Chapter 45: [45] Puppet
"Cough, cough… that bastard…" Reo kept rubbing his neck, which was marked red from being grabbed. "We absolutely have to take them down."
"Yeah, as long as we score five goals, right, Reo?" Nagi, uncharacteristically motivated, picked up the ball and looked toward the lazy guy on the opposing side. His eyes held an unprecedented seriousness. "Guess I'll put in a bit more effort."
"Ah, that's right. We'll crush them completely… Did I say that right?"
"Idiot, it's 'in one fell swoop,' not 'crushed completely!' Stop saying such unlucky things!"
...
"Is that our opponent?" Hiori and Kurona arrived late to the scene. "Somehow…"
"Something feels off?" Kurona curtly added. Hiori immediately nodded in agreement. "Yeah, yeah, it feels like there's some kind of deep-seated grudge. What did you do, Shinichi?"
"ε=(´ο｀*))) Sigh~ Why is it automatically assumed to be my fault? Clearly, Rin's stone-cold face is way more likely to provoke someone!"
Personally, Hiori didn't think Rin was the type to mess with others just for fun. He kept this thought to himself, but his silence already conveyed his stance clearly.
Shinichi shrugged helplessly. "Your Honor, I merely spoke a few truths, and then the guy on the other side couldn't resist attacking me first. Everything afterward was just self-defense. I plead not guilty."
"Application approved, you're innocent!"
In perfect harmony, Shinichi and Kurona gave each other a high-five, leaving Hiori helplessly looking toward Rin.
But Rin completely ignored him and declared coldly, "None of this matters. The only thing we need to do is—"
"Crush them!"
Whistle!
As the match began, Shinichi casually sat down near the goalpost, watching the game unfold with great interest. "Provoke them first, then take down Nagi afterward. I'll get a good look at Reo's twisted expression in real life after we're done."
"And if that little white-haired guy performs a miracle and scores, I can mock Rin at the same time."
"Starting one conflict and getting fun out of both sides? I'm a genius."
While Shinichi was reveling in his own brilliance, Rin had already charged forward with the ball.
"First, I'll take you down, and then I'll destroy that arrogant bastard!" Reo, full of resentment, stepped in front of Rin, staring intently at the ball at Rin's feet.
"Come at me, lackey!"
"You... who are you calling a lackey, you mediocre fool!" Rin's calm expression instantly shattered, veins bulging on his forehead. "That bastard is right sometimes—when it comes to arrogant trash like you—"
"You need to be crushed to realize your proper place!"
Under Rin's deliberate control, the ball was gently flicked upward, landing precisely between the two of them.
Instinctively, Reo lunged forward, but as soon as the ball hit the ground, it unexpectedly rebounded back toward Rin's side.
Realizing too late that he'd been tricked, Reo found himself out of position.
Taking advantage of the opening, Rin effortlessly accelerated past him, leaving him behind with ease.
"Weaklings should accept reality and get off the field already," Rin said emotionlessly, cutting straight to the point.
Suddenly, his eyes twitched as he noticed something—he flicked the ball with his foot and leapt into the air.
Nagi, who had slid in to intercept, narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh, you noticed?"
"Doesn't matter! Just delaying his attack is enough!" Reo, who had been closely chasing Rin from behind, seized the opportunity to catch up.
But as he overtook Rin, he realized too late—the ball was no longer at Rin's feet.
Although Rin hadn't anticipated Nagi abandoning his original mark to cover for Reo, he'd already formulated a contingency plan as Nagi closed in.
Rin's leap wasn't just to evade Nagi's sliding tackle—it was a deliberate move to draw Reo's full attention to himself.
When Nagi's slide brought him to the ground and Reo's focus was locked on Rin, the ball, which Rin had skillfully hidden from their line of sight with his body, was discreetly passed to an unmarked teammate now free on the field.
Hiori caught the expertly placed pass with admiration, recognizing how Rin had completely outplayed their opponents.
Meanwhile, Zentetsu, who relied on speed, had abandoned his mark on Kurona and was charging in.
The final defender, Ishikari, also shifted his focus entirely onto Hiori.
"Impressive, Rin. In an instant, you analyzed the changes on the field and devised a follow-up plan. It wasn't until I received your pass that I finally understood your strategy," Hiori muttered through gritted teeth, reluctantly passing the ball forward. "Damn it, this is so frustrating."
Kurona received the long pass near the sideline, lifting his right foot high.
"Sorry, this is my domain." Zentetsu, who had been rushing toward Hiori, suddenly exploded with an extra burst of speed.
Though he couldn't block Kurona completely, he managed to seal off half of his shooting options.
Ishikari, using his tall frame, secured another side of the goal, leaving only a narrow gap under the watchful eye of Blue Lock's goalkeeper.
The escape route was sealed.
If this had been a 3-on-3, their attack might have succeeded. But this time, it wouldn't.
Blame your ace for being so arrogant as to force you into a 3-on-4 situation!
"Everyone's watching me? Perfect." Despite the deadlock, there wasn't a hint of panic in Kurona's eyes.
His gaze sharpened as he suddenly switched his shot into a pass.
Out of nowhere, Rin emerged, receiving the ball seamlessly.
Without hesitation, he struck it with precision.
The ball followed a perfect arc, plunging into the net.
Whistle!
0:0 → 1:0
"No wonder that bastard didn't bother to act. Looks like Shinichi was right…"
"Your level is pathetic, utterly unworthy of my time," Rin sneered as he glanced back at Nagi, who had noticed his movements too late, and Reo, whose attention had been completely misled. "What a waste of time. Let's end this meaningless farce already."
"This guy… completely analyzed all our characteristics and possible actions. Using his off-ball movement, he made fools of me and Nagi…"
Compared to Zentetsu, who merely admired the opponent's excellent passing play, the more brilliant Reo could somewhat understand Rin's strategy.
But precisely because he could understand it, the despair was even greater.
We were completely manipulated like puppets on strings!
"He's incredible."
Nagi's voice snapped Reo out of his shock. Usually lethargic, Nagi's eyes now gleamed with an excitement Reo had never seen before.
"Football… seems way more interesting than I thought, Reo."
"Let's give them one back, quickly."
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