Karasu Tabito now felt a little regretful, but not much. After learning the rules of the third stage, he had actually already thought of many possibilities. For a team like theirs, advancing smoothly was not a simple matter. The other people in Blue Lock were not fools. Just the combined ranking of the three people on their team was enough to scare away many other teams from challenging them.
The ones who would ultimately agree to play against them would all be teams with their own confidence. Under such circumstances, it was naturally not a simple matter to advance easily.
And Tendou's team. Although they had a No. 1, the remaining two members were ranked outside the top ten. And their team? Their combined ranking was higher than the opponent's. Moreover, Karasu and Hiori were teammates in high school, and he was also teammates with Otoya in the first round. They were familiar with each other and had a natural advantage in chemistry.
This was a good opportunity to bring the No. 1 into their fold. As long as they won this match, their advancement was almost guaranteed.
Who would have known...
"So what do we do now?"
"Of course, we continue to attack their weak point."
Karasu stuck to his football philosophy; that was his formula for victory.
...
After the match began, Karasu received the kickoff from his teammate but did not rush to launch a fierce attack. Otoya and Hiori cooperated with him, passing the ball around near the center circle. This was to wait for the opponent's formation to press up.
Otoya received the pass, dawdled for a few moments, and then passed it back to a teammate, simultaneously communicating with Karasu with his eyes.
"This tactic... will they fall for it?"
"They will. That No. 1... I can feel his arrogance and pride through his very skin."
Karasu responded with his eyes as well. He believed that Tendou would definitely press up. A big shot like that wouldn't care about such schemes.
"Attack the space behind?"
"Indeed a good choice."
Tendou had watched too many matches during this time. He discovered that many teams, or rather, head coaches, especially those who played defensive counter-attacks, would try every means possible, using various traps to lure the opponent's formation out. If successful, all it took was one long pass to send the ball behind the enemy, and a golden opportunity could be created.
But this tactic was generally used only after taking the lead, or at the very least, when the score was tied. And Karasu's team, they were the ones who were currently behind.
"Hmph, you cunning fellow." Tendou went up to meet him as he had wished.
It wasn't that, as Karasu had thought, Tendou's pride wouldn't allow him to waste time. It was that this match had no time limit; only the first team to score 5 goals would win. He was in no mood to play a waiting game with his opponent.
"Tendou?" Reo also saw the opponent's intention, but he didn't move rashly. And since Tendou had chosen to act, Reo could only trust him and clean up his mess! After playing with Nagi for half a year, he was used to this kind of thing.
"Guys with brains are a hassle. But my target is no longer you," Karasu said. The moment he saw Tendou come up, he immediately launched an attack.
This time, his target had changed to Chigiri. Reo was no longer the weakest link in his eyes.
"Eita!" Karasu shouted.
"Ah!"
Otoya quickly responded. Only then did Chigiri realize that this "ninja," at some unknown point, had already run behind him. Like a being that lived in the shadows, he could always hide outside the enemy's field of vision.
And then.
The screen froze again, and time began to rewind.
Tendou rapidly accelerated forward to press.
"You're pretty good, Crow. Very creative."
Tendou had seen through Karasu's idea at a glance. It was nothing more than luring him into the attacking third and then using Otoya's individual ability to tear open the defense. At that point, no matter how fast he could run, it would be impossible for him to track back that distance.
"But you've got one thing wrong."
"You don't have all my data yet."
These plain words, devoid of any emotion, made Karasu feel uneasy.
What does that mean?
Could it be that even at this stage, this isn't his full strength?
But Karasu had already seen his teammate start to run. As long as he passed the ball, a goal was certain. Even if he couldn't beat Tendou head-on, could he not even pass the ball out? Thinking of this, Karasu no longer hesitated and resolutely swung his dominant foot at the ball.
Almost at the same time, Tendou's voice exploded in his ear.
"Domain Expansion!"
"Unlimited Void!"
BZZZ!
As the last four words fell, Karasu's kicking motion suddenly froze. At this moment, he felt as if he were in the middle of a vast ocean, surrounded by raging winds and giant waves. Countless pieces of information that did not belong to him were bombarding his brain. The action he had already calculated was now being constantly rejected by his brain.
"Failure!"
"Failure!"
"Failure!" "..."
His brain began to spin uncontrollably, as if it had been broken. But no matter how his brain thought, it would always fall into a vortex of failure, unable to break free. His brain seemed to be thinking, spinning at high speed, but it was as if it were dead, impacted by useless information.
And his body, having lost the commands from his brain, could only stand frozen on the spot.
"Crow!"
"Karasu!"
The shouts of Otoya and Hiori suddenly exploded in his ears, which brought Karasu back to his senses... But where was Tendou's figure now?
He whipped his head around and, sure enough, found that Tendou, at some unknown point, had spectrally drifted behind him.
"I really like you guys who are good at thinking."
"You look even more interesting when you struggle."
Swoosh!
Tendou dropped these words and charged towards the opponent's penalty area with long strides. The explosive acceleration and sprinting speed made the spectating Anri Teieri extremely excited. No matter how many times she saw it, whenever Tendou sprinted at full speed, her adrenaline would involuntarily surge. This was the beauty brought by ultimate speed!
At the edge of the penalty area, Tendou was face-to-face with the Blue Lock Man.
"Big Data Statistics..."
The goal success rate was over 90% for a full 5 spots. Tendou aimed for the 100% one.
ROAR!
A shot release speed of over 17 m/s, a fierce strike, causing the ball to deform violently.
Swish!
The goalkeeper didn't have time to react before the ball crashed into the net like lightning, spinning fiercely in the back.
BEEP!
The whistle blew again, meaning the goal was valid.
4:1!
Karasu's team had been pushed to the edge of the cliff. Just one more goal, and they would lose the match completely.
...
Meanwhile, on another field.
The match between Isagi's team and Itoshi Rin's team was underway. At this moment, the score was 4:2, and it was Isagi's team's ball.
Itoshi Rin's team's penalty area. Isagi smelled a goal there. He shouted for Bachira to pass without hesitation. Turn, break away, sprint. Isagi crazily rushed towards the edge of the penalty area. As long as he reached that spot, he could score with his direct shot, bringing the score to 4:3!
They hadn't lost yet; there was still a chance.
But.
"Is this the gap you found?" Rin mocked everything ruthlessly. He said, "I suggest you go back to the furnace and get remade. Figure out how people grow eyes, you trash."
Isagi's heart skipped a beat, and his pupils contracted violently.
What did he see?
Itoshi Rin, the younger brother of the genius Itoshi Sae, the opponent had not been shaken off by him, but had stuck close to him.
"How is he here? Didn't I already get past him?" Isagi's voice was trembling. That pair of determined eyes wavered.
Tap~
Itoshi Rin got to the ball one step ahead.
What followed was a stormy counter-attack. Isagi immediately turned to pursue, but could only watch as the opponent's back got further and further away from him.
Finally, he let out a heart-wrenching, yet helpless cry, "Stop him! Nagi! Bachira!!!"
...
Get 30+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"