Chapter 45 – Explosive Dragon

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I'm Back!

though, not 100 percent yet.

runny nose has never been more irritating before, during the day it always runny and i can't stop sneezing and coughing, during the night they froze and blocked the airway, so i mainly breath through my mouth.

combine that with headache inducing fever, uggh. chicken soup seems to do the trick, i felt a lot better now.

but enough of that, here's the next update. i hope it's to your liking. if not, well i can only say i'm sorry for having different plans for this story than your own expectation. 🙇🙇

Enjoy the chapters!

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"It's a three-on-three battle for five points!" the intercom blared as both teams took their positions on the field. Kira's team, wearing red jerseys, lined up against Shidou's team in white. On Shidou's side were two teammates: Ranze Kurona, a short, scrappy player with bright pink hair braided on the left side of his face and sharp, saw-like teeth; and Hirakazu Midorikawa, a more average-looking player with a buzzcut, standing at typical Japanese height. Though Midorikawa appeared unremarkable, the intensity in his eyes suggested he was not to be underestimated.

The whistle blew, signaling the start. Kira's team took the first possession. With the ball at his feet, Kira advanced down the center of the pitch, his movements calculated. Shidou charged at him immediately, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Yo!" Shidou yelled as he lunged forward, but his approach was reckless, offering no strategy to force Kira to the sideline or trap him.

Kira smirked, easily pulling the ball back in a sharp V-cut, slipping past Shidou's rush with grace. Shidou skidded to a halt, missing the ball by inches, as Kira sent a precise crossfield pass to Nagi, who was waiting on the right. Kurona, stationed in front of Nagi, had no chance to intercept the perfectly weighted pass, and Nagi trapped it with casual ease.

Seeing an opening, Kira sprinted into the empty space ahead. "Nice pass!" Shidou called out, recovering quickly and chasing after Kira. But just as Shidou prepared to close the gap, Raichi stepped in, setting a perfectly timed screen that entangled Shidou and Hirakazu, who had been following closely behind.

Kira was now in the clear. Nagi, having drawn Kurona in close, passed the ball back to Kira with a lazy flick. "Is this the pass you wanted?" Nagi asked nonchalantly, using his body to shield Kurona from interfering.

Without wasting a second, Kira lined up his shot. His left foot connected with the ball, sending it low and fast toward the bottom-left corner of the goal. The keeper reacted too late, diving in vain as the ball nestled into the net.

Red Team: 1 – 0 White Team.

Kira's team exchanged high-fives as they jogged back to their side. Shidou, grinning like a madman, shouted from across the pitch. "You guys have some nice link-up play!" he called out, already making his run up the left wing for the restart.

Kira, keeping a close eye on Shidou, positioned himself defensively. Hirakazu and Kurona exchanged quick passes as they attempted to break through Nagi and Raichi's line. Raichi, ever the vocal leader, shouted his instructions. "Don't rush them! Let them come—we'll shut them down."

Nagi nodded in agreement, holding his ground. The 2v2 quickly reached a stalemate as Hirakazu and Kurona struggled to penetrate the red team's defense. Seeing the situation, Shidou called out from his spot on the wing. "Just send the ball forward—I'll handle it!"

Kurona looked up, trusting his eccentric teammate's confidence, and launched a long, high cross into the air, mirroring Kira's earlier pass. Shidou sprinted into the box, cutting inside at a sharp angle to meet the ball. Kira, reading the play, was already in position, determined to intercept.

However, Shidou wasn't just fast—he was strong. As they collided, Kira found himself outmatched in terms of physicality. Shidou slowed Kira's momentum with his sheer force, using his superior strength to gain the upper hand. Kira, realizing he couldn't win an aerial duel, adjusted his strategy. He pressed his body close to Shidou, trying to force him into an awkward position to receive the ball. 'At least I can force him into a ground battle,' Kira thought, hoping to disrupt Shidou's balance.

But Shidou had other plans. As the ball arced toward them, Shidou leaped into the air, contorting his body into a seemingly impossible position. Using his left leg to launch, he executed a flawless kung fu-style kick, striking the ball mid-air with his right leg. Kira, caught off-guard, could only try to block it with his head, but the ball had already left Shidou's foot, rocketing toward the right side of the goal.

The keeper dove, but it was too late. The ball slammed into the back of the net, leaving the red team in stunned silence.

Red Team 1 – 1 White Team.

Kira stared at Shidou in disbelief. 'What the hell was that?' he thought, reeling from the unexpected display of skill. Shidou's athleticism, strength, and ability to shoot from such an awkward position were world-class. 'He perfectly judged the distance, the power... and that accuracy while in mid-air?' Kira's mind raced, processing the brilliance of the move.

Shidou, meanwhile, kneeling and grinning from ear to ear, hugging himself with an almost disturbing amount of joy. A light blush spread across his cheeks as he muttered to himself, "That was a worthy explosion." He laughed softly, adding under his breath, "Boom, boom, boom."

The game restarted with the red team in possession, Kira controlling the ball once more. As he dribbled upfield, his thoughts were racing. Shidou's strength, flexibility, and pure instinct for scoring... it's beyond measure, Kira mused, keeping an eye on the white-haired dynamo. 'The kind of play he just pulled off—it defies logic.'

Shidou, undeterred, rushed in to press Kira again, but this time his approach was more aggressive. He threw his body against Kira, practically shoving him as he snarled, "I've got you guys figured out." His tone was confident, bordering on cocky. He leaned in, trying to use his sheer physicality to bully Kira off the ball. "One guy's got a good first touch," he continued, referring to Nagi, "but the other? Not so special."

Shidou jabbed his foot in from the left, then from the back, each time trying to hook the ball away. He muscled and shoved, pressing his advantage in strength. But Kira wasn't backing down. He skillfully shielded the ball, never allowing Shidou to make solid contact. Every time Shidou's foot got close, Kira would maneuver it away, keeping full control.

Frustration started to creep into Shidou's expression. "And you... you're one of the trickiest players I've ever gone up against," Shidou admitted through gritted teeth, his voice a mix of admiration and irritation.

"Thanks," Kira said casually, and in one swift movement, he escaped Shidou's pressing, leaving him behind. Kira passed the ball to Raichi, but the moment it left his foot, regret washed over him. Shidou, with his relentless pace, closed in on Raichi almost instantly, trapping him with the help of Hirakazu. Raichi, sensing the danger, panicked. He tried to pass the ball back to Kira, but in the blink of an eye, Shidou pounced, stealing the ball with a perfectly timed interception.

Hirakazu took the ball and began driving it forward. But Kira was quick to block his path. "But you know..." Shidou started, taking the ball back from Hirakazu, clearly not trusting anyone else to hold possession. Using his back to shield the ball from Raichi, Shidou continued, "You guys are just playing football. You'll never understand what's going on in my head."

Raichi growled in frustration, pressing against Shidou. "What the hell are you talking about?!"

"What I do on the field," Shidou said with a dangerous grin, "is Life itself." With that, he flicked the ball to Kurona on the right wing and sprinted into the box. Nagi followed, marking him closely, while Raichi, seething with rage, sprinted to keep up.

Kurona reached the penalty box and, with a quick glance, sent a cross toward Shidou's location. Nagi, ever calm, managed to deflect the pass slightly, sending it off course. The ball veered from its intended trajectory, throwing everyone in the box out of position.

"I deflected it," Nagi said, noting the slight deflection with a cool sense of accomplishment.

However, before Raichi could move in to clear the ball, Shidou made his move. With his back to the goal, he leaped into the air with explosive force, twisting his body into a perfectly executed bicycle kick. Time seemed to slow as Shidou's acrobatic form hung in the air, his foot making clean, powerful contact with the ball.

Raichi skidded to a halt, utterly frozen by what he had just witnessed. The ball soared into the top corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance.

Red Team 1 – 2 White Team.

Raichi stood in shock, his mind reeling. 'There's someone like this in Blue Lock?' he thought, disbelief clouding his judgment. 'That pretty boy Rin Itoshi would be no match for this guy when it comes to scoring goals.'

Meanwhile, Shidou was reveling in his moment of glory. His body seemed to radiate an aura, as if ethereal wings of dark energy were sprouting from his back. His eyes gleamed with a wild, untamed joy. "Now..." he said to everyone, his voice low but charged with excitement, "make me explode even more."

Kira watched in silence, his heart pounding in his chest. Seeing Shidou's audacious plays, hearing his unsettling philosophy about the game, Kira felt an unfamiliar tremor run through him—not of fear, but of pure exhilaration. His body was buzzing with excitement. 'This guy... he's on a different level,' Kira thought, wiping the sweat from his face with his jersey.

Grinning to himself, he felt the fire inside him ignite. His eyes gleamed with anticipation. "This is getting more interesting," Kira muttered under his breath, smirking as he welcomed the escalating challenge before him.