Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

After shaking off the wolfish defense of Barou, Shinichi leisurely dribbled the ball forward.

However, even though it was clear to everyone that he wasn't running at full speed, none of the players except Chigiri could keep up with him.

The distance between them only grew wider and wider. Then—

GOOOOOOAL!

Shinichi's Team 2:0 Rebel Team

With effortless grace, Shinichi dribbled the ball all the way to the goal, raised his leg, and scored.

Every movement he made was simple, yet absolutely unstoppable.

"Completely… not on the same level…" Yukimiya gasped, standing frozen in place.

The match had only just started a few minutes ago, yet he felt as though he had been sprinting at full tilt for half an hour.

It wasn't just him; the entire Rebel Team was in the same state.

Shinichi's overwhelming pressure left them unable to maintain their breathing rhythm, and in their heightened anxiety, they wasted a significant amount of energy for nothing.

The ability to drain an opponent's stamina—something Shinichi had never paid much attention to before—was now proving unexpectedly effective.

In fact, this effect was only described as being relevant against opponents of similar skill levels.

But in this completely one-sided match, any player intimidated by Shinichi's overwhelming presence found their stamina being continuously drained.

The deeper their fear, the greater the toll.

Shinichi jokingly referred to it as the "football version of Conqueror's Haki," an unparalleled tool for sweeping away opposition.

"No… I have to stay calm. I absolutely have to seize this chance. Stop thinking about how to win, and focus on playing to my strengths…" Yukimiya pressed his hand to his chest, taking deep breaths to steady his ragged breathing. "I can't keep fixating on surpassing Shinichi… I need to focus on what I can do right now."

"But… what can I do?" This question wasn't just lingering in the minds of the Rebel Team members.

Even Chigiri and the others wore pained expressions, struggling to come up with answers.

Not only was the opposing team completely ineffective, but they themselves hadn't been able to contribute either.

Whether on defense or offense, their efforts were negligible.

Whenever Shinichi took the field, it felt like he was the only player in the game. None of them had the ability to intervene.

Perhaps they could win the match, but when it came to the most critical aspect—being selected as members to represent Blue Lock—both sides would ultimately be losers.

Beep!

Unfortunately, time wouldn't stop just because they were lost in thought.

The whistle to start the match mercilessly echoed across the field.

Reiji dribbled the ball forward with a frown. As usual, he avoided Shinichi, and Shinichi merely glanced at him before turning away.

"Still not chasing… so why did he fall back to defend earlier?" A sudden flash of insight struck Reiji's mind. "Could it be… 'I can hold back, but letting you useless players score would be embarrassing…'? Is that what he's thinking?"

"Yeah, I've always assumed that Ego would make him hold back, so I instinctively thought he wouldn't take this seriously at the start. But why would someone with this level of skill follow someone else's orders? Everything should go according to his own will."

Reiji silently cursed himself for being so naive.

When facing someone like Barou, he would always factor in their personality when deciding how to act.

Yet with Shinichi, he had unconsciously relied on logic and reason to predict his behavior.

"In other words, Shinichi won't stop us from playing, but he will stop us from scoring. As long as I understand his approach, there's still a chance!"

"Hey! You idiot, what the hell are you doing?!" A furious shout snapped Reiji out of his thoughts.

He turned to see Barou charging toward him with all his might.

Just ahead of him, Shinichi was already closing in.

Reiji hurriedly pulled the ball back and turned to shield it, but Shinichi, as if predicting his every move, effortlessly stepped past him and pinned the ball with precision just behind Reiji.

"You really have such a narrow focus when you're thinking," Shinichi remarked, his voice calm but cutting.

With a powerful shift in movement, he forcefully stole the ball from beneath Reiji's feet.

Now facing a pincer attack from Barou and Reiji, Shinichi's lips curved into a smirk.

He suddenly kicked the ball sideways with a swift and unexpected motion.

A jet-black arc, as dark as ink, began to form with each step Shinichi took, growing brighter and more dazzling until it consumed everything around him.

"I've been meaning to say," Shinichi said with a playful tone, "your skill's color kind of overlaps with mine. So until you change it, I think I'll confiscate it for now."

On the field, it was as if a bolt of lightning had truly streaked across.

Shinichi darted through the gap between the two defenders, weaving effortlessly.

With a series of sharp touches, he cut inside, leaving Sokura, who had stepped forward to block him, completely behind.

Not long after crossing the halfway line, Shinichi raised his leg and unleashed a thunderous strike.

With a deafening roar, the ball rocketed forward.

The sheer force of the shot shattered the virtual arm of the Blue Lock goalkeeper, which had dived to intercept after calculating the trajectory, and the ball violently slammed into the back of the net.

"Whoa! That shot was terrifying… Even if I could predict the path, I don't think I'd dare to block it. It'd definitely shatter my bones," Tokimitsu muttered, shrinking back as if the cannonball strike had hit him instead.

Everyone on the field had survived the Second Selection, meaning they'd all faced off against the Blue Lock goalkeeper one-on-one at least 100 times.

Though the Blue Lock goalkeeper was a virtual projection, its ability to block shots came from a microchip inside the ball simulating the force of impact when struck.

Those who had experienced it firsthand could attest: the simulated reaction force was immense, rivaling that of a real goalkeeper.

Typically, any shot they took that touched the goalkeeper would be deflected without fail.

For Shinichi's cannon shot to blast through the goalkeeper's save and directly into the goal could only mean one thing: the sheer power of the shot had exceeded the system's simulated reaction force limit.

If someone tried to block it without caution, they might genuinely risk breaking bones.

Shinichi's Team 3:0 Rebel Team

"Hey! You bastard, if you can't even hold onto the ball properly, just hand it over to me!" Barou snarled, grabbing Reiji by the collar. But Reiji didn't resist at all, his eyes dull and vacant as he stared at Shinichi's retreating figure.

Seeing no response, Barou clicked his tongue in frustration and shoved Reiji away, grabbing the ball and marching toward the center line. "Pathetic. Can't handle a little setback. If none of you are going to be useful, then I'll do it myself!"

Beep!

As the whistle blew, Barou sprinted forward.

Shinichi stood motionless in the center, his face showing nothing but boredom.

The disdainful expression ignited a fire in Barou's chest, and he made no attempt to avoid Shinichi, charging straight at him.

"You want me to admit I'm beneath you? If I can't be the king, I'd rather die!"

"Something I'm tired of looking at has no value anymore," Shinichi replied, completely dismissing Barou's intensity. "And if you're that determined, then just go ahead and die."

The moment Shinichi finished speaking, Barou attempted a sharp change of direction while dribbling, but his foot awkwardly got stuck in the turf.

He stumbled and fell, landing on his knees directly in front of Shinichi, who stood with his hands in his pockets.

Shinichi didn't even spare a glance at the kneeling Barou.

Casually, he nudged the ball that had rolled to him toward Raichi. "Weren't you all supposed to be showcasing your abilities? So why has there been no action? I'm bored. This is your last chance—if you can't take it, this match ends here."

"As expected… this guy's actions have no logic at all. He does whatever he feels like!" The most shaken reaction wasn't even from Barou, who had essentially tripped over himself, but from Reiji, who stood in the distance, glaring intently at Shinichi.

"My data-driven football is completely useless… This guy…"

"…is an unpredictable anomaly!"

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