Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

The ball soared through the air, landing perfectly at the feet of Reo, who hadn't expected to receive it while standing in open space.

"No way! How could he pull off a pass of this quality even against that guy?" Reo marveled at the brilliance of Rin's play, impressed by the precision of the pass.

While dribbling forward, he began to reassess Team Shinichi's defensive setup. "Shinichi's focus has been completely drawn away by Rin. The previously blocked-off areas are now wide open!"

"Long time no see, Reo," Zantetsu said, using his speed to catch up with him. "I see Nagi didn't end up on your team."

"Tch, talk about hitting a sore spot," Reo clicked his tongue in annoyance. "By the way, teaming up with that monster doesn't seem to have done you much good... That bad habit of yours—charging straight ahead without thinking—still hasn't changed."

"You didn't notice I let you catch up on purpose?" Reo sneered, flashing a smug grin as he sent a low, sharp pass ahead to Kira.

"Returning the favor? Is that what they call it?" Zantetsu thought as he watched Reo's deliberate pass, his expression calm and unshaken.

"After all, just as Shinichi mentioned, your habit of instinctively relying on others hasn't changed either."

To be honest, playing on a team with Shinichi wasn't always beneficial.

As Chigiri and the others had experienced during the first round of adaptability experiments, Shinichi's overwhelming presence often left little room for growth.

However, observing Shinichi's defensive tendencies and reflecting on matches against world-class players, where repeated defensive efforts often proved fruitless, Zantetsu had learned something invaluable: how to effectively use his speed to defend against two opponents simultaneously, a skill strikingly similar to Shinichi's defensive habits.

'First, establish your defensive range. When defending two targets, both must remain within your coverage area. At the same time, in the one-on-one battle with the ball carrier, you must not lose too quickly—at the very least, force them to consider passing. These two points are the foundation for this strategy to work,'

Zantetsu recalled the advice he received during his brief time teaming up with Shinichi.

'Then, pressure the ball carrier actively, making them feel threatened. Deliberately leave an opening to bait the off-ball player's movement and the ball carrier's passing route.'

'Finally, after they pass, block the passing lane between the two players to prevent them from using another quick return pass to outplay you.'

'And then... Well, explaining it in detail is pointless since you wouldn't understand. Just run when the time comes, and that's all you need to do.'

Shinichi's teasing voice seemed to echo in Zantetsu's ears. His eyes sharpened as he thought, "At the very least, I've remembered it all!"

With explosive speed, Zantetsu sprinted toward the direction of the ball, leaving Reo far behind in stunned silence.

"So fast! Has he improved even more since last time?" Kira was startled by Zantetsu's rapid defensive recovery.

However, his surprise lasted only a moment before he adjusted his position slightly, opting for a less direct route toward an outside teammate instead of sprinting in a straight line to the most obvious destination.

"Hey, catch!" Before Zantetsu could fully close the distance, Kira suddenly passed the ball laterally to Akira, who was less than four meters away.

Zantetsu hesitated briefly before deciding to follow the ball, abandoning Kira.

"This guy... What choice does that leave me?" Akira muttered in frustration as he saw Zantetsu charging at him while Kira unexpectedly ran back into an ideal position to receive the ball again.

Annoyed, Akira passed the ball back to Kira. "Using me as a decoy, huh? Typical."

"That's right! This is how it should be. You will all serve as my stepping stones to greatness. I am the pinnacle of this nation, and you should dedicate yourselves to my success!" Kira declared, completely unfazed by Akira's complaints.

Laughing loudly, he received the pass, and without hesitation, took a shot from 27 meters out.

The ball roared through the air toward the goal, but its speed wasn't enough to escape the Blue Lock goalkeeper's dive.

Just as it seemed the shot would be caught, the ball suddenly dropped unnaturally, plummeting straight toward the goal...

In the observation room, the spectators instinctively stood up in shock. Could it be?

The Shinichi team, which had poured so much effort into defending, was about to concede the first goal of the match so quickly?

Bang!

At the last possible moment, Isagi slid in beneath the Blue Lock goalkeeper, intercepting the ball just as it descended.

Lying flat, he used his body to block the gap under the keeper, and the ball hit him with a dull thud.

"Deliberately drawing defenders toward your teammate and then passing the ball to them—it looks like a standard give-and-go play. But in reality, you're using your teammate to share the defensive pressure while you free yourself to receive the ball in a better position. Then, when your teammate has no choice but to pass it back to you... This selfish, egocentric play disgusts me."

Isagi stood up, eyes blazing with determination as he locked his gaze on Kira. "I'll show you. That revolting style of play you're so proud of is completely wrong."

"Isagi! It's you again!" Kira snarled as he got to his feet, glaring furiously at Isagi. His molars ground together audibly in frustration. "Not only do you refuse to support me, but now you're actively standing in my way. Isagi Yoichi... I swear, I'll destroy you!"

"What nonsense are you spouting to my teammate?" Shinichi stepped forward from behind, positioning himself between Isagi and Kira. "I already thought your perspective on football was dull, but to see it evolve into something this revolting is truly surprising. At least in terms of shocking me, you've succeeded—congratulations, 'Rotting Treasure.'"

"Heh, and what makes you any different from me? You're just as selfish, using others to achieve your own goals! Don't pretend to be some righteous figure while accusing me!" Kira retorted, glaring viciously at Shinichi. "No matter what it takes, I'll reclaim the title that belongs to me. Only I am fit to be the leader of you worthless peasants!"

"Sigh..." Shinichi shook his head in exasperation. "It's hard to imagine anyone making me speechless, but congratulations, kid—you've managed it. You're unbeatable in that regard."

Rin, having activated his Restrictive Destroyer mode, was already close to reaching the level of the World Eleven, akin to how Kaiser could marginally suppress Chris, the world's second-best player.

Without even entering ZONE mode, Rin could already put some pressure on Shinichi's normal state.

This rare challenge piqued Shinichi's interest, giving him a chance to hone his ability to control the flow of the game.

"But you? You're nothing like Rin. I can't even be bothered to waste another word on you—you're not worth hearing them." The faint arcs of electricity Shinichi had been suppressing finally began to flash and spark, transforming into streaks of crackling lightning that left afterimages in their wake. "I was looking forward to a proper match with Rin in our normal states, but you? You're such a disgusting distraction—what a mood-killer."

"As compensation for ruining my mood, I'll crush this rotting, maggot-ridden 'treasure' of yours into dust."

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