"I... I'm the 'Tag'."
Isagi felt a jolt of panic. However, the moment the ball hit him, he suppressed the urge to kick it blindly. Time was bleeding away; a desperate, aimless strike would change nothing. He replayed Kira's earlier actions in his mind—how Kira had seized control of the ball from the start, challenging everyone as the 'Tag' by choice.
Isagi began to grasp the logic of the game. Perhaps the advantage didn't lie with the 'runners,' but with the 'Tag' who held the power of initiative. Kira likely wanted that power in his hands until the very last second to ensure someone else was eliminated.
"I think I understand this game now," Isagi muttered, his eyes locking onto Kira, who stood across the room with a calm, confident smile.
"I get it too! If you're going to challenge someone, challenge the strongest monster in the room!" Bachira suddenly materialized, snatching the ball with an excited glint in his eyes. He began a frenetic dribble directly toward Kira. He was done running; he wanted to see the "National Treasure" up close.
The screen flickered. The 'Tag' icon now sat on Bachira Meguru.
The strongest... Isagi thought. If he didn't challenge the pinnacle of this room, his journey here would be meaningless. He had come to Blue Lock to change his life. To do that, he had to evolve beyond his current self. He had to eliminate Ryosuke Kira right here.
Isagi sprinted forward, flanking Kira from the left while Bachira charged from the right.
The Monitoring Room
"Wow, that 'Chestnut Head' guy really has no honor, does he?" Anri Teieri watched the screen, annoyed by Igarashi's betrayal of the alliance.
"This is a battle for their entire professional careers," Ego Jinpachi countered. "Choosing to eliminate someone at your own skill level is a logical survival strategy, even if it's unethical." In the world of football, Ego knew that "underhanded" tactics within the rules were often survival skills for professionals.
"Wait! Two of them are charging Kira at once?" Anri exclaimed.
Ego leaned in, his eyes glowing. "No... it's three."
On the screen, the spot where Kunigami Rensuke had been lying was now empty.
Bachira's dribbling talent was on full display as he closed the distance to Kira in a heartbeat, the ball seemingly glued to his feet. Igarashi watched from the sidelines, stunned. Is everyone in this room a monster?
As Bachira reached Kira, he flashed a mischievous grin and sent the ball soaring—not at Kira's body, but high over his head toward the space behind him.
"What the—? Why'd he miss?" Igarashi shouted.
But Bachira hadn't missed. He was trusting his "monster" instinct. He knew someone was waiting there.
"Kunigami!"
The "Hero" had risen from the floor, his face flushed with a mix of fury and the red welt left by Kira's previous shot. He had never been humiliated like this before. As the ball dropped from the ceiling, Kunigami wound up his left leg, pouring every ounce of his indignation into a thunderous volley.
BOOM!
The return shot was nearly as fast as the one that had flattened him.
"Boring little tricks," Kira whispered.
While the others were focused on the ball, Kira had already sensed Kunigami's movement. His current Shidou Ryusei-boosted vision was elite. He leaned forward just enough for the ball to whistle past his spine, slamming harmlessly into the wall.
"Does he have eyes in the back of his head?!" Igarashi screamed.
"No way..." Kunigami wiped his eyes, unable to believe Kira had dodged a point-blank strike while being distracted by Bachira.
However, as the room stood in shock, only Kira noticed the third threat. Isagi had positioned himself perfectly along the ball's rebound path from the wall.
Right here! Isagi screamed internally. He had used Bachira and Kunigami as decoys, hiding in Kira's presumed blind spot while he calculated the trajectory. This was his one chance to strike from the shadows.
The ball bounced off the wall and dropped right in front of Isagi.
Now! Isagi's right leg lashed out in a desperate volley, aiming to send Kira home.
5 Seconds Remaining.
The room held its breath as the ball flew toward Kira's back.
"Isagi Yoichi, I can see you perfectly!"
Kira spun with predatory speed, his foot meeting Isagi's "surprise" shot mid-air. He channeled the explosive finishing power of Shidou Ryusei.
BOOM!
The ball didn't fly back at Isagi. Instead, it screamed through the air in a violent, high-speed arc toward a player standing in the far corner—Kuon Wataru, who had been staying out of the conflict, assuming he was safe.
"Wait—why me?!" Kuon didn't even have time to raise his hands before the ball slammed into him.
BEEP!
The screen froze. The 'Tag' icon was locked on Kuon Wataru.
Kuon Wataru: ELIMINATED.
The Aftermath
In the monitoring room, Anri was breathless. "Does that kid have 360-degree vision?" The coordination between Bachira, Kunigami, and Isagi had been seamless, yet Kira had dismantled it in seconds.
"It's a shame the person eliminated wasn't one of the attackers," Anri mused. "That guy in the corner was just unlucky."
Ego Jinpachi shook his head. "No, it wasn't luck. He buried his own career by being a spectator."