A collateral damage (1/2)

*Fifth stratum, sixth match*

"Why are they looking so stiff? Scared of us already?" Yanagi joked alongside the rest of Team X. They quickly finished their usual warm up and got into position. 

The atmosphere on Team Y was more tense than ever. 

They lost both of their last games. 

After losing to Team Z, presumed to be the worst team in the fifth stratum, they knew that they no longer had any chance of making it as a team. 

The previous Team Y, known for its remarkable teamwork from day one, no longer existed. 

The team that now stood in front of Jude could hardly be called one. Some of them didn't even bother to glance at the incoming Team X, their focus was solely on beating their own teammates and scoring the most goals to survive. 

"I knew they would be easy opponents, but this is just pitiful." Miyata silently shook his head. 

"We don't have the leisure to take pity on them." Jude replied. 

"You're right. Let's use this as an opportunity to gain back our confidence and get ready for our final match against Team V." 

Jude responded with an approving nod before also getting into position. He calmly stood in front of the two strikers from Team Y, who were seemingly still arguing. 

"Just shut up, I'll pass it to you, but you better give it back to me." One of them spoke up as he passed the ball back to his teammate.

The pass could hardly be called one, the striker didn't bother to aim or adjust his power. 

The player who received the ball trapped it clumsily, his eyes automatically locked on the ball. The sole thought in his mind was whether he should pass the ball back to the arrogant asshole in front of him, or just run off on his own.

Unfortunately, right as he raised his eyes from the ball, he realized that none of those options were viable anymore. Those few wasted seconds were enough for Jude to close the gap between them.

"So? Will you pass it back?" Jude teased as he tackled him and effortlessly stole the ball from him. 

"I'm with you if you need me," Miyata reassured as he ran alongside Jude. 

"I don't think it will be needed." 

His words were soon proved to be right. In the span of a few minutes Jude dribbled past every player of Team Y and found himself face to face with the goalkeeper. The poor goalkeeper was left to fend for himself. His body tensed up as he got in position to jump, his entire body was ready for the incoming shot.

Miyata and Akira were free on both of his sides, but without a second thought Jude finished it off on his own. A sadistic smile drew itself on his face as he sent a power shot aimed at the keeper's face. 

The keeper was too shocked to react, the ball hit him full force before bouncing back towards the penalty area. Only for Jude to hit another volley shot aimed once again at the same spot. 

This time, the goalkeeper's body was on alert. His body reacted faster than his mind as he ducked from the incoming shot, effectively letting Jude score the first goal of the match. 

"I thought Team Y had the best goalkeeper, but at the end of the day you're still a striker. You don't have what it takes to be a real goalkeeper. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be anything more than a failed imitation." 

Jude turned around with a disappointed face, slowly walking back towards his teammates.

"You're not going to celebrate?" Miyata asked him, surprised by the unexpected coldness emanating from Jude. 

"Do you really believe scoring against such a team is something worth celebrating?" 

His reply was loud enough for most of Team Y's players to hear. Yet none of them dared to refute his words.

They knew better than anyone that their current team was broken beyond fixing. Nobody worked together. Their only goal was to score more than their own teammates. 

"1-0 in the third minute? That's pretty nasty." Yanagi joked as he lightly tapped the back of one of Team Y's players. 

That player being the only one to seem unaffected by this sudden goal.

His unbothered look is what picked up Yanagi's interest. 

"Stop playing around. Don't underestimate him." Jude was the only one who knew that player's true worth.

Saramadara — one of the players who reached the third selection of the Blue Lock project. 

"So what? It's not like they have any chance to win anyway." Yanagi replied with a smug smile.

"They don't. But let's make things clear." Jude spoke, each word coming out colder than the last. "If you allow them to score even a single goal, I'll make sure you end up back in defense for our last match."

"You're worrying for nothing, I'll have them on a leash." Yanagi winked at Saramadara one last time before finally going back to his position. 

A few seconds later, everyone was back at their position, the only change was that this time Team Y looked to have silently agreed on a temporary truce. 

Saramadara was at the center of that change once again. His position switching to a more offensive one as he stood right behind their striker. 

As soon as the match resumed, Team Y's striker passed the ball back to Samarada. 

Taking the matter into his own hands, the young player advanced with the ball glued to his feet. 

As soon as he noticed Jude coming towards him, he made sure not to reenact his teammate's mistake. He immediately passed the ball to the side before Jude could get in range to intercept it. 

"I won't let you dictate the flow of this game." Samarada announced confidently. "I have already understood the core of Team X."

Jude's smile turned into a frown as he looked at Miyata easily getting dribbled.

"Try your best to struggle. In the end, it will all be meaningless."