Chapter 68: Kneel, Itoshi Rin!
After finishing their training, evening had already arrived. Kira Ryosuke gathered his teammates and ran through their tactics.
Based on their expected opponents' formation, each person would be matching up against a different rival.
Niko would face Bachira, whose similar physique made him an appropriate matchup. Niko's solid defensive ability should be able to cause Bachira some trouble.
Kunigami would mark Tokimitsu Aoshi — the latter's monstrous physical strength made Kunigami, with his strong build, the most suitable to battle him for positioning.
Nagi Seishiro's natural athletic talent made him capable of handling Aryu Jyubei.
And finally, their opponent's strongest player, Itoshi Rin, would be Ryosuke's responsibility.
However, although there were preset matchups, the actual situation on the field would naturally change as the match unfolded.
At that moment, Kira Ryosuke opened his system interface.
[Host: Kira Ryosuke]
[Current Points: 130]
Today's daytime match had awarded him only 80 points — but that was still higher than he expected. After all, the player count and match scale were both smaller than a standard game, and the time spent was much shorter. Naturally, the points would also be less.
Still, tomorrow's opponents could be considered the strongest possible. In fact, their combined ability far exceeded even the Team V's "big three."
Tokimitsu and Aryu possessed ridiculous physical abilities, while Itoshi Rin — originally the undisputed number one in Blue Lock — not only had elite shooting technique, but also the same superb spatial awareness that Isagi and Niko possessed. He could read the entire field, even steer teammates to move exactly as he wanted — like a puppeteer controlling the battlefield.
But Ryosuke didn't believe he would lose.
"Tomorrow we'll be facing that guy Itoshi Rin. Are any of you nervous?"
Ryosuke looked at the others, waiting for their answers.
"Nervous? Maybe a little. But it's exactly because a guy like Rin exists that we need to win fair and square."
Kunigami responded with firm conviction.
"I already experienced that bitter feeling once. I don't plan on repeating it."
Even though Nagi kept his usual calm expression, his eyes were focused.
"Same here. I don't want to lose either. And honestly, the way he acts so arrogantly is irritating."
Niko nodded.
"Good. Then tomorrow, we'll end this in one go."
Kira smiled.
...
Meanwhile, Bachira and Itoshi Rin were training on another field on the same floor.
"Hey, Rin… do you have a monster in your heart?"
Covered in sweat, Bachirs sat on the grass, panting, turning to look at Rin.
"What the hell are you talking about, bowl-cut? What kind of half-baked question is that?"
Rin shot him a disdainful glance.
"It's not literally real. It's just an image of the ideal football one pursues. I think the strong ones all have something like that."
"No idea. But being ruled by that kind of childish fantasy is exactly why you're weak and boring on the field. Go play with monsters forever if you like — while I become the world's best."
Rin turned away, ready to leave.
But Bachira continued:
"But there's one person who's an exception. Kira… the monster in my heart feels fear toward Kira. Or rather, Kira is something even more terrifying than a monster. You absolutely can't underestimate him."
"What a ridiculous claim. He's just another stepping stone for me to climb over, and I'll crush him without mercy."
Rin replied, then left the field without looking back.
...
The next morning, Kira Ryosuke and his team arrived early at the floor's main hall.
Itoshi Rin's group was already waiting.
"Eager to die early, are you?"
Rin narrowed his eyes, locking onto Kira with cold contempt.
"I can send those words right back to you."
Kira replied casually, glancing around. Another team had also arrived — but he didn't recognize them.
Those four players wore expressions of pure fear. Every one of them had heard Rin's name — and had witnessed his terrifying ability during assembly. One of them had even faced Rin in the First Selection.
To them, challenging Rin was suicide.
Luckily, the rule for this round required mutual consent before a match could be established. So even if Rin's team challenged them, they could refuse.
"That guy's insane — actually challenging Itoshi Rin? I know he's strong, but compared to Rin? No chance…"
"This is suicide… They're definitely dropping back to the 3rd zone."
"Honestly, this is good for us. We can avoid Rin entirely!"
To them, Kira's team had no chance. Even if Kira had some fame — even if his first-place ranking meant he finished the 100-goal mission faster than Rin — none of them believed he could defeat Rin.
In their eyes, Rin was unbeatable.
Rin completely ignored the other team. He looked at Kira with absolute contempt.
"Fine. I'll send you to your death myself."
"I'll warn you ahead of time — if I win, I won't pick you. Get ready to go back and rebuild yourself from scratch. Let everyone see the great Itoshi Rin suffer an overwhelming defeat."
Ryosuke smiled.
"You're a stylish one,"
Aryu said, flicking his hair,
"but we'll be ending things stylishly too."
"Um… can we actually win…? I'm so nervous… So nervous… So excited…"
Tokimitsu muttered, looking overwhelmed yet trembling with anticipation.
"Oi, Kira, Kunigami — we'll be fighting each other seriously this time. I'll be going all out!"
Bachira grinned.
"So troublesome. Let's finish quickly."
Nagi said calmly.
"We'll be the ones winning."
Niko added.
"Bring it on!"
Kunigami stepped forward and bumped fists with Reo, smiling with both tension and exhilaration.
Soon, the eight players headed to the field. After fingerprint verification, the match was officially established.
Kira's group — White Team.
Rin's group — Red Team.
The match began with the Red Team attacking first!
Bachira sprinted past midfield with the ball, and Niko immediately pressed him tightly, refusing to allow any breakthrough.
"What a troublesome guy, thick bangs! Didn't expect to see you here!"
Bachira laughed, flicking the ball aside and passing it toward Rin.
"How boring. You really are just a bunch of rabble."
Rin stopped the ball calmly at midfield, raised his head, and stared down everyone present — including his own teammates.
"My stepping stone last round was your teammate, wasn't he? And you're not much different. I wish you'd all disappear. A football field is a battlefield — I'll kill you myself."
Rin suddenly raised his foot — shooting from midfield!
The blistering ball tore through the gap between Niko and Kunigami, flying straight toward the goal.
"What a sharp curve!"
Niko gasped. It was too fast to react to, and the curve was headed straight for the top corner — completely unstoppable.
The ball zeroed in on the upper-right corner of the goal.
"Be good and let me finish you."
Rin said coldly—
But his words froze.
His spatial awareness had detected something — something wrong on the field.
Just when everyone thought the ball was guaranteed to score, a swift figure cut in front of the goal.
Kira Ryosuke!
Thunderclap and Flash!
Kira compressed explosive force into his legs, leaping high and heading the "guaranteed goal" away with brute force.
"A very stylish shot — but an even more stylish clearance! That timing and vertical are extremely stylish."
Aryu openly praised the defense.
Rin's eye twitched. He had no idea how Kira got there.
Based on the instant he shot, he had perfectly tracked everyone's positions — Kira should have been far from the goal, incapable of interfering.
Yet right after the shot, he saw Kira sprinting toward the goal at absurd speed — on a perfectly direct path, as if he had read the shot's trajectory beforehand.
Which he had — thanks to his "Thunder Swarm", Kira predicted Rin's curve and disrupted it at the last possible second.
"This annoying bastard…"
Rin cursed.
The ball, headed away, landed at Nagi's feet. Nagi instantly tapped it away.
Kira, already sprinting forward from the goal area, received the ball in stride.
"Hey, you just bragged a bit ago — at least show something to match your words."
Kira flew toward Rin, who immediately retreated, tightening his defensive line while analyzing the spacing and player positions.
He funneled Kira along a predicted path where the field would narrow, letting Tokimitsu and Aryu collapse on him from both sides. Passing lanes would be cut off. The ball would be stolen easily.
This was Rin's true terror — manipulating the entire field invisibly.
"You're reading my movements, aren't you?"
Kira said.
"Your ability to see the entire field is indeed impressive — something I don't have."
"Good. That's the difference between me and insects like you — I see a landscape you'll never—"
"But."
Kira narrowed his eyes, smiling.
"Your ability means nothing to me."
"…What did you say?"
"You can see my attack route — so what?"
As he spoke, Ryosuke suddenly accelerated—
Thunderclap and Flash!
His sudden burst shocked Rin — it was even faster than before.
Instinctively, Rin shifted back, moving his weight to match the speed—
But before he could fully react, Bachira screamed:
"DON'T FALL FOR IT! IT'S A FEINT!"
"What—?"
Before Rin could respond, Kira slammed on the brakes — stopping dead in front of him.
To stop on a dime at that speed while perfectly controlling the ball demonstrated monstrous physical control, balance, and technique.
Kira's sudden rhythm shift threw Rin completely off — his center of gravity pitched forward, balance shattered, and with no footing—
He dropped to his knees.
Rin's eyes widened. It was the first time someone had beaten him 1-on-1, forcing him into such humiliation.
"On your knees? Looks like you finally learned some manners."
Kira's voice whispered by his ear as he fell.
The next instant — Kira shot forward like a gale, sprinting toward the goal.
Even with Aryu and Tokimitsu sprinting desperately, they couldn't keep up.
He struck—
Shot!
The Red Team's Blue Lock Man lunged, but it was hopeless.
Goal — 1:0!