"Fourth goal! Fourth goal! Ryōsuke Kira has scored his fourth goal of the match!"
The commentator shouted excitedly, his voice growing hoarse.
"He's achieved a poker in this match! Both teams have delivered a spectacular battle of attack and defense! Blue Lock has finally stepped into the spotlight! U-20's ace player Ryōsuke Kira, a former Blue Lock member, has made his name known worldwide! Can he score a fifth goal in the remaining time? We'll have to wait and see!"
The crowd's cheers swelled to a crescendo.
Meanwhile on the field, the Blue Lock players wore grim expressions.
"You..." Yoichi clenched his fist, struggling to contain his rage.
Shoei's behavior on the field had been reckless.
Though he had inadvertently created a scoring chance for Ryūsei earlier, it was merely a byproduct of his aggressive play. His carelessness had left Blue Lock vulnerable to counterattacks, allowing the opponent to steadily increase their lead.
At this rate, defeat was inevitable!
"What an arrogant guy. You who call yourself king are nothing but a substitute." Ryūsei taunted as he approached the fallen 'king'.
"You're just a dog on a leash. What right do you have to talk? Aren't you also a substitute?" Shoei's forehead veins pulsed with barely contained anger.
"Sorry, but I'm just giving dear Rin-Rin a chance. Don't forget who's one of the six core members~ Unlike some last-minute substitute picks — and I'm just one goal away from a hat-trick, while my dear king hasn't scored at all!" Ryūsei stepped forward, pressing against Shoei's chest with his head tilted, eyes gleaming with provocation.
"I'll kill you." Shoei snarled, pressing his forehead against Ryūsei's, his voice quivering with rage.
The threat carried genuine weight.
"That's enough, both of you." Yoichi intervened, quickly positioning his smaller frame between them.
Despite his frustration with Shoei's actions, Yoichi knew this wasn't the time for internal strife. These two hot-headed players might actually come to blows on the field — a scenario that would certainly draw cards, possibly even red ones.
Such an outcome would spell certain doom for the match. Yoichi had to prevent it at all costs.
Yet he also needed to address Shoei as a player. The man's toxic personality and reckless playing style were liabilities, as the last goal had proven.
Still, Yoichi couldn't deny that Shoei had effectively disrupted U-20's defense earlier. His unique attacking power was unmatched by others. If they could harness that ability properly, it might offer them a chance.
But how?
Yoichi's mind raced through Shoei's previous movements, analyzing his attack patterns.
Then it hit him.
During Shoei's earlier attack, Kenyū had called for the ball at his side. Though Shoei hadn't passed, Kenyū's mere presence had thrown off Oliver Aiku's defense.
The situation mirrored his own earlier coordination with Rin.
Speaking of mutual consumption... Could Shoei become another ingredient in his strategy? A daring plan began to take shape.
Time was running out, and Blue Lock's situation grew more dire by the minute. Only this desperate gamble could pull them back from the brink.
"Let's go." Yoichi clenched his fist — there was no turning back now.
This shot had to find its mark!
Blue Lock took the kick-off swiftly, and Yoichi charged toward the opponent's half.
His breathing grew labored, chest heaving with each step. Even after all that hellish training, his physical and mental reserves were depleting rapidly. The mere act of maintaining Metavision drained enormous mental energy.
"Damn it, I can't fall here. I must hold on!" He clenched his fist tightly, deliberately digging his nails into his flesh, using the pain to maintain his focus.
He had to persevere — there was no choice. Even with his legs threatening to cramp, he had to continue!
Next would be the performance of his scripted plan!
As soon as Yoichi crossed the halfway line, Shūto rushed to mark him, eyes locked intently on his opponent.
Once the most laid-back member of the U-20 team, Shūto had typically focused solely on attacking during matches, never defending. But now, influenced by Ryōsuke and the intensity of this match, he was determined to give his absolute all.
Only by doing this would he have a chance to marry a female idol singer!
No! Now his goal was to marry a Hollywood actress!
"I absolutely won't let you through!" Shūto shouted.
"I'm not planning to break through directly!" Yoichi fired back.
He understood his key difference from Sae and Ryōsuke.
It came down to presence on the field. When those two played, they commanded attention. Their exceptional individual abilities drew heavy defensive focus, creating opportunities for their teammates.
Yoichi was different — he lacked their masterful ball control and powerful shooting technique. He couldn't succeed through individual skill alone.
But perhaps this could be used to his advantage.
Yoichi's gaze swept across the field as he deliberately moved into position.
"Catch this!"
He launched a long pass!
In the ball's path was... Shoei!
"So you finally did something right." Shoei immediately jockeyed for position with Kazuma behind him, ready to receive.
"You're really going to pass to this guy?" Kazuma tightly marked his position.
"That's right, this guy has some attacking ability, unlike number 11. Even if he scored once, it doesn't change anything. We'll shut him down and keep the ball away from him! Eliminate him! Surround him! He won't touch that ball!" Not just Kazuma, but Miroku also moved in to mark him.
As the ball sailed overhead, Shoei and the others realized they couldn't reach it. The pass had been deceptively placed, successfully misleading its apparent target.
Though Shoei fell for the fake, he succeeded in drawing everyone's attention.
"This ball wasn't meant for you, Baro! It was for someone else!" Yoichi shouted.
The ball soared over everyone's head and landed at another player's feet.
Seishirō Nagi!
Yoichi had positioned himself earlier to create a triangle between himself, Shoei, and Seishirō, enabling him to deceive the opponents.
While everyone focused on one player, few noticed the other! This was step one of the performance!
"Damn you, Isagi! You used me?" Realizing he'd been tricked, Shoei burned with rage.
"It was this guy?!"
The other U-20 members finally understood that Yoichi never meant to pass to Shoei, and rushed to defend against Seishirō.
They had witnessed his incredible ball control — they absolutely couldn't give him a shooting chance!
The opposing defense closed in quickly, leaving Seishirō no space to shoot.
"I see, so I was just bait in the end?" After receiving the ball, Seishirō stayed calm, scanning his surroundings and catching someone's movement, "How cunning. In that case, I'll give it back to you."
With that, he fired the ball hard, passing it straight to Yoichi's feet!
After making his pass, Yoichi had immediately darted to an open corner!
The fake pass to Shoei that actually went to Seishirō was just the first step. Yoichi knew that while the "false king" could draw attention, U-20's defense wouldn't break easily — even Seishirō couldn't get a clear shot.
Unlike Shoei who would force things, Seishirō would share possession if the opportunity wasn't ideal.
What Yoichi did was use Seishirō as his relay station! This was step two of the performance!
While everyone's attention focused on Seishirō and Shoei, no one noticed Yoichi, who lacked individual attacking ability.
This was the chance he had created!
After receiving the ball, Yoichi charged forward at full speed. Through his Metavision, he knew he would soon face one of U-20's strongest defensive walls!
Oliver Aiku!
"Hey now, where do you think you're sneaking off to?"
Though others had been misled, Oliver successfully covered Yoichi with his keen defensive instincts and athletic ability.
"You little thief, I've been watching you the whole time!" He said with a smile.
"Indeed, as expected of you, only you could catch up!" At that moment, Yoichi's face broke into a smile as his gaze shifted behind his defender, "And because I knew that, I could continue the performance!"
"Yoichi-san! I'm ready!"
Behind Oliver, Ryūsei had made his run!
This was Yoichi's third step!
"What?! When did Shidō get there?!" The hair on Oliver's neck stood up as he quickly looked behind him.
From start to finish, it was all Yoichi's strategy — making himself noticed to create a shooting chance for Ryūsei!
If that guy received the ball, it would be dangerous!
Oliver instinctively turned to cover Ryūsei. But he hadn't anticipated that Yoichi wouldn't pass, instead driving forward with the ball himself.
This moment of hesitation gave him the chance to break through!
"Yoichi-san?" Ryūsei's eyes widened in confusion.
"So he used Ryūsei's movement?! This guy!" Oliver was shocked — he hadn't expected Yoichi to make this choice.
Earlier, Rin and Yoichi had attempted a similar combination, and Oliver hadn't fallen for it. But this situation was completely different.
He had instinctively assumed Yoichi lacked individual attacking ability, so he considered Ryūsei the bigger threat. This very thinking allowed his opponent to find an opening.
Both opponent and teammate were merely puppets in Yoichi's performance.
He charged forward with all his might, his legs aching, but he couldn't stop.
"In the end, you're going for the shot yourself?"
But at that instant, a figure appeared before him.
Even when everyone else was dancing to Yoichi's tune, this one person remained immune to his influence.
Sae. Using his Metavision, he had observed the entire field situation, stalking this playmaker like a predator all along.
"As I expected, strikers live to score, and your unparalleled desire to shoot led you to use others as mere decoys." Sae remarked calmly, seeing through every flaw in Yoichi's strategy, "I'll admit, among the Blue Lock team, you might be someone who could change this country's football. Perhaps it's Kira's influence?"
Blue Lock's fundamental concept was to create pure individualists — players who aimed only to score themselves. Yoichi was no exception.
The moment Sae appeared, the outcome seemed decided. Yet he noticed his opponent showed no surprise at his presence.
"No."
At that moment, Yoichi's face broke into a smile.
"Sorry, but I reject that view. A striker who only scores goals isn't truly great — an excellent striker brings victory to the team, no matter what it takes!"
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