Shock.
While the others were still questioning the sanity of Ego Jinpachi's game, someone had stepped forward to challenge the entire room alone.
"Hey, brat! Don't get ahead of yourself!" one striker barked. "What's he playing at? One against eleven?".
"Even if you're Ryosuke Kira, there's no way you can take all of us!". The initial surprise in the room curdled into collective rage. They were all geniuses in their own right, and being looked down upon by a peer was an insult they couldn't stomach.
Kunigami Rensuke stepped forward, rolling his shoulders. "It's not my style to gank a guy, but you're being way too arrogant. I accept your challenge". His eyes flared with a controlled, smoldering heat.
"Yeah, bring it on!" another shouted. "If he wants to be the nail that sticks out, let's hammer him down". Despite being strangers, the eleven strikers formed an instant, unified front to put this arrogant "National Treasure" in his place.
Isagi watched Kira from the crowd with a conflicted gaze. Just moments ago, he had been struggling with his own lack of confidence, yet here was Kira, radiating a level of self-belief that bordered on madness.
"Wait... I'm not the 'Tag' anymore?" Igarashi whispered. Seeing the icon change on the screen, the monk-in-training quietly shuffled to the corner, hoping to vanish into the background.
Inside the Blue Lock control center, dozens of monitors displayed the chaos in the various rooms. Anri Teieri scanned the screens and immediately noticed the anomaly in Room Z.
While other rooms were already frantic games of cat-and-mouse, Room Z featured a bizarre standoff: one boy in the center with the ball, while the others fanned out into the corners.
"Ego, look at Room Z..." she started.
Ego Jinpachi cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Shhh. I'm watching...". Kira's earlier performance in the lobby had already piqued Ego's interest; he saw in Kira the raw materials of a true striker.
"What is he doing? Isn't he just increasing his own risk of elimination?" Anri asked, baffled by the illogical move.
"No," Ego countered, shaking his head. "He's taking his fate into his own hands. But being the 'Tag' requires exquisite dribbling and the ability to hit a moving target with high-quality strikes while in motion. Let's see if Ryosuke Kira has the skill to back up his ego".
Back in the room, Kira suddenly felt a rush of air behind him. He twisted his body just in time to see a figure lunge past him—Bachira Meguru had tried to catch him off guard.
"Aww, so close! I didn't grab him," Bachira chirped, retreating to the side.
Kunigami frowned at the sneak attack. "Don't use cheap tricks. We win this fair and square!".
"Who are you, the hall monitor?" Bachira teased, sticking out his tongue.
Kira felt a cold sweat. He had anticipated Bachira's unpredictable nature, but if he had been caught, a follow-up strike from someone with Kunigami's power would have ended him then and there. He noted that the group was now coalescing around Kunigami, using his strength as the anchor for their counter-offensive.
"Then let's start with you!" Kira shouted, his right leg cocked back.
BOOM!
The ball shrieked through the air toward Kunigami. "So fast!" one player gasped. "That's a pro-level strike—at least 70 km/h".
"Fast, but not enough," Kunigami muttered. Instead of dodging, he planted his right foot and raised his left leg high. With a roar, his muscles tensed into iron cords, and his laces met the flying ball.
POW!
A perfect, fluid volley. The ball transformed into a heavy cannonball, screaming back toward Kira at an estimated 90 km/h.
Kira's eyes widened. He knew the players in Blue Lock were elites, but facing Kunigami's explosive power firsthand was a different reality. He lurched to the right, the ball grazing his chest and narrowly missing his ribs.
CRASH!
The ball slammed into the wall behind Kira with a deafening thud, leaving a faint scuff mark on the surface. Kira looked back, shaken. If that had hit him, he wouldn't be standing.
"What a monster..." Igarashi whispered from the sidelines.
In the monitoring room, Anri adjusted her glasses. "That blonde boy... what an incredible power-hitter".
"Kunigami Rensuke," Ego noted with pride. "He's a power-type forward with excellent ball-shielding. His explosive long-range shot is his greatest weapon. If he can develop his weak foot, he'll be unstoppable".
"Does that mean Kira is in danger?" Anri asked.
"Never jump to conclusions before the whistle," Ego replied, his eyes glued to Kira.
Back in Room Z, the atmosphere shifted. The eleven players realized Kira wasn't invincible; Kunigami could match him. They began to relax, convinced that their numbers would eventually crush him.
"If this is all you've got, you won't get past me," Kunigami declared, standing like an unshakeable mountain.
Isagi, however, couldn't shake his unease. He hated the thought of relying on someone else to win, yet part of him realized that if Kira was eliminated now, his own path to the top would be easier. He shook the thought from his head, disgusted by the weakness of it.
"You're quite the 'Hero,' aren't you?" Kira laughed, his confidence unphased by the close call.
He walked back to the ball and placed his foot on it. He knew that challenging everyone at once with his base stats was a gamble. But he had a secret weapon.
System: Use Shidou Ryusei Experience Card.
[Status: Shidou Ryusei Card Activated]
[Vision +15 | Strength +30 | Speed +30 | Shooting +20]
[Duration: 10 Minutes]
A violent surge of energy flooded Kira's limbs. He looked at Kunigami and smiled a predator's smile.
Let's see the gap between a 'Hero' and a 'Demon,' Kunigami.
The timer on the wall ticked down: 90 seconds remaining.