Chapter 83: Baby Face Gets Angry
"I knew it would go to the penalty area."
Silva glanced at Aryu, who was jostling with him for position. Aryu was the only height advantage the Blue Team had. If a corner kick was coming in, it was definitely targeting Aryu's position.
Aryu knew this perfectly well, too. He was grateful for Kira's trust. But the reality was, he couldn't beat Silva for position at all.
Aryu turned his head to check everyone's positions.
On the other side, Bachira was pinned down firmly by Luna, practically unable to move. Loki had followed Isagi out of the penalty area, and Rin was being marked by Cavazos.
There was no other way. He had to rely on himself. He had to go all out.
Aryu decided to risk it all. He was going to fight Silva for this header.
"Raaah!!"
"Hah!!"
Silva and Aryu jumped at the same time.
But the outcome didn't change. Silva's physique and experience prevented Aryu from even completing his jump.
Just as Silva, wearing a smile, prepared to gratefully accept the ball in mid-air, Kira's pass suddenly swerved right in front of him. Like a guided missile with eyes of its own, it curved around Silva's head.
"What? This pass can turn..."
Silva's expression changed instantly. This ball wasn't meant for the lanky stick insect after all.
"That Japanese kid really has some skills. The arc on that ball is perfect," Luna remarked, casually marking Bachira while observing the pass.
Aryu, having missed the ball, was astonished by Kira's passing ability, but also felt a twinge of sadness inside. If he hadn't lost his aerial dominance, he wouldn't have been reduced to a mere decoy for Kira's pass.
On the other side, Cavazos hadn't expected this situation at all. He had assumed Silva would easily win the ball and was already preparing to move for the second ball. He didn't expect the ball to fly right toward his side.
Two words floated into his mind: Curve Cross!
Cavazos felt a sense of déjà vu. Wasn't this exactly the kind of master-class pass he often delivered in professional matches? In the national team, he frequently used this kind of guided-missile pass to thread through the opponent's defense and land accurately in front of his teammates. All his teammates had to do was tap the ball into the net.
Exceptional passing ability was the foundation of his standing in the football world as a unique type of forward. He never expected this kid from Japan to have such a move in his arsenal.
Cavazos felt a bit annoyed. Today, it seemed he had been outplayed by Kira quite a few times.
While he was feeling irritated, Rin beside him had already shot out like a rocket.
"Go, Rin!" Isagi started shouting.
Rin recalled Kira's instructions from just moments ago. He hadn't expected Kira to actually pull it off—delivering the ball precisely to him in a crowded penalty area.
He absolutely could not betray Kira's trust.
At the near post, Rin calmly stopped the ball with his chest. As the ball dropped, he volleyed it directly with his right foot.
The target was the near corner of the goal.
Isagi and Bachira watched nervously, anticipating the ball tearing into the net.
Right at that moment, a blur of white flashed rapidly in front of the goal.
It was Loki!
With his hands clasped behind his back, he arrived just in time to kick away the ball that should have flown into the goal.
"Ah, so close!" Bachira cried out in disappointment.
"Tch." Rin's face was a picture of irritation.
"Nice clearance!" Blake praised as he ran toward the second ball.
Kira was also rushing over, feeling helpless inside. That was already a great opportunity, but Loki just didn't give them a chance.
Luckily, Kira had been keeping an eye on the ball's trajectory. In an instant, he arrived at the landing point almost simultaneously with Blake.
Seeing this, Blake immediately leaned his body forward to initiate contact.
Kira knew very well that even with the Cavazos Trial Card, Cavazos' strength couldn't really compare to a complete forward like Blake. So, he started to retreat, ceding the position immediately. Kira made a plan to press and steal the moment Blake tried to trap the ball.
Blake's dead-fish eyes glanced at Kira.
Kira cursed internally. Not good. This guy saw right through his plan.
Blake jumped, not even bothering to stop the ball. He headed the falling ball directly to the side.
Receiving the pass was the somewhat angry baby-faced Cavazos. When Cavazos got angry, his face turned a little red. Being targeted as the White Team's weak point repeatedly... that made Cavazos, a world-class star player, very unhappy.
Despite his fluctuating emotions, Cavazos' playstyle didn't change. He continued his unhurried dribbling.
Bachira and Isagi's attempts to cover were easily and simply neutralized.
After passing both of them, he faced the Blue Team's goal.
With a simple, unpretentious shot, he firmly kicked the ball into the net.
3-2.
Team World Five had turned the game around.
Kira arrived just a moment too late to cover.
"Phew..." Kira wiped the sweat from his forehead. Still just a step behind, letting them score.
"Yo, Cavazos, are you angry?" Silva called out from the far end of their side of the field.
"Getting so serious against a Japanese kid... isn't that a bit like bullying the weak?" Luna added, hands behind his head, looking like he was enjoying the show.
Cavazos ignored his teammates' calls. He stared straight at Kira.
Kira felt a bit creeped out by the stare. What was up with this baby face?
"You... sigh, if only you were a boy from Argentina," Cavazos said with a hint of regret.
Kira was confused.
"Alright, Cavazos, stop being envious. He's a 'Diamond in the rough' from Japan." Loki had appeared in front of Cavazos without anyone noticing.
Smiling at Kira, he said, "Let's continue. The match isn't over yet."
"I'm looking forward to what other surprises you can bring me."
"Ah, Kira, sorry. Once that baby face started dribbling, I couldn't stop him at all," Bachira said apologetically. In his eyes, he had long since become a spectator in this match. He couldn't help at all.
Isagi felt the same. His eyes could keep up, but his body couldn't. The rhythm was too fast. The pace of the match was completely different from anything they had played before. A tiny mistake would be turned into an opportunity by the opponent.
Rin walked up to Kira, hesitating, his words coming out haltingly.
"That pass you made... was... was great."
"Not scoring it... was my problem."
"Rin?" Bachira was stunned by Rin's words. Rin was actually apologizing to someone?
Kira felt a mix of amusement and sympathy. It seemed Rin was blaming himself for missing that goal.
Kira patted Rin on the shoulder to comfort him.
Clap, clap, clap.
At the same time, he applauded to boost morale. "Guys, don't get discouraged. The match isn't over yet. Follow my lead."
"Yeah!!"
***
Monitoring Room.
Ego was staring intently at the screen. Although the situation on the field wasn't optimistic, Ego occasionally cracked a smile. All of this was because Kira's performance let him see the future hope of Japanese football.
Anri, having just finished a phone call outside, pushed the door open and entered.
Her expression was grim. "Ego-san, the people from the Football Association... they want us to explain this expense for hiring superstars clearly at the next meeting."
"If we can't explain it clearly, they're going to terminate the Blue Lock project."
Terminate the project?
Ego's smile froze. He cursed under his breath, "Those immortal old geezers, they only see money."
He looked at Kira on the screen.
Suddenly, an incredible idea popped into his mind.
Could it be possible...?
Immediately, his resolve solidified. "Don't worry, Anri. At the next meeting, I'll make sure they shut their mouths!!"
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Hand over all of your power stones!!