"Charles, don't be reckless. This match isn't against just any small fry." In the P-X-G locker room before the game, Loki gave Charles Chevalier a stern look. "Take this seriously."
"Ah... the way you're talking makes it seem like that rumor about someone getting paid a fortune to play, only to get beaten up by a kid, is actually true, huh?" Charles responded nonchalantly, grinning at Loki—only to be met with a solid kick to the face.
"You're calling others kids, but you're only 15 yourself. I hope you can adjust your attitude," Loki sighed, watching Charles cover his ears as if he didn't want to hear any of it. "Fine, ignore me. Maybe it's better if you get taken down a peg. Don't think I'll step in to help if you get wrecked out there."
"Oh, if you put it that way, I'll get serious." A simple taunt proved remarkably effective. Charles sprang to his feet. "They went to all this trouble to set up this stage, even invited five top players. Do they really think they can claim the throne here? No way I'm letting that happen."
"Now that's the spirit." Loki nodded approvingly before turning to Shidou and Rin. "So, here's the plan: we'll alternate between Rin's strategy and Shidou's strategy. Each will take a turn, and for the match against Ubers—"
"Let me start," Rin interrupted. "I can't wait to crush that guy."
"Hey, I want a shot at Shinichi too! I should be the one to start!"
"What did you say, you pink-haired pest with antennae?!"
"Look who's talking, you jerk with those ridiculous lower lashes!"
As the two looked ready to throw down in the locker room, Loki quickly stepped in and stopped them. He turned to Rin. "Fine, since you spoke up first, you'll start. But remember, if they take the lead, you'll only have three minutes to even the score. If you can't do it in that time, I'll pull you out immediately."
"Got it," Rin agreed calmly. Shidou reluctantly went along with Loki's decision. Seeing that everything was settled, Loki stood up and clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention. "Okay, then, that's how we'll proceed. I hope all of you can give your best and show everything you've learned in training."
"Against Ubers, prove your worth."
...
"To all the viewers around the world tuning in to Blue Lock TV, good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. At last, we've arrived at the second match of the New Hero Showdown. That's right! Among the players taking the field today is the superstar rookie who burst onto the scene and immediately earned a five hundred-million-yen annual offer—Kan! Zaki! Shin! Ichi!"
"Italy's Ubers are facing off against France's P-X-G. Let's see just how much this incredible rookie can showcase his talents!"
"Shinichi..." Rin watched Shinichi from afar, not stepping forward to speak. Instead, he silently clenched his fist. "Finally, I'm facing you as an opponent again."
"I'll show you how much I've grown, and in the end... I'll defeat you!"
The whistle suddenly blew, and Karasu surged forward with the ball. Rin, however, was a step behind, trailing in his wake.
Ahead of them, three defenders, including Niko, immediately sprang into action. The defensive formation stacked tightly, ensuring that if one player was beaten, another would step in right away to block.
"So, you're the avenger that Ego specifically promoted," Karasu remarked as he deftly evaded Niko's pressing. "But being eliminated just proves you're just an ordinary mortal, doesn't it?"
Karasu raised his hand, maintaining distance from Niko before turning and pushing past him. This was part of the refinement of his ball-shielding abilities—melding those defensive maneuvers into offensive techniques.
Yet, just as he made his turn, Niko abruptly dropped back, sidestepping the physical challenge. While it wasn't quite enough to throw Karasu off balance entirely, it still disrupted his spin and rendered it ineffective.
"Yeah, but in front of that guy, we're all just mortals anyway," Niko replied calmly, unfazed by Karasu's taunts. "My job's done. It's all yours now, Your Majesty."
Hearing those words, Karasu immediately sensed something was off. Unnoticed, Shinichi had already closed in, preparing to muscle past Karasu and take possession of the ball—
"Not so fast! You're getting way ahead of yourself!" Rin, who had been following closely behind Karasu, had seen everything unfold.
As Shinichi moved in for the challenge, Rin charged in at the same moment. The two collided fiercely. Rin was knocked back a full step, while Shinichi only stumbled slightly.
Still, this brief interference was enough for Karasu to regain control of the ball.
In fact, Rin used the force of the collision with Shinichi to reverse his direction and quickly dash away. Sensing the shift, Karasu passed the ball back, aiming it squarely at—
"Nice! Now it's time for this troublemaker to shine!"
Charles darted forward at the perfect moment, raising his foot as the incoming pass flew his way—
"Bang!"
Though Charles theatrically mimicked the sound of a gunshot, the pass wasn't a hard, rapid fireball. Instead, it was a gentle lob, floating gracefully over Shinichi's head just as he leapt to block the pass, and it landed toward the quick-moving Itoshi Rin.
"Charles, your actions are still as nerve-wracking as ever, but with that monster cutting off your passing routes, even your passes have turned predictable," came a sneering voice.
Just as the ball approached Rin, Lorenzo appeared out of nowhere, his unorthodox, almost boneless stride allowing him to intercept the pass ahead of Rin. "Using a five hundred-million-yen salary star for dirty work like plugging gaps—how extravagant. Still, expensive things are good for one thing: being expensive. Five hundred million sure comes in handy," Lorenzo quipped, his tone dripping with mockery.
[Intercepted! P-X-G's fast opening attack, spearheaded by Charles Chevalier's long pass, is perfectly cut off by Lorenzo, one of the new generation's Eleven Prodigies!] (To make it easier, we'll use this format for all future commentary.)
"You bastard!" Even Rin hadn't anticipated Charles's pass being so easily read by the opposition. He moved to regain possession, but Lorenzo twisted away in his peculiar style, quickly pulling away with the ball. "A ten-million-yen lackey like you can stay right here," Lorenzo called back.
"Now then, it's time we repay our wise and noble king!"
[Ubers is mounting a counterattack!]
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