Honestly, that wasn't the only reason I agreed to go up.
Mainly, it was because of my ego, yes, but I received this message after I did Dragon Drive on Aiku's shot. I received another message from the system. Again.
[ You have used Dragon Drive: Defense to kill Basilisk Shot!]
'Dragon Drive: Defense? Is there even a move like that?'
[ Host, in the end, all the moves you copy are football moves. Yes, when you copy, knowledge about that move is integrated into your body, but they are moves of a sport. So, you can tweak them to get other results.]
Naruhodo, naruhodo. That's actually even more useful. If I can change existing moves to serve other purposes. Like using Rin's Curved Shot to make a pass, or use an opposing shot to cancel out the momentum of an already existing shot, and zero it's movement. It's complicated, but you'll probably see me use it in the future.
While I was mulling it over, I recieved this message-
[Host, Status Screen has been triggered!]
Huh? Status screen? Sounds interesting.
'Show me then,'
[Status
Player: Reo Mikage
Titles: Chameleon,Rich Brat +2
Job: Unofficial Footballer
Kick:58
Physical:73
Mental:90
Technique:80
Unassigned points:0
Abilities
Copy(Max)
Would you like to see in depth player stats?]
Damn, this looks nice. I see there's no levels, but not everyone can have a Solo Leveling system. How do increase my stats though?
[ You get points, of course.]
You piece of-
The system continued hastily, [ Listen, I'll give you depth player stats first,
KICK:
Kicking power: 56
Shooting accuracy: 60
Short pass: 60
Long pass: 54
Volley: 64
Long shot: 70
Free kick: 41
Curve: 73
Centering: 65
Penalty kick: 58
Opposite leg precision: 43
PHYSICAL:
Stamina: 69
Acceleration: 67
Top speed: 67
Jump: 80
Agility: 71
Kinetic vision: 62
Reaction speed: 91
Power: 73
Balance: 78
MENTAL:
Composure: 89
Assertiveness: 91
Condition stability: 85
Attack awareness: 93
Defense awareness: 93
Coordination: 93
Tactical coordination: 92
TECHNIQUE:
Trapping: 88
Ball control: 87
Heading: 86
Dribbling: 84
Tackling: 80
Sliding tackle: 82
Direct play: 85
Positioning: 73
Play field of vision: 71
Feint: 72]
Ok fitting. I'm actually really pleased with my progress. Although it'll take a lot of time, it's not impossible to max my stats out.If I put in the grind, which I already plan on doing, I'll get there in the end, so that-
[FYI, your peak isn't a 100.]
'I-Its not? Wait, then how do I max my stats out?'
[You don't.
You have no upper limit to how much football ability you can get. The thing is, there'll always be someone harder to copy than the other.So you have to keep growing, and growing and growing and never stop.
Otherwise,you'll never be the monster you always dreamt of becoming.
Not to mention, you have rivals around you, who also have the same potential as you. If you copy them, they'll just grow to surpass your copy.
When you got this system, you already lost your limits. So keep working, if you seriously want to be the greatest player of all time.]
Unknown to even me, a grin had started to form on my face as the system was explaining this to me. 'Well,'
'What am I even waiting for, then?'
Back to Present( 3rd POV)
Reo stood next to Karasu, carefully positioned so that he could rush to the Blue Lock defense at a second's notice. Isagi was taking the throw for Blue Lock XI, and the U20 team was tense. Right now, a guaranteed shot by their captain had been blocked. More importantly, Reo had used a fully offense oriented move, that had been used to score on his own team, to defend that unblockable shot. It has been their one chance to make sure the game was out of Blue Lock's hands, as no one had considered Aiku as a forward. Heck, even some of his own teammates were suprised, when instead of running back after passing to Sae, Aiku snuck onto the Blue Lock XI penalty box and stole a shot. Now, Blue Lock had read Aiku and considered him in the offence, increasing the overall threat level of Japan and their potential, but in exchange, they now knew just about everything the team could do.
Reo wasn't thinking about any of this though. He and Karasu had made a plan: The Crow would hold the midfield for as long as possible, while Reo would focus on assisting the offence and defence. This matched up nicely with their archetypes as well, Karasu was a midfield general and was the tactical genius the Japanese offence would have to get through, while Reo's stats gave him an advantage over many on the field.
The referee's whistle rang through everyone's thoughts. Their pupils dilated, and they sprang into a ready position, prepared to go wild. Isagi threw one to Nagi, who trapped it in mid air, but was ambushed by Darai and Sendo. He turned around, pressing himself close to the ball, looking for the perfect receiver. And his eyes fell upon him, Karasu, who'd moved the second he's seen Sendo sprint down. Karasu had read the field, even better than Fraudsagi, who had Max plot armour.
Nagi's pass sailed overhead, perfect for reception, but if it was really that easy, Blue Lock would have won a long time ago. Hayate dashed and caught up to Karasu, prepared to press him. The Assasin grinned, jumped up, his chest trapping it. Hayate was temporarily dumbstruck, and cursed himself mentally for mistiming the pass, but it was too late. The ball slid down Karasu's chest, and he trapped it turning around to face Hayate. Aggressively, Hayate rushed in, thinking Karasu didn't have the capability to hold off the ball in a duel, but Karasu swiftly dribbled through and flicked the ball through the midfielder's legs.
'Nutmeg! Blue Lock is NOT backing down!'
'Yeah, that declaration was swift, bold and vibrant!'
'I still don't get why they put their defender up front though. Could it be possible that #14 has even more hidden cards to play?'
'Oooh, Japan is in deep trouble then!'
Karasu grinned back at Hayate who was frozen and in shock. 'Gonna cry for your mommy's milk now, Little One?'
The midfielder snarled. Furious, he rushed at Tabito again, with nothing else on his mind except to absolutely humiliate and cook this infuriating piece of shit. The result was that Karasu used another diabolical feint, and blew through, leaving Hayate in the dust with his dribbling. Again.
Up the midfield, Karasu began analysing the threats and calculating Blue Lock's chances to score. Darai was on the far end, so if they initiated a swift attack, Darai could be considered out of the equation. Nio was bulky and relied more on physique, but similar to Darai, speed wasn't his strong point. Neru was the only one prepared, but they could cancel hin out in case the ball passed to Barou.
On the other side, Aiku's eyes were darting between Rin, Isagi and Nagi. Good, Karasu thought, he still hasn't considered Barou as a possible scorer.
That would change the second Barou receieved the ball, as his style of scoring at any cost, even stealing the ball from his teammates, wasn't exactly incognito. But his style could create a confusion for the opposition, and if planned carefully, a controlled confusion. For the time being though, he had to keep the ball far away, and instead plan to bait Barou later in the game. Right now, Hayate was also a threat, and Reo was guarding him, but that didn't make him any less of a passing threat, despite the chances being ten to one that it would result in a humiliating nutmeg followed by a goal in Blue Lock's favour. Right now, as far as he could see, Yukimiya was the only option.
Karasu made up his mind, and was about to send a pass to Yukimiya, when he saw Nio rushing at him. His brow was beaded with sweat, and his face paled slightly but that expression washed away just as quickly as it had come, and his face wore his usual arrogant smirk. At the same time, Darai started rushing as well.
What? That's the worst possible time that this could happen! Nio's physique makes it really hard to outmaneuver him, and even that would be possible if it was a one v one. But now with Darai...
Nio continued his assualt, and Darai wasn't any slower.
'Do I pass it to Reo? Yeah, that seems like the best option! If I don't, we'll definitely lose! So I'll...'
'Ay, Karasu!'
'Huh?'
He looked around. He was no longer on the pitch, with two defenders barelling themselves at him. Instead it was daylight, and for some reason, he was sprawled on the ground.
He was looking up at a boy who couldn't have been for than ten, and yet seemed like a giant.
Is this, from back then?
'Just admit defeat, already, you damn crow!'
'Yeah, we're a bunch of 10 year olds and you're just a baby!'
' " I'll definitely beat you all, you stand no chance against an awesome player like me" ' another boy mimicked in a baby voice. 'Hah! Don't make me laugh! I could take on a whole team of yours and score a hat trick!'
'That's right, kiddo! Now run along and go drink your momma's milk like you're supposed to!'
' If I didn't know better, I'd beat the crap out of you right now!'
They went away, around half a dozen of them, laughing and chattering. Behind them, Karasu still lay sprawled on the ground, unmoving, his expression unreadable.
'That's right,' Karasu thought. The scence changed again , this time showing a match between 12 year old kids. A boy with blackish- purple hair had the ball. He attempted to dribble past a guy double his size, but the boy smirked and sent the ball underneath him. Karasu lost his balance,tripped and fell over. After the match, the boy's own teammates crowded around him and yelled at him for doing so.
'Get up, you damn crow, so I can beat you up again!'
'He's right, why didn't you just pass?'
'It was 2-2, if you had passed, we might have actually won!'
'If you can't coordinate, just quit soccer already, punk!'
The crowd walked away, groaning and talking. Nobody stayed with the fallen, bruised boy, nobody asked if he needed help. The boy sat up by himself, and cried.
'That's right. That day, I cried for a long time. Nobody came to me, nobody asked how I was feeling that day, or the day after that, except my mom. But when I stood up that day-'
On the present field, Karasu glared at Darai, baring his teeth.
'-that was the day I stopped running from who I am!'
'I,Karasu Tabito, the damn crow on this field, will become the world's best soccer player! I'll do everything they said I can't do, and in the end, I'll win!'
' And the time for winning-'
Karsu stopped his feet next to the ball, as a dark aura began to envelop him.
'-begins now!'
Karasu had his right feet next to the ball. He used his instep to trap it, before and flicked it behind his other leg, but instead of sending it behind him, he sent it to his left side. Darai grinned, thinking it was last-minute pass to Rin, and prepared to head it forward. But suddenly-
"Huh?"
The ball changed direction, curving up beyond his reach, and as he saw Karasu run towards Nio, Darai realised with a pang of horror, that it was never meant for Rin.
'That ball, it curved to-'
On the other side, Nio prepared to body Karasu away. After all,there was almost no one with a physique like Nio's on this field, and this midfielder was definitely not one of them. But Karasu had already planned for that, and he kicked his leg forward like whiplash,just trapping the ball with his toes. The direction in which his foot was pointing was the only thing keeping the ball midair, otherwise it would've been lost and stolen by Nio. As the ball slowed it's momentum, Karasu edged it below his feet, and then proceeded to smash it with his sole.
The ball bounced twice, before heading in Nio's direction. The defender could do nothing more than watch with stricken eyes as the ball bounced- and nutmegged.
Karasu dashed after the ball. Nio vaguely put out a hand, trying to at least slow him down, but Karasu smirked and said,
"Nah, I'm done with these chains. You can't fucking hold me back anymore."
Nio's pupils dilated for a final time , as a figure covered in shadow broke free, and instead headed for Darai. Darai stood in what he believes was the most suitable position, trying to read the crow, and figure out how he was gonna get humiliated.
'Left, right? I can't let this guy past me, otherwise-'
Just before Darai, Karasu put his foot on the ball, and spun like crazy. Darai hesitated, his pupils locking in, and when he felt was the right time, he struck his foot out, trying to get the ball,but-
'Heh. You damn clown. Call yourself a national defender and fall for that trick.'
Darai's eyes widened and he looked back, nearly cracking his neck, but it was already too late.
In that moment that Darai had hesitated, Karasu has flicked it with his hel. So when Darai lunged between Karasu's legs, it was actually over Darai's shoulder.
Karasu pushed through, and having trapped the ball again, smirked back.
'This guy-'
'What an absolute-'
'Monster!'