SHIDOU POV
I felt a spark in my soul, igniting with a fiery blaze as I stared at this white knight that has come down to dispel evil. His meaningful glare bore right into my soul, his fair idea of justice leaking out all over the place.
"Not bad, Hero! Wanna play some soccer?"
His look told me that I was crazy, a look I was used to at this point.
"Depends. Are you gonna try to take my head off during the match?"
'The hero is all about fair and square, if you can't explode in the lifestyle of Soccer, you can just die!' Thoughts rolled around in my head, my cells were getting excited just thinking about this!
I stepped forward, "Depends if you can make me explode or not, Hero..." I licked my lips, I was eyeing a full course meal right now and my cells are HUNGRY.
"I'll have fun tearing down your Hero mentality. Have you ever wondered what that feels like?"
The Hero must've lost his words since he just stood there, clenched jaw, eyes blazing, like his whole worldview had just been spit on and disrespected. 'Come on Hero! Get fired up, let's see your explosion!'
"The Hero who fights for his boooorrringggg ideals and the Demon who fights for pleasureeee!"
I let the words slither off my tongue like poisonous venom, my grin splitting wider."What do you think, Hero? Wanna clash our worlds? See which burns hotter, your justice, or my hellfire?"
Footsteps came up behind me, I flipped my head to view over my shoulder.
"Quite the fairytale we have on our hands!" Hibari's voice held enthusiasm, but still lined with malice.
The Hero's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
Hibari tilted his head, one brow raised, hands still tucked lazily in his pockets.
"Why..." he said, his tone calm but dripping with venom, "We're the monsters that crawl out from under your bed at night."
I grinned ear to ear, flashing my teeth like a predator. Hibari's lips curled into a slow smile beside him.
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KUNIGAMI POV
I pressed my thumb firmly into the scanner, Reo did the same, as did the two lunatics. I heard the confirmation of the match, there was no going back now. 'These guys lost, same as me and Reo so there's no way they're that good right?
We will make quick work of these guys and then catch up to Isagi and the others!
The names that appeared on the confirmation screen registered in my vision.
HIBARI YAKUSHIJI, RYUSEI SHIDOU
We each reported to the pitch, Myself and Reo put on a blue jersey while Shidou and Hibari were given white jerseys.
"Second Selection Rival Battle, 2 vs. 2 game to 5 points!" The VAR announced through the speaker system.
I planted my foot on the ball as I prepared for kickoff. The thought of losing this game to me is impossible, a future that is impossible.
Everything is riding on this game, all or nothing.
'I won't lose. No. I can't lose!'
Everything I had experienced so far in Blue Lock flashed through my mind in one second. I will to become that superhero that people look up to!
My next step in doing that, is crushing these villains in front of me!
I kicked the ball in a soft side pass that skidded over to Reo.
KICKOFF
KUNIGAMI, MIKAGE vs. YAKUSHIJI, SHIDOU
Reo received the ball with the inner sole of his right foot, he prepared to accelerate, but a demon appeared in his path.
"Yo!" Shidou greeted in a sing songy voice, as if he was greeting an old friend.
Shidou charged in, no wasted movements but Reo reacted quickly and delivered a side pass back to me.
I took my time to get the ball under me before assessing the situation. I glanced ahead of me, Hibari was waiting for me with a disinterested look on his face.
Just going purely off looks, I think I have a slight edge in my physique so I can brute force my way into my range. I charged in, Hibari bent his knees and prepared for a clash. My body met his in a clash of titans, 'he is stronger than he looks, but I still have the edge!' I continued pushing through.
Three more steps.
Two more.
"One more step, right?" The last thing I heard before the ball is plucked out from right underneath my feet. Shidou snuck in through my blindspot and knocked the ball loose before I had the opportunity to shoot!
Shidou sighed in frustration, "So we have purple topknot a jack of all trades master of none, and a brute with nothing but a middle shot. How am I supposed to explode like this?"
Hibari gathered the loose ball, his movements quick. Shidou was already advancing upfield, a pink blur disappearing into our half. I recovered with a surge of adrenaline, my legs pumping, and slapped myself onto Shidou, sticking to him like glue. I wouldn't let him get a clean shot.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Reo pressing Hibari. But the monochrome lunatic found a sliver of space, a mere breath of separation, and in that instant, his foot moved. The ball zipped, a fast, direct line drive, slicing through the air straight to Shidou.
Shidou, with his back to the goal, and me plastered right behind him, brought his knee up. My mind raced, and my eyes darted, trying to predict his next move. 'Left? Right? A quick turn and shot? He can't get space...'
Instead, he did none of those.
The ball smacked directly off his knee, out of the air, popping straight up. My eyes widened. "That's impossible..." I blurted, the words escaping before I could stop them. How could he create that much height, that quickly, from such an awkward position?
"I don't know what that means," Shidou's voice replied, calm, almost bored, as if discussing the weather. But his body was anything but calm. He ascended, a blur of white jersey, defying gravity, leaning back with an arch. My gaze locked onto his left leg as it whipped through the air in a perfect, line-drive bicycle kick.
The impact was chilling, even from my position. The ball was driven, not just kicked, into the ground. It bounced once, a wicked, accelerating skip off the turf, and then slammed into the back of our net.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
0 - 1
Shidou completed a full, graceful flip after his shot, landing perfectly on both feet, a predator satisfied after a kill. My jaw clenched. A damn demon was indeed on the prowl, a beast lurking just beneath the surface.
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THIRD PERSON POV
Both Kunigami and Reo stood shellshocked by the events that just occurred. This pink haired maniac just pulled off a wicked bicycle kick that even some pros would be jealous of.
"Come on hero, make me explode even more!" Shidou continued to gloat and mock Kunigami.
Kunigami grunted, wiping the sweat from his brow. He had trained years to perfect his shot, his physique, his playstyle. All to have it figured out within a fraction of a second by this monster.
Kunigami started next kickoff with a short pass to Reo, Reo pivoted and then shot it back to Kunigami. Hibari again.
Deja vu.
He recalled the last power-play had been rendered useless.
Hibari followed the movement, but barely looked concerned. His eyes narrowed, but he didn't rush in. He simply shadowed.
Kunigami feinted again, this time stepping wide with a body fake. It gave him just enough of a gap to swing his leg.
He fired. A rocket.
But Hibari stepped forward in that instant. The shot collided with Hibari's shin and deflected upward. The ball lost its momentum, floating awkwardly, and dropped dead in no man's land.
"Tch," Kunigami hissed.
Reo sprinted to recover, but Hibari was quicker. His foot pressed down on the ball like he was silencing a heartbeat. Then, with a glance, he chipped it forward.
Shidou had already read the play. He exploded into space, outpacing Reo by several strides.
The ball bounced once.
Twice.
Then Shidou pounced.
He didn't stop to control. He twisted his body mid-air and struck it with the outside of his foot, a diagonal volley that curved unnaturally toward the near post.
The net rippled.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
0 - 2
Shidou landed with a smirk, arms spread like wings. "Boom."
Kunigami walked back to the kickoff point. His breathing was heavier now. Not from fatigue, from frustration. "Focus Reo. We need to play tighter," he told Reo.
Reo nodded. "We just need one goal. Flip the momentum."
Reo passed the ball to Kunigami again, but this time his body moved differently. He cut inside immediately, dragging Hibari slightly out of position. The ball was left behind—a clean dummy—and Reo scooped it back up.
Hibari recovered quickly, falling into a mirrored run beside him. He wasn't biting. His eyes scanned Reo's feet, cool and unblinking.
Reo knew brute force wouldn't work. So he dribbled twice, slow and teasing, keeping Hibari guessing. Then, just as Hibari began to shift with him, Reo burst toward the sideline, forcing Hibari to chase.
At the edge of the pitch, Reo slammed the sole of his foot down and flicked a powerful backheel pass into open space.
Hibari's eyes flicked to the left.
Kunigami was there, storming in.
The power dribble worked this time, driving him through open space created by Reo's distraction.
Shidou intercepted.
"Did you finally learn how to use your meathead body?" he taunted, grin razor-sharp.
Kunigami didn't answer. He dipped his shoulder, baiting the shot angle.
Shidou anticipated it and shifted.
But there was no shot.
Kunigami tapped the ball backward instead, clean, fast, like a relay handoff, and Reo was there.
He took the ball mid-stride, veered inside, and in the same motion curved it around Hibari with an inside-foot strike. A Tight arc and a clean whip.
The ball bent like a question mark and slipped into the far post.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
1 - 2
"Nice one Reo!" Kunigami complimented as he high-fived Reo.
Hibari retrieved the ball from the net, spinning it in his hands as he walked it to the center circle. His mouth curled into something resembling a smirk.
"Ooo. Purple topknot does have some moves after all," he said flatly, eyes unreadable.
Reo just shrugged. "You left me too much space."
Hibari placed the ball on the center mark with slow precision.
"Watch and learn, Reo Mikage. I'll show you what a real curve looks like."
The whistle blew.
Hibari stepped up and struck the ball without hesitation off his right foot.
The ball carved through the air like a cyclone. Reo barely processed it before it had already curved out of reach and into the top left corner.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
1 - 3
A heavy silence followed afterwards as Reo just stared at the net. 'These guys.' Reo stared at the two team white players. 'Are monsters...'
Kunigami snapped him out of his trance, "Come on Reo, we're not done yet." He put a hand on Reo's shoulder, "Yea, we'll finish this and add one of these monsters to our squad."
Shidou approached Hibari, "Hey Prince Charming! Were you hiding that shot from lil old me?"
"Nope, can we speed this up?"
"Tch. You're no fun, but seriously that shot gave me chills! You nearly made me fall in love with you." Shidou replied, dead serious.
Hibari rolled his eyes and took his position.
Reo placed the ball on the center mark, simultaneously trying to slow the thumping of his heart. Everytime he thought about the outcome of this game, he doesn't see a victory for him and Kunigami. 'I didn't come all this way for nothing, I don't want to leave, not yet! Not until Nagi is the number 1 striker in the world!'
Kunigami grimaced, his future is in jeopardy and he knows it.
He stood still for a moment longer, watching Reo place the ball at the center mark. The pressure was eating at him. Every breath felt like it came with weight strapped to his lungs.
'I can't leave. Not here. Not now. Not after everything I've done.'
He thought of all the hours in the weight room. The nights he couldn't sleep, replaying missed goals in his head.
'I became stronger to protect something. To be something. A superhero.'
He clenched his fists.
'But what kind of hero am I if I can't even save myself?'
Reo stared down at the ball, heart drumming like a war cry in his chest. The image of Nagi floated through his mind like a ghost.
'If I lose now, I lose the right to stand beside him. I lose the chance to see the view from the top. That can't happen.'
He gritted his teeth.
'It's not over. I refuse to let it be over.'
'One of our careers ends here,'
'AND ITS NOT GOING TO BE MINE!' Kunigami and Reo both thought in unison.
Their eyes both transofrm into dark black and white swirls as they both hunt for a goal.
Kunigami kicked off to Reo with fire in his eyes. Reo took it, fluid and fast, cutting inside with low steps, eyes already locked onto Shidou.
Shidou stood tall, grin wide. "You again, Topknot? Gonna show me more of that fancy footwork?"
MATCHUP
REO MIKAGE vs. RYUSEI SHIDOU
Reo didn't respond. He pressed forward, body low, footwork precise. He shifted the ball from side to side, forcing Shidou to react. The pink-haired striker was quick, matching every fake with terrifying intuition, but Reo found an edge. He slipped past Shidou's lead foot, just a fraction of space.
That was the opening.
Reo was about to take it.
But then Kunigami appeared from the blindside.
"Sorry, Reo."
He took the ball clean off Reo's foot, no wasted motion, no hesitation.
Before anyone could react, Kunigami planted his foot and ripped a shot with every ounce of power he had.
The ball screamed through the air, a blur of desperation.
It struck the back of the net with a violent snap.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
2 - 3
Reo just smiled, "You damn egoist."
Hibari blinked. "Huh...?"
His expression changed for the first time. He was impressed. Maybe even caught off guard.
"Didn't expect that," he muttered, watching the two Blue players exchange a glance.
Shidou tilted his head with a shark's grin. "Now this is what I'm talking about. This is starting to get fun."
Hibari tapped the ball to himself on kickoff, his eyes sharp and scanning. Then without warning, he wound up and launched a pinpoint diagonal pass across the field.
The ball carved through the air like it had a mind of its own. It fell perfectly at Shidou's feet, threading between Reo and Kunigami with no room to spare.
Shidou's pupils shrunk.
"That pass...gave me goosebumps," he muttered, lips curling.
The pink-haired striker didn't slow. He launched into a full sprint, took one touch to pop the ball into the air, then jumped.
Mid-air, his body contorted unnaturally, like he was dancing on the edge of what should be humanly possible.
He twisted.
And then unleashed a spinning volley, a midair slice that sent the ball rocketing from 14 meters out. It swerved, dipped, and screamed toward the top right corner.
The net shuddered.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
2 - 4
Reo dropped his hands to his knees, panting.
Kunigami stared at the goal Shidou just hit. He couldn't lie to himself anymore. This wasn't just talent anymore.
Shidou wasn't human.
But neither was he.
It made no sense.
One of them was chaos and instinct, a bomb with a heartbeat.
The other was a surgeon on the field.
Yet somehow, together, they clicked.
Reo looked at them too, eyebrows furrowed. The way they passed, overlapped, read each other's pace, it was as if they'd been playing side by side for years. But that couldn't be true. Their synergy was unnatural.
A bunch of paradoxes.
"They're the antithesis of each other," Reo muttered under his breath. "And that's what makes them so perfect."
Kunigami wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked ahead.
'I can't stay the same. If I want to win, if I want to survive...I need to shed this skin.'
Kunigami edged the ball forward slightly stopped it with one foot, stepped into space, then launched his body forward.
Thirty meters.
The shot left his foot like a cannon.
'This may be a gamble of a shot, but I don't give a shit if it gives us a chance of winning this game!'
The ball cut through the air in a low, blistering drive and slammed against the inside post before bouncing in.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
3 - 4
Shidou blinked.
Then grinned.
"That's what I'm talking about, Explosion Hero."
His voice dropped, all amusement gone.
"But you're still gonna lose."
Reo glanced at Kunigami, heart clenching. That was his moment. And it still might not be enough.
'If I keep fading into the background... I might not get chosen.'
Hibari approached slowly. Calm. Collected. The ball rolled at his feet.
He tapped it forward, barely looking. Toying with them. Keeping them at bay. Then Reo lunged.
For the first time in the match, Hibari grinned.
"I see it now. The fire in your souls. Allow me to snuff that out."
He stepped into the ball and delivered a whip-like strike with the inside of his foot.
The ball bent like lightning. Perfect speed. Perfect spin.
It struck the far corner with surgical precision.
TEAM BLUE vs. TEAM WHITE
3 - 5
Silence.
Reo stared, eyes wide.
Kunigami dropped to his knees, hands clenched in the turf, drenched in sweat.
"Dammit. How could I lose again?"
TEAM WHITE WINS
FINAL SCORE
5 - 3
Reo stood beside him, silent, still breathing heavily, still processing what had just happened. What they had just lost.
Their dream. Their future.
All of it.
Then came the sound of footsteps.
Shidou and Hibari approached.
"Well, well, look at this mess," Shidou said, voice almost sing-song.
Reo's head snapped up, but Shidou kept going, circling Kunigami like a predator.
"You gave us a couple good moments, Hero," Shidou said, crouching down so he was eye-level with Kunigami. "That thirty-meter shot? Sexy. Got my heart racing a little."
Then his grin widened.
"But at the end of the day, you're just a tragic little protagonist in a B-tier anime. All muscles. No spark."
Kunigami's jaw tightened, he knew what was coming.
Hibari finally spoke, voice flat and sharp like cold metal.
"Reo Mikage," he said. "You're the one we're picking."
Reo's breath caught.
Kunigami's head jerked up.
Hibari continued, "At least you know how to adapt. How to move with monsters instead of dying like a martyr."
"Let's be honest, one of you has potential, and the other is just heavy lifting in cleats. Guess which one we're not dragging to the next round?"
He turned toward Kunigami with a mocking pout.
"Awww. Don't look so shocked, Hero. You didn't really think this was one of those stories where hard work beats talent, did you?"
Hibari added, "If you were really a hero, you'd be used to sacrifice by now."
Shidou threw an arm around Reo's shoulder as they turned to walk away.
"C'mon, Reo. Say goodbye to your boy scout."
Reo looked back over his shoulder.
Kunigami was still kneeling. Still frozen. But his eyes burned.
Not with anger or sadness.
But shame.
Raw, seething shame.
Reo opened his mouth. But no words came out.
Shidou looked back one last time. His voice lowered, dripping with fake sympathy.
"The hero couldn't save himself. Tragic."
They disappeared down the tunnel.
The field was quiet now.
Kunigami rose slowly to his feet. His legs were trembling. Not from exhaustion.
From the realization that in a world of monsters, justice didn't matter.
In this world, heroes don't prevail.
Tears ran down his face as he walked towards the Loser's Gate.
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A/N: This chapter is late, yes yes let me hear it. Sorry about that everyone, again things have been pretty hectic as of late for me. Please forgive me y'all I been trying my best I swear!
Anyway I have something special planned for the next chapter.
Also no Additional Time segment. Didn't feel like this chapter needed one.
Have a fantastic day everyone!
Ussylliss out