Last Step

Isagi thinks back to Ego's early lesson that a striker shoulders the burden and battles fully to the final second. With Sae fastened onto him, he drives forward, reasoning that even a play Sae foresaw still leaves him this instant before goal and a coin-flip chance against the prodigy. He hardens his resolve, telling himself predictions no longer matter and only the immediate struggle counts, then plants his right leg to strike the ball at the perfect point. He is a single stride from the finish when Sae studies his posture and delivers a light shoulder nudge that topples his balance, warning him he is rushing. Robbed of a stable base, Isagi cannot execute his Direct Shot, and he is left mystified at how so gentle a contact undid him.

Feeling every option snuffed out, Isagi sees Rin surge in from the center calling for the ball, and he realizes Sae had not been alone in reading his play. Pouring his last reserves into the effort, he flicks the pass toward Rin even while off-balance. As it travels, Aiku sweeps in behind Rin, having read the combination, and warns them he will not fall to a mere surprise. It drops as Rin and Aiku collide while chasing it down, and just as they close in, Baro erupts from the middle while pinning back Nio and Darai, stunning both of them. Aiku cannot fathom how Baro reached that spot without trailing Isagi. Still pinning both markers back, Baro thanks Isagi for the setup, drops onto one leg, and lashes his right foot through the ball, blasting it into the top-left corner. The stadium is left speechless and the officials stare in disbelief as Baro tears off his shirt and roars over his goal, which levels the score at 3 to 3.

Isagi's attempted Direct Shot is shut down by Sae, so he resorts to a desperate pass toward Rin. At the very last moment Baro snatches the loose ball and finishes it, tying the game at 3 to 3.