Chapter 6: Kunigami Rensuke's Response
Shock rippled through the room.
While everyone was still grappling with the absurdity of Ego Jinpachi's game, one guy had the guts to challenge all eleven others single-handedly.
"Hey, hey, hey, this guy's way too full of himself!"
"What's he mean, taking on all of us alone?"
"Even if you're Kira Ryosuke, you can't possibly beat all eleven of us!"
The room buzzed with stunned reactions that quickly morphed into anger. They were all peers, same age, same dreams. For someone to boldly declare he'd take on everyone was an insult no one could swallow. Every player here was a talented young football prodigy, handpicked for Blue Lock.
As expected, a figure stepped forward from the crowd, shaking his arms with purpose.
Kunigami Rensuke's eyes burned with restrained fury. "Ganging up isn't my style, but you're looking down on us way too much, Kira. I'm in—your challenge is accepted."
His pride wouldn't let him stomach such blatant disrespect. Fire blazed in his gaze, his response measured but laced with defiance.
"Yeah, bring it on!"
"Who's scared of this guy?"
"We need to eliminate someone anyway. If he's volunteering to stick his neck out, let's show him what we're made of!"
Even though the others didn't know each other before, they now shared a common goal: to put this arrogant punk in his place. After all, they were all elite strikers from across Japan.
"Kira… challenging everyone?" Isagi Yoichi stared at Kira's figure, a storm of emotions swirling inside him. He was already doubting his own ability to avoid elimination, and here was Kira, radiating unshakable confidence. Shame crept in—why couldn't he muster that kind of belief in himself?
"Eh? I'm not the Demon anymore?" Igaguri blinked, noticing the screen's avatar had switched to Kira. He slunk to the sidelines, acting like this no longer concerned him, and began watching with sly curiosity.
In the Blue Lock monitoring room, dozens of screens lined the walls, displaying every moment from the facility's rooms. This was where the Ego tracked each player's performance.
Anri Teieri scanned the feeds, her eyes catching an oddity in Room Z. While other rooms were already deep in chaotic chases, Room Z was locked in a strange standoff: one player stood in the center with the ball, while the others hovered warily in the corners.
"Ego-san, look at Room Z…" she started.
Ego Jinpachi, slouched in a chair, waved her off. "Shh. I'm watching."
What Anri didn't know was that Kira's bold speech in the hall had already caught Ego's attention. The kid's mindset screamed striker, aligning perfectly with Ego's vision, so he'd been keeping a close eye on Room Z from the start.
"What's Kira doing? Isn't he just making it more likely he'll get eliminated?" Anri's confusion was palpable. The rules were clear: the Demon at the end was out. Kira's move seemed to defy all logic.
"No. He's seizing control of his own fate," Ego said, shaking his head at her judgment. "The Demon needs sharp dribbling to chase and pinpoint accuracy to hit a moving target with a quality shot. Let's see if Kira Ryosuke's got what it takes."
Back in the room, just as Kira finished his bold declaration, a sudden rush of movement came from behind him. He twisted his body, narrowly dodging as a figure lunged past, missing him and retreating to the side.
It was Bachira Meguru, the guy who'd been napping earlier. "Aww, so close! Almost had him!" he chirped, grinning mischievously.
Kunigami frowned, his voice stern. "Cut the cheap tricks. Fight fair."
Bachira stuck out his tongue, unfazed. "What are you, the honor police?"
Kira exhaled in relief, his senses sharp. Good thing I stayed alert. Bachira's just like in the manga—unpredictable, playing by his own rules. If Bachira had caught him off guard and Kunigami followed with a shot, that kind of power could've knocked him flat.
Kira glanced at the others. Most had rallied around Kunigami, his words clearly earning their trust. They were uniting to take him down.
"Alright, then. I'll start with you!" Kira locked eyes with Kunigami, raising his right foot high, aiming straight for the muscular striker.
BOOM!
The ball rocketed toward Kunigami, slicing through the air with a sharp whistle.
"Damn, that's fast!"
"As expected from Japan's rising star—accurate and powerful!"
"No way I could've dodged that!"
The others gasped, floored by Kira's skill. A striker's core strength was shooting, and Kira's kick was a masterclass. They knew Cristiano Ronaldo's shots clocked in at 110 km/h; Kira's couldn't match that, but visually, they pegged it at around 70 km/h. For a high schooler, that was elite—stronger than most in the room. They'd have to move fast to avoid it.
"Fast, but not enough," Kunigami said coolly, refusing to flinch. Instead of dodging, he planted himself firmly, lifted his left foot high, and met the incoming ball head-on.
"Hah!" With a thunderous shout, Kunigami poured every ounce of strength into his leg, muscles bulging as his instep smashed into the ball.
Boom!
The motion was fluid, powerful, almost poetic—a perfect volley.
The football shot back toward Kira like a cannonball, screaming through the air.
"So fast—too fast!"
"Kunigami's insane!"
"That shot's gotta be at least 90 km/h!"
The room erupted in awe. They'd thought Kira's shot was untouchable, but Kunigami's left foot was on another level.
Isagi's jaw dropped, his eyes wide. A high schooler can kick like that?
Kira was stunned too. He'd known Blue Lock's players were no ordinary talents, but facing Kunigami's raw power in person hit differently. These weren't the prefectural-level opponents his original self had faced.
Still, he was ready. The manga had clued him in on Kunigami's strengths. Twisting his body to the right, he barely dodged as the ball grazed his chest, sending a cold sweat down his spine.
Thud!
The ball slammed into the wall behind him, leaving a faint dent.
Kira glanced back, heart racing. If that had hit me, I'd be on the floor, gasping for air.
"Such power," Igarashi muttered from the sidelines, eyes wide. "If that hit me, I'd be out cold."
In the monitoring room, Anri Teieri adjusted her glasses. "That tall guy with the orange hair… what a monster shot."
"Everyone I picked has real talent. No one here's useless," Ego said. "Kunigami Rensuke's a power-type striker with top-tier ball-shielding. His real weapon? Those explosive long-range shots. If he can train his weaker foot, he'll go even further." Ego's eyes gleamed with expectation.
"So, Kira's in trouble then? With someone like Kunigami here?" Anri asked.
"No!" Ego's gaze stayed locked on Kira's image. "Never count a match done until it's over."
Back in the room, the players groaned in frustration. "Damn, so close! He didn't get hit!"
But they noticed something: Kira wasn't untouchable. He wasn't overwhelmingly stronger than Kunigami. And with eleven of them—counting the sneaky Igarashi—they couldn't lose. Confidence crept into their expressions.
"Hey, if that's all you've got, you're not getting past me," Kunigami said, standing like an unshakable mountain, his voice steady and challenging.
Isagi felt a twinge of worry, despite the odds. Kira seemed outmatched, but something about him stirred unease. It's probably just the shadow of our last match, Isagi told himself. If we eliminate Kira here, I'm one step closer to being number one out of 300. He shook his head, rejecting the thought. No! I can't rely on others to win!
"So eager to be the hero, huh?" Kira's confident grin didn't waver, as if Kunigami's display hadn't fazed him at all.
The others scoffed inwardly. Still acting cocky? He's gotta be sweating bullets inside.
Ignoring their thoughts, Kira strolled to the ball and placed his foot on it, calm and deliberate.
Maybe challenging everyone with just my current skills was a bit reckless. But I've got a trump card they can't match.
"Use Shidou Ryusei Trial Card."
[Activated]
[Vision +15 (Continuous decay)]
[Strength +30 (Continuous decay)]
[Speed +30 (Continuous decay)]
[Shooting +20 (Continuous decay)]
[Duration: 10 minutes]
Let's see how you handle the gap between you and Shidou Ryusei, Kunigami.
The screen showed 90 seconds remaining.
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I want your power stones!! Give me your power stones!!! 💎💎💎