Chapter 70: Stamina Monster
The match continued.
It was a throw-in for the White Team.
Isagi took the throw-in, tossing the ball to Nagi, and every player on the field immediately converged around the ball, starting a fresh scramble for possession.
Bachira stood there, staring blankly at the shifting tides on the field.
Possession changed hands constantly between Isagi and Rin.
Watching this scene unfold, Bachira sank deep into his own thoughts.
'Why? I finally managed to get to a place where I can play soccer with them...'
'Why? Why are you playing soccer in a world I don't understand?'
'You guys are clearly Monsters to me, right? But then, what exactly am I to you?'
Bachira's expression looked completely lost.
"Bachira, focus!"
Not far away, Kira's shout dragged Bachira back to the reality of the match.
Bachira hurriedly shook his head, forcing his attention back onto the game.
"Perhaps the one being tested... is me..." Bachira realized something. If he couldn't keep up with the rhythm of those three in this match...
Then he would drift further and further away from them.
"Tsk..." Itoshi Rin was currently engaged in a tight, physical battle with Isagi for possession.
Suddenly.
Chigiri burst out from the flank. It was the tactic the White Team had discussed earlier: using Chigiri's speed to press high.
But the Red Team was already guarding against it.
Kira appeared from the side as well, supporting Rin.
"Damn it!"
Due to Kira's interference, Chigiri couldn't stabilize his body. He fell sideways, sliding and knocking the ball out over the touchline.
Beep.
"Out of bounds. Red Team throw-in."
"Princess, you almost stole that one again, didn't you?" Kira wiped the sweat from his forehead as he spoke.
At the same time, Kira noticed that Chigiri's speed was beginning to slow down.
"Hmph." Chigiri turned his head away, ignoring him.
Isagi hurried over from the side and pulled Chigiri up.
"Nice work, Chigiri. Sorry... I actually planned to pass the ball directly to you there!" Isagi felt that he bore the main responsibility for losing the ball just now.
Chigiri shook his head, disagreeing with Isagi's words. "The one who should apologize is me. If I had been just a little bit faster, I wouldn't have been disrupted by Kira."
"Ugh..." As Chigiri stood up, he couldn't help but let out a groan.
"Are you okay, Chigiri...?" Isagi was a little worried.
"You okay there...? The knees?" Kira also circled around. Even though he knew Chigiri's knee injury shouldn't be a major issue right now, he couldn't help but voice his concern.
"I'm fine. I'm just running out of stamina." Chigiri shook out his legs and glared viciously at Kira. "You better worry about yourself first. Isagi and I are definitely going to beat you this time!"
Simultaneously, he turned his head and said to Isagi, "If we lose, I'm definitely going to kill you."
Seeing this expression on Chigiri's face, Isagi knew he was fine. He slapped his chest and said, "Don't worry..."
Immediately, his tone shifted, becoming dark and intense. "Then you better run until you drop dead, too!"
Clap, clap, clap...
Listening to their conversation, Kira applauded with a look of anticipation."I'm waiting to see your performance next."
With that, Kira jogged back to the Red Team's territory.
"Seems like you get along with them pretty well. Being so concerned about whether they're injured..." Rin looked at Kira, his tone somewhat cold.
"No way. I was gathering intelligence. They don't have much stamina left." Kira hurriedly denied it and rushed to explain.
"Tsk. Do you think our team's stamina is that much better than theirs?"
Rin's words made Kira involuntarily scan the field.
He found that the players on both the Red and White teams were dripping with sweat.
Their jerseys were basically soaked through.
It seemed that only he and Rin were in somewhat better condition.
However, Kira didn't find this strange. In a match of this level, which was far higher than anything before, everyone was playing at one hundred percent intensity.
Severe stamina depletion was normal, and a decline in form was also normal.
Under these circumstances, players with severe stamina loss would find their usual positioning, passing, and receiving affected.
The person who could grasp these changes first would be the one to control the endgame.
Thinking of this, Kira looked at Rin.
Rin happened to be looking over as well.
"It seems we're thinking the same thing..." Kira licked his lips.
Rin nodded.
***
The match continued.
Red Team throw-in. Itoshi Rin passed the ball directly to Kira.
After receiving the ball, Kira immediately passed it back to Rin.
Rin carried it for two steps, then passed it back to Kira again.
The two of them passed back and forth like this, unknowingly closing in on the White Team's goal.
***
Monitoring Room.
"Wow, that's so strange. I feel like those two aren't doing any special moves, so why are they bringing the ball up the field so easily?" Anri looked at the screen, puzzled. The physical confrontations before had been so intense.
Why did it look so effortless to bring the ball forward now?
Ego rolled his eyes, but he still explained to Anri. "It's very simple. Stamina!"
"Stamina? "Anri still didn't quite understand.
"In a soccer match, the standard duration is ninety minutes. Counting injury time, it could be one hundred minutes."
"A soccer player's stamina determines whether they can perform at their normal level in the final moments."
"Itoshi Rin and Kira... their stamina far exceeds everyone else currently on the field."
After hearing this, Anri nodded, but then she had another question." That's not right. Look at Barou. His strength should be the greatest. Theoretically, shouldn't his stamina be the best on the field?"
"In terms of strength, Barou may indeed be very powerful."
Ego continued to explain patiently. "However, stamina is not simply equivalent to strength."
"Some players are very good at managing their physical exertion. Take Kira, for example. Sometimes he strolls leisurely around the field."
"That is to maximize the efficient use of his stamina. Barou, on the other hand, has been running frantically the entire time."
"The difference in how the two manage their energy has led to the current disparity in their stamina."
Anri finally nodded, seeming to understand a little.
***
On the Pitch.
Kira and Rin continued to exchange passes.
The two of them were getting closer and closer to the penalty area.
What Ego and Anri didn't know was that it wasn't just Kira's energy management keeping him fresh; the training results from the Raichi Jingo Trial Card had helped immensely.
Kira could confidently say that in the original Team Z, his stamina was now second only to Raichi's.
"Kira... this guy not only has countless techniques, but he's also a monster with infinite stamina..." Isagi spotted the clue.
On the field right now, only Kira could react to Rin's passes and continue running relentlessly.
"Don't let him get past!" Isagi shouted loudly to remind his teammates.
But in a moment of inattention...
Kira had already carried the ball to the edge of the central penalty area.
"Aaaaargh..." Barou roared, squeezing every last drop out of his body to try and keep up.
"In your dreams!"Chigiri also arrived at a gallop. The Princess had worked truly hard in this match; he was there for every defensive cover.
However, Kira's stamina was currently far superior to both of theirs.
He continued to sprint at full speed.
Barou had no choice but to pull him from behind, and Chigiri's sliding tackle wasn't precise, catching Kira's legs instead.
Beep.
"Yellow cards shown to players Shoei Barou and Hyoma Chigiri." The penalty came over the loudspeaker.
"Hey! That was clearly an affectionate hug, okay?"
"I was aiming for the ball when I tackled!"
Barou and Chigiri started arguing with the loudspeaker.
Beep.
"Red Team free kick!!"
The loudspeaker completely ignored their defenses.
"How about it? Rin, you take it? "Kira performed a kip-up to stand, springing from the ground. Chigiri rolled his eyes; he knew this guy had fallen that dramatically on purpose.
"I'm getting a little bored. Let's end this quickly..."
Rin placed the ball in front of him, preparing to take the free kick Kira had earned.
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