Chapter 17: The Rainbow Flick!
Central Pitch
The match's momentum shifted in an instant. Team X, once a scattered mess, found their rhythm as the first half wore on, their coordination tightening like a well-drilled unit.
Team Z felt the pressure mounting. Team X's relentless attacks battered their defensive line, each wave more ferocious than the last.
In the final ten minutes of the first half, Team X surged forward like they'd been injected with adrenaline, hammering Team Z's backline with unyielding intensity.
Kira and Kunigami, the forwards, had no choice but to drop back and reinforce the defense, their attacking roles sidelined by necessity.
Kira's mind raced. 'If I'm Team Z's core, earning their trust to lead our offense, Barou's doing the same for Team X. His sliding tackle and that goal-line clearance flipped the switch. A disorganized mob is now rallying around him.' It was exactly what Ego Jinpachi described—the process of football evolving from zero to one, sparked by a single player's brilliance.
Barou charged like a tank, relentlessly probing Team Z's defense for gaps, his powerful runs threatening to break through at any moment.
Thankfully, Raichi held his ground. He stuck to Barou like a stubborn vine, disrupting his rhythm. When Barou occasionally slipped past, defenders like Gagamaru stepped up, snuffing out the danger just in time.
Beeep!
"First half is over."
The whistle blew, and both teams staggered off, gasping for air. The match's intensity had caught everyone off guard, far beyond what they'd expected from their first game in Blue Lock.
Team Z, especially, felt the sting. They'd assumed their early goal would pave the way for an easy win, but Barou's dominance had turned the tide. As the half dragged on, doubts crept in—could they hold off Team X's onslaught in the second half?
Unease settled in their hearts.
...
Team Z Locker Room
Gulp, gulp, gulp…
Raichi chugged water like his life depended on it, then slammed the bottle down. "What's with you forwards? Are you even any good? I shut down their big guy, so how the hell are we getting pinned back like this?"
"It's not the forwards' fault," Kunigami said, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel. "Their midfield figured out our passing game. They're marking Kira tight, and it's choking our attacks."
"Then what's the plan?" Raichi snapped. "If this keeps up, our defense is gonna crack. We've got a whole second half to survive!"
All eyes turned to Kira, who was rubbing his chin, deep in thought, searching for a way to turn the tide.
"Oi, Kira, say something!" Raichi barked, his patience wearing thin.
"Cool it, Raichi. Stay calm," Kira said, his voice steady. "We're ahead. They're the ones who should be panicking, not us."
He laid out his plan with quiet confidence. "Second half, we switch to defense-first. We'll shift to a 5-4-1 formation. Kunigami, you drop to center-back. Chigiri, you move to full-back. We'll absorb their pressure and hit them on the counter. Their stamina can't keep up this pace forever. We just need to wait for our chance."
It was the best play available. In pro matches, teams leading early often bunker down to protect their advantage, striking when the opponent overextends.
Inwardly, Kira was frustrated. 'Barou's something else. To turn the game around like that… And I burned the Kunigami Trial Card in the first half without scoring. I need to make the next Attribute Card count.' He weighed his options. 'Maybe I save energy and use the Barou Trial Card at the critical moment to seal the game.'
He clapped his hands, rallying the team. "You all played great in the first half. Keep it up, and victory's ours. Team Z's got this!"
The team formed a circle, their spirits lifting.
"1, 2, 3!"
"Team Z, victory!"
...
Monitoring Room
"This match is wild. Both teams are neck and neck," Anri Teieri said, her voice tinged with awe. Team Z's slick coordination early on and Team X's fiery comeback led by Barou's heroics had far exceeded her expectations.
Ego Jinpachi's eyes gleamed with quiet surprise. He'd assumed it would take longer for these kids to grasp the concept of football evolving from zero to one. Yet both Kira and Barou had accelerated the process, each shaping their team in their own way. 'Will Kira's charisma carry Team Z to victory? Or will Barou's raw individualism prevail?' Even Ego couldn't predict the outcome. He leaned forward, watching intently.
...
Second Half – Central Pitch
Both teams returned to the field. Barou's sharp eyes immediately clocked Team Z's formation change.
"What's this? Turtling up now, you maggots?" he sneered, his voice dripping with provocation.
Kira faced him, a calm smile on his lips. "I'm more than enough to break through your defense single-handedly."
A vein pulsed on Barou's forehead. "Let's see if your defense is as tough as your big mouth."
Beeep!
The second half kicked off with Team X in possession.
Team Z's new 5-4-1 formation stifled Team X's attacks. Though Team X held the ball, Team Z's ironclad defense blocked their path forward, frustrating their every move.
"Damn turtles!"
"They're just trying to drag us down!"
Team X players hurled insults, their irritation growing.
Kira, unfazed, roamed the attacking half, occasionally dropping back to ease the pressure on his teammates' defense, his presence a constant threat.
10th Minute, Second Half
The ball reached Barou's feet, and Raichi was on him in an instant, sticking close like a relentless shadow.
"Tch." Barou's patience with this pest was wearing thin. 'Time to teach this guy a lesson.'
Raichi, having marked Barou all game, saw him as a clumsy brute. 'As long as I stay tight, his heavy footwork can't get past me.'
But Kira, watching from a distance, sensed danger. 'Is Barou about to dribble?'
"Careful, Raichi!" Kira shouted, his voice urgent.
'Careful? Of what?' Raichi frowned, confused.
Barou's eyes locked onto Raichi, his feet suddenly dancing with the ball. 'He's been holding back,' Raichi realized, tensing up. 'This guy's got skills. Left or right?'
Unfamiliar with Barou's dribbling, Raichi braced himself, eyes glued to the ball.
Barou surged forward, his large frame blocking Raichi's view. In a flash, he clipped the ball between his feet and flicked it upward—a rainbow flick.
The ball soared over their heads. Raichi, still staring at Barou's feet, blinked. 'Where's the ball?'
Barou was already gone, bursting past Raichi on the right.
Raichi stood frozen, dumbfounded.
"Defend! Defend!"
"Raichi, chase him! He's got you!"
Kira's frantic shouts snapped Raichi out of it.
'Beaten? Me?' Raichi spun around as the ball landed. Barou was already charging toward Team Z's goal.
"I… got styled on?" Raichi's face flushed with rage. "You damn spiky-haired freak, just you wait!"
He sprinted after Barou, desperation fueling his steps.
Barou, now clear of Raichi, faced Team Z's defenders—Chigiri and Igaguri—rushing to close him down.
"Amen! You're not getting past this monk!" Igaguri bellowed, striking a dramatic pose.
Barou didn't blink. He slipped the ball through Igaguri's wide stance with a nutmeg, leaving him rooted to the spot.
Chigiri, the long-haired speedster, darted in next.
"Too slow," Barou taunted, accelerating past. Chigiri, overeager, lost his balance and tumbled to the ground.
'This is bad!' Kira thought.
Gagamaru, on the flank, couldn't cover the distance in time. Barou was through, facing a one-on-one with the keeper.
Team Z watched helplessly as Barou lined up his shot. The ball rocketed toward the goal.
Iemon, Team Z's inexperienced goalkeeper, misjudged the trajectory completely.
Boom.
The ball blasted into the net.
The score was tied, 1-1.
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