Team X's dormitory was quieter that night, but the silence wasn't peace.
It was pressure.
Akashi Sejiro sat on the edge of his bunk, replaying the match against Team Y in perfect clarity. Every footstep, every shift of weight, every defensive lapse. Perfect Memory converted the game into a living blueprint inside his mind.
We created advantages… but Barou kills flow. He breaks balance. He draws defenders but isolates himself. If this continues, we'll hit a wall.
And the wall had a name.
Team V.
He lay back, eyes half-closed, seeing Reo's structured passing lanes, Nagi's effortless touch.
Two players moving like mirrors of each other — synchronized, fluid.
He predicts that If Barou and him stay disjointed, they'll tear us apart.
---
Arrival for the Next Match
When morning arrived, the Blue Lock halls carried a storm-like buzz. As Team X walked toward the pitch, tension fluttered at their backs.
Barou led the group, radiating the same destructive ego as always.
He wasn't worried. He wasn't thinking.
Team V? Reo? Nagi? Doesn't matter. I'll crush them.
He grinned, almost amused.
"This is perfect. Time to show those fancy boys what real power looks like."
The others weren't so confident.
The midfielder who had trusted Akashi previously leaned over.
"You think we can do it… with him?" He glanced nervously at Barou.
Akashi kept his voice even.
"We don't beat them with power. We beat them with clarity."
But inside—
Barou won't adjust unless forced. If he refuses to adapt, the burden falls on me.
He exhaled slowly.
This match will decide our ceiling.
---
Team V Enters
The moment Team V stepped onto the pitch, the atmosphere shifted.
Reo Mikage walked with the self-assured ease of someone used to creating order.
Beside him floated Nagi Seishiro — loose, unbothered, almost bored.
Nagi scratched his head, yawning.
"Reo… remind me why we have to try today?"
Reo smiled. "Because winning feels good, Nagi. And because Team X is strong."
Nagi's eyes drifted lazily to Akashi.
"Oh… the red-eyed guy again. He moved pretty well last match."
Akashi met his gaze.
He's dangerous. His movements are unpredictable — instinct over logic.
Reo's expression sharpened.
"And Barou… he's brute force incarnate. If they sync, they'll be a problem."
Nagi shrugged.
"So we'll break them before they sync."
Barou cracked his knuckles.
"Tch. Try it, pretty boys."
---
The Match Begins
The whistle tore through the air.
Barou exploded forward instantly — predictable, powerful, reckless.
Reo and Nagi didn't even need to communicate; their eyes met for half a second and the plan was executed.
Three defenders collapsed onto Barou's charge, cutting off his path.
Nagi drifted behind them.
Reo delivered a perfectly weighted lob.
Akashi recognized the danger instantly.
Nagi's moving early… he's reading the air currents… he's planning the trap…
But it was already too late.
With a soft tap, Nagi killed the ball mid-air as if gravity didn't matter. One touch. Two. A flick over a defender. A casual swing of his leg.
The net rippled.
1–0.
Barou cursed. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"
Nagi blinked.
"That was effort. I hate effort."
Reo laughed. "Beautiful as always."
---
Team X Responds
Akashi stepped forward, tone controlled.
"Barou, your route was too direct. They predicted it."
"Shut up! I don't need your analysis!"
But inside—
He's right. They cornered me like it was nothing. I'll crush them next time.
Akashi studied Nagi.
Perfect Memory replayed the trap: angle, tempo, contact point.
His anticipation is elite. He reacts mid-air. That reaction time… is monstrous.
But monsters bleed.
He inhaled sharply.
Find the pattern. Break the rhythm.
---
Akashi Strikes Back
Team V tried the same defensive cage, expecting Barou to smash headfirst again.
But this time, Akashi moved earlier, slipping into a space that didn't exist a moment earlier.
The midfielder's instincts clicked — he passed forward.
Barou's eyes widened.
"Huh—?"
Akashi overtook him.
Defenders collapsed late.
Too late.
The Eye of the Emperor saw everything — the lean of the left defender, the hesitation of the right, the keeper's early weight shift.
Akashi carved through them like water.
A soft touch.
A hard strike.
The net trembled.
1–1.
Reo's eyes widened slightly.
"So he adapted instantly…"
Nagi scratched his cheek.
"He's pretty good. Annoying."
Barou glared at Akashi.
"Tch… don't steal my spotlight."
Akashi didn't reply.
But inside—
Then move better.
---
The Fall
The tie didn't last long.
Team V adjusted effortlessly.
Reo tightened the passing web.
Nagi drifted into blind spots like a ghost with no friction.
Every time Akashi stepped forward, Nagi countered the lane he targeted.
Every time Barou accelerated, Reo dragged the rhythm elsewhere.
Akashi felt it first.
We're being out-linked. Out-synced. Their chemistry… it's too fluid.
And then the moment came.
Reo disguised his pass — a subtle shift of his heel.
Akashi recognized it a millisecond too late.
Nagi was already airborne.
With a single touch that seemed too soft to matter, he redirected the ball past the keeper.
2–1.
The whistle stabbed the air.
Team V won.
---
Aftermath
Barou punched the turf. "DAMMIT! I'll crush them next time!"
Akashi stood still, jaw tight.
Inside—
We weren't beaten by talent alone. We were beaten by connection.
He looked at Barou.
If we don't sync… Team X dies here.
Reo and Nagi passed by them.
Reo gave a polite nod. "Good match. You're strong."
Nagi added, "Try harder next time. Or not. Trying is tiring."
Barou growled.
Akashi simply narrowed his eyes.
I'll surpass you. Both of you.
As Team X walked back to their dorm, the pressure was no longer fear.
It was hunger.
The cracks in Team X were no longer invisible.
They began to see Cracks.
And they were either about to break — or forge something terrifying.