Chapter 36: Team Z's Preparation
Blue Lock Cafeteria
"Oh? Interesting. What's the wager?" Barou asked, his eyes glinting with intrigue.
Niko leaned back, smirking. "Let's say… 100 push-ups."
Barou and Junichi Wanima, the older twin, nodded in agreement.
"But, you long-banged punk, why do you think Team Z can win?" Barou pressed, clearly curious about Niko's confidence.
Niko shrugged. "Intuition, I guess. Kira from Team Z feels like a player with limitless potential. I wouldn't be surprised if he beats anyone."
"Limitless potential?" Barou muttered, falling into thought. Memories of his first match against Kira flooded back—how that guy had perfectly replicated his Rainbow Flick. Reluctantly, Barou found himself agreeing with Niko. This match was going to be intense.
…
Monitoring Room
Ego Jinpachi, for once, wasn't slouched in his usual seat. He sat upright, eyes fixed on the screen, flipping through documents with intense focus.
Anri Teieri, watching from the side, could hardly believe it. Seeing Ego this serious was rare. "Ego-san, you seem a bit excited about this match too," she said, unable to resist commenting.
"Is that so?" Ego replied, not denying it. He rubbed his temples, his voice calm but sharp. "This is the battle for first place in Building 5. Both teams are evenly matched. If I don't pay close attention, I might miss critical details."
Anri nodded. In high-level matches, when two elite teams clashed, it came down to the smallest margins. A single mistake could be exploited, turning into a game-changing attack.
Ego paused, then, unusually, turned to Anri. "Who do you think will win between these two teams?"
Anri blinked, caught off guard. "Huh? Ego-san, you're asking me?" Normally, she'd ramble about matches unprompted, only for Ego to brush her off. Him seeking her opinion was new.
After a pause, she finally answered. "Well… based on pure skill, Team V's three core players have shown slightly more dominance on the field than Team Z's. Logically, Team V should win, but…"
"But?" Ego leaned in, intrigued.
"But… I feel Team V lacks a certain respect for their opponents. Team Z, under Kira's leadership, had been preparing seriously from the start. So, I'm still rooting for Team Z!" Anri declared, her enthusiasm bubbling over.
Ego raised an eyebrow. "How do you know Team Z has been actively preparing?"
Anri's cheeks flushed slightly. "Ah, never mind that… I just know." No way was she admitting she'd been sneaking peeks at Team Z's video and training room feeds through the surveillance system. That'd make her sound like some kind of stalker, right?
"Interesting," Ego said, his tone thoughtful. "I overlooked that. In terms of desire to win, there's indeed a gap between the two teams."
…
Building 5, Central Pitch
Both teams were ready, the air electric with anticipation.
Kira's mind buzzed as a familiar system prompt appeared:
[Detected attribute that can be absorbed!]
[Dribbling +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Passing +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Speed +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Retention Time: 24 hours]
[Absorb?]
[Detected attribute that can be absorbed!]
[Speed +25 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Retention Time: 24 hours]
[Absorb?]
[Detected attribute that can be absorbed!]
[Trapping +30 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +20 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Retention Time: 24 hours]
[Absorb?]
'Here they come,' Kira thought, mentally chanting, Absorb.
[Absorption successful. Obtained Reo Mikage Attribute Trial Card x1]
[Dribbling +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Strength +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Speed +12 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +15 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Retention Time: 24 hours]
[Silently chant 'Use Reo Mikage Trial Card' to activate!]
[Absorption successful. Obtained Zantetsu Tsurugi Attribute Trial Card x1]
[Speed +25 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Retention Time: 24 hours]
[Silently chant 'Use Zantetsu Tsurugi Trial Card' to activate!]
[Absorption successful. Obtained Seishiro Nagi Attribute Trial Card x1]
[Trapping +30 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +20 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
[Retention Time: 24 hours]
[Silently chant 'Use Seishiro Nagi Trial Card' to activate!]
'As expected of Team V's core,' Kira thought, marveling at the stats. In the original story, Isagi and the others beat Team V on their own. 'With me on Team Z, losing isn't an option.'
"Kira, you nervous?" Bachira asked, stretching nearby. He'd noticed Kira seemed a bit off—less composed than usual before a match.
"A little," Kira admitted. "We're facing Team V, after all." He'd be lying if he said he wasn't feeling the pressure. As Team Z's leader, failing to secure this win would make his past victories feel hollow.
"Relax. Just enjoy the match. That's what you told me, right?" Bachira said, his big eyes sparkling like a ray of sunshine. His words eased Kira's tension, warming his heart.
On the other side, Team V was sizing up Team Z.
"See that guy with the white hair over there?" one of Team V's players said, pointing at Kira.
"He's really strong. Team Z's absolute core!" another added.
Zantetsu Tsurugi was suddenly standing beside Reo Mikage, who glanced at Kira before turning his gaze to Nagi. "No matter how good he is, he can't be more of a genius than Nagi."
Zantetsu shrugged, helpless.
Beeep.
The match began.
Team Z took the kickoff, sticking to their usual tactic. Kira passed back and made a forward run. Due to the formation change, Isagi, the playmaker, wasn't in his usual midfield spot. Before launching an attack, Team Z circulated the ball among their defenders.
Team V, however, wasn't giving them time to settle. As Kunigami received a pass, a lightning-fast figure darted in, intercepting the ball with a single touch.
Zantetsu Tsurugi.
"Dammit! Sloppy!" Kunigami cursed, frustrated.
Kira raised his arm high, a signal Team Z recognized—one of their planned tactics was about to unfold.
Zantetsu didn't hold the ball long. He passed it back to the advancing Reo Mikage and immediately started an off-the-ball run. This guy's fast, Kira noted, watching Team V's players while lingering in their half.
"Good interception, you idiot Zantetsu!" Reo shouted, taking the ball and driving forward. His speed wasn't slow either.
Bachira was ready, closing in to challenge him. Reo glanced at Bachira with a hint of disdain, the corner of his mouth lifting. 'One guy can't stop me.'
But just as he prepared to break through, a warning flashed in his mind. He spotted Isagi, lying in wait on his intended dribbling path. If Reo committed, he'd face a double-team, trapped by Isagi and Bachira.
'Team Z's no pushover,' Reo thought, his earlier arrogance fading. 'They're different from the teams we've faced.'
He played a lateral pass to the sprinting Zantetsu.
Kira, watching from afar, muttered to himself, "Everything is going according to plan…"
----
For every 100 total Power Stones, I'll drop another +1 bonus chapter!
If you're enjoying the story and want to read future chapters early, just search "Demonic_Fiction" on "P4trƐon" (link in the synopsis)