Chapter 57: This Is the True Kaleidoscope of Offense
"Outstanding dribbling technique!"
Bachira couldn't stop himself from exclaiming in admiration. Dribbling was one of the weapons he was most proud of, yet even he had to admit that Kira Ryosuke's dribbling might have already surpassed his own.
"Is this guy playing street soccer or something?"
Zantetsu shouted with wide eyes. Even he had not expected Kira Ryosuke to pull off such moves.
To be able to perform these kinds of moves in an actual match meant not only incredibly refined technique, but also an extremely strong heart.
Mikage Reo was an incredibly well-rounded player, with no real weaknesses and exceptional defensive ability.
But even he—
was being toyed with on defense by Kira Ryosuke.
That was the overwhelming difference in skill.
Kira had already slipped past Reo with ease when another figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Nagi Seishiro.
At this moment, Nagi no longer had the lazy air he always carried. Instead, his eyes were focused and sharp—
like a lion locking onto its prey.
Just moments earlier, he had sprinted back with terrifying speed. The instant Kira passed Reo, Nagi was already there to provide backup defense.
"You're strong… stronger than anyone I've played against before."
Nagi said quietly as he stood before Kira.
A tiny bead of sweat finally appeared on his forehead.
"So, you're finally getting serious?"
Kira smiled at him.
"Yeah. If I keep slacking off, I'll lose."
Nagi replied.
"Kira, do you like soccer? I bet you've never lost either, right? Just like me."
"Honestly, I wasn't that into it before. But now… I'm starting to like it. I've been learning things I never experienced before—especially speed."
Kira answered.
"Is that so? Then we're pretty similar—"
"No. There's a big difference between us."
Kira narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I give my all in every match. As long as I set a goal, I'll dedicate everything to achieve it. That's the respect I show to my teammates and to my opponents."
"To teammates and opponents?"
A confused expression appeared on Nagi's face.
"But isn't that too troublesome? They're people without talent. They're not going to make it to the end anyway. It'd be better for them to give up early. Even my teammates—the ones who can get to the next round—they'll just be eliminated eventually."
His expression looked innocent, but there was no malice behind his words.
This was simply how Nagi viewed things.
If someone lacked talent, they shouldn't persist.
Teammates? They didn't matter. No one else contributed anything meaningful in the game anyway.
"That's exactly why we're different. Soccer isn't a one-man sport."
"But Ego Jinpachi said—"
"I'm going past you now."
Kira had no intention of arguing further.
He accelerated instantly, attempting to bypass Nagi from the side.
But Nagi wasn't someone who could be beaten so easily.
His physical ability was superb, and his sense of balance was exceptional. He immediately shifted his weight, adjusting to block Kira's path, refusing to give him any opening.
Behind Nagi, the rest of the defenders also began to close in, surrounding Kira.
But this level of pressure posed no threat to Kira Ryosuke.
He suddenly stopped the ball and turned, trying to bypass Nagi from the opposite direction. His movement was so fast that no one else could react in time.
But as a natural prodigy, Nagi reacted!
He pivoted in the opposite direction, blocking Kira again.
He stopped him!
Stopped him?
Only then did Nagi suddenly realize—
the ball was no longer at Kira's feet.
The very moment Kira turned, he had struck the ball with his heel, passing it away. His feint was so perfect that he fooled nearly everyone on the field, even his own teammates.
Only one person had recognized Kira's pass.
Isagi Yoichi.
He was the intended receiver.
As soon as the ball reached him, Isagi sprinted toward the opponent's penalty area at full speed!
"Damn it! His target is Isagi!?"
"Why is that guy so fast!?"
"Isn't he supposed to be the weakest on Team Z!?"
Isagi's burst of speed left Team V stunned. In their impression, Isagi had rough technique and average physical ability.
But now—
his speed was far greater than they had expected.
"Training with Kira really worked!"
Isagi thought to himself while observing the field.
Kira had told him to find his own weapon and use it on the field.
And now—this was the perfect moment.
In this match, Isagi played the role of a shadow striker!
A shadow striker hovered between forward and attacking midfielder, constantly switching between left, right, and center. That was the role Kira designed for him.
When the ace forward attracted enough defensive pressure—
the shadow striker would strike.
"Block him!"
Team V's defenders all converged toward Isagi, trying to shut him down completely.
At that moment, Isagi felt it—
the "premonition of scoring."
And the source of that premonition…
was Kira Ryosuke.
The instant Team V shifted their focus to Isagi, the defensive pressure around Kira weakened dramatically. As Isagi drove forward, Kira cut in at the perfect timing!
"Over to you, Kira!"
After attracting maximum defensive pressure, Isagi struck the ball hard, sending a perfect pass straight to Kira.
Ever since arriving in Blue Lock, Isagi had once doubted whether his playstyle was too unselfish, wondering if he needed to become the selfish egoist that Ego demanded.
But Kira and Ego's words had awakened him.
Scoring goals does not define a great striker.
A great striker—
is one who brings victory to the match.
Whether by passing or shooting, as long as it aligns with Isagi's own will—
and as long as it helps win—
the choice is correct.
"Nice pass!"
Kira received the ball cleanly. He now had enough space to shoot.
"I'll stop you!"
Only Nagi Seishiro had not been fooled by their tactic.
He sprinted at full speed along the shortest path—
directly toward Kira's shooting lane.
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!!