(This is my true final move!!)
(Spin and direct shot—heel strike!!)
As the ball reached Yoichi Isagi's feet, he spun sharply, stepping over it and flicking it backward with his heel.
[Thud!!]
The ball blasted into the Red Team's goal, Rin Itoshi's eyes widening in disbelief.
GOAL!! Red Team 3 – 3 White Team!
Thrown off balance by the motion, Isagi fell to the ground but didn't rush to get up. Instead, he stared intensely at Rin, fire burning in his eyes.
(I've devoured you, Rin!!)
(I will surpass you!!)
He sprang to his feet, shouting at the top of his lungs, releasing all his pent-up exhilaration.
"AHHH!!!"
The White Team swarmed him in celebration. Hyōma Chigiri came up from behind, throwing his arm around Isagi's neck.
"We tied it up!! That was awesome, Isagi!!"
Meguru Bachira muttered softly from nearby,
"Isagi..."
Hands in his pockets, Shōei Barō struck his usual cool pose.
"That entire series of moves…"
"Was it all calculated through anticipation, Isagi?"
Isagi nodded, his expression serious.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"But the first thing that came to mind was the image of me charging forward unmarked and scoring."
"To make that vision real, I had to assume Rin Itoshi had predicted everything."
"Only then could I form that final scenario—the heel shot."
He turned to Chigiri, who still had an arm slung over his shoulders, and continued explaining.
"Normally, by the time I make that diagonal run toward goal, the result is already decided."
"But because it was Rin, I knew he'd anticipate it and catch up."
"He could block my shot, making the outcome completely uncertain."
"That's because Rin's vision, intelligence, and physical ability are all on a genius level."
"I believed he'd be able to reach my final scenario."
"This was a formula I created because I believed in Rin Itoshi—a formula made just for him!"
Barō exhaled sharply, half impressed, half annoyed.
"So if you'd failed, you'd have handed them a counterattack."
"You really bet it all, huh?"
Chigiri, on the other hand, just grinned.
"Ha! That kind of play… only someone with vision like Rin's—or yours—could pull it off!"
"Alright, I'll mark Rin. Let's go!"
...
On the Red Team's side, Ryūma Banjō strolled over to Rin with a teasing grin.
"Looks like you lost to Isagi just now~"
"This isn't like back when you played Kudo Tōya—this was one-on-one~"
"Shut up, idiot!" Rin snapped.
"If I get fired up, my blood will boil!"
"Alright, alright," Ryūma chuckled. "Then watch me win us a point back!"
He turned to Seishiro Nagi, who was preparing for kickoff.
"Wait a sec, Nagi. Here's what we'll do..."
At that moment, Nagi stood at the center circle, white flames blazing around him as his fighting spirit surged. He looked at Isagi and the others, thoughts racing through his head.
(What an intense match!)
(Isagi and Rin are fighting for control—it's incredible. Isagi's grown so much he's practically Rin's equal now.)
(And it's not just Isagi. There's that "anomaly" Barō, and Chigiri, probably the second fastest on the field.)
(And even though Bachira's acting strange, his passing's still deadly.)
(Man… these guys are amazing. Especially you, Isagi. You've become someone I really want to defeat.)
As he thought, Nagi gently placed the ball on the turf. The white flames in his eyes burned hotter as old memories resurfaced.
(I want to crush them—right now!!)
(Ah… the reason I can feel this fire inside me...)
[Reo Mikage: Interesting! Just stay the way you are!]
(It's because of that moment—when Reo invited me to join him!)
[Reo Mikage: You've changed!!]
(Reo, maybe you were right… Coming to Blue Lock, facing failure—it changed me.)
(But I want to change. I want to grow stronger!)
(I'm sorry, Reo...)
(I wasn't there with you. I left you behind and slowly began to change—)
"Let's crush them, Nagi!"
"Yeah."
(Reo… please, forgive me.)
...
Red Team's ball! Seishiro Nagi kicks off from center!
Right after kickoff, Nagi passed the ball to Ryūma on the right side.
Their eyes met for an instant—and then, almost simultaneously, they both took off.
Nagi sprinted toward the right flank, Ryūma toward the left.
But as soon as they entered the White Team's half, defenders closed in to block them.
Ryūma grinned at the opponent in front of him.
"Oh? You again? After all the times I've beaten you, you still dare step up?"
"No matter how many times it takes, I'll stop you, you arrogant brat!!" Barō snapped.
"Heh, we'll see about that."
With that, Ryūma's legs blurred, moving rapidly in a flurry of inside-out step-overs as he approached.
(Ultra-fast step-overs!? Damn, I need to react instantly!)
When Ryūma was less than a meter away, he suddenly burst toward Barō's left side.
Barō reacted quickly, lunging to intercept—only to realize there was no ball at Ryūma's feet.
In that instant, it hit him.
(Damn! He used the quick step-overs to draw my attention, baiting me into watching his movements—so he could pull off a Split Dribble!)
Flustered, Barō instinctively lunged, trying to delay him long enough for Chigiri or Bachira to steal the ball.
"Heh, idiot~"
Ryūma suddenly stopped cold, motionless for a split second. Barō, having swung at nothing, stumbled and crashed forward onto the ground.
Ryūma didn't spare him a glance—he leapt straight toward the still airborne ball.
He'd planned for the delay, so during his Split Dribble, he hadn't kicked the ball away—he'd lifted it upward instead. Now, perfectly timing his jump, he swung his right leg in a shooting motion.
Just as he did, Bachira and Chigiri darted in front of him, blocking the shot's path.
But it wasn't a shot—it was a pass!
Farther away, Yoichi Isagi, locked in a duel with Nagi, had already read Ryūma's intentions.
Watching Ryūma's movements, his pupils glowed green as he analyzed everything.
(Just as I thought! He's passing to Nagi!)
(The moment he started drawing players toward him, I felt it!)
(From my position, I'll reach the ball before Nagi does. I'll kick it instantly, giving him no time to react—then use Chigiri's speed for a counterattack!)
(Yes… pass it, Ryūma!!)
...