Chapter 9: The Ecosystem Disruptor

Beep!

As soon as Smith blew the whistle, Frimpong wasted no time and passed the ball to Gnabry on the flank.

The moment Gnabry received the ball, the players wearing red bibs closed in on him.

"Press him!"

The forward passing lanes were completely blocked.

As the pressure mounted, Gnabry tried to dribble out of the situation, but he was overpowered in a physical duel and lost possession.

Robert didn't force a risky play and instead passed the ball back to Kai.

"Let's take it slow!"

Kai took possession, turned around, and lured the blue team inward.

As soon as he recycled the ball, he moved into an open space where he could receive it again.

Seeing Kai's movement, the center-back passed before the pressure could fully arrive.

"Good pass!"

Kai easily evaded Toral's pressing with a La Pelopina, switched directions, and passed to Bellerín.

"Stop him!"

Utilizing his strength—speed—Bellerín swiftly pushed forward.

He quickly broke past the halfway line.

But Frimpong wasn't one to stand idly by.

"Block the flanks!"

At Frimpong's command, the blue team players swarmed Bellerín.

With the flank sealed off, Bellerín didn't force his way through. Instead, he passed back to Kai and sprinted forward.

Seeing an open space, Bellerín surged down the sideline at incredible speed, forcing the blue team players to hurriedly chase him.

With the defense distracted, Kai calmly carried the ball forward.

"Take it slow. Stay composed."

Passing back and forth with his teammates, Kai analyzed the blue team's weaknesses.

Their defensive structure was solid.

He passed to Bellerín again and tested both the flank and the center.

Like a gourmet savoring a meal.

Robert, who had been dragging a defender with him in the center, immediately returned the ball to Kai and turned his back to the goal.

Kai advanced with small, controlled touches.

Frimpong closed in aggressively.

"Kai!"

"Looks like this spot is open."

With Frimpong sticking to him like glue, a gap appeared in the backline.

Facing Frimpong, Kai made a slight body feint before executing his signature Phantom Dribble, making it look effortless.

"Dammit!"

A slow-footed center-back stepped up, but Kai got past him the same way before quickly taking a shot.

A half-beat early shot aimed at the corner!

However, his balance was slightly off, and the ball struck the goalpost before bouncing out.

With a regretful smile, Kai quickly returned to his position.

The blue team players stood frozen.

They had been completely toyed with—twice—with the Phantom Dribble followed by a shot.

"What did I just witness?"

"He got through too smoothly. I couldn't even react."

Frimpong shouted furiously, "Stay focused! If Kai plays like this, we need to forcefully disrupt him!"

Clearly frustrated, Frimpong glared at Kai, breathing heavily.

But Kai didn't avoid his gaze.

Frimpong's face was filled with growing competitiveness.

That was a good sign.

From then on, the red team dominated possession, with Kai at the heart of the passing plays.

"Just block the passing lanes!"

The blue team players hesitated to charge at Kai recklessly.

He had already shown that he could slip past pressure as easily as peeling a banana.

They knew that if they rushed in, they'd just give away space.

"Don't dive in recklessly!"

"Hold your positions!"

Having learned their lesson, Frimpong adjusted his team's approach.

They set up a tight 4-4-2 defensive shape, aiming to counterattack immediately after recovering possession.

From Kai's perspective, it was a well-structured defensive net.

But he smirked.

"You shouldn't try something you've never practiced before."

There were too many exploitable spaces.

The challenge was deciding which one to attack first.

The center? The flank?

Every option looked tempting.

Or perhaps a direct through-pass behind the defensive line?

The biggest flaw in the blue team's 4-4-2 was the awkward gap between their goalkeeper and center-backs.

If only Robert were better at making runs instead of holding up play…

If it were another striker, the defense would already be broken.

Still, Kai wasn't in a rush.

He exchanged passes with the center-backs, controlling the game's tempo. When pressure came, he easily dribbled past it and sent quick forward passes.

"Press harder!"

As soon as Kai entered their zone, the blue team players swarmed him like wild animals.

The red team didn't force any risky plays and instead recycled possession back to Kai.

The gaps weren't only in the center.

Kai's eyes caught Sam making a stealthy run up the flank.

"Good movement."

Sam was cutting into a wide-open space.

His positioning was excellent, but his technical fundamentals were slightly lacking.

If he could refine his skills, he'd be a great player.

Kai silently praised Sam's awareness and delivered a precise long pass.

"Great pass!"

Sam controlled the ball a bit awkwardly but sprinted down the left wing.

Frimpong, having tracked back, was waiting for him.

Tap! Tap! Tap-tap!

Sam dribbled forward without slowing down.

Brimming with confidence, he charged ahead—only to be sent tumbling by Frimpong's powerful sliding tackle.

A clean tackle, with only the ball taken away.

The coaches nodded in approval of Frimpong's defensive effort.

Sam dusted himself off with a disappointed look.

Kai gave him a thumbs-up.

"Good effort. Everyone, mark your players!"

Since the ball deflected off Sam before going out, the blue team was awarded the throw-in.

They decided to circulate the ball backward to build up safely.

But Kai wasn't about to let them do that peacefully.

"Aren't we pressing?"

At Kai's command, the red team's attackers harassed the blue team's buildup relentlessly.

As pressure intensified, the blue team struggled to maintain possession and resorted to desperate clearances.

Frimpong tried his best to provide passing options, but Kai pressed him high up the pitch.

"Kai! This is too much!"

"This is how we improve."

Kai intercepted a pass, and the red team resumed their dominance, with Kai orchestrating the play once again.

Unable to hold back any longer, Gnabry charged in aggressively. However, Kai smoothly turned his body and escaped the pressure.

At that moment, he proved why he had been given the nickname "Japnese Zidane" in the previous match.

"Marseille Turn!"

Kai remained focused.

With the pressing player right in front of him, he deftly flicked the ball over with the top of his foot.

"Ah!"

Now positioned behind his opponent, Kai made eye contact with Bellerín, who was making a run into the open space on the flank.

Feigning a body movement to deceive Frimpong, Kai delivered a precise outside-foot pass with his right foot, dropping the ball perfectly in front of Bellerín.

Bellerín's first touch was slightly unstable, nearly losing the ball to the opposing full-back, but his speed gave him the advantage.

Tap!

Bellerín lightly pushed the ball forward, dodging the tackle.

The flank was completely shattered.

"Nice!"

Bellerín sprinted to the end line and sent in a running cross.

The trajectory was good, but the direction was off.

Frimpong headed the ball clear, sending it outside the penalty box.

Kailet out a wry smile.

"Still the same old bad crosses."

Kai quickly intercepted the ball from Gnabry before he could react.

"Ah!"

Gnabry had no chance.

In a stationary position, he couldn't outmaneuver Kai.

Kai continued to exchange short passes with his teammates, displaying excellent movement.

"Nice! Good pass!"

"Arata! That was great!"

Even among senior players, Kai stood out with his exceptional skill.

Not only did he control the ball with his feet, but he also utilized various parts of his body to distribute passes efficiently.

His movements were reminiscent of Zidane.

His teammates were left in awe at how he adjusted the pace and weight of his passes for them to receive with ease.

"Is that even possible?"

"Are you blind? He's doing it, so it must be possible."

"Wow! That guy is insane."

"The guy who dominated Hale End Academy really is different."

As Kai gradually revealed his abilities, the Blue Team was completely pushed back.

With Sam and Bellerín wreaking havoc on the flanks, Kai's passing range shone even more.

The coaches shook their heads.

"The Blue Team has lost this match."

"They're trying their best to defend, but it doesn't seem to be enough."

"Did the Blue Team even attack once?"

"I don't think they had a single decent chance."

Gnabry, who had shown great potential during the entrance test, was completely shut down by Kai. Meanwhile, Barcelona youth ace Torral attempted to exploit the space behind Sam, but the ball never reached him properly.

The biggest problem?

The Blue Team had no one in midfield who could distribute the ball like Kai.

Shrinking under the pressure, the Blue Team was completely suffocated.

Kai continued to press aggressively.

"You can't hold onto the ball for too long."

Once again, he snatched the ball from Gnabry and delivered a through pass into the open space on the left.

Sam, who had been waiting for his chance, barely managed to keep the ball in play and sprinted down the flank.

In an instant, he crossed the midfield and entered the attacking third.

"What are you waiting for? Stop him!"

Sam didn't hesitate and delivered an early cross from his position.

The ball curved beautifully as it entered the penalty area.

It was placed at an awkward height for the goalkeeper to intercept.

"Heads up!"

Frimpong shouted as the center-back and Robert leaped for a header.

At over 190 cm tall, Robert dominated the aerial duel.

Tilting his head slightly, he redirected the ball toward Bellerín, who had already made his way into the penalty area.

Bellerín struck the ball powerfully with his left foot.

"Block it!"

Since it wasn't his dominant foot, the shot lacked power and precision.

The goalkeeper easily caught the ball and immediately launched it toward Gnabry, who was sprinting down the wing.

However, Kai had already anticipated this move.

He positioned his body and used his strength to shove Gnabry aside.

"Ugh!"

Gnabry lost balance and stumbled.

Kai effortlessly took possession of the ball.

With most of the players crowded inside the penalty area, large gaps were opening up.

Kai dribbled forward at high speed.

Tap, tap. Tap-tap-tap.

His dribbling was crisp and precise.

Using the Phantom Dribble he had demonstrated earlier, Kai cut through the midfield.

"He broke through again!"

Frimpong, once again beaten, stood frozen in disbelief.

Kai glanced at him before spotting the center-backs, who had spread apart like an automatic door.

Without hesitation, he unleashed a powerful left-footed shot.

Kai immediately knew.

'It hit my foot perfectly!'

The goalkeeper dived in desperation, but the ball rocketed into the near-post top corner.

The net rippled beautifully.

Kai didn't go overboard with his celebration—he simply jumped lightly, savoring the joy of his first goal.

His teammates erupted in cheers and rushed over to celebrate with him.

"As expected of Arata!"

"That was an amazing goal!"

"But that celebration was kinda lame. Want me to teach you a proper one?"

Bellerín grinned mischievously.

Kai shook his head.

"No need to go overboard in a practice match. That just ruins the team atmosphere."

"Haha! Yeah, you're right!"

Even if Kai wanted to learn a celebration, he wouldn't ask Bellerín.

After all, when it came to lame celebrations, Bellerín was the undisputed king.

"We've got one goal now. Let's keep it steady. If you're under pressure, pass quickly. Got it?"

"Got it!"

With the deadlock broken, the Red Team's momentum surged.

Bellerín tore apart the right flank with his relentless runs.

Sam responded with pinpoint crosses.

Robert continuously dominated the center-backs.

And at the heart of it all—kai.

Every attacking play started from Kai's feet, leading to ruthless goal-scoring opportunities.

It was a one-sided slaughter.

By halftime, the score was already 5-0—Kai had scored twice, Bellerín had two goals, and Robert had added one more.

"This won't do."

Benfield, realizing the Blue Team's pride was on the line, decided to end the scrimmage.

If they continued playing, it would only crush their confidence further.

Watching Kai dominate with dazzling brilliance, Benfield shook his head in amazement.

"He's an ecosystem disruptor."

A skill level beyond adult players.

A mentality unlike any other.

A natural ability to dictate the game.

For someone who was about to turn 16 in just a week, he was simply unbelievable.

The Reserve Team was too small a stage for him.

Even if he played in the Reserve League, it wouldn't help his growth much.

He needed a bigger stage.

A place where everyone dreamed of playing.

Gazing at Kai, who was casually chatting with his teammates during the break, Benfield quietly wrote in his notebook:

[Strongly recommend Kai Arata for the Germany Cologne Camp]