2:0!
Tendou completed his brace.
With a spectacular volley that stunned the crowd, he blasted the ball into the back of the net with extreme violence.
Chigiri Hyoma was incredibly excited. Even though he hadn't scored his debut goal in Blue Lock and only got an assist, for him, what was important wasn't the goal or the assist. What was important was that he had finally mustered the courage to take a step forward, to break free from the shackles that had plagued him for a year.
His dream and hope, along with this run, had all returned. He had once again become that universally praised genius winger!
"Nice, Chigiri!"
"Hmph! Even if you got an assist, it doesn't cover up the fact that you almost cost us a goal twice!"
"Well said, Raichi. But this assist is enough to complete Chigiri's redemption!" Kunigami Rensuke was genuinely happy for Chigiri, even though he had just been yelling at him for his irresponsible defensive lapse not long ago. But compared to seeing a teammate reborn, those things were nothing.
"Hmph. Sorry to disappoint you, but from now on, I won't be yelled at by you useless fools anymore." Chigiri's revival had brought his proud spirit back with it.
The Wanima brothers saw this and gritted their teeth. A year ago, when this kid first came to their team, he had the same arrogant attitude. When the two brothers announced to the first-year newcomers that they were the core of the team, Chigiri didn't even give them the time of day, showing no respect for his seniors, firmly believing that his own talent was stronger and that he deserved a more prominent tactical role. And then, the two of them were squeezed out to the midfield by Chigiri.
Chigiri hadn't paid them any mind at all.
Compared to the enemies who had already lost to him a year ago, his sights were now set much higher.
Tendou Kageyoshi!
The man who had cursed him awake was now the goal he wanted to chase.
"Tendou..."
"What is it?"
"Thank you."
The proud "young lady" ignored everyone else, didn't apologize to his teammates, disregarded his old teammates, and only thanked Tendou.
"I didn't do anything," Tendou waved his hand.
"No matter what, I have to thank you. You're the one who gave me a new life."
Chigiri felt a lightness throughout his body. He was already prepared for his ACL to tear again. So from now on, he would run freely without any reservation.
Tendou's question had already been answered. Compared to the failure after trying hard, the regret of doing nothing was indeed more painful for him!
"...Oh, right. Your pass just now..."
He wanted to ask why Tendou's pass could reach a place that he thought was unreachable.
"When a player's emotions are at their most fervent, they can often turn the impossible into the possible."
"Is it that simple?"
"It's that simple."
"Then I'll take it as you complimenting me."
Chigiri smiled happily. Because with that pass from Tendou, besides his own speed, no one else on the entire Team Z could have reached it. He sincerely thanked Tendou for his trust. Not only encouraging him with words but also motivating him with actions. This was the reason why the "young lady" ignored everyone else but was full of gratitude only for Tendou.
"In the upcoming matches, you can pass the ball to me as much as you want. I will catch them all with these legs!" he said, stroking his own knee. This time, there was no more sorrow, only endless confidence.
"It's not suitable for intense exercise right after recovery. You should stay in your defensive position," Tendou said as he walked past him. "Don't get too carried away with this feeling."
"..." Chigiri watched his back without blinking, and after a moment, he nodded heavily and said softly, "Yeah, I know!"
Tendou returned to his own half with a blank expression. His nonchalant demeanor, as if he had just done something trivial, pushed his cool image to the max.
Little did they know.
This guy was already ecstatic on the inside. Looking at his popularity points, which were rising as if he had chewed on a piece of Stride gum and couldn't stop, he could barely suppress the grin on his face.
"I'm a fcking genius! If I get the chance in the future, I have to win a Best Actor award!"*
Some people receive professional training, yet they still have to count "1234567" when reciting their lines, relying on post-production dubbing. And some people don't need to practice at all; they are born to be drama kings.
...
The match resumed.
Team W kicked off for the third time. The Wanima brothers, not believing in fate, once again aimed for Chigiri's position as soon as they kicked off.
Team Z was already prepared. After all, since the beginning of the match, the twin brothers had been constantly targeting Chigiri on Z's flank. The other members of Team Z weren't idiots. If you keep targeting my wing like this, of course, we're going to defend it.
8th minute of the match.
Team W, down by two goals, launched a fierce offensive. The Wanima brothers' figures crisscrossed, passing the ball back and forth, breaking through Team Z's heavy encirclement. They repeated their old trick, hitting Chigiri with a well-practiced give-and-go.
The "young lady" was once again left behind by the twins. But this time, Chigiri was not idle. He twisted his body and slammed on the accelerator, chasing after them like a red bolt of lightning.
Kunigami saw this and immediately coordinated with him to surround and block the twins. Of course, the hot-tempered Raichi Jingo was also there.
30 meters from the goal, Raichi Jingo went to the ground with a forward slide tackle, brutally flipping Wanima Junichi over. No foul; he had made contact with the ball first.
Seeing this, Tendou suddenly remembered that in the later stages of the manga, Raichi Jingo also had a tendency to transform into a defender. In the later Neo Egoist League, he chose to join the South German powerhouse Bayern and played the role of disrupting the opponent's key attacks in matches.
Ego Jinpachi said he was cultivating forwards, but in fact, during this selection period, he had also cultivated goalkeepers like Gagamaru Gin, and defenders and defensive midfielders like Niko Ikki, Raichi Jingo, and Mikage Reo.
In a football match, it's about cooperation. You can't score goals just by having more forwards. After all, there is only one ball. Try having 10 people all press into the opponent's final third. One long ball over the top, plus a top-tier fast horse, and your backline will be beaten to death.
Team Z's counter-attack opportunity.
Raichi Jingo gave the ball to the defensive midfielder Isagi, who then passed it to Bachira. The flashy kid started dribbling as soon as he got the ball. Flip-flaps, step-overs, la croquetas—his style was all flash and no substance.
"Pass the ball here!"
Tendou was the first to lose his patience. Didn't he know that his idol, Ronaldo, was also known as "Flashy Ron" when he debuted, but he only became a god after abandoning these flashy moves?
"Oh." Bachira did as he was told, tapping the ball over.
The moment Tendou received the ball, he instantly attracted the attention of four defenders. Just when people thought he was about to start another breakthrough, he forcefully passed the oncoming ball, threading it to the right wing.
At that position, the restless "young lady" had already transformed into a speedster, chasing after the ball with his life.
One touch!
Two touches!
Three touches!
Four touches!
Five touches!
This counter-attack by Team Z was stunning. It only took five touches to get the ball into Team W's territory. By the time Tendou received the ball again, he was already at the edge of the enemy's penalty area.
His azure eyes rotated, and his crazy brain began to calculate. In the end, it all turned into a single word.
"Dismantle!"
...
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