Kenyu Yukimiya froze for a moment, turning his head in surprise as Teppei Neru closed back in on him.
(Neru!? I definitely got past him—how did he catch up again?!)
(So he's a speed-type defender!!)
Seeing Teppei Neru blocking his path once more, Kenyu Yukimiya burst forward again, breaking toward the opposite side.
"This way? I may not be a physically strong, carnivore-type defender, but this herbivore's speed isn't losing to anyone."
Realizing Teppei Neru had cut him off again, Kenyu Yukimiya could only sigh internally. "What a competitive herbivore."
Watching from afar, Yoichi Isagi was just as shocked.
(No way… Yukimiya, who dominates one-on-ones…)
"This side?"
Right as Isagi thought that, Teppei Neru lunged in with a sudden tackle, cleanly stripping Yukimiya of the ball.
"A straight-up clash!! Second-ball fight!"
Seeing the steal, Yoichi Isagi immediately shouted toward Seishiro Nagi.
"Got it!" Seishiro Nagi replied, already analyzing his next move.
(Looks like breaking through won't be easy… First, trap it, face the goal, then—)
"Stop him!! Take him out!!"
Before Nagi could finish his thought, Kazuma Nio slammed into him from behind, completely locking down his movement.
"You're not moving freely!! Ball-control specialist!!"
Caught off guard by the sudden pressure, Seishiro Nagi faltered.
(This close-range pressure is insane!! Such force—his body is solid, too…!)
(I can't turn around to face the goal!!)
In the center, Yoichi Isagi had assumed that once Nagi trapped the ball, a quick spin and shot would secure a point.
But seeing Kazuma Nio's pressure, Isagi was stunned.
(He's smothering Nagi, not letting him trap it!)
(Incredible… Nio's a power-type player!!)
"Call me Doberman!!"
Hearing that, Seishiro Nagi couldn't help muttering, "Are you a guard dog or something?"
Unexpectedly, Kazuma Nio didn't mind at all. In fact, he affirmed it with confidence:
"That's right. Master's coming—"
Before he even finished, Oliver Aiku slid in with a clean tackle and took the ball away.
"Good boy, Nio!"
"Huh?"
Nagi blinked, still completely clueless about when Aiku had even arrived.
But from afar, Yoichi Isagi saw everything clearly—and finally understood the U-20 national team's backline.
(Aiku showed up here?!)
(Amazing! First flawless layered pressure, then the interception!!)
(This is the U-20 Japan National Team's—)
(The Iron Wall Defensive Quartet!!)
The moment Oliver Aiku won the ball, the other three members of the Iron Wall Quartet shouted excitedly:
"Beautiful, Aiku!"
"Yeah!!"
"Right on target!!"
Oliver Aiku smiled faintly, staring ahead as he said, "You stopped moving, Blue Lock."
With that, he aimed at a gap in Blue Lock's formation and launched a long pass.
Seeing this, Yoichi Isagi's expression tightened. He whipped his head toward the ball's path.
(Damn!!)
(A long ball straight from the backline to the forward line?!)
(They didn't miss even a split-second opening—now they've flipped the momentum!!)
(And up ahead—)
(Sae Itoshi!! Even worse, Ryūma hasn't moved this whole time—he's right there!!)
(Did Ryūma anticipate the long pass and stay put on purpose?)
(Doesn't matter—no choice but to sprint back!!)
Oliver Aiku watched Sae's silhouette and muttered, "Come on—show me something, little genius."
"It's your moment."
On the forward-side wing, the instant Ryūma Banjō saw Aiku's long pass, he exploded forward at full speed toward Blue Lock's backfield flank.
As Sae Itoshi received the ball, the commentators erupted:
"Look! The ball is now at Sae Itoshi's feet!"
Sae drove into Blue Lock's attacking third but was immediately met by Hyōma Chigiri.
(Don't even think about it!!)
(We've already prepared how to counter your defensive counterattacks!)
(When Bachira pushes forward, I drop into defense!)
(And on offense, we exchange positions to stay balanced!)
(I'll stop your breakthrough with speed! If I block you, Ryūma's run on the opposite wing becomes meaningless!)
But Sae Itoshi didn't give Chigiri the chance to close him down. With a single long-range pass, he sent the ball toward the left side of Blue Lock's backfield.
Chigiri reacted instantly, turning and sprinting after it, but his thoughts flashed with shock:
(What?! he already chose a passing route?! So fast!!)
(His decision-making is insane—he didn't even give me a second!!)
(And that's a low, mid-speed long pass over 50 meters—)
(Super hard to pull off!!)
At the ball's landing point, Akito Sendo trapped it and was ready to push forward—
But Jyubei Aryu, hair swaying dramatically, stepped right in front of him.
"Hold it!"
"I'll take you on!!"
"Outta my way! Fox!"
Sendo quickly passed the ball to Teru Kitsunezato on his right—he had no intention of dueling Aryu.
He didn't know whether he could beat him, and wasting time now would make him the team's sinner.
"Nice! Well done, Sendo!"
Receiving the ball, Teru Kitsunezato grinned at Tabito Karasu blocking his way.
"'Act fast—advance immediately!'"
"That's the essence of a counterattack!"
Tabito Karasu didn't flinch and replied calmly:
"I saw that coming. Go on, try it, little guy."
"Saw it coming? So did we!"
Teru Kitsunezato passed the ball to his right.
(Oh no!! The direction he passed to—Ryūma is charging straight there!)
"Niko!"
"Relax, I've got him!"
Ikki Niko sprinted at full power toward the landing point.
(This time I'll definitely stop Ryūma Banjō!)
(It's only a low pass—he can't recreate that last shot!)
(I just need to buy one second—then…)
(Chigiri will be back!!)
And just as Ikki Niko predicted, as Ryūma Banjō reached the ball, he and Hyōma Chigiri managed to sandwich him from both sides.
"Nice work, Niko!"
...
(Full Series)
p@treon com / GhostParser