Chapter 95: Halftime Break, Approaching Chaos!

Oliver and the others rushed up and surrounded Kira to celebrate.

Yoichi's pass just now was full of threat. If Kira hadn't intercepted the ball halfway, it would have been very dangerous!

As he looked at the cheering crowd, Oliver couldn't help but feel emotional. The whole team was somewhat lazy before, but after Kira arrived, the team seemed to have renewed vitality.

Kira almost single-handedly transformed the entire team.

"Kira has demonstrated tremendous offensive and defensive capabilities in the first half. He can both penetrate the opponent's defense deep in their territory and defend in his own half, completely stifling the opponent's attacks! From forward to defender, Kira can do almost anything! I don't know if he can achieve a hat-trick in this game, but without a doubt, he has announced his name to the world!"

The commentator was extremely excited at this moment. It had been a long time since he had seen such an exhilarating match.

Before commentating on this game, they received a notice from the football association that they should praise Sae more during the commentary.

Both the audience and the commentators believed that Sae was the real protagonist, and the others were just supporting roles!

But now, their thoughts had completely changed.

Kira exhibited an even more dazzling brilliance in the game!

Whether it was his skills or physical abilities, Kira showed heights that others couldn't reach.

Meanwhile, in the spectator stands, Fukuda Tatsuya was staring intently at Kira, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. It seemed that he had some kind of idea in his mind.

...

Outside the venue, in the presidential suite of a hotel, Loki was staring intently at the live broadcast of the match on the big screen.

"That's the running technique he used in the competition against me."

Loki muttered to himself, while sending a message to his teammates who were still at the club, asking them to watch the game together.

"What's there to see in this country's football?"

"It's just an insignificant match. It's better to go out to a nightclub."

"Why are you so concerned about this kind of game, Loki? Is it because of that new star, Itoshi Sae?"

The other teammates were puzzled by Loki's interest. They didn't care about this match, and the only thing worth paying a little attention to was Sae.

Loki replied.

"No, in this game, there is a more remarkable presence."

...

At this moment, the members of the Blue Lock team had returned to the locker room. Despite being behind 1-2, most of them didn't lose their fighting spirit. On the contrary, their desire to fight became even stronger.

Except for one person.

Rin.

After coming back from the field, Rin sat in a corner, motionless, with a towel covering his head. Sweat kept dripping from both sides of his cheeks onto the ground.

No one dared to approach Rin. Even if someone tried to talk to him, he ignored them as if his soul had been drained away.

On the other side, Hyoma sat on the ground, panting heavily. His body trembled due to rapid breathing, and sweat continued to pour out.

Hyoma had reached his limit. The intense pain made it difficult for him to continue.

But he remained silent, as if he didn't feel anything at all.

"You guys did pretty well."

Ego walked up to the group and spoke slowly.

"Your performance exceeded my expectations. However, it's still far from enough. We won't win like this..."

"Although we're one goal behind, we've already gained momentum, haven't we?"

Tabito asked with some confusion. He didn't understand why Ego was so pessimistic. They were only trailing by one goal, and their previous attacks were just a hair's breadth away from scoring.

"Do you really think there's a possibility of winning like this?"

Ego pushed his glasses and looked at Tabito.

"Neither Nagi's previous actions nor Rin getting past Sae were anything more than successes beyond your capabilities. They are not replicable. And look at the extent of your physical exhaustion. Do any of you really think you can continue to hold your ground against the opponent?"

Rin remained silent throughout, and the players on the field looked at each other.

Although their morale was still high, there was no doubt that they had already expended a considerable amount of energy in the first half.

Whether in attack or defense, they had to give 120% of their strength to compete with the opponent.

And it was evident that Kira still had plenty of stamina, no one had seen him exhausted.

If it came down to a long battle, they would definitely not be a match for Kira.

"What should we do to win then?"

Beside them, Yoichi wiped off his sweat and asked.

"We have already won."

Ego replied calmly, his tone very composed.

"You have showcased the strength of the Blue Lock to the world. Each one of you has performed exceptionally well. Even if the Blue Lock project is discontinued, you should quickly be scouted and signed by major clubs. Although the Blue Lock project might be abolished and I may be treated like garbage, in reality, the Blue Lock has already won."

Ego spoke the truth. Although he had considered the later stages, in the current situation, as long as they could hold this match, he had already won.

Anri beside them pursed her lips, unsure of what to say at that moment.

"Who asked you about that, YOU FUCKER FOUR-EYES!"

But at that moment, Yoichi's eyes widened. He stepped forward and grabbed Ego's collar, questioning him directly.

Everyone was stunned, as no one expected Yoichi to show such an expression.

Just like a monster, completely different from his usual gentle demeanor!

What drove Yoichi to do this was his intense desire for victory.

The first half had just ended. Why was it said that the Blue Lock had already lost?

"I'm asking you how to win this match!"

"Well..."

Anri also didn't anticipate this turn of events and didn't know what to say at that moment.

Ego's expression remained calm. He didn't get angry at Yoichi's actions.

On the contrary, his lips seemed to curl up slightly, as if the other's reaction was within his expectations.

"There is indeed another way, a way that is not a way. Do you want to give it a try?"

Ego narrowed his eyes slightly.

"In the second half, make a big substitution, bring in people who can break the deadlock."

"Who?"

Everyone's gaze fell on Ego simultaneously.

"Use up all three substitution opportunities to make the offense and defense more extreme. That's the only chance. First, replace Hyoma with Reo will act as a defender and assist Ikki in defense, significantly increasing the defensive strength."

Ego glanced at Ikki, as he had already guessed that the other party had also mastered that unique observation method.

"I..."

Hyoma wanted to say something, but Ego mercilessly interrupted him.

"Your stamina is already depleted. Anyone can see that. If you continue to play in the second half, you'll just be a burden. What's wrong? Don't you obey the arrangement?"

Ego's tone was ruthless.

Hyoma clenched his lips tightly, his fists also clenched, and his face was filled with unwillingness. But in the end, he could only nod.

He yearned to continue running on the field, but now his body had reached its limit.

For this moment, Hyoma had trained relentlessly for these three weeks. But in the end, he had still drained himself prematurely.

Unwillingness.

Tears welled up in Hyoma's eyes, but Ego completely ignored him.

"Do you understand, Reo?"

"Yes."

Mikage Reo took a step forward and nodded firmly.

"And Meguru will be substituted by Shoei. Although Meguru has good dribbling skills, it's not enough to break through Kira Ryosuke's defense. We need Shoei to break the deadlock."

Ego continued.

"Finally, Rin will be substituted by Ryusei."

"What?!"

Everyone was shocked by Ego's words. And Rin stood up directly from his seat, staring at Ego as if he wanted to tear him apart alive.

But Ego's expression remained unchanged. He simply said indifferently:

"During the first half, it has been proven that it is impossible to win by making Rin the core. Furthermore, that rampage is of no benefit to victory. All I see is blind self-indulgence."

"I haven't lost yet! How can I let that kind of tentacle bug...?"

"No, you have already lost completely, and you have been indulging in trivial grudges among brothers. The outcome of this match doesn't really matter to you. As such, you are not qualified to continue staying on the field. This is an order from me as the coach. You brought this upon yourself."

Ego's tone was calm, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

"Oh, my little Rinrin, if you lose, you lose. Why don't you admit it? Let me win it back for you, alright~"

At that moment, Ryusei stood up, wearing a mocking expression on his face, appearing carefree.

His overall abilities were not inferior to Rin, and it could be said that his personal attacking prowess was even stronger.

On the field, he possessed a unique playing style that ordinary people couldn't handle, which made it impossible for him to coexist with Rin. They had clashed several times during team training.

He was Ego's ultimate weapon.

If it weren't for Kira's existence, Ryusei would have been the one Sae would have chosen.

"You tentacle bug..."

Rin's body trembled with excitement, but it was an incredibly important match. In the end, he forcibly suppressed his emotions and chose not to continue arguing with the other.

He clenched his fists, and his nails dug deeply into his palms.

"Leave it to me, leave it to me~ Kira and Sae, let me handle them properly! I can't wait to get on that field! I'm so impatient! It's like an insatiable desire!"

A smile bloomed on Ryusei's face, filled with excitement and greed, resembling a jackal.

"But... with Shoei and Ryusei's playing styles, can they really coexist?"

Hiori Yo, a member of the team, raised a question. He was a very rational player who always made the most logical judgments on the field.

In his eyes, both Ryusei and Shoei were selfish individual attackers, and having them in the same team would only disrupt the chemistry. It didn't seem like a good fit no matter how you looked at it.

"That's your problem. I've already said it, this is the 'unconventional solution.' It's not just an issue on the attacking end, the link between the back and front lines will also become very weak."

Ego continued to speak.

"This match is an arena, and your enemies are not just the U20 team, but also each other. Fight against each other, devour each other. Let's see who can consume the others. Only the final victor will have the right to face the opponents. Only then can you break through."

As he spoke, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally fell on Yoichi.

"Go to the field and cause as much chaos as possible."