Chapter 16: The Defending Striker
Central Pitch
"Launch the assault!"
Team Z charged forward like a pack of wolves, their momentum unstoppable. Leading the attack was Isagi, dribbling down the right wing with fierce determination.
His feet danced with the ball, shifting rapidly as two Team X defenders closed in, their eyes locked on him. Isagi's mind raced. 'If this were Bachira, he'd slip past these guys no problem. Me? I might lose the ball.' He couldn't afford to squander this counter-attack. 'Pass back? No way—that'd kill our chance. Someone, anyone, has to be up there!'
A flash of memory hit him—Kira's figure darting into the left forward space moments ago. No time to adjust. Isagi trusted his instincts and slotted a through pass into the gap ahead and to his left.
"Great ball, Isagi!"
"Beautiful pass!"
Team Z's players erupted in cheers from behind, their voices low to avoid tipping off Team X's defenders. From their vantage point, they had a clearer view than Isagi, whose vision was blocked by the onrushing defenders.
The moment Isagi intercepted the ball, Kira had already begun his sprint from midfield, blazing into the exact space Isagi targeted.
"Nice!" Isagi's heart surged, picturing Kira receiving the pass, taking on the keeper one-on-one, and burying the goal.
Though the pass was rushed, Isagi's passing skills were solid. 'This kind of sudden through ball… it's my thing.'
But just as Team Z anticipated Kira's finish, a towering figure exploded onto the scene from the side. With a thunderous slide, he tackled the ball cleanly, sending it careening out of play.
The pitch fell silent, the air thick with shock.
'When did he…?'
The precision of the tackle—anticipating the passing lane and executing it flawlessly—sent a chill through Team Z.
As the figure rose, his face came into view: Shoei Barou, Team X's core.
"Raaaaah!" Barou roared, punching the air and glaring at the sky, venting the frustration that had been simmering since the match began. His satisfaction was palpable, his defensive play a statement of defiance.
Isagi's face twisted with regret. 'I passed too late. If I'd spotted Kira's run sooner, Barou wouldn't have had a chance.' In high school, his passes always outpaced his teammates. Now, for the first time, he felt his pass couldn't keep up with Kira's movement. 'Is this the level of Blue Lock? This pressure… it's insane.'
Barou turned, locking eyes with Kira, who hadn't received the pass. "I see it now," he said, his voice dripping with confidence. "You're Team Z's core. They all revolve around you."
Kira's expression hardened, his focus razor-sharp.
Barou pressed on, his tone brimming with certainty. "That number 11—your eyes. His passes fuel your deadliest attacks. No one else can read your runs like he can. That big oaf on the left? Just a decoy. Your real strength is on the right flank with number 8, your progressor. His dribbling sets up your moves. Your shooting and positioning are top-notch, but cut your ties to them, and you're a bird without wings. Done for."
"Am I right, you stinking bird?"
Barou's smirk radiated arrogance, as if he'd unraveled Team Z's entire game plan.
Kira's face stayed stoic, but inside, his mind churned. 'He's seen through it? The tactics I set up yesterday—decoded in just ten minutes? Barou's football IQ is terrifying. I underestimated him.'
Still, he kept his cool, flashing a cold smirk. "So what? Our momentum's unstoppable. Your Team X is just you now—a king with no followers. Can you hold off our attacks alone?"
Barou didn't bite. Instead, he spun toward his teammates, his voice a thunderous bellow. "You maggots, snap out of it! Want your football careers to end here? Get off my pitch and stop clogging my view!"
"Barou…"
"He's fighting like hell. Are we just gonna stand around?"
"We're all high schoolers here—who's scared of who? Let's take them!"
Team X's players roared back, ignited by Barou's fiery tackle. Their sagging morale surged, their resolve hardening. They weren't ready to roll over.
Barou raised his chin, nostrils flaring. "Well, stinking bird? My servants are back. Ready to fight to the death?"
A spark of excitement flickered in Kira's eyes. His serious demeanor melted into a warrior's grin. "Bring it on."
Beeeep!
"Match continues. Throw-in for Team Z."
The game resumed, but Team X's defense, now bolstered by Barou's presence, was like a steel wall. Team Z's attacks faltered, unable to penetrate. Barou's relentless pressing choked their midfield, turning the game into a gritty battle in Team X's half.
35th Minute, First Half
"Use Kunigami Trial Card."
[Kunigami Trial Card activated.]
[Strength +15 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +10 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
Kira couldn't wait any longer. 'We've got to break this stalemate. One goal's not enough—I want to bury them.' With the trial card's boost surging through him, he sprinted toward the left flank.
Isagi, holding the ball, spotted Kira's run and glanced at Kunigami's position. Without hesitation, he lofted a high, arcing pass toward Kunigami.
Kunigami's eyes lit up. 'Finally, my side!' He charged toward the ball's landing spot.
Team X's defenders swarmed, drawn to the ball. Even their goalkeeper shifted focus to Kunigami.
'Too high!' Kunigami leaped, but the ball sailed over his head. He cursed Isagi's pass in his head. 'What's he think I am, a superhero?'
No—perfect height.
The ball cleared Kunigami and dropped right in front of Kira, who'd arrived behind him. With flawless timing, Kira swung his left foot, unleashing a powerful strike.
If Kunigami had looked back, he'd have seen a shot mirroring his own long-range style.
"What?! Wasn't he on the right?"
"From that far out?"
"That's his left foot? Not his right?"
The ball answered their shock, soaring in a perfect arc toward the top right corner—a world-class shot.
The goalkeeper, blocked by Kunigami's frame, didn't see Kira's strike coming. He had no chance to react.
'It's over!'
Team X's players felt a chill. Their hard-fought defense was about to crumble.
Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap!
The sound of studs scraping turf cut through the tension. A towering figure surged in front of the goal. As the ball neared the line, he launched himself into the air with both legs.
Barou!
With every ounce of strength, he thrust his forehead upward, meeting the ball head-on.
Boom!
The ball smashed against Barou's head, deflected away. A Team X defender instantly booted it out of play with a desperate clearance.
Barou crashed into the net, hitting the ground hard.
Silence gripped the pitch.
The dramatic, last-second clearance left both teams stunned.
Kira's jaw dropped. 'You're a striker, man! Since when is defending your job? Dropping back to midfield is one thing, but now you're on the goal line?'
Team Z's players, further back, had seen it all—Barou sprinting dozens of meters to make the save.
"ROOOOOOOOOOAR!!!!!!!"
The roar came not from Barou, still on the ground, but from Team X's players. Their goalkeeper rushed to pull Barou up, and the team swarmed him, cheering wildly for his heroic feat.
In the chaos, Barou stood, fists clenched, face flushed, veins bulging. His eyes locked onto one person: Kira, who stared back with a mix of shock and respect.
Barou knew it—he'd been pushed to the edge by this guy.
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