"Is this why you value him so much?" On the sidelines, Loki made adjustments to compensate for Chapa's substitution, bringing on Nanase and moving Zantetsu back to fill the gap in the defense.
After completing these changes, he turned to Snuffy, who looked confident and in control, and asked in a low voice.
"Top-tier individual ability, incredible speed, combined with Ubers' trademark defensive prowess, has resulted in this nearly unstoppable counterattacking force. You've truly created a monster, Snuffy."
"However, relying solely on his counterattacks won't take him far. These players, even though they've experienced top-tier leagues, are still very green. After all, Ego imposed an age limit. Once they reach the real leagues, this strategy won't be as effective." Loki, who was himself very young, mercilessly criticized the lack of experience of these players, some of whom were older than him. Yet, neither Loki nor Snuffy found this odd, as Loki had the credibility to make such judgments.
"Shinichi's new ability seems unstoppable at first glance, but upon closer inspection, there are plenty of weaknesses. First, accurately analyzing an opponent's weaknesses and blind spots takes time. Otherwise, he could have bypassed his opponents more effortlessly. Second, different players in different positions and stances have completely different blind spots, and Shinichi can only exploit one person's weakness at a time."
"If it weren't for the fact that this was the first time they encountered this ability, leaving Chapa completely defenseless and forcing the other two defenders to scramble and cover, only to be taken out one after another, Shinichi wouldn't have been able to score relying solely on that ability."
"Therefore, the simplest solution is to double-team him. He can't freeze two people simultaneously, and the freeze duration is relatively short. By the time he breaks through the second person's weakness, the first one would have already recovered. Alternatively, relying on individual physical talent and reflexes to forcefully break free from Shinichi's freeze could also work."
Loki calmly dissected the principles behind Shinichi's move that had shattered the morale of his players, offering solutions as he went.
When discussing the second method, he all but explicitly stated that his own natural abilities were a perfect counter to Shinichi's new skill.
All the while, he kept a close eye on Snuffy's reactions.
Snuffy had always been highly invested in Shinichi, even pushing for the club to make the first offer of 500 million despite opposition. It was clear that Snuffy saw Shinichi as his potential successor.
'If I can develop Charles properly, I'll have a real shot at challenging for the title of the world's best. But if Shinichi and Snuffy team up, the outcome becomes uncertain. They could become my greatest rivals, and I need to prepare for that.'
However, to Loki's surprise, Snuffy showed no signs of concern. Instead, he nodded with satisfaction. "As expected of you. Unlike those flashy prodigies, your dribbling, shooting, and all your movements are simple yet highly effective. And that football IQ of yours always cuts straight to the core of things."
"By the way, aren't you going to share these insights with your players? Even if you believe they can figure it out on their own, it'll take time. And if Shinichi scores one more goal, the match will be over," Snuffy remarked casually, fiddling with the headband in his hands.
Loki, unsure of Snuffy's true stance on Shinichi, gave a vague nod. "That's true, but the outcome of a single match isn't everything. They need to figure this out on their own and find a way to counter Shinichi's new ability."
"I need Charles to grow quickly. He has the talent to become my greatest ally, helping me surpass Noa and become the world's best striker."
Snuffy nodded noncommittally, offering no further comment. Internally, however, he had already written Loki off as someone not worth his attention.
'Placing his hopes of becoming the world's best on the support of others—or worse, admitting that he can't surpass Noa on his own—shows that Loki no longer poses a threat to Shinichi.'
...
"Hey, you two, just run to where you feel is the most dangerous from now on," Charles called out, unusually taking the initiative to address Rin and Shidou. "Don't worry about anything else. Just focus on getting into position. I'll handle how to get the ball to you."
"Haha, you're surprisingly bold for a little tiger, aren't you? Alright, fine. We're already in this deep anyway," Shidou was the first to agree.
Rin, though frowning, reluctantly nodded as well. To be honest, aside from that "Complete Destroyer" mode he didn't even know how to activate, he had no better ideas to break through.
The main issue was Ubers' impenetrable defense—without scoring, nothing else mattered. And according to their strategy, Charles was supposed to be the one distributing the ball.
After finalizing their tactics, P-X-G regrouped and lined up once more to face Ubers, who were riding high on their successful strategy. As the whistle blew, the crucial match point battle erupted!
"You're really annoying, you know that? Can a stalker even be a hero?"
"Shut up. I'm just conducting a thorough investigation on you, you pink-haired freak."
However, even with their tactics in place, Shidou was immediately tied up by Kunigami, while Lorenzo tightly marked Rin, who was making off-the-ball runs.
Lorenzo's unpredictable shifts in balance combined with his nimble and steady footwork completely neutralized Rin's impact on the game.
Meanwhile, forced to defend against Karasu, Barou was unleashing all the frustration from being outplayed by Rin earlier, sticking to Karasu like glue.
At this point, nearly all of P-X-G's offensive initiators were being tightly marked by Ubers. And Ubers still had Niko and Aiku, two defensive stalwarts, waiting in reserve.
They maintained their "Meta Vision," ready to step in and reinforce the defense at any moment.
But the most critical factor was Shinichi, standing at the center of the field like a king overseeing his domain, coldly watching as the overconfident rebels were crushed one by one by his army.
"This is so annoying..." Charles muttered, but the gleam in his eyes grew brighter. He stared intently into Shinichi's eyes, the overwhelming pressure stimulating his nerves and fueling his rebellious spirit as the "Amanojaku." Countless ideas flooded his mind, and at this moment, Charles had entered his peak state!
"If you're the king, then I, the Amanojaku, will help the rebels overthrow you!"
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