"Maybe those two really are Blue Lock's hidden weapons!"
"I can't wait to see what kind of performance they'll put on!"
Once both sides were in position, the referee blew the whistle to start the second half.
Beep~ Beep————!!
Blue Lock ball. Kudo Tõya takes the kick-off at center.
Right after the kick, Kudo Tõya passed straight to Rin Itoshi, then kept himself aligned with Rin as they pushed forward together.
"Remember what I said—don't be too shocked. I'm going full power!"
Rin Itoshi played the ball instantly, sending it behind him to Yoichi Isagi.
Yoichi didn't even bother trapping it; he accelerated the pass toward the right flank.
Right where Meguru Bachira had been waiting.
"Here I go~"
"Not getting past me, mushroom head!"
Facing the blocking figure of Kento Cho, Bachira still wore his cheerful grin.
"No chance!"
As he spoke, Bachira charged in with ultra-fast step-overs, creeping closer and closer to Kento Cho.
When Kento finally had no choice but to commit to an interception, Bachira used a tight Marseille Turn to slip right past him.
After beating Kento Cho, Bachira didn't continue forward—he immediately sent the ball away.
"I've actually been wanting to go up against you, Sae Itoshi!"
Seeing Sae Itoshi completely ignore him, Kudo Tõya wasn't upset; he'd already decided to make Sae recognize him by other means.
As the ball approached the two of them, twin crimson rings—one large, one small—flared in Kudo Tõya's pupils.
Seeing the ball on its way, Sae Itoshi instinctively tried to use a shoulder block to keep Kudo Tõya from getting to it.
But he misread it. The moment Sae's shoulder shifted into position, Kudo Tõya slipped around it, simultaneously extending an arm to counter and limit Sae's movement.
Of course, Sae Itoshi wasn't a pushover. He made his judgment almost instantly—pressing his own arm forward to pin Kudo Tõya and use that force to drive himself toward the ball.
But the motion was too obvious. Kudo Tõya had sensed it already. A slight pause in his steps neutralized Sae's leverage.
Sae noticed the shift, but the ball was already there—no time for another adjustment.
Under Sae Itoshi's pressure, Kudo Tõya flicked the ball away with the heel of his foot.
It feels long when described, but the duel lasted only a few seconds. Those few seconds left everyone stunned.
Blue Lock's players were shocked but at least mentally prepared.
The U-20 wasn't. They couldn't understand—
How could some complete nobody pass the ball while under Sae Itoshi's pressure?!
Still, they were U-20 members. Within seconds, they snapped out of it and fixed on the ball's landing point.
Three players converged fast: Kenyu Yukimiya, already in place;
Ryusei Shido charging from the side;
and Ryūma, arriving right after!
(Tch. Those passes totally scrambled those idiots, and now I'm in a one-on-two?!)
(This is trouble—no room to trap it. Fine! I'll just pass!)
Thinking that, Ryūma suddenly leapt upward, twisting violently in midair to head the ball away.
Even though he cleared it, the unlucky part was—Kudo Tõya stood exactly at the ball's landing point.
Luckily for U-20, Sae Itoshi also reached that area. Just as he was about to block Kudo Tõya—
A familiar voice came from behind him.
"Don't think you can just roam around so freely, old man!"
"Tch, don't get in my way, you annoying little brother!"
Using the brief moment Sae was obstructed, Kudo Tõya sent an outside-curve pass to the U-20's left midfield.
At that very spot, Seishiro Nagi's mind overflowed with creative ideas for trapping the ball, and he felt he could pull off every single one of them.
With a performance worthy of an acrobat, he managed to bring the ball under control mid-air.
Landing gracefully, Nagi scooped the ball up, dodging Teru Kitsunezato's sliding tackle, then struck—sending the ball toward the center.
The angle was tricky. Yoichi Isagi, arriving at the center lane, almost lost control of it.
But Yoichi felt something strange—his brain was processing information faster, his thoughts unbelievably clear.
His stamina even felt improved. If this had been before, he could never have brought down Nagi's pass in mid-air.
This time, although barely—he succeeded.
(So this is that ability they talked about? Amazing!)
(My heart's pounding, but it's even easing some of the fatigue from the first half!)
(And details I'd normally miss are crystal clear!)
(That's where I need to go!!)
Yoichi treasured this state—because it might be the path to his future evolution.
After only a few steps of dribbling, his vision expanded dramatically.
(This is insane… I'm not even looking to either side, yet I can see everything.)
(Nagi and Bachira are in great positions—no! Their routes are sealed! Not only is Teppei Neru in front of them,)
(Aiku is drifting over too, probably predicting their left-side breakthrough and preparing to intercept.)
(Then there's only one choice left—time to show them the power of the Kudo–Shido duo!)
Decision made, Yoichi didn't pass immediately. He first slid left a few steps, creating the illusion he'd send it to the left flank.
Oliver Aiku fell for it, shifting further left—he couldn't be blamed.
He had no idea his movements were already laid bare before Yoichi's eyes.
In the next instant, Yoichi fired a blistering low pass—like an arrow—straight into the U-20's right back zone.
Far away, Oliver Aiku froze, desperately telling himself it had to be coincidence.
"Ryusei! Give me the ball—then go completely wild!"
Hearing that, Ryusei Shido's face lit up with excitement.
He lunged forward, flicking the ball behind him with a heel pass, laughing maniacally.
"Hahahaha! I've been waiting for you to say that!"
"I'm gonna explode!!!"
The moment the words left him, Ryusei Shido unleashed his full speed—running in chaotic, unpredictable patterns.
He disrupted the defense's rhythm completely—and even his own teammates had no idea what he was planning.
...
(Full Series)
p@treon com / GhostParser