Chapter 48: The way back

Although Jianguang lost the game, the audience applauded them. Of course, this applause was primarily for Aizen. Everyone could see that it was under Aizen's leadership that Jianguang managed to fight so fiercely against the opponents throughout the game. The final outcome didn't matter to the audience who had watched the entire match. To many, it felt like a lone wolf against a pack of mastiffs—a truly wonderful game.

...

...

The two teams shook hands and thanked each other. "Thank you for your advice!"

After everything was over, Aizen didn't experience any significant psychological fluctuations. He had anticipated the possibility of losing a game long ago. As the captain, he knew his team's limitations well. In this high-level game, none of his teammates could provide adequate support. This made Aizen seem like he was fighting alone throughout the game. The passing he usually prided himself on didn't play out in this match. Aizen only managed one assist, when Shota stole the ball while Murasakibara was in a daze.

However, Aizen did not blame his teammates. They had tried their best. It was indeed a lack of strength, not a lack of effort. Moreover, there was no player in the entire Japanese junior high school who could compete with the "Miracle Era" players. Reflecting on this, Aizen sighed and regained his composure. He looked at his depressed teammates and shook his head.

"Okay, everyone, since the game is over, don't think too much. It's tiring enough today; go back and have a good rest."

As Aizen was about to lead everyone away, Aomine Daiki approached him. Aizen saw him coming and told his teammates to go ahead. He then faced Aomine.

Aomine looked at him carefully and said, "It seems you are not affected."

Aizen smiled. "It should be you who is affected. Although we lost the game, I won our competition again." Aizen's smile grew even broader, not reflecting any sense of loss from the game.

Seeing this, Aomine realized that Aizen wouldn't be saddened by losing. Aomine couldn't bring himself to deny his own defeat. In his mind, losing was losing. Although Teikō won, it was a victory in lineup, not in personal ability.

"Next time, I will definitely win," Aomine said, then turned and left.

Aizen watched Aomine's departing figure, contemplating their contest. Aizen always felt that Aomine Daiki was the biggest threat among Teikō's players, even more so than Akashi. After witnessing Aomine's exaggerated speed, Aizen recognized the threat he posed. This guy, if not monitored closely, could deliver a fatal blow. And this was an Aomine who had been out of practice for a long time. If he hadn't wasted so much training time, what would his strength be now?

Thinking back to the second quarter when Aomine took the initiative in the game's rhythm, Aizen realized he was fortunate to withstand the pressure and evolve. Otherwise, the situation could have been worse, and they might not have even completed the system task.

Speaking of tasks, Aizen suddenly became excited. After the game, he received a reminder that he had completed the task. This reminder quickly pulled him out of any negative feelings about losing. He decided to check it later in peace.

Not wasting any time, Aizen caught up with his teammates. Upon returning to the locker room, his teammates were silent, as he expected. They mostly felt guilty. As the captain, Aizen comforted them, and eventually, everyone's mood improved a bit. Today was a day of losing, so there was no need for a celebratory dinner. Everyone agreed and headed to the bus to return home.

On the way back, the atmosphere was initially dull. However, driven by the lively Taiga, everyone started to laugh. Just when the mood was good, Shota, who had been silent, spoke up, plunging the bus back into silence. "Do you think we will have another game later?" This made everyone realize a serious issue. Because of today's loss, they might be directly eliminated.

The rules of the competition varied. Sometimes it was direct elimination; other times, there were resurrection matches. The event organizers hadn't specified, and no one knew for sure. Some said, "It should continue."

"Yes, after all, we are so popular, they should arrange a resurrection match."

Aizen didn't join their discussion but immersed his mind in the system.

[Mission completed.]

[81 points in a single game, successfully got the highest score in this game, and now the reward is issued.]

[Successful issuance: draw once.]

"Start!"

Aizen issued the command, and the familiar roulette wheel appeared in front of him. The wheel spun rapidly, and Aizen noticed many excellent abilities passing by, feeling regret each time. Finally, the pointer stopped.

[Extraction completed: Skill Evolution Capsule]

[Skill Evolution Capsule: Can upgrade any skill by one level.]

Aizen looked at the reward and fell into deep thought. This time, he didn't get any character-related ability but something auxiliary. He quickly realized the potential. If he had drawn another skill from Blue Lock, it would likely have been another offensive skill. The Blue Lock anime was full of egoists.

With [King's Domain], Aizen didn't need more offensive abilities. His current offensive ability was already very powerful. So, the Skill Evolution Capsule was valuable. He began to consider which ability to use it on. Without too much hesitation, Aizen decided on [Metavision], his foundational skill. As for [Confrontation Core], he felt it was already sufficient. He briefly considered [King's Domain], but ultimately decided to save the evolution for next time.