NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 40: Chapter 39: Redemption
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Ryuen: Fuck, my money's leaving me!
Ibuki: It looks like they're about to respond.
Ryuen: They better... I ain't losing this bet.
Hirata: Ayanokouji going back and being a CAM definitely changed the way they're attacking. Now that he's their playmaker, the number of possibilities they have of scoring has grown.
Horikita: And then there's that new sub of theirs, Shohei Baro.
Sudo: He looks pretty built and scary. Maybe he's just another body to throw in?
A couple rows aside, Arisu crossed her legs, enjoying the sight in front of her. The game had divulged into utter chaos.
Arisu: They definitely have some pressure. But with that U-20 captain playing even better than before and Itoshi Sae going 100 percent, it won't be easy. But he's already finished analyzing everything, so I know he won't disappoint.
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...
...
...
Kiyotaka pushed forward with the rest of his team for their counterattack. Seeing their chemical reaction destroyed once again, Sae did everything he could to reach Kiyotaka.
Before Sae could reach him, Kiyotaka sent a drill pass to an open pocket of space in the midfield.
Yagami sprinted over to the sight, but Chigiri appeared a step before the White room phenom, blitzing him.
Chigiri: Get good, slowpoke.
*DASH*
Chigiri continued to slice through the right side, as Bachira, Kiyotaka, and Isagi pushed up including Karasu. Only Reo and Arryu remained in the backfield.
Sae and Shido glued onto Kiyotaka like slime while Yagami, now somewhat desperate, pushed forward.
Nagi, Rin, and Baro entered the penalty box, as Aiku's eyes were working on overtime, scanning everything around him. He was their wall, their crux. He wouldn't falter, not now.
Darai, sweating profusely, sluggishly attempted a tackle on Chigiri, only for him to leap past him and send a quick pass to Isagi.
Isagi: (Now what...)
Despite Yagami now entering the mix to stop Kiyotaka's advance, he somehow knew he'd be open.
*PASS*
To make it easier for him, the pass cleanly cut through into the middle of the U-20 turf.
With nothing to distract him, and his physicality surpassing everyone else on the field, he cleaved through both Shido and Yagami, and tapped the ball forward. Sae was relentless, not leaving his side for a moment.
Kiyotaka: Looks like the only relentless, and annoying speck of dust is you, Sae. But it's good you're here. You can have a front-row seat to my vision.
Instead of dribbling ahead, Kiyotaka flicked the ball behind and to the left, right into the feet of Bachira.
Sae noticed Kiyotaka didn't even meet eyes with Bachira. It was like his peripheral vision now reached a 360-degree field of awareness.
Bachira: Alright, thank you captain!
*LOB PASS*
Immediately seeing Rin cut through Teppei and Niou, he sent a quick lob pass through the clutches of Hayate as it landed perfectly in the feet of Rin.
Rin: (I'll win this match, no matter what.)
*SMASH*
*HEADER*
His shot was redirected into the crossbar, once again, by the final wall, Aiku. He was right there for him.
Rin: (This bastard. He's on a completely different level than before.)
Hitting the crossbar very violently, the ball spiraled forward, meters ahead, and in the direction of Kiyotaka, Shido, Yagami, and Sae.
Shido, using his intuition, leapt forward.
Kiyotaka: Too slow, demon. I have a better vertical than even you.
The two collided bodies with one another, with Kiyotaka being the one to come down with the ball.
In that moment, he scanned the field of play, seeing all of the potential figures. But there was only one target he knew would work.
Rin and Isagi, seeing a change in Kiyotaka's eyes, dashed forward again for a second chance into the box. He was going to orchestrate an explosion.
Sae and Kiyotaka shoulder-blocked one another as they danced and weaved through the right side of the field.
Sae: You won't get past me. You don't have the ability to do so. And I've blocked all your passing channels. This play is dead.
Chigiri cut to the left in an attempt to steer through and give Kiyotaka an easier angle to cut through with a pass. However, he didn't intend to pass to him.
Chigiri: (What's he planning to do? With Aiku in the penalty box and blocking everything, how is he going to give a clean pass through?)
Sae and Kiyotaka cut through, prancing around with different sequences of moves. A stepover here, a turn there, a roulette past the two's legs, the two wouldn't separate.
Eventually, this all lead to Kiyotaka, at the brink of the field's right corner.
Isagi: (Kiyotaka has my full trust. I know he'll find us. We just need to find a way to score against Aiku, this monster.)
With mere centimeters away from the ball being out of bounds, Sae stuck out his leg, using all of his speed, physicality, and finesse.
However, in this moment, Kiyotaka's vision of the field of play wouldn't be interrupted. He had a duty to orchestrate... his masterpiece.
Kiyotaka: Everything's lined up perfectly. Time to feed.
*SMASH*
Sae's eyes could only widen, as Kiyotaka's transcendent pass drilled through his legs and in the direction of the penalty box. It was too fast to track, too fast to stop on its own, and too fast to predict.
The magic of Kiyotaka's passes comes from its supernatural stopping motion. This was something unique only to Kiyotaka. Not even the likes of Itoshi Sae could replicate such a phenomenon.
So, Rin and Isagi cut through and stuck their feet out.
However, nothing could escape Aiku's eyes, not at this moment. He charged forward and barred the two of them with his massive frame.
Rin: (He reacted at the same time.)
Isagi: (Damn, even now, he's still in the way. If I can't reach Kiyotaka's pass, we'll lose!)
The ball cut through and towards Aiku, Rin and Isagi.
Isagi: (COME ON! I DON'T GIVE A SHIT IF HE'S IN FLOW!!! I'M GOING TO SCORE-)
*SWISH*
Rin: Huh?
Isagi: What?
Aiku: ???
In this occasion, the ball did not stop. Instead, it cut through and nutmegged all three of them in a direct line of fire. It kept going through in its journey.
Aiku, Rin, and Isagi, were all misunderstanding something.
Aiku went under the assumption that Kiyotaka would target either Rin or Isagi...
Rin thought that only he and Isagi had a chance to stop such a pass...
Isagi trusted in Kiyotaka to pick out him...
These assumptions were all wrong.
The target Kiyotaka had been striving to connect to, and the one he had acclimated to his passes ever since he entered the game... was Shoei Baro.
Baro: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Pushing violently past both Niou and Sendo, he reached the pocket of space where the ball reappeared. And, as it had always been intended to do, it decelerated and almost stopped in place.
Aiku, Sae, Niou, Yagami, Shido, Teppei, Sendo, and Darai could do nothing more but to widen their eyes.
*SMASH*
Baro hit the ball with all of his power, heading in the direction of the goal like a bullet firing from a 9mm. Fukaku dove to the right, where the ball was heading, but he was a hand short.
Blue Lock Eleven [3] vs. U-20 Japan [3]
The stadium looked on, stunned, as Baro shredded his shirt apart and jumped in the air, celebrating his goal.
Kiyotaka held out his hand in a gun gesture.
Kiyotaka: Bang.
...
...
...
***FLASHBACK***
Sae POV
I used to be gullible. Incredibly gullible. Whether it was because everyone regarded me as a prodigy ever since I could kick a soccer ball or maybe the praise my shitty brother gave me, it doesn't really matter at this point. I was just gullible.
Japan was incredibly pathetic, and it had an equally pathetic mindset and organization. I would destroy countless players that would go on to be lukewarm citizens of a lukewarm nation.
Rin-chan: Oni-san, over here!
*PASS*
*SHOOT*
*SCORE*
And then there was my brother, who I believed to be the only other player in Japan to share my ideals. He was younger than me but all he wanted was to become a striker on par with myself. We played on the same middle school team together and no one could stand in our way. It made me happy for a time.
Then came a letter in the mail followed by scouts and then the Coach himself. It was Real Madrid, the world's greatest club. Hearing about my accomplishments at a young age enticed them to pick me up and bring me to the club as an academy player.
It was the greatest moment of my life. Leaving the lukewarm Japan that didn't provide any sort of challenge, I waved goodbye to my brother and parents, who were all expecting great things from me.
Now I would get to measure my strengths against the greatest on the planet and become the best striker in the world-
???: Is that all you've got, loser. I thought, being a promising talent, you'd be a decent challenge. But you're just fodder, like the rest of your country. Worthless.
Almost like a shadow, donning a red and dark blue jersey and long hair, he stood right in front of me as our youth team lost 5-0.
I suffered a defeat so egregious and so disgusting; I vomited when I returned to my academy room. And there, I saw for the first time, how small I was in the world of football.
Heading to bed, I ignored calls from my brother and my parents. I just wanted to move on. However, that moment engraved itself into my very soul. It was a wake-up call of sorts. I just didn't have what it took... to be a striker. That pinnacle of football isn't something that can come from the country I was born into. I was just unlucky.
The ideals of 'one for all' not 'all for one', were still seeping into my very blood. I need to shed it all away and become my own player.
I punched my bathroom mirror, cracking it open. Blood trickled down my hand as I looked at my reflection, disjointed and fragmented like the shards of glass encasing the mirror.
Me: If I can't become the best striker in the world, I can at least become the best midfielder in the world. The epitome of my existence can be to find this striker and give him the best pass of his career.
So, I resigned myself to that prerogative.
And just like that, four years passed by. I was granted a decent vacation, so I decided to visit my family for a couple days. I wanted to see for myself, how my brother has done in my absence.
He shouldn't be expecting me since I did come a day earlier.
Rin: Ah, ni-san. It's been four years, huh? But weren't you supposed to come back tomorrow?
There he was, my brother. He was still practicing alone after practice. I expected no less.
Me: Yeah, I came ahead of schedule.
Rin smiled.
Rin: I've been keeping up with your news, you know. You're playing in Real Madrid youth matches and managing to score. You're amazing Ni-chan. But, did you lose some weight?
Me: Hm... maybe... but that's not important. So, Rin. Turns out, the world is huge. There are players way better than me out there...
Rin: Huh? What's this about, all of a sudden...
Me: I've changed my dream. I will become the best midfielder in the world.
I wanted to see what kind of reaction he'd have to my new dream and to be reaffirmed that the path I took was the right thing to do.
Rin: You're a striker, right? What's the point of becoming the best at something other than that?
Me: Shut up. You're only saying that because you don't know the world.
Rin wouldn't let it go.
Rin: What the hell... don't just decide on your own like that! You said we were going to fight together, right? You told me to become the best after you!!!!!!
I didn't want this reaction. I thought I could come home and get accepted for what I was striving to do. I wanted to be told it was ok.
Me: Yeah, So I'll be a midfielder, and you'll reach the top as a striker-
Rin: I don't want that! I'm the younger brother of the World's best striker! You're not the same brother I shared a dream with!
This... wasn't what I wanted... couldn't you just accept my new dream and go from there? I couldn't do it. I couldn't become the best striker. So, to salvage my career, I changed my dream to becoming the best midfielder. Why can't you understand? I guess I'm just alone.
Me: How luke-warm. Rin, it seems you don't yet realize that the football field is a battlefield. So come... if you can beat me on a 1v1 , I'll share that dream with you again. But if I win, you and I are done.
Prove me wrong. Defeat me. Kill me. So, I can dream again... like the child I once was. Do it.
Rin: What are you talking about? You can't decide that on your own-
Me: Let's go, Rin. First to score wins.
Rin: Wait!
I was impatient. Football was the only thing I knew. So, to decide the path before me, I was going to bet it on football.
My dribbling had improved to a superhuman level. My scissors dribbling was better, I had a quicker rhythm and speed to my first touch, and my arsenal of moves was vast and explosive.
Give me a challenge, Rin. Prove me wrong if you won't understand my new dream.
Rin tried and failed to stop me. I finally had enough and used a cross-elastico to bypass him completely.
Me: In these four years I've been away, what have you been doing here?
*SMASH*
*SCORE*
Our dream ends here, Rin. But it's not over for you. If you have what it takes, become the best striker in the world alone. I will continue with the path that I chos-
Rin: You're amazing Ni-san. I tried to become someone who could replace you... I fought for the team and then I became the best in Japan just like I promised. But now, you're saying we're done? If I can't chase our dream together with you, then I don't have any reason to play football at all.
His words ticked me off. He would throw away everything just because of me. You're disgusting. Absolutely revolting.
Me: Then fucking quit. You're lukewarm. Did you want me to console you or something? Fucking dumbass. 'Best in Japan'? 'Replace me'? You make me want to fucking vomit. Don't use me as your reason to play football again. Get lost, Rin. You're not necessary in my life anymore.
Rin: Ni-san...
I left him there, that pathetic brother of mine. He critiques my dream, loses to me, and then wants to quit because I won't be there? You're a disgrace to football. Go die. I don't need anyone like that. I will go on without you.
I went back to Spain that very same day, with nothing more to look forward to in such a trashy country.
Time went by like normal. I was selected into FIFA's top 11 new Gen Players list and I continued to score in my youth team. I turned 18 and was finally eligible to play in the regular team.
And then my agent rushed to my side, with a new project Japan was undergoing called Blue Lock to produce the best striker. It fascinated me for a bit so I decided to check it out, see what all the hype was.
But there was a secret project that the JFU gave me access to, that entertained me even more. It was you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I found it weird how the prologue to Blue Lock was a single -person project known solely as 'Bland King.'
The premise was almost unheard of: a random highschooler taken after complete expulsion and now placed in a room to find his inherent weapon and to learn the basics of football. I thought it was going to be a failure.
And then I saw this kid go from stage to stage, getting better and better. Your weapons improved and multiplied, and you learned the premise of chemical reactions and became regarded as Blue Lock's most complete player.
To have such a gem of a talent appear out of nowhere in a country like Japan, I knew I needed to test you, and see if you have what it takes.
The reason I agreed to participate in this match, and the reason I took Ryusei Shido, was because of you. I wanted to see what you were made of. I never expected this, however. You truly are a monster all onto yourself with an ego to match. You can challenge the world.
Maybe... you are the striker I've been looking for...
...
***End of Flashback***
...
Teresa: G-GOALLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT A COMEBACK FROM THE JAWS OF CERTAIN DEFEAT!!! A STUNNING ARRAY OF DRIBBLING FROM THE SENSATIONAL KIYOTAKA DISMANTLED THE MIGHTY ITOSHI SAE AND PASSED IT ON TO THE SUPERSUB SHOHEI BARO FOR THE GOAL!!!
Natsuki: YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP! ABSOLUTELY STUPENDOUS!!! THE SCORE IS NOW TIED WITH 15 MINUTES LEFT IN THIS GAME!!
The stadium erupted into praise for the equalizer as Baro was eating it all up. However, what he didn't expect, was the immediate yellow card he earned for literally tearing apart his shirt.
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Hirata: What a goal! That substitute responded to Ayanokouji-kun's pass.
Sato: I couldn't even see it until it went inside the net. What kind of pass was that?
Kei: Who cares? They scored!
Sudo: That pass was insane! How did it travel so fast and then stop like that?
Horikita: Hm? It stopped?
Sudo: Yeah, I think that's how it works. He hits it at full force and then it stops or slows down when it gets to where it needs to go.
Horikita: Is that even possible?
Sudo: Well, we just saw it.
Koenji chuckled in his seat, jabbing the poor student even more with his feet.
Koenji: A marvelous attack and an even better finish. Ayanokouji-boy really has incredible power and control.
From her seat, Ichinose, who had recovered throughout the course of the second half, cheered for Kiyotaka's goal as Kanzaki's eyes widened at the display.
Arisu, looking on as the cheers were too loud to differentiate conversations from each other, snickered.
Arisu: Fufufu, I wouldn't have expected anything less from Kiyo. I've seen it a couple times from his tape but seeing it in person is mesmerizing.
Kamuro: But you were just as confused as I was when the ball went through the back of the net. Stop lying.
Arisu: I was imagining it.
Kamuro: Cap.
{{}}
Sae's eyes widened and looked up at Kiyotaka, who stared down at him. It reminded the prodigy of that very moment when his dreams were destroyed by a world-class striker.
It reminded him of his failure.
In this moment, Kiyotaka had surpassed Sae, even at his full power, and saw the play and buildup a step faster than even him. He had effectively 'devoured' him.
Kiyotaka proceeded to step over Sae's 'dead' body and went back to his team, relishing in the equalizer.
Rin didn't look so happy about being passed up for that goal while Isagi rejoiced and celebrated with Kiyotaka.
Isagi: (That was just insane! First, he devours Itoshi Sae and then threw both me and Rin away to pave the way for Baro, all the while, destroying Aiku while he was in flow. You can't get any more perfect than that!)
Chigiri and Bachira joined Kiyotaka and Baro in giant huddle of bodies.
Baro: Hey! Get off me! I scored the goal, not any of you! Only I can celebrate!!!!
Kiyotaka: Good job, King. You proved a bit useful to me. I hope you can offer yourself to me again in the future, like the good slave you are.
Baro: Ah, fuck off! You gave a decent pass, and I scored it for you. Be a little more grateful, cocky bastard.
On Blue Lock's bench, Anri jumped up and down, ecstatic at the change of the game.
Anri: Ego, they did it! We're level now! They finally broke through!
Ego: Don't get ahead of yourself. We still have 15 more minutes of play. There are too many factors at play.
Back in the field of play, Shido smiled widely.
Shido: (He hasn't even entered flow during this game. Ah~, I would have liked to see his completed flow in this game, but it doesn't look like it'll happen. He's already surpassed Rin's lover Sae-kun. What a shame. Well, at least I won our bet, hehe.)
Yagami went over to Sae and got him up off the ground.
Yagami: The score's just level from a lucky pass. We can change it around! We're almost there.
Sae sighed.
Sae: Even this late in the game, your words are still stale and full of blanket statements. You have no conviction in the world of football. You're still only using the sport as an outlet for your own shortcomings. Fuck off.
He walked right past Yagami as he was entranced in thought.
Sae: (This match has been going just like his entire journey as a whole. He showed off his talent with the first goal, then he went down a peg when faced with real adversity. He took the time to analyze and go back to his roots, and now... he's surpassed me. All in the span of 75 minutes. Utter genius. But it's not like I was ignorant to it. You've just met my expectations of you. And it looks like that zesty demon was right, not that I needed his clarification to justify your abilities. I always knew what kind of player you were. I just wanted a taste of what happens when true talent meets true ego. And now I know.)
Everyone walked to their positions as Rin looked on to see his brother. This made him angry. He had decided to get revenge on his brother and crush his new dream all this time, only for someone else to come in and do it in the blink of an eye. This match had turned Kiyotaka into a world-class player, unparalleled by anyone else in Blue Lock.
As the teams lined up, Sae met eyes again with Kiyotaka, who looked on in determination. A single goal separated him from failure and greatness. He wouldn't take a desperate team lightly.
Tereasa: WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN THESE LASTE 15 MINUTES? WILL BLUE LOCK SEAL THE DEAL WITH ANOTHER GOAL, OR WILL THE U-20 TEAM REBOUND ONCE AGAIN AND FINISH THEM OFF FOR GOOD?
Natsuki: WE CAN'T EVEN PREDICT WHAT'S ABOUT TO UNFOLD! I'VE COMMENTATED ON HUNDREDS OF FOOTBALL MATCHES BUT NONE HAVE EVER BEEN THIS EXHILERATING!!!
Tereasa: COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER MYSELF! LET'S GO! THE MATCH RESTARTS NOW!
Sae: (Was I wrong for forgoing my dream of being a striker? Did I just take the cowardly path in the form of a midfielder? I honestly don't know. I can't think straight.)
The game restarted with Sae passing the ball to Shido.
...
...
...
Sendo, Yagami, and Shido rushed forward alongside the forgotten Chou. Kiyotaka emerged as Sae's main defensive assignment yet again.
This time, Sae passed it forward, not even trying to contend in a duel. The ball landed at the feet of Chou who passed it quickly to Yagami.
Yagami, not wanting a comeback of any sort, used his speed to dig through the middle. Karasu met his advance and stopped him.
Yagami: Get out of my way-
*SNATCH*
Shido: I got your back~
He pushed the pace forward, with Reo and Arryu on his tail.
Sae looked on as Kiyotaka rushed right past him, in the direction of Shido and his other two defenders.
Sae: (Why...why wasn't I around when Blue Lock was founded? Maybe I could have kept my same dream. Maybe I could have been... as good as you.)
Shido struggled in dribbling through the duo of Reo and Arryu, as both Bachira and Chigiri circled in from both sides.
He had no way to pass through. The attack was completely dead. With a lack of resolve from everyone on the attack, their efforts were futile.
Sendo and Yagami charged forward to open up the field a bit more for Shido, but it was too late.
Kiyotaka had arrived.
*SNATCH*
Coming from behind, he easily took the ball away from Shido as the two met eyes.
Shido: (Hehe, it was a good game.)
Kiyotaka: (It's not over yet, Shido.)
*DASH*
Kiyotaka rushed forward, their counterattack beginning.
Tereasa: IT'S KIYOTAKA ONCE AGAIN!!!! RIGHT AFTER HIS MASTERFUL ASSIST, HE NOW COMPLETES ANOTHER STOP ON THE OTHER END OF THE FIELD. HE'S JUST EVERYWHERE!!!
Natsuki: HIS PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN ASTOUNDING. THE AMOUNT OF FIELD HE'S COVERED IN BOTH THE OFFENSE AND DEFENSE IS THE REASON BLUE LOCK HAS REMAINED IN THIS GAME.
Tereasa: THE HEART OF BLUE LOCK AND THE BREAKOUT STAR OF THIS MATCH, AYANOKOUJI KIYOTAKA IS ON THE MOVE!!!
With Kiyotaka dribbling the ball forward, Sae saw him again in vain. The gap between them continued to grow in the favor of his rival. He was just getting better and better.
At Kiyotaka's signal, everyone rushed forward, aside from Reo and Arryu. They were going for the jugular.
Sendo: Shit! Fall back! They're going for a full-field press again!
Hayate: Defend!!!
Yagami and Sendo charged forward to Kiyotaka, who used deadly scissor-cut dribbles and acceleration to completely bypass the duo.
Yagami: (It doesn't make any sense. There's no way he got this good throughout the match! I was able to block his shots at the beginning. Does passion really drive someone to this extent, a fucking cyborg with no emotions at that?!)
Right before him, Kiyotaka saw an array of passing options. Isagi, Baro, Rin, Nagi, Chigiri, Bachira, and Karasu all attacked the Iron Quartet in all directions.
Itoshi Sae and Shido, who had recovered from his plunder, attacked and thrashed at Kiyotaka, only for him to peel off.
Kiyotaka: You're grasping at air. My vision is already in motion.
*SMASH*
The two, not even seeing the pass, looked on helplessly as it rocketed through the sky and dropped with a beautiful arc.
Kiyotaka had just sent a pass from more than 50 meters away.
Despite sending the pass from far back, Kiyotaka immediately pushed forward, with the confused Sae and Shido following closely behind him.
Sae: (Incredible. You're just incredible. A level of soccer that took me my entire lifetime, you achieved in the span of months. To think such talent came from Japan of all places. And it isn't just the white room at play here. If that were the case, that lukewarm fuck would be somewhat comparable. You're just like the rest of us, in love with the sport of football all the while, untainted by Japanese culture. I'll accept defeat-)
The pass reemerged from the sky and down to the feet of Isagi in the penalty box.
Isagi: (It's me this time! Here's my chance! My goal!)
*SMASH*
Using all of his power to hit the ball utilizing a direct shot, Isagi nailed the pass from Kiyotaka unlike his previous attempt. It soared towards the right-hand side of the goal.
The entire U-20 team looked on in sheer distress, the weight of the match now coming down and suffocating them all.
They were about to lose their spots on the U-20 team. The Blue Lock Eleven were going to hijack their positions.
It was over-
Aiku: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*DIVE*
*CLANK*
As if possessed, Aiku roared out in sheer denial of the circumstances, staying true to his monicker as 'the U-20's final wall.'
The ball hit the crossbar from his header in an incredible fashion.
Isagi: Ah, fuck off!!!
Karasu: Second ball! GO!!!!
Kiyotaka was fast approaching this ball at high speeds, with Sae and Shido barely clinging on for dear life.
Sae: (It's done. Demon, our bet is d-)
Aiku: GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS, YOU FUCKING LUKEWARM INGRATE!!!!!
Sae:...
Aiku: SHOWING SCENERARY MY ASS, YOU JUST GONNA STAND THERE AND LET THEM DEVOUR YOU?! PRETENTIOUS, INFERIOR FUCK! WHERE'S YOUR PRIDE?! WHERE'S YOUR BALLS?! WHERE'S YOU EGO?!!!!!
Sae: (My... ego....)
Kiyotaka now broke past the two as the ball dropped down beautifully almost in front of him. For the first time in the game, luck was on his side and granted him passage for his goal.
Sae: (I... had a real dream... a dream untainted by the world's expectations. The dream to become the best striker. I gave it up completely that day, that day I killed my brother. The best midfielder is all I believed I can do, given my skills... but maybe it was premature... maybe I 'killed' my brother because I didn't want him to remind me of what a failure, I became... maybe I still had a chance... if I just trained harder... if I just worked harder... if I just affirmed my dream...)
Kiyotaka controlled it and tapped it forward. He was outside the box and swinging his right leg to clobber it in from the outside.
Sae: (I just realized... why am I talking in past tense? Is my career over? No, it's barely even begun. Why forgo a dream and attain a new one, all the while, still looking forward to my first start in La Liga's first division? Why can't I dream again, back to my childhood? Why can't I be a striker again?)
*DASH*
*SMASH*
From outside the box, Kiyotaka cleaved the ball with full power. However, it didn't travel more than a couple of inches. This was because someone else awakened at that very moment.
Shido: No way...
Kiyotaka: ...
Sae: Thank you, Ayanokouji Kiyotaka. I now know who I am.
Controlling the ball and pushing it right past him for the counterattack, Sae smiled. Rin's eyes widened.
Sae: I am... a striker.
The prodigy that had forgone his childhood dream prior... now achieved flow... for the first time in his acclaimed existence.
...
...
...
Kiyotaka: (This guy... he went and got flow now. It makes sense. I pushed him too far. He finally got his own ego.)
Sae's aura grew to insane levels as did his bloodlust. The red, ominous aura threatened everyone in this game at this moment.
Seeing this complete change in their best player, the rest of the U-20 seemed to resurrect from the dead. They pushed back for the counterattack.
Karasu: Shit! Everyone, fall back and defend!!!
Isagi: (What just happened to Itoshi Sae? There's no way... he reached flow too?)
In this new state, Sae refused to pass to a single other lifeform. He completely broke through Bachira and Karasu.
Rin attempted to go 1v1 but was met by a cross-elastico at a hypersonic speed, the likes of which he'd never experienced before. Nutmegged and defeated, he was left like a corpse.
Kiyotaka recovered from his blunder and pursued the egoist, Itoshi Sae.
Only seeing what was in front of him, Sae had no need for anyone not at his current level.
Being the only two holders of transcendent peripheral vision, both Sae and Kiyotaka battled their way from one side of the pitch to the other, completely ignoring everyone else.
Shido looked on at the chaotic display with a face of sheer euphoria.
Shido: Ah~, this is almost as good as an explosion.
Kiyotaka tried to stick out his leg and halt his dribbling patterns, but Sae's mind and eyes were working on overtime. He was constantly creating new sequences out of this air and bypassing Kiyotaka's vision with his own unrelenting and creative outlook.
They eventually arrived at the clutches of both Reo and Arryu alongside Gagamaru at goal.
Reo: (Is this the flow they were talking about? This is Itoshi Sae casting everything away?)
Sae cut back and performed an air elastico. Kiyotaka slightly turned and faced forward, stopping it from nutmegging him completely.
Sae didn't stop pulling sequences out from his creative mind. He performed hypersonic stepovers that taxed Kiyotaka's vision, and then cut to the left and then to the right.
To anyone else, it might have been over, but Kiyotaka wasn't anyone else. All he could do was use everything he had at his disposal.
Reo and Arryu came to assist Kiyotaka but Sae smiled widely, now seeing his chance.
Cutting the ball through his legs and flicking it through a small gap the three defenders created, and shoulder-locked Arryu and spun around, having him clash amongst both Reo and Kiyotaka.
With the ball now past all three, only Gagamaru stood in front of him.
Gagamaru: (Where is he going to shoot it. Where-)
*SMASH*
From a little into the box, Sae hit the ball, cleaving it through. Gagamaru dived through, trying to stop the ball, but it spun to the complete opposite side of the goal, almost like it was controlled by a controller.
Gagamaru: (That's so unfair...)
Tereasa: WHAT?! GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!! UNBELIEVABLE! ITOSHI SAE TOOK ON THE ENTIRETY OF BLUE LOCK AND SCORED HIS VERY FIRST GOAL OF THE GAME!!!!
Blue Lock [3] - U-20 [4]
The entire stadium stood up and cheered at the man they all originally came to see. He secured his first goal of the game in the most selfish way imaginable. Throwing away it all, he embraced his own, inherent ego, and ascended into the realm of strikers.
He slid across the grass in celebration, pumping his fists out.
From the Blue Lock Bench, Anri looked at the display stunned. Tears were falling down her cheek in anguish. After all their work to tie the score, and with the chance to win, they were now back at square one.
Ego: Looks like he had it in him this entire time. You managed to bring it out of him, Kiyotaka. That's good.
Anri looked over in despair.
Anri: What are you talking about? There's only 10 minutes left and Itoshi Sae entered in flow, we're going to lose!
Ego, ignoring Anri-chan's remarks, continued his outspoken monologue.
Ego: The past Itoshi Sae wasn't enough for Kiyotaka.
Anri: Huh?
Ego: It wasn't a good enough obstacle. By the time, Kiyotaka acclimated to the field of play, he had surpassed that past version of Itoshi Sae. However, that isn't the case now. Now, he's experienced getting murdered all over again just like I wanted him to in the second selection. If he's who I thought he was the moment I plucked him out of his fancy prison, then he'll show me and the whole world before him.
Anri: Show the world what?
Ego smiled.
Ego: The real Ayanokouji Kiyotaka, Blue Lock's masterpiece.
...
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Time: 80 min
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