Unlike the original story, Tendou's addition made Isagi's days in Blue Lock too comfortable. To this day, he had not lost a single match, continuously absorbing and improving under Tendou's wing. This smooth sailing had inevitably made him develop a slight sense of underestimating the world.
Now, his only target was Tendou. He didn't even feel that he was inferior to Chigiri, Nagi, and the others. Isagi even felt that, given time, he might not be able to catch up to or surpass Tendou.
But today, in the match against Itoshi Rin's team, the pride and confidence he had just built up were completely destroyed.
"Was it him who induced me to run to that place?"
"Did Rin plan the future of the field?"
"I was dragged into his trap without even knowing it?"
Isagi chased back like a madman, but he couldn't catch up no matter what. He roared wildly in his heart, but the audience could hear just how flustered he was from his monologue; even his tone was trembling.
"This is the worst! The one who rules this field is not me, but him!"
He let out an unwilling roar. Itoshi Rin had completely destroyed him with his absolute, overwhelming strength.
"Bachira! Nagi! Stop him!"
Isagi stretched out his hand with all his might, as if that would be enough to hold Rin back. But in the end, he could only watch as Rin's back got further and further away from him.
SWISH!
"BEEP!"
"GOAL!!"
A triple combo. In the end, Itoshi Rin still scored the winning goal. Isagi's team had lost this match, clean and simple.
"Third Stage, 3-on-3 Enemy-Stealing Battle. Red Team wins 5:2 against White Team."
At this moment, the sound of the broadcast spread to every corner of the field. The previous sound of triumph now sounded so cold and ruthless in Isagi's ears.
"Damn it, damn it, damn it!" Isagi punched the turf hard.
He had thought about it. Steal one person from Rin's team, and then, with a brand new lineup, snatch Tendou over. This was the perfect script he had first conceived in his mind.
But now... it was all over. They had lost completely. In front of Itoshi Rin, he was simply worthless.
'Sigh, as expected. When I saw the combined ranking of Rin's team, I had a feeling it would be bad.'
'Spicy!' (Internet slang for 'brutal'/'it's over')
'Rin is basically an upgraded version of Isagi. Everything Isagi can do, Rin can do. But what Rin can do, Isagi can't. And Rin's athletic ability is also top-tier.'
'Isagi-ge still can't forget Tendou. What a pity.'
Some viewers had anticipated this result, while others had not. Nagi and Bachira were both genius players, plus the protagonist Isagi, a hidden genius who was extremely good at utilizing or linking up with his teammates. Such a team composition was definitely top-tier. In addition, the first ten episodes had been focused on Team Z and Team X, and the animation team had spent a lot of ink on them, so everyone was very familiar with these characters' abilities.
Rin's trio, on the other hand, had appeared suddenly. It felt like the Trisolarans suddenly invading Earth—very sudden and oppressive.
However.
The exciting moment had only just begun.
"I'm thinking, I'm thinking, who should I snatch?" Aryu Jubei said to Isagi's trio in a pose he thought was very "trendy."
At this moment, not just Isagi, but also the audience finally came back to their senses. In the Enemy-Stealing Battle, the losing side would have one teammate unconditionally chosen by the other side!
It's over!
'Ah, I actually forgot about this rule!'
'No, don't choose Bachira!'
'Blind guess, they'll pick Nagi!'
'Picking Nagi doesn't make much sense. There's no one on Rin's team who can pass. They'll definitely pick Isagi or Bachira.'
'No, no, no! Don't break them up!'
'ISAGI-BACHIRA GOLDEN MARRIAGE!!!!'
'Don't break up the first-love pair, I'm begging you.'
The individual character fans were all anxious now. They had even typed out words like "Isagi-Bachira Golden Marriage." Among the three, the audience actually hoped to see Nagi be chosen the most. And those who understood football, not just watching for the fun of it, guessed that Rin and his team would choose Bachira. Because although Rin's trio was strong, their lineup lacked someone who was good at passing. Their 5 goals were all scored through individual ability. Choosing Bachira would give the team the biggest boost in combat power, followed by Isagi, and then Nagi.
Some viewers were even joking, "Reo: You have this day too, A-Jie (Isagi)!"
And the final choice of Itoshi Rin's team was...
"That Aryu, I think picking him is a good idea," Tokimitsu Aoshi said cautiously, his eyes on Bachira.
Aryu Jubei had the same idea. "What a coincidence. I'm also thinking of that guy."
Itoshi Rin didn't say anything the entire time. He just wanted to pass the experiment as soon as possible, join the U-20 representative team, and use it as a springboard to defeat his older brother, Itoshi Sae, step by step. The three people opposite him were all trash in his eyes, including his own two teammates.
And so, Aryu and Tokimitsu made the decision. He beckoned to Bachira with his finger and said, "Come on, Bachira Meguru! Your passes are quite 'trendy.' Come and be my green leaf!"
Isagi's heart trembled violently. There was the unwillingness of having a teammate chosen, and also the humiliation of not being chosen. The mixed feelings made the audience feel bad for him.
And then.
The screen flashed, and the camera switched to Tendou's side.
SWISH!
With a powerful shot from Tendou, the ball blasted into the opponent's goal like lightning. The ball went in, the whistle blew! The score was 5:1. Tendou's team had defeated Karasu's and won the match.
Unlike the crushing defeat of Isagi's team, after separating from Isagi, Tendou continued to advance victoriously.
'Tendou won!'
'Awesome!'
'As expected of my King T! He's so damn stable.'
'Holy crap, the other team is also fierce! Ranked fifth, sixth, and fourteenth, their combined rank is only slightly lower than Rin's team!'
'Tendou, so handsome!'
'The Isagi-Bachira group is gone, but thank god my Tendou-Chigiri group is safe! Sisters, I told you the Tendou-Chigiri group is real!'
The audience hadn't even recovered from Isagi's defeat before the camera turned, and it was a whole new world. After all, in the current Blue Lock popularity rankings, Isagi was first, and Tendou was second. The number of Tendou's fans was only slightly lower than Isagi's. The remaining spots were Bachira, Chigiri, Nagi, and others.
Tendou's fans, seeing this result, were all overjoyed. This time, the fans were mostly female, attracted by the looks of Tendou and Chigiri. At the same time, these were also the idiots who loved to ship the most!
At this moment.
On the field, Karasu's trio were all lying powerlessly in front of their own goal. In their center was Tendou's proud, unfallen figure. It was a pity he didn't have pockets; otherwise, Tendou would have definitely stuck his hands in them to show what it means to be an "unknown opponent."
Under the audience's gaze, the "young lady" and the "young master" high-fived in celebration.
"So, we have to pick someone now, right?"
"Yeah. What are your thoughts, young lady?"
Mikage Reo and Chigiri started to discuss. Karasu's trio? They were like commodities, left for the opponent to choose. This was the cruelty of this enemy-stealing battle. The losing side had no right to refuse.
"I want Otoya Eita. With him, we would have the strongest two wings in Blue Lock."
"As I thought. Indeed, with Otoya, plus Tendou and you, we can form a left-and-right symmetrical attacking group in the front field."
Reo thought for a moment and felt that Chigiri's suggestion was a good one. But the final decision was still in Tendou's hands.
"What do you think, Tendou?" the two of them looked at Tendou in unison.
And Tendou.
Under the gaze of the 5 players on the field, and the countless viewers in the real world, he walked past Otoya and came in front of Karasu.
He said, "Welcome to my team, Crow."
These were Karasu's own harsh words from before the match, now returned to him by Tendou, word for word.
"Tch. I knew it."
Karasu, the one who was chosen, had complicated feelings.
...
Get 30+ chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"