Chapter 122: The Monkey and the Pro
"Who the hell is that kid with the white hair? That was a clinical save."
"I think I saw a headline about him recently—he's supposed to be the top prospect in the high school circuit, right?"
"I honestly came here to watch the National Team steamroll these kids, but this is actually getting intense."
The chatter in the stands hummed like a low-frequency wire, all of it vibrating around Ryosuke Kira's goal-line heroics.
"With a spectacular clearance from Blue Lock's captain, Kira, this stadium has officially reached its boiling point!" Atsuto Tereasa shouted into his headset, his voice crackling with genuine hype. "Even against a genius strike from Itoshi Sae, Kira's pure hustle said 'not today.' Is this the Ryosuke Kira the media dubbed the 'Supernova'? He's living up to every bit of that reputation and then some!"
"By all rights, a striker like Kira shouldn't even be in that zip code," Harutaro Natsuki added, his voice more measured but clearly showing a rare trace of surprise. "It's like he suddenly tapped into a world-class defensive radar. His positioning was flawless."
Over on the U-20 bench, Ryusei Shidou let out a jagged, sharp laugh. 'Idiots. You keep a freak like me on the bench, and you expect these half-assed strikers to get past a monster like Kira?'
Shidou could feel the hunger clawing at his gut, a violent itch he couldn't scratch. He had a feeling it wouldn't be long before the U-20 was begging him to save them. The excitement was vibrating through his entire body.
Down on the pitch, Kira took a long, steady breath to find his rhythm. He had barely made it in time. The moment Aiku had intercepted the ball earlier, Kira had zeroed in on his intent and activated the Oliver Aiku Trial Card.
'The world looks completely different through a defender's eyes.'
He had spent his whole life seeing the pitch as an apex predator. But with Aiku's defensive stats boosting his brain, he had seen the patterns of the counter-attack emerging before they even fully formed. The second the ball had left Aiku's foot, Kira's legs were already moving. He had caught the scent of a goal—Sae's goal—and he'd hunted it down with everything he had.
But that shot... Sae was on another level. Even as he headed the ball away, Kira could feel the violent spin and raw power behind it. Sae might be a midfielder, but his finishing was more lethal than anyone else on that side of the pitch.
"Nice work. That was a perfect read," Niko said, jogging up to Kira with genuine respect in his eyes.
Karasu let out a breath of relief. He had seen Gagamaru's reaction—the keeper had been beat. If Kira hadn't appeared, the game was over before it started.
"Stylish as always, Kira. Very glamorous," Aryu said, joining them and patting Kira on the shoulder.
"Focus up. They've got a corner," Kira barked, refusing to let the adrenaline go to his head. "Don't give Sae an inch."
Near the corner flag, Kitsunezato approached Sae, reaching out to offer a consoling pat on the shoulder. "So close, Sae. Don't sweat it—"
"Don't touch me, you rookies."
Sae slapped Kitsunezato's hand away with cold indifference, leaving the winger standing there in awkward silence. Shuto Sendo approached, sensing the tension, but Sae didn't even give him a chance to speak.
"Three times," Sae muttered, his voice a freezing blade. "I gave you three clear chances to score, and I sacrificed my own positioning to set them up for you. Even a monkey could have finished those, but you trash-tier strikers keep blowing it."
"It pissed me off enough that I decided to finish it myself, and even then, that white-haired brat managed to get in the way."
Sae's eyes locked onto Kira, who was busy organizing the Blue Lock defense. To Sae, Kira was the only one on the pitch acting like a real player.
"M-Monkey? Trash?" Sendo's face turned a deep shade of purple. "Who do you think you're talking to?"
"Relax, Sendo. Gagamaru just made a hell of a save, that's all. And hey, you didn't exactly score your shot either, Sae," Aiku said, strolling over and scratching the back of his head with a lazy, confident grin.
"Are you seriously comparing a midfielder's finishing to a striker's?" Sae asked, looking at Aiku like he was an amateur. "If a striker can't put that ball away, I don't acknowledge them as a player. I'm not here to play babysitter for children."
"You're a harsh critic, Sae. If that's your standard, there isn't a single striker in this whole country who fits the bill," Aiku countered.
"That's exactly what I'm here to find out."
Without another word, Sae walked toward the corner arc.
Aiku sighed and leaned into Sendo. "Don't let him get under your skin, Sendo. This is my team, not his. Just make sure it doesn't happen again, or you really will be worse than a monkey."
"I got it, Aiku," Sendo muttered, his ego bruised but his focus returning.
***
"The match continues with a U-20 corner!" Tereasa shouted. "Sae's last attempt was a masterpiece, but Blue Lock held the line. Now we get to see what he can do from the set piece!"
On the pitch, Sae took a deep breath, his eyes scanning the box for the optimal trajectory. He took a short run-up and whipped his leg through the ball.
The curve was perfect. It bypassed the front zone and dropped like a stone right onto Sendo's forehead.
'This is it!' Sendo thought, launching himself into the air. 'I'll show that arrogant bastard who's trash!'
But as Sendo reached for the ball, another shadow eclipsed him.
Jyubei Aryu, with his massive reach and lanky frame, soared into the air beside him. Sendo looked up in horror. The guy was practically a skyscraper.
'How the hell am I supposed to compete with that?' Sendo thought.
"The sky belongs to me," Aryu declared, his head meeting the ball with authority and sending it spiraling out of the danger zone.
"Incredible! Sae's perfect cross is denied again!" Tereasa screamed. "Is that guy even human? His wingspan and vertical are a total cheat code for a high schooler!"
The loose ball bounced toward the edge of the area, sparking a frantic scramble. Kento Chou, the powerhouse winger with the body of a pro athlete, managed to shield the ball, but he hesitated for a fraction of a second as he looked for a pass.
"Hey, Officer... I think I just caught the thief."
Chou felt the ball vanish from under his feet before he could even react.
Kira had timed the tackle perfectly, snatching possession and immediately turning to sprint upfield. Chou stood there, dazed. That tone of voice... it sounded exactly like Aiku's during their training sessions.
"Oh! The U-20 blows another chance! Kira came out of nowhere to pick the pocket of Kento Chou!"
"It's him again! Kira is everywhere! He's playing striker, he's playing defender, and now he's leading the break!"
Tereasa was officially a fan. He was already making a mental note to dig up every piece of scouting data on Ryosuke Kira the second the whistle blew.
In the stands, the crowd was buzzing. They had come to watch the U-20 dominate, but the script was being rewritten in real-time. The momentum was shifting, and it was shifting toward Blue Lock.
***
Japan U-20 Starting Lineup: FW: Shuto Sendo WG: Kento Chou, Teru Kitsunezato AM: Itoshi Sae DM: Itsuki Wakatsuki, Haru Hayate DF: Miroku Darai, Oliver Aiku, Kazuma Niou, Teppei Neru GK: Gen Fukaku
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What are your predictions for the match score and the goal scorers?
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