Chapter 79: The God Sprinter, Loki
"What the hell? Is it a crime to just stand there and let the kids score one?" Silva twisted his lips in a pout.
"That guy actually has some drive." Cavasoz looked at Kira with a gaze that was slightly different from before.
"Young people just need to be taught a lesson." A hint of seriousness finally appeared in Blake's eyes.
Loki looked at Kira with a smile. "Just as you wished."
The anger in Kira's eyes vanished instantly. He returned a matching smile. "That's more like it. It's a rare sight."
"I want to play a wonderful match, too."
Loki froze for a split second.
'This guy.'
'He's mimicking my words!!!'
Kira silently chanted in his mind: 'Use Julian Loki Trial Card.'
[Julian Loki Trial Card activated successfully!]
[Speed +60 (Continuous decay)]
[Spatial Awareness +55 (Continuous decay)]
[Dribbling +40 (Continuous decay)]
[Passing +40 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +40 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
"Interesting. Then let's see just how much skill you really have." Loki's expression immediately returned to normal.
"What does that mean?" Rin sensed something was off.
"Were they going easy on us just now?"
Rin should have been able to tell, logically speaking. But this was his first time facing a world-class powerhouse team.
Excitement and nervousness had flooded his brain.
He had lost his usual calm judgment.
In this moment, he finally realized something was wrong.
Kira stepped back to his side. "Don't worry about it. We play our game."
"Come on! Let's keep going! Let's get the next goal!" Bachira was still immersed in the excitement of his exquisite long pass.
"Too stylish~. Let me join in on the fun, too." Aryu was also full of motivation.
"Beep. Match continues."
White Team kick-off.
"Looks like we're going to have to break a sweat." Luna took the kick, passing the ball to Loki.
After receiving the ball, Loki took a single stride and exploded into acceleration.
The jaws of everyone on the Blue Team dropped.
'So fast!!'
'He's more than twice as fast as Chigiri!'
"Isagi!!!!"
Bachira screamed.
Isagi grit his teeth and moved to intercept.
At the same time, he refused to accept defeat in his heart.
They were both seventeen years old. Isagi firmly believed that during his time in Blue Lock, he had grown significantly.
So, Isagi stared intently at Loki's footwork, preparing to intercept Loki's breakthrough.
"Uhh... is this okay? At this distance, you've got nothing but weak spots."
Loki stopped the ball and asked Isagi.
"Huh? What?"
Isagi's brain hadn't reacted yet.
Whoosh!
Isagi: (O_O).
Loki had already turned into a blur, leaving his original position.
'Is this the speed of a world-class star?'
Isagi felt like he had just blinked.
'How did he just vanish?'
'With that kind of explosive starting speed, you can only stare at his back.'
'Do we really have a chance against someone like this?'
Isagi fell into a deep self-doubt.
"Bachira!!" Isagi turned and shouted for Bachira to cover.
Bachira and Aryu instantly swarmed in.
'Too fast.'
'It's useless!'
After his initial burst, Loki's speed didn't drop; it increased. His dribbling stride was massive.
Bachira and Aryu couldn't keep up at all.
"Your running line is too obvious."
Rin had positioned himself early on the path Loki was taking.
"Very accurate prediction. Unfortunately, my speed is faster."
Loki ignored Rin's positioning and stomped his legs violently against the ground.
'He can accelerate again?'
Rin was left slightly disheveled by the wind of Loki's passing.
'No way?'
Isagi felt despair creeping in.
'Even Itoshi Rin was passed that easily?'
'Then who else in the Blue Team can withstand Loki's speed?'
'Even with perfect positioning beforehand, we can't defend against it?'
"This guy is starting his solo performance," Blake observed from a distance, hands on his hips.
"Tell me about it. Loki's name has been catching fire in the French league lately." There was actually a hint of envy in Cavasoz's tone.
Silva nodded. "That guy is 'The Prodigy' favored by the media, after all."
Hearing the praise from his three teammates, even someone as strong as Luna couldn't help but nod secretly.
Julian Loki. The one nicknamed the God Sprinter.
He was the future of world soccer.
Not someone these small fry from Japan could compare to.
In front of the Blue Team's goal.
Just as Loki faced the goal one-on-one and raised his leg to shoot...
A figure arrived in front of Loki like a phantom.
He extended his leg to intercept Loki's shot.
'Is that Kira?!'
Itoshi Rin rubbed his eyes with both hands. 'WTF?'
'Since when did Kira have that kind of speed?'
Isagi's face was also filled with disbelief.
"Impossible, right? Kira actually kept up?" Aryu's head was buzzing; he didn't know if he should say Kira wasn't human either.
After all, that sounded a bit like an insult.
Although Bachira was shocked, his expression was different from the others.
He had always believed in Kira's uniqueness.
He just hadn't expected that Kira could truly compete toe-to-toe with a world-class player.
***
"You gotta be kidding me, boys. That kid from Japan actually kept up with Loki's speed?" Silva's mouth hung wide open.
Cavasoz looked surprised as well. That was Loki.
And he was matched by a Japanese teenager?
The dead-fish look in Blake's eyes finally vanished, replaced by a spark of life. "Looks like we aren't just here for a vacation."
Luna sighed. "Japan has truly found their Supernova."
***
Loki hadn't expected anyone to actually keep up with him either.
"How about it, God Sprinter? Can you put away that arrogant attitude and play us seriously?" Fighting spirit filled Kira's eyes.
"Do you think that just because you can keep up, you can stop me?"
Loki spoke with a touch of seriousness.
"What do you mean?" Kira was puzzled.
Immediately, Loki's entire center of gravity shifted to the right.
'A feint?'
'Left?'
Kira immediately moved left to prevent Loki's breakthrough.
Whoosh!
Like an arrow released from a bow, Loki broke through directly from the right side.
'What?'
Kira hadn't expected it at all. Loki hadn't used a feint to trick him.
It was a simple shift of center of gravity, followed by explosive acceleration.
Kira turned immediately, trying desperately to catch up.
Mid-stride, Loki took the shot directly.
BOOM!!
The ball went in.
1-1.
"Hah... hah..." Kira gasped for large mouthfuls of air. "Why... I couldn't stop you even then."
Loki pointed to his head.
"Experience."
"You're already very good. You seem to possess speed similar to mine."
"However, even I cannot defend against myself..."
"Speed is merely one of the weapons I use to score goals..."
"You are a genius, but you lack polish..."
'Lack polish?'
The past few months in Blue Lock floated through Kira's mind.
'Is this not polish?'
"It's not about these scrub teammates you have now. It's a higher stage. You need to go to matches of a higher level."
'Higher level matches?'
Kira felt bitter internally.
'Loki, I only managed to compete with your attributes by using a Trial Card.'
'I can't go to a higher place right now.'
The reason he could use attribute cards to beat the members of Blue Lock before was simply that their experience levels were similar.
But facing this genius, the God Sprinter... even if Kira raised his stats to equal Loki's...
He was still as green as a child.
"I see. Then use this match to make me evolve."
There was not a trace of cowardice in Kira's eyes.
Loki tilted his head. "I feel like I should charge extra for that."
Itoshi Rin stared blankly, processing everything that had just happened.
'Kira is competing with Loki?'
'And I... I can only stand by and watch?'
'I don't accept this! I'm the one who's going to defeat Itoshi Sae!'
'How can I lose so easily right now?!'
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