Kapitel 44: [44] Contract Sealed

"Get over here. This is your reward for your entertaining struggle."

"Don't even think about arguing. Losers have no say and must accept the victor's terms. You have no right to refuse."

...

"Damn it!" Recalling the condescending look on Shinichi's face as he uttered those words, Rin clenched his fist and punched the wall in anger.

The shadows in the corridor obscured his expression, but his furious eyes were fixed on the figure walking ahead.

"This isn't over. Someday, I'll return everything to you tenfold!"

Rin resembled a wounded beast, defeated in a fight for territory, retreating into the shadows to lick his wounds.

Yet his eyes never left his target, waiting for the perfect moment to deliver a fatal strike.

...

"This is taking way too long!"

After the first match ended, Shinichi grumbled in frustration, annoyed that even after a full day, no teams had advanced to the four-player stage.

"Well, what did you expect?" Ego, on the screen, casually slurped instant noodles. "You're the one who said you couldn't be bothered dealing with the Football Association, so I turned down several funding grants on your behalf."

"Do you have any idea how much it costs to construct a field capable of projecting Blue Lock goalkeepers? Aside from the main competition field, I could only build five separate training rooms. Naturally, anyone slow to act will fall behind. I'm busy, so don't bother me with trivial things like this again."

The screen went black as Shinichi slumped over the desk in frustration.

Now it all made sense.

In the original timeline, Isagi's team had lost their first match, waited an entire day before facing Barou's team, and then rested another night before challenging Chigiri's team.

It wasn't until much later that they faced Rin's team for their second-round match.

Shinichi had always wondered why it took so long to progress.

Winning two matches should have been quick and simple, yet no team managed to advance promptly.

Now he understood.

With 125 players moving into the second stage and each having a 90-minute limit for the first challenge, even if the average time was halved to 45 minutes and matches ran continuously overnight, it would still take over ten hours to finish.

Reality, of course, was slower.

By the time Isagi's team was gearing up for their second match, some players were still stuck in the first round.

No wonder the whole process dragged on so much!

Moreover, forming a team itself took a lot of time. Many players had already developed some level of synergy with their teammates during the first stage.

Under the pressure of elimination for losing, most chose to wait for familiar allies rather than risk forming a team with strangers.

For lone wolves who survived as the top scorers, the process was even more cautious—they knew no one well and had to constantly evaluate potential teammates.

As a result, only a few teams had managed to form three-player groups so far.

Even after that, selecting an opponent became another headache.

Stronger teams were too risky to challenge, but choosing weaker ones could lead to trouble in the four-player stage due to their lack of strength.

On top of that, the unfamiliarity with opponents left many players deciding to wait until the last possible moment within the 24-hour time limit before initiating a match.

"Ugh… so boring…" Shinichi groaned, sprawled lazily on the ground. Lately, it seemed as though his luck had run dry after earning his first-round rewards.

Even during training sessions at the camp, nothing worthwhile had shown up.

Haizaki was no longer a challenge since Shinichi had completely mastered him, and now he was getting sick of seeing the guy who seemed to take pleasure in tormenting him.

As if in response to Shinichi's complaints, the doors suddenly opened.

A figure with white hair and a lazy demeanor walked out of the passage.

"Ah, Reo, someone's already here," the white-haired boy remarked.

"I thought we were quick, but it makes sense. No wonder we couldn't find any of the top-ranking players," replied a purple-haired boy with a small ponytail, following closely behind. "Looks like we've found our next opponents."

The two figures emerging from the passage were none other than Reo Mikage and Seishiro Nagi.

Watching the two casually chat as if no one else existed, Shinichi's radar for amusing opportunities instantly locked onto its top target.

A mischievous smile crept onto his lips.

"That's the first-ranked team. Shouldn't they discuss things with us before deciding?"

"Hmm… Exactly. They should respect our self-determination rights… Am I right?"

Next to enter was an exceptionally tall figure—the tallest player among high schoolers, Yukio Ishikari.

His calm face betrayed a hint of complaint as he walked in, while Zantetsu Tsurugi adjusted his securely fastened sports glasses and nodded in agreement with a deep, thoughtful expression.

"It's decision-making rights, you idiot Zantetsu," Reo sighed, shaking his head helplessly before turning to Ishikari. "We're here to become the world's best strikers, right? If we're going to fight, it has to be against the strongest opponents."

Ishikari gave a calm nod, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, while Zantetsu, seeing this, didn't know how to respond.

He merely copied the gesture, nodding silently as well.

"What about you, Nagi? Any other thoughts?" Reo then turned to Nagi, who yawned lazily and shrugged indifferently.

"Ehhhh… What a hassle. I was planning to play against Isagi, but since they're not here yet, this works too, I guess."

"Alright, it's settled then," Reo said decisively before shifting his gaze to Shinichi, who was leaning on his hand and watching them with an amused expression. "So, all things considered, let's have a match."

"I refuse."

"Alright… huh? What?" Reo instinctively nodded but then froze, staring at Shinichi in disbelief. "What did you say?"

"I said, I refuse."

"W-why?! Are you scared? Is that it?" Reo, caught off guard by the unexpected rejection, tried to provoke Shinichi with a clumsy taunt, but Shinichi simply shook his head with a calm and composed expression.

"Why? Because you're weak, that's why. Completely worthless. Why would I waste my time playing against you?" Shinichi raised his hand and pointed at Reo, Zantetsu, and Ishikari one by one. "Not a single one of you has anything remotely impressive about you."

"Except for that white-haired guy," he added, glancing at Nagi. "But even then... hmm, let me think. Maybe if he trains tirelessly for the next hundred years, he might catch my interest."

"What did you just say?!" Reo, enraged by the insult to Nagi, lunged at the lazily postured Shinichi with his fist raised.

However, Shinichi effortlessly tilted his head to dodge the punch.

Then, with lightning speed, he raised his hand and gripped Reo's neck.

Like an iron vice, Shinichi's hand clamped down, lifting Reo off the ground with a single hand.

The immense pressure cut off Reo's air supply, and within moments, his face turned red as fear and panic gripped him.

The dread of suffocation and death began to creep into his mind.

Suddenly, Shinichi released his grip, sending Reo flying backward with a powerful kick.

Reo was caught midair by Nagi, who had rushed forward to intervene, while Ishikari and Zantetsu quickly stepped in front of the duo, their faces filled with tension as they guarded against Shinichi.

"You see, that's the problem with weaklings. No patience. You can't even grasp the difference in strength before barking at someone stronger." Shinichi stood up, his cold black eyes sweeping over the group.

Reo, clutching his throat and coughing violently, glared at him, while Nagi's usual indifference had been replaced with a rare seriousness.

Though it was four against one, Shinichi's overwhelming presence completely dominated them, suffocating the four under an invisible pressure.

Cold sweat ran down their backs, soaking their shirts, and even their breathing unconsciously slowed.

"Oh, I just thought of a good idea!" Shinichi suddenly exclaimed, feigning surprise as he clapped his hands.

The oppressive atmosphere instantly dissipated, giving the four a brief moment to catch their breath.

But before they could recover, Shinichi's voice rang out again.

"I recently acquired a guard dog. If you're so eager to play, then score a point under my dog's watch. If you manage that, I might reluctantly step onto the field myself to pass judgment on your insolence."

"What do you think, Rin-chan?" Shinichi turned his head toward Rin, who had just finished his training and walked in with a towel draped over his shoulders.

Rin shot him a cold glare and snapped, "Go to hell, you despicable bastard."

"Settled then," Shinichi replied, completely ignoring Rin's retort.

He shifted his gaze back to the four players, who were still on high alert. "The deal is made: four against three. If you manage to score even a single point, I'll step onto the field myself."

"Come on, show me what kind of entertainment your struggle can bring me!"

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To all of you: Merry Christmas! May your holiday be better than your questionable life choices—like spending your time reading this. Stay bold, stay merry, and try to do better next year! :)

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