[28] Hiori Yo's Meta Vision

"Why? Aren't you going to defend?" Karasu asked in disbelief.

Shinichi turned to glance at him. "Little Crow, you're too naive. Those were just words to guide you into doing what I wanted. On the field, how can you trust an opponent's words, let alone adjust your own decisions based on their judgment?"

"If I were to be honest, only two things I said were the truth."

"First, this is a bet I can't lose. And second…"

"I believe in Hiori!"

Suddenly, Shinichi dashed forward. At the same time, Karasu was struck with horror as he realized something.

Despite carefully observing Aryu's position before making the pass, the one standing at the perfect receiving spot wasn't Aryu—it was Hiori Yo!

'The ball's drop point confirmed, position optimal. Aryu is still three meters away, likely reaching me just before the ball lands.'

'He'll try to box me out from behind? No, with Aryu's unusually long limbs, he might still manage to touch the ball even behind me.'

On the field, Hiori's once-empty eyes darted frantically, processing the flood of information pouring into his mind.

Slowly, the scattered details coalesced, revealing a brand-new path forward.

Indeed, through his collaboration and training with Shinichi, Hiori had begun to unlock his own innate talent.

Though he hadn't fully awakened the complete Meta Vision, he had discovered a preliminary version of its use—an incomplete Meta Vision.

Unlike Shinichi's mastery, which dominated everything within his defensive zone, Hiori's Meta Vision was focused on processing and controlling the information entering his line of sight.

For example, when scanning the field ahead, Hiori could grasp all relevant details and roughly predict outcomes.

However, any information behind him fell outside his awareness.

Conversely, when looking backward, his control over the front would gradually diminish.

This shift occurred within a two-second window.

In other words, if he didn't glance at a specific direction for more than two seconds, that area would fall out of his Meta Vision's scope.

With limited match experience, Hiori still relied on continuous observation to process and utilize information effectively.

But at this stage, that was more than enough.

"You can't just rely on positioning to deal with this guy. That would only put me one step ahead of him, but that single step won't overcome the physical gap between us. So... I'll go two steps ahead, no, three steps!"

Despite already standing in the optimal position to receive the ball, Hiori suddenly began retreating, directly stepping into Aryu's path and blocking his advance.

"Ugh! What's this guy doing?" Aryu muttered in confusion as he bumped into Hiori's back unexpectedly. "Is he afraid of my elegant move to steal the ball from behind? Is he planning to give up on intercepting it himself and instead focus solely on blocking me, leaving the ball for his teammates?"

"Haha! Of course, someone as stylish as me would intimidate everyone! Fine, I'll just crush your little scheme in the most dazzling way possible!" Aryu declared confidently.

However, as their bodies clashed, Hiori remained as unyielding as a wall.

'What the—! Unlike his appearance, this guy is so strong!'

Aryu thought in shock as he felt Hiori's weight press against him.

Hiori leaned back entirely, almost resting his full body on Aryu while keeping his balance perfectly.

At the same time, Hiori's legs began lifting off the ground one after another, his whole body seemingly defying gravity as he leaned backward mid-air.

In this unnatural position, he managed to block Aryu by two full body lengths.

Just as the ball descended at the perfect angle, Hiori lashed out with a powerful kick, sending it flying forward.

It was almost unimaginable that Hiori, in such an awkward position, could generate enough power for a long pass.

Even more astonishing was that, despite the many constraints, his pass flew with pinpoint accuracy toward Shinichi, who was sprinting relentlessly.

"Truly impressive, Hiori. If I hadn't read some manga, I'd almost think you're the protagonist of this Blue Lock," Shinichi said, fully unleashing his speed and reaching a spot where no one else could catch him.

Standing still for a moment, he watched what might have been the pinnacle pass of Hiori's life so far.

"Hiori, at least with this pass, you've truly matched my pace," Shinichi murmured softly.

Suddenly, he leapt into the air.

His powerful core allowed him to twist his body dramatically mid-air, rotating a full 180 degrees.

Gooooooooooal!

With his back originally to the goal, Shinichi delivered a stunning mid-air volley, striking the ball with an unstoppable force that pierced the net.

1:2 → 1:3

...

"What… what an incredible combination play. To execute such an insanely precise long pass from over half the field in that situation, and for both players to connect without even stopping the ball… it's incredible," Anri exclaimed in admiration, unable to hide her amazement.

Quietly, she glanced up to observe Ego's expression, only to see him staring blankly at the screen, his eyes lost in thought, murmuring to himself.

"FLOW? Did Hiori evolve under your influence? But why him? Shinichi, in this moment, why didn't you enter FLOW?"

"This doesn't make sense. Why? The pressure was sufficient, and the goal was achievable. In a one-versus-many scenario, when the opponents rely on their numbers to trap you, you've always had the ability to crush them. Shinichi, you can do it—so why? Why can't you enter that state? Why aren't you unlocking your full potential?"

"Too much pressure? No, it can't be. My analysis shows you're capable. Or is it…"

"…These opponents aren't worthy of being your target, not even as short-term goals? Ah… I see now."

After his frantic, restless monologue, Ego's gaze returned to his usual lifeless "dead fish eyes," coldly watching the players on the screen. "Arrogant little brat… to think I even wasted so much effort."

"All you see is your ultimate goal, completely blind to anything or anyone else. Such an idiot will either end up overwhelmed by a goal too distant, unable to feel the satisfaction of incremental progress along the way, depriving their brain of dopamine, losing stimulation, and ultimately giving up…"

"…Or, they'll recklessly charge ahead without care for the consequences, only to crash headfirst into failure. Shinichi, strikers thrive on stimulation—life-or-death battles, the thrill of scoring to secure victory, even the rush of crushing their opponents. A striker addicted to this stimulus becomes like a junkie, forever craving more. Only then, at the most crucial moments, will they be summoned by that craving to unleash their full potential."

"Shinichi, dreaming of godhood while ignoring the people around you is impossible. If you continue like this, you'll stagnate and lose your edge, falling into mediocrity."

"As I thought, my earlier approach was correct. You need to be knocked off your throne once. Maybe my original plan wasn't drastic enough… I'll have to push that heartless guy even harder."

"I'll save you, Shinichi. Through judgment."

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