Chapter 19: The Same Rainbow Flick!
"Stop him!"
"Quick, quick, quick!"
"Don't let him near the goal!"
Team X's defenders shouted, their voices laced with desperation as Kira tore down the left flank, a predator locked onto his prey.
Two defenders converged, determined to halt his charge before he could threaten the goal.
Kira didn't blink. A sly grin spread across his face as he deftly nudged the ball through the first defender's legs.
Nutmeg!
In a seamless motion, he darted past, the ball glued to his feet as if enchanted, leaving the defender grasping at air.
"And me!" the second defender roared, lunging forward to block Kira's path.
Kira's grin widened. Same trick, no hesitation. Another nutmeg! The ball slipped through the defender's legs with surgical precision, leaving him stunned, his careful stance—tightened after watching his teammate get burned—rendered useless.
"Humiliating!" the defender muttered, his face burning with shame as he stood frozen, outplayed in an instant.
Kira's eyes gleamed, sensing a clear shot at the goalkeeper. But just as he prepared for the one-on-one, a towering figure stormed in from the side—Barou, who'd sprinted the length of the pitch after his clash with Kunigami.
Barou planted himself in front of the penalty area, chest heaving, sweat dripping. He'd caught up.
"Hah," Barou gasped, his breath ragged but his stance unyielding.
"Impressive, King," Kira said, halting the ball under his foot. "Chasing me down like that? You must be running on fumes."
The two bypassed defenders moved to swarm Kira, but Isagi and Kunigami were already there, holding them at bay, clearing the stage for a duel between the aces.
Barou's eyes burned into Kira, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead. "Stop this attack, and we're still in this!" he growled, his voice thick with defiance. 'Nutmeg? A turn? What's his move?' Facing Kira's attack head-on for the first time, uncertainty gnawed at him.
Kira shifted suddenly, feinting right.
Barou reacted, leaning to his right to match.
Then, in a flash, Kira clamped the ball between his feet and flicked it upward.
Rainbow Flick!
The term blazed in Barou's mind. As a master of the move, he knew its audacity—a flamboyant, high-risk dribble. Clamp the ball like chopsticks, loft it over both players' heads, then sprint past to reclaim it. Every motion demanded pinpoint control; one slip, and it's a turnover.
For the defender, getting outplayed by it was a gut punch. Raichi's earlier fury made sense now.
But this wasn't just a dribble—it was a statement. Barou had humiliated Team Z with the same move earlier. Now, Kira, Team Z's ace, was throwing it back, matching Barou's arrogance with his own.
The ball soared over their heads, a perfect arc against the stadium lights.
Barou spun instantly, his mind racing. 'If I turn fast enough, my strength can knock this kid off balance.' They were outside the penalty area—no penalty for a foul. 'Stop him now, deal with the ref later.'
With a calculated lunge, Barou slammed his body into Kira, expecting to send him sprawling.
Kunigami, watching from behind, clenched his fists, eyes narrowing. He'd felt Barou's monstrous strength firsthand; even he could barely match it. 'Kira's done for.'
But Kira didn't dodge. He leaned into the contact, meeting Barou's force head-on.
Thump!
The collision was brutal, two bodies crashing with bone-rattling impact.
To everyone's shock, Kira held his ground, his frame barely pausing.
Barou's mind reeled. 'Impossible! I'm drained from sprinting back, but my strength should still crush this scrawny guy!' It was like he'd hit a steel wall.
Kira, fueled by the Barou Trial Card, absorbed the impact. Barou's power was immense, but the card's boost—dribbling, strength, speed, shooting—gave him the edge. His legs surged, muscles flexing as he accelerated past.
Barou, slowed by exhaustion, couldn't keep up.
Kira reclaimed the ball, now facing the goalkeeper one-on-one.
He struck with precision, the ball rocketing toward the net.
The keeper dove, reading the shot's path, but it was too late. The ball grazed his fingertips and buried itself in the top corner.
Boom!
Score: 2-1, Team Z.
"ROAAAAAR!"
Kira erupted, sprinting across the pitch, fist pumping the air as his teammates chased after him, their cheers shaking the stadium. Kunigami ruffled his hair with a massive hand, grinning wide. Isagi slung an arm around Kira's shoulders, beaming—this assist was his.
Every player in Blue Lock craved the title of top striker, but Kira's dominance, leading them toward victory, was undeniable. They rallied behind him, united.
Team X stood silent, the tie they'd clawed back now shattered. The momentum had swung hard against them.
Barou kicked the turf, frustration boiling over. 'So close. A half-step faster, and I'd have stopped him. We wouldn't be down.' Two goals to draw now felt like a mountain. That rainbow flick—his own signature move—had been turned against him. And how had Kira's slight frame withstood his charge? Despair gnawed at him.
...
Monitoring Room
Ego's eyes blazed with fervor. "Diamonds in the rough! Every single one!"
Anri Teieri nodded, captivated. Raichi, Isagi, and Kunigami had shone, but Kira was a cut above. His two goals, agile movement, and that audacious rainbow flick left an indelible mark.
Ego flipped through Kira's data file, his brow furrowing. 'I underestimated this kid. He's more than I expected.'
...
On the Pitch
Barou stood frozen before his goal, dejected, as if the world had collapsed around him. 'Why does their team have a guy like that?'
"Hey, Barou, match is restarting!"
"Go all out, Barou!"
"You're Team X's boss now! Get another goal! There's time!"
His teammates' voices cut through his haze.
'What? These maggots are comforting me?' Barou scoffed. 'Since when does Shoei Barou need pity? Football isn't about teammates or sappy nonsense. It's my stage to dominate. On this pitch, I'm the king!'
He raised his head, a fierce laugh bursting out. "Follow your king, you maggots!"
Kira caught the fire reigniting in Team X's eyes. 'Still got fight left? Bring it on.'
Beeep!
"The match continues."
Ten minutes remained in the second half.
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