Before the match, Yō had warned Ashito about Tabito — a player notorious for targeting and completely crushing weaker opponents.
And without a doubt, Ashito was his target!
Tabito's recent positioning made it clear he was heading straight for him.
Although Ashito had delivered excellent assists and maintained decent defensive coverage during the match, there was no question that his individual abilities were the weakest among Bastard München's players — just like Yoichi used to be.
During the first stage of Blue Lock's U20 player selection, Yoichi had suffered greatly at Tabito's hands. And Tabito wasn't merely a bully; his abilities were extraordinarily powerful, ranking second only to Ryūsei and Rin!
Now, he had targeted Ashito, intending to devour his opponent completely!
"Tell me, why does a mediocre player like you still persist with football?" Tabito narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Ashito, "Average physical abilities, rough technique, a player like you can only remain on this team because your previous club paid a fortune, right? After all, even my grandmother could succeed if she followed Kira!"
He continuously taunted his opponent while carefully observing his reactions.
"You know, you're just dead weight on the field. Let me properly dispose of a mediocre player like you!"
Trash talk is part of the game, and Tabito was using words to attack Ashito, trying to provoke him into rash actions.
If Ashito impulsively attempted a tackle, Tabito could instantly bypass him!
However, contrary to expectations, Ashito merely lowered his head slightly, unaffected by the taunts.
"You're right. Without Coach Fukuda and the club's help, I definitely wouldn't have qualified to enter Blue Lock. Without Kira-senpai's assistance, I wouldn't have been eligible to be a starter... My own abilities aren't enough, I'm well aware of that..."
At that moment, Ashito raised his head again, his eyes projecting an intensely focused gaze that landed on Tabito.
"That's exactly why I need to try harder, to work hard to catch up with everyone else! As long as I'm on the field, I'll give everything I've got. Bring it on! I absolutely won't let you pass!"
In the past, Ashito would have been rattled by such taunts, likely making rash decisions in a desperate attempt to prove himself.
But now, he was different — more mature and composed. He understood this match was a collective effort of eleven players. He wouldn't burden his teammates with mistakes born from his own insecurities.
The Ashito standing on the field today was truly changed from before.
Noticing his serious demeanor, Tabito paused momentarily, his eyebrows twitching slightly, "What's this? A mediocre player like you saying such things? How laughable."
Realizing his opponent hadn't taken the bait, Tabito decided to stop wasting time and prepared to overwhelm him with pure skill!
Acceleration!
Tabito burst forward with incredible speed, but Ashito had wisely maintained some distance, preventing an immediate bypass.
Ashito shifted his center of gravity, tracking alongside his opponent at full speed, working to constrain his dribbling space.
But such basic defense meant nothing to Tabito! He raised his arm to block Ashito's position, creating ample space to shoot!
However... Ryōsuke had already taught his teammates how to counter this exact move.
During regular training sessions, Ryōsuke generously shared techniques with everyone, helping Ashito make tremendous progress. Through that hellish special training, Ashito had specifically learned how to counter Tabito's movements.
"Just as expected!" The moment Tabito extended his hand, Ashito suddenly retreated, leaving his opponent grasping at air.
"What?" Tabito was stunned; he hadn't anticipated his movement being predicted.
While Tabito was still readjusting his position, Ashito charged forward aggressively.
This caught Tabito off guard — he hadn't expected such aggressive movement from his opponent. He realized he had underestimated Ashito.
But this alone wasn't enough! In terms of physical attributes and technical ability, Tabito was still far superior!
Tabito accelerated suddenly, using his exceptional speed and strength to overpower his opponent!
"Mediocre player, there's still quite a gap between you and someone extraordinary like me!" He shouted.
"That's true, genius!" Ashito shouted back with equal intensity, "But you've already fallen into my trap!"
"What?"
As Tabito stood momentarily stunned, he felt a sudden impact at his feet!
Yoichi slid in with a precise tackle, stealing the ball from right under him!
"Just as expected, Karasu." Yoichi said calmly, "You were so focused on Aoi that you completely ignored my approach."
"How is this possible?!" Tabito stared in disbelief, desperately trying to win back the ball, but it was too late.
Yoichi had already secured the ball and was charging toward the front field!
"Looks like the genius has been taught a lesson by the mediocre player." Ashito smiled at him.
Tabito stood flustered. He should have effortlessly bypassed Ashito, but instead was delayed by him.
In a one-on-one situation, Tabito would undoubtedly have won — Ashito could only block him momentarily despite his best efforts. But this was a team competition, and the goal all along was simply to intercept Tabito right there.
His arrogance and impatience caused him to focus entirely on Ashito, allowing Yoichi to seize the opportunity and complete the steal!
This was the trap they had laid for the genius!
"No way, did Karasu really make such a basic mistake?" Zantetsu was stunned.
He knew very well that Tabito ranked alongside Rin and Ryūsei, yet he had been stopped by Ashito and Yoichi.
Those two were undoubtedly "mediocre players"!
Now Bastard München's counterattack began!
Yoichi raced forward with the ball. Because PXG had committed to attack, the path ahead was almost completely clear!
Ashito, Yō, along with Kenyū, Ranze, and others formed a united front, advancing with him!
"Don't think you'll get through!" Zantetsu burst forward with astonishing speed, quickly catching up to his opponent.
But Yoichi's Metavision had already detected his presence. Before Zantetsu could interfere, he passed the ball to Kenyū.
"Kenyū is the biggest threat!" Zantetsu decided, accelerating toward him.
He believed that among these players, Kenyū posed the greatest offensive danger!
But before he could get close, Kenyū had already passed the ball!
The target was — Ashito!
"Go for it, Curly Boy!" Kenyū shouted with all his might.
Ashito sprinted with everything he had, while someone closed in from behind at a terrifying speed!
"Stop right there, mediocre player!"
It was none other than Tabito!
He desperately wanted to reclaim his position and make Ashito understand the true gap in their abilities — a gap in talent that could never be bridged!
But in that instant, Ashito had already passed the ball away, having noticed Tabito's presence in advance.
The quick ball circulation they were executing was a strategy Yoichi had devised!
Ashito's pass target — Yoichi!
Yoichi was now sprinting with all his might toward the goal. But suddenly, another figure appeared at his right side.
"Just as I thought, Isagi!"
Rin had arrived silently!
His gaze was now ice-cold, without the previous madness, but his terrifying speed revealed he was still in Flow's berserk mode.
It was this frightening speed that allowed Rin to catch up to Yoichi from behind!
"Just as I predicted, Isagi, in the end it's you taking the shot!" Rin's cold voice sounded in Yoichi's ear, "From beginning to end, you've wanted to make your mark on offense, haven't you? You're still that selfish player — but your talent is limited, which means you're doomed to fail! Your only scoring method is your left-footed direct kick. Beyond that, you're worthless. And now with your right foot blocked by me, you have no chance to shoot! You've reached the limit of what an ordinary person can do, so just admit defeat now!"
He said this as he caught up from the right side, deliberately positioning himself to block Yoichi's right foot.
With the right foot blocked, Yoichi posed no threat! He couldn't shoot effectively and lacked Seishirō's exceptional ball control skills.
Rin knew he could steal the ball the moment Yoichi tried to trap it!
In this battle of wits, Rin remained confident of victory.
But suddenly, he noticed Yoichi's lips curling into a slight smile.
"You're smiling?"
"That's right, I'm smiling!" Yoichi turned his head to look directly at Rin's face.
To Rin, this smile seemed tinged with madness.
"When you appeared here, it meant you had already lost, Rin! You've been completely devoured by me!"
"What are you talking about?" Rin was confused, but he knew Yoichi wasn't one to bluff.
At that moment, Rin finally noticed that Ashito's pass was aimed directly at Yoichi's left foot.
He intended to shoot with his left foot? How could that be possible?!
Rin knew becoming ambidextrous in such a short time was nearly impossible unless one had the natural physique for it. During previous matches, he had carefully observed Yoichi's movements and confirmed he still relied heavily on his right foot.
A direct shot with his left foot? Impossible! It would lack both power and accuracy.
Such a poor imitation would only make Yoichi look ridiculous!
"Stop dreaming, Isagi. How could you possibly shoot with your left foot? This isn't something within your capabilities! Accept the limits of your talent!" Rin said.
"You're right — it would have been impossible before. But Rin, you're the very reason I can do this now!" As Yoichi spoke, he tilted his body completely, shifting his weight against his opponent.
Rin instantly realized what was happening!
Yoichi was going to lean against him as a defender to borrow momentum for his shot — exactly as Rin himself had done earlier!
Using this technique, Yoichi transformed Rin into the perfect stepping stone!
Rin had predicted Tabito would lose the ball and had seen through Yoichi's desire to attack himself — that's why he immediately moved to defend!
But Yoichi had anticipated this too! He knew Rin would see through everything and come to his side. That's precisely why he had instructed Ashito in advance to pass to his left foot!
Everything was within his calculations — even Rin had fallen into his trap!
"Rin, you've been devoured!" Yoichi shouted, "Sink into my football story!"
❖ Lefty Direct Shot ➠ Impact Burst! ❖
Borrowing the force from leaning against Rin, Yoichi successfully scored!
[ Scoreboard ]
[ Paris X Gen 1:2 Bastard München ]
Bastard München took the lead!
"What?!"
"How is that possible?"
"He actually scored without relying on Ryōsuke Kira?!"
Paris X Gen fell into silence, while Rin stared at the goal in shock. He couldn't believe what had just happened.
Yoichi, whom he had looked down upon, had used him to score.
"One more thing, you got it wrong, Rin."
Yoichi now stood in front of the goal, turning to face Rin with eyes as deep as black holes, seemingly ready to devour him completely.
"When I stand before the goal to shoot, I'm not there for glory or attention…" He lifted his chin with unwavering resolve, "I'm there because I know I will score and secure our victory!"
❖❖❖
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)! You can have access to almost 15 books!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1305258