Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

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BLUE LOCK Team 2:1 World Five

The referee's whistle came belatedly, finally pulling everyone out of the dazzling brilliance of that goal.

In an instant, the players of the Blue Lock team all let out wild screams as they charged toward the fallen Shinichi.

"AAAAHHH! Shinichi! Are you a god?! That was Chris Prince and Noel Noa you just scored against!!!" Kurona, normally stoic and expressionless, lost all composure as he frantically grabbed Shinichi's collar and shook him like a madman.

Hiori and Zantetsu also dove onto Shinichi, piling on him and shouting excitedly.

Only Rin, who had instinctively taken two steps forward, stopped himself midway. He stood in place, watching the celebrating crowd with a cold expression.

"Not even you could stop that, huh? That kid..." Snuffy muttered, wearing a look of astonishment as if he'd just discovered a rare gem. His eyes darted between Noa and Shinichi. "Incredible. Absolutely incredible."

"Stop gawking, Snuffy. Let's kick off." Noa got up from the ground, his expression as stoic as ever.

Ignoring Snuffy's amusement, he spoke coolly.

As Noa walked away with unwavering resolve, Snuffy's lips curled upward. "What's this? Always talking about Chris and Lavinho, but deep down, you're just a competitive child yourself, aren't you?"

"Let's get on with it... I'm going to crush that little punk." Chris, unable to maintain his usual charming smile, stormed past Snuffy with veins bulging on his forehead. His face twisted into a menacing scowl as he urged the match to continue.

Why was he so angry?

Was it because what should have been an easy, spotlight-stealing job turned into an embarrassing failure?

Or was it because that stunning goal had been scored against him by Shinichi?

Both reasons gnawed at him, but what truly made him furious was this:

"That damn brat… when he took the shot, his eyes didn't even register my existence. His entire focus was on Noa... I'll teach him a lesson. I'll make sure he knows just how formidable I am!"

At this moment, the top two players in the world were both ignited with fighting spirit because of Shinichi's goal.

What came next would no longer be a mere instructional match.

Thinking this, Snuffy glanced at Shinichi on the other side, whose eyes grew sharper and more focused. "Well then, I guess I'll get a little serious too."

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The whistle blew, and Snuffy began advancing the ball slowly. Ahead of him stood Hiori, who was ready and waiting.

"That kid isn't coming to defend against me, huh? Well, that's fine. I've got something I want to say to you anyway. That goal earlier—what were you thinking?"

Facing a top-tier player, Hiori dared not let his guard down and remained silent. Snuffy didn't seem bothered by the lack of response and continued talking to himself.

"Risking your life is admirable, but what about your future? If I hadn't pulled back, your career could've ended right there. Do you think it's worth it? All for a match that doesn't really matter?"

"It's not meaningless!" Hiori couldn't hold back and retorted, "Shinichi is destined to reach the top. And this battle against the world's best is destined to be recorded in history and mentioned for generations."

"At that time, people might say there was a kid who saw Shinichi's potential and stuck by his side like dead weight. Because of him, Shinichi got crushed by his opponents, delaying his rise to the world stage for years. If history remembered me like that, even if I were dead for ten thousand years, I wouldn't be able to rest in peace. If risking a leg is the price to avoid that, it's a bargain!"

"I see. A world-class ego, huh?" Snuffy nodded thoughtfully. "Not bad. I'll do my best to recruit Shinichi. If I were to say that... would you consider joining Ubers?"

"Huh?"

"Snuffy! Stop wasting time!"

Before Hiori could react, Lavinho, who had been waiting impatiently nearby, interrupted their conversation. "If you want to chat, just pass the ball to me!"

"Alright, looks like we'll have to end this here for now," Snuffy said with a shrug, smiling as he lowered his center of gravity. "We can talk more about this... job opportunity after the match."

Then, locking his gaze on Hiori, he added, "Now, are you ready?"

"Here it comes!"

Hiori suppressed his doubts, his heart pounding like a drum. His sharp, radar-like eyes locked onto Snuffy's every movement—his left foot pushing the ball, the shifting center of gravity, and the subtle angle of his body.

It's a double feint!

Confirming his deduction, Hiori wasted no time.

At first, he pretended to mirror Snuffy's movements perfectly.

Then, just as Snuffy initiated his change of direction, Hiori was already a step ahead!

He guessed right!

Hiori had successfully predicted Snuffy's movements and positioned himself perfectly to block the way. However, his expression soon twisted in pain.

Yes, he had read everything correctly, but it was meaningless—or rather, Snuffy had deliberately let him predict his actions.

Then, relying on his superior ball control and physicality, Snuffy forced his way through.

The gap between Hiori and a world-class player was simply too vast.

Snuffy overwhelmed him with pure strength.

Snuffy's body lowered significantly during his feint, his naturally raised arm perfectly bracing against Hiori's ribs, effectively restricting his ability to follow.

With seemingly effortless movement and moderate speed, Snuffy broke past Hiori's defense.

"Sometimes, simpler moves are more effective," Snuffy remarked, accelerating as he began a powerful sprint with the ball.

While advancing, his eyes scanned the field, paying close attention to Shinichi's position.

"Still locked in a duel with Noa, huh? Looks like Noa's taking this seriously. In that case..." Snuffy noticed Rin abandoning his mark to provide support.

Seizing the opportunity, Snuffy executed a precise, ground-hugging pass.

The ball zipped directly between Rin's legs, landing perfectly at Chris's feet, who was momentarily unmarked.

Boom!

The ball smashed into the net with a violent force, leaving a faint trail in its wake.

Chris's powerful strike brought the World Five to a tie.

BLUE LOCK Team 2:2 World Five

"What are you thinking? I don't see you as someone who would give up."

Noa addressed Shinichi, who had willingly allowed himself to be held back, watching as Snuffy and Chris tore through their defense without taking any action.

"Isn't it obvious? For victory," Shinichi replied, as resolute as ever.

Despite having taken no part in this play, his unwavering determination shone through in his voice.

The lightning in his eyes hadn't dimmed; instead, it burned even brighter.

'In the end, football is just another type of turn-based game. When one side scores, possession shifts to the other... And right now, we're in the lead. This isn't a traditional timed match where you see who can score the most. It's a race to five points. As long as my attacks remain unstoppable, even if we can't stop theirs, victory will still be ours.'

'Against opponents like these, even a momentary lapse due to exhaustion can be fatal. That's why I have to conserve my energy, even if it means abandoning defense.'

That's right. Thoughts like "Scoring a few goals is enough," or "It's okay to lose against strong opponents," had never lingered in his mind for even a second.

Standing at the midfield line, Shinichi's eyes sparkled with lightning-like brilliance.

He planted his foot firmly on the ball, waiting for the whistle to blow, his gaze locked onto Chris and Snuffy.

"World No. 2, the trophy machine... your moves have been recorded."

"I will... win!"

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•I just woke up, by the way. Thank you so much again, everyone!

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