[95] The Strongest Duo

"Shinichi's shooting range is ridiculously far. We need someone to keep him in check at all times and limit his chances to take direct shots," Kunigami summoned the team together.

However, he knew this was an unkind task, as their primary goal wasn't necessarily to win but to showcase their abilities and earn a spot on the main roster for the U20 match.

Becoming "fodder" to block Shinichi's shots meant sacrificing one's own opportunities to shine and risking humiliation against an overwhelmingly strong opponent.

"So, I'll do my best to mark Shinichi, but I can't fully keep up with his speed alone. I need someone to keep an eye on my side and help me with defense." Given Kunigami's character, it was impossible for him to ask others to sacrifice their opportunities to do the dirty work, so he took on the responsibility himself.

"If that's what you're saying, then I'm the one who should be marking him," Jyubei interrupted. "Neither of us has a physical advantage against him, but my reach is far greater than yours. It makes more sense for me to disrupt him. Besides, I have some unfinished business with him."

"In that case, I want to mark Shinichi too. I want to see if I can keep up with his thought process," Nagi chimed in, joining the competition.

"Hmph, my weapon is the ultimate superiority of my physical body. It's something Shinichi can't steal from me. So logically, I should be the one to defend against him."

"I've been 'devoured' by him once already, but it won't happen again this time," another player declared resolutely.

Seeing the heated argument between the two, Kunigami quickly intervened to calm them down. "Alright, let's settle this with rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins will take the job. If they can't stop him, we'll rotate to the next person."

Nagi and Jyubei exchanged a glance, nodded in agreement, and extended their hands.

"Rock... Paper... Scissors!"

Nagi showed scissors with two fingers, turning to Kunigami with a peace sign as if declaring victory.

Jyubei, on the other hand, stared in disbelief at his outstretched palm. Dramatically tossing back his long hair as if performing on stage, he exclaimed,

"Ah... Even someone as cool as me can face defeat in a moment like this. Fine, the spotlight is yours for now, you short white-haired kid."

"I'm still 190 centimeters tall..." Nagi muttered under his breath, protesting the nickname, as he loosened up his arms and stepped toward Shinichi.

"So, you've decided who's going to sacrifice themselves?" Shinichi raised an eyebrow as Nagi approached. "It seems your luck isn't so great."

"It's perfect luck," Nagi murmured, uninterested in engaging in verbal exchanges. Instead, he focused his gaze on Shinichi.

Honestly, I don't fully understand the world these guys see. It feels like their version of the field exists in a completely different dimension than mine.

But... if I want to win, I have to keep up with their mindset. I need to see through your movements, figure out how you think...

"I want to... put in a little effort!"

The whistle blew.

Beep—!

The whistle blew, and Jyubei surged forward with the ball. However, Hiori immediately stepped up to press him aggressively.

Jyubei frowned, using his long legs to keep the ball just out of Hiori's reach.

Why is he pressing me right away? He's not like Shidou, who just acts without thinking. If he's doing this, he must have a purpose... Is he trying to force me to pass?

"Then I definitely can't let you have your way!" Jyubei growled, forcibly pivoting.

Leveraging his extraordinary reach, he shielded the ball, keeping it out of Ice You's grasp as he pushed forward with difficulty.

"So you've seen through my intentions? Perfect, that's just what I wanted!" A radar-like visualization flickered in Hiori's eyes as he closely observed Jyubei's movements.

In the midst of another physical clash, just as Jyubei tensed his muscles to push forward, Hiori abruptly backed off. Jyubei's momentum, suddenly unchecked, caused him to stumble forward, and Hiori seized the opportunity to snatch the ball from under his feet.

Whether you pass because of my pressing, creating chaos on the field that I can exploit, or forcefully shield the ball, making your movements predictable and giving me time to counter, both outcomes favor my game sense and judgment.

At that moment, Hiori's mind was working at full capacity. Despite his intellect, he knew he couldn't keep Jyubei, with his freakishly long limbs, contained for long. Even just maintaining possession would be a challenge, leaving no energy to set up a proper pass.

So, this one touch is all I've got.

"But one is enough!" Hiori's pupils suddenly contracted. Fixing his gaze on a spot in the front line, he swung his foot to strike the ball.

"Watch closely, Shinichi. This is the resolve I've gained to catch up to you!"

...

"So it really landed here... but, was that a mistake?" Nagi followed Shinichi toward the ball's landing spot, his gaze fixed on the football hanging high in the air. He frowned in confusion. "In this case, I'm actually in a better position to receive the ball. Is the intention to let Shinichi use his physical advantage?"

With that thought, Nagi instinctively lowered his center of gravity to prevent being shoved aside by Shinichi.

However, to his surprise, Shinichi didn't seem interested in contesting the position at all.

He didn't accelerate; he simply ran toward the landing point, his eyes carrying an expression of admiration that Nagi couldn't quite understand.

"Seriously, you smart guys are so annoying, silently communicating in ways I can't follow." This inexplicable understanding between the two, coupled with the feeling that he might be toyed with by two high-IQ players, made Nagi visibly frustrated.

Yet at this point, he had no choice but to act decisively.

"No matter what, I'll take control of the ball first—wait, what?!" Nagi timed his jump perfectly, raising his leg to claim the descending ball.

Just as it was about to be secured, the ball suddenly dipped, narrowly grazing Nagi's right leg as it fell.

Upon hitting the ground, it didn't bounce but rolled tightly along the surface, slipping past Nagi and toward the space behind him.

"Not bad... So you've decided to counter my falling leaf shot with this move?" Shinichi's eyes lit up as he marveled at the brilliance of the pass, offering unabashed praise. "I have to admit, this ball... outshines me!"

Boom!

The deafening sound of a familiar cannon shot echoed across the field. Yet, for the first time, no one's eyes were on Shinichi. Instead, everyone turned to Hiori, their eyes wide with astonishment.

In that moment, the first successful adaptation to Shinichi in Blue Lock's experiments had appeared—Hiori had achieved true synchronization and coexistence with him.

The strongest duo in Blue Lock had finally stepped forward, standing as equals before the world!

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