Blue Lock: Beyond Greatness

After the most passionate speech concluded, the players on the field returned to their respective positions, each harboring their own thoughts, waiting for the referee's whistle to signal the kickoff.

"Kid, I really admire your perspective. You're absolutely right—winning is the duty of a professional player. So, have you considered joining Ubers?" Snuffy, standing opposite Shinichi, broke the silence during this brief moment. "You wouldn't need to change a thing. All of us would fight for your glory, and I could even serve as your subordinate. What do you say?"

"…Those are very generous terms," Shinichi replied after a moment of thought. "They're tempting, I'll admit. But unfortunately, I prefer the role of a founding emperor who builds his kingdom from scratch over inheriting a throne as a crown prince."

Hearing Shinichi's response, Snuffy's expression remained calm. He didn't press further. From the start of the match until now, in just this short time, he had already discerned that Shinichi was the kind of person who, once he made up his mind, wouldn't easily change it.

However, he wasn't about to give up entirely.

Nothing in this world is absolute.

If Shinichi sought a challenge, Snuffy could also initiate a massive overhaul within his team, replacing members to create a new foundation.

After all, the choices of professional players often aren't dictated solely by their personal desires.

"Looks like we've been underestimated, huh, Noa? Want to take the first shot?" Snuffy, standing at the center circle with his foot on the ball, called out to Noa.

Noa nodded in response.

With a smirk, Snuffy nudged the ball forward. "Alright... then take this!"

Snuffy made a lateral pass, but instead of sending the ball to Noa, it landed at Loki's feet on the opposite side.

All that buildup had been nothing more than a decoy aimed at throwing off Shinichi.

Despite his belief that world-class players, with their image as role models, wouldn't resort to such tricks, Shinichi fell for it.

Loki took off with the ball, sprinting at full speed.

Faced with the joint defense of Hiori and Ranze Kurona, Loki merely nudged the ball forward and executed two consecutive large stepovers, slicing through BLUE LOCK's defense like a hot knife through butter.

"You're not getting past here!" Zantetsu blocked Loki's path, with Rin guarding the other side tightly.

"Hmm, quick reactions, but your coordination isn't very tight," Loki remarked.

He even stopped, planting his foot on the ball and waiting for a second, observing the two defenders poised in front of him.

Only when he confirmed they weren't making a move did he resume his attack. "You've left a big gap in the middle. If you're going to block, do it properly."

Loki chipped the ball forward and darted after it.

Zantetsu and Rin reacted almost simultaneously, attempting to block him.

But Loki, moving like an unstoppable hurricane, surged through the gap before their defense could fully form, breaking through with ease.

"Damn it! So this is what world-class means?" Rin's pupils dilated as he watched Loki's overwhelming burst of speed. "I didn't even see that gap as a flaw—it felt like we'd sealed him off perfectly. I was bracing for him to shift direction with his dribbling."

"No, their speeds might be similar, but when it comes to ball control and subtle moves like changing direction, he might even surpass Shinichi!"

As these thoughts raced through his mind, a figure clad in the white No. 7 jersey burst into view.

With a violent yet precise sliding tackle, the seemingly unstoppable hurricane was perfectly intercepted.

"Don't just stand there, fight for the second ball!" Shinichi, sprawled on the ground after his gamble of a sliding tackle disrupted Loki's streak of single-handedly beating four defenders, shouted out a warning.

But it was already too late—before Shinichi even opened his mouth, the ball he had deflected was expertly intercepted by Snuffy, who had anticipated everything perfectly.

"Now, perhaps you can reconsider my earlier suggestion." With no one left in his path, Snuffy smiled faintly and unleashed a powerful shot.

The BLUE LOCK goalkeeper's slightly delayed dive only served to highlight the force behind the strike.

"I have to admit, you might be the strongest of the new generation. But as you've just seen, when faced with a combination of multiple elite players, without support, all you can do is watch as victory slips through your fingers. A lonely king ultimately faces the downfall of his kingdom."

"You need allies. Sure, you could build your empire from scratch and eventually succeed, but how many years would that take? For someone with talent like yours, every year is precious. Every year wasted diminishes the honors you'll have by the time you retire."

"Don't act like you've got me all figured out, you bastard," Shinichi grumbled, a displeased pout on his face. "Win this match first before making your claims."

"It's fine. When it comes to work, I'm always patient," Snuffy replied calmly, unaffected by Shinichi's attitude. "And I want you to know, this isn't coercion. It's simply advice from someone who's been through it, combined with my belief in you and my willingness to invest in your future."

As Snuffy maintained his composure, the referee system finally reacted and blew the whistle.

Beep—!

BLUE LOCK Team 1:1 World Five

The score was tied, but the psychological pressure on both teams was entirely different.

Shinichi's team had exhausted their every ounce of effort just to scrape a single goal.

This was despite the fact that Snuffy and Loki had barely participated in defense, effectively allowing Kurona and Zantetsu to trade one-for-one with them just to score.

On the other hand, their opponents had scored effortlessly, with only two players involved in their attack.

If not for Shinichi's elite defensive play, Loki alone might have been enough to dismantle the entire team.

Thus, even though they overheard Snuffy's evaluation of Shinichi and his assertion that no one could support him, none of them could muster a rebuttal.

The truth was undeniable—when facing world-class players, they were overwhelmingly outmatched.

Hiori's grip on his knees tightened unconsciously, the pressure on his gloves turning his knuckles white.

He didn't even notice.

"All that talk about achieving dreams together… about changing the world!" Hiori muttered bitterly to himself.

Unlike his parents, who had never complained about his performances and had always hoped for his growth and success, their unwavering support suffocated him.

Not because he felt crushed under their expectations, but because he was drowning in guilt over his inability to respond to them.

"I'm just a guy who talks big about dreams while achieving nothing… just a leech clinging to Shinichi's side, draining him dry."

The same expression of anguish appeared on Rin's face. However, unlike the frustration of not keeping up with the others on the field, there was also a hint of confusion in his gaze.

"My path... what is it, really?" Rin murmured to himself. "Maybe Shinichi was right. Everything I've done has been driven by external factors—whether it's seeking revenge against Itoshi Sae or trying to surpass Shinichi. These were goals imposed on me by others. But what do I... truly want?"

He clenched his fists, a flicker of doubt creeping into his voice.

"Is there even a point in continuing to try like this?"

...

Unaware that two of his key players had fallen into self-doubt, Shinichi took a deep breath, trying to steady his irregular breathing caused by relentless running and physical clashes.

"Looks like my usual state has already hit its limit," he muttered to himself.

"I was hoping to save this for the stalemate phase, but if I don't use it now, we might collapse entirely. Playing the underdog can't end with me becoming the actual loser."

Wiping the sweat from his face, Shinichi raised his hand. No one noticed the faint, pitch-black lightning quietly sparking between his fingers.

-------------------

Top 5: Bonus Chapter

Want to read 20 advance chapters ahead?

Go to my patreon: patreon.com/Kinglass