[115] The Elevation of Transformation

"Wow! The Blue Lock team executed a brilliant passing sequence leading up to this attack! Their relentless offensive pressure is continuously shaking up the U-20 representative team's defensive formation! Shinichi is acting as the central axis, connecting every player on the team seamlessly."

"The ball is now at Yukimiya Kenyu's feet, with Oliver Aiku as his defender. He's already near the goal—this should be the final push of this attack. The outcome will be decided by a one-on-one showdown between these two players!"

"He's trying to break through, but Oliver Aiku, the captain of the U-20 team, is living up to his reputation! His defense is rock solid, leaving no gaps whatsoever. If this drags on any longer, the U-20 team's defenders will have time to recover their positions, which could spell trouble for Blue Lock."

"But Yukimiya Kenyu is still accelerating—Aiku isn't keeping up! He's going for the shot! Ah—! So close! But Aiku managed to get a crucial touch, disrupting the shot, and goalkeeper Gen Fukaku makes a diving save to deny the goal!"

"But it's not over yet! The ball is still in play—it's a battle for the rebound! Rushing to the drop point first are… Shinichi and Itoshi Sae! They reach the ball at the same time, but Shinichi has the upper hand! He leaps up—how will he handle this with Itoshi Sae marking him from behind…? No control touch! Shinichi goes straight for the header in mid-air—it's in!"

After an intense, almost breathless play-by-play, the commentator, Natsuki, finally pulls his headset away and takes a deep gasp. Understanding the moment, the live broadcast host, Atsuto, smoothly picks up the commentary:

"Incredible! This time, Shinichi didn't fully showcase his individual skill, yet I find that even more astonishing. It felt like he was present at every crucial moment—his impact was undeniable!"

"Ahem—exactly. It's almost as if he's trying to prove something to the world. By deliberately adopting an offensive style completely different from his usual play… this is just…"

Natsuki's voice falters for a moment, but the younger Atsuto doesn't hesitate. Seeing the hesitation, he simply pushes forward, tearing away the thin veil of subtlety.

"It's as if he's treating this match as his personal stage to showcase himself to the world. Shinichi is fully displaying his natural talent and his ability to adapt to different styles of play."

"And I believe that every spectator watching this match can clearly feel the sheer energy radiating from him!"

The broadcaster, Atsuto, voiced what everyone present was experiencing firsthand.

"Tch, that bastard completely used us as stepping stones," Kazuma clicked his tongue in frustration.

Back when Shinichi first declared war on them, he had already made it clear that this match would be his coronation ceremony—a moment to prove himself to the world.

But knowing it and actually experiencing it were two different things. Becoming the fool beneath someone else's throne was hard to swallow.

Compared to Kazuma's wounded pride, Isagi was far more pragmatic. He turned to the equally displeased Sae.

"Uh… just now, didn't Shinichi change again? It feels like his control over the pitch has improved a bit… So after this evolution, what kind of player will he become? Where will he get stronger?"

"There won't be any changes."

"Huh?"

"I said, there won't be any changes." Sae waved his hand impatiently, but seeing how the entire U-20 team had gathered around him with curious faces, he sighed and decided to explain.

"You idiots think this is some kind of game or anime? That just by 'realizing something,' his abilities will immediately improve in real life?"

"For example, on a larger pitch, Shinichi's defensive recovery clearly slowed down. But is that because he doesn't understand how to defend on a big field? No. It's because the field is bigger, meaning he has to cover more ground, which naturally takes more time. No matter how well he understands the game, the size of the pitch doesn't change. The time required to recover is still the time required to recover."

"And if his teammates can't keep up, they still won't be able to keep up. Even someone like Noel Noa—arguably one of the best in the world in terms of understanding the game—would struggle if you gave him a team full of high schoolers. Do you really think his tactical understanding alone would magically allow them to match his pace?"

Sae's tone was sharp, but his elite game intelligence made his explanation incredibly clear and easy to grasp. Despite that, Isagi still frowned and spoke up again.

"I think I get it. From a purely analytical standpoint, that transformation just now didn't actually make Shinichi any stronger. His speed, strength, and technique all remained the same. But… are you saying there was no improvement at all? I can feel it—something about him is different from before."

"Of course, he's different. But… it's not the kind of change you can quantify so easily."

On the sidelines, Ego, who had been following the conversation, chimed in, explaining to the substitutes and Anri.

"For example, before, if Shinichi pushed too far forward alone, he'd be highly vulnerable to counterattacks, and his speed isn't enough to cover the entire field in time for a full defensive recovery."

"But after this evolution, he'll naturally start minimizing those situations. Even if his teammates still can't fully keep up with him, he'll become more adaptable—slowing down when necessary to better sync with them and maximize the team's overall effectiveness."

"For Shinichi, the biggest improvement is probably his ability to judge with even greater precision when to switch to his full-power mode. In other words, his overall control of the game's flow has improved. He now understands when to act, what to do, and how to do it, rather than blindly relying on brute force like he did at the start of the match."

"And this is a necessary step for any player evolving to the world-class level—learning to achieve what once required maximum effort with simpler, more efficient methods. You could call it a return to the fundamentals. I just didn't expect Shinichi to grasp this concept so quickly, in just half a match."

Hearing this, an undeniable sense of urgency rose in the hearts of every player on the field:

"That monster… Shinichi was already unbelievably strong, yet he keeps evolving at such a terrifying pace!"

"We have to accelerate our own growth, or we'll be left in the dust—so far behind that we won't even see his taillights." xN

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