On the far side of the field, Hyōma Chigiri had originally been far enough away from Ryūma Banjō to intercept him if he reacted fast enough.
But the moment he witnessed Ryūma's explosive acceleration, he froze in shock. Even though he quickly snapped out of it, that split-second delay was all Ryūma needed to surge right up beside him.
In the blink of an eye, Ryūma was already past him, storming toward the White Team's backline.
Chigiri turned sharply and gave chase with everything he had—but even his renowned speed couldn't bridge the gap this time.
Watching Ryūma's back disappear into the distance, Chigiri clenched his teeth in frustration.
(That burst speed… it's even stronger than Zantetsu's. He's insanely fast.)
(So this is Blue Lock's No. 2—Ryūma Banjō… huh!)
(Wait…?)
Just as they neared the White Team's defensive line, Chigiri suddenly realized something—the distance between him and Ryūma was shrinking.
Seeing himself catching up, Chigiri couldn't hide the flicker of excitement in his chest.
(Perfect. Looks like Ryūma only has incredible acceleration—his endurance must be weak!)
(The longer he runs, the more his speed drops!)
(This is my chance—the ball's mine!)
The two were now almost running side by side, with Ryūma even starting to lag slightly behind.
Seeing Chigiri's expression brighten, Ryūma couldn't help but smirk inwardly.
(Haha… how adorably naive, little missy~)
(Once he finds out I've been toying with him, he's gonna blow a fuse.)
(Maybe I should go easy on him, though? Wouldn't wanna scar my potential brother-in-law.)
(Hehe… I remember Chigiri's sister being an absolute knockout. Even though she only appeared once in the manga from my past life, that face—unforgettable!)
(If the little brother's already this ridiculously pretty, I can't even imagine what the sister looks like… (♡⌂♡))
(Still, being tricked by your sister's husband is better than getting tricked by someone else, right?)
(Alright, decision made—time to show Chigiri just how cruel the world can be!)
Having made up his mind, Ryūma waited until Chigiri lunged in for the ball—then suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
With a sharp motion, his left foot cut across the ball, redirecting it toward the center of the White Team's backfield.
At the same moment, Ryūma exploded forward again, sprinting toward the same spot.
Chigiri, caught by surprise, was carried a few steps ahead by inertia before he managed to halt himself. He stared at Ryūma in disbelief.
(Damn it! So the slowdown wasn't because he ran out of stamina—it was bait! He purposely slowed down just to cut the ball past me!)
(No, wait—how the hell did he stop that suddenly while sprinting full-speed… and then move again instantly?)
(Is that even humanly possible? What kind of monster is he?)
Ryūma didn't care what Chigiri was thinking. Right now, he was facing a double-team—Yoichi Isagi and Meguru Bachira closing in fast.
But they weren't his biggest concern.
What caught his attention instead was the figure charging back from the flank—the self-proclaimed "King," Shōei Barō!
Ryūma narrowed his eyes.
(Barō's a problem. Once he locks onto you, it's hard to do anything else.)
(I need to blow past the 'First Love Duo' right here, right now.)
There was no time to think—he had to go through them in the quickest, simplest, and most ruthless way possible.
And the simplest way… was to devour them head-on.
Ryūma faked a drive to the left, then suddenly cut back, throwing off Isagi and Bachira's rhythm.
In the next instant, he unleashed a burst of power, firing the ball toward the right side of the White Team's backfield.
The moment Isagi saw Ryūma's foot connect with the ball, he knew they were screwed.
All four defenders were bunched up on the left side of the pitch—
and yet Ryūma had sent the ball flying to the right.
No one from the Red Team was there—but Isagi understood immediately.
Ryūma wasn't passing to a teammate.
He was passing to himself—three seconds into the future.
If Chigiri had started from the same spot and sprinted for the ball, Isagi might've had some hope.
But right now, Chigiri was the farthest from it. Even so, green sparks flared in Isagi's eyes. He wasn't giving up yet.
(No choice… I'll block his shot myself!)
(It's fast, but if I watch closely, I can read his timing.)
(I just have to account for my own limits—I can't jump high, so I need perfect timing. Otherwise, I'll never stop that shot!)
Isagi locked onto Ryūma's form as he dove toward the incoming ball.
Ryūma lunged sideways mid-run, striking with full force!
(That body control—insane! He can shoot even from that angle?!)
(No, focus! He's about to shoot! Stay calm, don't rush it!)
(Breathe, Isagi… just a little lower… now!)
"Now!!"
Isagi's pupils shrank as he leapt with perfect timing, intercepting Ryūma's shooting path.
At that exact instant, the thunderous crack of Ryūma's strike echoed across the field.
[BOOM!!]
(I blocked him—!)
The thought had barely formed when he saw it—the ball that had been at Ryūma's feet now materialized right before his eyes,
and in the very next instant, it whizzed past his ear and slammed into the net behind him!
GOAL!! Red Team 1 – 1 White Team!
Thrown to the ground by the force of his jump, Isagi lay stunned, unable to move.
(What… kind of shot was that?)
(It was like the ball teleported…)
(How can you even predict that? The power behind it was terrifying…)
(So this is...)
(...Ryūma Banjō's full strength!)
"Isagi! You okay?!"
Hearing Bachira's voice snapped him back to reality.
He instinctively clutched his ear—it was burning hot and aching.
That's when he remembered: Ryūma's shot had grazed his ear on its way into the goal.
Ryūma froze when he noticed Isagi still sitting there, holding his ear.
(Whoa… that's some serious commitment, Isagi.)
(That was a full-power shot. Still, it looks like he's starting to grasp how to use his 'eyes' now.)
(Interesting… I remember he keeps evolving as the match goes on. I can't wait to see it.)
Scratching his head awkwardly, Ryūma walked up and said,
"Sorry, Isagi. Your ear okay?"
"I didn't expect you to go that hard."
Isagi hadn't expected an apology. After all, he'd jumped in on his own—it wasn't Ryūma's fault.
He looked up at Ryūma and thought to himself:
(This guy's actually a decent person… not like Rin, who's always trying to kill me.)