September 13, 2018.
Two months had already passed since the end of the World Cup in Russia. However, the fervent football atmosphere that had gripped the globe had not yet completely dissipated.
The end of every World Cup often signals the departure of a generation of older players, while also heralding the arrival of a new batch of stars into the fans' line of sight.
For instance, the prodigy of the 2018 World Cup champions, the Gallic Roosters, Loki (Mbappé), used this tournament to become the most eye-catching superstar in all of Europe, and even the world. His rise inspired countless young people to step onto the football pitch.
The then 19-year-old Loki became the new idol for many youths, all of whom yearned to be the next prodigy.
It was also during this time that Japan's winter high school men's soccer qualifiers reached a critical stage.
Saitama Prefecture.
Ichinan High School and Matsukaze Kokuo were locked in a life-or-death battle for a ticket to the national tournament.
The score on the field was currently 0:1, with Kokuo holding a one-goal lead. The gap didn't seem large, just a single goal. But soccer is different from basketball; 1:0 victories are commonplace in the world of football. This is especially true for the pragmatic Italians, for whom 1:0 has always been their aesthetic of victory. The Italians, masters of the catenaccio defensive system, could always rely on their impenetrable defense to hold fast after taking the lead, tormenting their opponents to death.
And Japan, well, it was a different story.
As Pep Guardiola's tiki-taka football successfully conquered Europe, Japanese soccer also began to emphasize a possession-based style. On the pitch, players were always patient, waiting for an opponent's mistake to deliver a fatal blow through continuous passing.
Influenced by the national team, the pace of the match between Ichinan High and Matsukaze Kokuo was also quite slow. Both sides tried to use their technical skills to keep the ball at their feet, gradually penetrating the enemy's defense.
But this kind of possession play was, for the most part, ineffective.
Why? Because the individual abilities of the players were not up to par.
The reason Guardiola's Barcelona was so invincible was that they had a host of world-class superstars like Lionel Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta. In Guardiola's hands, the "Dream Team Three" Barcelona played a dazzlingly beautiful brand of football. And often, the more beautiful the football, the more demanding it is.
Therefore, whether it was Ichinan or Kokuo, both teams' possession play was ineffective. Most of the time, they were passing just for the sake of passing, posing a very limited threat to their opponents.
It was under these circumstances that Tendou arrived on the football field, only to see a soccer ball flying towards him at high speed.
"What the hell!"
Having just been transported to this world, Tendou cursed before the ball slammed into his face with a thwack.
The football, traveling at least 80 km/h, struck him square in the face. Tendou couldn't help but clutch his handsome face.
On the sidelines, Ichinan's head coach was roaring anxiously.
"Don't lose focus, you idiot Tendou!"
"Don't just stand there, get back on defense, get back!"
The match had already reached the 80th minute, with only 10 minutes left in regular time. Including stoppage time, there wouldn't be more than a few minutes remaining. The situation was critical.
"So noisy, you bastard. Do you know how much it hurts to get hit by a ball when you're not prepared?"
Tendou wiped his face, making sure his features were still in place before straightening up.
He didn't act immediately. Instead, he opened his "Power Plant" system and took a look.
Sure enough.
Countless bullet comments were already scrolling across the screen.
'Here I am, bro!' 'A soccer series, how rare!' 'How am I not the first one here?' 'This voice actor lineup, I love it!' 'Are they getting right into it? Who's the main character?' 'Definitely not the guy who just took a ball to the face.' 'Here we go, the place where the dream begins.'
The "sand sculpture" netizens were as cheerful as ever, mercilessly mocking Tendou who had just been hit.
Tendou now recognized which world this was. Thank heavens, it wasn't some supernatural world teeming with demons and monsters, but an ordinary one. It was a sports story, centered on soccer, called "Blue Lock." The plot was just beginning, what the bullet-comment masters called "the place where the dream begins."
"Is that guy the protagonist, the sadist Isagi Yoichi?" Tendou's eyes immediately fell on the player wearing the number 11 white jersey. He was currently tracking back quickly.
Tendou's blunder had given Kokuo a chance to counter-attack. After the defensive midfielder capitalized on the mistake, he launched a long ball from the backfield, sending it down the right flank. Kokuo's core player, right-winger Kira Ryosuke, easily trapped the ball and immediately began to drive towards Ichinan's territory.
"Seriously, what a mess right from the start."
Tendou cracked his neck. He hadn't even had time to figure out his role.
"But, it's always better to shine from the beginning than to be mediocre."
"What are you still standing there for, Tendou? Start running!" the coach on the sideline urged again.
Tendou was already in a bad mood. He turned his head and shouted, "Yakamashii! [You useless thing, just stand there and watch how I do it!]"
"Wha-What!?" The coach was stunned by his retort, then began to curse in a fit of anger, "You idiot Tendou..."
Tendou didn't hear the rest. His gaze was fixed on Kira Ryosuke, who was advancing with the ball. He took a deep breath.
"Thunder Breathing!"
"First Form!"
Swoosh—
With a surge of lightning, Tendou's body shot forward like a comet. His speed needed no further description; many of the players who were tracking back or attacking were astonished.
A hurricane seemed to sweep across the field.
Tendou started from the backfield, blew past player after player, and descended upon Kira Ryosuke in the attacking third.
"Watch out, Ryosuke!" Kokuo's coach keenly noticed the pursuing Tendou; the commotion he was making was simply too great.
"Watch out for what?" Kira Ryosuke had just used his excellent dribbling skills to get past two of Ichinan's defenders. He only needed to beat one more to have a one-on-one with the keeper. This was a golden opportunity to kill the game, how could he miss it?
He looked ahead at Ichinan's last defender, feinted after a touch, and left the man behind.
At this moment, Ichinan's goalkeeper was frantic; he was the team's last line of defense. Kira Ryosuke was Saitama Prefecture's star forward, hailed as one of Japan's football treasures. Japan had so many of these "treasures"; whether they would ultimately succeed or not, they were exceptionally good at hyping them up.
From about 20 meters out was already a good shooting range. With his shooting technique, the chances of scoring from this position were high, but he chose a safer method to ensure he killed the game, continuing to dribble towards Ichinan High's penalty area.
But then...
Just as he stepped into Ichinan's box, the hurricane behind him had arrived, carrying with it a boundless killing intent.
Tendou had sprinted over 70 meters, catching up to Kira Ryosuke just before he entered the penalty area.
The next second.
Tendou's body suddenly dropped to the ground. His six eyes locked onto the ball at his opponent's feet. His body slid rapidly forward, his right arm swinging back as his right leg shot out for a tackle.
BAM!
Under the tense gaze of the entire crowd, the Kokuo forward was sent flying into the air by Tendou's slide tackle, landing with a Neymar-esque roll.
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300 power stones = 1 bonus chapter
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