Miya

I took a closer look on Ness’ previous scenes and....

What was your plan for that play? ...You made that utterly irrational, shot-in-the-dark solo play...

You ignored Kaiser to pass to the orange machoman despite his low chance of success. It was a selfish play without a shred of rationality...

Based on your data, your direct shot is a faulty move.

This guy’s pressing? He never did that until now!

Ness has a very scientific approach to his plays. He looks at existing data and decides his next move based on it. When he’s stumped, he needs a strategy to follow or a role to adhere to. In other words, he needs clear directions:

When Kaiser is being bothered by Lorenzo, my job is to crush you in his place...

My job is to lure them in!

Ness: I haven’t done anything... Kaiser: If we can deal with Lorenzo, we can win. Ness: Yes, Kaiser… I will erase stupid Lore

Ness may not realize it, but growing up in a family of scientists has greatly influenced how he thinks. His rationality makes him a highly skilled player, but at the same time it limits him.

Because of his extremely rational way of playing, he’s unable to look beyond what is possible and achieve the magic he seeks. But Kaiser is different. Unlike Ness, Kaiser is always out to attempt the impossible.

So when Ness is with Kaiser, his rationality gets shut down and he is led into the realm of magic—or at least, the magic he think it is.

What should we do, Kaiser?

Just keep doing like we practiced. I’m not asking you to be creative... Just have faith. Nothing’s impossible for me.

It also doesn’t help that whenever Ness wants to discuss proper countermeasures with Kaiser, the latter shuts him off and tells him to just have faith—an extremely irrational thing.

But is it really magic when thinking stops? Is it really magic to just leave things to faith?

Definitely not for resident overthinker Isagi.

I think again of Ness’ manga cover:

Obviously, the thorns from the blue roses represent Kaiser’s control on him.

But what about his chains? Why are they separate from the thorns and roses? Kaiser has a glass chain, so why can’t Ness have an all-thorns one?

I think it’s because there are actually two things chaining Ness down.

If the thorns and roses represent Kaiser and magic, then the hard and cold metal one represent what science and logic have been to Ness.

Aside from breaking free from Kaiser, for Ness to truly awaken… he needs to reconcile the realms of science and magic.

Because science is magical.

Ness thinks football is magic. And Noel Noa, the best striker in the world, is a very logical player.

I used to think Ness being in a team that prioritizes rationality was a mistake… but now I think it’s fate.