027 Blue Lock: System Ten Years Early

"So? In such a hurry?" Karasu looked at Shinichi standing ahead and couldn't help slowing his advance.

"Standing so far forward and completely ignoring the back line? If you do that, I'll pass the ball, you know. If it turns into a scramble for position, Hiori will be at an overwhelming disadvantage."

"Then pass it. I'm already sick of your tricks."

Shinichi remained unmoved, still guarding about five meters in front of Karasu Tabito.

"Even if he's at a disadvantage, I believe Hiori won't be defeated immediately. As long as he can stall for a bit, I'll be able to get back."

"And right now, I'm the only one on the field capable of chasing the football at full speed. I'll track your long pass and fall back on defense. That's something neither you nor that ninja can do, which means Aryu in the back won't get any support."

"An isolated Aryu facing me coming back to help—then it'll be two on one. So, want to gamble?"

Shinichi stared straight into Karasu's eyes.

"Let's gamble on the outcome between Aryu Jyubei and Hiori. Whether Aryu breaks Hiori first, or Hiori can hold out until I get back."

"...I didn't expect someone like you to actually entrust victory and defeat to others."

"Don't get the premise wrong." Shinichi cut him off. "Even if it's a bet on those two, the condition for victory is my speed of recovery. If we lose, it's only because my recovery wasn't fast enough—nothing more."

"And besides, I have the ability to cover the downside of this bet. If I lose the gamble, I'll use my own goal to equalize the score. In other words, this is a bet I cannot lose."

"Such... an irritating kind of confidence." While speaking, Karasu quietly adjusted his position, then suddenly burst forward.

"So didn't I tell you already? Don't use these childish little tricks in front of me."

Even with such a sudden attack, Shinichi seemed to have anticipated it long ago, perfectly blocking Karasu Tabito's path and precisely stepping on the football spinning rapidly beneath Karasu Tabito's foot.

"Low-level tricks—how annoying..."

'What? How is this possible?! He adapted to my dribbling this fast?!' Karasu Tabito was shocked, lowering his center of gravity while raising a hand to press against Shinichi's chest.

Using the rebound force, Karasu Tabito barely managed to turn his body, hooking the football that Shinichi had stepped on with his toe and pulling it along with the turn. A string of smooth movements took the football away from Shinichi's foot while he spun out of danger... or so it seemed?

'Something's wrong with the feeling in my hand... Shinichi... this guy!' As he turned, Karasu's eyes went wide as he looked at the terrifying shadow still enveloping him.

Despite making such a large turn, Shinichi was standing in front of Karasu exactly as before, as if none of the movements just now had happened at all.

'The moment I raised my hand to borrow force, he stepped back. He completely ignored my feint to deceive his center of gravity, watching my performance like a show!'

Gritting his teeth, Karasu Tabito shook his legs again, but Shinichi once more ignored the feint and mercilessly stepped on the football.

"Your feints are even worse than the last guy's. If this is all you've got, then you can exit here."

"And who are you to judge other people?!"

Otoya Eita came sprinting in from nowhere, launching a sliding tackle straight at the football locked between the two. However, Shinichi suddenly flicked the ball away with force, instantly collapsing the stalemate. Karasu Tabito, caught completely off guard, was dragged forward by Shinichi's overwhelming strength, and the football was taken under Shinichi's control just like that.

Otoya Eita's slide tackle was futile, only tripping Karasu Tabito, who had lost his balance. Shinichi stood with one foot on the football, his deep eyes looking down like a god in the clouds upon the two rolling awkwardly on the ground.

"I comment on others because I have the qualification to do so. As for you, little ninja—you were too impatient. You already lost your patience?"

'This guy created the illusion of a stalemate with me, but was actually just trying to lure Otoya into coming back on defense! As long as Otoya couldn't hold back and entered his domain, he'd have no worries anymore!' Karasu Tabito instantly understood Shinichi's strategy, but there was nothing he could do.

Shinichi's strategy was actually very simple. But often, the simplest strategies are the hardest to defend against. Because the most fundamental point here was that Shinichi's strength far exceeded any one of them. That meant someone had to come back on defense—an open, blatant scheme.

Shinichi dodged Otoya Eita, who had just gotten up and lunged at him again. With a turn, he sent the forcibly risen, unbalanced Otoya Eita stumbling once more, then immediately carried the ball forward at high speed.

His agile figure was like a raging wind, instantly throwing the entire pitch into chaos. Team V's defensive line was torn apart in an instant, and with a piercing sound cutting through the air, the result was naturally beyond doubt.

1:1 → 1:2

"Damn it... sorry, I conceded." Karasu Tabito panted heavily, speaking to Otoya Eita and Aryu Jyubei.

"There's nothing to apologize for. I got played too." Otoya Eita cut him off directly. "Say something useful—I don't want to keep getting mocked by that guy like this."

"Indeed, your fighting stance is so beautiful. Ah... compared to that, someone like me who just waits up front to receive the ball is starting to look uncool." Aryu played with his long hair.

"Isn't the current situation exactly when a handsome guy like me is needed?"

"...No, changing tactics on the fly is far too dangerous. Aryu, are you willing to gamble?" After thinking for a long time, Karasu Tabito still rejected Aryu Jyubei's suggestion.

"In a moment, Otoya, you cover for me directly. Aryu, start running from the kickoff and shake off your marker. I'll pass the ball straight to you."

"Gamble on whether your goal comes first, or Shinichi's recovery."

...

"Oh my, I didn't expect you to propose such a risky plan too." Aryu Jyubei exclaimed exaggeratedly, then pointed both fingers at Karasu Tabito.

"You're looking a little cool right now, you know."

"Seriously... not playing at my rhythm again. This is the last time." Otoya Eita muttered resentfully, shaking his head as he walked away.

Beep... Beeeep—

The whistle sounded. Karasu Tabito kicked off with a lateral pass. Otoya Eita received the ball and charged into the crowd, his figure eerie yet nimble, darting left and right within the encirclement. Through repeated pulls and feints, he actually broke through multiple defenders.

"You're dribbling—are you trying to give me a change of taste?" Shinichi's defense arrived as promised.

"You should know this, right? Even though Karasu was easily crushed by me, it wasn't because he was weak, but because I'm too strong."

"And Karasu's off-the-ball movement is far better than yours. So why did you abandon the original plan?"

"So noisy, you narcissist." Otoya Eita's eyes sharpened as he suddenly lifted his foot and flicked the ball up from behind with his heel.

'A rainbow flick? No, the height is too low... ah, I see.' Shinichi's body swayed slightly. Otoya Eita kicked hard with his heel, knocking the half-airborne football sideways. However, Shinichi had already dashed forward and was about to block Karasu Tabito.

"The intent is too obvious. If this new trick of yours is only at this level, I'll be very disappointed."

Watching Shinichi charge toward him, Karasu Tabito couldn't help shaking his head, then broke into a crazed smile.

"Is that so? I think so too, but... it doesn't matter if you saw through it this time."

"After all, this was your own proposed tactic."

Karasu Tabito leapt up directly, striking the football with a midair volley before Shinichi could get into position.

"Come on—let's gamble with our lives!"

"I need to revise my opinion of you."

"You really do believe whatever people tell you. So simple."

Under the horrified gazes of Karasu Tabito and Otoya Eita, Shinichi calmly stopped where he was.

He... didn't chase the ball!