—it was straight-up murder. I could smell the rage through the screen."

The commentator's words had lightened the mood in the viewing room, which had grown tense during the earlier conversation about Ness. But quickly, that amusement gave way to a creeping sense of unease.

"Seriously though... did any of you understand Isagi's last run? It's like his body can now fully execute everything he imagines. His physical stats aren't insane, but using that Meta Vision of his and those counter-vision misdirections—he just shook off three defenders, including Charles, with pure off-the-ball movement. That's not something most people can do."

"Yeah. Even Kaiser had to rely on raw speed and physical duels to shake his markers. And because of that, he arrived a step slower than Isagi at the receiving spot. At this point, Isagi's ability to read and control the flow of the pitch has surpassed Kaiser's."

"He might not be a traditional 'monster' type, but he's definitely something else," someone muttered as they replayed Isagi's goal again and again, marveling at the intricacy of it. But to Shinichi, it wasn't the least bit surprising.

It wasn't about narrative bias or viewing Isagi through the lens of a "protagonist"—not anymore. This was a real world to him now. And even with all the football knowledge he'd accumulated so far, Shinichi still felt that Isagi's meteoric rise was completely within reason.

Even though his physical attributes are nothing extraordinary, Isagi's potential was clear from the very beginning—his weapon: direct shooting.

While the name might sound a bit plain, when viewed differently, this so-called "weapon" is actually an insanely powerful skill—a shot that can be volleyed at full force with near-perfect placement.

Even in Shinichi's system, it would easily rank no lower than a Crimson-level skill.

With this ability, every goal Isagi scores is at the level of a highlight reel from Shinichi's original world.

And volley shooting isn't just about finishing—it requires impeccable timing, precise coordination, keen eyesight, and judgment.

So even if Isagi is lacking in raw power and speed, his invisible talents—those underlying instincts and feel for the game—are maxed out.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so dominant among his peers even as a kid.

After all, it's during middle and elementary school—when technique is still undeveloped—that the gap in raw talent is most obvious.

"These guys… even without hitting FLOW yet, they're already stepping into true world-class territory... But that's fine. Let them keep evolving…" Watching Isagi's growth didn't cause Shinichi to feel threatened—instead, it only excited him further.

"The brighter you all shine, the more majestic my throne will be when I ascend to the top of the world."

Not arrogance, but pure conviction.

As he watched the hungry wolves circling around his spot at the summit, Shinichi didn't shrink back—he welcomed it.

Mowing down NPCs is fun for a while, but eventually, it gets boring. Only with rivals like these—ones who had risen from below Eleven Elite level to the world stage in just a few months—could the real battle begin.

"And none of you have even unlocked FLOW yet."

Shinichi's voice dropped low with anticipation. "The real fight starts now. A beast that's been starving for far too long… can no longer hide the drool dripping from its mouth."

And just like he said, the game on the screen shifted dramatically.

P-X-G's attack tempo suddenly spiked, their transition play doubling in speed.

Charles took full advantage of Zantetsu's explosive pace, pulling off multiple one-twos to blitz through Bastard München's defense and charge into the penalty box.

Isagi and Kaiser moved nearly in unison to block Charles' advance, but what Charles did next earned even Shinichi's applause.

He suddenly fired a lightning-fast ground pass to Rin, positioned just ahead to his left. But the pass was so sharp, Rin didn't even have time to react—it smashed off his shin and ricocheted forward—

—Right to Shidou Ryusei.

Boom!

Without hesitation, Shidou launched a vicious topspin shot that flew past Gagamaru, who had lunged for the save.

After being fired up by both Isagi and Kaiser, Shidou had finally regained his primal instinct for football—and this time, he and Charles pulled off a connection on a whole new level.

Bastard München 1 : 2 P-X-G

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