The pass was simply incredible. The passes from the great midfield maestros of the football world are always so brilliant and elegant. Even if you see through their passing lane and guess their intention, unless you stop them before they release the ball, their passes will pierce your entire defensive line.
Hyoma Chigiri seemed to be just a hair's breadth away from stopping that ball and resolving the crisis for his team. But in reality, it was a place he could never reach. He couldn't have stopped Sae Itoshi's intended pass no matter what.
This isn't to say that Sae Itoshi is already a midfield maestro, but rather that for him, most of the Blue Lock players are too immature.
"Oh, just right!"
Ryusei Shidou's blood and every cell in his body came alive at that moment. He twisted his left foot and launched himself horizontally into the air, jumping in a posture comparable to Aomine's formless shots. His innate body balance allowed him to execute a shooting motion even in this situation, and a shooting motion that was a full-power strike.
In a flash, Hyoma Chigiri felt as if a pair of demonic wings had sprouted on Ryusei Shidou's back.
"The world doesn't know me yet. Do you think you can win just by doing things like passing the ball?"
"You're all too lame if you think that way!"
Ryusei Shidou looked at Hyoma Chigiri, who was close by, and then swung his dominant right leg violently in mid-air.
"How many times do I have to tell you guys? Football is not a sport, it's a life movement!"
"My weapon is 'Super-Spatial Awareness.' I use everything to score goals and survive on the field. It's an absolute scoring ability in the penalty box."
A golden glint, like a proclamation, flashed in Ryusei Shidou's eyes. This is his weapon. The body balance and irregular shooting motions, similar to Aomine, are his innate gifts. His true weapon is the Fox of the Penalty Box!
This means that as long as he's in the box, Ryusei Shidou is like a cunning fox. He can find the best position. This is an incredibly powerful weapon. As long as the ball and he are in the penalty box at the same time, Ryusei Shidou can find an opportunity to score.
It's over!
Despair flashed in Hyoma Chigiri's eyes. No one could stop Ryusei Shidou from scoring now. If he kicks this ball, a goal is certain. That's the feeling he gets.
This is Ryusei Shidou. Under the command of Sae Itoshi, the No. 3 player of Blue Lock has completely transformed into a demon.
But...
Zzzap!
The lightning suddenly surges, bursting into the goal with a speed that is too fast for the naked eye to track.
"It's impressive that you were able to chase the ball this far, Chigiri. You've improved."
"Tendou?!"
Tendou's voice suddenly exploded in his ears, bringing Chigiri's heart back to life.
Thump!
Tendou stomped his foot on the grass, and his imposing figure stood directly in front of Ryusei Shidou. As the latter watched, dumbfounded, Tendou swung his right leg, still charged with lightning, and kicked the ball that Ryusei Shidou had just sent.
Thump!
With a dull thud, Tendou's foot clashed with Ryusei Shidou's. The ball deflected and changed course, flying out of the penalty area.
"A free kick for the national youth team!"
"It's about 25 meters from the goal, an excellent opportunity."
"Who will take the kick? Will it be Sae Itoshi?"
"No, the recently subbed-on Ryusei Shidou is running up... but he's not taking it! The kicker is still Sae Itoshi. This isn't a normal free kick!"
"A horizontal pass! A wide-ranging play that goes around the Blue Lock wall!"
"Ryusei Shidou is jumping! Sae Itoshi's pass is absolutely perfect!"
"Oh my god, this is an completely unexpected free-kick play! Will the national youth team's first goal be born here?"
"Wait, it's Tendou! He has appeared in the most threatening spot for his team yet again!"
"He's a complete Wall of Sighs, crushing the national youth team's hope for a goal!"
The commentator on the field is going crazy. Sae Itoshi's pass is magnificent, and perfectly timing it to Chigiri's maximum distance is a masterpiece. And Ryusei Shidou's shot is equally brilliant. His strange and unpredictable shooting posture creates a huge impact.
However, none of this can compare to Tendou's Wall of Sighs. No matter how brilliantly the national youth team plays, he stands in front of the goal like a mountain, causing despair for the national youth team and their fans.
But Tendou's movements don't stop. He transforms into a silver-white light and runs around Ryusei Shidou. The landing spot of the ball is not ideal. A "clash" like that is uncontrollable even for Maradona, who had the best ball sense in history, let alone Tendou.
But others can't see it clearly.
"A counter-attack?" Isagi Yoichi is stunned, but his eyes are wide. "No, the crisis isn't over yet!" He shouts to warn his teammates, because in front of Tendou, he sees another dazzling light shining. It is Sae Itoshi. He's accelerating, fighting with Tendou for the first landing spot of the ball.
Rin Itoshi, Raichi Jingo, and Tabito Karasu also realize that the crisis isn't over. But they are powerless. It's too late to catch up. They are at least a big step behind those two.
On the field, two lights of different colors are rapidly approaching each other.
The whole stadium seems to have been muted as everyone watches Tendou and Sae Itoshi fight for the ball.
Whoosh!
Whoosh!
In the time it takes to breathe, the two of them have already reached the ball's landing spot. Tendou is faster, but his acceleration is slower and he's farther away.
Thump!
The dull sound of the ball hitting a foot is heard on the field. Then, people see the ball turn into a rainbow, flying over Tendou's head and into the penalty box again.
Sae Itoshi won.
Tendou kicks the air in his pursuit. The chance to win that spot was 50-50.
"Slowpoke."
"Hmph."
Sae Itoshi rarely says trash talk, and Tendou responds with a disdainful snort. He doesn't argue that Sae wouldn't even have a 50% chance if they switched places, because a loss is a loss. There are no excuses for either victory or defeat. That's the way it is on the field!
Inside the penalty box, chaos ensues. Both teams are fighting with all their might to get the ball and score. In the midst of the chaos, Ryusei Shidou overpowers Chigiri and kicks the ball into the goal with an unorthodox shot.
"GOOOOOOOOOAL!"
"It's a goal!"
"The scorer is the recently subbed-on Ryusei Shidou!"
"He scores right after coming on. This is an incredible feat for a player!"
"But let's not forget, the man who directed this goal is the genius Sae Itoshi!"
The commentator is reaching his peak, and a loud roar erupts from the crowd.
...
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