[29] A New Trick
"Hiori… that fool… he actually…" Karasu stopped in place, panting heavily, his expression complicated as he looked toward the figure cheering and running toward Shinichi.
"Was it because of him? You've already gotten so far ahead of me…"
"Hey! What's with that look on your face? We haven't lost yet!" Eita snapped, angrily grabbing Karasu's jersey. "With that defeated attitude of yours, if you can't handle it, give me the ball and let me play at my pace!"
"Eita…"
"I agree," Aryu added. "Instead of fixating on how to beat Shinichi, we should focus on our own strengths. All I need to do is fully unleash my ultimate stylish abilities!"
"Aryu, you too…?" Karasu looked at the determined expressions of his teammates. His once-uncertain eyes gradually filled with resolve, and a familiar mischievous grin crept onto his face. "So this is the kind of role you two are playing? How melodramatic. A couple of fools, huh?"
"Still talking tough? That's not stylish at all," Aryu shot back with a smirk.
"Shut up and just kick off already."
"Yes, yes," Karasu replied, raising both hands in mock surrender.
Stopping at the midfield line, his gaze instinctively drifted toward Shinichi on the opposite side.
'Calm down… don't overthink it. Forget those meaningless conclusions. Shinichi's lateral movement is indeed lacking, but my feints aren't good enough to exploit that. Even Nishioka couldn't pull it off.'
'Change the approach. Battling the opponent's strengths head-on is futile, but if I can't seize on their weaknesses, then I'll focus on maximizing my own strengths!'
"Your expression's different now," Shinichi remarked, once again blocking Karasu's path. "You're not carrying that heavy burden like before. Got some new ideas, huh? You scavenger."
"I hate your superiority complex. Careful, or I'll report you for bullying, you idiot," Karasu quipped before making a simple directional change and charging forward with the ball.
"Something this basic? You actually think it's worth showing off?" Shinichi smirked, accurately predicting Karasu's footwork.
He stepped in, using his shoulder to suppress Karasu's speed. "This is nothing but the same old moves, completely unchanged."
'Damn it, the pressure is as suffocating as ever…' Karasu gritted his teeth and raised his arm to fend off Shinichi.
But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop Shinichi's relentless approach.
Shinichi's shoulder cut off Karasu's path, forcing his running speed to slow.
He was on the verge of being stopped entirely...
But he didn't lose the ball immediately!
Karasu's earlier judgment was correct—his ability to use his arms allowed him to maintain a short-lived standoff.
Though his eventual defeat was inevitable, the precious time he bought was enough!
"Eita, it's all yours!" Karasu yelled, forcefully kicking the ball away. Like a snake weaving through the gaps between players, Eita glided smoothly and effortlessly, intercepting the pass mid-sprint.
"Still the same old trick? I've seen this too many times," Shinichi muttered.
The moment Eita received the ball, a black shadow flashed past his peripheral vision—Shinichi, like a grim reaper hunting its prey, was right on his heels.
His cold, unwavering gaze locked onto Eita, as if intent on devouring him completely.
"Don't forget about the ever-stylish me," Aryu suddenly interjected, barging into the fray and blocking Shinichi's line of sight.
Aryu deliberately entangled Shinichi, using his taller frame and longer limbs to disrupt Shinichi's pursuit.
"Your football is impressively cool, Shinichi, but you've shown off quite enough. Time to take a break. Otherwise, your brilliance might overshadow mine."
"And don't forget about me. If you're going to bully us with your strength, don't blame us for using numbers against you," Karasu said, rushing in from behind to join Aryu in obstructing Shinichi's movements.
"Even someone like you should fall from godhood to mere mortal status while dragging two burdens along," he added with a strained grin.
Under Shinichi's immense strength, Karasu gritted his teeth, holding his ground as best he could, his arm locked firmly against Shinichi's chest.
Yet, even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that Shinichi might break through their defense at any moment. "What a pain… damn genius!"
"Tch. Annoying pests," Shinichi muttered, his expression shifting for the first time.
While his speed was undeniably overwhelming, his physical strength wasn't quite as far beyond the norm.
Both Karasu and Aryu were among the strongest players in Blue Lock physically, and while Shinichi could easily crush either of them in a one-on-one, even he couldn't overcome both simultaneously without delay.
"And the time you're stuck dealing with us is exactly when we make our move to win," Aryu declared, spotting Shinichi's subtle attempt to back away and disengage.
He quickly extended a long leg to block his path. "My willingness to sacrifice myself for my team is also… exceedingly stylish."
"Ha! You still have the energy to talk like that in this situation?" Karasu growled, nearly grinding his teeth to dust.
'Is this guy a mule?'
'How is he this strong?!'
Even though Shinichi's speed had slowed significantly, they couldn't stop him completely.
He was like a bulldozer, forcing his way forward step by step, dragging both of them along.
"We can't hold him for long. It's all on you, Eita!" Karasu yelled.
Eita glanced back at the chaotic tangle of bodies behind him, knowing he had nothing left to worry about.
He lifted his leg to strike.
The defenders assumed he was going for a nutmeg and shifted, but Eita quickly hooked the ball back with his toe, twisting his body to burst through the defensive line.
His eyes were locked on the goal.
"Hey, hey, you're having way too much fun," came a voice.
Standing in Eita's path was Hiori, his dull, spiraling eyes wide open as he crouched slightly, taking up a defensive stance. "Why not let me join in?"
"The final boss, huh? So all I need to do is get past you," Eita replied with a smirk.
His movements suddenly became erratic, his overwhelmingly agile body shifting its center of gravity unpredictably as he tested Hiori's defense.
Ugh… so fluid. His changes in balance are incredible—I can't predict where he'll move next, Hiori thought, struggling to maintain his composure while feeding Eita's movements into his rapidly processing mind.
"You're a step too slow, blue-haired lackey," Eita taunted.
In a brief moment of distraction, Hiori suddenly realized that his center of gravity had been quietly manipulated by Eita's deceptive movements.
The hard-won gap was seized with precision, and Eita wasted no time, launching a powerful shot toward the goal.
Boom!
The expected sound of the ball hitting the net never came.
Instead, Hiori twisted his body mid-air, raising his leg in a desperate scorpion kick.
He barely managed to deflect Eita's shot with the back of his calf.
The ball's trajectory changed dramatically, grazing the post and narrowly avoiding a goal.
"It's not over yet!" Eita roared, lowering his body and charging forward again.
But then, an all-too-familiar sense of crushing pressure surged from behind him.
"Had enough fun yet?"
Shinichi's dark hair whipped wildly in the wind as he closed in at terrifying speed.
His jersey, stretched and warped from the earlier confrontation, clung to his body.
His chilling gaze, flickering with anger, bore into Eita like a predator.
Shinichi had broken free from the two-man blockade—he was back!
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