(You must be thinking that, right?)
The next second, Meguru Bachira slammed the ball into the ground with his right foot. It bounced sharply upward, soaring clean over Oliver Aiku's head.
(What kind of technique is that?! There's nothing like this in my database!!)
Oliver Aiku spun around toward his goalkeeper and shouted, "Keeper! Get out here!!"
"On it!!"
But Meguru Bachira was already leaping upward. With the ball at that height, his foot would touch it well before the goalkeeper could reach it.
(This is my Monstrance!)
(Entering Monstrance!!)
"BON!"
(That's in—)
But before Bachira could celebrate, he suddenly spotted the U-20 National Team's ace, Shuto Sendo, wearing the number 11 jersey, sprinting toward his own goal.
Shuto launched into a low overhead kick, knocking Bachira's shot away.
"Aiku! That's what you call a counter!"
"Shuto…"
Oliver Aiku looked at him in delighted surprise.
"The ace… protects his own goal!!"
The commentators erupted at Shuto's critical clearance.
"Tch, pretty fired up, huh?"
"That sneaky ace hiding in the shadows has some bite! Looks like today just isn't my day."
Meguru Bachira muttered in frustration.
The cleared ball dropped straight to Oliver Aiku's chest. He trapped it and roared:
"Get up, Shuto!!"
"You planning to defend forever, rookie ace?!"
Struggling to his feet, Shuto gritted his teeth and snapped back, "Shut it, you rotten captain!"
"I'm the ace of the U-20 National Team!!"
"No way I'm giving up that throne to those countryside bumpkins from Blue Lock!!"
"I'm going to change things. I'm going to change Japan's soccer. Being a photo idol means nothing to me anymore."
"My goal is number one in the world—reaching global standards—"
"I'm going to marry a Hollywood actress!!"
With that shout, Shuto Sendo charged straight at the Blue Lock team, powered by sheer determination.
Hearing his declaration, the nearby players reacted one after another:
"Ha! That's more like it!"
"What a complete idiot!"
"Shuto's eyes are on the world now."
"Good—let those desires show!! You exhibitionist striker!!"
Oliver Aiku only chuckled, adjusted his angle, and passed the ball directly to Sae Itoshi.
"Let's go, U-20 Japan National Team! Don't waste this fire!!"
Seeing Sae Itoshi receive the pass cleanly, all of the U-20 attackers turned and sprinted toward the Blue Lock formation.
The moment Sae Itoshi touched the ball, he was immediately blocked by Kenyu Yukimiya and Tabito Karasu.
Because they'd been teammates during the second selection and trained together extensively, the two of them could communicate almost entirely through eye contact.
(We have to break their attack in midfield—otherwise we're finished!)
(Don't push any farther, Kenyu!)
(Sae Itoshi is looking for a direct passing lane to Ryūma!)
(Got it! I'll cut off the passing line with my body—Karasu applies pressure!)
"You're in my way. Disappear."
Their coordination was perfect—until Sae suddenly widened his stance and swung into a passing motion.
"I treat every capable striker equally."
"And I'll give this chance to the one who—right now—"
"Wants the goal more than anyone!!"
On the wing, Ryūma Banjō caught Kudo Tōya's brief moment of hesitation and activated his Limit-Breaking State.
"Listen to Sae—against Blue Lock, I'm the only one capable of scoring, aren't I?"
Hearing Ryūma's amused tone, Kudo Tōya jolted back to awareness and tried to intercept—but it was too late.
Ryūma had already vanished from his side, sprinting at full speed toward the ball's landing point.
Just as Teru Kitsunezato and Haru Hayate closed in on the ball, Ryūma Banjō leaped into the air, soaring past them.
Without losing any speed, he whipped his right leg forward and blasted the ball toward the Blue Lock goal.
"End this!!"
[BOOM!!]
But something Ryūma never expected happened—Gin Gagamaru awakened too!
He somehow managed to parry a shot that was practically impossible to save.
"Huh?! The goalkeeper's cheating now?!"
But the moment the ball rebounded, Shuto Sendo rushed in, legs wide, ready for a Direct Shot.
"I'm the ace! This is the era of Shuto Sendo!!"
[BOOM!!]
"What a pain."
"Hunt!"
But Shuto's shot was too straightforward. Seishiro Nagi and Shōei Barō read his shooting line perfectly.
Because they hadn't communicated beforehand, the two ended up smashing their heads together.
Unfortunately for Blue Lock, the ball dropped right to Sae Itoshi's feet—and he was already winding up for a shot.
Even worse, Blue Lock's goal was wide open. Gin Gagamaru had barely gotten up and hadn't regained his balance.
At that instant, Yoichi Isagi darted in front of Sae.
"Don't even think about shooting! I see you, Sae Itoshi!!"
But Yoichi misread the situation—Sae didn't shoot at all. Instead, he popped the ball sideways, passing to Oliver Aiku behind him.
"Sharp instincts, Captain. You always do your own thing."
"Sorry—once a striker, always a striker!"
Oliver Aiku swung his right leg back in a wide arc, ready to fire.
Seeing who it was, the Blue Lock players froze. Who would expect a defender to charge all the way to the opponent's goal?
(Alright—this is the end for you, Blue Lock!)
[BOOM!!]
Instead of the sound of the ball hitting the net, a dull thud echoed.
Oliver Aiku's eyes widened in shock.
"W-what?!"
"You actually got there in time… selfish captain."
"Sorry—but I am Sae Itoshi's younger brother!!"
Yes—blocking Oliver Aiku's surprise shot was none other than Rin Itoshi, still on the ground and wiping sweat from his face.
In the commentary booth, Atsuto Tereasa burst out excitedly:
"Th—the clash between these sides is unbelievable! Their defensive counters are absolutely suffocating!!"
"This is practically a life-or-death fight! The intensity on the field is overwhelming!!"
"I'm fired up!! What do you think, guest commentator Mr. Natsuki?!"