Capítulo 49: [49] Progress and Entry
"Why is he there?! I clearly checked all around before passing—my vision… he completely deceived me." Reo struggled to comprehend the current situation, and soon, a creeping sense of despair resurfaced deep within him.
'It's Itoshi Rin. This guy's dazzling performance has drawn too much of our attention to him, causing us to overlook the role of that other player!'
Reo chased the ball, frustrated and powerless.
'It seems like that blue-haired guy just happens to be in the right place every time to pick up loose balls, but thinking about it carefully, he's always positioned at the optimal spot!'
"This guy… he's deliberately hiding himself. In reality, He is the team's second brain, right after Rin!"
"But unfortunately, it's already too late to realize this. I'm sorry, Nagi. Our struggle was meaningless after all."
At that moment, the harsh reality finally dawned on Reo, who had always thought of himself as the center of the world.
The field was like a stage, and Reo was not the protagonist.
The dramatic turn of events placed the real stars at the center of the spotlight, showcasing their brilliance without restraint.
Meanwhile, the lights on Reo, an insignificant supporting character, dimmed one by one, until he was swallowed by the darkness.
Now, it was time for his exit.
Just as Reo was about to stop running and give up once more, a figure suddenly burst into his field of vision.
In an instant, the gray world lit up with the glow of hope.
"As I thought, my instincts weren't wrong. You're just like that Isagi Yoichi—unremarkable, but incredibly dangerous!" Nagi cut into the fray from the side, his leg lifting at the same time as Hiori's to strike the ball.
After a brief moment of deadlock, Nagi gained control, sending the ball soaring high into the air.
"Ishikari! Go for the aerial ball!" With hope reignited, Reo couldn't contain the surge of emotions in his chest.
He shouted at the top of his lungs and dashed forward with reckless abandon.
"Nagi… you're the best, after all!" Saved from the shadow of despair by Nagi, Reo sprinted with all his might, his gaze locked firmly on his opponent.
...
"Nagi's aggressive interception completely changed the situation."
Thoughts raced through Reo's mind—an unmarked Ishikari has the height advantage, Zantetsu is in a position near the goal to receive the ball, and his explosiveness far surpasses that of the short defender.
"But in the end, only Nagi can fulfill my vision! Only the two of us together are the strongest!" Reo caught Ishikari's header with precision, his eyes never glancing at anyone else.
A path far brighter than any other unfolded vividly in his mind.
"Go, Nagi!"
The ball flew low, skimming just above the ground with incredible force.
It was a pass of raw power but lacked finesse—so much so that controlling it would almost certainly lead to an error.
This was further compounded by Hiori sticking close to Nagi after losing the battle for the second ball.
"But you can do it, Nagi. Control it and beat that blue-haired guy." Reo stood rooted to the spot, tension visible in his clenched fists as veins bulged.
"Go, Nagi!"
"Yeah, I'll... do my best," Nagi nodded, his eyes fixed intently on the ball, tiny sparks of determination igniting within them.
The moment his foot touched the ball, those sparks exploded into a roaring blaze. "I'll surpass all of you!"
Nagi's foot seemed to work magic, halting the high-speed ball effortlessly on his heel.
With a sharp backward step, he briefly escaped Hiori's tight marking.
As he retreated, Nagi flicked the ball into the air, simultaneously raising his leg high.
"Is he shooting from here? There's a path, but with this white-haired guy's shooting ability, it'd be hard to guarantee a goal, so…" Hiori scrutinized Nagi's every movement.
It's a feint! Rush in to block his shot trajectory... then stop!
Just as Hiori predicted, Nagi's powerful right leg swung toward the ball, only to veer sharply at the last moment, deliberately missing the airborne ball.
At that moment, Hiori's pupils contracted sharply as he dove forward in a desperate attempt to head the ball—
Thwack.
With a light but precise touch, Nagi juggled the ball with his shin, sending it further into the air, just high enough to avoid Hiori's determined lunge.
The perfect maneuver left Hiori empty-handed.
Now, with nothing but open space between Nagi and the goal, the stage was set.
"If that's what you think, it must feel pretty hopeless," Hiori murmured softly, sprawled on the ground.
As his words faded, Nagi unleashed a powerful strike toward the falling ball.
The ball flew straight for the top-right corner of the goal.
The Blue Lock goalkeeper, momentarily tricked by Nagi's earlier feint, was now too late to react.
Thud—
A dull sound abruptly halted the ball's flight, cutting short Reo's impending cheer and leaving it lodged in his throat.
Rin appeared calmly in front of the goal, leaping gracefully to block Nagi's seemingly unstoppable shot. "I told you, didn't I? Your creativity doesn't even reach kindergarten level compared to me."
"And as for that so-called creative fool whose every thought is plastered across his face—he can't even see his teammates running their hearts out. This level of mediocrity..."
"Get out of the way. Stop being an eyesore!"
With that, Rin delivered a powerful long pass to the front field.
Anticipating his teammate's interception, he began sprinting forward.
The ball was soon received by Kurona, who had been charging ahead.
Alongside him was Zantetsu, who was entirely focused on his role, ignoring the broader field situation.
"You can't beat me in speed," Zantetsu gradually pulled ahead of Kurona.
If this were a footrace with neither player holding the ball, the outcome might have been uncertain.
But with Kurona in possession, there was no contest.
"Yeah, I know. But this is enough," Kurona replied calmly, glancing at Reo rushing toward him in desperation.
Abruptly stopping in his tracks, Kurona used the momentum to strike the ball fiercely with his heel.
The powerful backheel pass was perfectly directed to Rin, who had just reached the midfield.
To everyone's shock, Rin immediately assumed a shooting stance.
"Damn it! Is he seriously going to shoot from there?!" Reo stumbled and fell, his violet eyes reflecting Rin's textbook-perfect shooting form and the elegant arc of the ball.
Swish.
Beep—!
3:0 → 4:0.
The crisp sound of the net brushing against the ball was quickly followed by the referee's whistle, marking the change in score.
Reo gritted his teeth, staring furiously at the expressionless Rin walking back and at Hiori, who was being helped to his feet by Kurona.
"That blue-haired guy… it looked like he was outplayed by Nagi, but in reality, that dive wasn't just a reckless attempt. It forced Nagi to act quickly and lowered his body to open up the view for his teammates behind him. He gave Rin just enough time to react and block the shot… This guy is even more troublesome than I imagined."
"And then there's Rin," Reo clenched his fists tightly. "Even with Nagi and me working together, even if we push beyond our limits, can we really not defeat them…?"
"But we have made progress," Reo thought, his determination flickering back to life. "This time, we managed to create a chance to shoot. If we can refine it even further, with Nagi's abilities, we still have a shot—"
"Too slow, Rin."
Just as both teams were preparing to reset their formations for the next play, a lazy, nonchalant voice echoed across the field.
Everyone turned their heads in surprise to see Shinichi rising from the ground, brushing the dirt off his pants casually.
"This match is so boring it's putting the audience to sleep. How about I give this chapter a spectacular ending instead?"
Kanzaki Shinichi enters the battle!
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