Chapter 97: Integration
"Tch. As expected, you're not ordinary, Ryosuke Kira."
Tabito Karasu wasn't surprised at all. This kind of performance was fitting for the Number One of Blue Lock.
"Tch..." Rin had lost to Kira again, and his expression soured.
Although he knew there was a gap between him and Kira during the match against the World Five, he hadn't expected to fail to stop Kira twice in a row today.
Rin felt frustrated, but this wasn't nearly enough to make him admit defeat.
Phew.
Actually, Kira's move just now was a flash of inspiration. A spur of the moment idea.
Chigiri and Shidou just happened to appear in his line of sight, and Kira improvised, using them as a screen.
By flicking the ball to the right, he ensured the goalkeeper couldn't see him wind up for the shot. The keeper couldn't react in time to make the save.
This scenario completely slipped past Rin's calculations.
Kira's plays were starting to move beyond anything Rin could predict.
"Kira... that guy is becoming a field artist now."
Chigiri marveled at Kira's strength internally.
And more importantly, in this match, Kira hadn't even used his talent—his god-level imitation—yet.
'Has Kira reached a level where he can beat me without even showing his trump card?' Chigiri felt unconvinced, but reality was cruel. The gap was brutally exposed on the pitch.
Chigiri replayed the entire match in his head, from the start until now.
In reality, it was completely a battle between the Top 6.
Karasu and Rin challenging Kira and Shidou.
The others, including Chigiri himself, couldn't assert their value in the match at all.
'To those Top 6 guys, we're totally replaceable.'
'They don't even see us.'
'So there's no point worrying about the bigger picture right now. That's for the Top 6 to think about.'
'I just need to focus on showcasing my weapon.'
With his high football IQ, Chigiri figured out his way to break through in just a few seconds.
"Hey, Rin. Don't go head to head with the Number One." Karasu walked up to Rin, hands behind his head, and offered advice.
In his football world, bullying the weak was the rule. To put it bluntly: Pick on the soft targets and avoid the hard ones.
Rin's eyes were cold. "Shut up. You only know how to handle the weak."
"My goal has always been to challenge the strong."
Karasu spread his hands. "Then our philosophies run in opposite directions."
"Fine, then we'll each show what we're worth our own way."
Karasu didn't insist on Rin understanding his playstyle. After all, every player had their own path to walk.
The match continued.
Team B kickoff.
After starting the play, Rin passed the ball to Karasu again.
The energetic Shidou saw the ball and pounced like a hungry dog. He began to harass Karasu aggressively.
"Annoying pest."
For a moment, Karasu couldn't shake Shidou off.
At that moment, in a corner unnoticed by everyone, a red lightning bolt had already ignited.
Crazy acceleration began.
"Chigiri!"
Isagi spotted Chigiri's run.
Kira, standing with hands in his pockets, mentally gave Chigiri his approval.
'The crowded midfield isn't your grassland. The wing is.'
'You've woken up, Red Panther.'
Isagi barely managed to keep up with Chigiri, grabbing his jersey.
'No! I can't let him start up on the wing! Even if I have to foul him, I have to stop him!' Isagi knew exactly how much damage Chigiri's speed could do to Team A from the flank. He decided to get physical.
But Chigiri wasn't going to give Isagi that chance. They were old friends who knew each other well. Isagi's behavior instantly gave away his intent.
Chigiri didn't hesitate. He accelerated even harder.
Like a race car hitting the nitrous, Chigiri left Isagi choking on his exhaust.
'He can still accelerate?' Isagi tried his best, but his short legs just couldn't keep up.
'Look at me, Karasu! Don't you want to use these legs of mine?' Chigiri shouted internally
Karasu, entangled with Shidou in the midfield, saw his eyes light up. "Alright, Redhead. I'll give you a shot."
Until now, Karasu hadn't considered anyone besides Rin worth passing to. But Chigiri's performance had demonstrated his value.
This was worth a try.
Immediately, he launched a long pass straight to the right wing.
The ball flew like a GPS-guided missile, hitting the target perfectly.
Chigiri cushioned the ball's momentum with his right foot.
Kira appeared in front of Chigiri instantly.
"Hey, Chigiri. You seem to be having fun." Kira initiated an interaction.
"Shut up, you monster genius."
Chigiri glanced sideways and crossed the ball immediately without hesitation.
'Huh?' Kira looked back.
'The Puppet Master is pulling the strings again?'
Rin's timing for the run into the box was impeccable.
Chigiri delivered a high cross.
Marking Rin was Hiori.
"Everything... is just as I predicted." Rin leaped high, scoring with a header.
The relatively petite Hiori could only watch helplessly as Rin headed the ball into the net.
GOAL!
Team B tied the score.
2-2.
"Yes!"
Chigiri pumped his fist in excitement, roaring to vent the frustration of being ignored for most of the match.
Isagi stared blankly at Chigiri's celebration, replaying everything that had just happened.
It wasn't just that Rin controlled the rhythm of the match perfectly. It was that Chigiri's awakening gave Rin's script a better option and a better ending.
Team B's possibilities had just expanded.
"Yo. You're actually useful after all. Didn't waste my pass." Karasu extended a hand to Chigiri, acknowledging him as a teammate.
At the same time, he gave Rin a meaningful look. "You understand his weapon pretty well too, don't you? Otherwise, that run wouldn't have been so perfectly timed."
Rin did not answer. Chigiri's burst had been in his plan all along.
Rin knew very clearly that to defeat Kira and Shidou, relying solely on himself and Karasu was unrealistic.
He needed help.
Chigiri was that help.
The match continued.
Team A kickoff.
"Whoa! Every cell in my body is excited now, Kira-chan!" Shidou said this as he passed the ball to Kira.
Kira glanced at Isagi's position out of the corner of his eye. The Crow was still staring at him.
Passing to Isagi meant a higher risk.
'Sorry, Isagi.'
'This is Blue Lock. You have to find your own way to break through.'
Kira stopped thinking and passed the ball to Hiori.
'Kira didn't pass to me?' Isagi felt a sting of hurt. Was it because his performance was too poor?
Isagi also noticed something else.
When Hiori received the ball, he would quickly scan the surroundings to check everyone's status while calmly organizing a pass back to Kira.
Hiori was doing everything he could to integrate himself and prove his place in the game.
Isagi gritted his teeth. 'Then I'll just run straight to the goal and solve the problem with my Direct Shot.'
"Average Joe. How could I possibly let you pass?" The moment Isagi started running, Karasu stuck to him.
Isagi was mentally crumbling. 'You're a Top 6 player! Why are you stalking me like this?'
'Can your team really beat Kira and the others playing like this?'
Isagi really wanted to punch him and tell him to get lost. But on the pitch, he wasn't allowed to do that.
The two of them could only tussle with each other all the way to the goal.
"Here it comes! Watch the ball!" Hiori shouted and launched a high long pass.
Straight toward the front of the goal.
'An opportunity!!' Isagi was delighted. But when he turned to track the ball's trajectory...
Instant disappointment.
The ball wasn't meant for him. Had he been abandoned by the team?
Karasu laughed beside him, rubbing salt in the wound. "You've completely lost your teammates' trust, haven't you?"
"Shut up!" Isagi didn't give up. His eyes scanned everyone's positioning on the field intently.
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