Chapter 133: The Haul
"OHHHHHHHH!"
"KIRA! KIRA! KIRA!"
"That wasn't just a shot, it was a goddamn masterpiece!"
The stands erupted in a deafening, soul-shaking roar. Ryosuke Kira's name was being chanted in every corner of the stadium, a rhythmic thunder that seemed to make the very air vibrate.
"Unbelievable! Kira's strike was a mirror image of the technical brilliance we saw from Itoshi Sae in the first half!" Atsuto Tereasa screamed into his microphone. "But there was no savior at the goal line for the U-20 this time! Aiku could only watch from the grass as the ball tore into the net!"
"Is this the power of Blue Lock's captain?"
The match was a rollercoaster of pure adrenaline. Just when it felt like the U-20 had seized the momentum, Blue Lock had snatched it back with a single, clinical counter.
Harutaro Natsuki's voice was uncharacteristically thick with emotion. "Kira dropped back into the attacking midfield role and immediately dismantled the defense. First, a surgical long ball to let Yukimiya rip through the flank, and then he ghosted into the box to find a finish from a nearly impossible angle."
"He's done it. A hat-trick on the biggest stage of his life. Who is the protagonist of this match? Right now, there's only one answer!"
***
On the U-20 bench, Coach Yasumori Hoichi was falling apart. He buried his face in his hands, trembling. "What do I do? Do I sub? If we lose this... if we actually lose..."
He stole a glance toward the VIP box. Through the glass, the JFU Chairman sat motionless, a silent judge. Hoichi knew his career was hanging by a thread.
"Hey, puppet coach. Do you actually have a plan, or are you just going to sit there and vibrate?"
Itoshi Sae was casually sipping water, looking at the panicked manager with nothing but contempt.
"I... we have to consolidate the defense!" Hoichi stammered. "We play for the counter! We stick to the system!"
Sae let out a short, dry laugh. "You're a waste of space. Even a toddler could come up with that 'strategy.' It's safe, it's boring, and it's why Japanese football is a joke."
"Shut up!" Hoichi snapped, his face turning a blotchy red. "You're just a player! I'm doing this for the team's survival!"
"Fine, whatever," Sae said, waving him off like an annoying fly. "But unless someone is bleeding out, you aren't making any substitutions. The U-20 can still fight. Don't ruin their fun just because you're a coward."
***
On the pitch, Shuto Sendo was gasping for air, his face a mask of pure frustration.
"What's the matter, Sendo? You giving up already?"
Sendo didn't look up at Aiku. He just gave a muffled, "No."
Aiku let out a low, satisfied chuckle. "Good. Because they're incredible, aren't they? That Blue Lock squad... they're the real deal."
"But we're only down by one. And when things get this desperate, that's when an ace is supposed to explode. Show me you've got a pulse."
"I'm not done yet," Sendo growled, his eyes finally refocusing.
"The endgame is finally here!" Tereasa's voice boomed. "Fifteen minutes left on the clock! Captain Kira has put Blue Lock back in the driver's seat with a legendary hat-trick. Can the U-20 National Team find the fire to mount one last comeback, or is the Diamond Generation about to shatter?"
The U-20 kicked off.
"I'm burning up!" Shidou's face was twisted into a manic, predatory grin. "I'm going to tear Kira-chan apart. How dare he get a hat-trick before me?"
"Set me up, Genius!"
Sae gave a curt nod. "Go, demon."
The second the ball touched Sae's foot, he ignited. He blew past Isagi in a heartbeat, but his style had shifted. Before, he was looking for the pass first, searching for the opening. Now, he was the opening. He was dribbling with a violent, direct aggression that forced the defense to collapse on him.
'He's been holding back this whole time,' Kira thought, watching Sae carve through the Blue Lock midfield.
Sae was a surgeon. He wasn't an 'active' dribbler like Bachira or Yukimiya; he was a 'passive' master. He didn't force a move—he waited for the defender to commit to a rhythm, then he simply adjusted his frequency to bypass them.
Rin lunged into his path, his eyes bloodshot with rage. "Come on, Brother! Try and get past me!"
Sae didn't hesitate. He mapped out Rin's defensive timing in a split second. With a sudden, jarring change in tempo, he left his younger brother grasping at air.
But as Sae prepared to launch the final ball to Shidou, a blue jersey flashed into his vision.
Kira!
Kira executed a perfect, high-stakes slide tackle, his boot connecting cleanly with the ball and sending it spinning away from Sae's control.
Sae's eyes widened. For the first time all day, he looked genuinely shocked. 'How did he know my line? He set the trap the moment I beat Rin.'
"Incredible! Sae was tearing the defense to shreds, but he just got sniped by the opposing captain!" Tereasa screamed. "Kira just shut down a world-class playmaker in a dead-sprint!"
"Counter!" Kira roared.
Isagi scooped up the loose ball. Haru Hayate tried to close him down, but Isagi didn't even entertain the duel. He fired the ball straight back to Kira.
Kira took the ball and immediately began to move, his body language an exact replica of Sae's earlier run. He didn't force the dribble; he waited for Hayate to reset, then ghosted past him using the exact same frequency-shift he'd just observed.
"Stop him!" Niou bellowed, charging forward.
Kira was in the zone. He felt the traces of the Sae card still thrumming in his brain. He watched Niou's center of gravity shift, waited for the heartbeat of hesitation, and then exploded into the gap.
"You're having way too much fun, little thief!"
Aiku was there. He wasn't falling for the rhythm-shift. He was in Flow, his movements flawless and his positioning airtight. Kira saw no opening.
'If there isn't one, I'll make one.'
Kira dropped his shoulder, selling a hard left-side drive. Aiku followed him, but his eyes were mocking. "Too easy!"
Aiku thought he had him—until he felt a cold chill. Sae had recovered and was closing in from the other side. Kira was pinned between the two best players on the pitch.
'Perfect,' Kira thought. 'You guys have Shidou. But I have the monster!'
Kira didn't try to beat them. He whipped a "needle-thread" pass directly through the microscopic gap between Sae and Aiku. It was a mirror of Sae's signature passing style.
"Go play, Bachira!"
Sae's face went pale. 'He's literally mocking my technique...'
The ball found Bachira on the wing. "I knew you'd find me, Kira! The finale belongs to me!"
Bachira was met by... Sendo? The U-20 striker had dropped back, his face set in a mask of absolute desperation.
"I'm not playing for a marriage with gravure idol anymore!" Sendo screamed. "If I'm going to the top, I'm going all the way! I'm marrying a Hollywood A-lister! I'm going to the top of the world!"
"Tch... quite the upgrade," Bachira laughed.
With a lightning-fast Marseille Turn, Bachira left the "Hollywood" dreamer in the dust. Aiku abandoned Kira and sprinted back to cover the goal, but Bachira was already in the box. He feinted a shot, drew Aiku into a lunging block, and then chipped the ball over him.
Bachira let fly toward the open net. Fukaku was beat.
Suddenly, a shadow flew across the goal mouth. It was Itoshi Sae. He launched himself into a desperate overhead clearance, hooking the ball off the line with a bicycle kick that seemed to defy gravity.
"Sae saves it! A miracle stop!"
The ball spiraled high into the air, falling toward the edge of the area.
Bachira clenched his teeth. "Crap... my luck ran out."
But Kira was already there. He had been left unmarked the second Sae and Aiku focused on Bachira.
'Flow is a hell of a drug.'
Kira didn't wait for the ball to land. He turned his back to the goal and launched himself into the air, his body horizontal.
It was a "Bicycle Kick"—an exact replica of Shidou Ryusei's earlier goal.
The ball hit the sweet spot of his boot and screamed into the net with a downward arc that gave the keeper zero chance.
4-2.
A Haul. Four goals for the Captain.
Shidou, watching from the center circle, let out a loud, manic laugh. "I knew it! You're just as much of a freak as I am!"
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