[94] The Evolving

"Shinichi, long time no see." Nagi looked at Shinichi and said, "I've been trying to figure out what I truly want... Even though I only started playing football because of Reo's push, and I still don't know what I really desire, at least for now, my goal is to defeat you."

"That's not bad at all. Having a goal like that is enough to keep you chasing it for a lifetime," Shinichi replied, unfazed by the fiery determination in Nagi's eyes. He then turned his gaze to Jyubei, whose fighting spirit was equally strong. "I suppose you're about to say something similar, right? These past two days, I've had so many people declaring war on me that it's starting to feel repetitive."

"Having my thoughts guessed so easily, I really have become no different from ordinary people... I've lost my edge. To break free from this state, I have to crush my inner demon... and defeat you."

"I think denying others' dreams isn't right. If someone challenges you, why not face them head-on and defeat them fair and square? Aren't you the top-ranked player in Blue Lock?" Kunigami frowned, stepping forward.

However, Shidou blocked his path. "I can't believe there's still someone like you trying to play the hero in a place like Blue Lock. But on the battlefield, justice and kindness mean nothing. So don't embarrass yourself."

"You bastard..." Kunigami, who wasn't even fazed by Shidou's earlier taunts, now found him infuriating as they faced each other on the field. "Fine, I'll defeat you first, then take on the top-ranked player."

"If you can, then go ahead and try. Let's see just how far this little hero can push me."

The tension on the field was palpable, the atmosphere crackling with energy.

Dragging things out any longer would be pointless, given the heated mood. Although there were still a few minutes left before the scheduled match time, Ego sounded the whistle anyway.

Beep—beep!

The match... begins!

As usual, the Rebel Team started the kickoff.

Kunigami advanced with the ball, while Shidou, ignoring the positioning of his opponents, recklessly charged forward to intercept, completely abandoning defensive discipline.

"What is this guy doing? Charging in so recklessly?" Kunigami was startled and quickly passed the ball to avoid losing possession.

Shidou scowled, clearly displeased. "Seriously? Avoiding a challenge? And you call yourself a hero?"

Ignoring their exchange, Ishikari leapt to intercept Kunigami's pass, towering over his defender, Nanase, by almost half a body length, and calmly secured the ball.

"Whoa! That height is insane! No wonder he's the tallest forward at the high school level," Nanase exclaimed, powerless against the overwhelming physical disparity.

He turned to Hiori, shouting, "Sorry, they broke through! They're aiming for aerial dominance with their height advantage!"

"Good awareness, but this physical superiority is something you can't just make up for," Jyubei remarked indifferently as he squared off against Hiori.

Towering over his opponent, Jyubei prepared to jump for the ball. However, just as he was about to leap, he froze in place, his lower body blocked firmly by Hiori's aggressive stance.

"A move I've already seen once? No way it's going to work again! What do you take me for?" Hiori growled through gritted teeth, locking Aryu in a fierce physical duel.

Jyubei quickly realized that Hiori had significantly bulked up since their last encounter, as even he struggled against the smaller player's newfound strength.

Despite Hiori's efforts, the height advantage couldn't be completely nullified. Though disrupted, Jyubei still managed to awkwardly head the ball forward.

"Nice work, Bluehead!" Shidou darted in, intercepting the ball just before Kunigami could recover it.

'He's so fast! But now he's facing away from his teammates, so he doesn't have an angle for a pass. If I can just body him to stop him from turning, I might have a chance to reclaim the ball!' Kunigami thought as he closed in, reaching out to place a hand on Shidou's chest, ready to exploit any hesitation or slowdown when Shidou attempted to pivot.

But to Kunigami's surprise, Shidou had no intention of turning around. With his back to everyone, he raised his foot and passed the ball with a backheel.

"I knew it!" Nagi suddenly appeared right in the path of Shidou's pass. His eyes blazed with determination as he stopped the ball with his foot. "Without Reo... I have to rely on my own thoughts and read my opponent's intentions..."

"I've improved!"

"Wow, how amazing. Should I give you an award for that?" A faintly mocking voice echoed nearby. Like a predator waiting in the wings, Shinichi swooped in and effortlessly stole the ball from under Nagi's feet.

"How is this possible? He wasn't even near me just a moment ago," Nagi muttered to himself, attempting to recover the ball. But Shinichi casually pulled the ball back and spun away, leaving Nagi disoriented and stumbling. By the time Nagi regained his senses, Shinichi was already behind him.

"Don't get so smug over a tiny, insignificant improvement. You're just a baby taking its first steps toward independence."

"No way... Nagi actually got outplayed that easily—" Kunigami stared in disbelief as Shinichi toyed with Nagi. But what happened next shocked him even more.

Just after dodging Nagi, Shinichi raised his foot and took a shot without hesitation. The familiar sound of a cannon-like strike echoed through the air, causing Shidou to instinctively tense up.

The ball roared through the air straight toward the goal. At first, it seemed like the distance might be too far, as Blue Lock's goalkeeper reacted and dove for the ball. But just as the ball neared the goal, it suddenly dipped downward with a sharp drop.

This unexpected change in trajectory completely caught the goalkeeper off guard, slipping through the narrow gap beneath his outstretched body and into the net.

GOOOOOAL!

Shinichi's Team: 1 – Rebel Team: 0

"From that distance, he managed to pull off such a high-quality knuckle shot!" Kunigami stood frozen, staring at Shinichi's back in awe.

"That was so cool!" ×2

Even Shidou's eyes lit up with admiration. If he could unleash something like that, it would undoubtedly be the most satisfying moment of his life!

"Whew... as expected, Shinichi's brilliance remains unmatched," Hiori exhaled deeply, hands on his hips, trying to steady his breath after the intense physical duel.

"I still didn't have enough time to train. If I could fully shield my opponent and push them completely out of the drop zone, I'd be able to neutralize tactics like this entirely."

Hiori gritted his teeth in frustration. As a player, he was inherently disadvantaged in the second stage's reduced field, where each team only had five players.

In these smaller matches, individual skill and one-on-one duels were the primary focus, leaving little room for complex strategies. Even the tactical options were limited.

However, Hiori's strength lay in his strategic thinking and vision, which truly shone in larger, full-team games.

The chaos of a full-sized field, with more players, more choices, and more information to process, was where players like him thrived.

But Hiori had no intention of complaining.

Determined to catch up to Shinichi, he simply reflected on his own progress, acknowledging that it wasn't enough yet.

"In that case, I'll drag this match into the kind of game where I excel."

"As if I'd let you leave us all in the dust by yourself!"

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