Standing in front of the goal, Tabito Karasu had a clear view of both Ryūma Banjō and Yo Hiori's movements.
Ryūma was charging straight toward Team X's penalty area from the space between their midfield and backline,
while Hiori sprinted toward the ball's projected landing point—the left side of the box.
Eita Otoya dashed at full speed toward the same spot, but he had started later and was much farther from the ball.
Unsurprisingly, Hiori reached it first. In that moment, something strange happened—
four vertical streams of numbers flickered through his pupils, as if his eyes were performing rapid calculations.
That's right—Yo Hiori had unconsciously entered the FLOW state!
He didn't strike the ball immediately; instead, his movements deliberately slowed.
An unnerving calm washed over him as he stared unblinking at the charging Eita Otoya.
Then, just as Otoya closed in, Hiori suddenly extended his leg, sending the ball toward the center of Team X's penalty area.
Otoya had already planned his counter. He wasn't naive—the way Hiori tried to bait him in was far too obvious.
He decided to play along, pretending not to notice, waiting for the perfect moment to intercept Hiori's pass or shot.
But things didn't go the way Otoya expected.
The ball seemed to have a controller attached to it—it suddenly curved midair, arcing right around him.
"Quick! Get the ball back! Kick it out if you have to!"
"Block Ryūma Banjō! Foul him if you must—just stop the shot…!"
"Synchronize!!"
[BOOM!!!]
Before Karasu could even finish shouting, a sharp sound rang out—and in the next instant, the ball slammed into Team X's net.
When he looked forward, a figure wreathed in violet flames stood before the goal.
GOAL!! Team V 3:2 Team X
"Haha! Hiori, our Zero-Speed Shot worked!"
This was the move born from the combination of Ryūma Banjō and Yo Hiori's Heavy Cannon Shot × Remote Control Passing—
an upgraded version of Ryūma's original Heavy Cannon Shot.
Originally, the Heavy Cannon Shot had a clear, exposed trajectory and could only travel in a straight line.
But now, it was different. In the upgraded Zero-Speed Shot, Hiori performed the setup motion in Ryūma's place.
All Ryūma had to do was rush into position and unleash a full-powered strike—
Hiori would ensure the ball reached his foot perfectly.
After countless failed attempts in training, this was their first success.
This technique—their Flying Man tactic—depended on three crucial factors.
The first was Synchronization. Both players had to move in perfect rhythm, beginning their runs simultaneously.
When Hiori passed, Ryūma had to shoot at that exact moment.
If their timing was off, the Zero-Speed Shot would lose its deadly speed.
The second was Trust. Hiori had to believe that Ryūma would arrive precisely at the spot where his pass would land.
And Ryūma, in turn, had to believe that Hiori's pass would reach his foot the instant he swung.
Even the slightest hesitation from either side would doom the attempt.
The third—and most critical—factor was Hiori's ability to deliver a Remote Control Passing.
He needed to predict Ryūma's shooting position, his step timing, and the exact path that would evade defenders' interceptions.
They had practiced this move countless times, with most attempts ending in failure.
But this time, Hiori had unconsciously entered FLOW.
And Ryūma—no matter how many times they'd failed—had never stopped trusting him completely.
Whenever Hiori wanted to try again, Ryūma struck without hesitation.
That absolute trust, combined with Hiori's awakened state, made the Zero-Speed Shot a success.
...
Back on the field, Ryūma leapt onto Hiori's back, laughing as he celebrated their first perfect connection.
Luckily, he'd held back his strength—and with Hiori's solid physique, neither of them fell over.
Hiori, momentarily startled, had his thoughts cut off by Ryūma's sudden action.
He'd still been thinking about that strange state he'd just experienced.
Looking at Ryūma, he asked curiously,
"Ryūma, did you feel something different during that shot?"
"No—actually, wasn't your whole state kind of… different just now?"
"Yeah, definitely," Ryūma nodded. "You felt unbelievably focused—calm to the point of being scary.
And that pass... it was insanely precise.
When I struck the ball, it felt like my timing was flawless—
almost like I was the one executing the entire shot myself, without even a moment's delay."
As Ryūma spoke, it all became clear to him.
(That kid must've entered the FLOW state…)
(Damn, Hiori—he's probably the first one in Blue Lock to reach it.)
(Too bad I barely remember the details from the manga in my past life...)
(All I did was watch the matches—who remembers all the other stuff so clearly?)
(Especially Jinpachi Ego's sales-pitch lectures. My eyes were like, "I get it," but my brain refused to process it.)
(If I had to explain the FLOW state, I could make up a few lines, but better not mislead Hiori.)
(I'll just let him hear Ego's explanation later.)
Finishing his thoughts, Ryūma looked over and saw Hiori still lost in contemplation.
A mischievous grin spread across his face as he reached out and vigorously ruffled Hiori's hair.
"Stop overthinking it, Hiori—you're gonna fry your CPU."
"Why bother thinking so hard? The more you enter that state, the more you'll naturally figure it out."
Hiori ran his hands through his messy hair, sighing.
"Cut it out, Ryūma. I can't even see in front of me now."
"Haha, sorry, sorry~" Ryūma laughed. "Come on, Hiori, they're about to kick off again."
With that, Ryūma smiled and walked back to his position.
Hiori dropped the thought for now and returned to his own spot, waiting for Team X to restart.
...
Team X possession! Eita Otoya to kick off!
The moment play resumed, Otoya and Karasu dashed forward together into Team V's half.
Otoya carried the ball deep into the attacking third, and before Ryūma could close him down,
he passed to Karasu on the right flank.
Receiving the ball, Karasu looked up at the figure before him and sighed with a wry smile.
"How long are you planning to keep following me, Eyelash Genius?"
"Then just hand over the ball already, you annoying bastard."
"Ah~ geniuses really are such a pain."
Once again, Tabito Karasu found himself one-on-one with Rin Itoshi.
...
(35 Chapters Ahead)
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