"This clever little guy," Snuffy and Loki instinctively stood up upon seeing Shidou's reckless move, but then sat back down, reassured. "On the surface, he's betting on himself, but in reality, he's already prepared for the worst in ways the opponent can't see."
Observing Shidou's arm, hidden behind his back and muscles tensed, ready to cushion his body, Snuffy couldn't help but chuckle and curse. He had thought another player who would gamble his entire career, had appeared.
However, even though he saw through the opponent's tactics, Shidou didn't let his guard down completely. He was gambling between the best and the second-best outcomes, not an extreme choice where it's either success or total failure.
"This guy figured out that in that situation, he had to gamble, betting that Kunigami would give him a boost. Only with an undisturbed shot and an additional push to reach greater heights could his shot possibly break through Shinichi's defense. And if Kunigami hadn't held him up, Shidou would have used his arm to support himself and shoot while inverted, though that would give the opponent more time to react."
"But setting aside those little tricks, this shot undoubtedly reached the pinnacle of both Shidou and Charles' abilities, a world-class level without any compromise," Snuffy, with his high soccer IQ, precisely pointed out Shidou's little schemes. Loki nodded in agreement but then looked towards the figure standing imposingly in front of the goal, his expression shifting slightly, a mix of admiration and wariness. "Although, even if that little gamble had paid off, the guy on your side still managed to react in time."
Facing Shidou's overhead attempt to volley the ball into the net, a glint of sharpness flashed in Shinichi's eyes.
The moment the ball touched the ground, he stepped on it, pinning it down. The whistling ball, even after being stepped on, continued to spin fiercely, like a demon unwilling to be tamed and conquered by Shinichi, struggling wildly under his restraint, desperate to break free and rush towards the goal.
But as Shinichi increased the pressure under his foot, the super backspin shot that embodied Shidou's utmost skill finally ceased its spin, resignedly pinned beneath Shinichi's relentless step.
"Hey, hey, that kind of unpredictable super combination and such a high-level shot, and it was stopped so easily?" Someone murmured in disbelief, snapping everyone on the field out of their daze. Even the players from Uber were staring in shock at Shinichi's impassively handsome face. They too had thought that this nearly unpredictable move was sure to score.
Yet, it was still intercepted by that man who exuded a sense of security. While they were grateful that this nearly omnipotent figure was on their side, they couldn't help but wonder, 'Is there anything this monster can't do?'
Only Shinichi himself knew the truth—he hadn't seen through Charles' pass. If anything, he had applied the "World of Ice" to his own team, identifying their weaknesses and blind spots, and then intercepted the largest and most dangerous icicle, that's all.
[Oh my! What seemed like a shot from Charles was actually a meticulously designed pass off the goalpost, perfectly executed with Shidou, completely surpassing Uber's tactical expectations. But even such a super combination was ruthlessly intercepted by Kanzaki Shinichi!]
[It seems P-X-G's final counterattack is going to end in vain. However, it's clear that P-X-G's players are not willing to give up. At this moment, all the forwards near Shinichi are rushing towards him like mad, a truly fascinating scene. But Shinichi isn't passing the ball?! What is he planning to do?!]
What is he planning to do? That's what Shidou and the others were wondering as they charged towards Shinichi, driven by their last shred of unwilling to accept to make one final attempt. They knew Shinichi wasn't the type of fool who would stubbornly hold onto the ball when surrounded.
As long as it led to victory, even if he hadn't showcased much of his own abilities in this match, always doing the dirty work of blocking shots and intercepting the opponent's passing lines for his teammates, he never complained.
Therefore, when Shinichi, quite irrationally, chose not to pass the ball but instead to confront them head-on, they were not only puzzled but also increasingly alarmed: "This guy... isn't planning to take down all of us at once, is he?!"
Shinichi's subsequent actions fully confirmed their suspicions. With a disdainful glance at Shidou, Rin, and Charles charging towards him, he resembled a deity seated in the heavens, indifferently observing the challenges of mere mortals.
The dark, ink-like lightning in his eyes freely flowed and exploded, ready to mete out the harshest punishment to those who dared overstep. His blatantly arrogant demeanor clearly communicated to them: "Yes, I am going to crush you all."
"This damn arrogance is truly disgusting! I will absolutely tear off that crown of yours and crush it to pieces!" With Charles's roar, the three of them charged towards Shinichi without any further hesitation.
"If it's three of us, there's no way you can use that ability to find a loophole! As long as we keep compressing your space to act, even Noel Noa couldn't escape under such circumstances!"
However, facing the fierce charge of the three, Shinichi remained unmoved. It's important to note that unlike during the U20 match, these three were now undoubtedly at the level of the elite eleven in their normal state.
Moreover, Charles and Shidou in their ultimate forms, along with Rin in complete destroyer mode, could be said to be three world-class players surrounding him. Yet, even in such a situation, Shinichi maintained his calm demeanor.
But by looking into the raging lightning in Shinichi's eyes and peering into his inner world, one could see that he had already shattered the gate to the second stage of the ZONE state and was continuously advancing.
Ultimately, he reached the end of the second stage.
There, three new doors stood, among which the middle one was far more magnificent and grand than the other two—these were the three gates of the selfless state.
Looking at the clear boundary line beneath his feet, Shinichi hesitated not a moment and stepped onto the path representing the selfless state. Instantly, an invisible pressure enveloped him, hindering his progress.
However, the red genius within him flickered with an eerie light, propelling Shinichi forward. Finally, as the red genius trait reached its limit, he stopped before one of the doors.
Feeling the omnipresent pressure on his body, Shinichi's muscles bulged, and the monster trait gave him the final push needed to complete the most crucial step.
Shinichi pushed open the door and entered a completely new realm.
By the time all this was accomplished, only a moment had passed in reality. Watching the three charging towards him, the lightning in Shinichi's eyes exploded with a bang, and an indescribably aura pressed down on the hearts of everyone on the field.
"Let me bestow upon you the whip named 'Complete Defeat'!"
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