Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

"Huff..." Chigiri stepped out of the bathhouse, towel in hand, drying his hair as he entered the viewing room.

The small room was already packed with people—everyone who participated in the first adaptive selection match had gathered there, except for Yukimiya.

"Has the match already started? Am I late?"

"Ah, no, the match is starting in a little while," Tokimitsu hurriedly dragged a cushion from the corner and handed it to Chigiri.

"Thanks... So, as expected, everyone's here to watch the match," Chigiri said as he found a spot to sit.

"Team Shinichi's lineup includes Isagi, Zantetsu, Taiga, and Yuzu. I wonder what kind of chemistry they'll show."

"But the real focus is still on the opposing team's lineup, right?" Tokimitsu said excitedly, practically bursting, "There's Ryosuke Kira, the jewel of Japanese football who frequently appears in interviews, and Rin Itoshi, the younger brother of Sae Itoshi! Even though they've only briefly teamed up before, Rin is incredible."

"And most importantly," Barou added in his usual indifferent tone, "these guys are very likely to be our direct competitors for a spot. Collecting as much information as possible on them will be useful."

"Hah, that's not necessarily true. It's tough to shine in a match with that monster involved," Raichi interjected, his voice a mix of reluctance and pride.

"Though I hate to admit it, not just anyone can manage to assist him in scoring. I really hate to admit it!"

Despite his complaints, it was clear he was pleased with himself, especially since he was the only one from the first match with direct contributions to a goal.

"The other three players are... Reo, Kyohei, and Akira," Chigiri continued, ignoring Raichi's boasting as he scanned through the roster. "I don't know two of them, but just looking at the first three names, it's a powerhouse lineup. A team of three all-round geniuses—what a high-quality roster."

"Yeah," Tanaka chimed in, his eyes fixed on the screen. "I wonder what kind of match this will turn out to be against Shinichi's team. I'm so excited."

"Hey, look," he pointed at the screen, "It looks like Rin Itoshi is heading towards Shinichi. Is he planning to provoke that monster?"

...

On the field, Rin ignored the curious gazes of others as he walked straight up to Shinichi.

"What's this? Another declaration of war? You do realize you haven't beaten me even once yet, right?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow and teased the somewhat hesitant Rin.

But Rin, already accustomed to Shinichi's taunting remarks, ignored him completely.

Taking a deep breath, Rin looked at Shinichi with an unusually serious expression.

"The things you said to me before—I've been thinking about them seriously these past few days."

"What path should I take? What is my true dream when I strip away the influence of you and Sae Itoshi? What does football really mean to me? Should I just give it up altogether? I've carefully thought about all of these questions."

"I'm really grateful that you woke me up in time. No one has ever said those things to me before. Without your reminder, I'd probably still be lost, wasting my time on meaningless efforts." Despite his usual cold expression, Rin bowed deeply, a sincere ninety-degree bow to Shinichi.

"But don't think I'll bow down to you like that blue-haired guy!" Rin quickly returned to his usual aloof demeanor. "I admit I might not have ambitions as grand as yours. I can't lie to myself and pursue becoming the strongest player like you because that's not my dream. Trying to imitate you would only lead to my own demise. But… I'm not planning to admit defeat either!"

"Even if you become a god, I'll tear a piece off your divine pedestal—you won't get everything your way!" Rin stared directly into Shinichi's eyes, and an ominous, fearsome aura began to manifest behind him.

"Even if you become the God of Football, the title of the most aggressive player will be mine! With my own brand of football, I'll become the destroyer who strikes fear into everyone and can demolish everything in my path!"

"I thought you were going to say something profound. In the end, it's the same as before, isn't it?" Shinichi smirked. "And just like before, the result won't change either."

"However," he continued, his grin widening, "you're definitely more interesting now than you were before."

Specks of dark light flickered in Shinichi's pupils, drifting outward and transforming into faint arcs of electricity. "Now, you're finally worth destroying."

Beep!

The whistle blew at the perfect moment as Rin charged forward with the ball, heading straight for Shinichi.

However, a blonde-haired player, Taiga, intercepted with a sharp kick.

"You're Itoshi Sae's younger brother, right? Stopping you is sure to earn me some serious recognition."

"Get out of my way, you loser!" Rin, riding high on adrenaline, was visibly annoyed by Taiga's interference.

Without losing momentum, Rin pushed the ball forward, baiting Taiga into attempting a steal.

As Taiga lunged, Rin pulled the ball back, spinning away with perfect timing.

Exploiting the critical moment when Taiga shifted his weight, Rin subtly leaned into him.

Taiga, caught off balance, collapsed to the ground in a spectacular fall.

With an elegant and precise turn, Rin had completely dismantled the much larger Taiga.

This display was a testament to the power Rin had mastered after clarifying his own identity.

By consciously channeling his inner destructive desires and focusing them on a single point, Rin had achieved a perfect balance of raw power and control—this was his Restrictive Destroyer Mode.

"Interesting," Shinichi said, carefully observing Rin's movements.

The faint arcs of electricity in his eyes flickered but ultimately dissipated without materializing into true lightning. "But if your complete Destroyer mode couldn't make me take a second glance, why would you think this half-finished version could stop me?"

"I know that," Rin replied, feeling an immense pressure the moment he faced Shinichi.

Though the field ahead appeared to be nothing more than ordinary grass, Rin's perspective painted a different picture.

In his vision, the once-flat ground seemed to crumble and collapse, with Shinichi at its center, transforming into an untouchable no-man's-land.

Behind Shinichi, the path forward had completely vanished, turning into an impassable cliff, severing all possibilities of advancement.

"But I said I'd become the most destructive player!" Despite the overwhelming pressure, a sudden grin spread across Rin's face.

Pulling the ball back, he swiftly stepped backward, creating distance between himself and Shinichi before launching a long pass with a powerful kick.

"As long as I can break through the opponent's defense, no matter the method…" Rin smiled, meeting Shinichi's slightly astonished gaze. "As long as I can showcase my destructive power, I'm willing to embrace it."

"After all, isn't this something you taught me?"

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