Chapter 17: Simulated Personality
Countdown 00:10:04.
As the captain of Team Z, Naruhaya Asahi strolled lazily at the front of the corridor, like a young Asian elephant about to begin feeding. There was not the slightest hint of nervousness about the final match — yet even in such a relaxed state, he unconsciously radiated an aura that sent chills down one's spine.
The other team members followed behind him cautiously, keeping a safe distance while trailing step by step.
Thus, the entire group slowly made their way toward the pitch where an intense showdown would soon unfold.
As they stepped onto the field, they saw that Team V was already fully prepared, standing neatly in formation, waiting.
The moment Naruhaya Asahi appeared, the gazes of every player on Team V shot toward him like a volley of sharp arrows.
There was no doubt — from the vigilance in their eyes, Team V had clearly identified Naruhaya Asahi as their greatest threat.
Judging from this scene, Team V, much like Team Y previously led by Niko Ikki, was planning to use a "numbers advantage tactic" to completely seal off the little tyrant's attacking routes, leaving him no options.
Isagi Yoichi and Bachira Meguru exchanged looks and nodded in mutual understanding.
This situation aligned perfectly with the plan they had carefully devised beforehand.
Both began warming up.
This match against Team V was not only the final game of the first selection, but also the opportunity to overturn Naruhaya Asahi's "reign" and test their own strength.
Victory or defeat rested on this moment. Every player on the field felt a burning fighting spirit within their chest.
Countdown 00:00:01.
[KICK OFF]
LAST GAME — begins now.
---
At kickoff, Nagi Seishiro stood at the center spot and easily tapped the ball toward Mikage Reo.
Mikage received it steadily and began to advance with the ball.
On the left side of the pitch, Zantetsu also moved into action.
Meanwhile, on Team V's side, aside from their three ace players surging forward like arrows, three other physically strong midfielders also sprinted in. They rushed toward Naruhaya Asahi, forming a surrounding formation, enclosing him in the blink of an eye.
The match had barely begun, and Team V immediately committed three players solely to sealing off the tyrant's greatest weapon: speed.
As expected, held down by the trio, Naruhaya Asahi stopped moving.
Near him, Isagi and the other Z players showed no intentions of helping break the encirclement.
Their eyes were fixed firmly on Mikage Reo, watching his passing movements.
There was no denying Mikage's talent. As one of Team V's key figures, his abilities were extremely balanced.
From his stat panel — strength, speed, technique — everything was nearly flawless.
He was essentially Team V's starting point for scoring.
If they couldn't stop his passes, the match would become exceedingly difficult for Team Z — especially without their tyrant in motion.
So Isagi sprinted toward Mikage at full power, attempting to cut off his next pass.
Unfortunately, despite giving everything he had, the clear differences in speed and physique between the two made a clean one-on-one interception impossible.
Thankfully, while Mikage dribbled, Bachira appeared before him, blocking his path.
Because of that, Isagi finally caught up, and the two Z players tightly marked Mikage, preventing him from advancing and successfully stopping Team V's sharp attack.
According to their pre-match strategy, if things went as planned, Mikage would be forced to pass backward — the nearest teammate being on the left wing:
Zantetsu, Team V's fastest player, and a left-footer.
In Isagi's vision, Zantetsu had already arrived at the receiving point. Mikage's pass would be heading to him next.
Whoosh—
A shadow appeared where no one expected.
That flowing caramel-colored hair — unmistakable.
It was the tyrant who had been surrounded before the match even started — Naruhaya Asahi.
Using his left leg, as elegantly as a swallow carrying a willow branch, he intercepted the pass meant for Zantetsu and instantly dashed toward Team V's goal.
The three midfielders who had surrounded him were now chasing desperately behind.
Clearly, just moments earlier, Naruhaya Asahi had broken through their blockade and intercepted Mikage's pass with sheer overwhelming speed.
Seeing this, Mikage gave a bitter smile and immediately rushed toward Naruhaya to cut him off.
Before the match, Team V had gathered and discussed Naruhaya with grave expressions.
After analyzing him deeply, they realized that trying to stop him with numbers alone was nearly impossible.
First, physically, he was small and slender — making his movements difficult to read and predict.
Second, his speed was monstrous, far beyond ordinary players, making surrounding tactics nearly useless.
Third — and most terrifying — was his strength. With his overwhelming speed, each of his charges felt like a miniature elephant stampeding straight ahead, scattering anyone in his path.
Faced with an opponent with such three overwhelming advantages, Team V's hastily assembled blockade strategy was powerless.
So at this moment, Mikage did not blame the three midfielders.
They had clearly done their best.
But as he chased Naruhaya, Mikage felt a disturbing sensation — Naruhaya's running posture overlapped eerily with that of Zantetsu.
A very bad feeling surged through him.
While running, Mikage shouted sideways:
"Hey, dumb Zantetsu! Doesn't that guy look like you when he runs?!"
"Huh?!"
Zantetsu stared seriously at Naruhaya, then blankly replied:
"Not at all."
"YOU IDIOT ZANTETSU!!!"
Mikage didn't waste another breath on the four-eyed idiot pretending to be smart.
He yelled for the defenders to block Naruhaya's shot.
Naruhaya had already reached a sharp-angle mid-range shooting position on the right side of the goal.
But Team V's defenders were clearly not in place yet.
PONG
The ball flew into the goal.
[GOAL!!!]
[0 : 1]
"..."
Naruhaya watched the ball enter the net and blankly turned back toward midfield.
In contrast, Mikage's face twisted in horror. His heart felt like it had skipped a beat.
That shooting angle… that speed…
There was no mistake.
If the tyrant continued like this, then the terrifying guess in Mikage's mind would be proven correct.
Meanwhile, the other Z players felt a mixture of frustration, discouragement, and despair at seeing Naruhaya score alone again.
But among them, one person's reaction stood out.
"Hey, Bachira… what's with those eyes?"
As Naruhaya returned to midfield, he saw Bachira looking at him with amused interest.
From those eyes, Naruhaya sensed a powerful desire — the yearning to challenge a stronger opponent.
He remembered seeing countless dribbling geniuses on his phone screen beside Mr. Arthas.
Free-spirited, mischievous, creative players whose unique playstyle lit up the field.
This yellow-tailed boy before him had that same aura — overflowing imagination, natural dribbling talent.
Naruhaya gazed into his eyes, trying to read his thoughts.
But countless white threads of "desire" wrapped tightly around Bachira's pupils, creating a fog impossible to decode.
Even so, Naruhaya's instincts told him this imaginative player would be the spark that made this match exhilarating.
The whistle blew for kickoff again.
Naruhaya returned to his usual speed and movement patterns, intercepting Team V's ball immediately.
Then, without hesitation, he perfectly mimicked Mikage Reo's signature motion — with superb ball control — and sprinted forward.
But Team V was now on high alert.
Zantetsu, Mikage, and the defenders moved together like a solid wall, blocking his route.
In that instant, Naruhaya's brain raced.
In the next moment — decision made.
BANG
The ball shot from his foot like magic, following a perfect curve and speed, landing precisely at Bachira's feet.
Bachira received it smoothly without hesitation, grinning in his eerie way as he charged ahead — no thanks given.
The two had exchanged no words, yet understood each other completely in that moment.
Such supernatural coordination left everyone stunned.
No one had expected Naruhaya to pass — especially to Bachira.
Players like him, overwhelmingly stronger than their team, normally never relinquished the ball.
Mikage, however, instantly grasped Naruhaya's intention.
The tyrant had abandoned mimicking Zantetsu's speed — and switched to mimicking his own passing style.
Rage surged.
"BASTARD!"
He charged toward Bachira.
Nagi immediately took Mikage's former position, blocking Naruhaya tightly.
Mikage prepared himself — confident.
Among Team Z, only Naruhaya was a true threat.
Someone like Bachira should be easy to stop.
But—
Bachira grinned:
"You V-guys are really strong… and Asahi is awesome too. He figured out what I wanted in just an instant. So hype! Too hype!"
"Watching you guys play while ignoring everyone else… I realized something."
"No matter if it's weapons or formulas, pushing them to their limits isn't enough.
To steal a shot from monsters like you—"
"—I gotta surpass my own limits."
His eyes shone with a burning desire to score.
Mikage's heart skipped.
"My monster says…
when you're cornered, don't be scared—
be excited."
That eerie smile, that free-flowing aura, that dribbling style shrouded in fog-monsters—
This was Bachira Meguru.
Team Z's dribbling maestro.
Mikage finally acknowledged him:
"Interesting. Come, Bachira."
"Gladly."
Bachira unleashed a blistering scissors feint.
His crisscrossing legs spun like a blur, making it impossible for Mikage to read his direction.
Just as Mikage moved in, Bachira spun into a Marseille turn, slipping past him.
With no choice left, Mikage yelled at Zantetsu to abandon the siege on Naruhaya and cut off Bachira instead.
With explosive speed, Zantetsu reached him in moments.
He tried to stop him with his super-sprint—
—but Bachira whipped an airborne elastico around him with ease.
Endless inspiration surged through Bachira.
Facing the three remaining Team V defenders, he felt no fear — only rising thrill.
"Great, great. We're here to become the world's number one strikers.
If we can't beat even you guys… then our 'striker potential' isn't worth anything."
His words snapped Team Z awake.
He weaved past defender after defender and entered the penalty box.
BONK
The ball struck the net.
[GOAL!!!]
[0 : 2]
Seeing this, Naruhaya's lips curved slightly.
Thanks to Bachira's brilliance, his constant urge to vomit during the match finally eased.
Just as he turned to head back—
A white silhouette blocked him.
Nagi Seishiro stared at him.
Naruhaya tried to walk past, but Nagi mirrored his movement exactly.
Naruhaya looked at him… understood… and laughed:
"So you noticed too?"
Nagi nodded.
"You were copying Reo's passing, weren't you?"
Naruhaya nodded.
"Simulated Personality.
It's a new technique I just learned.
By watching an opponent's past match videos, I can temporarily simulate their personality — and replicate their techniques."
Hearing this, Nagi's eyes sharpened dangerously.
Naruhaya ignored the change, patting his shoulder.
"Relax. I won't mimic Mikage again.
When I simulated him… I realized his mind spends most of its attention on you.
That's his built-in weakness — and it became a debuff on me."
He gave Nagi a look full of contempt.
"Mikage or you — the two of you really are a useless 'mother-and-son' pair."
"The moment I canceled the simulation, I genuinely hoped you two would hurry up and get kicked out of BLUE LOCK."