Isagi frowned, watching Team Y regroup.
"So, how do we stop him? You blocked their first counter, Ryan but you can't intercept every time."
Ryan sighed.
"Man, do you guys always need to ask me everything? You've got a brain, use it! Don't tell me you already forgot your own weapon."
"But…"
"Alright, alright, since you're being so earnest, here's a hint Nico's the same type of player as you."
"The same… type as me?"
Isagi thought about it. He wasn't strong. His body wasn't built like Kunigami's, nor was he fast like Chigiri.
He had no flashy dribbling or special shots.
Man, what am I even doing here? Can I really survive in Blue Lock?
Ryan noticed the light fading from Isagi's eyes.
"Hey, hey don't just dwell on what you don't have. You've got something no one else here does. Use it."
Isagi's mind flashed his Spatial Awareness.
That was his gift, the thing even Ryan couldn't copy.
"Good. Now the whistle's about to blow. Go out there and figure out how to use it."
Team Y restarted the match.
Their approach changed short, controlled back passes, avoiding any aggressive advances.
"Back! Don't force it forward!"
"Keep the ball moving, make them chase!"
Team Z began to tire as they ran in circles.
Everyone except Ryan, who was leisurely strolling across midfield.
"Hey, we're the ones in the lead," Ryan called out. "Why are we panicking? Let them pass all they want."
"We just want to score too!" someone shouted back. "A striker's got to keep attacking!"
Ryan shrugged.
"Fine, fine. You guys really don't know how to relax."
Eventually, through sheer effort, Team Z won the ball back.
It landed at Kunigami's feet.
"Kunigami, pass it!" Raichi yelled.
But Ryan raised a hand.
"No. Let him try. I believe in him."
Raichi hesitated, but stepped back.
Kunigami pushed forward. Team Y held their formation, giving him space but crowding the shooting lanes.
They're baiting me again… waiting to block the shot.
Damn it. Are they really going to shut down my only weapon like this?
No. I'm not stopping here. I'm not done yet. I'll go beyond my limit.
His pupils swirled like spirals.
From far beyond his usual range, Kunigami raised his leg.
Nico blinked he didn't expect the shot to come from that far.
The defenders hadn't even reached him before the ball blasted off his foot.
The keeper judged the flight not too fast, easy to track.
He raised his fists, ready to block.
But just as the ball was about to meet his hands
it dropped.
The air twisted around it. No spin, no curve, just a straight plunge.
A knuckleball.
The goalkeeper froze, helpless, as the ball dipped into the net.
GOAL!!!
Kunigami roared, ripping off his jersey as he sprinted across the field.
"YESSSS! LET'S GOOOO!"
His teammates chased after him, cheering.
"Kunigami! That range unreal!"
"Dude, did you secretly train at night?!"
As expected, the ref flashed a yellow card for the shirt removal.
The whistle blew halftime.
⚽ Halftime
In the locker room, Kuon stood at the tactical board.
"The plan's working. Stick to it in the second half and we'll secure the win."
Meanwhile, Isagi approached Ryan, looking uneasy.
"Ryan… I couldn't find that same feeling I had last match. Maybe my weapon isn't real. Maybe I just got lucky."
Ryan sighed and smacked his shoulder hard.
"Shut up, Isagi. If you don't believe in yourself, nothing I say will help. Take a breath. Feel the field. Sense every player's movement. That's your gift trust it."
⚽ Second Half
Team Y started again.
Isagi stayed back, watching their movements.
Then a flicker. That strange feeling returned, stronger than before.
Without thinking, he sprinted forward just as the ball came toward Nico.
He intercepted it cleanly.
"Nice one, Isagi! Pass it here I'll end this myself!" Raichi yelled.
But Ryan's voice cut through.
"Let Kunigami try again. I trust him."
Raichi huffed but backed off.
Kunigami advanced once more. Y Team's defenders set up the same trap closing lanes, waiting for the block.
They're using the same strategy again.
But now Kunigami was different. His eyes were calm.
He raised his leg once more and the defenders froze, remembering the last goal.
This time, though, the shot was a feint. He dragged the ball sideways, drawing defenders in.
The play collapsed.
Still, Y Team countered quickly, moving the ball back to Nico.
"It's up to you again, Nico!"
But before the pass even reached him Isagi was there.
"Any ball meant for you, I'll take."
Nico groaned.
"You're seriously annoying."
Isagi ignored him, passing to a teammate.
"Your time's coming, Isagi," Ryan called. "Use your weapon."
"No need. Let's stick to Naruhaya's formation," Isagi replied.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
He'd decided. Rather than breaking formation, he'd focus on shutting down Futago, the brain of Team Y.
The two faced off mirror images.
"You heard Ego's speech too, right?" Nico said calmly. "About using our weapons."
"Yeah. So what?"
"I thought long and hard. I'm not as fast or strong as the others. But I can read the field, direct people, control the flow. That's my weapon: my eyes and my brain. Even if you block me, you can't block my tactics."
He glanced at the scoreboard and the clock.
There's still time. Time for my last play.
Isagi noticed Ōkawa retreating into his own half something was off.
Before he could react, Team Y's entire squad surged forward together.
A full-scale all-out attack.
Z Team had overcommitted to offense; their backline was thin.
Y Team's passes became rapid and sharp, slicing through the half.
Suddenly, Nico was one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
He heard footsteps behind him, the familiar thunder of Ryan closing in.
He's catching up… as always.
But this time, I'll win.
Nico feinted a shot the keeper dove.
At the last second, Nico passed sideways, and Ōkawa burst into the open.
"Perfect pass!"
But before the ball reached him, a blur streaked across the turf
Isagi, eyes swirling, leg outstretched.
He intercepted it cleanly.
"I knew you'd pass, Nico. This is where the goal scent is strongest."
He glared at him.
"You and I are the same, same vision, same mind. But that's why I knew you'd never shoot yourself.
And that's why you'll never be a striker."
He launched a long ball down the flank.
Team Z broke out into a counterattack.
Ryan led the charge, picking up the pass on the wing.
He reached the edge of the box and looked back, smiling.
"It's all yours now, Isagi. You can make it there, right?"
He whipped a cross into the center.
Igarashi leapt for a diving header missed.
The ball kept rolling.
And there he was Isagi, sprinting into the perfect spot.
"How is he there?!" Ōkawa gasped.
Without stopping, Isagi swung his leg
"I'm a striker!"
The ball struck sweetly and rocketed into the net.
GOAL!!!
Isagi stood still for a moment, chest heaving, before letting out a raw, primal scream.
"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
The rest of the match was pure domination.
Team Y was broken mentally and physically.
Final Score: 10–0.
Ryan Hoshino: 6 goals
Rensuke Kunigami: 1 goal
Yoichi Isagi: 1 goal
Meguru Bachira: 1 goal
Hyōma Chigiri: 1 goal
When the whistle blew, Team Y collapsed to their knees, trembling.
Isagi walked among them, gazing down at their shattered expressions.
We crushed them. Eleven players' dreams destroyed by our goals.
He stopped in front of Nico, who pounded the grass in frustration.
Isagi stared down silently.
So this… is what it feels like to defeat someone with your own hands.
Nico lifted his head, revealing tear-streaked eyes beneath his bangs.
And Isagi felt something strange, not guilt…
but thrill.
Damn… this feeling… it's intoxicating.
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