"That guy only has ten million, huh?" Lorenzo, observing the heated face-off between Barou and Rin from behind, raised an eyebrow and mumbled quietly to himself.
At that moment, Rin suddenly exploded into action, lightly nudging the ball forward while his legs shifted back and forth in constant motion.
Although he wasn't employing the same ultra-fast stepovers as Bachira to completely bewilder his opponent, Rin relied on his superior technique, consistently varying his step-over rhythm.
This left Barou uncertain of the right moment to make his move.
Finally, at just the right moment, the leg that Rin had been using to feint back and forth made decisive contact with the ball.
Suddenly, his slow, step-over dribbling transformed into a burst of speed. With a combination of factors coming into play, Rin managed to break free from Barou in just one move.
"Why don't you get it? Just pass the ball already! You can't shake me!" Barou shouted. His well-developed leg muscles enabled him to quickly change direction on the move, allowing him to catch up and block Rin's path once more.
But Rin remained calm, lowering his body and shifting direction yet again. Still, Barou executed another rapid stop-and-turn, clinging to Rin like a relentless shadow.
Even as his dribbling and direction changes continued to be intercepted, Rin showed no signs of faltering. He stopped, turned, and attempted a third change of direction.
"What are you trying to do, anyway? With your dribbling and directional changes, you won't be able to beat me," Barou muttered in confusion as he blocked Rin's path yet again. However, Rin simply cast a cold glance at him. Though his expression was calm, the aura around him seemed to roar more ferociously than ever.
"No matter how great your directional abilities are, there's one fact you can't deny: you're a forward, Barou," Rin said. "As a forward, your defensive skills come entirely from your offensive tendencies. Compared to Lorenzo's refined defense, you're the type who'll easily get bypassed and then rely on sudden stops and quick turns to catch up—rather than using anticipation, quick footwork, and positioning to stop your opponent."
"So, Barou, have you ever thought about how many sharp stops and changes of direction you can handle before your body hits its limit?"
"You—!"
Barou's eyes widened in shock. But before he could react, Rin shifted direction once more.
Barou tried to repeat his usual counter, but it was as if Rin's prediction was coming true.
A sharp ache surged through Barou's knees, causing his strength to falter. His initial burst of speed dropped significantly, and in that moment's delay, he could no longer keep up with Rin.
"A sharp mind and the ability to turn your observations into action... Hello there, Mr. Underestimated Ten Million."
But Ubers' airtight defense allowed no room to breathe. No sooner had Rin broken past Barou's defense than Lorenzo shuffled over, his signature zombie-like steps closing in to block Rin's advance.
"Rin!"
A sudden shout broke the tense standoff between Rin and Lorenzo. Zantetsu surged forward, head down, prompting Rin to calmly pass the ball sideways.
"For someone so intense, he can still stay that composed," Lorenzo remarked, a bit surprised by Rin's poise. A faint smirk formed on his lips. "So unconventional—caught between two extremes. You're worth more than this, but if you keep going like this... how about 300 million, okay?"
"Shut up, you spineless, creepy zombie," Rin retorted irritably. Watching Zantetsu charge ahead only to have the ball swept away by Aiku's sliding tackle, Rin's eyes immediately lit up.
He used his arm to block Lorenzo's first step and quickly darted into an open space. His instincts told him the ball would end up right where Charles was heading.
"Mm-hmm, I figured the ball would come this way," Charles murmured, his radar-like vision tracking the trajectory.
He reached the unclaimed ball before anyone else, but as he lifted his gaze, a daunting figure was already standing in his path. "But I didn't anticipate you showing up here."
"That's normal," Shinichi replied casually, his expression calm and his stance relaxed. "This level of play is just child's play. Go ahead, make your move. Show me something unexpected."
"Well, with a monster of your caliber standing there, what can anyone do?" Charles replied with a hint of resignation. "Guess I'll just pass it back and reorganize the attack."
Charles threw up his hands in feigned resignation and casually lifted his heel as if to pass the ball back and reset the attack.
But just before his heel touched the ball, he suddenly pulled his foot inward, nudged the ball outward with his instep, and sent it flying with a powerful kick. "Yeah, right! Don't think you can ever predict what a trickster like me will do!"
The entire sequence happened in an instant. The ball arched in a dramatic curve around Shinichi and flew forward across the field.
There, Shidou was sprinting full speed, his eyes widening in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me! I was just running where I felt like going, and other than Sae and that blue-haired guy, I didn't think anyone could pass it to me here!"
In that moment, a familiar, electrifying thrill shot through Shidou, just like the sensation he'd felt during the U-20 versus Blue Lock match. His lips curled into a wild grin, and the bone wings of the demon on his back seemed to unfurl once more. "It's happening! It's happening again! My sweet spot has been hit! Hahaha!"
"You twisted demon! Stop yelling such filthy things out here!" Just as Shidou lifted his leg to shoot from the not-so-perfect pass he was nevertheless thrilled to receive, a bright flash of orange hair cut through his field of vision.
Someone snatched away the ball that could have propelled him to new heights.
In Shidou's wide-open pupils, the image of Kunigami came into sharp focus. Kunigami had leapt into the air and intercepted Charles's pass with a dramatic overhead kick. "My family's watching the live broadcast! Watch your mouth, you filthy demon!"
"Ha! So the stagehand hero wants to make a name for himself?" Shidou's neck muscles bulged with veins of frustration. But Kunigami didn't back down, meeting his glare with unwavering resolve. "I'm not worried about making a name for myself. But..."
"Protecting my family's eyes by taking down a filthy demon like you—that's what a hero needs to do right now!"
"Cut the chatter! Fall back!" Rin's furious shout cut through their argument.
Seizing the opportunity, Sendou stepped up and launched a long pass from the deflected ball. The spinning ball flew forward, and at that very moment, Shinichi, who had begun his run the second Charles had kicked the ball, was racing into position at midfield.
--------------
Want to read 20 advance chapters ahead?
Go to my patreon: patreon.com/Kinglass