Chapter 25: The Master's Game
The stadium was vibrating. This was the peak of Blue Lock—the moment where "logic" turns into "insanity."
Niko Ikki was playing like a man possessed. His dark, smoky aura was swirling around him as he clung to Isagi like a shadow. He was pulling every trick in the book, his eyes glowing with that frantic, desperate light.
"I won't let you!" Niko hissed, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "You're just a piece of his game! You don't have the ego to finish this!"
Isagi was struggling. He could feel the pressure of Niko's "Watchtower" closing in on him. Every time he tried to turn, Niko was already there, blocking the path, suffocating his vision. Isagi's own blue electrical aura was flickering, struggling to stay lit under the weight of Niko's desperation.
Eshan stood a few yards back, his hands on his hips, watching the struggle with a calm, effortless grace. He looked like he was watching a movie he had already seen the ending to. His silver-gray eyes were sharp, catching the stadium lights.
Come on, Isagi, Eshan thought with a small, confident smirk. I gave you the ball. I gave you the stage. Don't tell me you're going to break just because a kid with long bangs is crying at your feet.
To Eshan, the field wasn't a battlefield—it was his playground. He had used his Absolute Awareness to see this exact moment. He knew that by passing to Isagi, he had forced Niko to abandon his mark on the rest of the field.
Niko lunged, a desperate, sliding tackle that aimed for both the ball and Isagi's ankles. It was a "do-or-die" move.
"DIE!" Niko screamed.
Isagi's eyes snapped wide. For a second, everything went into slow motion. He saw Niko's lunge. He saw the gap. But more importantly, he felt Eshan's presence behind him—that cool, unshakable confidence that said: Move.
Isagi didn't panic. He used a sharp, instinctive back-heel flick, sending the ball popping up over Niko's sliding body.
"What—!?" Niko's face hit the turf as he slid past, his dark aura shattering like glass.
The ball hung in the air, spinning perfectly. Isagi scrambled to find his footing, his heart racing. He looked up, ready to strike, but then he saw a flash of silver.
Eshan had moved.
He didn't sprint; he glided. It was a Frictionless Pivot that put him exactly where the ball was going to land. He didn't even look at the goal. He looked at Niko, who was staring up from the ground in total horror.
"Nice pass, Isagi," Eshan said, his voice smooth and cool, completely unfazed by the chaos. "You did your job perfectly."
Eshan didn't even let the ball touch the ground. As it dropped, he twisted his body with an effortless power, his leg snapping out like a whip.
The sound wasn't a 'thud'—it was a 'crack.' The ball turned into a silver blur, a straight line of pure ego that tore through the air, bypassing the keeper before he could even blink.
TEAM Z 3 - 0 TEAM Y
Scorer: Eshan - HAT-TRICK
Eshan stood in the aftermath, his silver aura glowing softly around him. He looked down at Niko, then at the stunned Isagi. He reached out and ruffled Isagi's hair with a nonchalant grin.
"See? Follow my lead, and the world looks easy," Eshan said, walking back toward the center circle as the halftime whistle blew.
The scoreboard didn't just show a lead. It showed a hierarchy. Eshan was the King, and the field was exactly how he wanted it.