(Everyone else is one thing, but seriously—why is Rin just standing there doing nothing?)
Ryūma had been completely absorbed in dealing with Ryusei Shido and Kudo Tōya earlier, so he hadn't noticed anything wrong at all.
Only now did he finally catch on. When his peripheral vision swept past Rin Itoshi, he almost exploded on the spot.
(Oh, great. I'm really done with this guy.)
(So you're just hanging back, waiting for the perfect moment to swoop in and steal the ball, huh? No—actually, you're waiting for the exact second I go down.)
(Yeah, sure, that'd be the perfect time to grab the ball, but still—!)
Ryūma's teeth were grinding in frustration as he kept cursing inwardly.
(But damn it!! You couldn't come help me steal the ball even once? You had to play the lone wolf? Seriously?!)
(Don't tell me you're getting revenge on me by letting me make a fool of myself. Unbelievable… Rin, you absolute menace…)
Before he could continue complaining in his head, Ryūma suddenly sensed that Ryusei Shido and Kudo Tōya were handling him with even more ease than before.
(What? Why is this getting harder?)
(Did Tōya level up somehow? No… I can still read every single one of his movements.)
With that thought, he lunged forward again, aiming to intercept the ball Ryusei Shido had sent back toward Kudo Tōya.
But the next moment, Ryusei Shido cut forward with a sharp step, slamming his back into Ryūma to block him.
Ryūma didn't even think about dodging. In fact, he almost laughed.
(Hah, trying to collide with me? What are you thinking?)
They crashed together with a heavy thud.
Ryūma didn't budge an inch—but the expression on his face froze in shock.
"Surprised? Haha, well, you should be!"
Because Ryusei Shido hadn't been pushed back either—he had matched Ryūma blow for blow.
Ryūma opened his mouth to say something, but Ryusei Shido had already dashed off toward the opposite side.
Seeing Shido change direction, Ryūma immediately yelled at Rin:
"Rin! Don't go there! It's Tōya's trap!"
But by the time Rin Itoshi heard him, it was already too late. Ryusei Shido burst forward with terrifying speed, cutting him off and pinning him with his back.
A closer look showed that Ryusei Shido's speed now rivaled Ryūma's maximum—without Ryūma even activating his Limit-Breaking State.
Rin's eyes narrowed in shock. He clearly hadn't expected Ryusei Shido to suddenly unleash such absurd speed.
Thankfully, Ryūma had already intercepted Kudo Tōya again. Even before Shido tried to block Rin, Ryūma had already seen Tōya winding up for a pass.
"Heh, I saw that too, Ryūma!"
"Don't waste time, Ryusei—again!"
"Got it!"
Shido dashed toward Tōya, and Tōya sent the ball right back to him.
Just as Ryūma moved in for the interception, Ryusei Shido—still mid-run—threw his weight into Ryūma again.
Ryūma had fully anticipated the move. But the instant he adjusted his trajectory, Shido also shifted—almost at the exact same moment—cutting him off again.
(This ability? Prediction? No, wait!)
(This is similar to Kudo Tōya's ability… but a more crude version. Tōya's intercept routes are always precise and optimized. Shido's is rougher, but—)
(What?! Speed, strength, reaction time, prediction—this all-around boost… This is the technique Shido mentioned earlier!?)
(No wonder he said he was dying to make him his partner. So that's what he meant!)
"Rin, go together! No one can take them on alone right now!"
"Keep up. Don't drag me down."
Rin's cold words dropped as he shot toward Kudo Tōya, and Ryūma instantly understood—he moved to block Ryusei Shido.
But in their current state, Shido and Tōya moved like they shared a single mind—no, even closer than brothers.
The proof? Even with both Ryūma and Rin combining forces, they still couldn't break through the Shido–Tōya duo.
(What? They can still get stronger? Hold on!)
(So Tōya's technique doesn't simply double a teammate's ability—it awakens their full potential and amplifies it!)
(Just what did he go through during the second selection to become this monstrous?!)
Ryūma was shocked, but he kept lunging in, doing everything he could to halt Shido's advance.
It wasn't enough. He managed to slow Shido and Tōya down, but he still couldn't take the ball.
Rin faced the same problem. He'd already deduced that Shido's transformation was linked to Kudo Tōya.
What he couldn't understand was how Kudo Tōya—who used to be nothing more than a schemer hiding in the shadows—was now teaming up with Ryusei Shido to overpower both him and Ryūma.
(Damn it! If only I could awaken the quadruple "Slow-Motion World," there's no way I'd be stuck like this!)
His training time had been too short. Ryūma had only managed to activate the quadruple Slow-Motion World once, and even then, it had been unstable—dangerously so.
After that activation, Yo Hiori hadn't congratulated him. Instead, he'd frowned and told him:
"You're completely out of sync, Ryūma. Your movements feel disconnected."
"This disconnect shows up every time you gather information on the field, dodge an interception, or try to adjust your shot angle and form."
"A few moments were especially obvious. Your eyes looked right, your body leaned right…"
"But your step went left. You nearly tripped over yourself."
"It's the same when you shoot. It's like your body just can't keep up with your brain."
Ryūma replayed Yo Hiori's words in his mind. The quadruple Slow-Motion World was strong—no doubt.
But if he couldn't overcome that disconnect, using it would only get him killed.
Ryūma shook his head hard, clearing his thoughts. Now wasn't the time for that.
Kudo Tōya and Ryusei Shido were already pushing deep into the left lane of their defensive third. The match had turned into a battle of four.
The other six players couldn't interfere at all—they could only mark each other tightly, ready in case the ball suddenly broke loose.
From afar, Yoichi Isagi stared blankly at the fierce clash between the four, stunned.
(So this is Blue Lock's TOP 4… They're insane.)
(We're not even in the same league. I can't even step in to help.)
(Of course… Those four are playing in a dimension I can't even comprehend right now!)